The Undeniably Curious Podcast with Josh Dorkin

Muhammad Lila has followed his passion and ultimately his heart through a career in journalism and most recently in founding a new kind of news network, one focused on delivering positive stories to help us all see the light in the word called Goodable.  Our goal in today's show is to help us all learn how we can better filter all the information in the media and make informed decisions based on truth. Given how scary the world can be today, I thought someone who has built a platform based on positivity would be a great guest. Whether we’re talking about the Corona virus, or any other issue, there’s no doubt there is a serious problem across the globe for people hoping to get accurate information from their governments and this isn’t just an issue in countries with dictatorships.  Across democracies, elected officials have used propaganda to influence segments of the population to retain power and shape narratives. We discuss how to disseminate truth from fiction, the danger of the echo chambers of social media, how we can all start to listen to one another again, the dangers of propaganda, and much more. STAY IN THE LOOP WITH UNDENIABLY CURIOUS: ✩ Twitter: http://www.twtter.com/undpodcast ✩ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/undpodcast ✩ Website: http://www.undeniablycurious.com ✩ Show notes posted at http://www.undeniablycurious.com/show7 CONNECT WITH JOSH ✩ Website - http://www.joshuadorkin.com ✩ Instagram - http://instagram.com/jrdorkin ✩ Twitter - http://twitter.com/jrdorkin ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joshuadorkinbp ABOUT JOSH I’m Josh Dorkin, best known as the Founder and former CEO (14 years) of BiggerPockets, and former host of the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m an entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, father of three, and now host of the Undeniably Curious Podcast. For more on me, visit http://www.joshuadorkin.com

Today’s guest is Savinay Chandrasekhar, who has played a key role in the lives of thousands of underprivileged teens. He didn't start his career helping others, instead, he was busy following a similar path that many of us also followed . . . he did well in school, worked hard and followed the influence of his parents into a career that didn’t quite match his internal desires. Ultimately, however, he found his path to follow his gut and wound up exactly where he and the world needed him to be. On the show we discuss deep topics including how to find your place in the world, the importance of education, the value of teaching and teachers, the value of a better educated population, the value of college, how to strengthen your family bond, poverty, the power of exercise and movement to better learning, or how to better your mind while meditating, silence retreats, and much more -- you’re in for a treat with this show. Timestamps (05:07) How he contracted and survived a tropical disease (09:41) How said experience impacted his life (12:40) On wrestling with the 3rd culture first generation issue (17:13) What real financial poverty is (26:26) His thoughts on pacifism (31:10) What he gave up to follow his heart (33:04) How he knew it was the right time to follow his heart (36:15) His advice to people whose work makes them miserable (38:15) What the Broad Center is all about and what he did there (40:37) What he learned in Kurdistan (42:20) What the “achievement gap” is (45:52) The essence of Minds Matter (51:05) His 10-year plan (54:54) How educators can impact children (59:45) The importance of diversity in education (01:02:34) Some of the most innovative ideas in education today (01:07:30) His thoughts on the education system (01:14:45) His thoughts on standardized testing (01:19:01) The importance of embracing risk in education and innovation (01:22:07) What the Vipassana meditation technique is all about (01:26:05) His advice for those who would like to improve their meditation practice (01:31:06) Line he wants imprinted on his tombstone (01:33:36) Person whose life he’d like to experience for a day (01:35:06) Book that has had the most impact in his life (01:36:32) How people can reach out to him STAY IN THE LOOP WITH UNDENIABLY CURIOUS: ✩ Twitter: http://www.twtter.com/undpodcast ✩ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/undpodcast ✩ Website: http://www.undeniablycurious.com ✩ Show notes posted at http://www.undeniablycurious.com/show6 CONNECT WITH JOSH ✩ Website - http://www.joshuadorkin.com ✩ Instagram - http://instagram.com/jrdorkin ✩ Twitter - http://twitter.com/jrdorkin ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joshuadorkinbp ABOUT JOSH I’m Josh Dorkin, best known as the Founder and former CEO (14 years) of BiggerPockets, and former host of the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m an entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, father of three, and now host of the Undeniably Curious Podcast. For more on me, visit http://www.joshuadorkin.com

Today’s guest is a fascinating man with an incredibly personal story who has played an important role in the lives of thousands of children’s lives through his non-profit organization. Before that, however, he was busy following a similar path that many of us also followed . . . he did well in school, worked hard and followed the influence of his parents into a career that didn’t quite match his internal desires. Ultimately, however, he found his path to follow his gut and wound up exactly where he and the world needed him to be. I’m very excited to have Savinay Chandrasekhar on the show.  We’ve known one another for a number of years since meeting at a fundraiser.  Since then, I’ve got to see his leadership first hand as Executive Director for Minds Matter of Colorado – whose mission is to support the educational dreams of high-achieving high school students from low-income households across the state by providing them with the help and guidance they need to get into and succeed at the college of their choice. I’M a huge fan of the organization and have been a donor for a number of years now. Savinay has had an incredible impact in the lives of so many students in Colorado and as I mentioned, has led a fascinating life of struggle. From an early age, his experiences and circumstances have helped to shape his personal mission to do good in the world (he’ll dive in on more specifics in the show). On the show we discuss deep topics including how to find your place in the world, the importance of education, the value of teaching and teachers, the value of a better educated population, the value of college, how to strengthen your family bond, poverty, the power of exercise and movement to better learning, or how to better your mind while meditating, silence retreats, and much more — you’re in for a treat with this show. Time Stamps: (05:07) How he contracted and survived a tropical disease (09:41) How said experience impacted his life (12:40) On wrestling with the 3rd culture first generation issue (17:13) What real financial poverty is (26:26) His thoughts on pacifism (31:10) What he gave up to follow his heart (33:04) How he knew it was the right time to follow his heart (36:15) His advice to people whose work makes them miserable (38:15) What the Broad Center is all about and what he did there (40:37) What he learned in Kurdistan (42:20) What the “achievement gap” is (45:52) The essence of Minds Matter (51:05) His 10-year plan (54:54) How educators can impact children (59:45) The importance of diversity in education (01:02:34) Some of the most innovative ideas in education today (01:07:30) His thoughts on the education system (01:14:45) His thoughts on standardized testing (01:19:01) The importance of embracing risk in education and innovation (01:22:07) What the Vipassana meditation technique is all about (01:26:05) His advice for those who would like to improve their meditation practice (01:31:06) Line he wants imprinted on his tombstone (01:33:36) Person whose life he’d like to experience for a day (01:35:06) Book that has had the most impact in his life (01:36:32) How people can reach out to him   STAY IN THE LOOP WITH UNDENIABLY CURIOUS: ✩ Twitter: http://www.twtter.com/undpodcast ✩ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/undpodcast ✩ Website: http://www.undeniablycurious.com ✩ Show notes posted at http://www.undeniablycurious.com/show4 CONNECT WITH JOSH ✩ Website - http://www.joshuadorkin.com ✩ Instagram - http://instagram.com/jrdorkin ✩ Twitter - http://twitter.com/jrdorkin ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joshuadorkinbp ABOUT JOSH I’m Josh Dorkin, best known as the Founder and former CEO (14 years) of BiggerPockets, and former host of the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m an entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, father of three, and now host of the Undeniably Curious Podcast. For more on me, visit http://www.joshuadorkin.com

On the show, guest Brandon Turner from BiggerPockets and I dive into many topics that go beyond the subject of real estate and personal finance, from which he has become famous. Brandon is an accomplished business man and media personality and brings a wealth of knowledge learned as entrepreneur, podcast host, webinar host, employee, business owner and investor that we're excited to share with you. We cover items like our entrepreneurial partnership and entrepreneurship in general, the power of saying no to get to yes, goal setting, risk tolerance, online privacy, how to live a worry-free life, trusting people, kindness, giving and gifting, the power of experiences, productivity, intentionality, fatherhood and much more. Time Stamps: (0:00) Episode 4 Preview(1:04) Introduction to today’s guest, Brandon Turner(3:40) Brandon’s child’s birth scare // Handling problems without stress and worry (8:50) Fighting life’s battles(10:46) How to not be a “worry-wart”(11:55) How to take Extreme Ownership of your life(15:20) True Story: Josh, Brandon, and road rage (18:06) Always empathizing with the other person(21:58) Brandon’s start at BiggerPockets(33:30) How to search for the right business relationships (36:46) Reflecting on business start-up life(40:56) The dynamic of Josh and Brandon’s relationship // “The default ‘no’”(45:13) “Building bridges” // Risk-tolerance, risk-aversion(52:15) “Brandon, why did your businesses fail?”(57:21) The keys to being a successful entrepreneur(1:02:55) The differentiator of the elite = Continual improvement(1:04:53) Looking back at Brandon’s unexpected “niche-fame”(1:13:04) The right approach to saving our kids from the dangers of social media, and other vices (1:26:11) Brandon’s trust factor // “The Kindness Diaries”, and being worthy of goodness(1:36:36) Doing your best to keep your ego away from doing acts of kindness(1:40:20) The gift of giving // “When you give, you will receive more”(1:50:10) Remembering great experiences: our life’s “peaks and valleys”(1:54:23) Investing in experiences > Investing in materialism(2:01:35) Different types of relationships // Goal-setting on a transformational level(2:11:54) Improving your life with intentionality(2:15:09) Maui’s “Little Beach”(2:18:13) Final Impact: Has curiosity ever gotten you in trouble?(2:20:43) Final Impact: What would your tombstone one-liner be?(2:21:07) Final Impact: Whose life would you live? What specific day?(2:22:35) Final Impact: Most impactful book?(2:23:53) True story: Brandon almost gave Josh’s phone number away…(2:26:47) Thanks for tuning in! STAY IN THE LOOP WITH UNDENIABLY CURIOUS: ✩ Twitter: http://www.twtter.com/undpodcast ✩ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/undpodcast ✩ Website: http://www.undeniablycurious.com ✩ Show notes posted at http://www.undeniablycurious.com/show4 CONNECT WITH JOSH ✩ Website - http://www.joshuadorkin.com ✩ Instagram - http://instagram.com/jrdorkin ✩ Twitter - http://twitter.com/jrdorkin ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joshuadorkinbp ABOUT JOSH I’m Josh Dorkin, best known as the Founder and former CEO (14 years) of BiggerPockets, and former host of the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m an entrepreneur, investor, author, public speaker, father of three, and now host of the Undeniably Curious Podcast. For more on me, visit http://www.joshuadorkin.com

Today’s guest is ANDRE KAJLICH, with one of the most inspirational and motivational conversations I’ve had in the hundreds of podcast interviews I’ve done over my career.  Andre is an elite ultra athlete who overcame insurmountable challenges when he lost his legs in a freak accident. Despite the accident, he has gone on to become one of the top  athletes on planet earth. He has conquered some of the most difficult races, challenged himself in ways that most able bodied people would be afraid of, and has set his sights on some even crazier challenges going forward.  The never give up attitude has inspired countless people; to say he is inspiring is putting it lightly…. In today’s show we discuss Andre’s happiness philosophy, the importance of embracing the journey -- not just the destination, why failure is essential towards success, the power of your mind to help you overcome small and incredible obstacles, how to break challenges down into small chunks, how to stop your brain from stopping you from doing those things that you’re scared of, how to overcome quitter syndrome, and much more. Time Stamps: (0:00) Episode 3 Preview(1:11) Introduction to today’s guest, Andre Kajlich(4:52) Andre’s accident in Czech(12:10) Studying abroad, in Prague(13:23) Andre’s relationship with Sports(14:16) The post-accident transition to connect back to society(17:14) Andre’s most defining moment: the mental “peaks and valleys”(20:43) The Ultraman Triathlon x 4!(26:04) The Brazil 135 Ultramarathon story(29:36) Andre seeks to be, “That one guy racing in the wheelchair”(31:07) For multiple-day races, you need experience.(35:35) Why should we (the listeners) care? // Breaking down a massive goal (38:17) Using external negativity as motivation (40:30) Pushing your limits in any area of life(41:22) Loving the toughest parts of the JOURNEY(42:42) Race Across America 2017 (3,000 miles - 12 days)(45:59) “Failure” stories(49:48) You have to fail to succeed(50:11) Tackling major fatigue // Mid-race hallucinations(54:59) Tornado warnings…(56:52) What scares you?(59:11) “Joyrider”, the film(1:01:22) Andre’s children’s book (andrekajlich.com)(1:04:54) ChallengedAthletesFoundation // “Emmanuel’s Gift”, the film(1:11:21) Andre’s relationship with sports // “Digging in dirt”(1:14:38) When it’s time to settle down, what will motivate Andre next?(1:16:10) “What do you miss most about not having legs?”(1:17:16) “Throughout the struggle, did you ever think of killing yourself?”(1:18:37) “Did you continue to drink after the accident?”(1:21:36) Finding happiness(1:24:38) Your place of Zen(1:25:38) What’s next on Andre’s agenda // @lowesthighest(1:31:38) Final Impact: Has curiosity ever gotten you in trouble?(1:32:53 Final Impact: Whose life would you live? What specific day?(1:36:37) Final Impact: What would your tombstone one-liner be?(1:37:49) Final Impact: Most impactful book?(1:39:04) How to connect with Andre How to get in touch with Andre: Website: andrekajlich.com Twitter: @andrekajlich Joyrider Film: http://www.joyriderdoc.com/film Joyrider Book: https://www.andrekajlich.com/joyrider-the-book Andre in Brazil 135 ultramarathon: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20829586/losing-his-legs-made-him-stronger-than-ever/ Challenged Athletes Foundation: https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/andre-kajlich/ Ultraman Triathalons: http://ultramanlive.com/   Stay in the loop with Undeniably Curious: Twitter: @undpodcast Instagram: @undpodcast Website: undeniablycurious.com Show notes to be posted at undeniablycurious.com/show3

Ever wanted to know what it is like to be/become a rock star?  On today’s show we have an amazing guest in Sean Hurwitz, musician, producer and songwriter. Originally from Israel where he started as a session guitarist and sound engineer, he was eventually inspired to venture out to the US to seek greater opportunities.  Currently in Los Angeles, California, Sean has had the pleasure of co-writing, producing, recording, touring and playing with such top-echelon artists as: - Smash Mouth / Enrique Iglesias, Gin blossoms, Judith hill, etc. He has written songs for shows like the Voice, Jersey Shore and Last Call with Carson Daily.  In this epic conversation, we talk about Sean’s journey across continents to follow his dream, how perseverance landed him his dream gig, the importance of authentic networking, the unknown struggles of musicians, calculated risk, and the importance of loving what you do every day. We also dive into his diet, hunting, the Low FODMAP Diet, and much more. Time Stamps: (0:00) Episode 2 preview(0:58) Introduction to today’s guest, Sean Hurwitz(5:24) A rockstar story: Only a few days to learn 23 songs(7:18) The start of Sean’s music career with Smashmouth // Networking like a Rocks(14:42) Performing in Iraq with Smashmouth(21:18) Authentic networking // Being able to deliver will take you far(27:56) Inspiration from Michael J Fox & Bon Jovi // Starting with a beginner’s guitar(31:30) Transition into becoming an audio engineer // Moving to the states(33:40) Trusting the “You know what to do” gut feeling // Trust what makes you unique, and know your fundamentals(40:38) A word to the average 9-5’ers(43:19) Calculated risk(48:11) Treating others with respect // Staying “grounded”(55:06) Making a living as a musician (Long-term thinking)(1:09:04) Sean’s two topics that he believes every school should teach(1:10:56) Staying healthy (on the road)(1:28:27) Sean’s mindset/philosophy on eating meat(1:38:02) Touring with Enrique Iglesias // Best venue experiences(1:42:00) Overcoming the inevitable nerves // Playing in front of 80,000 people > Small public speaking(1:47:49) The best part about fan interactions(1:49:22) Twitter Q (@grahammcbain): What is one thing you have in common with a successful person who does something totally different than you?(1:50:11) Twitter Q (@DaveVisaya): How do you stay creative and relevant to ever-changing needs/demands/likes of people?(1:54:01) Sean’s mission is to perform until he reaches his 60’s(1:54:45) You can connect with Sean through common denominators in life, and through common friends as well(1:56:33) Sean Hurwitz x Foo Fighters?(1:57:09) Bucket list…(1:58:08) Is there an expiration date on an artist’s vocals? (Sorry Paul!)(2:01:51) Final Impact: Has curiosity ever gotten you in trouble?(2:02:38) Final Impact: Whose life would you live? What specific day?(2:04:06) Final Impact: What would your tombstone one-liner be?(2:04:23) Final Impact: Most impactful book?(2:05:32) How to connect with Sean How to get in touch with Ryan: Website: seanhurwitz.com Email: contact@seanhurwitz.com Twitter: @seanhmusic Instagram: @seanhmusic   Stay in the loop with Undeniably Curious: Twitter: @undpodcast Instagram: @undpodcast Website: undeniablycurious.com Show notes to be posted at undeniablycurious.com/show2

Today’s guest, Ryan Harris is not only a Super Bowl Champion from the Denver Broncos, but also a deeply insightful author, public speaker, and family man.    Highlights from the show include our conversation about everyone’s right to be extraordinary, the importance of controlling your mind and how self doubt and fear drive you, our discussion of race and religion, hard work, mental toughness, and how to create a “Mindset for Mastery” through tasks like self-care and identifying your distractions.   Time Stamps: (0:00) What to expect in today’s episode (2:16) Undeniably Curious announcements (3:30) Introduction to today’s guest, Ryan Harris (5:33) Sumo wrestling with Yama (7:14) “Being extraordinary” vs. “Everybody’s right to be extraordinary” (9:09) Visualization as an NFL player (10:10) “Your thoughts aren’t real” (13:10) Overcoming the BS thoughts (16:30) A story about my first encounter with Ryan (17:36) Being the only race in the room (21:17) How do we better with welcoming other races? // “You gotta get comfortable being uncomfortable” (24:44) Converting to Islam (29:05) Unity through shared experience, and shared information (32:23) Discovering the root of peoples’ “fear” of other races (34:08) We’ve all got to figure out how to live in unity on this earth (35:16) 12-year-old Ryan dealing with his dad’s kidney disease (38:24) Ryan’s MTV experience (41:00) “performance body” vs. “beach-body” “perfect body”  (44:16) Meeting Obama during the Super Bowl 50 visit (46:36) How to maintain a consistent NFL career (with a 100% injury rate) (50:40) Avoid the “T.G.I.F.” mentality (51:46) ”If you don’t work hard early, you’re gonna work harder, longer, later” (53:14) Football and CTE // Keeping the mind sharp - “A lot of people risk a lot more for a lot less” (58:08) Inspiration behind Ryan’s book: “Mindset for Mastery”  (1:02:50) “Digging for diamonds” (1:04:36) Identifying the distractions in your life (1:06:56) Scheduling time for self care (1:09:43) Roosevelt quote: “It’s not the critic who counts…” (1:13:15) Don’t get knocked off your path by BS // Recognize the effort (1:15:49) Final Impact: Has curiosity ever gotten you in trouble? (1:18:03) Final Impact: Whose life would you live? What specific day? (1:19:12) Final Impact: What would your tombstone one-liner be? (1:19:49) Final Impact: Most impactful book? (1:20:35) How to get in touch with Ryan   How to get in touch with Ryan: Website: RyanHarris68.com Booking contact: booking@ryanharris68.com Twitter: @salams_from_68 Instagram: @ryanhariss_68 Get Ryan’s book on Amazon: “Mindset for Mastery”   Stay in the loop with Undeniably Curious: Twitter: @undpodcast Instagram: @undpodcast Website: undeniablycurious.com Show notes to be posted at undeniablycurious.com/show1

Learn about our new show, Undeniably Curious in our podcast trailer. Ultimately, the show is designed to explore life’s balance and sets out to inspire impactful ideas, change, growth, wellness, and happiness through easy to digest conversations with both well-known top performers, and everyday people.  Undeniably Curious is a show for people who are tired of leading the same stagnant life as everyone else and who are seeking to be inspired to step up their life-game.  For more listen and check out our website at undeniablycurious.com