Going Deep With Aaron Watson

Tucker Max is a NYT bestselling author and cofounder of Scribe Media, the premier professional publishing company that has helped people like David Goggins, Tiffany Haddish and Dan Sullivan publish their books.    Tucker started as a blogger on his website, tuckermax.com and has built out a substantial string of entrepreneurial wins, including some angel investments.   In this episode, Aaron and Tucker discuss moving out to a ranch, Doomer Optimism, and how to take an antifragile posture and improve your life.   Mentioned: Tucker Max on Doomer Optimism The Century of the Self: Edward Bernays Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Tucker Max’s Challenge; Read two books about Doomer Optimism, Prairie Fire by Clay Martin and How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It by James Wesley Rawles.   Connect with Tucker Max Linkedin Twitter Website Facebook Instagram   If you liked this interview, check out our interviews with Ben Hunt on COVID and narratives and Jeff Booth about the acceler

Joe Wynn is the cofounder and CEO of Seiso, a cybersecurity firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. His firm offers Chief Information Security Officer services to clients and other forms of penetration testing.   Joe has over 25 years of experience in information technology and uses that to help companies of all sizes organize InfoSec governance, manage risk, and align security programs to industry frameworks.   In this conversation, Joe and Aaron discuss the way their services get implemented, the mark of a good client, and why people are always the #1 risk vector.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Joe Wynn’s Challenge; If you’re handling other people’s information, be deliberate about protecting it.    Connect with Joe Wynn Linkedin Twitter Seisillc.com   If you liked this interview, check out episode 495 with Kamron Khodjaev of Koop.AI where we discuss insurance for autonomous vehicles. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy.    How?

Dr. Rita Baranwal served as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).    Dr. Baranwal led the office’s efforts to promote research and development on existing and advanced nuclear technologies that sustain the existing U.S. fleet of nuclear reactors, enable the deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems, and enhance the U.S.A.'s global commercial nuclear energy competitiveness.   Dr. Baranwal previously directed the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative at Idaho National Laboratory and served as Chief Nuclear Officer at ESRI. She is currently the CTO at Westinghouse.      In this episode, Aaron and Rita discuss how a nuclear reactor works, how nuclear energy is part of an energy solution, and why she dedicated her life to this technology. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Rita Baranwal’s Challenge; Make sure your voice is heard by your political representatives. Let them know you want power to be sourc

Jason Yanowitz is the cofounder of Blockworks, a digital media company launched in 2018 focused on the intersection of cryptocurrency and finance.   They have experienced explosive growth as they have scaled to eight figures in annual revenue, dozens of podcasts, and a rapidly growing audience hungry to make sense of crypto.   Jason and the Blockworks team have scaled while bootstrapping (not raising any venture capital) and stair stepped from events to podcasts to a full news site and email newsletter platform.   In this episode, Jason and Aaron discuss the origins of Blockworks, the best strategy for bootstrapping a media business, and what 2022 holds for crypto. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Jason Yanowitz’s Challenge; Play the game. Don’t spend all your time reading.   Connect with Jason Yanowitz Linkedin Empire Podcast Jason’s Twitter Blockworks Website If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Harmony founder Stephen Tse where we discuss launching a layer

Wes Kao is the cofounder of Maven, the world’s first digital platform for cohort-based courses. In just one year, the Maven team launched over 100 cohorts, saw dozens of instructors make $10K, multiple made $250K+, and raised a $20m Series A from Andreesen Horowitz.   Their course creators include Anthony Pompliano, Li Jin, Sahil Lavingia, Shaan Puri, and Sahil Bloom.   Prior to starting Maven she was the co-founder of the altMBA, which launched the modern cohort-based education movement with Seth Godin. She’s led over 150 launches for Fortune 500 brands and startups, and is recognized as a leading expert in B2C marketing.    In this episode, Wes and Aaron discuss how to go from being and outside to an insider, why MOOCs fail, and how Wes got a job with Seth Godin.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Wes Kao’s Challenge; Figure out how you can turn bugs into features.   Connect with Wes Kao Linkedin Wes on Twitter Maven on Twitter Maven.com WesKao.com If you liked this interview, chec

​​Aye Moah is the co-founder and CEO of Boomerang, the most popular extension for Gmail and Outlook which enables millions of people to email more effectively with artificial intelligence.   Aye has over a decade of experience in bringing category-creating products to market. She is an innovator with multiple patents and has scaled revenue with a consumer freemium model and a bottoms-up B2B SaaS motion.    In her experience as a Chief Product Officer, Moah has grown her product lines’ revenue from 0 to $8M profitably, on $400k total investment.    In this episode, Moah and Aaron discuss how she helps her team improve productivity, the product development challenges of a Gmail extension, and how they have defended their patents.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Aye Moah’s Challenge; Evaluate how much of your day is “I have to” vs “I get to”.    Connect with Aye Moah Linkedin Twitter Boomerang App Website   Mentioned Mohinga Catfish chowder Tea leaf salad Coconut curry noodle Underw

Jesse Pujji currently serves as Founder & CEO of Gateway X and as Executive Chairman of Ampush and MySubscriptionAddiction.com.   Prior to GX, Jesse co-founded and was CEO of Ampush. He grew Ampush to over 100 Ampushers, managed over $1BN of digital media spend, and partnered with brands such as Dollar Shave Club, Uber, Birchbox and Hulu.    Prior to Ampush, Jesse started his career with short stints at both Goldman Sachs and McKinsey.   Gateway X is a holding company that builds, buys and invests in market-leading direct to consumer companies.    In this podcast, Jesse and Aaron discuss experimenting with TikTok ads, lessons from joining the Red Ventures portfolio, and the DTC companies Jesse has launched. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Jesse Pujji’s Challenge; Remove the bottom 5 things on your to-do list.   Connect with Jesse Pujji Linkedin Twitter Website   Links TikTok Ads Happiest Baby on the Block Jesse's Baby Sleep thread Jesse on Invest Like the Best   If you liked

Colin Huwyler is the CEO of Optimus Technologies, a firm that designs and builds EPA compliant biodiesel conversion systems (“Vector Systems”) with integrated telematics to allow medium and heavy-duty diesel engines to operate on up to 100% biodiesel in temperatures to -20F.    Colin founded the company in 2010 after previously founding Fossil Free Fuel, a renewable fuel company.    Optimus Technologies’ Vector System seamlessly integrates with existing engines or as a ship-through option on new commercial vehicle purchases. They focus on the highest efficacy solutions to carbon emissions by focusing on diesel (and biodiesel) over other forms of renewable energy.   In this conversation, Colin and Aaron discuss misconceptions about renewable energy, the Optimus Technologies business model, and how Colin retrofitted his old Volkswagen to run on vegetable oil.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Colin Huwyler’s Challenge; Take five minutes and assess your personal energy balance.   Connect

Ricky Stanzi is a professor and coach within the GOATA (Greatest Of All Time Athletes) system. GOATA’s goal is to hone in the most effective transfers of energy in the body and make those muscle movements second nature.   Ricky was formerly a football quarterback in the NFL, CFL, and Big Ten. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played college football at the University of Iowa.   Ricky and the GOATA team have studied slow motion video of crawling babies, indigenous tribes, super athletes that avoided non contact injuries, and the 55-60 year old marathon runner who still runs at a high level pain free to develop their system.   Now, they’ve built a business helping normal people recode their movements, certifying coaches to use their system, and coaching top athletes pursuing a professional career.   In this episode, Ricky and Aaron discuss the origins of the GOATA system, which athletes are the best to study, and quick wins that anyone can implement to improve

Sara Mauskopf is the CEO and co-founder of Winnie, a marketplace for child care built on powerful data systems and backed by a trusted community of parents and providers.   Parents use Winnie to research and uncover high-quality daycares and preschools in their geography with detailed information about licensing, tuition, and photos. Sara started Winnie in early 2016 after she experienced the frustration of researching daycares first-hand as a new mom.   She has called upon her experience in product management at Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Postmates to catapult Winnie to success.    In this episode, Sara and Aaron discuss the origins of the company, the evolving market for daycare, and the business model behind the platform.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Sara Mauskopf’s Challenge; If you have children in childcare, talk to the care provider/teacher about how you can help.   Connect with Sara Mauskopf Linkedin Twitter Winnie Website   If you liked this interview, check out our i

Matt Dayton is the cofounder of Pure Air Nation, a company that focuses on mold remediation and air quality around the greater Pittsburgh area.   In just two years in business, Matt and his cofounder Jake have raced to serious business success with a full calendar and loads of 5 star reviews. Beyond mold remediation, they also offer air quality testing, duct cleaning, and preventative care.   In this episode, Matt and Aaron discuss how he got started in the business, why the demand for mold remediation is growing, and the challenges in hiring blue collar talent.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Matt Dayton’s Challenge; Grow yourself personally and give back to your community.   Connect with Matt Dayton Twitter Instagram Pure Air Nation Website   If you liked this interview, check out episode 419 with J.D. Ewing where we discuss scaling his family’s office furniture business. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy.    How? Cli

Tom Galluzzo is the founder and CTO of IAM Robotics, a mobile robotics platform to automate manufacturing and warehouse facilities. In 2018, IAM Robotics raised a $20 million Series B to build their platform.   Tom founded the company back in 2013 after developing and nurturing his robotics technology within Carnegie Mellon University and military research. He has over 15 years of experience in autonomous robotics with Carnegie Mellon University, Harris Corporation, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and Boeing.   In this episode, Tom and Aaron discuss GPT-3 technology, the IAM Robotics business model, and the skillset of being a technologist and an entrepreneur. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Tom Galluzzo’s Challenge; Find a task that you can offload to a robot.   Connect with Tom Galluzzo Linkedin Youtube IAM Robotics Website   If you liked this interview, check out our interview w/ Cetin Mericli about self-driving trucks. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes

Steven Van Metre is a certified financial planner, the inventor of the Portfolio Shield™ trading strategy, and a financial media personality.   Steven transitioned from IT to financial services and found that he had an especially capacity to automate the systems of running a financial practice. In conjunction with producing a regular YouTube series, Steve has built a dynamic and highly-profitable practice.   The extra time he has been afforded by his commitment to automation has allowed Steve to research market structure deeply and come to some fascinating conclusions about deflation and the policies of central banks.   In this episode, Steve and Aaron discuss the risk of deflation, how small businesses can prepare, and how Steve has built his practice.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Steve Metre’s Challenge; Find something you do repetitively and automate it.   Connect with Steve Metre Linkedin Twitter Steve Van Metre Website Portfolio Shielf website   If you liked this interview,

Diane Danforth is the founder and CEO of Americat Company, a cat products company that manufactures all of its goods in the United States.   Diane’s business blends her entrepreneurial ambition, corporate experience, and love for cats into a single company.   In this discussion, Diane and Aaron discuss how she’s built out her products SKUs, what lessons from large corporate marketing she has brought with her, and how she engages with her customers.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Diane Danforth’s Challenge; Create something and ship it.   Connect with Diane Danforth Linkedin Instagram Americat Company Website Amazon   If you liked this interview, check out episode 443 with Blake Dube where we discuss selling oxygen tanks for pets, how to find a product manufacturer, and long-term use of compressed oxygen. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy.    How? Click here and Learn more.   We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized co

Scott Absher is th Chief Executive Officer and cofounder of ShiftPixy, a platform to help business operators engage with a part-time workforce.    ShiftPixy is developing technology that balances the needs for business operators who rely on part-time labor and workers who make up the part-time workforce.    ShiftPixy is a powerful platform for leveraging the gig economy forces for both.   Scott was previously President of Struxurety, a business insurance advisory company.    In this episode, Scott and Aaron discuss the structure of ShiftPixy’s capital raises, the need for restaurants & manufacturers to leverage part-time labor, and the advantages of IPOing early.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Scott Absher’s Challenge; Don’t ignore the service staff that you interact with every day.   Connect with Scott Absher Linkedin Twitter ShiftPixy Website   If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Keith Harmon where we discuss how restaurants can navigate seismic changes

Marshall Haas is the co-founder & CEO of Need/Want, a holding company of brands he has started and owns. Over the years Marshall has started a multitude of products and brands, including some that have been acquired and done millions of dollars of revenue.   He is self-taught and has translated his curiosity into Peel, Shepherd, ofHass, and others.   Inc. Magazine ranked Marshall’s company one of the fastest growing private companies in America and in 2018 Need/Want ranked #1 in St. Louis and the state of Missouri   In this interview, Marshall and Aaron discuss the labor market, how to successfully test & iterate a product, and why hiring overseas is such a big opportunity.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Marshall Haas’s Challenge; Go find what can be eliminated, automated, or delegated.   Connect with Marshall Haas Linkedin Twitter Support Shepherd Website Need/Want Website   If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Andrew Gazdecki where we discuss buying a

Richard Goldman has been one of the nation's top private school leaders for several decades. He currently sits on the board for Xceed Preparatory Academy, which helps the next generation’s athletes and entertainers maintain their education while traveling and performing.    Richard Goldman was the Dean of Graduate Education at Nova Southeastern University for 20 years, where he pioneered internet-based education. He then successfully launched five private education companies. In 1996, Richard co-founded The Sagemont School which grew to more than 800 students and sent graduates to universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Vanderbilt.    Richard then co-founded and held leadership positions in the University of Miami Online High School, Another Generation Preschools, and Smart Horizons Career Online Education, which is McDonald’s official high school.   In this conversation, Richard and Aaron discuss his string of entrepreneurial successes, insights about the changing world of education, and the i

Dylan Lew is the CEO of Ecotone Renewables, a startup dedicated to making sustainable food and agriculture systems more accessible.   Ecotone Renewables has developed the “Seahorse”, which reinvents the food and plant waste disposal system, taking food that would otherwise be wasted and turning it into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer. The Seahorse uses a process of anaerobic digestion to produce ‘Soil Sauce’ and transform methane gas emissions into less harmful CO2.   Ecotone won 2nd place at the Allegheny Cleantech Competition in 2018 and at the 2020 ACerS Humanitarian Pitch Competition. They are currently running a crowdfunding campaign to catalyze their next phase of growth.   In this episode, Dylan and Aaron discuss composting, emissions, waste management, and how many modern sustainability issues are matters of coordination, not requiring technical breakthroughs.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Dylan Lew’s Challenge; Reduce your own food waste.   Connect with Dyl

Dylan Beynon is the Founder & CEO of Mindbloom, a telehealth psychedelic therapy startup. Dylan founded Mindbloom to help people treat mental disorders with clinically back solutions involving ketamine.   This is Dylan’s third startup and he has already raised money from some blue chip investors, including Founders Fund.   Mindbloom is on pace to deliver 100,000+ psychedelic therapy sessions by the end of 2021 and is aiming to climb from 13 to 42 states of operation.   In this episode, Dylan and Aaron discuss finding a Chief Medical Officer, ketamine’s history of use, and Dylan’s vision for a healthier future.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Dylan Benyon’s Challenge; Take 110% responsibility for your mental health. Read a book about mental health and well-being like Awareness by Anthony de Mello, The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer, and Letters From a Stoic by Seneca. Connect with Dylan Benyon Linkedin Twitter MindBloom Website   If you liked this interview, check out o

Don Racey is Chief Executive Officer of Engage Energy & Industrial Consulting and President, Marketing for American Energy Partners.   Don’s specialty is assisting diversified energy companies to better align with sustainability and ESG initiatives.   Don’s background in corporate finance, operations, and strategy allows him to guide business transformations and Asset Lifecycle Management plans.   In this episode, Don defines ESG, talks about the energy systems that need to change, and talks about his background as a consultant.   Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind.   Don Racey’s Challenge; Go out and plant a tree.   Connect with Don Racey Linkedin Instagram Website   If you liked this interview, check out episode 458 with Mark Marmo where we discuss natural gas, business building, and company culture. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy.    How? Click here and Learn more.   We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies,