Ask Altucher

You can't be productive all day every day. First, you must read. When you read, you get the distilled, curated life of the writer. The author becomes your virtual mentor. Second, you must sleep. If you don't get enough sleep, your brain just isn't working at its peak. Third, you should eat at home. This saves you a couple hours a day and as a bonus, you'll be healthier. Fourth, you should throw out everything that you can. And fifth, you should never surf the web. Try for a week, and see how much extra productive time you have. and learn how you can become mega-productive. Plus, don't go to meetings, don't make many phone calls, and send texts instead of emails. You are what you consume. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource shows clever ways to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.   P.P.S. a year's worth of James Altucher's favorite books from The James Altucher Sho

dropped out of school at age 11 and that's when his real education began. It wasn't his choice. He was comfortable in his "normal" life but his family was about to make a few quick, short-term moves and it was easier for him to be home schooled. The same school curriculum doesn't work for every child. Every one of them is different. As soon as Mark dropped out he felt free. He didn't have to follow the crowd anymore. He could now follow his passion. He discovered he loved to write. When he was 13 years old he discovered Amazon would allow him to self publish his first book. He sold six copies and he knew five of the buyers. Fast forward to today. He's had nine on Amazon, and the reviews are fantastic, but its time to test something new. Mark's 16 years old now and an entrepreneur at heart. He just launched his brand new website . Learn how Mark made $4,000 last month from his self-published book sales.   Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource shows cle

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I want to start a business, but I'm afraid I'm going to go broke?" Somehow, when you work for someone else, you feel more stable. But that's just not the case. They can fire you at any time. There's no stability in that. Yes, it's true that the failure rate for new businesses is huge and the chances are good that your first business may fail. And maybe your second and third businesses will also fail. But that's no reason not to try. Fear motivates. Learn how James has turned his fear into millions of dollars. Turn your fear into your energy. Regards, David Newman P.S. "James' Hack" – How to Make Money Without a Job While most people worry about money and live paycheck to paycheck, select people have discovered how to break free of the fear and write their own ticket to success. If you are willing to pursue what some consider a controversial path, you too could become a member of this group. If you are looking to make more money, or prepare for a secure retirement, this path

Last Thursday on our Ask Altucher Episode #283: James said: "How many homeless people do you know? It's harder to become homeless than you think." And while he still believes that to be true, James had a long-time listener write in to tell him and Claudia that the listener is homeless and living in an airport. You'll hear the pain in Claudia's voice as she talks about this. This person has been sending James and Claudia his daily 10 ideas for a while now, but something is missing from them. Claudia says she believes she knows the reason. The listener doesn't have a roof over his head. And that's where he should begin. To come up with 10 great ideas a day, James says you have to have the four legs of a complete daily practice: You have be physically healthy, emotionally healthy, mentally healthy and spiritually healthy. Being homeless is robbing this person of all four legs. Regards, David Newman P.S. "James' Hack" – How to Make Money Without a Job While most people worry about money and live paycheck to payc

"Dr. Claudia" is in the house today. Back pain is a major problem for many people, yet for most it's easily curable. Here are a few quick exercises that may help. 1.Back away from your desk. While you're still sitting, open your legs and let your body "waterfall" between them. Breathe deeply and relax. 2.Stand up from your desk. Breathe in, push your chest out and lean back. Then come back to vertical, bringing your head up last, while you exhale. 3.Stretch your silence. Try to just be silent for a few hours. Your physical well-being is critical. Take control of it today. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource details a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources----------------------------- James Altucher's favorite books from The James Altucher Show podcast. This giveaway includes over 30 hard copy books, written by some

Do you feel anxious when you're not working, or not studying? Anxiety is built into all of us. It's in our DNA. We had to be anxious or we'd be eaten. When you feel anxious, think about it, realize it, notice it and relax. Most anxiety is pretty useless. It zaps energy from you and doesn't solve anything. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources----------------------------- James Altucher's favorite books from The James Altucher Show podcast. This giveaway includes over 30 hard copy books, written by some of the most successful entrepreneurs, marketers, celebrities, and all around choose-yourselfers, including: When to Rob a Bank by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (authors of Freakonomics) What to Do When It's Your Turn by Seth Godin The Game by Neil Strauss Bold by

James has shut up. He's not talking... except on this show. He's saving his voice for a special project. Today's question is an important one. It's about fear. The fear of becoming homeless if you choose yourself. How many homeless people do you know? It's harder to become homeless than you think. Quitting your job is not "choosing yourself." There's a lot more to it than that. Listen to today's episode and hearJames explain the difference. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources----------------------------- by Stephen Fruend   Check out our new website and tell us what you think –

Another podcast on the go today... James received a text from a young listener who wants to earn a quick $5,000 so he can travel to Thailand. He asks, "What's a quick and easy way to make some fast money?" The easiest way is to do something online. James and Claudia's idea muscles are in overdrive today. They come up with a huge amount of great ideas. Regards, David Newman   ---------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------------   by Jerry Seinfeld – Come meet James in person this Saturday. Ask Altucher Ep 245: Mimi Ikonn on How to Make seven figures on YouTube, and     AA Ep 170 with Clay Hebert from Kickstarter

We want to thank Jerry Seinfeld for coming up his original show, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee." Today we ripped off the title. James and Claudia are on the way to a dance recital for James' daughter and decided to try something new today. A podcast on the go... James asks Claudia if she has career envy. In her next life, Claudia says she wants to be Beyoncé… so that makes James Jay-Z. He's OK with that. There's no way to completely avoid career envy, but when you feel it, just think about what you're grateful for. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------------   by Jerry Seinfeld   – Come meet James in person this Saturday

"Ocean's 13" and "Rounders" writer Brian Koppelman talks with James today about why reading fiction is so valuable. No matter what field you're in there's tremendous benefit to reading fiction as part of the diet of what you read. Brian says, fiction forces your analytical mind to take a back seat for a moment and knocks you out of you comfort. It forces you to grapple with those things that you often shut out. Reading fiction is not a test; you're not in an English class No one is going to quiz you on what you read, no one is going to call you an idiot if you don't get it, or don't like it. Fiction may not immediately improve your life. It's not as direct as most non-fiction books but... The lessons you pull from the fiction that hits you the hardest are the lessons that stay with you the longest. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your

Two entrepreneurs, Robert (Bobby) Edwards and his mother, Judy Edwards who presented on Shark Tank talk with James today about what life is like after the show. They did a deal with Lori Greiner that was a game-changer for them. Their product, was a bit controversial and at first the shows producer turned them down. But after using the product for a while, they got back in touch and asked the entrepreneurs to refine their message and to come on to the show. Listen to today's episode and learn what its like behind the scenes on Shark Tank. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources----------------------------- The James Altucher Show Ep. 24 The James Altucher Show Ep. 49  

"It's important to lack focus." Both Newton and Einstein were fans of this idea... Let your mind drift off and see what happens. Maybe your best ideas come while you're in the shower or as you're drifting off to sleep. Claudia keeps a pen and paper nearby or quickly dictates ideas into her phone so she doesn't forget them. Read a book that has nothing to do with what you're working on... Take a bath or a nap... Trust your brain. Allow yourself to drift. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------------   Ask Altucher Ep 16:

If you put yourself into the public domain, be prepared. There are a lot of haters out there. No matter who you are, one in 10, one in 20, or one in whatever will hate you. Nobody is above it. It will happen. And it hurts... So what should you do about it? Simply, stop caring what anyone else thinks. Start by stop giving a F@#K. It's really that easy. Regards David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------------    

We're lucky... We're living at a very special time in history. Startup companies have so much cash that if you're smart, you can legally grab a bunch of it. Greg Muender did. He became a part-time Uber and Lyft driver to help put his wife through medical school. He was doing OK, making decent money, but suddenly an idea struck him. Why not write about his experiences and post it to Medium, a new blogging website? He added a few affiliate links at the bottom and BOOM the cash started rolling in. He was making more money writing about Lyft and Uber than he was driving for them. And that was just the beginning. Listen to Greg's story in today's episode. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Great new resource shows clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, ---------------------------Recommended Resources----------------------------- AA Ep 217:  

Do you carry around a dream in your back pocket? did. He left a cushy job on Wall Street to go to Peru and get punched in the face... And he loved it. So what's next? His world is now wide open. Listen to Rollie's story in today's episode . Regards, David Newman   P.S. James says there are seven huge trends that will shape America. Understanding these trends before anyone else will give you a huge advantage in work, life, and investing.   -----------------------------Throwback Thursday ---------------------------------   Ep. 23   ---------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------------   Ask Altucher Ep. 70 "

Someone once asked Mohammad Ali how many push-ups he does. He said he has no idea. He doesn’t start counting until it starts hurting. How do you think about work? Do you get tense, anxious and overwhelmed? The key is find one thing that you really want to learn well.  Bruce Lee said he doesn’t fear the man who has practiced 1000 kicks, he fears the man who has practiced one kick 1000 times. Listen to today’s episode and, stay curious Regards, David Newman P.S. James says there are seven huge trends that will shape America. Understanding these trends before anyone else will give you a huge advantage in work, life, and investing. Click here to learn more about James' great ideas.   ------------------------------Recommended Resources----------------------------- 10 Things I learned From Richard Branson Bold by Peter Diamandis Boingboing

Exercising is something you have to constantly work on. It's not something you can do for a while and then never need again. First, unclutter. Give away anything you really don't need. Second, remove from your life the people that drag you down. Third, stay calm. Give these three simple ideas a try and let us know if they make a difference in your life. Regards, David Newman P.S. James says there are seven huge trends that will shape America. Understanding these trends before anyone else will give you a huge advantage in work, life, and investing. ------------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------------  

One of the most frequently asked questions we get relates to how to make more money.  Today, James and Claudia talk to Alex and Mimi Ikonn who've figured out one of the formulas.  They took a simple idea, something that really resonated with them personally, and decided to create a business around it. They borrowed money from Alex's mom, used their credit card line of credit, and started their online business. They were desperate to start their own business and initially set small goals. It was either start their own company or go back to a 9 to 5 business. Something they never wanted to do again.  Click here to listen as Alex and Mimi share their best practices of quality, consistency and authenticity.  "The moment you shift your mind from just selfishly just trying to make money for yourself to how you can create value for other people, that's when you actually make money."  Regards, David Newman  P.S. James says there are seven huge trends that will shape America. Understanding these trends before anyone e

James flips this question around and asks Claudia, "What have you learned?"  They talk about many of the misconceptions that exist about the things you've "learned." Including how to learn quickly. Listen as James and Claudia talk about what you should unlearn.  Regards, David Newman   P.S. James says there are seven huge trends that will shape America. Understanding these trends before anyone else will give you a huge advantage in work, life, and investing.   -------------------------Recommended Resources-----------------------  by James Altucher  Ep 239 with Drew Canoli

What does James want people to say at his funeral? He could care less... We all have two lists: your résumé list and your eulogy list. No one is going to stand up at your funeral and read your résumé. Instead, they're more likely to stand up and talk about the impact you've had on others' lives. Listen as James and Claudia talk about your impact. Measure your impact and think about your eulogy. "James Altucher, he chose himself." R.I.P. Regards, David Newman P.S. James says there are seven huge trends that will shape America. Understanding these trends before anyone else will give you a huge advantage in work, life, and investing.   --------------Recommended Resources---------------- by James Altucher Ep 215:   Today, we're going to introduce something new, Throwback Thursday. We have so many new listeners joining us every day and we have so much content in our archives that many of you may never have heard. So, we've decided to pull out an old favorite and highlight it on our new Throwback Thursday segmen