Bruce Buffer has been the ‘Official Voice of the Octagon’ for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) since 1997 and continues to announce UFC events internationally. Bruce is President & CEO of Buffer Enterprises, Inc., through which he manages his entrepreneurial ventures. He has proven himself as a motivational speaker and has received praise from across the industry for his management and guidance of the successful career of his brother, Michael Buffer, the world-famous sports and entertainment announcer. Bruce’s work involves the creation, design and management of all product and promotional licensing surrounding Michael Buffer’s world famous, ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble®’ trademark phrase, which has grown into a major international enterprise with over $400 million in retail sales. He is also a successful writer & podcaster. In this interview, I speak to Bruce Buffer, Entrepreneur, Announcer & Icon of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). We discuss the power and attraction of combat sports, the growth of the UFC, and dive into what it really takes to prepare, fight and succeed in one of the world’s most extreme sports.

Thought Economics

Roxie Nafousi is a self-development coach, inspirational speaker, manifesting expert and 2 x Sunday Times Bestselling author. Her debut book MANIFEST: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life has become a global success since it entered the market in January 2022, and is widely regarded as the must-have guide to manifestation. It has been translated into 22 languages and has spent 25 weeks in the Sunday Times Bestseller charts. Roxie’s much anticipated follow-up book, MANIFEST: Dive Deeper debuted straight at number 5 in the charts and has already received acclaim from the UK’s top publications. Hailed as ‘the manifesting queen’ by Forbes & the Financial Times, Roxie brings her unique approach to self-development across the world, hosting corporate workshops for the world’s largest companies including Google, Meta, Rothschild, and many more. In this interview I speak to Roxie Nafousi. We talk about the practice of Manifesting, how to find out what we really want in life, and how to get over our own blockers to achieve success.

Thought Economics

“The quest for happiness is a universal, scientific, fact. We can measure happiness, we can assess it, and we can devise strategies to make ourselves happy and fulfilled human beings.”  This is the assessment of Professor Gad Saad, one of the world’s most sought after experts on psychology, marketing & evolutionary behaviour. Professor Saad, who has been described as ‘…the Lionel Messi of public intellectuals’ is author of the sensational bestseller The Parasitic Mind and the irrepressible host of The Saad Truth podcast. In his latest book, The Saad Truth About Happiness, he roams through the scientific studies, culls the wisdom of ancient philosophies and religions, and draws on his extraordinary personal experiences of coming to Canada as a refugee from war-torn Lebanon, and becoming an academic celebrity. In this interview on happiness, I speak to Professor Gad Saad, evolutionary behavioural scientist, and one of the world’s foremost public intellectuals. We discuss the fundamental nature of what happiness is, the evolutionary basis of happiness, and strip back layers of culture to better understand what it takes to be happy, and live a good life.   

Thought Economics

Uri Levine is a passionate entrepreneur, a 2x ‘unicorn’ builder (Duocorn), and the author of the book Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution – A Handbook for Entrepreneurs. He is co-founder of Waze, the world’s largest community-based driving traffic and navigation app, which Google acquired for $1.1 billion in 2013, and former investor and board member in Moovit, ‘Waze of public transportation, which Intel acquired for $1 Billion in 2020. Levine’s vision is building startups that are doing good and doing well, focusing on solving problems and hence changing the world for the better. He has been in the high-tech business for the last 40 years, more than half of them in the startup scene, and has seen everything ranging from failure, to moderate success, and big success. In this interview I speak to Uri Levine (Co-Founder of Waze) who has built 2x ‘unicorn’ companies with values exceeding $1bn. We discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, what it takes to build some of the world’s most successful technology companies, and why we need to fall in love with problems, not solutions.

Thought Economics

Laura Gassner Otting is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily, Laura’s 30-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm, partnering with the full gamut of mission driven corporate and non-profit executives. In this interview, I speak to Laura Gassner Otting. We discuss the true nature of success, why it isn’t always what we expect it to be, and what she’s learned from working with thousands of the world’s most successful executives about life in Wonderhell; and why success isn’t always what it seems

Thought Economics

Francis Ngannou is a remarkable individual. He is currently the heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and is ranked as having the hardest punch in the world. Francis Ngannou was born in the village of Batié (Cameroon), and grew up with very little: no home, no formal education, and no support. What he lacked in support, he made up for with his enormous dreams. He eluded the demands of local gangs, began working in salt mines as a child, and set his sights on a life outside of the town that was determined to retain him. Francis began boxing training at 22, and at the age of 26 took an arduous journey to France to pursue his professional career. Upon reaching Europe, he was jailed for two months in Spain for illegally crossing the border. When he reached Paris, with no money, friends, or home, he became homeless. Francis met fighter Francis Carmot who introduced him to trainer Fernand Lopez and MMA Factory. Lopez gave Ngannou some MMA gear, allowed him to train and sleep at the gym, and with that his career began. Today, alongside his fighting success, Francis operates a foundation in his name which extends his providence to his hometown. In this interview, I speak to Francis Ngannou, heavyweight champion of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). We discuss the power of combat sports, the reality of pain, of resilience, of failure and success.

Thought Economics

Ant Middleton is a remarkable individual. As a soldier, he had a formidable career in the UK’s most elite fighting forces, including the Marines, 9 Parachute Squadron and Special Boat Service (SBS). This career led him to his synonymous role as the Chief Instructor on SAS: Who Dares Wins and on SAS Australia. If this wasn’t enough, 2019 saw him conquer one of the biggest feats known to man, Mount Everest, in the show Extreme Everest, whilst getting trapped in an unexpected, life-threatening storm, he sought to understand the attraction of such a popular, but dangerous challenge. As a bestselling author, Middleton has published his autobiography, First Man In (2018), followed by The Fear Bubble (2019) and Zero Negativity (2020) which together form The Mindset Trilogy. In 2021, Middleton published Mental Fitness and his first work of fiction, Cold Justice – a thriller that follows an ex-elite soldier facing new, chilling challenges in his life outside the military. 2022 sees the release of his latest book, The Wall, covering his strategies on demolishing fear, seizing control, and reaching our full potential. In this interview, I speak to Ant Middleton, Elite Forces Soldier, Adventurer & Leader. We explore how each and every one of us is capable of greatness, how we can conquer our fears and find the courage to move beyond the parts of ourselves that hold us back.

Thought Economics

Dandapani is a Hindu priest, entrepreneur and a former monk of 10 years. After graduating university with a degree in Electrical Engineering he left it all behind to become a Hindu monk under the guidance of one of Hinduism’s foremost spiritual leaders of our time, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. For 10 years he lived a life of serious personal discipline and training at his guru’s cloistered monastery in Hawaii and on that journey he came to many discoveries around the most common mental maladies that literally plague us, anxiety, stress, worry and fear. Through his lectures and courses, Dandapani’s work has allowed millions to overcome distraction and find peace in their lives. In his new book The Power of Unwavering Focus, Dandapani distils decades of wisdom into insights to help us move through our lives with willpower, awareness, and focus. In this interview, I speak to Dandapaniabout what it means to have a life well-lived, what it means to best understand our minds, and how we can overcome anxiety, fear, stress and worry.

Thought Economics

Reggie Fils-Aimé is a gaming legend. He was President & COO of Nintendo of America Inc, and from his humble childhood as the son of Haitian immigrants fleeing a dictatorship, he rose to become one of the most powerful names in the history of the gaming industry. In this capacity, he helped bring the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch to the global marketplace. He retired in April 2019 and in October 2019 was inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame. In his new book Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo, Reggie tells the incredible story of his unlikely rise to the top, and shares his gameplan and leadership lessons for anyone looking to beat the odds and achieve success. In this interview, I speak to Reggie Fils-Aimé about leading successful innovation and culture. We talk about what it takes to succeed, grit, perseverance, and why relentless curiosity, taking risks, and the ability to challenge the status quo really matter.

Thought Economics

Judge Judith Sheindlin (Judge Judy) is a trailblazing pioneer in the justice system and in the history of television. Judge Judy, which premiered in 1996. For over 25 years, Judge Judy has been watched by more than 1 in 3 Americans every year, and licensed in over 100 international territories. Beyond her own show, Judge Sheindlin, and her Queen Bee Productions company have created new television franchises including Hot Bench (one of the highest rated programs in daytime television). For her TV career she has won several Daytime Emmy® Awards, been Honoured with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and been inducted into the prestigious Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. She has also been feted with an Emmy® Award for Lifetime Achievement. Judge Sheindlin is a prominent philanthropist, having given significant gifts to the University of Southern California, and most recently, to her alma mater, New York Law School. Currently, she is the presiding judge on Judy Justice, on IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service, available both in the United States and the UK. New episodes are seen weekdays. In this interview, I speak to Judge Sheindlin on the concept of justice, on humanity, conflict, success and legacy.

Thought Economics

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