Dyson has become a byword for high-performing products, technology, design, and invention. Now, James Dyson, the inventor, and entrepreneur who made it all happen, tells his remarkable and inspirational story in Invention: A Life.
Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively developing the technology, he risked it all, but out of many failures and setbacks came hard-fought success.
Entrepreneurship
Hello members and subscribers! It’s time for our seventh Moonshots Master episode, and we are tackling a huge topic: ENTREPRENEURSHIP
To get us started we hear from some of the most well-known and highly regarded entrepreneurs and authors out there. Darren Hardy kicks us off with a breakdown of what it means to be an ‘Exception’ and how it takes guts to succeed. We then hear Steve Jobs’ entrepreneur story and how he battled against settling for less. Continuing our journey into inspiration Warren Buffet motivates us by stating how he ‘tap dances to work’.
Now we are inspired. It's time to learn the hard truths about being an entrepreneur, and who better to share wisdom than Elon Musk who had to contend with criticism from his heroes. Helping us understand the value of starting on day one with a single-minded framework we hear from Michael E Gerber who prepares us for scale with the story of Ray Kroc and McDonald’s. Helping us analyze and understand why some businesses fail and others don’t, we learn from Bill T. Gross and his study into the reason for success being timing and teams.
To help us grab the opportunities and learn from the documented mistakes made by others, we hear from three entrepreneurial authors. First up we hear from Moonshots royalty Simon Sinek who says to start with WHY to inspire action. Next, we hear from Tim Ferriss who gives us 5 tips for starting a kick-ass business. Closing out the show we have some very practical tips from Eric Ries on how to utilize a lean methodology to define - and release - a Minimum Viable Product.
New Episode: Michael E Gerber: The E-Myth
What is the E-Myth? It is the myth that if you are good at doing “something,” you can turn that “something” into a profitable business. But, being good at something is.not.enough.
The E-Myth Revisited explains why 80% of small businesses fail, and how to ensure yours isn't among those by building a company that's based on systems and not on the work of a single individual.
Michael Gerber advocates doing a lot of thinking on the front end to prevent you from maneuvering yourself into a situation you can’t get out of.
New Episode: Darren Hardy: The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster
66% of small businesses fail, and it’s not for the reasons you think. So why do they fail? That is what Darren Hardy set out on a mission to discover in The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster.
What he found was startling. All the previously reported reasons and assumptions for the failure rate (capital, location, credit, inventory management, and competition) were wrong.
Failure was not due to outside factors--they were internal. They weren't economic--they were emotional. The unexpected and terrifying emotional roller coaster an entrepreneur experiences is the greatest factor in why most quit and ultimately fail.
12 proven questions to actually improve business performance
How to keep exciting new year's resolutions in 2022
New Episode: Zaha Hadid: Listener Favorite
Dame Zaha Hadid born October 31, 1950, died March 31, 2016. She was known as the “Queen of the Curve” for buildings such as the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan with its gently sloping and yet zany curves. She was an Iraqi-born British architect known for her radical deconstructivist designs. In 2004 she became the first woman to be awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Only rarely does an architect emerge with a philosophy and approach to the art form that influences the direction of the entire field. Such an architect is Zaha Hadid who created and set new boundaries for the art of architecture.
New Episode: Roger Frampton: The Flexible Body
Forget everything you think you know about exercise. International model and fitness expert Roger Frampton has developed a revolutionary new approach to movement, designed to get your body working in the way it was designed to.
Just 10 minutes of training per day can help you work towards unlocking your body’s full potential. ‘ The Flexible Body: Move better anywhere, anytime in 10 minutes a day guides you through a series of positions, stretches, rolls, and balances that retrain your body to move like it once could.
New Episode: Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food
Food. We all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?
Michael Pollan's premise In Defense of Food is a simple seven-word summary; 'Eat food, not a lot, mostly plants.' The rise of nutritionism and industrialization means the Western diet has changed for the worse. We're suffering from over-nutrition, so we need to stand up for "real food," and reclaim good health and natural ingredients.
Michael Pollan explores the age of nutritionism and asks how we went from eating food to consuming nutrients, and why this is a problem. Then it looks at why a typical Western diet has damaged our health and made us more overweight than ever before. And finally, it provides basic food rules on eating better, and with more enjoyment.
The Art Of Communication
Hello members and subscribers! It’s time for our sixth Moonshots Master episode, and here we are breaking down the number one business skill: the ART OF COMMUNICATION.
To inspire us on the importance of communicating well, we hear from Sharon Ellison who helps us identify if we are being defensive in our communication. We then delve into a Moonshots-favourite as Cal Newport breaks down the limitations of email and electronic communication. Sir Alex Ferguson then communicates the importance of saying ‘well done’ and positive communication to teams, rounding out how we utilise encouragement.
Helping us comprehensively understand the power of communication, we hear from William Ury who’s passion for good listening enabled him to work with the President of Venezuela. Cal Newport then breaks down the overwhelming effect of smartphones complicating communication and what he means by the ‘hyperactive hive mind’. Lastly, Julian Treasure gives us 5 practises to listen better.
To help us develop daily habits that cultivate good communication, we have practical tips from 3 thought-leaders. First, we hear world champion public speaker Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s 4 essential body language tips. Simon Sinek encourages us to manage effective confrontation using the ‘FBI’ framework (Feelings, Behaviour, Impact). Finally, Julian Treasure provides us 5 simple exercises to do every day that can encourage conscious listening.
New Episode: Matthew Walker: Why We Sleep
All living creatures need sleep. The question is: why? In Why We Sleep, neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker presents groundbreaking discoveries about sleep and how it affects all aspects of our physical, mental, and emotional health, including our creativity and longevity.
So why should you sleep, and how can you improve your quantity and quality of sleep? Unfortunately, most people in modern societies are sleep-deprived, and we don’t even realize it because we’re so used to operating at suboptimal levels.
It’s time we understand and unlock the transformative power of sleep.
Listen To The Latest Moonshots Episodes Now - On Apple Podcasts!
It’s now even easier to listen to the latest Moonshots episodes on Apple Podcasts.
We’re bringing your favorite Moonshots Episodes to Apple Podcasts for fans and listeners across the globe. You can now listen to all 150+ episodes on the Apple Podcast App. So you can have at your fingertips the mindset and daily habits that will help us be the best version of ourselves.
New Episode: Patrick McKeown: The Oxygen Advantage
In a career spanning 15 years, Patrick McKeown has since also become a bestselling author and expert on the topic of optimal breathing for improved health, well-being, and fitness.
His book ‘The Oxygen Advantage’ is based on 4 years of scientific research and tailors breathing exercises for anyone seeking to improve their fitness and sports performance. ‘The Oxygen Advantage can revolutionize how we train, by addressing dysfunctional breathing patterns and simulating high altitude training through specific breath-holding exercises as devised by Patrick.
To supplement the show, we also recommend listeners to conduct the Body Oxygen Level Test (BOLT) to determine their relative breathing volume, as well as practise Patrick’s 1-hour workout to truly improve their breathing.
Listen To The Latest Moonshots Episodes Now - On Spotify!
It’s now even easier to listen to the latest Moonshots episodes on Spotify.
We’re bringing your favorite Moonshots Episodes to Spotify for fans and listeners across the globe. You can now find all 150+ episodes available to listen to and even shareable. So we can find at our fingertips the mindset and daily habits that will help us be the best version of ourselves.
New Episode: Tim Ferriss: The 4-Hour Work Week
In Episode 155: let's talk Tim Ferriss, a listener favorite and his 4 Hour Work Week. Forget the old concept of retirement and all of those deferred-life plans–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times.
Whether your dream is escaping the rat race or earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management. The 4 Hour Work Week is the blueprint.
Which Brené Brown book to read first?
We are huge Brené Brown fans. If you’ve seen the Ted Talk and are ready to dive into her books but unsure where to start? Which book should I read first? We’ve got you covered.
Brené Brown has her own order and even lists them on her site website, so who better to take advice from Brene herself and this is how she thinks the progression of her work should flow.
Brené offers brief overviews of her work at the beginning of Daring Greatly and Rising Strong, but reading The Gifts of Imperfection first, is always a good place to start.
New Episode: William. H. McRaven: Make Your Bed
Episode 154: Listener Favorite: We take inspiration from Admiral William H. McRaven and his best selling book, Make Your Bed. In 2014 he addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas, in a video which immediately went viral.
He shared 10 life lessons he had learned during his Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his long Naval career, but also throughout his life. In Make Your Bed, he builds on these principles by sharing inspiring tales from his own life and those around him in the military, explaining how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves for the better.
Circle Of Influence
Hello members and subscribers! It’s time for our fifth Moonshots Master episode, and here we are breaking down the CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE.
Opening up our minds to the concept, we get inspired by a series of motivational speakers, telling us to focus on you every day. We re-visit the very well-regarded Admiral William H. McRaven, who reminds us to start singing when we’re up to our necks in mud. We then hear from Robin Sharma, who reminds us to simply embrace confidence every day.
Now we’re all inspired, the next section helps us learn about the Circle of Influence, and who’s better to teach us than Stephen Covey himself. Mr Covey breaks down the Inner circle for proactive people (circle of influence), as well as the Outer circle for reactive people (circle of concern).
Now we understand the influence and mindset towards our circles, let’s work on how to make this reflection a part of our habit every day. We listen to Janis from Time Management, who has some actionable tips to stay focused. We also learn from Fearless Soul, and how we are responsible for who we agree to spend time with. Closing out the show, we hear again from Stephen Covey, who has some powerful mindset tips for us, encouraging us to remember that we can choose to carry your weather with us.
New Episode: William D Danko: The Millionaire Next Door
In The Millionaire Next Door, William D. Danko skews the myths about how (and where) most millionaires live, and what it takes to become one. Their extensive research identified the sometimes surprising characteristics and habits shared by many millionaires. For instance, millionaires are often bargain shoppers (they buy used cars and off-the-rack clothing), pay only a small percentage of their wealth in income taxes, and shun the lavish lifestyles we often associate with being rich.
The book explains how to determine what your net worth should be, according to your age and income, and how you can build wealth over time and become a millionaire—if you have the discipline.
The best books by Jocko Willink
We take a look at the best books by Jocko Willink on leadership, ownership and playing to win. Jocko Willink is an author and podcaster, a decorated retired United States Navy SEAL. Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. He was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his service in the Iraq War. In 2010, he retired from the Navy and launched the Echelon Front firm together with Leif Babin, a fellow former SEAL.
Willink also hosts the Jocko podcast together with his friend and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Echo Charles.