What if failing publicly is the single fastest way to build the exact life you want?

Today, I am sitting down with 18-year-old entrepreneur and podcaster Kaia Tham. We are breaking down why getting comfortable with rejection early in life completely removes fear, how to build a massive personal brand on LinkedIn without being fake, and why you never need anyone’s permission to start.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why constantly seeing "no" in your inbox builds unshakeable resilience.
• The "Embarrassment Tax”; why cringey beginnings are mandatory tuition for success.
• How Kaia landed dream podcast guests using creative, human cold DMs.
• The "Jar Analogy" for organizing daily priorities without burning out.
  

Kaia Tham is an 18-year-old Australian entrepreneur, content creator, and host of The SEEN Podcast, currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. She highlights the raw, unfiltered stories of founders and builders. Connect with Kaia on LinkedIn and listen to The SEEN Podcast across all major platforms.

In this episode

00:00 - Welcome

03:00 - Kaia Tham: From Australia to Lisbon

04:15 - Writing a 400-Page Book at 12 & Facing Rejection

06:40 - The Origin & Vision of The SEEN Podcast

09:50 - How She Landed Dan Porter with a 6'7 Joke

12:15 - Common Threads in World-Class Founders

16:00 - Building a LinkedIn Brand: Overcoming Cringe

20:45 - The "Embarrassment Tax" & Authentic Storytelling

26:10 - The Jar Analogy: Prioritizing Rocks Over Sand

30:00 - Why You Don't Need Permission to Start

What if waiting for permission is the exact thing keeping you from the life you actually want?

Today, I am sitting down with the incredibly disciplined 20-year-old entrepreneur and copywriter, Jay Yang. At just 16, Jay realized that following the traditional path was leading him toward a life he did not want.

He stopped waiting for permission and started taking action. We talk about how his permissionless mindset helped him land opportunities with massive entrepreneurs like Noah Kagan, Alex Hormozi, and Tyler Denk before he even finished high school.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why beginners need to start "writing upwards" to attract high-level mentors.
• How to use a 19-page pitch deck to make your offers irresistible.
• The exact "Theory of Constraints" Alex and Leila Hormozi use to scale businesses.
• Why your daily habits should be obvious, not magical.
  

Jay Yang is a master copywriter, ghostwriter, and the author of You Can Just Do Things and the upcoming Work With the Best. Find him sharing brilliant career strategies on Instagram at @JayYangInspires, and support his newest book launch on Kickstarter.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

03:00 - Messy, Intentional, and Fun: Jay’s Journey

05:14 - You Can Just Do Things: Stop Waiting for Permission

07:41 - The Beehiiv Internship & Cold Email Strategies

12:17 - The 19-Page Pitch Deck for Noah Kagan

17:38 - Building a Personal Brand to Shift Supply & Demand

24:08 - The Hormozi "Theory of Constraints"

26:13 - How to "Work With the Best" & Pitch Mentors

32:36 - Why Beginners Must "Write Upwards"

37:12 - Champions Do Things Differently: Daily Habits

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What if the four massive crises facing humanity right now are actually your greatest opportunity to completely reinvent your future, and you have way less time than you think to act?

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why the four biggest global trends are colliding simultaneously and how to survive them.
  
• Why treating your career as a straight vector is a massive mistake, and how to live your life in "chapters" instead.
  
• The power of "respectful curiosity" to solve complex problems and navigate diverse cultures.
  
• The crucial difference between blind optimism and true hope—and why hope requires agency.
  
• Why building a team requires surrounding yourself with people who excel at the things you hate doing.
  

Blair Sheppard is a globally recognized leadership expert, the former Dean of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, and the former global head of strategy and leadership for PwC. He is the author of Ten Years to Midnight and his latest book, Reinventing the World. You can find his books online to help you navigate this massive era of global change.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome

03:20 - The "Great-Granddaughter" Test for Major Life Decisions

06:10 - Traditioned Innovation & Reinventing the World

07:44 - The 4 Tidal Waves: Climate, Demographics, Fracturing, & Tech

11:48 - The Right Way to Use AI as Your "Eccentric Best Friend"

16:17 - Fixing the Global System & Changing Outdated Assumptions

20:22 - Building Complementary Teams & Resolving Paradoxes

22:05 - The Asymmetry of Global Aging & The Future of Education

34:41 - Optimism vs. Hope: Why You Need Agency to Succeed

47:00 - Living Your Life in Chapters, Not a Straight Vector

56:52 - 3 Non-Negotiable Habits: Care, Curiosity, & Joy

58:46 - Final Advice: We Don't Have Time, Act Now

Take a screenshot of this episode right now and share it to your Instagram Story! Tag me and Blair, and tell us one "chapter" you are excited to start in your own life. Hit subscribe to keep growing 1% SMARTA every day!