As an entrepreneur and coach for 20 years John has quite an experience to share with us. We talked about the importance of having a strong WHY in entrepreneurship and how this can enable us to "keep going when the going gets tough". John stressed the need to do deeper work on ourselves if we want to maximize our positive impact on the world. This coupled with continuous learning (and application of what we learn!) can give us a distinct advantage in life and in business. Some of the highlights included: - How to start being more proactive, instead of reactive - Self-worth issues and how they can affect our business - The balance between finding out what YOU want to do, not being swayed by other people but still staying in touch with the world (and your customers/prospects). - The value of daily learning - The importance of maintaining an "entrepreneurial attitude", keeping our mind open to possibility and considering new solutions. Thus we can be resourceful even if our resources might be limited at the moment. - The fear of public speaking and how to trace it back to its roots and some ideas on how to overcome it (shadow work). He explained that the only fears we haven't learned is fear of loud noises and falling. He closed off with five practical tips: 1) "Take your television and throw it out of the window.", taking control of our information intake as this shapes our beliefs and how we perceive the world. Do we live in a friendly or an unfriendly universe? 2) Be selective about the food you eat. 3) Don't use a microwave. 4) Expand your mind and keep learning. John especially recommended the podcasts of Dr. Andrew Huberman and "Diary of a CEO", which he likes to listen to himself to learn new ideas. He also mentioned Teal Swan. 5) Daily meditation. That can also be going for a walk in nature. Find a way to detach from external stimuli. John likes to do Tai Chi. He also highlighted the impact of journaling. WHERE TO FIND JOHN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-farrell-emf https://www.facebook.com/johnfarrell.asia https://johnfarrellemf.substack.com/ TIMESTAMPS: Entrepreneur mindset 3:00 John discusses the importance of working on one's business, not in it. An entrepreneur must think about marketing and sales, not just production. New opportunities arise from making unexpected connections. Personal development and limiting beliefs 18:00 John coaches coaches to overcome self-worth issues and triggers, which stem from early life experiences. Personal development alone doesn't address underlying shadows. John helps clients understand root causes through metaphor and journaling. Media consumption and mental health 43:00 John advises limiting negative news exposure to avoid a fearful mindset. One cannot impact most issues reported. Podcasts offer objective expert discussions versus opinions. Applying meditation and mindfulness 1:08:00 Simple practices like daily meditation and Tai Chi center the mind. Viewing the world as friendly opens one to opportunities. Smiling at others spreads positivity. The future of work and AI 1:24:40 Rapid technological change makes planning difficult. John discusses AI's potential if guided ethically. Entrepreneurs must choose priorities like outsourcing tasks or specializing in new fields. One's "why" remains vital through uncertainty.

Great kickoff to my podcast with an interview with Chaminda Tennakoon, an entrepreneur from the UK, originally from Sri Lanka. He tells the story of how in 2018 he started his second business and how it failed a few years later, around the same time he "discovered" that a divorce was happening. He lost his business, wife and house all at the same time. Subsequently Chaminda rebuilt his life and started the now successful organic marketing agency Chaminda Tennakoon Limited which he runs with his current partner. Here's an overview on his 7 Business Success Tips: 1. Goal writing - Write out your goals every day - keep writing until you start believing it - know where you're going 2. Learn - listen to people who have achieved what you want to achieve - Listen to a lot of audiobooks (Chaminda listens to 50-60 hours of them a month) - Cham loves Jim Rohn who is his "business guru" - Use NET time (no extra time) - while commuting - while gardening/doing housework - while exercising - Listening schedule (for spaced repetition, SQRRR), listen to the same audiobook: - 2x back-to-back - after 1 week - after 3 weeks - after a few months - he keeps track of that in Audible 3. Plan Your Days - Either the evening before or at the start of your day - Decide on a #1 priority and get this one done first (eat that frog) - rank goals in order of importance 4. Learn Sales - Listen to audiobooks on sales - Grant Cardone - Zig Ziglar - Brian Tracy 5. Action is the key - Ready, FIRE, Aim 6. Focus - Improve focus with fitness - Single-Task instead of multitasking 7. Responsibility - take it