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The World feels uncertain right now as countries like China and Russia assert their power, the cost of living soars and a recession feels imminent. Can understanding the cycles of world power help alleviate this feeling of uncertainty? How can the idea of ‘being ready’ get you through the bad times? In this episode Carter and Mo discuss if China will become a dominant world power, the problem with zero sum games and maintaining discipline in uncertain times. Click “read more” for show notes!

Click “read more” for show notes!

It can be disheartening when we struggle to stick to a fitness program or other routine. There’s a belief that discipline equals freedom. In this episode Carter and Mo question whether this is true. They discuss the different forms of discipline, the importance of finding what works for you and questioning the ways things have always been done. Click “read more” for show notes!

As you get older you begin to see patterns in life. Looking at the current situation the world is in right now, Carter and Mo can see the signs that we are heading towards a recession. Click “read more” for show notes!

Click “read more” for show notes!

This episode launches a series into mental models. An understanding of mental models is crucial if you want to be a better thinker and make better decisions. This episode focuses on two – ‘the map is not the territory’ and ‘the circle of competence. Carter and Mo explore the limitations of planning, assuming the worst is yet to come and why sometime you need to stay in your lane. • The map is not the territory (1:08) • Why explore mental models? (01:41) • Being a better thinker helps you in everything (04:02) • Map are useful but they are not reality (06:05) • How to plan when you know the plan won’t work (11:15) • Investing models don’t take into account how dynamic the world actually is (13:21) • Why Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger don’t use computer models (14:05) • The assumption should always be that the worst is yet to come (17:41) • How does Carter prepare for the worst with his real estate business? (20:28) • The circle of competence (23:35) • How this mental model applied to Carter’s early experience in real estate (24:20) • When is good, good enough? (33:35) • When your ego is driving it tends to create blind-spots 34:38) • The idea of staying in your lane (35:53) • Situations where you need to stick to what you know best (38:52) • Always assume the map has not shown you everything and stick to what you know when you need to win (40:17)

Why do people keep doing something that they don’t love just because they are good at it? If longevity is something you value, doing something you don’t love can lead to burnout and other issues. In this episode Carter and Mo discuss how hard it is to quit combat sports, the importance of your why and the necessity of changing things up when your why changes. • Considering longevity becomes more important as you get older (00:00) • People who do things they are good at but don’t actually enjoy (03:35) • The joy of playing basketball as a kid (06:08) • People like to be around greatness (08:41) • The fear that comes with combat sports and the benefits of not worrying about winning (10:58) • If you are there for the wrong reason there is no way you will make it in combat sports (18:07) • The expectations people can have about you and why this makes quitting hard (19:01) • What happened when Mo made the decision to quit boxing (23:28) • Fighters who can impose their will can win even when they’re less skilled (26:50) • (30:26) • The importance of your why and how it impacts longevity (32:19) • Dave and Mark Schultz and the difference between enjoying ad not enjoying what you’re good at (34:04) • It all comes back to the why (35:06) • Have a solid why and let it evolve over time (35:55) • When your why changes have the confidence to make changes (39:43) • Be authentic (41:22) Steve Maxwell https://maxwellsc.com/ Play Nice But Win: A CEO’s Journey from Founder to Leader by Michael Dell Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother’s Murder, John du Pont’s Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold by Mark Schultz Danielle kelly https://www.instagram.com/daniellekellybjj Connor McGregor Tweets by TheNotoriousMMA Mark Schultz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Schultz_(wrestler) Total Violence

When an event that that you were looking forward to doesn’t happen it can derail you. But is there a way of looking at things differently? Opportunity can come in all sorts of ways and generally things will turn out alright. In this episode Carter and Mo discuss the good that can come from disappointment, letting go and why it’s all about just showing up. • The challenges of embracing being a more optimistic person (00:00) • Realising the good that can come from disappointment (06:34) • Having the faith to believe that things are going to turn out alright (07:37) • Not being attached to the preconceived notions of how things are gong to be (07:58) • Is it possible to be a calm person without working at it? (10:48) • Letting go of the things you can’t control (12:22) • Have realistic expectations of yourself (16:21) • There is no good or bad training – just show up (18:32) • How do you deal with losing in jiu-jitsu? (19:31) • The way to have a better 2022 is to have no expectations (23:48) • Consistently showing up should be your only expectation (25:44)

In the last episode Mo suggested that happiness relies on being present in the current moment. How can we shift our mindset to focus on the current moment and let go of the past and the future? In this episode Carter and Mo discuss how to balance living in the present with preparing for the future, focusing energy on happiness and contemplating death. • Why money is important to Mo (00:00) • Pain exists in the past and worry exist in the future (02:36) • Dealing with the fact that things are going to end and we are all going to die (05:21) • If everything is temporary, we should enjoy the present moment (08:38) • Exploring if money is good or bad (10:15) • Is it worth focusing more energy on happiness? (11:27) • Getting off social media to see what the outcomes are (12:43) • Why do people film concerts rather than just experiencing this event? (15:13) • Realising the things you want to do will change over time (16:37) • Appreciating what you have in the present while emotionally preparing for what might happen in the future (17:58) • A lot of people live their life like they’re never going to die (21:10) • You can pursue success and happiness at the same time (23:02) • Why we should try to live in the present (24:33) • What happens if you try to work on happiness? (26:32)

Why do people try to pursue happiness through possessions and goals? In this episode Mo argues that happiness is a state of mind and that treating it like a goal is the wrong approach. Discussions include methods to shift your mindset, the value of questioning your own thoughts and patterns and building the confidence that things will work out the way they are supposed to. • Revaluating habits and mindset at the start of the year (00:00) • Why the idea of pursuing happiness is weird (01:11) • Don’t desire to be happy. Just be happy (02:39) • Success and happiness are too separate goals (06:43) • Defining what happiness means to you (08:04) • Is happiness just a state of mind? (10:21) • What are the things that help put you into the state of happiness on a consistent basis?(12:27) • How Carter is approaching happiness (14:32) • Being uptight about time (18:56) • Having the confidence and faith that things will work out the way they are supposed to (20:50) • Did Carter make videos with the intent of helping people and why did he stop? (26:39) • Goals create purpose and fulfilment but not happiness (30:28) • Pain is in the past (32:06) • How to pull yourself back into the present (35:41) The Shawshank Redemption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shawshank_Redemption Life Is Beautiful https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Beautiful The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

We know that our beliefs can be limiting, but they can also be wrong. The Socratic Method is a way of both examining our beliefs and testing them. In this episode Carter and Mo explore the Socratic Method, how it has helped them see certain things differently and why we need to build critical thinking skills. • Why Carter and Mo are talking about the Socratic method (00:00) • Carter’s favourite parts of the book (01:36) • Theory versus what works in the real world (03:32) • The importance of taking stock of you beliefs and re-examining them (04:01) • What is the Socratic method? (05:41) • Using the Socratic method on yourself vs using it to debate others (08:18) • Carter challenged his beliefs on how much information about Covid he really needs (10:29) • You have to question the person who is telling you to question people (13:23) • The upsides and downsides of being an optimistic person (17:04) • The importance of critical thinking and trying to tear down your own beliefs (18:03) • Your opinions need to change as new and better information presents itself (21:22) • How do you re-examine a belief? (25:38) • Finding commonality between opposing viewpoints (28:42) The Socratic Method: A Practitioner’s Handbook by Ward Farnsworth Jay Shetty Podcast Podcast

Carter has been reading Tom DeBlass’ new book and has found it fascinating to read about his journey into jiu-jitsu, and how he healed from a turbulent childhood. In this episode Carter and Mo discuss online personas, mental health and how life is short. • Should your online persona match your offline persona? (00:00) • Who Tom DeBlass is (02:20) • Tom DeBlass’ book (03:15) • There are people who Carter doesn’t like in real life but whose online persona he does like (06:12) • The start of Tom’s jiu-jitsu career and his attitude to training (11:22) • Understating the importance of good role models (14:27) • How tom dealt with the mental health aspect of fighing (15:43) • The importance of diversifying streams of income (19:42) • Covid and being in intensive care (22:46) • People who act like they aren’t going to die (26:00) • The impact of ego and criticism on an online persona (27:29) • The metaverse is coming (31:54) • Depression in the jiu-jitsu community (36:03) How You Bear It: Triumph and Resiliency in Life by Tom DeBlass

Dropping the atomic bomb was decision that one person had to make. One of the qualities of being a leader is having to make decisions, often with incomplete information and sometimes with no good option. In this episode Carter and Mo discuss the reality of making decisions, what to be aware of and when to listen to other people. • Making the decision about drop the atomic bomb on Japan (00:00) • Leaders have to make tough decisions and they will be criticised for them (05:23) • Having to make a decision when the answer is unclear (06:00) • Poor leadership is not making a decision (06:47) • Is a decision only as good as the person making it? (07:18) • Great leaders don’t care what other people think (10:30) • Not letting ego get in the way of making decisions (11:00) • Being aware of your bad tendencies (15:26) • You make money when you buy, not when you sell (17:56) • Decisions you have to make where there is no good outcome (21:06) • A leader is only as good as their team (22:27) Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II by Bill O’Reilly

Chaos can be hard and confusing, but it can also be a time of growth and opportunity. The past 2 years has been an incredibly chaotic time but it many business have been able to adapt and thrive. In this episode Carter and Mo discuss businesses that have thrived in chaotic times, the power of diversification and combat sports in the time of covid. • Lessons learnt from watching Narcos Mexico (00:00) • Where there is chaos there is opportunity (01:44) • How Ben Askren developed his wrestling style by putting himself in chaotic situations (02:34) • Achieving financial success in chaotic times (03:34) • Business is about finding solutions to problems (06:23) • Companies moving to more business friendly places (12:34) • Starbucks setting up to-go only stores (13:29) • Carter considers how to find opportunity in rising construction prices (15:09) • The chaos right now is impacting everybody (17:50) • Companies impacted by shipping and supply chains building factories in the US (19:30) • Surviving chaos through diversification (23:41) • Develop different streams of income (29:51) • The jiu-jitsu schools that did well during the pandemic looked after their community (32:35) • How UFC took on the challenge of having fights during Covid when other sports just stopped (34:38) Narcos Mexico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcos:_Mexico Ben Askren https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Askren Lex Fridman Podcast: #242 – Ben Askren: Wrestling and MMA #242 – Ben Askren: Wrestling and MMA

In business you can’t just focus on the numbers you have to also develop your understanding of people and build relationships. In this episode Carter and Mo talk about the importance of the human element in business, how understanding it can find you deals and why stacking skillsets can bring success. • Underestimate yourself and have a back up plan (00:00) • The importance of learning how to learn (01:45) • Being consistent (04:02) • Why Commercial real estate is really no different to anything else (10:34) • The best ways to find real estate deals (11:26) • The human element in business is so much more important then we think (12:53) • The key to business is marketing (19:53) • People make decisions emotionally and then rationalize the decision they make (21:28) • The way things are presented matters (23:22) • Why stacking skill-sets can bring success (24:53) • How to stack skill-sets in jiu-jitsu (28:08) Real Coffee with Scott Adams https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfpnY5NnBl-8L7SvICuYkYQ

In this episode Carter talks about his real estate business, why he is considering getting out of residential real estate, the realities of dealing with contractors, and why reputation and integrity are the key to running a successful business. • Spending time in a place versus just looking at the numbers (00:00) • Carters wants to be the client contractors prioritize (05:26) • Can you invest in real estate outside of your state? (08:19) • The reality of working with subcontractors (14:11) • People are who they are (15:08) • The reality of having to pay extra costs in a commercial real estate deal (16:01) • The importance of reputation and integrity on business (20:00) • 3 things that are key to doing good business (20:40) • You get what you pay for so don’t look for the cheapest price (24:08) • If a client tries to negotiate on price, fire them (26:44) • Over time you learn the questions to ask to find the bullshitters (30:32)

It is often said that ego is your enemy. In this episode Carter and Mo consider if ego can be your friend. What are the positive and negative aspects of ego? When can it fuel ambition and when can it make you foolish? Discussions include whether all ambition comes from ego, if it’s valid to feel good about doing something worthy and is positivity better than criticism when teaching someone a skill. • Is Ego the enemy or your friend? (00:00) • Is all ambition derived from the ego? (01:47) • Ego is good or bad, depending on how you use it (03:16) • People forget to do the things that made them the best (05:37) • Is there anything wrong with feeling good about doing a worthy thing? (07:53) • There is value in only giving positive feedback (09:35) • Image and perception matter (13:55) • When the ego makes you believe you need to be the best at everything (17:07) • Should you worry about the competition in business? (18:26) • Mo considers documenting his own journey(22:12) • Binge watching Yellowstone (25:28) Kirk Kerkorian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Kerkorian(03:16) Scott Adams https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Adams Dale Carngie Institute https://www.dalecarnegie.com Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent by Ryan Holliday Yellowstone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_(American_TV_series)