Below the Line with James Beshara - Winamp (2024)

A friend’s brother died by suicide last week. There are many resources online about how to avoid a mental health tragedy, but after losing my sister to major depression and suicide nearly twenty years ago, I’ve never come across a resource on how to navigate life after such a tragedy. And with estimates suggesting 1 in 5 people are suffering from a mental illness at any given point in time, and 1 in 20 suffering for a major mental illness (bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.), that means nearly all of us will either be directly or indirectly affected in one way or another by the tragic nature of mental illness. So at the request of another family member, I’ve decided to record what I often tell people that find themselves in this tragic and familiar situation.Here are some of the resources and citations for some of the data I point to and links for more information:https://www.nami.org/nami/media/nami-media/infographics/generalmhfacts.pdfhttps://afsp.org/story/if-someone-tells-you-they-re-thinking-about-suicide-a-realconvo-guide-from-afsp/https://twitter.com/jamesbeshara/status/1606051266680934402?s=20&t=K8zXPfi-_x_9MeigUooBRQ

12/27/2022 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 15 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine Dr. John Vervaeke is an associate professor at the University of Toronto, where he teaches courses on thinking, reasoning, problem solving, and cognitive development. He also frequently teaches a course on neuroscientific cognitive scientific theories of consciousness. In addition to his work in cognitive science, Vervaeke is also interested in bridging the gap between spirituality and science. He has created several video series on these topics, including Awakening from the Meaning Crisis and To Awakening from the Meaning Crisis Round Two.Awakening from the Meaning Crisishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncd6q9uIEdw&list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ&ab_channel=JohnVervaeke"The mind is between you and the world in a fundamental way. And that you shouldn't think of your mind just as between your brain and the world. But the way in which your brain is in your body is fundamentally relevant to the way in which your brain connects to the world. And you have to understand your mind as the intersection of those two connectivities, how you are connected to your body and how you're connected to the world. And that's where the mind actually is."John Vervaeke, PhD believes that the mind is not just between the brain and the world, but also between the brain and the body. He says that the mind is a dynamic, self-organizing process that is constantly adapting to its environment. He also believes that the separation of cognition and emotion is a false dichotomy, and that both are deeply interwoven. Finally, he believes that the mind is perpetually susceptible to self-deception, and that wisdom is the ability to overcome this self-deception.In this episode, you will learn the following:1. The mind is not just in the brain – it is also between the brain and the body, and between the individual and the world.2. Emotions and cognition are deeply intertwined, and neither can be understood in isolation from the other.3. Most of our knowing is non-propositional – it is knowing how to do something, rather than knowing that something is true.4. A rapid fire summary of some of the greatest philosophical minds of the last 2500 years including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Buddha, Jesus Christ, St. Augustine, Plotinus, Henry Corbin, Carl Jung, and more.Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

12/14/2022 • 1 hour, 55 minutes, 48 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineOn today's show, James Beshara is joined by friend and fellow founder/investor Ajay Mehta to play some word association and share what comes to mind when they hear the words, 'ETH', 'GPT3', 'Recession', 'India', 'Failure', and 'Elon'.Follow Ajay: https://twitter.com/ajaymehtaGPT3Support Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineAbout your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

8/25/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine On today's episode, James is joined by Dr. Dan Engle. Dan Engle is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. Dan was also a Co-Author on James' book, Beyond Coffee. James and Dr. Dan dive deep into Neurological Healthcare, concussions, and what the future looks like with new research and medicines. Enjoy!More Dan Engle:https://fullspectrummedicine.com/https://www.amazon.com/Dose-Hope-Story-MDMA-Assisted-Psychotherapy/dp/1544521022/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8https://drdanengle.com/https://www.instagram.com/drdanengle/Concussion Testing: Testing: https://www.cnsvs.com/RemoteTest.htmlDisclaimer - The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical recommendation, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion, and is not an endorsem*nt of use given the complexity inherent in these medicines, and the current variable widespread illegality of their usage.  00:18 Intro03:40 Dr. Dan’s Career Path 25:36 Neurologic Ramifications of Concussions 46:33 Psychedelics Use in Neurological Care 59:58 Resources with Dr. Dan1:22:35 Medical Practices Continued1:32:10 Magic Mind1:53:33 The Future of Health CareHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

7/19/2022 • 2 hours, 14 minutes, 42 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Vance Roush is the Co-Founder and CEO at Overflow, an app that helps nonprofits and churches accept donations of publicly-traded stock. Vance talks with James about being a pastor and how initially he would avoid talking about his faith when looking for investors but eventually saw the benefits when he embraced it. They talk about some stats underlying charitable giving, and dissect some of the technicalities on how Overflow helps people and companies give in the most efficient way.  More Vance Roush: https://twitter.com/vanceroush https://www.instagram.com/vanceroush/?hl=en https://twitter.com/Overflow_app https://www.overflow.co/ Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

7/5/2022 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 22 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine On today's episode, brothers and co-founders J.P. and Justin Alanís join James to take a deep dive into the world of DAOs, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. J.P. and Justin also discuss their recently launched endeavor, Story DAO. Story DAO is a new kind of blockchain-based production platform where individuals have the opportunity to collaborate with established Hollywood writers and artists to create and co-own the next generation of culturally relevant story franchises. In this episode, Justin talks about what initially got him into the crypto/decentralized world and sheds light to what the future may hold with decentralized content. J.P. speaks about his career in Hollywood and how it has influenced his decision to join Justin on this Web3 journey. This conversation ranges from NFT's to how the media would look different if it were run by a decentralized organization.Find out more about Story DAO:https://www.storydao.xyz/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13TD8Uksj0gHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected]Follow Us:Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Instagram @ instagram.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/21/2022 • 1 hour, 57 minutes

Comedian Shapel Lacey sits down with James Beshara to talk about his decision to move to LA, dealing with the loss of young ones at a young age, making the choice to quit drinking, and how daily journaling has been pivotal in his pursuit of clarity.He also talks about the strategy of looking at his passion of stand up comedy as something he clocks and clocks out for, and the importance of living a full life to be a great stand up comic.Find more Shapel Laceyhttps://instagram.com/ShapelLaceyCheck out his podcasts Shapel's World and KATS After Dark every week at https://www.youtube.com/c/ThicccBoyhttps://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640 // James questions directly at [emailprotected] // or follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine—About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 15 years, selling his last one to Airbnb, and invested in several multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/7/2022 • 2 hours, 22 minutes, 13 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine In today’s episode, James is joined by his good friend Ajay Mehta to take callers from listeners. 00:21 Intro11:20 Question 1: Is Tech heading for a bear market?37:52 Question 2: One piece of advice that keeps returning in your career?48:46 Best Piece of advice ever given to james58:04 What is something you believe that no one else you know believes?Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coChargebeehttps://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopifyhttps://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/26/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

For profitable, large businesses, a downturn can be great for recruiting and retaining talent as there is a flight to safety and security. For small businesses that have focused maniacally on profitability from day one, a downturn in the market is also managed relatively well. This is in contrast to technology startups that often have to spend years building the product before they can monetize or spend the first few chapters of the company's life focusing on growth over revenue maximization. This means that in an economic downturn, these startups/teams/founders are the most vulnerable to shifting markets, especially those that are dependent on outside capital. This episode is the resource for how to manage one's own psychology, as well as the psychology of the team around them when building and leading a business like this.In the episode, I outline tactics like getting comfortable with the worst case scenario (in order to maximize the chances of the best case scenario), as well as outlining the five guidelines for managing and optimizing your psychology in the midst of circ*mstances that often present a “fog of war” type of scenario for most leaders. In short, I put this together for you to avoid that scenario.  The guidelines have more details within the episode, but they are here below as well for you to reference:1. Assess and set *proper expectations* for yourself and the team.  2. Find and orient towards a *higher ideal*.  3. Manage your *mental wealth*.  4. Question everything, *especially your own assumptions* going into this new environment.  5. Find your *community of truth*.  Please let me know what I may have missed in the comments and share this with any creator that may be going through the extremely intense situation of feeling like the walls are closing in on them. And if you are a creator in this scenario, please reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram if there's a way I can help.   https://twitter.com/jamesbesharahttps://www.instagram.com/jamesjbesharahttps://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineYou can also always hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640 // James questions directly at [emailprotected] // or follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine—About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 15 years, selling his last one to Airbnb, and invested in several multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/21/2022 • 49 minutes, 4 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine Today's episode is with Duncan Trussell. A brilliant man in many facets of life. We touch on cold dips and how they equate to philosophy.  Duncan opens up about his early use of psychedelics and how they help him realize his own consciousness. We then go even deeper into how psychedelics have affected the whole world. Duncan also explains how certain epiphanies have changed his mindset through his life including the love of his children. To conclude the episode, Duncan talks about how life is all about YOU and no one is going to save you. Start small and make the change within you.    Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coChargebeehttps://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopifyhttps://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/3/2022 • 2 hours, 9 minutes, 52 seconds

Langhorne Slim is one of the most talented singer/songwriters of the last 20 years. James talks with him about his struggle with addiction, what it was like for a musician not touring over the pandemic, and how he coped with that.Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/20/2022 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 45 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineDr. Molly has worked as an independent advisor & strategy consultant to over 45 technology companies in San Francisco & Silicon Valley needing help with clinical strategy, scientific marketing, medical research, & product development. She also regularly speaks at conferences and with wellness travel companies across the globe on topics such as the future of medicine, scientific wellness, and digital health. She chats with host James Beshara about the bioscience of love, the importance of relationship, and some alarming statistics surrounding mental health.https://www.instagram.com/drmolly.co/Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coChargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLAbout your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/5/2022 • 2 hours, 5 minutes, 40 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine Today's guest is Julien Smith. Julien is the co-founder and CEO of Practice, a business management platform for coaches. He is also New York Times bestselling author of three books. James and Julien dive deep into how daily rituals can help you tremendously. Something as simple as keeping a journal can help free mindspace to knock out impenetrable tasks. Julien also talks about how he became a New York Times best seller and how Seth Godin helped him achieve this. James askes Julien why it is important to find your voice and what that means to creators or founders. To conclude the episode, Julien talks about emotional lows and how he became an observer of himself to overcome them. Find out more about Julien Smith:https://twitter.com/Julienhttps://practice.do/00:36 Intro05:57 Daily Rituals33:15 Running Practice40:56 Worthwhile Life46:30 Julien’s Background52:00 Discovering your voice1:04:03 Founding a startup1:12:59 Emotion Lows1:30:42 Becoming an observer of yourself Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coChargebeehttps://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/22/2022 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 53 seconds

]Today’s episode is with stand up comedian, actor, and podcaster Pete Holmes. James and Pete dive into the repulsion you feel in your early life that forces you away from things that aren’t intended for you. From leaving Massachusetts at an early age to finding his voice in comedy, Pete explains the feelings he had while falling upward. He also explains the craft behind Stand Up and what tactics he uses while on stage. To conclude the episode, James and Pete talk about why you don’t need to ask for permission. You have to find the freedom within yourself. More Petehttps://www.instagram.com/peteholmes/Book Recommendations from the Episode:Being Aware of Being Awarehttps://www.amazon.com/Being-Aware-Essence-Meditation/dp/1626259968Support Our SponsorsChargebeehttps://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTLShopifyhttps://Shopify.com/BelowtheLineHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/8/2022 • 1 hour, 59 minutes, 8 seconds

On today's episode James and actor, comedian and podcaster Bryan Callen dive deep into Bryan's early years of creating and why he started studying philosophy. He explains his fascination around fighting and why it has helped mold his brain into certain ways of thinking. Bryan also explains how he overcomes adversity and what it is like being 55 trying to come up with new ideas. To conclude the episode, Bryan and James talk about why your greatest strength is also your greatest liability and how to find courage within yourself. Find Bryan Callen:https://www.bryancallen.com/https://www.instagram.com/bryancallen/Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/1/2022 • 1 hour, 49 minutes, 42 seconds

Today’s episode is with Biz Stone, the Co-founder of Twitter. A man who early in his career knew nothing about tech but found a way to design websites which in turn started his own blogging career. He was then hired by Evan Williams, at Google working on Blogger, forming a bond which would go on to create a team at Odeo. They also hired Jack Dorsey. Biz explains why this was the starting ground for Twitter and how they came up with the idea. James asks Biz about the start of the company and how it went viral in 2007. Biz explains why he always put people before business and realized, over the years at a billion dollar company, you need humanity. To conclude the episode, Biz talks about how his unselfish nature has led him to greater opportunities instead of always trying to control the situation.   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

2/22/2022 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 18 seconds

Description:In today’s episode, James is joined by his good friend Ajay Mehta to take callers from listeners. James starts the episode by talking about his experience on the Duncan Trussell podcast and how he originally got to know Duncan. The first caller, Rev from LA askes, What are some big realizations or new insights that have been learned in the past year? The second question comes from twitter, What is happening in tech and why are all the stocks crashing? To conclude the episode, James and Ajay dive deep into NFT’s and crypto and why decentralization can have its consequences when it comes to losing money or getting hacked.Timecode Description:00:27 Intro4:36 James meeting Duncan Trussell11:15 First experiences in Silicon Valley20:41 Voicemail 1: Big realizations or new insights in the last year43:35 Voicemail 2: Tech market crash, what is causing it?1:04:49 Voicemail 3: NFT’s, are they the future?Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co Shopify  https://www.shopify.com/belowtheline(Free 14 day trial for BTL listeners)  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

2/8/2022 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 14 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Karen X Cheng is an award winning director who has reached over half a billion views across all platforms. Some would say she is the queen of going viral on the internet. In today’s episode she explains to James how her first video that went viral was by accident. After that video, she decided to try to recreate that virality but this time on purpose. James dives deep into Karen’s tactics for film making and how she creates these masterpiece clips that go viral online. Karen speaks about the easiest ways to grow online and what platforms are the most lucrative. From “Girl Learns to Dance in One Year” to partnerships with Beats by Dre and Puma, Karen’s story is an inspiration to all creators. To conclude the episode, Karen speaks about how she has mentally evolved and how she decides what to give energy to.   Follow Karen https://instagram.com/karenxcheng  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co  Shopify  https://www.shopify.com/belowtheline (Free 14 day trial for BTL listeners)  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

1/31/2022 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 20 seconds

In today's episode, James invites his friend Ajay Mehta on to take questions from listeners. The first caller, Sean from North Carolina, askes "What are the best tools or apps to become more productive?" Ajay and James dive deep into their career timeline and talk through the tools they have used in the past and the new found solutions to these tools that have helped them become more productive in modern day. The second question comes from David on Twitter, asking "What is a skill you wish you had?" James and Ajay bring up skills from their mentors that have been molded into their minds around time management and workflow. They also speak about how some of these mentors skills can make your daily workflow much easier and less stressful. To conclude the episode, Question #3 comes from Sarah on Twitter asking, "What is your biggest miss?" This topic ranges from investing to running a company and understanding upside vs downside. One 100x investment could potentially make up for those other 20 investments that turned into nothing.https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Ajay Mehta:https://twitter.com/ajaymehtaBlog Post mentioned:http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.htmlHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coShopify https://www.shopify.com/belowtheline(Free 14 day trial for BTL listeners)About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

12/7/2021 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 59 seconds

Today's episode is with one of the greatest business authors ever, Jim Collins. Jim is one of the most inspirational figures in James' career. Not only did he inspire James, but he also is one of James' fathers, favorite authors. This has formed a bond at a young age between the two and has helped form many ideas in James' head. James and Jim cover many topics today, in one of our longest podcasts ever recorded, they talk about a wide range of VERY useful topics for founders and creators. From, breaking down Jim's personal rubric on writing a book to how an idea turns into a book. Jim explains why it is important to keep turning the flywheel even when you feel like abandoning it. James and Jim, also speak about how great leadership, can take a company, far beyond what is projected on paper. Jim also explains the difference between Good and Great. To conclude the episode, Jim speaks about luck and how not only good luck is inevitable but so is bad luck, he explains how not all time in life is equal and how you should zoom in on the good luck and reevaluate the bad luck.  Find out more about Jim Collins here:https://twitter.com/level5leadershttps://www.jimcollins.com/Buy Jim's new book, Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0.  (https://www.jimcollins.com/books/BE2.html)https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off)About your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

11/23/2021 • 2 hours, 34 minutes, 27 seconds

Today's episode is with the brilliant, Kevin Gibbon. Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Airhouse. He was previously the Founder and CEO of Shyp. Kevin opens up candidly about his experience in Silicon Valley and explains what it was like moving to the USA to pursue his dream of owning his own company. James and Kevin, speak about the Silicon Valley Network and why it is the hub for startups. They also dive deep into why investors are more likely to invest in a second time failed founder rather than a brand new founder just starting their company. Kevin also explains the lows, mentally, he endured during the end of his first company and how it impacts him still to this day. To conclude the episode, James and Kevin talk about the legitimacy behind CryptoCurrency and if it is here to stay!https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Kevin Gibbon: https://twitter.com/kevingibbon https://www.airhouse.io/Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off) AppSumo http://appsumo.com/bffAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

11/16/2021 • 1 hour, 47 minutes, 49 seconds

In today's episode, James gets a voicemail from a caller asking "What is Vedanta?" James, has talked a lot about Vedanta in pervious episodes and today explains what it means to him in his own words. He has credited some of his success and peace in life to this philosophy.  Vedanta is a philosophy taught by the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of India. Its basic teaching is that our real nature is divine.https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

11/12/2021 • 31 minutes

On today's episode, James takes voicemails from listeners. He invites his good friend Ajay Mehta on to discuss the topics from the callers. Ajay previously worked with him at Tilt and has founded two companies since, Birthdate Co. and Therapy Notebooks.  The callers asks wide range of questions all centered around the lifestyle of being a founder and an entrepreneur. From Health and Diet for productivity to how to start fundraising as a first time founder. James explains why 90% of the interaction with investors should be based on asking for advice before asking for a check. To conclude the episode, James and Ajay discuss what company or one project they would invest in if somebody theoretically gave them a million dollars. https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Ajay Mehta:https://twitter.com/ajaymehtaHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off)AppSumohttp://appsumo.com/bffAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

11/2/2021 • 46 minutes, 32 seconds

Hiten Shah is the Co-Founder and CEO of Nira. A company that specializes in protecting companies documents from unauthorized access. Hiten has been working remotely for close to 18 years. Today he joins James to talk about The Remote Workspace Utopia. James and Hiten start the episode by giving listeners insight into all the technological gadgets used to help complete daily tasks and meetings remotely. James and Hiten also dive deep into the topic of meetings. Hiten explains the detrimental effects of mixing strategy and execution and why each topic should be discussed separately. To conclude the episode, James and Hiten talk about Communication in the remote workspace and what are the best practices in keeping your team on track.https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Hiten Shah: https://www.twitter.com/hnshah https://www.nira.com/Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors: Magic Mind https://magicmind.co (Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off) AppSumo http://appsumo.com/bffAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

10/19/2021 • 2 hours, 5 seconds

This episode premieres on the day our guest Nader Al-Naji's "Deso" launches a $50 million fund for a fully decentralized eco system. The Octane Fund will fuel development of early-stage social media projects for the blockchain.Nader Al-Naji, also known as "DiamondHands" is the creator of Bitclout and the blockchain DeSo. In today's episode, Nader speaks about his background for the first time on a podcast and how he got into creating a blockchain. From working as an engineer at Google, to discovering Ethereum in 2017, there has been immense amount of influences in Nader's life, which have helped him create what is known today as the DeSo blockchain. James and Nader, dive deep into the Monopoly of content we see today with online media and the plan with DeSo to ultimately decentralize content. Nader also speaks on the criticisms he received with Bitclout and how his team has made changes to ensure the longevity of DeSo the blockchain. To conclude the Episode, Nader tries to predict the future and the impact you may see on the world if online content becomes decentralized, in his opinion, its a win win for everybody involved. https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Nader and The DeSo Blockchain:https://www.deso.org/ (Pie Chart of Ownership referenced 1:08:45)https://docs.deso.org/https://twitter.com/nadertheoryJames' Original thoughts on Bitclout:  https://jjbeshara.com/2021/04/19/i-have-seen-the-future-and-its-bitclout/Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off)AppSumohttp://appsumo.com/bffAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

10/5/2021 • 2 hours, 2 minutes, 39 seconds

Jeff Jordan is a managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz. He was previously CEO and then executive chairman of OpenTable as well as Senior Vice President and General Manager of eBay North America. James refers to Jeff as one of the Best Venture Capitalist in the last ten years and one of his favorite mentors. Jeff was also on the board of James' former company, Tilt. In today's Episode, James and Jeff dive into the early career of Jeff at companies like Disney and eBay. Jeff Explains how he built eBay North America from 3 employees to thousands in just a few years.  James and Jeff also give insight on "How to Manage," this includes managing employees to managing tasks and time. They also dive into Network Effects and how it has helped them both make decisions on what companies to invest in. To conclude the Episode, Jeff explains the working relationship with James and his company Tilt.https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Jeff:https://a16z.com/author/jeff-jordan/Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsors:Magic Mindhttps://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off)AppSumohttp://appsumo.com/bffAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

9/28/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 27 seconds

Brad Feld is a Founder and renowned Blogger in the entrepreneur space. If you have been in technology, or an entrepreneur, over the past ten years you have probably read many of his blog posts. From selling his first company for a million dollars to now managing over a billion dollars with Foundry Group, Brad has had a crazy rollercoaster of a career. In todays episode, James and Brad, talk about a childhood experience with his dad that introduced him to the tech world. Brad also explains the journey of selling his first company to now running a huge VC fund. A major part of todays episode is Mental Health and the stigma around it among entrepreneurs. To conclude the episode, Brad speaks about his quarterly disconnects from business and how it benefits the rest of his year and relationships.https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind out more about Brad Feld: https://www.feld.com https://twitter.com/bfeld https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfeld  Brad's New Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0932BPN7NHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at checkout for 20% off)About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

9/14/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 26 seconds

Debbie Millman is named one of the most creative people in business. She is a designer, podcaster, author and educator. In today's episode, James and Debbie speak about her career arc of overcoming failure at one job and how it launched her into a better job and mindset. They also speak about how rejection is a key factor in decision making. Debbie also dives deep into why therapy gave her the mindset shift needed to ultimately become a more successful creator. To conclude the Episode, James flips the script on Debbie and askes her the key questions she always asks her guest on her podcast. Find out more about Debbie Millman: https://www.debbiemillman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/debbiemillman https://twitter.com/debbiemillmanhttps://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL for 20% off at Checkout)    About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

8/31/2021 • 53 minutes, 22 seconds

Todd Kramer is one of the key pieces of the Art world today. He currently owns multiple Galleries, with his partner Ryan Ross, they have created a well know space for artists to grow their work. In today's episode we take a deep dive into the Art world. James and Todd speak about how Todd's obsession with Keith Haring got him into this world when he was 24. They also talk about how galleries work and how they can help build artists career by showcasing their work. To conclude the episode, James and Todd speak about NFTs, the new emerging digital art form that has taken over the conventional art space over the past few months.  https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineFind more about Todd Kramer: https://www.instagram.com/toddkramerhttps://rkgallery.com/ Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off)   About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

8/24/2021 • 1 hour, 47 minutes, 14 seconds

Bill Maris is the founder of Section 32, a venture capital fund investing at the frontiers of technology and healthcare. Prior to Section 32, Bill spent almost a decade at Google as the founder and first CEO of Google Venture. On today's episode, James and Bill take a deep dive into what it took bill to become the CEO of Google Ventures. They also speak about the patterns you see in Venture Capital and how a young investor can use these patterns to benefit with their future investments.  To conclude the episode, James and Bill talk about the real problem with our society, mental health. They give examples of how we could come up with a solution and what the world will look like if we don't start thinking about these issues.   Find out more about Bill Maris: https://www. section32.com/  00:27 Intro 02:16 Bill’s backstory 17:10 What to do after you sell your first business 27:45 Google Ventures 41:53 Being a Middle Man in the Tech World  51:24 Patterns with Investing in Venture Capital 57:30 Pieces of advice that changed Bill’s mind 1:06:44 Trends Bill follows 1:23:17 Mental Health   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use code BTL at checkout for 20% off)   About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

8/10/2021 • 1 hour, 44 minutes, 47 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Michael Burns is an Entertainment Executive and Vice Chairman of Lionsgate. He is an Original Co-Founder of Lionsgate when it was first started in 1999. Michael is also James' neighbor and was his first friend when James moved to Los Angeles. On today's episode, Michael talks about how the short squeeze in AMC has helped the movie industry profit as a whole. Michael and James also speak about the process of creating a film from beginning to end. They also speak about the library of films Lionsgate has produce over the past 20 years. To conclude the episode, Michael outlines the Pros and Cons of the modern day streaming service industry and how it has changed the way we view content.   Find out more information about Lionsgate Films: https://www.lionsgate.com/ 00:23 Introduction  03:03 “Meme” Stocks 12:31 Streaming Services 18:15 Lionsgate’s Background 29:33 Movie Making 101 42:53 TV vs Movies 48:23 Attachments to failing shows 58:16 Lionsgate’s early struggles 1:04:30 Modern Day Lionsgate 1:09:54 Stories that have shaped Michael Burns 1:19:36 What takes up Michaels mindscape  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use code BTL at checkout for 20% off)  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

7/28/2021 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 42 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Chris Powers is an entrepreneur with more than 16 years of real estate development and investment experience.  He was also one of the first people to invest in host James Beshara's payment company tilt. In today's episode Chris and James speak about investing in your mindset, and the mistakes you can make when finding a cofounder. They discuss envy and how it affects your mind. They dissect about how hiring cheap work gets you cheap results and also how it will cost you more in the long run. To conclude the episode, Chris and James speak about an organization called YPO that Chris has been involved with for many years and how it effects his day to day work.   Find Chris Powers:  https://twitter.com/fortworthchris https://open.spotify.com/show/4dLKPVTiXWmrFwd43iN2LZ (Podcast)  00:32 Intro 10:26 What excites Chris in business  22:00 Efficiencies on recruiting  33:12 Key pieces of advice for Chris  45:12 Handing off the CEO title 57:38 Founders Ego 1:09:58 Starting something new 1:19:03 All business is people trusting each other 1:29:26 Partnerships 1:44:40 3 stories that have shaped Chris 1:55:03 YPO’s effect on Chris  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

7/22/2021 • 2 hours, 5 minutes, 15 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

7/16/2021 • 30 minutes, 12 seconds

Justin Kan is an entrepreneur who is the co-founder of Justin.tv which is now Twitch.tv. He has now turned to creating more content online like vlogs and podcasts. Justin is also an angel investor, which is how James and Justin met. Justin was one of the first investors in James former company, Tilt. On todays episode, James and Justin speak about having a higher purpose for your work and being passionate about your startup. They also speak about Justin leaving Silicon Valley, where he has been living, and his future plans. To conclude the episode, James and Justin speak about what they look for in founders, when it comes to investing in startups.   Where to find Justin:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRtwc6K_VU9N4OjNnU2P7g (Vlogs)  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xRInHClfOm5yhsR2jAgUg (Podcast) https://twitter.com/justinkan https://www.instagram.com/justinkan Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

7/8/2021 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 35 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Seth Godin is a best selling author, entrepreneur and public speaker. Seth has wrote over 20 best selling books around the world. On this episode, James and Seth, talk about his new book  "The Practice: Shipping Creative work" and what goes into "The Practice." In many ways, Seth is an antidote for all the messages you hear about short term success, he believes more in the long-term "process" or practice including all failures. Seth also speaks about the role of storytelling, the stories we tell ourselves and the relationship with those stories and our behavior. To end the episode, James and Seth speak about doing the work out of generosity.  Where to find Seth Godin: https://www.seths.blog/ https://www.sethgodin.com/ https://www.twitter.com/thisissethsblog https://www.instagram.com/sethgodin/ His most recent book: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Shipping-Creative-Work/dp/0593328973 00:00 Intro 05:09 The Practice 6:52 Failures correlation with creativity  13:49 Silicon Valley Ecosystem  20:53 Authenticity is useless 27:20 Beginners Missteps 34:37 Storytelling 37:29 You’re artist when you tell yourself you are 40:41 Seth’s Workshop 46:30 Generosity  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coNetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/30/2021 • 51 minutes, 35 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Garrett Brown and Colin Coggins are two adjunct professors at University of Southern California at The Marshall School of Business. Garrett and Colin are so brilliant, their class has now became one of the most popular classes on campus. In this episode, James takes a deep dive into the world of sales. Garrett and Colin speak about the concept of "Everyone" is in sales. All of their insights are counter to what people would call a conventional way of sales. James also speaks to them about what shifted their mindset into what it takes to be a brilliant salesperson compared to a normal salesperson. They also spoke about what it means to sell with love instead of fear. To conclude the episode, Garrett and Colin talk about how "Happy Accidents" form a bond between seller and consumer.  Where to find Garrett and Colin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettjbrown https://www.linkedin.com/in/colincoggins Subscribe to their latest content and upcoming book:  https://www.agency18growth.com/ 00:00 Intro 02:39 What comes to mind when you think of Sales 14:29 Being yourself when selling 31:03 The cycle of sales 54:14 Communicating out of fear or love 1:05:11 Teaching undergraduates about love in sales  1:10:49 How Garrett and Colin became a duo  1:25:03 Can you be great at sales if you don’t believe in the product? 1:29:20 Great sales people talk to themselves 1:41:19 Motivated speech 1:49:53 Process vs Results 1:56:31 Resilience in sales  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coNetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/24/2021 • 2 hours, 9 minutes, 41 seconds

Ryan Miller is the lead singer of Guster. After meeting James in a Clubhouse meeting, Ryan decided to come on the podcast and share his life experiences in a music career as a creator. In this episode, James and Ryan, speak about his ability to create new friendships wherever he goes based off energy. Ryan also gives his insight into what it was like being a touring musician during a pandemic and the lack of live shows. In the middle of the episode, Ryan announces that Guster will be headline Red Rocks Amphitheater this summer (Tickets Below). To conclude the episode,  James and Ryan, speak about the differences between releasing music now vs his first album.   Where to find Ryan Miller:  https://www.instagram.com/ryancmiller/ https://twitter.com/guster  https://www.guster.com/  https://www.vermontpbs.org/makinfriends/   Tickets for Guster at Red Rocks Amphitheater:  https://www.axs.com/events/403100/guster-tickets  00:00 Intro 02:30 Being a musician during a pandemic  10:35 Fascination with storytelling  34:46 Ryan’s superpowers 47:36 Friendships on tour 58:38 Connections between peers 1:08:44 Lowest moment of Ryan’s Career 1:13:32 Guster’s new album 1:34:29 Releasing albums in 2021 vs 1991 1:41:38 3 stories that have shaped Ryan 1:50:36 What takes up a lot of Ryan’s mindspace?   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co NetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/15/2021 • 2 hours, 4 minutes, 57 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   James talks about the importance of the concept of MVP or Minimum Viable Product is when starting a company. Even Nike started out with a single shoe. Launching earlier than your instinct may tell you is pivotal for 2 reasons:   1. It allows you to get invaluable early feedback 2. Build grassroots advocacy that will be one of your most effective marketing tools  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/9/2021 • 18 minutes, 7 seconds

Steven Pressfield is a best selling famed author that has influenced many creator's mindsets. in this episode of Below The Line, James and Steven talk about how the "The War of Art" and resistance has had a huge effect on both of their journeys. Steven sold his first book at 53 years old, James and Steven dive into the process and why it took many years before he had a book that was worth publishing. Steven also gives his advice into overcoming resistance and how he has mastered it. To conclude the conversation, Steven talks about how the Bhagavad Gita influenced him to write an American novel about golf.   Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine  Find Steven Pressfield: https://www.stevenpressfield.com/ https://www.twitter.com/spressfield https://www.instagram.com/steven_pressfield  Steven's new book "A Man at Arms": https://www.amazon.com/Man-at-Arms-Novel/dp/0393540979/  00:00 Intro 02:57 Moments that change your life 08:00 3 stories that have shaped Steven  20:14 All of us live 2 lives  30:49 Connection of Entrepreneur vs Artist  40:23 Knowing your limits 56:45 Do the work 59:47 Surrendering to resistance  1:04:50 Writing an American novel about golf based off Bhagavad Gita   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind: https://magicmind.co NetSuite by Oracle: https://netsuite.com/BTL   bout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

6/3/2021 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 45 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Fear is essentially a prerequisite at the start of any creative journey. On this week's episode, James explains how allowing yourself to become at peace w/ "the worst case scenario" can allow you to manage that fear & avoid the self sabotage that often follows Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind: https://magicmind.co  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/31/2021 • 13 minutes, 3 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Rick Doblin is the founder of MAPS - the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. He created this non-profit to help bring psychedelics to the public. MAPS was created in 1986 during "The War on Drugs." In this episode, Rick talks about his journey with creating MAPS and also his personal experiences with psychedelics. Rick also reveals the Phase 3 studies that were just released by the FDA for medical MDMA for PTSD. He also spoke about mental illness and how MDMA could improve many people's everyday life. To conclude the episode, Rick gives his thoughts on the future of our world with psychedelics becoming legal.   For more info on MAPS visit:  https://maps.org/(Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies)  Where to find Rick Doblin: https://www.instagram.com/rickdoblinmaps/ https://www.twitter.com/rickdoblin/ About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/25/2021 • 1 hour, 53 minutes, 16 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   In June of 2020, James Beshara wrote a popular essay on the subject of "Mental Wealth", or the concept of investing in your mental well being. Caller Williams adds what James would add as a 6th pillar to his 5 existing pillars of diet, exercise, stress management, and exogenous compounds. James talks about the surprising discovery he has made over the past year is the value of asynchronous work and limiting meetings with regards to his 6th pillar — blocking off thinking time.  Show Notes. “Asynchronous” Working In 2021 https://jjbeshara.com/2021/03/14/asynchronous-working-in-2021/ Orignal Mental Wealth Essay https://jjbeshara.com/2020/06/04/mental-wealth/ Past Below the Hotlines: #8 — The *Actual* Environmental Impact of Bitcoin https://youtu.be/ToQgBlAr8-Q #7 — What to Look for in a an Employee https://youtu.be/_24E05m1WKE #6 — What is BitClout https://youtu.be/AceOhj3S1Kg #5 — The Craziest (Plausible) Idea I've Ever Heard https://youtu.be/a7_J8STPmbY #4 — Setting Boundaries: The Key to Work Life Balance https://youtu.be/dqnCpDLQLRk #3 — Why I Invested in Clubhouse (And is it worth $4 Billion???) https://youtu.be/gnLbeMxoWhM #2 — The Number 1 Piece of Advice for Creators https://youtu.be/o8VYr_YxLL0​ #1 — What are NFTs? https://youtu.be/AEf6ZCP5Y1I​ Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/24/2021 • 13 minutes, 5 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Adam Robinson is a famed best-selling author, the founder of Princeton Review, a leading advisor to some of the largest financial institutions in the world, and a rated chess master, among many other titles. He also one of the clearest thinkers James has ever come across.   In Part 2 of this wide ranging conversation, Adam talks about his friendship with Bobby Fischer and the fame level Bobby reached during the World Championships of Chess. Adam also spoke about how he makes life "simple" everyday and tries to eliminate mistakes by routine. To conclude the episode, Adam and James talk about how to avoid stupidity and the 7 factors that occur when someone makes a mistake.   Where to find Adam: https://twitter.com/IAmAdamRobinson https://iamadamrobinson.com/ 00:00 Intro 1:51 Views of Advising Investors during COVID-19 21:45 Why Conjectures are dangerous  27:01 Confirmation Basis 39:36 Coordinates around investing 49:55 Don't indulge in negative emotions  56:42 Bobby Fischer  1:29:18 Avoiding stupidity  1:51:35 Adam’s final thoughts   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind: https://magicmind.co/Dover: https://dover.comNetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/19/2021 • 2 hours, 3 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   James addresses the two biggest critiques against Bitcoin in the world right now.  Article Referencedhttps://coinshares.com/insights/beware-of-lazy-research-bitcoin-mining-updateBill Maher on Bitcoin:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaJpYjO136oHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Check out previous Below the HotLines:#7 — What to Look for in a an Employee https://youtu.be/_24E05m1WKE#6 — What is BitClout  #5 — The Craziest (Plausible) Idea I've Ever Heard https://youtu.be/a7_J8STPmbY#4 — Setting Boundaries: The Key to Work Life Balance https://youtu.be/dqnCpDLQLRk#3 — Why I Invested in Clubhouse (And is it worth $4 Billion???) https://youtu.be/gnLbeMxoWhM#2 — The Number 1 Piece of Advice for Creators https://youtu.be/o8VYr_YxLL0#1 — What are NFTs? https://youtu.be/AEf6ZCP5Y1I Support Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.coAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/15/2021 • 16 minutes, 32 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineAdam Robinson is a famed best-selling author, the founder of Princeton Review, a leading advisor to some of the largest financial institutions in the world, and a rated chess master, among other things. He also one of the clearest thinkers James has ever come across. In part 1 of their wide ranging conversation, James & Adam talk about the concept of "red-teaming" an idea, the right mindset when approaching a task, and places where logic fails.Where to find Adam:https://twitter.com/IAmAdamRobinsonhttps://iamadamrobinson.com/ Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coDoverhttps://dover.comNetSuite by Oraclehttps://netsuite.com/BTL About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/13/2021 • 2 hours, 15 minutes, 13 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Hiring new employees can be nerve-racking, but having hired 170+ employees, James gives 3 essential traits you should look for before adding the next member of your team.  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Check out previous Below the HotLines:#1 — What are NFTs?https://youtu.be/AEf6ZCP5Y1I#2 — The Number 1 Piece of Advice for Creatorshttps://youtu.be/o8VYr_YxLL0#3 — Why I Invested in Clubhouse (And is it worth $4 Billion???)https://youtu.be/gnLbeMxoWhM  #4 — Setting Boundaries: The Key to Work Life Balancehttps://youtu.be/dqnCpDLQLRk  #5 — The Craziest (Plausible) Idea I've Ever Heard  #6 — What is BitClout  Support Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.coAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/6/2021 • 10 minutes, 2 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Maurice Ashley is a Jamaican-American chess grandmaster, author, and commentator. In 1999 he earned the grandmaster title, making him the first black person to attain the title of grandmaster. This heavy hitting conversation focuses on honing the ability to maintain attention, the skill of being able to deal with uncertainty, and a devastating moment in Maurice's life 2 years before winning the title of Grandmaster that led him to doubt his path.   Where to find Maurice:  Website: https://Mauriceashley.com Twitter: @MauriceAshley Instagram: @Mauriceashleychess  Watch Maurice Ashley Play Chess Live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/gmashley 00:00 Intro 02:37 Movies about chess masters 09:11 Performance enhancing compounds with chess 12:11 What is a Grandmaster in chess  20:03 Maurice’s college experience 26:18 What is risk?  29:45 Mental superpowers 35:42 Maurice in his 20’s 41:07 Moments of doubt 47:15 Invest in yourself before helping others 56:24 Choosing different paths in chess  1:04:01 Chess teaches you to be more interested in the other 1:09:37 Understanding your opponent’s next move 1:14:19 Comparing patience in chess to other sports 1:20:16 Maintaining complexity and tension  1:32:10 Intentionally leaving your comfort zone 1:38:02 Grandmaster vs Beginner 1:48:43 Three Stories that shaped Maurice  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

5/4/2021 • 1 hour, 55 minutes, 16 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineThe rise of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have familiarized many with the concept of decentralized money, but can BitClout become the first main stream decentralized social networking platform? James Beshara explains the benefits of the crypto based platform, and spells out just why it might end up being so revolutionary.More from James on BitClout: https://jjbeshara.com/2021/04/19/i-have-seen-the-future-and-its-bitclout/Follow James on BitClout: bitclout.com/u/jamesbesharaHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/29/2021 • 11 minutes, 42 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineSarah Jakes Roberts is a Public Speaker, Author, and co-pastor of The Potter's House at One LA and The Potter's House Denver. She is redefining what it means to be a modern woman of faith. She and James talk about how Sarah ended up public speaking despite it being that last thing she ever saw herself doing, how her relationship with her father shaped her, and gives advice to young women who are trying to find their calling.   Women EvolveThe book : https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Evolve-Break-Fears-Revolutionize/dp/078523554X Find Sarah:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjakesrobertsTwitter: https://twitter.com/sjakesrobertFaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahJakesRoberts https://sarahjakesroberts.com/ 00:00 Intro 01:39 How Sarah became a public speaker 05:33 What her father taught her 07:57 How to manage an audience  11:46 Book: Woman Evolve 19:13 Having a child at 14 22:52 Public speaking flow 40:34 What shaped Sarah into who she is now 54:03 How failure/change is liberating  1:07:27  How Eve shaped women 1:20:12  Advice for younger women  1:21:35  Why women are so powerful in this generation  1:31:20  -Spiritual reflection in Los Angeles  1:40:00  T.D. Jakes advice on her book  1:45:22  Sarah’s advice for women 1:52:17 Where listeners can find Sarah  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind:  https://magicmind.coDover:  https://dover.comNetSuite by Oracle:  https://netsuite.com/BTL  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/28/2021 • 1 hour, 53 minutes, 21 seconds

As an angel investor deeply embedded in the tech world, James Beshara hears the next craziest idea he's ever heard every 5 minutes, but which of these are actually plausible, and could have an everlasting impact on the way we govern ourselves? James explains dives into the concept of "Crypto Countries" or sovereign states founded on blockchain technology on this week's "Below the Hotline".  He dove even further into the concept with the former CTO of Coinbase Balaji S on our latest episode of Below the Line: https://bit.ly/btl99_balaji Subscribe to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind: https://magicmind.co About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/22/2021 • 11 minutes, 10 seconds

Balaji S. Srinivasan is an angel investor and entrepreneur. Formerly the CTO of Coinbase and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he was also the cofounder of Earn.com (acquired by Coinbase), Counsyl (acquired by Myriad), Teleport (acquired by Topia), and Coin Center.   Balaji and James discuss the 3 most impactful moments in Balaji's crypto journey, moments that changed his perception of crypto, and what we should be paying attention to now that could pay the same dividends as paying attention to crypto in 2010 did. They close the show talking about Balaji's groundbreaking concept of "crypto countries."  Subscribe to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Balaji's latest project: https://1792.com.  A newsletter,  that pays you Cryptocurrency, for completing online tasks.   Find Balaji: Twitter: https://twitter.com/balajisWebsite/Blog:  https://balajis.com/  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coDover: https://Dover.comAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/21/2021 • 1 hour, 54 minutes, 8 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Achieving the proper work/life balance is a difficult task for determined creators and founders. James explains how setting firm boundaries in both your work and personal life will lead to a level of consistency that breeds the balance we are all looking for. Boundaries lead to routine. Routine leads to consistency. Consistency leads to momentum. With momentum you find balance.  Check out previous Below the HotLines: #1 — What are NFTs? https://youtu.be/AEf6ZCP5Y1I  #2 — The Number 1 Piece of Advice for Creators https://youtu.be/o8VYr_YxLL0  #3 — Why I Invested in Clubhouse (And is it worth $4 Billion???) https://youtu.be/gnLbeMxoWhM Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/15/2021 • 9 minutes, 29 seconds

Elad Gil has been an angel investor for 30 (nearly 1 in 5 of his investments) different billion dollar companies. Elad gives 3 tips for anyone starting out in investing, and he and James dissect the recent trends Elad is currently noticing in technology, and the theoretical implication of those trends on society.  Find Elad Twitter: https://twitter.com/eladgil Book: https://www.amazon.com/High-Growth-Handbook-Elad-Gil/dp/1732265100/ Blog: http://blog.eladgil.com  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co   Dover: https://dover.comAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/13/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 42 seconds

James was the first investor in the consumer app Clubhouse that has climbed in private valuations to over 100x his original investment in just over a year — but what goes into a private company valuation like Clubhouse?  To submit a question to Below the Hotline call and leave a voicemail at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/10/2021 • 25 minutes, 33 seconds

Logan Ury is the best selling author of the book "How to Not Die Alone".  James and Logan talk about finding long term happiness and long term relationships, and they relate that to aspects of the professional world like finding the right cofounder, and navigating manager/employee relationships. They also talk about Logan's decision to leave a safe corporate job to pursue a creative endeavor that she has now made a career.Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Book: How to Not Die Alone - http://bit.ly/HowtoNotDieAloneSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.coTiny Capital https://www.tinycapital.com/belowthelineAbout your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

4/6/2021 • 1 hour, 52 minutes, 46 seconds

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a a Harvard trained psychiatrist, Professional Chef graduating with her culinary schools’ most coveted award, and a trained Nutrition Specialist. James has a fascinating conversation with Dr. Naidoo about how it's now proven that 90% of serotonin receptors are in your gut, what foods we should eat and which to avoid, and just how much of an impact nutrition has on our mental health.  Dr. Uma Naidoo's Book This is Your Brain on Food http://bit.ly/DrUmaNaidooBook Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind: https://magicmind.coTiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/belowtheline About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/31/2021 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 34 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   James breaks down what exactly a non-fungible token is, why they have value, and what they can and will be used for, while highlighting some recent examples of sales of NFTs going for exorbitant price tags.  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/26/2021 • 12 minutes, 6 seconds

Newsweek named Rabbi David Wolpe the most influential rabbi in America. James talks with Rabbi Wolpe about whether or not he ever doubts his faith, the importance of rituals, and just what is exactly is going on in the world right now.  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our SponsorsMagic Mind: https://magicmind.coTiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/belowtheline  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/25/2021 • 1 hour, 17 minutes

Philip Clayton is a contemporary American philosopher of religion and philosopher of science. His work focuses on the intersection of science, ethics, and society. He currently holds the Ingraham Chair at Claremont School of Theology and serves as an affiliated faculty member at Claremont Graduate University] Clayton specializes in the philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, philosophy of religion, as well as in comparative theology. James and Philip have a fascinating discussion that takes a macro & micro view of all these topics and more. Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co Tiny Capital https://www.tinycapital.com/  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/17/2021 • 2 hours, 25 minutes, 44 seconds

This episode features a mind-blowing conversation with Dr. Donald Hoffman, a professor of cognitive sciences at UC Irvine who has proven the chances that we are seeing and experiencing reality is essentially zero percent. He and James talk about the emergence of consciousness, the differences between Dr. Hoffman’s viewpoints and nondualism, and the evolving implications of his provable, mathematical models.  Follow Dr. Donald Hoffman: https://twitter.com/donalddhoffman Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected], or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our SponsorsMagic Mind https://magicmind.co  Tiny Capital https://www.tinycapital.com/  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/12/2021 • 1 hour, 59 minutes, 31 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineSpencer Rascoff started Hotwire and Zillow and eventually turned them into $750 million and $30 billion companies respectively. He joins James to talk about the history of those two companies, relocating to LA,  and what makes a good founder. They wrap the show with a very digestible explanation of SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies) and how Spencer handles his love/hate relationship with social media.Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected], or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineSupport Our SponsorsMagic Mind: https://magicmind.coTiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/belowthelineAbout your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

3/3/2021 • 1 hour, 55 minutes, 10 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine   Jeff Goodby is advertising executive who co-founded and serves as co-chair of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. Goodby is also a director and illustrator whose work has appeared in Time and Mother Jones, and he created the "Got Milk?" campaign. This year his agency had 5 commercials in the Superbowl. James and Jeff talk about how Jeff ended up in the Bay Area from Rhode Island and his career path before advertising. Jeff tells James what he learned from a presentation from Steve Jobs, and Jeff recalls some of his own most memorable pitches and how being authentic is oftentimes the most important part of the pitch. They talk about how for a creative, the ad world can be rejection after rejection and how to deal with that. Jeff then elaborates on how difficult it can be for a junior ad executive starting out, and how to navigate the industry when first starting.   Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co Tiny Capital https://www.tinycapital.com/belowtheline About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

2/16/2021 • 1 hour, 53 minutes, 27 seconds

Lee Jacobs is an entrepreneur and investor based in San Francisco who was one of the early supporters of Angel List, and is currently a general partner at long journey capital. James talks with Lee about what starting a VC firm looks like, the similarities and differences between starting a VC fund and a startup, and what Lee looks for when investing in a new company or industry. Today's Guest: Lee Jacobs https://twitter.com/LeeJacobs  https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine    Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline   Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.co Tiny Capital https://www.tinycapital.com/belowtheline  About your host, James:  James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

2/5/2021 • 1 hour, 44 minutes, 27 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show: 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowthelineJames opens the show giving the #1 piece of advice he would give to founders to multiply their chances of startup success 10 fold. He then takes answers voicemail questions about how founders should decide how to to delegate their time and the strategy founders could take in the early stages of their companies. He closes the show by expounding on why he moved away from Silicon Valley to Los Angeles, despite the large network effect that exists for founders in the Bay area.Support Our Sponsors Magic Mind https://magicmind.coTech Meme https://www.techmeme.com/Tiny Capital https://www.tinycapital.com/belowtheline  About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.  “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

1/21/2021 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 20 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine Diana Chapman is one of the most sought after corporate advisors in the world. James & Diana open the show revisiting Diana’s groundbreaking book “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership”, and summarize a few of the commitments and their meanings.  Diana then explains what it means to take “radical responsibility” , and delineates the fine line between being an open minded and a convicted leader. Diana then dissects how emotional intelligence is often times underrated when talked about in thecontext of important leadership qualities.  James and Diana discuss the importance of feedback, even though often times many of us are innately averse to giving or receiving feedback. Diana talks about how being a visionary is often times an overrated leadership quality, and how many times visionaries lack the structure required to make their lofty goals a reality. They close the show with a discussion about the role sexual energy should play in the workplace, and how Diana is making it a point to embrace that energy rather than pretend it doesn't exist.Show Notes#12 - Diana Chapman - Coaching Towards Consciousnesshttps://youtu.be/xuKfnYanDOEThe Conscious Leadership Grouphttps://Conscious.ioBook: The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadershiphttps://www.amazon.com/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B00R3MHWUEFunny or Die Video - Guy from the future shouldn’t eat those eggshttps://www.facebook.com/funnyordie/videos/10155527489418851/List 15 Commitmentshttps://conscious.is/15-commitmentsPlay Trumps Sex Appeal at 30,000 Feethttps://conscious.is/blogs/play-trumps-sex-appeal-at-30000-feetHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show: 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline Support Our SponsorsMagic Mindhttps://magicmind.coTech Memehttps://www.techmeme.com/Tiny Capitalhttps://www.tinycapital.com/belowthelineAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

1/18/2021 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 14 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine James talks with the CEO and founder of mindbloom CEO Dylan Beynon about how his intimate familiarity with mental illness was in many ways the catalyst of his drive for success, and how experimenting with MDMA 11 years ago ultimately led him to the forefront of the research and legalization of psychedelics. James and Dylan discuss the evolving perception of psychedelics, both in general and as a legitimate means of psychotherapy, and some of the specific medications and their corresponding encouraging results in treating various psychological ailments.Mindbloomhttps://mindbloom.coHarvard Mental Illness Studyhttps://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-prevalence-and-treatment-of-mental-illness-todayThe Information Pathology by James Besharahttps://jjbeshara.com/2018/11/20/the-information-pathology-2/Mental Weatlh by James Besharahttps://jjbeshara.com/2020/06/04/mental-wealth/Drug Harm Scalehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_harmfulness#/media/File:HarmCausedByDrugsTable.svgAbout your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

1/6/2021 • 1 hour, 38 minutes, 6 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineThe historical giant and creator of analytical psychology, Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, joins James to discuss his life, his work, and what might’ve been different if he had a little bit more of both. The staggering genius of Jung has given us the modern concepts of extroversion/introversion, synchronicity, the collective unconscious, individuation, archetypal phenomena, how myths inform and shape us, and so much more. Today, we cover many of these central topics, along with his views on the modern narrative of heroism, his fascination with alchemy, and the concepts he was still discovering before his death in 1961. We’re grateful he gave us some of his time nearly 60 years after leaving this lil earth.Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show: 424-272-6640  "The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling author    About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline

12/30/2020 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 16 seconds

https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLineJames talks with Tara Viswanathan, the CEO, and Founder of Rupa Health, whose goal is to make functional medicine more accessible, affordable, & available to patients everywhere. They talk about the outward appearance of everything you want in a start-up, how struggles have still persisted throughout the life of the company, as well as finding a proper work/life balance. Tara Viswanathanhttps://RupaHealth.comHit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show: 424-272-6640  "The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling author  About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

12/22/2020 • 1 hour, 34 minutes

https://bit.ly/Dive_further_BelowtheLine  Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show: 424-272-6640   "The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling author  Instagram account mentioned in this episode: https://instagram.com/tiltquarters  James shares a story of his pursuit of another one of his passions in music, and how a recent track he created perfectly exemplifies the type of failure you want to invite into your life. He then dissects the differences between controlled and terminal failure, and discusses how his aversion to failure while in the role of CEO actually proved to be a detriment to the cause.  About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

12/8/2020 • 51 minutes, 22 seconds

https://bit.ly/Dive_further_BelowtheLine"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorJames is joined by fellow former Airbnb Execs Larry Rachitski and Marc Mccabe for this #deepdive on the impending and highly anticipated Airbnb IPO.  The conversation begins with Lenny, Marc and James sharing their respective journeys that led them to joining the Airbnb team, and the factors that played into that decision. They continue to dissect what each believes are challenges Airbnb faces heading into the IPO, as well as what they believe to be it's strongest leverage points, and ultimately how both play into their forecasts for the company. They close the show deciding how much of a hypothetical $100,000 cash surplus they would invest into the travel juggernaut.Lennyhttps://twitter.com/lennysan Marchttps://twitter.com/mccabeAbout your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date.He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world.All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

12/1/2020 • 1 hour, 47 minutes, 3 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorBooks:On Writing Well - https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548Writing Down the Bones - https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/1590302613Draft #4 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18194765-draft-no-4Top Posts:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users - https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-gotHow to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business - https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplaceMy favorite product management templates - https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37What is good retention - https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29Today's episode is with Lenny Rachitsky. It is a #DeepDive episode on creating a successful newsletter — in a world where newsletters are becoming more mainstream, more lucrative, and more appealing to the expert at the top of their field themselves vs the journalist on the side-lines.On a high level, Lenny is making more with his newsletter, a year and a half in (and only about six months into introducing a paid version of the letter) than he was making from his salary at Airbnb. Yes, six months into introducing a paid version he is making more than he did as a product leader at Airbnb.He is a brilliant product and growth thinker, and he writes one of the most insightful newsletters in the startup ecosystem. It is a great episode on the "Below The Line" version of what it took to get the newsletter to this point, but also what it's like putting out insightful content every single week.We cover everything from the strategy of starting free and then turning it into a paid newsletter over time, to the deliberation before he started the newsletter, to the skill sets that he thought would be really critical for a newsletter (and which skill sets *actually* ended up being critical for a successful newsletter).We cover all of that and more with Lenny.About your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date.He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world.All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

11/17/2020 • 1 hour, 30 minutes, 56 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with British poet, author, and Zen master Henry Shukman. Henry is able to touch on so many different topics with a brilliant articulation that one would expect from a poet.We cover many different topics in our conversation today — everything from the “single experience” concept that he talks about in his memoir, “One Blade of Grass”, which is a phenomenal read, the phases of creativity, and an in-depth conversation on his decades-long battle with low-grade depression — sometimes high grade and sometimes just in the background — covering all of his different methods of self-medication before finally finding something that worked to help him overcome it.We touched on each of these things and more in today's episode. I'm excited for you to hear it.About your host, James:James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date.He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world.All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

11/10/2020 • 1 hour, 59 minutes, 59 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with one of the more profound thinkers, writers, and speakers in human history. It's with Alan Watts. I've said in previous episodes that I think he'll be known as one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century in a few decades, and when we look back, he is in many ways a translator. He came here from England, originally coming here as an Episcopalian priest, but he eventually left the ministry to start teaching a nonpartisan version of philosophy, mythology, and spirituality — introducing the West to Eastern philosophy, from a Western lens. Hence the adjective, “translator”.And it all centers around a topic that we covered today, which is “Who are we?”. In my entrepreneurial and creative career, few people have impacted me as much as his thinking and writing. I'm really excited for today's episode.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

11/3/2020 • 42 minutes, 18 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorLinks referenced in this episode:+ Get your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINE+ Forbes Magic Mind Article: www.forbes.com/sites/chasefeiger/2020/08/24/how-this-entrepreneur-moved-from-software-to-create-silicon-valleys-new-morning-elixir-magic-mind+ The Multi-path Career (essay by James Beshara): https://jjbeshara.com/2020/05/25/the-multi-path-career/+ The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win by Steve Blank: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Steps-Epiphany-Steve-Blank/dp/0989200507+ The Holocaust of Attachment: https://www.amazon.com/Holocaust-Attachment-Swami-Parthasarathy/dp/9381094195I have a different type of episode for you today. Today's episode is with Chase Feiger, who's a contributing writer at Forbes. He is a founder himself; he's built multiple companies, and he is also an investor of a handful of really brilliant startups as well.After he wrote a Forbes piece on me and Magic Mind last month, he asked if he could flip the tables and interview me for the podcast as a follow up to the article. At first, I was not a fan because the whole point of the podcast is for me to glean insights from other people, and then share them with you all. But there was a practical reason that it made sense to me — and that is to share more about what it has been like beneath the surface on starting another company when I told my wife three years ago, “never let me ever start anything again”... and to share what has changed in those three years.Chase is very kind, super smart, and he's a great interviewer — It's what makes him a great writer at Forbes. It was interesting to have the microscope turned on to me for the episode. I hope it's not too boring, and I hope this slight departure from typical programming is somewhat interesting for you.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

10/20/2020 • 2 hours, 24 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorGet your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINEJoseph’s Podcast Series: https://anchor.fm/joseph-emmettToday's episode is with a friend of mine, Joseph Emmett, who is just an interesting cat. He is someone that I chat with once a week. Every Thursday, we jump on a video call or phone call, and it's one of the most enjoyable calls of the week — One that has nothing to do with tactics of business but more about a holistic perspective and philosophy from which I try to make decisions. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like him.I had him on the podcast about a year ago and people loved that episode so much that I invited him back to the podcast. Today, we talk about the worldview he adopted at around age 19, called Vedanta or Advaita Vedanta. It's a very interesting one when it comes to Eastern philosophies, as it sits as the bedrock of just about every other Eastern philosophy (from Hinduism to later Buddhism to later still, Zen Buddhism).We also talk about his love of surfing, and how it metaphorically relates to his life and work. We talk about so many different things that cover all kinds of touchstones that I think a lot about but rarely ever get a chance to talk about in a business setting. If the first episode resonated with listeners, I think this one might even more so.You can hear more about this 5000-year-old worldview from Joseph on a limited podcast series that he just released this week at my suggestion in conjunction with this podcast, called “Yoga for Your Intellect” (https://anchor.fm/joseph-emmett). Just go into your podcast app and search for it for more.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

10/13/2020 • 1 hour, 53 minutes, 12 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorGet your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINEToday's episode is with Andrew Dudum. He’s a co-founder of Hims & Hers; one of the fastest growing companies in history. They are two and a half years in and are valued north of a billion dollars. I saw their first million in sales within five weeks of launch. One of the fastest growing companies that I've ever come across, and though it seems like an overnight success... as the cliche goes, it's overnight, 10 years in the making.Andrew has started north of 10 different businesses (!) and has a whole lot of wisdom to share in this episode. We chat about the launch of Hims & Hers (and how crazy that time was) but also talk about the lowest moments that he's experienced as a founder. We also talk about the concept of “exposure therapy” and how that applies to being a founder. We also chat about the healthcare system that we currently live within and what it could look like if it was designed around the consumer. We talk about all these things and much more. Enjoy this episode with this brilliant, thoughtful maker.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

10/6/2020 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 22 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorGet your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINEToday's episode is with Ravi Patel, a consummate multi-hyphenate creator, people... He’s a writer, director, actor, and entrepreneur among other things. From starting businesses to his brand new project on HBO max called “Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness”, we cover what he’s learned through it all.We talk about his struggles and even the challenges that he’s dealing with today; literally, today as we chatted. We cover all kinds of things from simplifying life, to being useful to others, to the transactional nature of friendships, to the pursuit of mental fitness, and of course, his project that he just launched.I just finished watching two of the episodes and it is a phenomenal show. Each episode takes place in a different city around the world with someone that he knows and loves. It's a really heartwarming, insightful, and hilarious show. One of the better shows I've seen in the last year or two. It's really that good. So check it out. It's on HBO Max, the new streaming app from dem homies at HBO. So without further ado, let's get into it with Ravi Patel.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC..

9/30/2020 • 2 hours, 4 minutes, 17 seconds

Get your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINE"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorThis plog (podcast+blog post mashup) is called “Ready, Fire, Aim”.Early on my career, I would create really detailed business plans for a company or product launch, months and sometimes years before launching something. And then I went through Y Combinator and learned from Paul Graham that business plans actually show a lack of knowledge of how things work, how startups work, and how relationships with customers work. There's just so much you can’t know until you launch the first version of your idea.Listen to this episode to learn more.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

9/22/2020 • 16 minutes, 2 seconds

Get your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINE"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorThis plog (podcast+blog post mashup) is called “The Secret to Getting Mentors”.Alright, we are back with another plogging episode and this one is “The Secret to Getting Mentors”.First-time founders and employees would often ask, “How can I get a mentor?” Or they will humbly ask if I can help them with their project or company. I feel very grateful for the mentors that I've had in my life for the last 11 years. Some of the folks have been on the podcast and some of them are too hard to get onto the podcast, but I would not be here without their guidance and their mentorship, especially during low points.So what is the secret in getting mentors? Listen to this episode to learn more.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

9/16/2020 • 12 minutes, 6 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorGet your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINEHello listeners and Below The Line fanatics! Today's episode is with Scott Kelley, a restaurateur in a town of 1000 people in the buzzing city of Ennis, Montana. I have always wanted to chat with Scott because he has a hilarious personality, made a huge life move to a small town in Montana after growing up in Dallas, Texas, and because he has owned and operated a handful of different types of restaurant concepts over the last 20 years. We haven’t covered this side of the business on the podcast before, but I knew he would be a great, honest guest to go deep into this kind of “creation”... especially in the era of Covid-19, where restaurants and tourist towns have been greatly impacted (and he sits at the intersection of both).One of the places he and his wife own is called The Gravel Bar, and it sells the best burger in all of Montana — Seriously (and that’s because the burgers are creations of his scientist wife).You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/8/2020 • 1 hour, 47 minutes, 18 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorGet your free Endel subscription: https://code.endel.io/?code=BELOWTHELINELinks from this episode:+How to Read Medical Research Papers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhyCDAi6NKM+Dr. Weil's List of Integrative Health Professionals: https://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/alumni.html+Kevin Rose' Podcast Interview with Henry Shukman: https://podcast.kevinrose.com/the-mysteriousunsolvable-zen-koans-henry-shukman-associate-zen-master/+Henry's Book: https://www.amazon.com/One-Blade-Grass-Finding-Memoir-ebook/dp/B07N8ZGFQBToday's episode is with none other than Kevin Rose. Kevin is a phenomenally successful angel investor turned venture capitalist — as well as creator and founder of cult-favorite companies like “Digg” and “Zero”... We talk about everything from health care to mental health, and his journey towards mental peace in the midst of creation. We also touched on the stories that helped shape who he's become, as well as talking about a topic that he rarely ever gets a chance to talk about that has left me thinking about it since the moment he mentioned it to me. It's something that I'm going to be thinking about for a long time, and an articulation of a topic that I had never heard.It's a great episode, and I think you're going to love it.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/1/2020 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 20 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorFavorite product of 2020: Endel — code.endel.io (use the code “belowtheline” for the free trial they have given listeners)This is another plog (podcast / blog post) about encouraging future entrepreneurs to continue creating, and why the impact of creating goes way beyond what you create. I also share why creation is like a science where you continue to experiment with the truth — instead of jobs and roles where you don’t actually have accountability or any confrontation with what the truth actually says about what you’re doing.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

8/25/2020 • 27 minutes, 54 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorEndel Link: code.endel.io (use the code “belowtheline” for the audio)This is another plog (podcast / blog post) about giving yourself permission to feel what you are feeling... the good and the bad — And to reach a state where you gain the clarity of thought to know which part of the equation gives you the most leverage to improve your life... changing yourself or changing the world.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

8/18/2020 • 36 minutes, 24 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is another deep dive. It's in the world of startup PR. My guest today is Ed Zitron.Ed went from being a journalist to a PR professional within a large firm to start his own firm, EZPR about a decade ago. We got to know each other about nine years ago when he helped me navigate the strange foray into startup PR with my company at the time, Tilt. He was insanely helpful then, and he's even more helpful now with another decade of experience under his belt.This is an episode on a topic that is on so many creators’ minds — but it's something that was a black box for me for many years. What is PR? How do you navigate the world of PR well? How do you get those great articles you read about other companies? How do you get others to help amplify a message that you're trying to bring to the world with your product or your company?We touch on everything that PR is good for, everything that is not good for, and what you can expect to get out of “great PR” (and what you can’t really expect from it).We talk about price ranges that you might pay for a great PR firm, the tactics that can help you get press *without* a PR firm if you are aiming to get press yourself, and also about the topic of “crisis management” which is something that I had never heard a PR professional breakdown as simply as Ed did for me in this episode.It was great to hear insight into something as gnarly and really disorienting as having to manage through a PR crisis —  and do it with a level head as a founder as a creator.As I said, startup PR is a topic that is on many people's minds. It is something that I knew took me a few years to really understand, and I wish I had an episode like this with someone that broke it down for me.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/4/2020 • 1 hour, 41 minutes, 51 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorThis is another plog (podcast + blog post) about a shift in perspective on how we think and talk about mental health. One that takes us from synonymizing mental health with mental illness, a distinction we already have with physical health and physical illness.Enjoy this shorter episode on a specific topic (one near and dear to me)!You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

7/22/2020 • 37 minutes, 35 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is another check-in episode.For this episode, I’m going to talk about the below the line, unscripted version, of what’s going on my side of things. I share the details about the reason why we decided to move to Los Angeles (and why LA is shaping up to become the creative capital in the next 5-7 years in my opinion). I also talk about the experiences that led me to start a new company, Magic Mind.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

7/16/2020 • 56 minutes, 18 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorRahul Vohra is a founder a couple of times over — with his last company Rapportive getting bought by LinkedIn in 2012. His next company, the one in which I became a customer of (and a major fan of), is called Superhuman.You may have heard of this fast-growing email application that easily cuts my inbox time in half each day. You may also be a customer and a fellow fan. For something that we all spend countless hours in each day like email, very few companies have succeeded in captivating our attention in recent years. Superhuman is seizing this moment, and you'd be surprised by the foundational thinking that goes into the design of this application.From this episode, you're going to get to hear all about the underlying design principles, the moments of joy, the key insights, and truly understand and appreciate the frustrations that have made Superhuman such a fan favorite and made Raul such a well-known founder in Silicon Valley and abroad. Similar to the product and the high flying company, you'll hear about the underlying experiences that shaped Rahul and his entrepreneurial path.He shares his key insights when it comes to building and creating, and his own moments of joy and defeat. You'll also get to hear about the things he thinks a lot about but rarely gets a chance to talk about on most business podcasts.I'm really excited for you to hear this episode from such a thoughtful and insightful founder.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

7/15/2020 • 1 hour, 50 minutes, 11 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is a deep dive into the space technology sector. It's with the Y-Combinator backed Momentus founder and CEO, Mikhail Kokorich. Momentus is one of the most exciting space tech startups in the world right now — and is a rocket technology company focusing on “last-mile delivery” based here in the Bay Area.He has founded five businesses before but we really focus the episode on his experience in the space tech sector, especially with SpaceX's recent launch of humans into space by a commercial, private company. The first of its kind.We cover everything from the current environment of launching satellites, astronauts, and so on, tourists, into space by a commercial private entity with something like SpaceX and others on the way. We also talk about the various other commercial aspects of Space Technology... from satellites to mining to tourism to energy... it’s about to become a space gold rush, and I wanted to chat with an expert to give us all an overview of where this whole Space “space” is going.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

7/7/2020 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 16 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Immad Akhund who is a serial entrepreneur and serial investor. He has been through Y Combinator a couple times, and his current business, Mercury, is a bank built for startups. But really, it's a bank built for all businesses and full disclosure, I am fortunate enough to be an investor (but there’s a side to this that I still kick myself for — more details in the episode).Immad shares with us the “below the line” version of being acquired, the toll the founder life can take on a person and their family, as well as the reasons behind starting Mercury. He also shares why he persisted through many negative conversations, and why he still decided to build his current (and now very hip startup) even though there are many people who weren’t fans of the idea in the beginning — myself included.We talk about all of these things and more — and I really loved the candor and the simplicity in which he's able to articulate just what he was going through, what matters (and what doesn’t), and what decisions he would have made differently.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

6/23/2020 • 1 hour, 32 minutes, 53 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday’s episode is with one of the world’s best venture investors coming from perhaps the world’s best venture firm… My guest is Alfred Lin, who is a partner at the famed venture capital firm Sequoia Capital.Alfred is an investor in companies like Airbnb and DoorDash and Instacart among others. With one of the best track records, I’ve ever come across… with publications like Forbes saying he has the Midas Touch.His track record as an investor is impressive, but as an operator, building companies like LinkExchange (sold to Microsoft), his own venture firm years ago that invested in winners like OpenTable, and then Zappos (selling to Amazon)… his track record as a builder is just about as impressive as an investor.So, as you can imagine, Alfred has a lot of insights from uniquely being at such high levels on both sides of the table. We talk about how he spots great founders, what the process at Sequoia is really like/peeking behind the veil of one of the most prestigious investment firms in the world. We talk about the books that have impacted his thinking as an investor, it’s not what you would expect. We talk about the silver lining of this new world we all find ourselves in, and we talk about the stories that shaped who he has become… All that and more with one of the smartest (but also kindest) people in Silicon Valley. This is Below The Line.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

6/2/2020 • 1 hour, 52 minutes, 57 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's deep dive is with Brianne Kimmel where we discuss her (persistent) path to angel investing in technology startups. From purposefully connecting with the investor of the company she began working at (within months of starting) to hosting dinners for founders to teaching her craft openly and building a massive community to starting her own fund... and everything in between.Brianne is an early-stage startup investor here in the Bay Area, and her fund is called Worklife. It has a very interesting vision of investing in companies that make work more flexible, creative, human, and balanced. We talk about her journey to becoming an investor, which covers her first investment, and what she was doing before she became an investor... We also discussed her designs in her career path and the choices she made early on that helped her in her current path. We even covered what types of founders and companies will thrive in this post-COVID world... all that and more.It's a great conversation, and I'm really excited for listeners to get a deep dive into what it's like to become an angel investor. Enjoy.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

5/19/2020 • 1 hour, 52 minutes, 31 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorJohn’s monthly “Global Guerillas Report”: https://www.patreon.com/johnrobbToday's episode is with John Robb, a former aeronautical engineer, special-ops soldier, and then the first internet analyst in the 90’s (followed by becoming an extremely successful entrepreneur). He chats with us about his research report that he releases monthly called “The Global Guerillas Report” and answers the question of “What the hell is going on right now?” in the life and times of Covid-19.He predicted social networks and their impact on the world back in 1996. He also predicted this pandemic in January before most people knew what was about to happen. And he has a few other observations that I haven’t heard anyone mention anywhere else to date that make this one of my favorite episodes to date.Simply put, John’s monthly “Global Guerillas Report” is some of the best research and journalism on geopolitical trends I’ve ever come across. John was months ahead of pretty much everyone else with predicting this pandemic, and for someone that thinks deeply about the ramifications of what's happening in the present (and for what can / what will likely happen in the future), this is one of my favorite conversations that I've had in several months cutting across almost every question on my mind with regards to the global situation we’re currently in. Enjoy.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

5/5/2020 • 1 hour, 45 minutes, 19 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Andrew Wilkinson. I've been really anticipating meeting Andrew for a few years now. I'm a big fan of his agency, MetaLab, his firm, Tiny Capital, and his original views on investing and running technology businesses for a while.He has done things so idiosyncratically that there isn't anyone like him on the internet that I'm aware of — From starting businesses at 15 and dropping out of college a few years later to pursue his entrepreneurial path, that sounds like a story that you might have heard before. But the part that you probably haven't heard before is that a few years later, he's running five businesses at the same time, after that it’s 25. And he’s likely still just getting started.Instead of finding companies that he wants to invest in and deploy capital, they do things a little bit differently at his firm, Tiny Capital. They actually are looking to buy companies from founders that might have been running it for years, and are looking for some smart way out. If you’re familiar with venture capital, this is the exact opposite of that model.I can't wait for you to hear from Andrew himself on the story behind it, and how he thinks through approaching this unique side of investing, owning, and running businesses.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

4/30/2020 • 2 hours, 4 minutes, 44 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorThis plog (podcast+blog post mashup) is called “The Wisdom of Insecurity”...“The desire for security is the same thing as insecurity” — Alan Watts.On my blog, podcasts, and even in my music, I reference the philosopher Alan Watts.If you haven't heard of him, you likely will in the coming decades because he happened to do three things uniquely well in the 20th century... He introduced the West to many Eastern concepts such as Vedanta, Daoism, and Zen Buddhism through a deep understanding of each (especially for someone that was born in Great Britain and was an ordained Anglican minister) + He articulately wrote and spoke widely throughout the country + And he happened to record those philosophical lectures for us to listen to 60-70 years later.In one of his books, “The Wisdom of Insecurity”, he makes the case that insecurity is both the inextinguishable and extremely valuable *if* we question why we’re trying to rid ourselves of it. Want to hear my personal point of view about this topic? Listen to this mini-episode to learn more.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

4/23/2020 • 19 minutes, 10 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorI am really excited about today's episode with none other than Hiten Shah. This is a topic that many people are thinking about, myself included — which is how to work from home productively and efficiently.I've been doing it for about a year and a half now. If you google “remote or work from home best practices” Hiten’s content is the stuff that comes up at the top of the list and for good reason. He's been working from home and running distributed teams for almost two decades... way longer than anyone else I know... So when I thought about a deep-dive episode in this topic, I couldn't think of anyone better than Hiten to join us with his best practices in general (as well as a COVID-19 version) of working from home.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

4/22/2020 • 57 minutes, 44 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Taryn Toomey, one of my favorite founders in the world, and though I am an investor in her company (called The Class), that isn’t why she’s one of my favorites…Her company is a cult-craze that started in New York City and is now growing internationally. And though it started as a “physical experience” (not going to call it a workout class) in-person in NYC, those who would like to join The Class digitally now have the ability to actually participate around the globe instead of needing to be there in-person. So... now anyone can actually discover what it’s all about.We talk about her company, the genesis (the real version of the story), and also about “grieving well”... a phrase I'd never really heard of before or considered.We talk about the principles behind The Class, the conversations she had in life right before it began, and a whole lot more.I'm really excited for you all, to listen to this episode with Taryn. Enjoy.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

4/14/2020 • 1 hour, 28 minutes, 24 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode was originally recorded near the end of February, and we usually take a week before releasing a recorded podcast. But with the exponential disruption that the Coronavirus was unleashing in many places around the world in the subsequent weeks, we wanted to hold off on releasing this episode until we felt like people had been able to get their feet beneath them. We recorded a COVID-19 focused episode and released that recently with Eric Ries — Now we're back to our more typical conversation style today with Mike Duboe from Greylock Partners.Mike is an old friend and colleague, and he's one of the smartest thinkers when it comes to startup growth in Silicon Valley. He has a rare combination of analytical, practical, and creative thinking all-in-one which makes him a pretty high in-demand advisor, investor, and name that comes up when people start talking about healthy (and still aggressive) ways of growing your company.We cover a whole host of different topics under the umbrella of "growth". And I'm really excited for a deep-dive like this that goes into how startups and companies grow, how they should grow, how they *could* grow, and how they should *avoid* to grow. Enjoy.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

4/6/2020 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 20 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode was originally recorded on February 26th. We usually take a week before releasing a recorded podcast, but with the exponential growth and disruption that the coronavirus has been unleashing on the world, we wanted to hold off on releasing this episode and a few others until we felt like people had been able to get their feet beneath them.We recorded a Covid 19 focused episode and released it recently that you can check out. And now we're back to our more typical conversation style today with Geoff Lewis.Geoff is unique in that he is a previous founder himself, turned venture capitalist at the world-class Founders Fund venture firm, and then became a founder again combining his two passions (founding and investing) by starting his own venture capital firm called Bedrock Capital with partner Eric Stromberg.We talk about Geoff’s entrepreneurial path, the lessons he learned alongside some of the best investors in the world, including Peter Thiel, the creation of a lens into which he finds insights (that has become mimetic with other investors) called “narrative mirages” and “narrative violations”, his hardest moments as a founder and investor, and more. I'm excited for listeners to hear this conversation with a candid and original thinker like Geoff.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

3/30/2020 • 1 hour, 35 minutes, 57 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorMentioned in the podcast:SchoolClosures.orgBen Horowitz on LayoffsHelpwithCOVID.comFrom our individual to our community-wide responsibilities, I chat with best-selling author, founder, and investor Eric Ries about what might be, what could be, and perhaps what should be going through each of our minds right now.I keep hearing people say this moment is surreal. I look down empty streets, and it does feel that way sometimes as we struggle for perspective and control of the circ*mstance. But it dawned on me that, what’s surreal was the moments before all this, when we were under the delusion of control. This is real. Who knows how long it stays this real, how long before we are back under the illusion of control, but no matter the timeline, this is real. We’ve been shaken out of our surreal illusion, and we find ourselves here.You cannot escape circ*mstance, but you can transcend it. For every leader, creator, thinker, and listener that has wanted to impact the world, now is your chance. Here is your opportunity. But it’s not just about finding and seizing opportunity, but instead, it's about subsuming responsibility. That’s at the core of purpose, that’s at the core of meaning... it’s not about achievement or accrual, it’s about willingly taking on responsibility when the outcome is uncertain, and that’s at the core of this episode.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

3/19/2020 • 1 hour, 36 minutes, 4 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorMentioned in the podcast:https://twitter.com/shl/status/1229844208959152128Today we've got another deep-dive episode and this one is on monetizing your creativity.It's with Sahil Lavingia, who is the founder and CEO of Gumroad, who's been on the podcast before. A great Below the Line episode with him going into detail in reflecting on his entrepreneurial path. Today goes a little bit more into detail on one specific thing, and that's monetizing your creativity.Not only has Sahil monetized his own creativity, but he is also the founder of a company, a writer, and a painter. But his company actually powers the monetization of a countless number of creatives around the world. Whether they are creating art, making music, writing books, or wanting to pursue a side hustle.Sahil tweeted about this recently, and that tweet thread is why I'm having him back on the show. He sent out a single tweet that went pretty viral that said: “I believe virtually everyone can make a living doing what they love. I discover new creators doing it in new ways almost every day. Do you want to create full-time but don't see a path towards doing it? Reply with what it is and let's see if I can help you outline a plan!”.A lot of people replied and a lot of patterns emerge from that single tweet that I'm excited to dive into with Sahil today. We covered the concept of exercising versus training, prolific versus perfect and setting realistic expectations and timelines. We also talked about being really public, really early. When he started to paint he actually created an Instagram @shlpaints before he even started to paint as a way to give people an insight into his path as a painter, and also as an accountability tool. We talked about why, when, and how to build an audience — and also about the time and dedication required to build the necessary skills and the audience that could provide potential financial freedom while pursuing one's craft.If it's something that you set realistic expectations, and specific goals around then, in Sahil’s words, it's as easy as going to the gym three times a week for two years... He's never heard of that “not working for somebody,” and he thinks the same applies to anyone that wants to pursue a creative endeavor.Speaking of creativity... Do you want more creativity, more flow, more energy, and less stress? Do you want to tap into what nature gives us beyond just coffee? For all of these things go to magicmind.co to get the two-ounce shot that contains 12 magical ingredients that are scientifically designed to improve your productivity. Along with CEOs, doctors, musicians, even Navy Seals, I take it every day (and have been for about six years) — and it is the single most important part of my morning ritual to do more and stress less.To learn more, go to magicmind.co and enter the promo code “BTL” for Below The Line to get 15% off and try it for yourself.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

3/9/2020 • 1 hour, 47 minutes, 39 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorCompanies mentioned: Nori - https://nori.com/ Indigo - https://www.indigoag.com/ Joro - https://joro.tech/ LiveGreen - https://livegreen.io/ Sinai Technologies - https://www.sinaitechnologies.com/ Project Wren - https://projectwren.com/ Prometheus Fuels - https://www.sciencemag.org/ Solugen - https://www.solugentech.com/ C16 Bio - https://www.c16bio.com/ Heart Aerospace - https://heartaerospace.com/ Wright Electric - https://weflywright.com/ Drawdown - https://www.drawdown.org/ Y Combinator Carbon RFS - http://carbon.ycombinator.com/ Watershed Climate OpenOceanToday's episode is another deep dive into a brand new space that actually has a *lot* going on already. Though it's a very recently coined term, “Climate Tech” is going to be here for a while. I’m joined by Gustaf Alströmer, a partner at Y Combinator, and Diego Saez-Gil, the founder of Pachama.com.There's Health Tech, FinTech, Ad Tech, Prop Tech and now there's Climate Tech — and these two individuals have helped pioneer this new space. We talk about why it’s happening now and what climate + technology will look like 5-10 years from now.We also talk about whether or not it be like CleanTech that came in 15 years ago and went away almost as soon as it arrived. What makes Climate Tech different?They also share about their paths from passion to profession within this realm — and discussed the early days of people thinking, in Diego's case, that his idea was basically a nonprofit (and not a very fundable business). Or thinking that this space was too complicated and too big to try and tackle with a small team of dedicated founders.We talk about all of these and more, and I'm really excited about this deep dive into this brand new space of climate tech.Speaking of sustainable energy, Below The Line is brought to you by Magic Mind, the world's first productivity drink (and is our proud sponsor because it’s my own company). Do you want more creativity, more flow, more energy, and less stress? Do you want to tap into what nature gives us beyond just coffee? For all of these things go to magicmind.co to get the two-ounce shot that contains 12 magical ingredients that are scientifically designed to improve your productivity. Along with CEOs, doctors, musicians, even Navy Seals, I take it every day — and it is the single most important part of my morning ritual to do more and stress less.To learn more, go to magicmind.co and enter the promo code “BTL” for Below The Line to get 15% off and try it for yourself.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

3/2/2020 • 1 hour, 39 minutes, 17 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorThis plog (podcast+blog post mashup) is called “Routines & How to Avoid Stupidity”.A little over a year ago, a really smart investor, Adam Robinson, was speaking with Shane Parrish on his podcast. He defined stupidity really clearly for me. I hadn't heard it defined this way before, thought it was really great, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since.What makes us miss crucial information right in front of our faces? And how can we avoid that? Listen to this mini-episode to learn more.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

2/25/2020 • 10 minutes, 23 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday, I’m going to be trying out something that I’ve been starting on an app called TalkShow where I record short daily plogs. It’s basically an audio post instead of a written blog. This will be anywhere from 5 to 6 minutes each but they’ll be on different topics.The first topic is about podcasting. It seems like a fitting way to kick-off this type of experiment and it’s expounding on the concept that podcasting is the truly free press in my mind. I think the internet, in the last 20 years, has been amazing for many things but I think it was built for podcasting more than anything else.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

2/19/2020 • 9 minutes, 18 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Ben Witte. He's the founder and CEO of Recess. You might not have heard of Ben or Recess but it is perhaps the fastest-growing beverage in the country over the last year.You can go to www.takearecess.com to check out their product which is amazingly well done from the brand to the taste of the drinks.I often have a weird quirky drink that I share with a guest on each episode and Recess was one of the first. I remember Justin Kan loved it so much that he asked for some afterward.It is a CBD drink, that is for me, instead of having a beer at night or Saturday afternoon or day drinking, just have a Recess.I really love the taste more than anything else and second to that is the brand, and the kind of universe that Ben has designed around the drink. If you go check out their site or their Instagram, you'll see what I mean. It's really unique.I think what's most interesting about the conversation is that Ben is about a year into the journey. This isn't a conversation of someone that's 10 years on the other side of multiple exits. He's right in the middle of it and shares openly what it's like. It's a different type of below the line perspective, from a creators vantage point that is currently in it all.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

2/4/2020 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 5 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday’s episode is with Vlad Magdalin, co-founder and CEO of Webflow. We sat down and chatted about his insane story of failure that spanned for 15 years before getting it right, his early experiences that shaped him as a founder, and what he thinks about that he rarely gets a chance to talk about.Webflow raised $75 million from investors a few months ago and was one of the largest Series A's of the last few years. We talked about the debt he went into financially and personally, including with the most important of co-founders, his spouse, almost ten years before this milestone.He shared with us what he thinks about today as a leader, and we also talked about the r-word (religion!) openly and publicly! It's an in-depth conversation, and it is one of my favorites to date. I think you're going to enjoy this very different kind of conversation and founder story.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

1/29/2020 • 2 hours, 26 minutes, 18 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday on the program, we've got Sarah Tavel. She’s a venture capitalist at the legendary and enigmatic venture capital firm, Benchmark Capital, which is one of the most renowned firms in the world.We covered a whole range of topics like, how her partners work together, how she chooses an investment, examples of what made her pass and then later invest in a company that she now loves, and the dynamics with a founder in that situation.We talked about the Gartner Hype Cycle and its implications for what the psychological journey in creation is like, whether it's launching a new company or launching a new feature. We also talked about the stories that have helped shape who she has become (and what has made her so damn impressive). Listen in for all this and more.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

1/14/2020 • 2 hours, 8 minutes, 25 seconds

Today's episode is another deep-dive (meaning it's a little bit different than the regularly scheduled episodes), and it is with a founder, Diego.This was recorded as we met and chatted about his startup.About three minutes into meeting / him pitching me his company, I said, “Hey, hold on, hold on. Could we record this? Could we actually sit down and record this as a podcast episode and just release it to the world so that people could see what it was like to have an angel investor coffee.”Many people think that these things are like a shark tank pitch — and that it's adversarial or that the investor sits there wanting to poke holes to fluster the founder.But for angel investors and very early stage investors, even through series A or B investors, they want people to understand that they're not trying to poke holes to try to undermine the founder or try to catch them in a crazy scenario. Great investors want to imagine what the world could be like with that founder. That was what I loved about my favorite angel investors, like Naval Ravikant or Sean Parker, and it's how I approach meeting with founders as well.So I thought, “Man, I've never come across an actual investor founder conversation. recorded before so I would love to record this” and because of time and not wanting to condense the coffee down to around 30 minutes that day, I invited him to do this episode with the right podcast equipment the next day. Diego was really kind enough to do this and to allow it to go out into the world publicly.This was recorded six months ago because he asked for it not to be released until they had formally launched their company, Panchama. You can read about their eventual public launch here: https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/03/pachama-launches-to-support-global-reforestation-through-carbon-markets/You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

1/13/2020 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 31 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Kamal Ravikant, the author of the best selling books “Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It”, “Live Your Truth”, and “Rebirth”.Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It”, a self -published book that became a phenomenon (selling over 400,000 copies world-wide, all without a publisher), is now reprinted, updated, and re-released this month. If you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend it.This episode talks about where Kamal was in his life right before writing the book, the stories that shaped him, and his experiences that then shaped what became “Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It”.There’s a phenomenal message within the book, and it might sound like you've heard something like this story before — or that it is just another book in the self-help section — but this one is really special, and you'll get to hear a little bit of why during this episode.So go check it out after listening to this episode. It is very rare for a self-published book to become a best-seller that sold over 400,000 copies. And it can only happen if the book’s message resonates so strongly with people (like it did with me and like it has with others around me here in San Francisco).You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

1/7/2020 • 1 hour, 11 minutes, 42 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is another deep dive with Dr. Peter Carnochan, who the coach to some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. He spent 25+ years as a psychologist and psychoanalyst before becoming an executive coach.I love getting Peter's key takeaways from the psychological side of things from recent guests. So today we covered Dr. Andrew Weil’s episode and the topic of death, Paul Austin on psychedelics, Cal Fussman on storytelling, Ann Miura-Ko on investing, Joseph Emmett on yoga for the intellect, Justin Kan on the inner journey of being a founder and creator, and many other areas where Peter shared his insights. Enjoy.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

12/17/2019 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 50 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorSerena Dugan is a founder, an artist, and a delight to chat with — This episode is a founder story that isn't like many founder stories. She didn't set out to create a world-renowned brand. She actually just walked into a small local shop, and before she knew it, she was meeting with the shop-owner the next day... and from there, they were planning world dominance.They ended up creating Serena and Lily, the famous home decor brand. If you don't know about home decor brands, ask anyone who does, and they'll tell you that Serena and Lily is perhaps the most respected brand within the space. But that didn't happen overnight.Serena talks about the honest version of creating Serena and Lily. She also talks about the life experiences that have helped shape who she has become, beyond just an artist and founder.From a consultant to an artist, then to a co-founder, and now back to art... Every time that we have artists on, it's just a very different perspective. A very different take on entrepreneurship — bringing something into the world in a different way than a tech founder story. Her candor and warmth are infectious. And within minutes, I think you will see why people would want to work with here. I enjoyed it immensely, and I think you will too.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

12/10/2019 • 1 hour, 52 minutes, 36 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with an anonymous guest. We're going to call him John Doe. John and I talked about the “below the line” version of the story of being a police officer. We also covered what has changed in San Francisco, some for the better, some for the worse, over the years.There's no doubt there are many good things that have happened in San Francisco in the last few decades. There are also some really strange and unfortunate things in his estimation, and we talked about the root causes of that in his opinion. As a life-long San Franciscan, who has seen the underbelly while living here for 50+ years, it’s a fascinating take on the city. We also covered why he became a police officer in the first place, what he didn't expect to see and experience, and a whole lot more.This is one of the most interesting conversations we've had on the podcast. And we certainly talked about a world you don't get to hear much about — So I think you're going to enjoy this one.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

11/27/2019 • 1 hour, 50 minutes, 26 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday we have another deep dive and this one is a really hot topic in the startup ecosystem and yet so little is written, discussed, researched, and talked about when it comes to how to build marketplace businesses. So after spending seven years at Airbnb, Lenny Rachitsky has been advising marketplaces around the world in 2019. He took that experience, and said his own experience at Airbnb wasn’t enough — and so he had conversations with dozens of other people from 17 of the biggest marketplaces out there and consolidated all of his research into what has just dropped this week, which is about a 50-page amazing deep-dive on what makes these marketplace businesses tick. And this episode is the audio complement to this comprehensive (yet simple to understand) compilation of what he has found.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

11/20/2019 • 1 hour, 59 minutes, 39 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Matt Mullenweg. The founder of Automattic, the parent company of WordPress (which powers an unbelievable 34% of the internet as of recording!).We talk about the beginning of WordPress, about getting started as a founder and organizer, about attachment theory, about what’s in his backpack at all times, his hardest days running WordPress and Automattic, and a whole lot more. We also talked about what it's been like raising $300 million for Automattic just last month, valuing the company in the billions. He also shared with us what he learned in Houston as a kid growing up there and why he still makes it his home base.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

11/19/2019 • 1 hour, 55 minutes, 28 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorWhen it comes to productivity, there aren’t many things we do today that we did 200 years ago. We send emails instead of post mail, drive cars instead of horse-drawn carriages, and look up things on our phones instead of traveling miles to the nearest library.However, when it comes to our morning routine, 80 percent of the world consumes caffeine each day to wake them up and give them a boost for their daily tasks. Whether it’s black tea or coffee, most of us consume the same ingredients we consumed 200 years ago without realizing two important facts. First, coffee beans and tea leaves are not the only sources of energy that nature provides us. Second, productivity is more than just wakefulness. Its energy, focus, creativity, decreased stress, and improved sleep, among other things.What can nature, science, and global access to different ingredients tell us about optimal productivity? And which ingredients are scientifically proven to be effective and safe? Backed by over 240 scientific studies, Beyond Coffee is a simple guide that answers these questions.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

11/12/2019 • 17 minutes, 38 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorDr. Andrew Weil has been called “the medical Nostradamus” for his foresight into what’s on the healthcare horizon. He is a world-renowned pioneer in the medical and healthcare space — leading Western healthcare toward an integrative, healing and prevention-based approach to health, decades before it was en vogue.His resume could go on for another few pages, and it still wouldn’t do it justice. He’s the best-selling author of over a dozen books, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, and the co-founder of one of my favorite restaurants (and my wife’s all-time favorite) True Food Kitchen. He’s also a massive matcha tea fan.He was one of the earliest healthcare professions to openly write about diet and nutrition, openly criticize the over-prescription of pharmaceuticals, popularizing themes like healthy aging, mind-body connection, breathing techniques... all years (and sometimes decades) before the rest of the medical community started to take them seriously.I asked him after the episode something I wish I had asked him on-air, but he gave me permission to mention it here — and that was his dietary and healthcare advice for founders, leaders, and creators in high-stress jobs. His response was that his “first, second, and third piece of advice” would be to watch his short video on youtube on the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Breathing is one of the only activities that is both voluntary and involuntary, one of the only activities we can do to communicate back to the involuntary parts of our physiology that can get out of whack while stressed — like spikes of cortisol or increased heart-rate — which can be remedied by something as simple as practicing the super short breathing technique he talks about on that video for 4-6 weeks.YouTube video on Dr. Weil’s free advice and free remedy for anyone in a high-stress job or circ*mstance in life. https://youtu.be/YRPh_GaiL8sYou can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

11/4/2019 • 1 hour, 56 minutes, 20 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode was actually a live recording with a good friend, a former investor and a continual mentor to me (and dozens of entrepreneurs who I also love and respect). His name is Justin Kan, and he was episode number one for Below The Line.Justin is a founder and investor based in San Francisco. He has been building startups for close to 15 years now, and he's seen pretty much everything there is to see when it comes to the founder’s journey.He's also a former partner at Y Combinator and has invested in dozens of companies, giving him a unique perspective on both sides of the table.He is the co-founder and CEO of Atrium, a full-service corporate law firm that uses modern technology to serve startups all around the world in a fast, transparent and price predictable way. It's phenomenally useful. I've used it and so has a number of founders that have been on the podcast.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

10/30/2019 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 35 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder, and NYTimes bestselling author A R I Z O N A, the band not the state, is one of the top 100 streamed bands in the world in the last two years, with over a billion streams of their music since their first album in 2017. Today they will talk about what the journey has been like as artists and musicians. We covered many topics like where they were 10 years ago, the path they took to form their band and what it's like to be musicians touring around the world. They just released their second album so be sure to check it out. You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

10/15/2019 • 1 hour, 33 minutes, 26 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Paul Austin, a social entrepreneur in a very unique space, the psychedelic space. He has been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Economist, Forbes, and others for his pioneering work regarding microdosing, and his work with a psilocybin retreat center that he co-founded in the Netherlands last year, called Synthesis.I want to point out up front that I don't microdose. I never have and I'm not advocating psychedelic usage. But what interests me about this space, similar to what interests a lot of people when it comes to mental health about the space, is that we've had about 20-25 years of stagnation in treatments for mental health.A sibling of mine has tried basically every treatment there is over the last 20 years with very minimal results and psychedelic therapy is perhaps the most scientifically and effectively interesting approach that we've seen in these last two decades around new discoveries for the treatment of mental illnesses like PTSD or major depression. Therefore, it made complete sense to me to want to follow this space closely.Paul, who is a friend, is one of the earliest educators on the space starting, perhaps the most widely used and most responsible educational courses on microdosing called The Third Wave.It's also an interesting conversation with the founder that has had to blaze a trail in a highly controversial, highly stigmatized, and poorly understood space. He also talks about how this has affected him over the years... I think you’ll enjoy this conversation with Paul Austin.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

10/8/2019 • 1 hour, 49 minutes, 48 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorWelcome back to another episode of Below The Line. Today's episode is with Leah Busque Solivan who is the founder of TaskRabbit and now a venture capitalist in Fuel Capital.We talk about the low points of her eight year journey as a founder, running her own startup TaskRabbit, sparing no details of the reality of that role, and how she transitioned to becoming a venture capitalist after handing off the reigns. We also talked about why she sees herself being an investor for the foreseeable future and not doing her own startup again along with some real talk on her lowest 24 hours she experienced as CEO. Her candor is so refreshing. And that candor along with her experience is what is making her one of the best investors out there in my opinion.Her story and our conversation is one that I haven't heard anyone share — not quite like this on below the line. I think you’re really going to enjoy today’s honest and open conversation with Leah.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/30/2019 • 1 hour, 35 minutes, 26 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is one of my favorite conversations I’ve had. It’s with Nir Eyal, who is a founder, an investor, and a best-selling author. His first book “Hooked” came out about five years ago and pretty much every tech founder became familiar with his insights in that book.But his latest book “Indistractible”, which came out this month, talks about how to control your attention and intentionally choose your life. It’s not necessarily just for the tech and startup ecosystem, it's for anyone who cares about life — making the most of it and trying to work on not becoming so distractible.We talked about what is distraction, what motivates us, how to prevent distraction, and what is the opposite of distraction. We talk about all of those things, including building indistractable workplaces and so much more. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/23/2019 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 22 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Ann Miura-Ko a co-founder of Floodgate, one of the original seed stage investment funds here in Silicon Valley. Floodgate has been an investor in Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, Cruise, Okta, TaskRabbit, and a bunch of amazing world-changing companies.We talked about a number of things with Ann including her path to becoming a VC, what she thinks about today as an early stage investor, the things that have shaped her in her life, as well as what's changing about investing today that makes it quite different 11 years after founding Floodgate in 2008.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/19/2019 • 1 hour, 40 minutes, 37 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is with Christopher Lochhead, a marketing legend and best selling author of “Play Bigger” and “Niche Down”. He is also the podcast host of “Follow Your Different” and “Lochhead on Marketing”.This episode is a really great insight into different views that his books cover from “category design” to the things that legendary companies have done to become dominant in their respective fields when it comes to marketing (and when it comes to decisions made right in the beginning of their “story”).We talk about how the things that you might think are your weaknesses can actually be your superpowers, the things that Chris personally has had to overcome in his own journey, and how thinking differently (and giving himself permission to think *really* differently) became the biggest reason for his success as a founder, CMO, author, and more. This podcast is an insightful one with viewpoints that I've never heard before, and I think you’ll enjoy it too — even if you’ve never thought much about the marketing side of creation.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/16/2019 • 2 hours, 14 minutes, 39 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling author Today's episode is with the founder and lead pastor of Reality SF, a church where my wife and I attend in San Francisco. Unlike the many founders that I've invited here on Below The Line, what Dave Lomas started was a church, not a company, right in the heart of San Francisco. The Bay Area is known for the tech scene... not necessarily the church scene. But his story is not unlike many other unpredictable paths toward impact. Dave and his church know their followers, their doubts, the daily influences of being in the Bay Area, and he speaks to the audience each Sunday with a captivating awareness of all of this. You can listen to any of his lectures and sermons online on their own podcast and they are truly mind blowing. It's a really nice grounding wire for me as a creator to regularly go and listen to someone talk about something that has nothing to do with entrepreneurship, but has everything to do with being useful in one's community. I love this specific conversation more than any other interaction I've had with Dave. It's by far the longest, focused conversation of ours, and easily the most honest interaction I've had with him or any pastor. So I cannot overstate the gratitude I have for how open he is with his life with his congregation, and I think it has something to do with it being one of the fastest growing churches in California. I think you're going to really enjoy this episode. So let's get into it with Dave Lomas. You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

9/10/2019 • 2 hours, 12 minutes, 58 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday we chat with Sam Parr, founder of “The Hustle” one of the fastest growing media companies here in America. They have talented writers who create amazing newsletters and compelling content on the most important business news and trends. It covers some really interesting topics outside of what you would normally find in a business-focused media company.I met Sam in 2015 when I was invited to speak at their convention, Hustle Con. Actually, I'm going to be speaking again on December 2nd and 3rd of this year at Hustle Con here in the Bay Area.Sam and I touched on a handful of interesting topics. He's not the conventional founder that raises VC funding in the Bay Area — He's done it completely differently and this conversation is just as unique as Sam has built his business.We chat about him giving up alcohol 6 years ago, getting started in the hotdog stand business, and the way he built The Hustle with very little money. We also talked about him hitting moments with The Hustle that made him want to quit (despite its growth trajectory) and before hitting a new stride in the last 12 months. All of that and more on today’s episode with Sam.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/29/2019 • 1 hour, 37 minutes, 4 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorCalvin “Cal” Fussman is a world famous interviewer, a New York Times bestselling author, public speaker, and the creator of the podcast called Big Questions. He was the Writer-at-Large of Esquire, interviewing everyone from Richard Branson to Muhammad Ali to Serena Williams to Robert De Niro.He's on a mission to increase our collective curiosity and inspire storytelling everywhere he goes. We talked about his story of becoming a journalist and the moments of honesty with people like Muhammad Ali that has stuck with him ever since.We cover the rules of storytelling which is a phrase I never heard before but certainly, there are principles that I think we all know deep down, and he articulates them pretty powerfully. We cover all those with other topics and our time together, and I really hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/27/2019 • 2 hours, 9 minutes, 14 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling author“Attach, you lose, detach, you gain”. That simple phrase and along with the phrase “Yoga for the intellect” on a little pamphlet in a hotel in Southern California caught my eye.I was there with my wife for a weekend and got lured into a session with a guy that looked like one of those folks at the airports dressed in orange monk garb, with few possessions, and maybe some wooden beads. That's what I was looking at on this pamphlet.I was so intrigued that I ended up going to the seminar as it promised to include free yoga as well. We met Joseph, a modern day monk from Houston, Texas that had spent 10 years studying Vedanta in India. We started chatting and it was so fascinating because as a creator, there were so many things that he pointed out, that I have knowledge about but never articulated — like the way he did. That concept of whatever you're attached to, that attachment actually repels it from you — like holding something you love in your hands too tightly and actually restricting it.It was an entire afternoon filled with very simple explanations of simple concepts that were just deep beneath so many other thoughts and things that have gone through my mind for years and years. And when I started to think about the concept of the podcast, following the mental journey of creation, and thinking about things that have caused me so much stress in life, I immediately thought of the living antithesis, Joseph. He is the most carefree and stress free individual I’ve ever met. But that's just the beginning of what makes him so interesting.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/22/2019 • 2 hours, 15 minutes, 58 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is another deep dive experiment into a topic that every founder dreads thinking about — fundraising. Similar to what we recently did regarding a deep dive on remote work, this episode goes deep (like super deep) into the weeds on fundraising strategies, tactics, and mistakes to avoid.This is always one of the most asked about topics, and I thought it'd be fun to do an episode with Marc who has helped founders raise over $100m in the last 12 months alone. He shares a lot of nuanced insight on the entire process of getting investors to give you millions of dollars, and getting time with him is not cheap, so I'm glad that he's able to spend a few hours with us for free — enjoy this deep dive with Marc and shoot us notes on any other deep dives you want us to do.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/20/2019 • 2 hours, 25 minutes, 24 seconds

"The most exciting new podcast in the startup world.” - Eric Ries, Founder and NYTimes bestselling authorToday's episode is a deep dive — Something we're trying out where we go deep into certain topics that people have been asking about, and today is with an expert (maybe the expert?) on the subject of remote work (work that is distributed by many team-members in different geographical locations instead of all under one roof). This is a trend that seems to be here to stay... so we might as well learn as much as we can about the pros, cons, and best practices from someone like Hiten.More on Hiten: He has been building companies for 15 years, solely with distributed workforces and people who work from home. He has built some pretty big businesses this way. He's become one of the experts whom people reach out to learn more about building a remote team, remote business, or remote culture. And today, they've just published perhaps the most comprehensive data driven report and research on remote work.I'm really excited to have him back on the podcast. This time, we’ll talk about the research that they just posted and dive into the topic of remote work including the pros, cons, and tips to get the most out of the trend that seems is here to stay.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/13/2019 • 1 hour, 59 minutes, 44 seconds

Today's episode is a really special one. It is with Dr. Peter Carnochan, a clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, author, and executive coach. He quickly became one of the best executive coaches in Silicon Valley in the last few years with his deep understanding of the psychological journey of a founder.I was introduced to Peter years ago by Alexis Ohanian, one of the co-founders of Reddit, and ever since then he's been my executive coach (and compatriot) through a pretty tumultuous journey of creation at various points. I felt like it would be great to have him on the podcast every so often to go over his key takeaways from the previous episodes. We did about 10 episodes and listeners loved it so much that I'm doing it again, and we'll probably keep this cadence of about every ten episodes where we’ll have him talk about his insights from the previous episodes. So let's get into it with Dr. Peter Carnochan.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/12/2019 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 22 seconds

Kelly Starrett is one of the most widely followed individuals in the health and fitness space. He is a NY Times bestselling author, a physical trainer, physical therapist, and mobility expert. That last thing I mentioned, mobility expertise, is one of the more fascinating parts of Kelly's work in the health and fitness world — where just about everyone is so focused on the results... the look, the tone, or the strength that one is going for.However, his work is dedicated to the foundations: posture, mobility, daily habits. And that is perfect for a “below the line” look on the foundations for excellence.The other reason I'm pumped to talk to Kelly is because many founders, creators, leaders, etc (just about 95% of people I know) don't put enough time and attention to our physical health; the ultimate foundation to personal progress. And I'm a big believer of the old phrase “:train the body and the mind will follow” rather than the opposite. So let's get into it with the man that thinks about foundations perhaps more than any other person I know.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

8/6/2019 • 56 minutes, 37 seconds

BTL Hotline: 510-214-3717In celebration of 40,000 downloads, we’re going to take a few calls and answer the questions from listeners directly. This episode covers some great questions from listeners as well as a note James wrote to himself while going through perhaps the toughest time in his career. Check it out and let us know what you think of this experiment at twitter.com/gobelowtheline — And call 510-214-3717 to ask a question, any question, and we will do this every time we pass another 10,000 downloads (should be around every 2 weeks at this rate).

8/2/2019 • 43 minutes, 48 seconds

fnnch is perhaps the most recognizable name in street art in San Francisco with his mega-size honey bears, pop-art lips, poppy flowers and poodles gracing our city in the unlikeliest of places. He wasn't always pursuing a passion in art, much less attempting a career in it. And he rarely speaks publicly about what it's like to be him.He is also known for being the only anonymous TED speaker to date, and this episode goes deep into the “below the line” version of someone that has very little “above the line” outside of his public work that —by design— is through the medium of street art so that everyone can enjoy the aesthetic upgrade in and around the city.We talked about that very illegal act, and the acute fact that not everyone enjoys it. We chat about how he's taken the risks and intentional, exceptionally hard-working steps to become the prolific creator he is, as well as riding lucky waves to become one of the rare artists to make a living from his art within just a few years of picking up a spray-paint can. Enjoy this episode with fnnch.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

7/31/2019 • 2 hours, 47 minutes, 11 seconds

Chris Powers is the only real estate mogul I know who has been selling real estate half his life. He began buying and fixing up homes when he was only 17 years old as a freshman in college, was a self-made millionaire by 23, then became a venture capitalist by 24. And today he is a real estate force helping define the future of the small-but-up-and-coming city of Fort Worth, Texas.We talk about how he began his career in real estate while everyone was thinking about fraternity parties and the influences in his life that made him decide to invest in tech. He's a unique guy — and 100% himself throughout this interview. Those two things are probably two of the biggest reasons why he has seen success early in his life. Let’s get into it with Chris on Below the Line with James Beshara.You can email James questions directly at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

7/25/2019 • 1 hour, 50 minutes, 5 seconds

Dr. Emily Anhalt is a clinical psychologist that focuses specifically on entrepreneurs and what she calls emotional fitness. It is a bridge between psychology and business that helps with your personal productivity and your personal psychological approach each day. In this episode, she will share with us her invaluable seven characteristics of emotional fitness that she has given workshops at companies from Google to GitHub to TED, and a bunch in between. Let's get into it with Dr. Emily Anhalt.Email James questions at [emailprotected] Follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

7/23/2019 • 1 hour, 39 minutes, 56 seconds

Burt Blackarach is a Grammy-award winning composer, producer, DJ, and sound engineer. You may know his work in producing for iconic groups like Public Enemy.Born into a creative family, Burt got to see his father (legendary soul and rock keyboard player and songwriter William D. "Smitty" Smith) collaborate with everyone from Bob Dylan to Rick James to Fleetwood Mac — and it ignited his love of creating music as well.But what is it like to heed the call to adventure in creating music for a living? What is the inner journey like for someone as accomplished and established as Burt? Let’s get into it with Burt on Below the Line with James Beshara.Email James questions at [emailprotected] Follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC. 

7/18/2019 • 2 hours, 7 minutes

Kevin Rose is one of the most recognizable individuals in the startup world. As a founder, he and his team created the news aggregation site Digg, which became a household name, putting him on magazine covers around the world and creating an iconic brand in Silicon Valley — but it wasn’t a story that ended in champagne and ringing an IPO bell... As an investor, his list of angel investments is next to impossible to beat: Twitter, Facebook, Square, and NextDoor to name a few.  He also was podcasting back in 2004 when the world was still just learning how to pronounce the word iPod... so suffice it to say, if he is into it, there’s a very likely chance it’s about to become a very big deal. He is not only incredibly honest and open about his successes and failures, but he’s enthusiastically trying to get others to share just as openly.  We go below the line on what it’s like to build something to hundreds of millions of dollars to then see it crumble, on how we tend to overcorrect after failure, the necessary side of experiences that help us mature, spouses and their integral part in the equation as an entrepreneur, and more. Enjoy this episode with the incomparable Kevin Rose.

7/16/2019 • 1 hour, 43 minutes, 48 seconds

My favorite thing about being a founder is the ability to make your own decisions and have to live with them, and thus have to learn from them.I am constantly introspective about my thoughts: What am I thinking? Where did it come from? The desire to be “liked” is probably the most selfish thing in the world.You want to be really mindful of the problems you are creating, when things that were working stop working and being able to identify those things much earlier when running a business.

7/9/2019 • 2 hours, 21 minutes, 1 second

Eric Ries, NY Times best-selling author, and startup sage comes back to the podcast for part 2 of our conversation we started in episode 3. We cover everything from sustainable productivity of teams, unleashing creativity, and about his (insanely) audacious company that is 8 years into their “beginning” with the Long Term Stock Exchange. It’s one of the most interesting companies out there — and for a man that’s dedicated to changing the way startups are built, it’s no surprise that he’s taken on the task of building a better stock exchange. Enjoy this conversation with the one and only, Eric Ries.

7/3/2019 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 20 seconds

Alex Snodgrass, aka The Defined Dish, has built a social media following that would make any brand jealous, with over hundreds of thousands of followers engaging around her simple and incredibly tasty whole30 and paleo dish recipes every day. She has all the social media (and in real life) love that creates a pretty pristine Above the Line version of her business.But a simple ingredient that made the conversation with this creator such an interesting one was her honesty on what it’s really like to be a social media “influencer”. We talk about everything from the fact that 2 years in (and with little traction), deciding if it was still worth doing, simplification being a key to success, anxiety attacks and the importance of investing in mental health — and in the midst of naturally being a people-pleaser, and having a spouse, two daughters, employees and hundreds of thousands of people that would want some of her time requires something simple and powerful: a checklist of things that helps remind her daily what she needs to do for herself.It’s a special episode of Below The Line with Alex today — we hope you enjoy it.About the host: James Beshara is an angel investor, advisor, founder, and general startup-helper in San Francisco, California. He has started three companies, sold one (Tilt; acq by Airbnb), and angel invested in multiple billion-dollar startups in his career. And now he's talking openly and honestly with leaders about what's going on "below the line" in their lives and careers that has made them the people that the are; the 90% of the story you don't read about or hear about anywhere else.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and follow us on twitter @belowthelinepodcast or follow James @JamesBeshara."Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC.

6/27/2019 • 54 minutes, 10 seconds

Matt MacInnis is a founder and investor in Silicon Valley, and he’s widely seen as one of the best personal angel investors out there — combining his experience as a founder (and knowing what made his investors actually helpful and others unhelpful) with the insight into what spaces and products are on the rise.That’s his day job though. He is a profoundly deep thinker, an articulate leader, but most importantly, he’s honest. He’s seen all the ups and all the downs a founder can see, so you throw experience into that equation, and you’ve got a hell of a conversation.Some of our favorite quotes from the episode:"It is perfectly acceptable to go start a company with insane odds against you. If you understand the outcome will be beautiful, no matter what, thats the mindset you need to approach it with and it will be beautiful.""I could not be where I am today without the hard experiences I had to go through, and it sucked… but they were necessary.""That was the last time I put another person in the slot of alpha, on a pedestal, someone to emulate…" on his experience with Steve Jobs"You look around and think that everyone else has it figured it out — and they don't…and I am the first to admit that I’m faking it too."“I knew where I was strong and I knew where I wasn't, and I was fighting that instead of accepting it.”“When I sit down across from an entrepreneur…and they really want me to invest, and its not one I can invest in…They’re not answering “should Matt be an investor” while they're trying to answer “can I get Matt to invest in this?” — and these are vastly different questions.”“Don't win job offers. Go see if you test positive for that particular company or role and let “no” be as beautiful as yes because its the right thing. We are not as interested in truth as we are desire...”

6/20/2019 • 1 hour, 38 minutes, 27 seconds

Diana Chapman is a best-selling author — her book “the 15 commitments of conscious leadership” is one of my all-time favorites — She is also an advisor and executive coach who has worked with over 1,000 organizational leaders, as well as a founding partner of Concious Leadership Group.Her incredibly powerful book has a great subtitle — “A new paradigm for sustainable success”... with the key phrase being sustainable success. Today I get a chance to talk with her about so many different topics, but they almost all lead back to that phrase. Check out this episode to learn more.

6/18/2019 • 1 hour, 42 minutes

Sahil Lavingia is the CEO and Founder of Gumroad, a platform to help creators create more through simple e-commerce and audience tools. He is also known for insightful and refreshing points of view on Twitter and Medium. To round it out, he’s also a designer, painter in addition to being a technology CEO and writer. Sahil and I have had similar paths in creation, from tech to design to art, as well as being a founder that has seen almost everything. From being employee #2 at Pinterest to starting his own company, to coverage in just about every magazine, every investor in Silicon Valley wanted to be a part of what he was building to layoffs, then more layoffs, to then being the only person running his company, bordering on depression for a long stretch of time, and now back to a tight-knit team and a business that will bring in over $5m in revenue this year, profitable and actually growing faster than ever. In addition to the experience he’s had, he’s begun to articulate what it has been like as a creator, and his tweets and essays on the topic, up there with Justin Kan, Eric Ries and a handful of other guests have given people some of the most realistic glimpses of what it’s truly like, and I can’t wait for you to hear this behemoth of an episode.

6/11/2019 • 3 hours, 5 minutes, 16 seconds

Ryan Hoover is the founder and CEO of ProductHunt — the most popular way to discover new products and services on the web. In 2016, ProductHunt was acquired by AngelList, the worlds’ most popular way to invest in startups. It was a match made in heaven, but it’s hard to say the path to that point wasn’t fraught with its share of challenges.Ryan is one of the most popular voices when it comes to new services, and we cover the new trends he’s tracking, his love of podcasting, the “grass is only greener” version of the story for a venture-backed founder, and the differences he has noticed in his career from being an employee to founder to founder within a larger organization.Email James questions at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/gobelowtheline). "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

6/4/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Peter Carnochan is my guest today. Peter is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and executive coach here in San Francisco — he is also my executive coach. He was first introduced to me in 2014 by Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder or Reddit, who said I needed to meet his executive coach... and that I might benefit from chatting with him. 4 plus years later, I chat with Peter just about every other week, and this conversation isn’t unlike many I’ve had before with Peter — going from tactical topics to expansive philosophical ones and back.We’re going to do check-in episodes together every few weeks where he checks in on the project of this podcast, talks about his favorite take aways (from the perspective of being one of the most highly regarded executive coaches in Silicon Valley), as well as the Below The Line journey of what’s going on in creating this podcast.You’ll see why I love chatting with this brilliant guy during this episode, and hear our top takeaways from previous episodes. May is Mental Health Awareness month as well, and at the very end, you’ll hear us touch on that from both the creator and human aspect, and I chat about some of the best advice I’ve ever heard on the topic.Email James questions at [emailprotected]Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/gobelowtheline)."Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts

5/28/2019 • 1 hour, 49 minutes, 36 seconds

Ryan Caldbeck and his co-founder Rory Eakin founded what has become one of the most innovative investment platforms I’ve ever seen with their award-winning company, CircleUp. In short, they use machine learning analysis to find and fund amazing companies in the consumer packaged goods space, companies like Halo Top, Rebbl, Smarty Pants vitamins — and we actually share some of those companies like Halo Top. But, being the founder of an innovative investment approach that is hitting its stride is only the above-the-line version of Ryan's story.Last year, Ryan started sharing what his entrepreneurial experiences have really been like. His open and candid writing on twitter is shared within founder circles more than any other writing, because in a world of posturing and BS, he has begun to turn the tide on with something as simple as honesty— something the entrepreneurial world is craving.We talk about what he’s shared, what he thinks a lot about, where we can do better, what it’s really like to go through a “Pivot” with a capital P. He does it all with a contagious sense ownership and accountability, which is why I think he is a major force in evolving the conversation of what it’s like to be a founder. Email James questions at [emailprotected] Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/gobelowtheline). "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

5/22/2019 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 2 seconds

Hannah Willson is an executive, a mom, and has made the jump from large public company to the world of fast-moving startups — and she’s one of my neighbors. This podcast is an exercise of going below the line with founders, leaders, creators of all kinds, and for any startups that make a dent in the universe, even employee 100 shoulders the weight of attempting to create something special. Hannah was most recently the VP of Sales (often the most stressful department in a startup) at Rainforest QA, one of the fastest growing startups in the Bay Area, and we talk about everything from balancing being a mother, wife, friend, and an executive, how the things that can make you great at sales can often hold you back as a sales _leader_, the stories that have helped shape who she has become, and the recently acquired habit of meditation; among other things. So let’s get into it with my good friend and one of the most respected executives in San Francisco. And for those looking forward to what crazy drink we shared this episode... you’re out of luck, because I forgot to do that this time... Email James questions at [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/gobelowtheline). "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

5/16/2019 • 1 hour, 15 minutes, 11 seconds

Corby Davidson is a radio personality from James’ hometown of Dallas, Texas. At age 23, Davidson knew he wanted to “do what Howard Stern does,” and eventually became the award-winning co-host of one of the country’s most-listened to radio station. Corby and James discuss what it’s been like to pursue this career type, the stories that have shaped him as an individual, and after thousands of interviews, what makes for a great interviewer. Enjoy this episode of ‘Below the Line’ with one of James’ childhood heroes, one of the most popular sports radio hosts out there, and last but not least... simply one of the most entertaining people to ever sit behind a mic.  Email James questions at [emailprotected] Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/gobelowtheline). "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC

5/7/2019 • 1 hour, 17 minutes

Bill Gates refers to him as his “favorite economist” for the work he does with his organizaiton “Our World in Data” (www.ourworldindata.org). Today’s guest is Max Roser — and he and his team have influenced several best-selling books, countless news articles, and spurred some of the most important discussions in recent years with his simple premise for a website: what can the data of our world tell us about where we came from and where we’re headed?  We cover everything from Max’s background and the founding of “Our World in Data”, to the long-term trends that have really surprised him and his team, to being one of the first non-profits to go through Y Combinator (and how beneficial it can be for non-profits to learn from how Silicon Valley operates).  Join us as we dive into these topics with Max in what I hope will be one of many episodes we get to have with him. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and follow us on twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline or follow James @ twitter.com/JamesBeshara "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC

5/2/2019 • 1 hour, 12 minutes

Kathryn McCarron is a San Francisco-based fashion designer and founder of her namesake ethical cashmere line, featured in stores from Bergdorf Goodman to Neiman Marcus to Lord & Taylor, from New York to South Korea... From being featured in New York Fashion Week at 25 to the cover of Cosmo, she is as humble as she is amazing, and I’m really excited to have the honor to chat with her today. Go to KathrynMcCarron.com to check out her work and see the above-the-line version.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and follow us on twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline or follow James @ twitter.com/JamesBeshara "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC

4/30/2019 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 40 seconds

Eric Ries, New York Times best-selling author and CEO/Co-Founder of one of the most ambitious ideas on the planet right now (Long Term Stock Exchange) talks about the movement he started with his best-seller The Lean Startup and why the narratives need to change when it comes to building companies. He also shares his personal approach to starting companies now that he's 20 years into it, how to receive feedback, and how weak points can be hidden strengths if you detach from the story of how things should be going in your head. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and follow us on twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline or follow James @ twitter.com/JamesBeshara "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC

4/16/2019 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 10 seconds

Mike Maples is one of the original seed investing gangstas. Seriously. He was the first investor in Twitter, along with investments in other world-changing companies like Cruise, Lyft, Okta, Twitch, and more back when “seed investor” was barely a term. He is consistently named as one of the best investors in Silicon Valley and is also "the man who taught me how to invest" according to Tim Ferris, and beyond his brilliance as an investor, he might also be the nicest guy in Silicon Valley. Listen in as he shares his stories from his childhood, what's really causing the growth of inequality in our country, and a bit about a concept I had never heard about called "scissor statements" that is borderline terrifying. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and follow us on twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline or follow James @ twitter.com/JamesBeshara "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC

4/4/2019 • 1 hour, 58 minutes, 45 seconds

Justin Kan is the exceptionally talented Silicon Valley founder and investor that’s co-founded companies like Twitch, SocialCam, Exec, and Atrium (with over $1bn in exits). He is also a former partner of the famed accelerator Y Combinator and a personal investor in dozens more startups.  Today’s conversation covers everything from his near death experience that shaped his life to how to increase your baseline happiness (heads up: it has nothing to do with selling your company).  Email James questions at [emailprotected] Follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline — “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts LLC.

4/4/2019 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 41 seconds

What is the optimal psychological approach to your career each day. Is it “aim as high as possible” or is it “detach from results?” Is it to be content where you are or to always strive for “better”? We now know a lot about the field of sports psychology — but what can the best research tell us about the nascent field of business psychology? We know mental health is a serious issue for founders and creators, but how can we avoid the mental health traps that await us when setting out to create, lead, and impact?What began as an idea for a compilation and potential book of interviews from the best founders, leaders, and researchers on the optimal psychological approaches for pursuing careers, leading companies, and life in general has now turned into this podcast... And it is a chance for you to listen in on my interviews with everyone from the founders of billion-dollar companies, to legendary investors, to New York Times best-sellers, to philosophers, spiritual leaders, and people researching the science behind finding flow in your work and decision making.About the host: James Beshara is an angel investor, advisor, founder, and general startup-helper in San Francisco, California. He has started three companies, sold one (Tilt; acq by Airbnb), and angel invested in multiple billion-dollar startups in his career. And now he's talking openly and honestly with others about what's going on "below the line" in their worlds... the things that have made them who they are and the things they *really* think about each day — the 90% of the story you don't read about or hear about anywhere else.If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and follow us on twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline or follow James @ twitter.com/JamesBeshara "Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Straight Up Podcasts, LLC

3/28/2019 • 23 minutes, 2 seconds