logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
1h 13m

How Anyone Can Make Their First Million,...

James Altucher
About this episode
A Note from James:

You know what drives me crazy? When people say, "I have to build a personal brand." Usually, when something has a brand, like Coca-Cola, you think of a tasty, satisfying drink on a hot day. But really, a brand is a lie—it's the difference between perception and reality. Coca-Cola is just a sugary brown drink that's unhealthy for you. So what does it mean to have a personal brand?

I discussed this with Nick Singh, and we also talked about retirement—what’s your number? How much do you need to retire? And how do you build to that number? Plus, we covered how to achieve success in today's world and so much more. This is one of the best interviews I've ever done. Nick’s podcast is My First Exit, and I wanted to share this conversation with you.

Episode Description:

In this episode, James shares a special feed drop from My First Exit with Nick Singh and Omid Kazravan. Together, they explore the myths of personal branding, the real meaning of success, and the crucial question: “What's your number?” for retirement. Nick, Omid, and James unpack what it takes to thrive creatively and financially in today's landscape. They discuss the value of following curiosity, how to niche effectively without losing authenticity, and why intersecting skills might be more powerful than single mastery.

What You’ll Learn:
  • Why the idea of a "personal brand" can be misleading—and what truly matters instead.
  • How to define your "number" for retirement and why it changes over time.
  • The difference between making money, keeping money, and growing money.
  • Why intersecting skills can create unique value and career opportunities.
  • The role of curiosity and experimentation in building a fulfilling career.
Timestamped Chapters:
  • 01:30 Dating Advice Revisited
  • 02:01 Introducing the Co-Host
  • 02:39 Tony Robbins and Interviewing Techniques
  • 03:42 Event Attendance and Personal Preferences
  • 04:14 Music Festivals and Personal Reflections
  • 06:39 The Concept of Personal Brand
  • 11:46 The Journey of Writing and Content Creation
  • 15:19 The Importance of Real Writing
  • 17:57 Challenges and Persistence in Writing
  • 18:51 The Role of Personal Experience in Content
  • 27:42 The Muse and Mastery
  • 36:47 Finding Your Unique Intersection
  • 37:51 The Myth of Choosing One Thing
  • 42:07 The Three Skills to Money
  • 44:26 Investing Wisely and Diversifying
  • 51:28 Acquiring and Growing Businesses
  • 56:05 Testing Demand and Starting Businesses
  • 01:11:32 Final Thoughts and Farewell
Additional Resources:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 23
Matt Smith: Rethinking College with “The Preparation”
A Note from JamesThere’s always been debate about whether college is worth it. But what if there’s a better alternative—one that actually prepares you to become the person you want to be? My good friend Matt Smith just wrote a book with Doug Casey called The Preparation. It’s not ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 19
Case Kenny: Stop “Settling Down” and Start “Settling Up”
Episode DescriptionJames sits down with Case Kenny, author of The Opposite of Settling and host of New Mindset, Who Dis?, to talk about how our expectations around relationships shape the way we date and commit. Case shares the research, stories, and mindset shifts that helped hi ... Show More
40m 33s
Aug 9
Will Bittensor be Bigger than Bitcoin? | The TAO Pod
Episode Description:Hosted by James Altucher (serial entrepreneur, bestselling author of "Choose Yourself," podcaster, hedge fund manager, chess master, and investor in over 20 companies, with expertise in crypto and AI) and Joseph Jacks (founder and general partner of OSS Capita ... Show More
1h 26m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
The Savings Expert: They're Lying To You About Buying A House! Tariffs Are About To Skyrocket Cost Of Living! Here's The Truth About America Collapsing!
Is buying a house the biggest financial mistake you could make right now, and will the next Great Depression hit even harder? Morgan Housel reveals the real story. Morgan Housel, partner at Collaborative Fund and bestselling author of ‘The Psychology of Money’ and ‘Same As Ever’, ... Show More
2h 15m
Apr 2025
The $6.6 Trillion Sell-off
Scott and Ed dig into the rubble of the record breaking $6.6 trillion sell-off following Trump’s tariffs announcements. They break down how Trump determined the tariff rates, what the tariffs will do to company earnings and the real economy, and offer advice on how to deal with t ... Show More
1h 8m
Sep 2024
Interest rates, inflation and the American consumer
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years. It would be a major milestone in the central bank’s long fight to get inflation under control. The Fed changes interest rates to keep inflation in check. But inflation is a complex p ... Show More
28m 53s
Jul 30
GM85: What If the Real Risk Isn’t Recession — But Reinvention? ft. Steven Bell
Steven Bell has seen the macro machine from every angle - Treasury insider, hedge fund manager, and chief economist. In this wide-ranging conversation with Alan Dunne, he traces the quiet erosion of economic orthodoxy and why AI, not tariffs, may prove the more destabilizing forc ... Show More
1h 7m
Dec 2024
251. The Gold Standard: Saifedean’s Next Book!
Saifedean introduces his next book, The Gold Standard: an alternative economic history of the twentieth century, where fiat money died in 1915. What would the world look like if we had a gold standard in the twentieth century? What would life be like with constantly appreciating ... Show More
33m 2s
Feb 2025
CPA Shares Tax Tips to Lower Your 2024 (Yes, 2024) Taxes
2024 may be long gone, but it’s NOT too late to lower your taxes for the previous year. If you have real estate or retirement accounts, you already hold the key to minimizing your taxable income and owing less to Uncle Sam. But how do you do it? We’re sharing 2024 and 2025 top ta ... Show More
47m 48s
Mar 2025
Tariffs Are Screwing Your Wallet—Here’s How to Fight Back
Everything is getting more expensive, and it’s not just inflation. The U.S. just slapped massive tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, and that means your grocery bill, your next car, and even your favorite bottle of tequila are all about to cost way more. But why is this happeni ... Show More
31m 3s
Apr 2025
BTC229: Trump Tariffs, Market Chaos, Bitcoin Impact w/ James Lavish
 Wall Street veteran and macro expert, James Lavish, and Preston Pysh have a candid back and forth about the Trump tariffs and what the impact in game theory looks like moving forward.They also talk about how it's impacting fixed income, equities, and Bitcoin. Plus how the U.S. m ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2024
Prof G Markets: Takeaways from the Second Debate + Does the US Need a Sovereign Wealth Fund?
Follow Prof G Markets: Apple Podcasts Spotify  Scott and Ed open the show by discussing recent inflation data, Oracle’s earnings, Wall Street’s decision to curb working hours for young bankers, and Open AI’s newest model. Then Scott shares his reactions to the President debate an ... Show More
54m 31s
Sep 2024
The Harsh Truth About Our Economic Future | John Rubino on the Dollar Crisis, Wealth Gap & More
In the third episode of our miniseries 'It's Not What They Told You', Mo Gawdat speaks toJohn Rubino (https://rubino.substack.com), a former Wall Street financial analyst and author or co-author of five books, including The Money Bubble: What to Do Before It Pops and The Collapse ... Show More
1h 19m