Classic Influence Podcast:

Timeless Lessons from the Legends

“Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time…”

—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,
“A Psalm of Life”

The Wisdom of History

Distilled into Practical Strategies, Tactics, and Tools

Welcome to the Classic Influence Podcast show where we explore the timeless lessons learned from the legends of influence, leadership, and power.

Whether you work in business or politics, education or entertainment, or whether you simply want to tap more of your potential power and find greater success, your capacity for influence is indispensable to getting the outcomes you desire. Influence is the master key to success.

Distilled from the stories of history’s heroes and today’s superstars of success, this show is based on the idea that, as Isaac Newton once said, we can see further by “standing on the shoulders of giants.” “Look back over the past,” wrote the great Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, “…and you can foresee the future too.”

Drawing on his graduate school training at San Diego State and Harvard, as well as his training and experience as a qualitative researcher at Columbia, where he now teaches, Dr. Johnny Welch, M.B.A. (author of Mastering the Power of Grit and The Magic of Assuming Command) reveals the most critical patterns and themes that surface in the research of those who have mastered the power of influence—champions and heroes who stand as icons of influence, timeless legends of leadership, power, persuasion, and sway.

Listen in as we work to unearth the wisdom and insights of the legends and heroes of history to discover the strategies, Listen Notes Top Ranking for Classic Influence Podcasttactics, tips and tools you can use to master the power of influence to achieve your own most daring dreams and goals.

Remember: “History belongs above all to the man of deeds and power,” wrote the influential German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “to him who fights a great fight, who needs models, teachers, comforters and cannot find them among his contemporaries.”


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Note: To see the list of Classic Influence Podcast episodes (and where to subscribe), with links to the resource guides, click here: CIP Episodes.

CIP 050.

Succeed by Sticking It Out: Theodore Roosevelt's Black-Eyed Showdown with White-Faced Kid

In 1883, Theodore Roosevelt was on a Buffalo hunting trip in the rugged and untamed Badlands of Medora, North Dakota, when a couple of cowboy pranksters made “the dude” from the big city the target of a devious practical joke. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to the lawless and violent Wild West to learn how a twenty-five year old rich kid from New York City named TR faced ridicule and defeat, but refused to back down, even as the raucous laughter of the cowboy bullies began to draw a crowd from the nearby saloon. But would the “toughest little town in the Badlands” witness the infamous bucking bronco, White-Faced Kid, murder another tenderfoot? Or was it Roosevelt that would have the last laugh? Listen in and learn more—discover the key characteristic that transformed a sickly, asthmatic young boy into one of the greatest and most tenacious leaders in American history.
  1. Trinka, Zena Irma (1920). Out Where the West Begins: Being the Early and Romantic History of North Dakota. St. Paul: The Pioneer Company. Pg. 257. Quote: It was, one of the cowboys said later, “the all-firedest jolt” they ever saw.
  2. Gardner, Mark Lee (2016). Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 39. Quotes: “Not a bit of it,” he said, refusing any support.
  3. “His First Acquaintance with a Broncho.” (1899). New York Sun. In Current Literature: A Magazine of Record and Review, Volume XXV. New York: The Current Literature Publishing Co. Pg. 158. Quotes: “It’s too bad I broke my glasses though,” he added as he looked them over while limping, slightly bent, back into the store. “We thought he’d had enough of it,” one of the cowboys, Fred Herrig, recalled as they wondered aloud how they could switch the horses. “Blast my eyes if he didn’t jump on the Kid’s back again,” Herrig said. “In a minute he was out of sight in a cyclone of dust.” Word quickly spread that the White-Faced Kid “was murdering a tenderfoot.” When Lambert introduced himself and asked about Roosevelt, Trooper Herrig told him, “how his friend Mr. Roosevelt was just about needing a doctor, and bad, too,” he said. Then, suddenly, the wild bronco comes racing around the corner in a wide arc with, miraculously, Roosevelt still riding on top, and with a smile so big and “all his teeth showing.” Roosevelt then, according to Herrig, “let out a whoop that couldn’t have been beat by any cowboy on the Little Missouri.” “Any fellow who could ride White-faced Kid at one trial and holler like that was the man for our money…”
  4. Roosevelt, Theodore (1910, April 23). “Citizenship in a Republic,” Address at the Sorbonne, Paris, France. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-sorbonne-paris-france-citizenship-republic Quote: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Carpe Diem (Uplifting Bouncy),” “Feelin Good (Water Park),” “Long Road Ahead (Beginning of a Journey),” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” “Cover Affair.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “The Vikings.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 049.

Expect the Unexpectable, Vigorously Guard Against the Negative Expectations Trap: George Dantzig Solves Albert Einstein’s Unsolvable Problems

In 1939, George Dantzig, a humble graduate student at Berkeley in San Francisco, changed mathematics history when he showed up 10 minutes late for his final exam. Listen in as we travel back to Northern California in the midst of the Great Depression to discover the powerful role that expectations can play in transforming your career and your life. In this episode of Classic Influence, we will also take a brief look at how people often unintentionally set themselves and others up for failure or success depending on the beliefs they hold, the words they use, and the frames they mindlessly adopt. Finally, we’ll revisit one of the critical, recurring themes on this podcast: What you honestly think your future can become has a powerful effect on how your future turns out.
  1. Livingston, J. Sterling (2003, January). “Pygmalion in Management.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2003/01/pygmalion-in-management
  2. Vance, Erik (2016). Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brains Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. Pg. 11.
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Carpe Diem (Uplifting Bouncy),” “Feelin Good (Water Park),” “Long Road Ahead (Beginning of a Journey),” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” “Cover Affair.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “The Vikings.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 048.

Reframe Your Role, Take Whatever Title You Require: Walt Disney Heads to Hollywood in Pursuit of a Fantastic Dream

Walt Disney’s ultimate, iconic success belies the years he struggled to make ends meet, often going without food to cover the bills. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to Hollywood in the early 1920s to discover the ownership mindset, appetite for risk-taking, and bold actions that set people like Walt Disney apart from the pack. This episode also explores the power of titles, symbols, and rules; the challenge of authority and how to create it; and how to navigate these social constructs to maximize your options and increase your probability of success. This episode also reveals the urgent need to adopt an abundance mentality and reframe roles while maintaining relationships and trust. Be sure to catch this insightful journey into the world of young Walt Disney and the strategies that can help abolish one of the biggest obstacles to your own success.
  1. Williams, Pat (2004). How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc. Pgs. 28-29, 32. Actual Quotes: “Tomorrow was always going to answer all of his problems.” “Walt dreamed of being a Hollywood director,” said Bruce Gordon, author and Disney imagineer, “but there he was, stuck in the Midwest. So what did he do? He went to California with little more than the clothes on his back and some pocket change.” “If you have to get up and move to make your dreams come true, then get up and move!” At one point, wrote Disney biographer Pat Williams, “Walt had business cards printed that read: ‘Walt Disney—Selznick News Representative.’ It was a minor stretch of the truth—he had shot a few newsreels for Selznick News in Kansas City.” But it wasn’t a news story that Walt was after. “That business card, plus Walt’s confident air, got him past the front gate at Universal Pictures. He wandered around sound stages,” wrote Williams, “the back lot and the post-production facilities, soaking up everything he could learn about film making.”
  2. Cialdini, Robert (2001). Influence: Science and Practice, 4th Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Quotes: “After all, as Milgram suggests, conforming to the dictates of authority figures has always had genuine practical advantages for us.” Pg. 185. “Because their positions speak of greater access to information and power, it makes sense to comply with the wishes of properly constituted authorities. It makes so much sense, in fact,” writes Robert Cialdini in Influence, “that we often do so when it makes no sense at all.” Pg. 185. “We don’t have to think, therefore we don’t,” writes Cialdini, and “although such mindless obedience leads us to appropriate action most of the time, there will be conspicuous exceptions because we are reacting, not thinking.” Pg. 186.
  3. Obama, Barack (2009, March 17). “Remarks at a Saint Patrick’s Day Reception.” Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Barack Obama, 2009, Book 1. Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Quote: Adopt the mindset of William Butler Yeats, the great Irish poet who wrote, “There are no strangers here; only friends who you haven’t yet met.”
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Carpe Diem (Uplifting Bouncy),” “Feelin Good (Water Park),” “Long Road Ahead (Beginning of a Journey),” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” “Cover Affair.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “The Vikings.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 047.

Put Your Name on the Building, Assume the Title and Position You Desire: Steven Spielberg Occupies the Universal Lot

The American film director, producer, and screenwriter Steven Spielberg holds the distinction of being the most commercially successful director of all time. In 1963, when he was only seventeen, Steven Spielberg traveled to Hollywood to participate in a tour of Universal Studios. The bold action Spielberg took next both set him apart from the crowd and put him on an altogether different and faster success track. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to the summer of 1963 to discover the self-authoring mindset and bold actions that separate people like Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and others from the great mass of people who are content to follow the crowd and think and act according to the designs of others.
  1. Gallo, Max (Writer); Decoin, Didier (Screenwriter), Simoneau, Yves (Director), (2002). Napoléon (miniseries). Boulogne-Billancourt, France: GMT Productions.
  2. McBride, Joseph (2010). Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Second Edition. Jackson: The University Press of Mississippi. Pgs. 109-111. Quotes: “I met a man who asked what I was doing,” Spielberg said later, “and I told him my story. Instead of calling the guards to throw me off the lot, he talked with me for about an hour.” The man’s name was Chuck Silvers, he was in charge of the editorial department and, regarding his meeting with Spielberg, he later admitted, “That first conversation was a mindblower for me.” According to Spielberg, “He said he’d like to see some of my little films, and so he gave me a pass to get on the lot the next day.”
  3. Sanello, Frank (2002). Spielberg: The Man, the Movies, the Mythology, Updated. New York: Taylor Trade Publishing. Quote: “It was my father’s briefcase,” Spielberg said. “There was nothing in it but a sandwich and two candy bars.”
  4. McBride, Joseph (2010). Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Second Edition. Jackson: The University Press of Mississippi. Pg. 111. Quote: Silvers himself later acknowledged, “The first time he came back there I got him a pass to come on the lot. I couldn’t get him a permanent pass on the lot. Steven found his own way of getting on the lot. Steven was able to walk onto the lot just about any time he damned well pleased.”
  5. Corliss, Richard (1985, July 15). “Show Business: I Dream for a Living.” TIME. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959634,00.html Quote: Spielberg says, “Every day that summer I went in my suit and hung out with directors and writers and editors and dubbers. I found an office that wasn’t being used, and became a squatter. I went to a camera store, bought some plastic name titles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C.”
  6. McBride, Joseph (2010). Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Second Edition. Jackson: The University Press of Mississippi. Pg. 111. Quote: “I then went to the main switchboard and introduced myself and gave them my extension so I could get calls. It took Universal two years to discover I was on the lot.”
  7. McBride, Joseph (2010). Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Second Edition. Jackson: The University Press of Mississippi. Pg. 113. Quote: “I visited every set I could,” Spielberg recalled during an interview in 1969, “got to know people, observed techniques, and just generally absorbed the atmosphere.”
  8. McBride, Joseph (2010). Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Second Edition. Jackson: The University Press of Mississippi. Pgs. 110-111. “Steven was such a delight,” said Silvers. “That energy! Not only that impressed me, but with Steven nothing was impossible. That attitude came through—it was so clear. He was so excited by everything. When we walked onto a dubbing stage, how impressed he was! At some point in time, it dawned on me that I was talking to somebody who had a burning ambition, and not only that, he was going to accomplish his mission.” “There was this tremendous confidence everything was going to work out the way he wanted it,” Silvers said.
  9. Hill, Napoleon (2007). Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement. New York: Penguin. Pg. 84. Quotes: “Never wait for some outside force to trigger your actions,” wrote Napoleon Hill. Naturally, you will have to quickly respond to surprises and adapt to change, but the critical factor is to advance according to your own plans and goals on a regular and consistent basis (p. 84). “Of course, you will have to respond to surprises and your competition,” Hill writes, “but you must be moving forward according to your own plan on a daily basis.”
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Carpe Diem (Uplifting Bouncy),” “Feelin Good (Water Park),” “Long Road Ahead (Beginning of a Journey),” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” “Cover Affair.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “The Vikings.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 046.

Discover and Destroy Limiting Beliefs: Martin Luther Triggers the Reformation, Forever Altering the Course of History and the Power of Leaders Around the World

Martin Luther changed the course of human history in 1517 when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the All Saints’ Church. But Luther’s bold move and revolutionary stand was not without grave risks, including the distinct possibility of being burned alive. But what enabled such a humble, scholarly, and deeply religious Augustinian monk and theology professor to take such a bold, irrevocable stand against the mighty Roman Catholic Church? Listen in and learn what gave Luther the power to change the world.


  1. Magno, Joseph A. (2004). The Spiritual Philosophy of the Tao Te Ching. Chicago: Pendragon Publishing, Inc. Pg. 152. Quote: “If you aren’t afraid of dying, there is nothing you can’t achieve.” —Lao Tzu (601—531 B.C.), Ancient Chinese Philosopher
  2. Smith, Preserved (1920). The Age of Reformation. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Pgs. 66. Quote: “The church was everywhere with her claim to rule over men’s daily lives and over their souls. All progress was conditioned on breaking her claims, and probably nothing could have done it so thoroughly as this idea of justification by faith only.”
  3. Ibid. Pgs. 65-67.
  4. Orta, Josep Palau (2017, September-October). “Martin Luther Sparks the Reformation.” National Geographic History, Volume 3, Number 4. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Partners, LLC. Pg. 66.
  5. Pelt, Lori Van (2005). Amelia Earhart: The Sky’s No Limit. New York: Forge Books. Pg. 205.
  6. Dennis, Felix (2006). How to Get Rich: One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets. New York: Portfolio. Pg. 39. Quote: “After a lifetime of making money and observing better men and women than I fall by the wayside, I am convinced that fear of failing in the eyes of the world is the single biggest impediment to amassing wealth. Trust me on this.”
  7. Dennis, Felix (2010). The Narrow Road: A Brief Guide to the Getting of Money. New York: Penguin. Pg. 108. Quote: “Fear…” he wrote in The Narrow Road, “it will cripple you. You must confront and harness it.”
  8. Dennis, Felix (2006). How to Get Rich: One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets. New York: Portfolio. Pg. 39. Quote: “If you shy away for any reason whatever, then the way is blocked. The gate is shut—and will remain shut. You will never get started. You will never get rich.”
  9. Robbins, Anthony (1991). Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 413. Quote: “What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.”
  10. Robbins, Anthony (2014). Money: Master the Game. 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 183. Quote: “Here’s the truth,” writes Anthony Robbins, “the ultimate thing that stops most of us from making significant progress in our lives is not somebody else’s limitations, but rather our own limiting perceptions or beliefs.”

CIP 045.

Steel Yourself for Success: Harriet Tubman Takes Command and Leads Her People to the Promise Land

Harriet Tubman was born into bondage circa 1822 in the slave state of Maryland. After decades of enduring the evil institution, including backbreaking work on a plantation, she was determined to make her escape. “There was one of two things I had a right to,” she remembered thinking at the time, “liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” And, so, late one cool evening in October 1849, Harriet Tubman set out to attain her freedom, trudging 90 miles alone, through thick woods and across rocky streams along the Choptank River, all under the cover of darkness. So begins the heroic journey of an American legend. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to pre-Civil War America to learn how Harriet Tubman, a selfless and big-hearted young woman, was transformed into a commanding, undisputed leader, tactician, freedom fighter, and spy, ultimately leading a successful military regiment in Lincoln’s Union Army during the Civil War. Listen in and learn the underlying principles of Tubman’s triumphs and the timeless lessons her story has for overcoming the tough challenges and obstacles you face today.
  1. Aurelius, Marcus (2002 [Circa 170-180 A.D.). The Meditations. New York: Random House, Inc.
  2. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. New York: Ballantine Books. Pg. 45.
  3. Larson (2004), Pg. 45.
  4. Malaspina, Ann (2010). The Underground Railroad: The Journey to Freedom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. Pg. 51.
  5. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. New York: Ballantine Books. Pg. 73.
  6. Bradford, Sarah H. (1869). Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. NY: W . J. Moses. Pg. 19.
  7. Stodghill, Ron (2017, February 24). “Harriet Tubman’s Path to Freedom.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/24/travel/underground-railroad-slavery-harriet-tubman-byway-maryland.html
  8. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. NY: Ballantine Books. Pg. 12.
  9. Stodghill, Ron (2017, February 24). “Harriet Tubman’s Path to Freedom.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/24/travel/underground-railroad-slavery-harriet-tubman-byway-maryland.html
  10. Washington, Margaret (2000, February). “Tubman, Harriet.” American National Biography. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1500707
  11. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). “Myths and Facts about Harriet Tubman, and Selected Quotes and Misquotes.” http://www.harriettubmanbiography.com/harriet-tubman-myths-and-facts.html
  12. Larson (2004).
  13. Washington, Margaret (2000, February). “Tubman, Harriet.” American National Biography. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1500707
  14. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). “Myths and Facts about Harriet Tubman, and Selected Quotes and Misquotes.” http://www.harriettubmanbiography.com/harriet-tubman-myths-and-facts.html
  15. Larson (2004).
  16. Larson (2004).
  17. Larson (2004).
  18. Washington, Margaret (2000, February). “Tubman, Harriet.” American National Biography. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1500707
  19. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). “Myths and Facts about Harriet Tubman, and Selected Quotes and Misquotes.” http://www.harriettubmanbiography.com/harriet-tubman-myths-and-facts.html
  20. Washington, Margaret (2000, February). “Tubman, Harriet.” American National Biography. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1500707
  21. Washington (2000).
  22. Wilkes, Jonny (2017, January). “Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People.” History Revealed, Issue 38. Bristol: Immediate Media Co. Pg. 51.
  23. Wilkes (2017).
  24. Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. New York: Ballantine Books. Pg. 72.
  25. Larson (2004), Pg. 72.
  26. Withrow, W.H. (1903, July-December). “The Underground Railway.” Methodist Magazine and Review, Volume 58. Toronto: William Briggs, Methodist Publishing House. Pg. 156.
  27. Wilkes, Jonny (2017, January). “Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People.” History Revealed, Issue 38. Bristol: Immediate Media Co. Pg. 51.
  28. Towne, Stephen (2016, June). “Dangerously Discreet: The Civil War’s Most Famous Female Spies.” American History, Volume 51, Number 2. Pg. 37.
  29. Towne (2016), Pg. 37. See also: Clinton, Catherine (2016). “Five Women of the American Civil War.” The American Civil War Story, 150th Anniversary Edition. Bristol: BBC History Magazine, Immediate Media Co. Pg. 55. See also: Larson, Kate Clifford (2004). Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. NY: Ballantine Books. Pg. 13.
  30. Edwards, Owen (2010, September). “Harriet Tubman’s Hymnal Evokes a Life Devoted to Liberation.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-tubmans-hymnal-evokes-life-devoted-liberation-53824293/
  31. Dennis, Felix (2006). How to Get Rich: One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets. New York: Portfolio.  Pg. 39.
  32. Virgil (1697 [circa 29-19 B.C.]). Aeneid (John Dryden, Translator).  https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Aeneid_(Dryden)
  33. Wood, James (1893). Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern English and Foreign Sources. London: Frederick Warne and Co. Pg. 405.
  34. Murray, William Hutchison (1951). The Scottish Himalayan Expedition. London: Dent. Pg. 6.
  35. Murray (1951), Pgs. 6-7.
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 044.

Exploit the Hidden Power of Simplicity: Alexander the Great Fulfills the Prophecy of the Gordian Knot

A brilliant military strategist and tactician, Alexander the Great stands as one of the greatest figures in history. Alexander was far from the typical military or political leader, however. He was a critical thinker who, like many of his leading Greek contemporaries, prized clear, rational thinking and concise, straightforward speech. Alexander did not hesitate to engage in critical reflection and self-examination, challenging biases, questioning assumptions, allowing for reasoned, respectful critiques. He never simply accepted things as they were, or appeared to be. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to ancient Gordian to learn one of the early, representative legends in Alexander’s storied military career. This episode also explores one of the key secrets to Alexander’s success. Explored from the perspective of ancient philosophers, modern business titans, one of the most brilliant scientists that ever lived, Albert Einstein, and one of the most celebrated coaches in the NFL, Vince Lombardi, this episode also reveals the near universal power of simplicity, and why this critical principle of success is so often underestimated, underutilized, and undersold.
  1. Bennett, William J. (2001). Virtues of Leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Pg. 29. Quote: When he finished, no one was able to loosen its ends, but all who visited the temple “admired its design and strength.”
  2. Lonsdale, David J. (2007). Alexander the Great: Lessons in Strategy. London: Routledge. Pg. 157. Quote: As Alexander well understood and clearly demonstrated again and again throughout his military career, “the temptation to pursue nuanced and sophisticated answers to strategic problems needs to be tempered,” restricted, and restrained. Also: In modern U.S. military doctrine, simplicity is considered one of the nine primary principles of war. Note: “The nine principles are mass, objective, offensive, surprise, economy of force, maneuver, unity of command, security and simplicity.” (Lonsdale Pg. 108). “The lesson here is simple, and is the very essence of Clausewitz’s advice in [his book,] On War: Ensure that every military action is guided by the policy objective, not in some general, ethereal way, but in a detailed, concrete manner” (Lonsdale, Pg. 157). “Amongst the complexities of strategy, the policy objective represents a lens that enables the strategist to focus on what is important and necessary. The policy objective is the ultimate yardstick by which actions must be judged. Maintaining this focus,” Lonsdale argues, “should allow the strategist to filter out much of the noise and chaos of strategy” (Lonsdale, Pg. 157). As strategy professor David Lonsdale writes in his book, Alexander the Great: Lessons in Strategy, “Although Alexander sometimes appeared to take the route less travelled, his plans and operations were rarely complicated. Indeed, his great battles are testament to this.”
  3. Leigh, Andrew (2011). Charisma: The Secrets of Making a Lasting Impression. London: Prentice Hall. Pg. 42. Quote: “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers,” wrote General Colin Powell, “who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.”
  4. Cohen, William A. (2004). The Art of the Strategist: 10 Essential Principles for Leading Your Company to Victory. New York: AMACOM. Pg. 101. Quotes: “The concept of simplicity is just as valid in planning business strategy as it is in conducting military campaigns,” writes former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen. “An analysis conducted by the prestigious Booz Allen Hamilton consulting firm showed that in one industry after another, large traditional companies faced the identical problem: overcomplicating their business. The strategies they developed to run their businesses had become so complex that profit margins had almost disappeared.”
  5. Breeden, Alice and Howe, Adam (2021). “Why Simplicity is the Key to Accelerating Performance: Companies that excel at simplicity throughout their organizations continuously and repeatedly seek to kill complexity in four key areas: strategy, operating model, culture, and activity.” Heidrick & Struggles. https://www.heidrick.com/en/insights/organizational-effectiveness/why_simplicity_is_the_key_to_accelerating_performance Quotes: Similarly, in a study of the world’s largest 500 companies, simplicity proved to be a critical component of the success of the top performing firms, as measured by “compound annual growth rate for organic revenue.” According to the lead researchers of a recent report by Heidrick & Struggles, these companies, referred to as “super accelerators,” along with “deliberately designing simplicity into their strategy, operating model and culture, they embed simplicity as a way of behaving, thinking and working.” See also: Janson, Kimberly (2021, May 6). “The Power of Simplicity: How to Avoid Overcomplicating Things at Work.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/05/06/the-power-of-simplicity-how-to-avoid-over-complicating-things-at-work/?sh=1a71350d2c8f
  6. Tichy, Noel and Charan, Ram (1989, September-October, Updated March 2, 2020). “Speed, Simplicity, Self-Confidence: An Interview with Jack Welch.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1989/09/speed-simplicity-self-confidence-an-interview-with-jack-welch Quotes: As the legendary business titan Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO, once said in an interview with Harvard Business Review, “You can’t believe how much people fear being simple.” “Insecure managers create complexity,” he said. “Frightened, nervous managers use thick, convoluted planning books and busy slides filled with everything they’ve known since childhood.” “You can’t believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they’re simple,” Welch said, “people will think they’re simpleminded. In reality, of course, it’s just the reverse. Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple,” Welch said. And, yet, Welch adds, “For a large organization to be effective, it must be simple. For a large organization to be simple, its people must have self-confidence and intellectual self-assurance.”
  7. Eckhart, Peter (2020). Simplicity for Success in Business. U.S. Simplifier, Inc. Pg. 105. Former rocket-scientist-turned McKinsey consultant Peter Eckart in his book, Simplicity for Success in Business, wrote that, “simplicity is probably the most neglected managerial art, on the one hand, because of people’s fear of being considered simple-minded, on the other hand, because it’s so hard to achieve.” Quote: These self-styled intellectuals or “disciples of complexity” prefer to criticize what is simple and clear, dismissing it as simplistic rather than doing what needs to be done (Pg. 35). As Albert Einstein famously said: “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler” (Pg. 51). “Identifying the fine line between simple and simplistic is undoubtedly not easy,” writes Eckart; “the distinction between the two lies in the ability to understand what is essential and meaningful as opposed to what is not…” (Pg. 52).
  8. Tracy, Brian (2002). Victory! Applying the Proven Principles of Military Strategy to Achieve Success in Your Business and Personal Life. New York: AMACOM. Pg. 168. Quote: “The greater the simplicity with which you can execute your plans, the greater the power and force you can bring to bear on achieving your objectives.”
  9. Tichy, Noel and Sherman, Stratford (2018). Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will: How Jack Welch Created $400 Billion of Value by Transforming GE. New York: Doubleday. See also: Slater, Robert (2004). Jack Welch on Leadership. New York: McGraw Hill. Pg. 82. Quote: As Jack Welch explains, “One of the hardest things for a manager is to reach that [“all-important” (Slater, 2004, Pg. 82.)] threshold of self-confidence where being simple is comfortable…”
  10. Norman, Donald A. (2011). Living with Complexity. Cambridge: MIT Press. Quote: If something is too simple it may bore or be ignored. See also: https://fs.blog/complexity-bias/
  11. Big Think (2021, June 2). “Want to tap into the power of simplicity? You must first define.” Big Think. Freethink Media, Inc. https://bigthink.com/plus/want-to-tap-into-the-power-of-simplicity-you-must-first-define/ Quote: A dash of complexity can also be perceived as a “mark of mastery,” a sign of affiliation within a group, or like “a touch of spice that can elevate and enrich…a little complexity—deftly sprinkled—can be welcoming.”
  12. Lombardi Jr., Vince (2001). What It Takes to Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership. New York: McGraw-Hill. Quotes: As a result, Vince Lombardi’s “playbook was simpler and smaller” than other NFL coaches (Pg. 187). “Once these few basic plays became second nature, he asked his players to become equally familiar with a dozen or more options that might be run off each of those core plays. Suddenly, the playbook included “hundreds” of plays,” writes his son, Vince Lombardi Jr., “but they were organized logically and simply in each player’s mind as collections of related options, simple, but full of possibilities” (Pg. 187).
  13. Gordon, Jon (2021, November 15, last accessed). “Lead with Your Strengths.” The Jon Gordon Companies. https://jongordon.com/blog/lead-your-strengths/ Quote: Even more to the point, with Lombardi as head coach, “the Green Bay Packers won five league championships, including the first two Super Bowls because of that one play.” Paraphrase: In fact, according to one of Canada’s most renowned military strategists and historians, Lieutenant-Colonel Dr. Angelo Caravaggio, Alexander the Great was victorious in his three greatest battles because of one simple maneuver: The right flank.
  14. Clausewitz, Carl von (2008). On War. Translated by Michael Eliot Howard and Peter Paret. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Pg. 146. Quote: The final strategy for exploiting the power of simplicity is to take away everything that you can. Knowing what to ignore is not always as easy as it seems, but it is essential to your success.
  15. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Quote: “Half of your mastery of power comes from what you do not do, what you do not allow yourself to get dragged into.” Pg. xxi.
  16. Wheeler, John Archibald (1980). Albert Einstein 1879—1955, A Biographical Memoir. Washington D.C.: National Academy of Sciences. http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/einstein-albert.pdf Quotes: The management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton has said that what work young people do and who they work with in their first job has more of an effect on their “future than anything else one can easily analyze” (Pg. 102). his explains better than anything, according to American theoretical physicist John Wheeler, the great “miracle” of Einstein’s mind. Who else “but a patent office clerk,” Wheeler argues, “who else knew out of the welter of facts to fasten on that which is absolutely central?” (Pg. 106). “Who else could have distilled this simple central point from all the clutter of electromagnetism than someone whose job it was over and over to extract simplicity out of complexity” (Pgs. 105-106).

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 043.

Believe Absolutely to Inspire Absolute Belief: Joan of Arc Turns the Tide of the Hundred Years’ War

Joan of Arc’s story remains one of the most remarkable stories in the long history of military leadership. Consider this singular, striking distinction: “Since the writing of human history began, Joan of Arc is the only person, of either sex, who has ever held supreme command of the military forces of a nation at the age of seventeen” (Garlow P. 185). In the words of Winston Churchill, “Joan of Arc was a being so uplifted from the ordinary run of mankind that she finds no equal in a thousand years.” But what is it that set Joan of Arc so far apart? In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to France during the Hundred Years’ War to explore the most critical, definitive factor in her success, the key lessons we can learn from her example, and why the wisdom of her leadership continues to echo across time.
  1. Twain, Mark (2007 [1896]). Joan of Arc: Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by The Sieur Louis de Conte (Her Page and Secretary). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. Pg. 86. Note: This book was written by Mark Twain from the perspective of Sieur Louis de Conte (it was not actually written by Conte). Quote: The governor then instructed Joan’s Uncle Laxart, who was standing by her side, “Harkye!—take this mad child home and whip her soundly. That is the best cure for her ailment.”
  2. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 221.
  3. Kennedy, Dan and Kessler, Chip (2010). Making Them Believe: The 21 Principles and Lost Secrets of Dr. J.R. Brinkley-Style Marketing. Garden City, NY: Glazer-Kennedy Publishing. Pg. 93. Quote: As marketing maven Dan Kennedy writes, “The important ‘secret’ here to grasp is that providing reasons to believe is a rather ordinary, commonly understood exercise in persuasion, but it is “low power” unless and until it is paired with an inspired desire to believe.”
  4. Stead, William Thomas (Editor)(1893). Borderland: A Quarterly Review and Index, Volume 1. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Pg. 32. Quote: “For no one in all the world,” she said, “neither kings nor dukes nor the daughter of the King of Scotland, nor any other person, can recover the kingdom of France, and there is no other help than mine.” See also: Murray, T. Douglas (1902). Jeanne D’Arc: Maid of Orleans: Being the Story of her Life, her Achievements, and her Death, as attested on Oath and Set forth in the Original Documents. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co. Pg. 223.
  5. Castor, Helen (2014). Joan of Arc: A History. Pg. 205. Quote: “And why had all this happened to her, instead of someone else? Because it pleased God, she said, to drive back the king’s enemies by means of a simple maid.”
  6. Jackson, Curtis and Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 260. Quote: In fact, her whole story “demonstrates a simple principle: the higher your self-belief, the more your power to transform reality. Having supreme confidence makes you fearless and persistent, allowing you to overcome obstacles that stop most people in their tracks. It makes others believe in you as well. And the most intense form of self-belief is to feel a sense of destiny impelling you forward.”
  7. Dickson, Gary (2012). “Charisma, Medieval and Modern.” Religions, Volume 3, Issue 3. Pg. 766. Quote: “David d’Avray makes the valid point that the acceptance of the leader’s ideas and program has much to do with ‘the intensity of the leader’s convictions’ and, one might add, the strength of their expression ([32], p. 106; [33]).6 Self-belief must be communicated to potential followers. Rhetoric, as always, is a powerful tool.”
  8. Grafton, Philippa (Editor)(2021). “Behind the Legend of Joan of Arc.” History of War: Book of the Hundred Years’ War, 4th Edition. Bournemouth: Future Publishing Limited. Pg. 119. Quote: This was, in fact, a critical part of why she stood out amongst so many others, explains historian Juliet Barker; “Joan had absolute faith in the divine origins of her mission and was utterly convinced that her voices were real, which made her a convincing, fearless and charismatic leadership figure, especially in a divided country which, until she arrived, had believed that God was on the side of the English.”
  9. Robbins, Anthony (1991). Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 57. Quotes: “Remember, conviction has the power to drive you to action, to push you through all kinds of obstacles” (pg. 57). As Anthony Robbins writes, “Beliefs can either give us the resolve to take action, or weaken and destroy our drive” (Pg. 48).
  10. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 111. Quotes: In his bestselling business book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill argues that “the majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune.” Furthermore, a “lack of persistence,” Hill argues, “is one of the major causes of failure.”
  11. Twain, Mark (2007 [1896]). Joan of Arc: Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by The Sieur Louis de Conte (Her Page and Secretary). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. Pg. 86. Quote: Following the governor’s rejection of her request for a military escort through hostile territory, Joan of Arc revealed her resolve to fulfill her mission. As she was walking away, she turned and said, ” You refuse me the soldiers, I know not why, for it is my Lord that has commanded you. Yes, it is He that has made the command; therefore I must come again, and yet again; then I shall have the men-at-arms.” Reflecting on his harsh rejection later, she added, “Nevertheless, before mid-Lent, I must be with the Dauphin, even if I have to wear my legs down to my knees!” (Pg. 97). See also: Stead, William Thomas (Editor)(1893). Borderland: A Quarterly Review and Index, Volume 1. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Pg. 32. See also: Murray, T. Douglas (1902). Jeanne D’Arc: Maid of Orleans: Being the Story of her Life, her Achievements, and her Death, as attested on Oath and Set forth in the Original Documents. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co. Pg. 223.
  12. Robbins, Anthony (1991). Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 51. Quote: “Gandhi believed he could gain autonomy for India without violently opposing Great Britain—something that had never been done before.”
  13. Lipton, Bruce H. (2008). The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc. Pg. 117. Quote: “Teachers like Jesus and Buddha have been telling us the same story for millennia. Now science is pointing in the same direction. It is not our genes but our beliefs that control our lives.”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 042.

Win Lasting Influence, Listen for the Underlying Need: Mahatma Gandhi Builds the Bedrock of an Unbreakable Charismatic Bond

After leaving for law school in London at age 18, when Mohandas K. Gandhi finally returned to India in 1915 he was 45. Despite his prolonged initial absence, the deeply spiritual Gandhi quickly rose to become one of the most influential figures in India. In fact, for a man who possessed little more than a loincloth and glasses to defeat the greatest empire on Earth, without so much as throwing a stone, we might well look to Mahatma Gandhi as the most brilliant strategist and leader that ever lived. In 1999, TIME magazine credited Gandhi as runner-up to Albert Einstein for “Person of the Century.” But Einstein himself said, “Mahatma Gandhi’s life achievement stands unique in political history. He has invented a completely new and humane means for the liberation war of an oppressed country…We may all be happy and grateful that destiny gifted us with such an enlightened contemporary, a role model for the generations to come….[who] will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood.” Today, known as “The Father of India” and “The Apostle of Non-violence,” Mahatma Gandhi is a global icon. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to India in 1915 and discover how Gandhi built an unbreakable charismatic bond with his followers and, in the process, forged the foundation of his influence in India, Great Britain and beyond.
  1. Mehta, Ved (1976). Mahatma Gandhi and His Apostles. New York: The Viking Press. Pg. 133.
  2. Leigh, Andrew (2011). Charisma: The Secrets of Making a Lasting Impression. London: Prentice Hall. Pg. 158.
  3. Matthews, Chris (2009). The Hardball Handbook: How to Win at Life. New York: Random House. Pg. 45.
  4. Alessandra, Anthony J. (1998). Charisma: Seven Keys to Developing the Magnetism that Leads to Success. New York: Warner Books. Pg. 115.
  5. DeMarco, MJ (2011). The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live for a Lifetime. Phoenix, AZ: Viperion Publishing Corporation. Pg. 208.
  6. Lewis, David & Mills, G. Riley (2012). The Pin Drop Principle: Captivate, Influence, and Communicate Better Using the Time-Tested Methods of Professional Performers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pg. 141.
  7. Nichols, Ralph G. & Stevens, Leonard A. (1957, September). “Listening to People.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1957/09/listening-to-people Quotes: The key in essence, according to Nichols, is to “direct a maximum amount of thought to the message being received.” “It requires self-control,” he writes, “sometimes more than many of us can muster, but with persistent practice it can be turned into a valuable habit.”
  8. Ford, William (2006 January 23). “Transcript of Q4 2005 Ford Motor Company Earnings Conference Call.” [Key Speaker: Bill Ford, Chairman & CEO, Ford Motor Company in January 2006], Congressional Quarterly Transcriptions (NewsBank Access World News). Quote: “My great-grandfather once said of the first car he ever built, “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” At Ford, we’re going to figure out what people want before they even know it and then we are going to give it to them.”
  9. Rackham, Neil (1988). SPIN Selling. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pg. 14.
  10. Carnegie, Dale (1981 [1936]). How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Pocket Books.
  11. Quinn, Robert E. (2004). Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pg. 137.
  12. Parekh, Bhikhu (1997). Gandhi: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 5.
  13. Quinn, Robert E. (2000). Change the World : How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Results. San Franciso: Jossey-Bass. Pg. 54.
  14. Gandhi, Rajmohan (2007). Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and An Empire. New York: Penguin.
  15. Ackerman, Peter and DuVall, Jack (2000). A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict. New York: Palgrave. Pg. 84.
  16. Marques, Joan & Dhiman, Satinder (2018). Engaged Leadership: Transforming through Future-Oriented Design Thinking. San Francisco: Springer Publishing. Pg. 122. In his own words, Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
  17. Kouzes, James M. & Posner, Barry (2009, January). “To Lead, Create a Shared Vision.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2009/01/to-lead-create-a-shared-vision Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Kouzes and Posner put it this way: “The only visions that take hold are shared visions—and you will create them only when you listen very, very closely to others, appreciate their hopes, and attend to their needs.”
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 041.

Build Habits of Mastery and Self-Control: The Making and Unmaking of The Knights Templar, the Most Formidable Military Order of the Middle Ages

On Christmas Day in 1119 A.D., countless prayers were finally answered when a French knight known as Hugh of Payns banded together with 8 other knights in a brotherhood of highly skilled religious warriors. The nine knights all took “vows of poverty, chastity and obedience” and pledged themselves to protect the Christian pilgrims who were traveling on the roads to Jerusalem. Operating as a sort of elite special forces of the Middle Ages, the exceptionally disciplined and well-trained military order was unlike any religious order that had come before. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the Holy Lands during the Crusades to explore the key factors that led to the surprisingly rapid rise of the Knights Templar, the most formidable military order in the history of the world. This episode also reveals the one central factor that best explains the Templars’ eventual downfall and their scandalous, vicious end.



  1. Read, Piers Paul (2000). The Templars: The Dramatic History of the Knights Templar, the Most Powerful Military Order of the Crusades. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Pg. 145, 164, 214, 239, 279.
  2. Jones, Dan (2018 April). “Secrets of the Templars.” History Revealed, Issue 54. Bristol: Immediate Media Company. Quote: Vowing to “to live like monks but fight like lions,” the Knights Templar built watchtowers along the roads leading to Jerusalem. Pgs. 30, 32.
  3. Jones, Dan (2018, July/August). “Meet the Americans Following in the Footsteps of the Knights Templar: Disbanded 700 years ago, the most famous of the medieval Christian orders is undergoing a 21st century revival.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-americans-following-footsteps-knights-templar-180969344/
  4. Jones, Dan (2017). The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors. New York: Viking.
  5. Hodge, S.J. (2013). Secrets of the Knights Templar: The Hidden History of the Worlds Most Powerful Order. London: Quercus. Pgs. 100, 126-127.
  6. Holland, Brynn (2019, March 5). “The Knights Templar Rulebook Included No Pointy Shoes and No Kissing Mom.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, LLC. https://www.history.com/news/the-knights-templar-rulebook-included-no-pointy-shoes-and-no-kissing-mom
  7. Gershon, Livia (2021, April 20). “10 Reasons the Knights Templar Were History’s Fiercest Fighters” History.com, A&E Television Networks, LLC. https://www.history.com/news/knights-templar-facts-crusades-wealth
  8. Lafuente, Jose Luis Corral (2015, September-October). “The Knights Templar: Swords in the Holy Land.” National Geographic History, Volume 1, Number 2. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Partners, LLC. Pg. 68.
  9. National Geographic History_2015 (04)_Rome, Rosetta Stone, Knights Templar, Maya, Pirates, Jamestown.pdf Pg. 68.
  10. Nicholson, Helen J. (1993). Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutonic Knights: Images of the Military Orders, 1128-1291. New York: Leicester University Press. Pg. 45.
  11. Keller, Gary (2013). The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Austin: Bard Press. Pgs. 58-59, 63.
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 040.

Get Leverage, Change the Calculus: The Crafty and Courageous Roma and the Birth of Ancient Rome

In the 12 century B.C., after the ancient city of Troy fell following the Greek’s cunning trick with the Trojan Horse, a number of Trojans escaped with a fleet of ships. After years of wandering in search of a new home, the Trojans endured a particularly treacherous episode of violent weather and rough waves in the Mediterranean, a storm which nearly destroyed their fleet. When they finally landed on the banks of the Tiber River to take shelter, the women soon decided that they had had enough of the aimless wandering. The men, however, were intent on returning to the ships and continuing with their mission as soon as the storm passed. According to Virgil, what the women did next altered the course of Western history. Listen to this episode of Classic Influence now and discover how a crafty and courageous use of leverage won the day for the women and changed the future of ancient Rome. This episode also reveals some of the most useful ways of thinking about leverage, how leverage can heighten your odds of success, and a handful of simple, easy-to-implement examples of leverage that you can adapt to your own goals in support of your own effort and will to succeed.


  1. Plutarch (1894 [c. 1st century]). Stewart, Aubrey (Translator). Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, Volume I. New York: George Bell and Sons. Pg. 23.
  2. Baumeister, Roy F. and Tierney, John (2011). Willpower: Why Self Control is the Secret to Success. New York: Penguin. Pg. 87.
  3. Gollwitzer, Peter M. et al (2009). “When Intentions Go Public: Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?” Psychological Science, Volume 20, Number 5. Pgs. 612-618.
  4. Fadiman, Clifton and Bernard, Andre (eds.) (2000). Bartlett’s Book of Anecdotes. New York: Little, Brown and Company. Pg. 20.
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Sound Fx Credits: “Harbor-Ambience” by CliftonMcarlson at FreeSound.org, Creaking-sailing-boat (by jimsim at FreeSoundOrg), Rough Baltic Sea (by GirlwithSoundRecorder at FreeSoundOrg), kemah-harbor (by cactusclef at FreeSoundOrg), Forest Fire Inferno (FreeSoundOrg By Dynamicell). Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

 

CIP 039.

Find Courage Under Fire—Count the Costs, Then Forge Ahead: General George S. Patton’s Greatest Nightmare and Moment of Truth

On September 26, 1918, in the midst of World War I, George S. Patton’s moment of testing had arrived. Patton was leading a light tank brigade up a hill overlooking a German occupied town when he was suddenly face-to-face with his greatest fear. What happened next changed Patton’s life forever, transforming him from what he himself referred to as “an utter, craven coward,” into the great 4-Star General, “Old Blood and Guts,” widely revered as an audacious hero of World War II. Listen in and discover what happened to Patton when he and his men were trapped in a hailstorm of machine-gun fire, how he responded to the panic inducing barrage of racing bullets that surrounded him, and the key takeaway lesson he shares about finding courage under fire. Highlighting the nexus between courage and rapid growth, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast also reveals Patton’s strategy for keeping his fears forever in check.
  1. Greene, Robert (2006). The 33 Strategies of War. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 34.
  2. Dolan, Samuel K. and Hense, Jim (2009). “Blood and Guts.” Patton 360. Documentary. History Channel.
  3. Rice, Earle (2013). George S. Patton: Great Military Leaders of the 20th Century. New York: Chelsea House. Pg. 19.
  4. Walker, Harold Blake (1962, April 23). “Living Faith.” Chicago Daily Tribune, Part 1, Page 4. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1962/04/23/page/4
  5. Robbins, Anthony (2014). Money: Master the Game. 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 183.
  6. Blumenson, Martin (1985). Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945. New York: William Morrow. Pg. 113.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Voice Credits:: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 038.

Make Your First Dollar, Profit from the Power of Proof: Dale Carnegie’s Baby Steps Rise to Blockbuster Success

One cold evening in January 1936, with the world in the midst of the Great Depression, Dale Carnegie addressed a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the luxurious Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. Despite the global economic crisis, Carnegie, in a series of full-page newspaper ads, had promised the attendees that they could increase their incomes, and he was about to deliver on that promise. But how exactly did Carnegie come to discover these priceless, proven secrets of social, professional, and financial success? In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the 1930s and discover how a man born into poverty on a farm in Missouri came to become one of the best-selling authors of all time, “The Father of Self-Help,” and, in time, the head of a thriving personal development empire the likes of which the world had never before seen.
  1. Watts, Steven (2013). Self-Help Messiah: Dale Carnegie and Success in Modern America. New York: Other Press. Pgs. 7, 65-69.
  2. Miller, Laura (2013, October 20). “The Father of Self-Help: The First Independent Biography of the Regular Guy who Shaped 20th-Century AMERICA, Dale Carnegie.” Salon. http://www.salon.com/2013/10/20/the_father_of_self_help/
  3. Carnegie, Dale (1984 [1944]). How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry. New York: Pocket Books. Pgs. xvi, xvii.
  4. VanHaren, Roger (2031, November 27). “Today’s society is swamped by weather predictions.” Oconto County Times Herald. http://octimesherald.com/articles/2013/11/27/today%E2%80%99s-society-swamped-weather-predictions
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 037.

Escalate the Intensity, Increase the Stakes: Orville and Wilbur Wright’s Extraordinary Obsession with Flight

On December 17, 1903, a pair of self-taught, visionary American engineers achieved their dream, forever made the world a smaller place, and helped usher in the age of globalization. It was the first successful piloted, powered airplane flight in history, and with it the Wright brothers revolutionized the world. Competing against the greatest minds in science and technology at the time, the Wright brothers were far from the most likely candidates for pioneering aviation success. Neither one of the brothers graduated high school, went to college, or had any formal training as an engineer. Nor did they have the financial support of the more established aviation pioneers. And, yet, they had everything they needed to succeed. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the late 19th century and see what set these two middle-class Midwestern bicycle mechanics apart from the aviation pack. Listen in now and you will also learn the one critical characteristic of success shared by most everyone of America’s most wealthy business titans, including Andrew Carnegie (1835—1919), John D. Rockefeller (1839—1937), Warren Buffett (1930—), and Bill Gates (1955—).
  1. Nohria, Nitin and Champy, James (2000). The Arc of Ambition: Defining the Leadership Journey. Cambridge: Perseus Books. Pg. 32. Quote: Depicting his belief in flight as a disease, “the cure for which would be success,” writes Harvard Business School professor Nitin Nohria, Wilbur Wright was completely captivated by this dream, “the miracle of literally flying in the face of everybody else’s disbelief.”
  2. Gates, Bill (2001). “Great Minds of the Century: The Wright Brothers.” In Isaacson, Walter (ed.) TIME American Legends: Our Nation’s Most Fascinating Heroes, Icons and Leaders. Pg. 90.
  3. Keller, Gary (2013). The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Austin: Bard Press. Pg. 12. Quote: “Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.”
  4. Schifrin, Matthew (2010). The Warren Buffetts Next Door: The World’s Greatest Investors You’ve Never Heard Of and What You Can Learn From Them. New York: Wiley. Pg. 3. Warren Buffett Quote: “Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.”
  5. Andrew Carnegie (1902). The Empire of Business. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co. Pg. 17. Andrew Carnegie Quote from Speech entitled, “The Road to Business Success”: “And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret—concentrate your energy, thought and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun on one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it. The concerns which fail,” Carnegie continued, “are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here, there and everywhere. ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ is all wrong. I tell you ‘put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.’ Look round you and take notice; men who do that do not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country.”
  6. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 799. P.T. Barnum Quote: “Engage in one kind of business only,” wrote P.T. Barnum, “and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it. When a man’s undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different subjects at once.”
  7. Engel, Tara Dixon (2015). “Pioneers of the Air.” In History of Flight, Special Collector’s Edition. New York: Harris Publications, Inc. Pg. 16, 19.
  8. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 18. Quote from Napoleon Hill: “One sound idea is all that one needs to achieve success.”
  9. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 799. P.T. Barnum Quote: “Many a fortune has slipped through a man’s fingers because he was engaged in too many occupations at a time. There is good sense in the old caution against having too many irons in the fire at once.”
  10. Keller, Gary (2013). The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Austin: Bard Press. Gary Keller Quote: ” “Success demands singleness of purpose. It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world.” Gary Keller Quote, Pg. 17: “So when you think about success,” writes Keller, “shoot for the moon. The moon is reachable if you prioritize everything and put all of your energy into accomplishing the most important thing.”
  11. Hill, Napoleon (1928). The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons. Meriden, Conneticut: The Ralston University Press. Law 15, Pg. 34. John D. Rockefeller Quote: “Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one’s aim.” Napoleon Hill similarly said, “Singleness of purpose is essential for success, no matter what may be one’s idea of the definition of success.”
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 036.

Own the Need, Achieve the Dream: Abraham Lincoln Assumes Command of the Problem at Hand, and Pilots His Path to the Top

Abraham Lincoln was born to poor Kentucky farmers in 1809. Raised in a one-room, dirt-floor log cabin on the American frontier, Lincoln’s early life was filled with long hours of manual labor, and many years of trial and tribulation, setback and struggle. But Abraham Lincoln, fiercely ambitious, was determined to rise up from his humble origins, and make his mark on the world. “The way for a man to rise,” he said, “is to improve himself in every way he can.” And, so, Lincoln worked hard, educated himself, and found ways to grow and improve. Eventually, he carved out a career for himself as a successful prairie lawyer. And, yet, he still wanted to do more. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to America’s pre-Civil War era and learn how Abraham Lincoln, ultimately, after a lifetime of heartbreaking setbacks and defeats, achieved the ultimate election victory by steadfastly turning his unquenchable ambition toward serving the people and winning their esteem. Drawing on Winston Churchill’s address at Harvard University in 1943, this episode also reveals one of the main, most widespread reasons why people fail to achieve their greatest, most ambitious dreams.
  1. Tarbell, Ida M. (1917). The Life of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 1. New York: The Macmillan Company. (ALTarbell) Quote: His long-time law partner, William Herndon, later recalled, “The whole thing was so revolting that Lincoln moved away from the scene with a deep feeling of ‘unconquerable hate.’ Bidding his companions follow him, he said: ‘Boys, let’s get away from this. If ever I get a chance to hit that thing’ [meaning slavery], ‘I’ll hit it hard.'”
  2. Guelzo, Allen C. (2009). Lincoln: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 1. Quote: One biographer wrote that “No man could have loved fame more than Abraham Lincoln.”
  3. McGovern, George (2009). Abraham Lincoln. The American Presidents Series. New York: Henry Hold and Company, LLC. Pg. 2. Quote: Another said that Lincoln was “the most ambitious man in the world.”
  4. Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2005). Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 92. (Rivals)
  5. The Political Debates Between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas: In the Senatorial Campaign of 1858 in Illinois Together with Certain Preceding Speeches of Each at Chicago, Springfield, etc. (1912) New York: The Knickerbocker Press. Pg. 50. (LincolnDouglasDebates) Quote: As Lincoln himself said, “I have always hated slavery, I think, as much as any abolitionist. I have been an Old Line Whig. I have always hated it, but I have always been quiet about it until this new era of the introduction of the Nebraska Bill began.”
  6. Nelson, Michael (Ed.)(1996). The Presidency: A History of the Office of the President of the United States from 1789 to the Present. London: Salamander Books Limited. Pg. 99. Quote: “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” he said in his address, quoting Christ from the Synoptic Gospels.Mark3:25 “I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”
  7. Stengel, Richard (Editor)(2009). Abraham Lincoln: An Illustrated History of His Life and Times. New York: Time Books. Pg. 70. Quote: As is often the case with charismatic and transformational leaders, Abraham Lincoln had given voice to the conclusions that many Americans had already come to themselves, “but no major politicians had yet dared to express.”
  8. Mieczkowski, Joe (2011). Lincoln and His Cabinet. Pediapress. Pg. 15.
  9. Covey, Stephen (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press. Pg. 76. (CoveyEight) Quote (Aristotle): “Where talents and the needs of the world cross, therein lies your vocation.”
  10. Wren, J. Thomas (1995). The Leader’s Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages. New York: The Free Press. Pg. 188. Quote: John W. Gardner put it this way: “A loyal constituency is won when people consciously or unconsciously judge the leader to be capable of solving their problems and meeting their needs…”
  11. Flynn, Pat (2016). Will It Fly: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don’t Waste Your Time and Money. San Diego: Flynndustries, LLC. Pg. 145. Quote: American business executive and marketing maven Jay Abraham once said, “If you can define the problem better than your target customer then they will automatically assume you have the solution.”
  12. Spradlin, Dwayne (2012, September) “Are You Solving the Right Problem?” Harvard Business Review. Cambridge: Harvard Business Publishing. https://hbr.org/2012/09/are-you-solving-the-right-problem (EinsteinHour) Quote: As Albert Einstein reportedly said, as quoted in Harvard Business Review, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.”
  13. Churchill, Winston S. (1943, September 6). “The Gift of a Common Tongue.” Harvard University Address. https://www.winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1941-1945-war-leader/the-price-of-greatness-is-responsibility/ (ChurchillHU) Quote: He seemed to understand intuitively what Winston Churchill once said in an address at Harvard University in 1943. “The price of greatness,” he said, explaining America’s rapid historical rise, “is responsibility.”

CIP 035.

Take Bold Action (Part 5): Be Bold in Pursuit of Your Aims: The Celebrity Power of Frank Sinatra, and the Daring Don Rickles, Upstart Comedian Extraordinaire

In the 1950s, still at the start of his acting career, and frustrated by the lack of work, Don Rickles began hustling gigs as a standup comedian in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. Finding that his audiences were also failing to respond to his prepared material as a comic, Rickles started to boldly lash out. In fact, he began insulting people in his audience, particularly the hecklers. With this, Rickles finally began to see his audiences respond. Sometimes, however, Rickles went too far, boldly insulting the wrong person at the wrong time, and suffering some humiliating consequences as a result. Listen in to this episode of Classic Influence, and learn how boldness can backfire when it rises to a level beyond what your target or audience will endure. Given the potential consequences of a lack of boldness, which are often even more severe, this episode also reveals the essential approach to take to build your capacity for bold action, and, thereby, tap your true potential, and succeed in your chosen field. Finally, returning to the opening story of this “Take Bold Action” series, you will discover the single most critical secret of Napoleon Bonaparte’s remarkable return from Elba and which, in defiance of Europe’s greatest powers, enabled him to once again become the Emperor of France.
  1. Rickles, Don (2007). Rickles’ Book: A Memoir. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pgs. 4-5. Quotes: “‘My God. There’s Frank Sinatra! Do you know him?,'” Rickles date gushed, obviously starstruck. “Do I know him? We’re like brothers,” Rickles said. Frank Sinatra and Don Rickles dialogue: “‘Hello, Don.’ That’s it, Frank. Two words, ‘Hello, Don,’ and everything will be beautiful.” Writing in his autobiography, Rickles explains what happened next: “The violins stopped. The clinking glasses stopped. Everyone stopped talking. Everyone stared at us. Time stopped. And then, God bless him, Frank fell down laughing. Two minutes later,” he writes, “two security guards and a couple of Frank’s pals came over, picked me up, and carried me over their heads and out of the Sands. I never saw the gal again.”
  2. Baruch, Bernard Mannes (1962). Baruch: The Public Years. Pg. 261. President Franklin Roosevelt Quote: “A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers.”
  3. Rubenzer, Steven J. and Faschingbauer, Thomas R. (2004). Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House: Psychologists Assess the Presidents. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s Inc. Pgs. 45, 243, 305. Quotes: In fact, according to psychologists Rubenzer and Faschingbauer, authors of Personality, Character and Leadership in the White House, assertiveness “is the single best predictor of Presidential Success” (pg. 45). “Though some dislike such qualities, high Assertiveness is a clear asset in a president” (pg. 305). “…It can be thought of as a general capacity for leadership,” the authors conclude regarding their study of successful U.S. presidents (pg. 45). “Those who score high on this scale have emerged as a leader at many times in their lives and naturally take charge” (pg. 45).
  4. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 233. Quote: In Napoleon’s case, he was also timid and self-conscious in social situations, particularly in society and around women, “but he overcame this and practiced boldness in every part of his life because he saw its tremendous power,” writes Robert Greene in The 48 Laws of Power, “and how it could literally enlarge a man (even one who, like Napoleon, was in fact conspicuously small).” Quote: “Your fears of the consequences of a bold action are way out of proportion to reality,” writes Greene, “and in fact the consequences of timidity are worse. Your value is lowered and you create a self-fulfilling cycle of doubt and disaster. Remember: The problems created by an audacious move can be disguised, even remedied, by more and greater audacity” (pg. 234). If you hope to tap your greatest potential, if you hope to succeed at your highest level, “you must practice and develop your boldness…Do not wait for a coronation,” writes Greene, “the greatest emperors crown themselves.” (pg. 233). “People of all classes threw themselves at his feet…Volunteers swelled the ranks of his new army. Delirium swept the country. In Paris, crowds went wild” (pg. 63).
  5. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 945. Quote: “We lose our capacity to have visions if we do not take steps to realize them,” Robert Collier writes in The Secret of the Ages.
  6. Dennis, Felix (2006). How to Get Rich: One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets. New York: Portfolio. Quotes: Millionaire entrepreneur Felix Dennis, author of How to Get Rich, writes, “After a lifetime of making money and observing better men and women than I fall by the wayside, I am convinced that fear of failing in the eyes of the world is the single biggest impediment to amassing wealth. Trust me on this” (pg. 39). “If you shy away for any reason whatever, then the way is blocked. The gate is shut—and will remain shut. You will never get started. You will never get rich” (pg. 39). And when fear or discomfort rears its ugly head, remember what Felix Dennis said, “You either get over it, go around it, go at it, mount it, duck under it, or cozy up to it, but [do not] surrender to it” (pg. 39).
  7. Dennis, Felix (2010). The Narrow Road: A Brief Guide to the Getting of Money. New York: Penguin. Quote: “Fear…” he wrote in The Narrow Road, “it will cripple you. You must confront and harness it” (pg. 108).
  8. Roberts, Andrew (2015, June). “Why We’d Be Better Off if Napoleon Never Lost at Waterloo.” Smithsonian Magazine. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/we-better-off-napoleon-never-lost-waterloo-180955298/ Quotes: Soldiers from other regiments sent by order of the king to arrest Bonaparte also “switched sides the moment they came into contact with the charisma of their former sovereign.” “Suddenly very simple carriages without any escort showed up at the wicket-gate by the river and the emperor was announced…The carriages enter, we all rush around them and we see Napoleon get out. Then everyone’s in delirium; we jump on him in disorder, we surround him, we squeeze him, we almost suffocate him.” Routier referred to it as a “magical arrival, the result of a road of over two hundred leagues traveled in eighteen days on French soil without spilling one drop of blood.” “That night Napoleon sat down to eat the dinner that had been cooked for Louis XVIII, who had fled Paris only hours earlier. Not one shot had been fired in the Bourbons’ defense.”
  9. Markham, Felix (1963). Napoleon. New York: Penguin. Pg. 223. Quotes: “Never before in history,” wrote Balzac, the French novelist and playwright, “did a man gain an empire simply by showing his hat?” For his own part, Napoleon later said of the march from Cannes to Paris, known today as “Route Napoleon,” it was “the happiest period in my life” (pg. 223).
  10. Colson, Bruno (2015). Napoleon: On War. Translated by Gregory Elliott. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 151.
  11. Sinatra, Frank. “My Way.” My Way: The Best of Frank Sinatra, Warner, 1996.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 034.

Take Bold Action (Part 4): To Achieve the Unbelievable, Back Bold Action with a Bastion and a Base: The Herculean Daring of Bloody Mary’s Fight for the Throne

In 1553, Mary Tudor’s dying brother, King Edward VI of England, was plotting behind the scenes to remove his half-sister from the line of succession. In the midst of the English Reformation, and the wider European Protestant Reformation, the Protestant King Edward was eager to keep Mary, a loyal Catholic, from reversing his and his father Henry VIII’s precious Protestant reforms. But Mary Tudor was not having it. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and she was the granddaughter of Isabella of Castile. The crown of England was hers by right of law, and she would not permit her brother or his scheming, double-dealing counselors to deprive England of its rightful heir. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to 16th century England and watch as Mary Tudor attempts to boldly seize the English throne, and thwart her brother’s foolhardy coup. Looking to Mary’s daring example, this episode also reveals five critical factors to consider before implementing any significantly risky, bold action plan.
  1. Porter, Linda (2010). Mary Tudor: The First Queen. London: Hachette. Pgs. 107, 123-130. Quotes: “The truth was,” writes historian Linda Porter, “he gave her little chance of success. Everything he heard made him think she would be lucky to survive, let alone become queen.” “Much of her adult life had been passed in opposition,” writes Porter, “but now there was a need for clear thinking and boldness, not protests and tears.” She knew “…she had good reason to fear the duke of Northumberland…If she stayed, he would come for her and she would almost certainly be imprisoned, perhaps worse.” With growing hope and anticipation, “careful plans were made to evade and outwit the authorities, to wrestle the initiative from the preoccupied council in London.” “The throne of England was hers by right of law and of descent.”
  2. Marsh, Katharine (Editor)(2018). Everything You Need to Know About the Tudors, 1st Edition. Bournemouth: Future Publishing Limited. Pg. 66.
  3. Ackroyd, Peter (2012). Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, Volume II. London: Macmillan. Pgs. 143-145. Quotes: “It is reported that the lords looked into one another’s faces uneasily, and that their wives sobbed. A reply was sent ordering Mary not to ‘vex and molest’ the people of England with her false claim.” “Northumberland had decided to detain Mary, by force, and bring her to London.” “Mary stood her ground. She was,” writes historian Peter Ackroyd, “resolute and defiant on the model of her father; she had a stern Tudor sense of majesty, allied with an awareness of her religious mission…” “Yet she was still in the utmost danger. If she had been defeated and come to trial,” writes Ackroyd, “she would have been declared guilty of treason. The fate of the nation, and of her religion, was now at stake.” “Some of the councilors secretly doubted [Northumberland]. Others were confused and uncertain. William Cecil armed himself and made plans to flee the realm.” In fact, before long, droves of supporters were turning to Mary, “with the earl of Sussex and the earl of Bath among the first of them. The people from the towns and villages of the region took up their weapons. It seemed that the whole of East Anglia had risen for her. The city of Norwich proclaimed her as rightful sovereign. A small navy of six ships, sent out by Northumberland to guard the seaways off the Norfolk coast, defected to Mary’s camp. When she went out to review her new troops the cry went up ‘Long live our good Queen Mary!'” “I beseech you all to bear me witness, that I die in the true Catholic faith.” He then turned to the executioner, who “wore a white apron, like a butcher,” and said, “I have deserved a thousand deaths.”
  4. Beer, Barrett L. (1979, Spring). “Northumberland: The Myth of the Wicked Duke and the Historical John Dudley.” Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies, Volume 11, Number 1. Pgs. 1-14.
  5. Whitelock, Anna (2009). Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen. New York: Random House. Pgs. 139-140. Quotes: “The following morning,” as his own anxiety grew, “Northumberland set out from Durham Palace with munitions, artillery, field guns, and more than 6,000 men. The imperial ambassadors wrote to Charles V, ‘We believe that my Lady will be in his hands in four days’ time unless she has sufficient force to resist.'” “She was,” essentially, writes British historian Anna Whitelock, “an isolated figure in East Anglia, surrounded only by her household servants. The ambassadors sent by the emperor were pessimistic about her safety. Believing Northumberland had secured French support, they feared nothing could be done to prevent Jane’s accession and considered Mary’s chances ‘well-nigh impossible.'”
  6. Samson, Alexander (2020, April). “Mary: Brutal But Brilliant.” BBC History Magazine. Bristol: Immediate Media Co. Pgs. 32-35. Quote: In fact, according to historian Samson Alexander, “Ultimately…Mary’s greatest achievement may have been to provide a model for her younger sibling, Elizabeth, to follow. Mary and Elizabeth had a troubled relationship…Yet the older sister set down the statutory foundations of female rule on which the younger sister built, offering a prototype of strong, independent, royal government, and an assiduous and involved monarch, unswayed by the powerful male courtiers who surrounded her.”
  7. Gristwood, Sarah (2016). Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe. New York: Basic Books. Pgs. 241-243. Quotes: She also had her sublime self-confidence, her faith in God, and the Tudor heritage, and “everything in Mary Tudor’s heritage told her the crown was a prize worth fighting for.” Despite her daring readiness to fight, many found it ridiculous “to tackle a powerful and well-prepared enemy…” “Most of her contemporaries thought she was mad when she unfurled her standard at the castle of Framlingham in Suffolk…” Indeed, “to cooler observers the thing seemed impossible. The Habsburg ambassadors reported that all the country’s forces were in the hands of the men who had proclaimed Jane Grey.” Still, if there was ever a chance to seize the initiative, this was it. “She had a chance to act. To act as her mother Catherine had wanted; and act as her grandmother Isabella had done”GameOfQueens241 when she seized the throne of Castile in 1474 under similarly perilous circumstances. People continued to flock “to what they saw as the true Tudor monarchy. As the Genoese merchant Baptista Spinola reported: ‘The hearts of the people are with Mary, the Spanish Queen’s daughter.'” As Tudor historian Sarah Gristwood writes, “Isabella of Castile represented a precedent that must have been ever-present in her granddaughter Mary’s mind”
  8. Loades, David (1996). John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland 1504–1553. Clarendon Press. Pg. 261.
  9. Tallis, Nicola (2017). “Bloody Mary on Trial: Henry VIII’s Deadliest Daughter or Victim of Protestant Propaganda?” All About History, Issue 48. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pgs. 35-38. Quotes: She was now at Framlingham Castle, a well-fortified stronghold in Suffolk, East Anglia, “where she was a major landowner, and incredibly popular; this proved to be a wise move.” “His mission proved to be fruitless. Rather than gaining support as he had hoped, Northumberland’s forces began to desert him in favor of Mary. As soon as he left London, sensing the mood of the people and hearing of the increased support for Mary, the Privy Council finally decided to abandon Jane.” By July 19, 1553, “Mary had won the day without a drop of bloodshed.” Lady Jane, now remembered as the “Nine Days’ Queen,” was ousted, and “Mary was proclaimed queen to the great joy of her subjects.” “As queen she had asserted her authority as the first female monarch to reign supreme.”
  10. Richards, Judith (2007, December) “Edward VI and Mary Tudor: Protestant King and Catholic Sister.” History Review. Pg. 22.
  11. Braddock, Robert C. (1974, Winter). “The Character and Composition of the Duke of Northumberland’s Army.” Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies, Volume 6, Number 4. Pgs. 342-356. Quote: “Northumberland’s puny force was no match for the thousands who, in the greatest mass-demonstration of loyalty ever accorded to a Tudor, flocked to Mary’s camp….”
  12. Solly, Meilan (2020, March 12). “The Myth of ‘Bloody Mary’: History remembers the English queen as a murderous monster, but the real story of Mary I is far more nuanced.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/myth-bloody-mary-180974221/ Quote: Mary, of course, known by her enemies as “Bloody Mary,” is rightly criticized for her barbaric crackdown on religious dissent, which included burning nearly 300 people at the stake. But she was also an “intelligent, politically adept…trailblazer, a political pioneer whose reign redefined the English monarchy.”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 033.

Take Bold Action (Part 3): Boldly Strike Out to Accelerate Your Ascent: Theodore Roosevelt Boldly, Brazenly Begins Anew

In early 1898, days after the USS Maine was sunk in Cuba’s Havana Harbor, killing some 260 American sailors and marines, Theodore Roosevelt, who was still only the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, began doing all he could to prepare America for war. This included resigning from his desk job at the Navy Department in Washington D.C., and forming the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, known as the “Rough Riders.” What he did next came as quite a surprise to those who knew him, particularly given his extraordinary ambition. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the period just before the Spanish American War to uncover a few of the key characteristics that contributed to Theodore Roosevelt’s striking success. This episode also reveals Theodore Roosevelt’s proven personal strategy for conquering fear.
  1. Sidey, Hugh (2004), Hugh Sidey’s Portraits of the Presidents: Power and Personality in the Oval Office. TIME, Special Collector’s Edition. Des Moines, IA: Time Books. Pg. iv.
  2. Rubenzer, Steven J. and Faschingbauer, Thomas R. (2004). Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House: Psychologists Assess the Presidents. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s Inc. Pgs. 240-242.
  3. Wolraich, Michael (2014). Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels Who Created Progressive Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pg. 12.
  4. Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2014). The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 156.
  5. Smith, Joseph (2011). “The Assistant Secretary of the Navy and the Spanish-American War Hero.” Chapter 3 in A Companion to Theodore Roosevelt. Blackwell Companions to American History. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Pgs. 47-49.
  6. Hogan, Bill (Editor) (2018, Summer). “How the Rough Riders Got Their Name.” Military History Quarterly, Volume 30, Number 4. Pg. 36.
  7. Gardner, Mark Lee (2016). Rough Riders: Theodore Roosevelt, His Cowboy Regiment, and the Immortal Charge Up San Juan Hill. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 39.
  8. Dennis, Felix (2010). The Narrow Road: A Brief Guide to the Getting of Money. New York: Penguin. Pg. 38.
  9. Roosevelt, Theodore (1922). Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Pg. 52.
  10. Murray, William Hutchison (1951). The Scottish Himalayan Expedition. London: Dent. Pgs. 6-7. Full quote: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 032.

Take Bold Action (Part 2): Dare to Defy the Established Order, Risk to Skip Ahead: Huey Long Cuts a Barrier-Breaking Path to the Top

A populist champion of the poor, Huey Long grew up during America’s Gilded Age, and got involved in politics in the years before the Great Depression. Despite the considerable economic hardships he faced throughout his early life in Louisiana, and the ferocious political opposition he faced throughout his political career, Huey Long rose to become one of the Pelican State’s greatest political stars. Beyond his fierce ambition and quick mind, it was bold action that set Huey apart. In fact, Huey Long was willing to take whatever bold action was necessary to overcome his humble origins, make a name for himself, and do as much good as he could along the way. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to Louisiana in the early 20th century and see what we can learn from the bold and brash actions of Huey P. Long. This episode also looks to the example of Robert M. La Follette, and his surprising response to the political machine in Madison, Wisconsin when they warned him not to run.
  1. Williams, T. Harry (1981). Huey Long. New York: Random House. Pg. 35.
  2. White, Richard D. (2006). Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long. New York: Random House. Pgs. 8-14.
  3. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 227.
  4. “The ‘Famous Five’ Now the ‘Famous Nine.'” United States Senate. http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Famous_Five_Seven.htm
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 031.

Take Bold Action (Part 1): Be Bold and Let Boldness Do Its Work: Napoleon Bonaparte Escapes His Island Prison

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the greatest military leaders in history. Beyond his capacity as a strategist and tactician, however, it was often Bonaparte’s sheer boldness that enabled him to achieve the outcome he desired. As Napoleon repeatedly revealed, once unleashed, bold action can become a powerful force of its own, commanding attention, sweeping down obstacles, and building the momentum you need to succeed. Listen in now and learn how boldness can be a game changer in the pursuit of your goals.
  1. Roberts, Andrew (2014). Napoleon: A Life. New York: Viking. Pg. 724.
  2. Smith, Timothy Wilson (2007). Napoleon. London: Haus Publishing Limited. Pg. 125.
  3. Headley, Phineas Camp (1858). The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Derby & Jackson. Pg. 333.
  4. Gifford, Jonathan (2011, March 19). “Leadership and Courage: Napoleon Returns from Exile in Elba.” Jonathan Gifford: Business. Leadership. History. https://jonathangifford.com/leadership-and-courage-napoleon-returns-from-exile-in-elba/
  5. Scott, Sir Walter (1836). The Life of Napoleon Buonaparte, Emperor of the French. Exeter: J&B Williams. Pg. 302.
  6. Englund, Steven (2004). Napoleon: A Political Life. New York: Scribner. Pg. 428.
  7. Markham, Felix (1963). Napoleon. New York: Penguin. Pg. 226.
  8. Dietrich, William (2015). Napoleon’s Rules: Life and Career Lessons from Bonaparte. Burrows Publishing. Pg. 77.
  9. Singal, Jesse (2017, July 11). “Daniel Kahneman’s Gripe with Behavioral Economics.” [Interview.] The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/daniel-kahnemans-gripe-with-behavioral-economics
  10. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 228.
  11. Jackson, Curtis and Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 19.
  12. Frost, Robert (1961, January 20). “The Gift Outright.” Poem recited at John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy/fast-facts-john-f-kennedy/the-gift-outright-by-robert-frost
  13. Dennis, Felix (2010). The Narrow Road: A Brief Guide to the Getting of Money. New York: Penguin. Pg. 44.
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 030.

Profit from the Power of Frames to Achieve Your Aims: President Franklin Roosevelt Reframes His Race for a 3rd Term

In 1940, with America on the cusp of entering World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to run for an unprecedented third term. Despite the longstanding and deep-seated tradition—going all the way back to George Washington, who voluntarily left office after just two terms—Roosevelt, a savvy political operator and masterful communicator, found a way to frame the decision so that it not only won the support of a majority of Americans, but also helped spur the nation to meet the emerging Nazi threat. In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll travel back to the 1940 presidential campaign, hear from President Roosevelt in his own voice, and discover the surprising power of a well-crafted frame. This episode also reveals how Harriet Tubman used reframing as part of her covert missions to rescue slaves, and how it helped her to become “the Moses of her people.” As illustrated by President Ronald Reagan to devastating effect in his own race for the White House, listen in and discover how frames can be tremendously powerful tools of influence. Listen in now and you will also learn the 4 core steps of reframing, along with 5 strategies for generating new, more effective frames, and you will quickly discover why reframing is an indispensable tool in the pursuit of your own clear purpose and goals.
  1. Olson, Lynne (2013). Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and Americas Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941. New York: Random House. Pg. 211.
  2. Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1940, July 19). “Radio Address to the Democratic National Convention Accepting the Nomination.” The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=15980
  3. Fairhurst, Gail (1996). The Art of Framing: Managing the Language of Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  4. Axelrod, Alan (2003). Nothing to Fear: Lessons in Leadership from FDR. New York: Portfolio. Pg. 204.
  5. Beerel, Annabel (2009). Leadership and Change Management. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Pg. 72.
  6. Bolman, Lee and Deal, Terrence (2017). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, 6th Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 029.

Wield Power with Wisdom, Get Both in and Out of the Game: Martin Luther King Jr. Assumes Leadership, Becomes the Symbol of the Civil Rights Movement

One dark night in the winter of 1956, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was leading a mass meeting at his local church when his house was bombed. What he did next became a defining moment in his life, and in the fight for civil rights. Borne out of King’s habit of taking time get outside of the arena, it was not the action that anyone expected, but it was just the right move for the moment and the movement as a whole. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll take a trip back to Montgomery, Alabama during the early years of the civil rights movement to discover one of the most powerful practices, and key secrets to King’s success. As we learn from Dr. King, a master strategist and critical thinker, your future will largely be determined by the quality of your decisions. To make the most effective and strategic decisions, you must recognize the threat of reactive, unchecked passions, and avoid being moved by your emotions and moods. This episode also reveals one of the most crucial steps you can take to ensure you are making the best, most effective and strategic decisions you can to ensure the outcomes you desire.
  1. Bruns, Roger (2006). Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Biography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Pgs. 41-42. Quote: “In some ways it was the most important hour of his life. His own home had just been bombed, his wife and baby could have been killed; this was the first deep test of his Christian principles and his theories of nonviolence.” Quote: One elderly grandmother said at the time, “It used to be my soul was tired and my feet rested; now my feet’s tired, but my soul is rested.” Pg. 40. Quote: “We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory violence. We must meet violence with nonviolence. Remember the words of Jesus: ‘He who lives by the sword will perish by the sword.’ We must love our white brothers, no matter what they do to us. We must make them know that we love them. Jesus still cries out across the centuries, “Love your enemies.” This is what we must live by. We must meet hate with love.”” Pg. 42.
  2. Oates, Stephen B. (1982). Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King Jr. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Pgs. 66, 89-90. Quote: “My wife and baby are all right;” he paused, “I want you to go home and put down your weapons.” Pgs. 89-90.
  3. King, Martin Luther (2010 [1958]). Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. Boston: Beacon Press. Pgs. 43, 54. (Stride) Quote: For his Sunday sermons, he said that he “needed at least fifteen hours to prepare.” Pg. 48. Quote: Now, in what he described as “the most decisive speech of my life,” he had “only twenty minutes to prepare.” Pg. 48.
  4. King, Martin Luther (1998). The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Warner Books. Quote: “As I thought further,” King himself explains in his autobiography, “I came to see that what we were really doing was withdrawing our cooperation from an evil system, rather than merely withdrawing our support from the bus company. The bus company, being an external expression of the system, would naturally suffer, but the basic aim was to refuse to cooperate with evil.” Pg. 44. “At this point,” King recalls, “I began to think about Thoreau’s ‘Essay on Civil Disobedience.’ I became convinced that what we were preparing to do in Montgomery was related to what Thoreau had expressed. We were simply saying to the white community, ‘We can no longer lend our cooperation to an evil system.’” Pg. 44. “I jumped in my car and for almost an hour I cruised down every major street and examined every passing bus. […] Instead of the 60 percent cooperation we had hoped for,” he wrote, “it was becoming apparent that we had reached almost 100 percent. A miracle had taken place.” Pg. 45. “Men were seen riding mules to work, and more than one horse-drawn buggy drove the streets of Montgomery.” Pg. 45 “They knew why they walked,” King said, “and the knowledge was evident in the way they carried themselves. And as I watched them I knew that there is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity.” Pg. 45. Quote: “It had happened so quickly I did not even have time to think it through. It is probable that if I had, I would have declined the nomination.” Pg. 45.
  5. Menand, Louis (2018, April 4). “When Martin Luther King, Jr., Became a Leader.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/when-martin-luther-king-jr-became-a-leader Quotes: “What had given King pause about endorsing the boycott was a concern that it might be unethical and unchristian,” writes Harvard historian Louis Menand. “The boycott might be unethical because, if it shut down Montgomery buses, it would deprive other riders of a service that they depended on, and deprive bus drivers of the way that they made a living. It might be unchristian,” he continues, “because it was a response to an injury by inflicting an injury. It was revenge. King felt that he had to work through these worries about the movement before he could lead it.” Quote: …Including, at the very least, “a room in the basement of his church for the organizers to meet.” Quote: “He says in his autobiography that he wasted five of those twenty minutes having a panic attack. Fifteen minutes later, he was picked up and driven to the Holt Street Church.”
  6. Shelby, Tommie (2018, April 4). “10 Historians on What People Still Don’t Know About Martin Luther King Jr.” TIME Magazine. https://time.com/5197679/10-historians-martin-luther-king-jr/ Actual quote: “Everyone knows King was a Baptist minister, movement leader, and master orator. But he was also a philosopher.”
  7. Gardner, Howard (1995). Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership. New York: Basic Books. Quotes: “Once you become dedicated to a cause, personal security is not the goal. What will happen to you personally does not matter. My cause, my race is worth dying for.” Quote: “King hailed the decision as a victory for all Americans…”Pg. 207. Quote: Which helped him to better adapt his message to them, “depending on whether he was speaking to his home congregation, an unfamiliar congregation, a sympathetic interviewer, a hostile reporter, the viewers of a television talk show, or the readers of an elite magazine.” Pg. 210. Quote: Taking time to stop and step back also enabled King to develop a better “sense of when to listen, when to compromise, and when to hold his ground,” writes Howard Gardner in Leading Minds. Pg. 210. Quote: “King repeatedly had to decide where to go, whom to confront, how hard to push, when to turn on the heat, and when to allow things to cool off.” Pg. 212.
  8. Finkleman, Paul (2009). Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present. Oxford University Press. Pg. 360.
  9. Payne, Charles (2005, December 2). “Unsung Heroes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.” [Interview.] NPR. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5035704
  10. Tassell, Nige (2016, March). “Martin Luther King and the March on Washington.” History Revealed, Issue 27. Pg. 29. Quote: As the bus “boycott’s chief architect,” King “became nationally recognized as one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most high-profile leaders.”
  11. Edwards, Sharon (2017, May 17). “Reflecting differently. New dimensions: Reflection-before-action and reflection-beyond-action.” International Practice Development Journal, Volume 7, Issue 1, Article 2. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.71.002
  12. Taylor, S. E.; Brown, J. D. (1994). “Positive illusions and well-being revisited: Separating fact from fiction.” Psychological Bulletin. 116 (1). Pgs. 21–27. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8078971/
  13. Sobel, Andrew and Panas, Jerold (2012). Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Pg. 81.Quote: As the celebrated management consultant Peter Drucker put it, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
  14. Borton, Terry (1970). “Applying the Process Approach” Chapter 8 in Reach, Touch and Teach. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  15. Bennett, William J. (2001). Virtues of Leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Pg. viii.
  16. Phillips, Donald T. (1998). Martin Luther King, Jr. On Leadership: Inspiration & Wisdom for Challenging Times. New York: Warner Books. Quote: King found close to a thousand people crammed into the church, “spilling into the aisles, standing on the sides and in the back. An estimated four thousand more people were crowded together outside on the lawn and in the streets listening to what was being said from a loud-speaker that had been mounted on the church’s roof.” Pg. 38.
  17. King, Martin Luther (1967, November). The Trumpet of Conscience. Quote: “The limitation of riots, moral questions aside,” he said, “is that they cannot win and their participants know it. Hence, rioting is not revolutionary,” King continues, “but reactionary because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be followed by a sense of futility.”
  18. Greene, Robert (2018). The Laws of Human Nature. New York: Viking. Quote: You are easily “infected by all of the drama that others churn up; you are continually reacting to what [other] people give you…” Pgs. 22, 184. Quote: Without a clear purpose and framework “to guide your decisions, you never quite reach the goals that you set.” Pg. 22. Quote: Rather than “reacting to what others give you,” or being constricted and controlled by the grip of your emotions, you will find, “with a calm spirit,” that you are able to “entertain a wide range of options and solutions.” Pg. 21. As Robert Green writes in The Laws of Human Nature, “like an athlete continually getting stronger through training, your mind will become more flexible and resilient. Clear and calm, you will see answers and creative solutions that no one else can envision.” Pg. 21.
  19. Heifetz, Ronald A. (1994). Leadership Without Easy Answers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Pg. 252. Quote: “Rather than maintain perspective on the events that surround and involve us, we often get swept up by them.” Pg. 252.
  20. Greene, Robert (2006). The 33 Strategies of War. New York: Penguin Books. (GreeneWar) Pg. 19. Quote: When you get outside of the game, when you “elevate yourself above the battlefield,” (Greene P. 19) or get “on the balcony,” as Heifetz puts it in his book, Leadership Without Easy Answers (P. 252)…
  21. Gergen, David (2001). Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pg. 42. Quote: In short, getting some distance, “observing the patterns of action from afar,” writes Harvard Kennedy School professor David Gergen, helps to foster more effective action.
  22. Thoreau, Henry David (1910). Walden. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Pg. 427. Quote: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,” Thoreau later wrote, “to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
  23. Twain, Mark (1961). Twain: Wit and Wisecracks. White Plains, New York: Peter Pauper Press. Pg. 7. Quote: “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”
  24. Bennett, William J. (2001). Virtues of Leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Pg. viii. Quote: “A night that had been on the verge of chaos came to a quiet, if uneasy, close. Pictures of King urging calm from his shattered porch made the newspapers across the country, and support for the civil rights movement swelled.”
Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre,” “Evening Melodrama,” “MJS Stings,” “Cartoon Battle,” “Sweeter Vermouth.” Rafael Krux (incompetech.com): “Fantasy Theme.” Alexander Nakarada (incompetech.com): “Jokull-Metal Version.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 028.

Hammer Optimism into Your Plans: Ernest Shackleton's Miracle Trip from Elephant Island

One of history’s greatest sagas of survival, the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew’s quest to cross the South Pole, is a gripping reminder of the power of optimism, endurance, and hope. Where the expeditions of scores of other daring explorers ended in drunkenness, despair, and death, Shackleton’s leadership, his command of the psychology of his crew, and his capacity to project a cool and collected optimism in the midst of the most trying circumstances, and in the face of the most devastating setbacks, led to a life and death difference for his men. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll travel to the frigid waters and the mammoth sheets of ice of Antarctica to learn from the leadership and influence of one of history’s greatest explorers.
  1. Perkins, Dennis N.T. (2000). Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition. New York: Amacom. Pgs. xiii, 42-43, 45, 48, 51, 79, 81.
  2. Ainsberg, Arthur (2010). Shackleton: Leadership Lessons from Antarctica. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse. Pgs. 5, 60.
  3. Morrell, Margot and Capparell, Stephanie (2001). Shackleton’s Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer. New York: Viking. Pgs. 5, 39, 77, 107-108.
  4. Alexander, Caroline (1998). The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Pgs. 54-56, 153, 164-165, 171, 182-183.
  5. Butler, George (2000). “The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition” [Documentary Film]. United States: Discovery Channel Pictures.
  6. Worsley, Frank Arthur (1931). Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Pgs. 1-4, 6, 49-50, 53, 88, 97-100, 183.
  7. Coonradt, Charles A. (2007). The Better People Leader. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher. Pgs. 11-12.
  8. Frankl, Viktor (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning. New York: Pocket Books. Pg. 86.
  9. The Holy Bible. 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Cold Journey (by Alexander Nakarada)," "Bonfire (Medieval Bonfire Music)" by Alexander Nakarada, "Jokull-Metal Version" by Alexander Nakarada, "Dungeons And Dragons (Epic Fantasy)" by Alexander Nakarada, "MJS Sting," "Fantasy Theme" by Rafael Krux, "Pennsylvania Rose (Happy Ending)," "Land Of Pirates" by Alexander Nakarada, "Sweeter Vermouth," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Sound Effects: All at FreeSound.org: “Wood Colliding Tall Ship Crashing” by Jagadamba, “Wind Gust” by Crashoverride61088, “Wind Loop” by Mrlindstrom, “Cold Howling Wind” by Alan McKinney, “Door Slam” by Adriann, “Rough Baltic Sea” by GirlwithSoundRecorder, “sailing-boat-bow-wave-close-perspective” by Pfannkuchn, “Sea lions screaming in the port of Iquique (Chile)” by Felix-Blume, “Wind” by Deku.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 027.

Adopt the Champion Mindset: Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes the Throne

In 1970, Arnold Schwarzenegger won both the Mr. Universe and the Mr. Olympia contest making him the greatest bodybuilder in the world. At just 23 years old, he was also the youngest Mr. Olympia ever. Of course he won the genetic lottery, only a fool would deny that. But that was only enough to get him into the game. What set Arnold Schwarzenegger apart was his profound ambition, relentless work ethic, and an ability to stay hyper focused on his dream. But the real secret to Schwarzenegger’s success was a hard lesson he had to learn, and it was the key to scores of others. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll travel back to the first decade of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s meteoric rise and discover what we can learn from his story about how to achieve your most difficult goals.


  1. Schwarzenegger, Arnold (2007). “Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Death of Reg Park.” Office of the Governor of the State of California. https://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=8164
  2. Schwarzenegger, Arnold (2013). Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pgs. 31, 59-60, 117.
  3. Pancho, Kelly Lynn (Director). (2009). “Still Pumping.” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Documentary. UK: Lionsgate Home Entertainment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvOUVil7W5s
  4. “Reg Park Biography.” IMDb, An Amazon Company. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661918/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Egmont Overture Finale," "Behind The Sword" by Alexander Nakarada, "Better Times (Africa Inspired Slow Start Upbeat Later)" by Alexander Nakarada, "As I Figure (Spanish Acoustic)," "MJS Sting," "Long Road Ahead," "Morocco Sting," "Thaxted" "Sweeter Vermouth," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Sound Effects: All at FreeSound.org: “Rooster” by Kangaroovindaloo, “Fitness Room” by J.Zazvurek, “Rolling Metal” by Vincentbikerider, “man-laughing-heartily” by Craigsmith.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 026.

Escalate Your Commitment. Burn Your Ships: Hernando Cortés Conquers the Aztec Empire

In 1518, in defiance of the greatest empire on earth, the Spanish conquistador and explorer, Hernando Cortés, risked everything in pursuit of his goal, including his reputation, his wealth, and his life. Despite the grave risks and considerable forces allied against him, Cortés, with one bold stroke, turned the tide of events in his favor. Listen in now as we uncover the pivotal incident in the life of this notorious Spanish conqueror, and extract the key lesson we can learn from his example. Drawing on a parallel incident in the life of Alexander the Great, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast also details the vital importance of purpose and renunciation, and how we often need nearly impossible challenges in order to unearth and mobilize our greatest inner resources and personal power.
  1. Marden, Orison Swett (1908). He Can who Thinks He Can, and Other Papers on Success in Life. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Pg. 92.
  2. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 24. Quote: “Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships” writes Napoleon Hill, “and cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win, essential to success.”
  3. Brown, Robin (2019). “Cortes vs. Moctezuma.” All About History Aztecs, First Edition. Bournemouth: Future Publishing Limited. Pg. 87.
  4. Knipping, Toine (2012). Mind Your Business: Thoughts for Entrepreneurs. Bloomington: Balboa Press. Pg. 247. Quote: “We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it.” —Ernesto “Che” Guevara
  5. Stahn, Carsten Easterday, Jennifer, & Iverson, Jens (Editors)(2014). Jus Post Bellum: Mapping Normative Foundations. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Quote is from Seneca the Younger. Pg. 90. “To be everywhere is to be nowhere.” — Seneca
  6. Brooks, David (2014, January 13). “The Leadership Revival.” The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/opinion/brooks-the-leadership-revival.html?emc=eta1&_r=0 “Only the masters of renunciation leave an imprint,” writes New York Times journalist David Brooks, “only those who can say a hundred Nos for the sake of an overwhelming Yes.”
  7. Hunter, Mark (2015). The Brink: How Great Leadership is Invented. New York: Morgan James Publishing. Pg. 109. Quote: “We go home in Persian ships, or we die.” —Alexander the Great
  8. The Holy Bible. Matthew 10: 9-11
  9. Marden, Orison Swett (1911). Pushing to the Front. Petersburg, NY: The Success Company’s. Pg. 569. Quote: “We should never leave any bridges unburned behind us, any way open for retreat to tempt our weakness, indecision or discouragement. If there is anything we ever feel grateful for, it is that we have had courage and pluck enough to push on, to keep going when things looked dark and when seemingly insurmountable obstacles confronted us.”
  10. Fisher, Mark (2010). The Instant Millionaire. New World Library. Kindle Edition. Kindle Locations 327-330. Quote: “If you want to succeed in life,” writes Mark Fisher, “you have to make sure you have no choice in the matter. You have to put your back to the wall. People who vacillate and refuse to take risks because they don’t have all the elements in hand never get anywhere. The reason is simple. When you cut off all your exits and put your back to the wall, you mobilize all your inner powers. You want something to happen with every fiber of your being.”
  11. Branson, Richard (2007). Screw It, Let’s Do it: Lessons in Life and Business. London: Virgin Books. Pg. 67, 78. Quote: “It was challenges that took us from being cavemen to reaching for the stars.”
  12. Nowlan, Robert A. (2016). The American Presidents from Polk to Hayes: What They Did, What The Said, & What Was Said About Them. Denver: Outskirts Press. Pg. 377. Quote: “If there is not the war, you don’t get the great general. If there is not a great occasion, you don’t get a great statesman. If Lincoln had lived in a time of peace, no one would have known his name.” —Theodore Roosevelt
  13. Brown, H. Jackson (1990). P.S. I Love You: When Mom Wrote, She Always Saved the Best for Last. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press. Pg. 13. Quote attributed to Mark Twain, but may be apocryphal: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines [Bowl Lynns]. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Five Armies," "Impending Boom," "Midnight Tale," "As I Figure (Spanish Acoustic)," "MJS Sting," "Long Road Ahead," "Morocco Sting," "Thaxted (Bilbo Baggins Sad Adventure Needed)" "Sweeter Vermouth," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Sound Effects: All at FreeSound.org: "Forest Fire Inferno" by Dynamicell, FreeSound.org, "Breaking Tree" by Robinhood76, "Wood Colliding Tall Ship Crashing" by Jagadamba.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 025.

Mine the Miners—Create, Don't Consume: The Pioneering Producers of the California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush led to the largest mass migration in U.S. history. From all over the world, men came to mine their fortunes. But it wasn’t the gold that led to the most enduring fortunes. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll travel back to Sacramento Valley in the mid-1800s, meet a few of the pioneering producers of the Gold Rush Era, and explore the vital wealth building mindset these icons helped unveil. Listen in now and discover a far more resourceful mental map for looking out at the world. This episode also reveals the secret formula for success direct from California’s first millionaire.
  1. Bigler, Henry William (1962). Chronicle of the West: The Conquest of California, Discovery of Gold, and Mormon Settlement. Berkeley: University of California Press. Pg. 82.
  2. MacLowry, Randall and Longsworth, Laura (2006). “The Gold Rush.” [Documentary Film]. American Experience. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/filmmore/pt.html
  3. Brands, H. W. (2003). The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream. New York: Anchor Books. Pg. 38.
  4. Wiegand, Steve (1998, January 18). “The California Gold Rush: An Era Remembered.” The Sacramento Bee. http://www.calgoldrush.com/part1/01overview.html
  5. Hendrickson, Nancy (2013). How the California Gold Rush: Changed the Face of America. San Diego: Green Pony Press, Inc. Pg. 16.
  6. Gillon, Steven M. (2006). 10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America. The History Channel. New York: Three Rivers Press.
  7. Butler-Bowdon, Tom (2008). 50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It. Wisdom from the Best Books on Wealth Creation and Abundance. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Pg. 144, 295.
  8. Downey, Kirstin (2014). Isabella: The Warrior Queen. New York: Anchor Books. Pg. 9
  9. DeMarco, MJ (2011). The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live for a Lifetime. Phoenix, AZ: Viperion Publishing Corporation. Pg. 130.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum,""Danse Macabre,""MJS Sting," "Long Road Ahead," "The Parting," "Whistle," "Morocco Sting," "Greta Sting," "Wizardtorium," "Achilles," "Sweeter Vermouth," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Sound Effects: "Bow River Windy" by Lwdickens @ FreeSound.org, "Wind Loop’ by MrLindstrom @FreeSound.org, "Hissing Snake" by AaronGNP @FreeSound.org, "Angry Snake Hiss Pass Long" by Csaszi @FreeSound.org, Ragnar Lothbrok Speech Scene Vikings Series, "Wind Gust" by Crashoverride61088 @FreeSound.org, "Rattle Snake" by 7h3_Lark @FreeSound.org.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 024.

Cast Off the Culture of Comfort, Convenience and Ease: Theodore Roosevelt Becomes the Apostle of the Strenuous Life

Writer and explorer, fighter and reformer, scholar, historian, statesman, and sage; Theodore Roosevelt disdained idleness. “In this life, we get nothing save by effort,” said the Panama-Canal-Building, Nobel-Peace-Prize-winning President. “I never won anything without hard labor and…working long in advance.” In fact, the “highest form of success,” Roosevelt said, comes “to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil.” Listen in now to this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, and discover how Theodore Roosevelt became first an apostle, and, ultimately, the champion and exemplar of the Strenuous Life. This episode also exposes the frightening prospects for those preoccupied with comfort, convenience, and ease. Finally, you’ll learn how hard work and strenuous action are like secret weapons of success enabling you to achieve what Roosevelt called “the splendid ultimate triumph.”


  1. Nasaw, David (2006). Andrew Carnegie. New York: Penguin. Pgs. 33-40.
  2. Yardley, Jonathan (2006, October 15). “Andrew Carnegie. By David Nasaw.” (Book Review). The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101201097.html
  3. Carnegie, Andrew (1908). The Empire of Business. New York: Doubleday. Pg. 77.
  4. Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2014). The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 34.
  5. Jackson, Bennett; Deming, Norma; Bemis, Katherine (1919). Thrift and Success. New York: The Century Co. Pg. 242.
  6. Roosevelt, Theodore (1922). Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Pg. 13.
  7. Ward, Geoffrey C. & Burns, Ken (2014). The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (Based on a Documentary Film by Ken Burns). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Pg. 6.
  8. Morris, Edmund (1979). The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. New York: Random House. Pg. 32.
  9. Robinson, Corinne Roosevelt (1921). My Brother, Theodore Roosevelt. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Pg. 50.
  10. Marschall, Rick (2011). Bully! The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, Inc. Pg. 40.
  11. Russell, Richard (1964, May 27). “Telephone Conversation Between President Johnson and Senator Richard Russell,” Document No. 52. Tape F64.27, Side B PNO 121 and F 64.28, Side A PNO 1. Recording and Transcripts, Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v27/d52#fn1
  12. Boller, Paul F. (1996). Presidential Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 194.
  13. Beschloss, Michael R. (2003). The Presidents. Pg. 299.
  14. Oaklander, Mandy (2019). “23 Surprising Things that May Extend Your Life.” The Science of Living Longer, Time Special Edition. New York: Time, Inc. Pg. 36.
  15. Chandler, Steve (1998). Reinventing Yourself: How to Become the Person You’ve Always Wanted to Be. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press. Pg. 49.
  16. Hardy, Darren (2011). The Compound Effect: Multiplying Our Success, One Simple Step at a Time. Philadelphia: Vanguard Press. Pg. 18.
  17. Burns, James MacGregor and Dunn, Susan (2001). The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America. New York: Grove Press.Pg. 26.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum,""Danse Macabre," "Midnight Tale," "Hero Down," "MJS Sting," Thaxted," "Long Road Ahead," "The Parting," "Whistle," "Morocco Sting," "Greta Sting," "Wizardtorium," "Achilles," "Sweeter Vermouth," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Sound Effects: "Bow River Windy" by Lwdickens @ FreeSound.org, "Wind Loop’ by MrLindstrom @FreeSound.org, "Hissing Snake" by AaronGNP @FreeSound.org, "Angry Snake Hiss Pass Long" by Csaszi @FreeSound.org, Ragnar Lothbrok Speech Scene Vikings Series, "Wind Gust" by Crashoverride61088 @FreeSound.org, "Rattle Snake" by 7h3_Lark @FreeSound.org.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 023.

Construct Your Own Heroic Life History: Ragnar Lothbrok, The Everlasting Legend of the Viking Leader

According to legend, Ragnar Lothbrok was the most famous Viking of his age. And he remains one of the greatest heroes of Viking history. But did a Viking leader named Ragnar Lothbrok actually exist? In this episode of Classic Influence, we’ll explore the power of this everlasting legend, and why the Vikings told and retold his story over and over again. This episode also reveals the power of story and legend and myth, and how a compelling epic can shape and, at last, radically transform the future. Drawing on the example of Ragnar Lothbrok, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and others, this episode also unmasks the power of your personal story, the cardinal importance of assuming your rightful role as both the author and the protagonist of your own heroic life history, and the power the storyteller role plays in the pursuit of your own grand aspirations and goals.


  1. Sprague, Martina (2007). Norse warfare: The Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Vikings. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc.Pg. 225.
  2. Sawyer, Peter (1997). The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 19. Quote: “In the year of our Lord 845, the vast army of Northmen breached the frontiers of the Christians. This was something that we never heard or read of happening before…”
  3. Logan, F. Donald (1991). The Vikings in History, 2nd Edition. London: Routledge. Pg. 118.
  4. Ferguson, Robert (2009). The Vikings: A History. New York: Viking. Pg. 183.
  5. Kane, Njord (2014). The Vikings: The Story of a People. Spangenhelm Publishing. Pg. 32.
  6. Sprague, Martina (2007). Norse warfare: The Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Vikings. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc.Pg. 227, 233.
  7. Dougherty, Martin J. (2014). Vikings: A History of the Norse People. London: Amber Books Ltd. Pg. 112.
  8. Parker, Eleanor (2018 July). “The Immortal Viking.” BBC History Magazine, Immediate Media Co. Pg. 30. Quote: The adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok “read like they’ve been plucked from a Hollywood blockbuster,” and, in fact, they’ve become central to the popular Vikings series on TV.
  9. Vaughan, Kenton (Writer and Director)(2014). “Secrets of the Vikings: The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok.” History Channel. T5 Vikings Productions, Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VOZEl7ygsA
  10. Le Guin, Ursula K. (1992). The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 31. Quote: “There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.”
  11. Philip, Neil (2007). Myths and Legends Explained. London: DK Publishing. Pg. 6.
  12. Kontur, Daniel and Simpson, William (Producers). Kontur, Daniel (Director). (2017). Myths & Monsters. Season 1, Episode 1, “Heroes and Villians.” [Documentary Film Series]. UK: Netflix. Quote: “We use stories to explain to ourselves why we do things in certain ways.”
  13. Lipton, Bruce and Bhaerman, Steve (2009). Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (and a Way to Get There from Here). Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc. Pg. 25.
  14. Asacker, Tom (2013). The Business of Belief: How the World’s Best Marketers, Designers, Salespeople, Coaches, Fundraisers, Educators, Entrepreneurs and Other Leaders Get Us to Believe. CreateSpace. Pg. 38. Quote: “…We all become the stories we tell ourselves.”
  15. Gottschall, Jonathan (2012). The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Boston: Mariner Books. Pg. 18.
  16. Elphick, Joanna (2018). “The Mighty Sons of Ragnar Lodbrok.” All About History Book of Viking Sagas, 1st Edition. San Francisco: Future Publishing Limited. Pgs. 95-97.
  17. Logan, F. Donald (1991). The Vikings in History, 2nd Edition. London: Routledge. Pg. 126.
  18. Jones, Gwyn (1968). A History of the Vikings. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 216.
  19. Taylor, Lily Ross (1975). “The Divinity of the Roman Emperor.” American Philological Association. Arno Press. Pg. 65.
  20. Albert, Edoardo (2018). “The Ultimate Viking.” All About History Book of Viking Sagas, 1st Edition. San Francisco: Future Publishing Limited. Pg. 88.
  21. The Columbia Coaching Certification Program’s Front-End Coach Intensives (Internal or External), Fall 2007, Dr. Terrence E. Maltbia Faculty Director. New York, NY: Columbia University. (CCCP) Quote: “Today, life history methods are employed in many fields including sociology, psychology, theology, political science and adult education; to name a few.”
  22. The Columbia Coaching Certification Program’s Front-End Coach Intensives (Internal or External), Fall 2007, Dr. Terrence E. Maltbia Faculty Director. New York, NY: Columbia University. Quote: “In a nutshell, life history can be thought of as an account of the series of events that make up your life. It is the story of your life and it is often written or shared in a way that highlights significant experiences, events or turning points and, importantly, the meaning we attach to these experiences and events.”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Virtutes Instrumenti,” “Virtutes Vocis,” “Danse Macabre,” “Midnight Tale,” “Hero Down,” “MJS Sting,” Thaxted,” “Long Road Ahead,” “The Parting,” “Whistle,” “Morocco Sting,” “Greta Sting,” “Wizardtorium,” “Achilles,” “Sweeter Vermouth,” and “Cartoon Battle.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Sound Effects: “Bow River Windy” by Lwdickens @ FreeSound.org, “Wind Loop’ by MrLindstrom @FreeSound.org, “Hissing Snake” by AaronGNP @FreeSound.org, “Angry Snake Hiss Pass Long” by Csaszi @FreeSound.org, Ragnar Lothbrok Speech Scene Vikings Series, “Wind Gust” by Crashoverride61088 @FreeSound.org, “Rattle Snake” by 7h3_Lark @FreeSound.org.

Voice Credits: Female Voice Outtro: LauraPro @Fiverr.com

CIP 022.

Spurn the Most Treacherous of Emotions, Beware the Ambitions of the Beast: The Hubris of Emperor Nero, Rome's Original Antichrist

Nero stands out as one of the most monstrous, and universally hated emperors in the long history of the Roman empire. And, yet, the reign of the once popular emperor began in relative peace. What allowed for such a dramatic transformation? Were there any early signs of what barbaric slaughtering was to come? In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll travel back to ancient Rome and watch as Nero, flooded with unquenchable hubris, burns his own ambitions to the ground. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Greece, celebrated theologians, and modern presidents, this episode explores why hubris is at the dead center of the most toxic of human emotions. For those with enough foresight and social intelligence to appreciate just how hazardous hubris can be—the key lesson from Nero’s life—this episode also reveals a few key tips for keeping a grip on this most treacherous of emotional states.


  1. “Nero” (2017). All About History Book of Kings & Queens, Seventh Edition. San Francisco: Future Publishing Limited. Pgs. 44-45, 47.
  2. Suetonius (1959). The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Volume II. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Pg. 155, 157, 177-179.
  3. Lucius Cassius Dio (1925). Dio’s Roman History. Volume VIII. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Pgs. 111, 115, 187, 193.
  4. Note: The fiddle did not yet exist; Nero was known for playing a stringed instrument known as the cithara. The fiddle is often used because of its double meaning (he “fiddled” or fidgeted around; an ineffectual response to the crisis.
  5. Wilkes, Jonny (2017, April). “Nero’s Greatest Crimes.” History Revealed. Bristol: Immediate Media Company. Pg. 41.
  6. Simon, George K. (2013). The Judas Syndrome: Why Good People Do Awful Things. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House. Pg. 54.
  7. Fitzgerald, Allan D. (Editor)(1999). Augustine through the Ages: An Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pg. 680.
  8. Seeskin, Kenneth (Editor)(2005). The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pg. 175.
  9. Sadler-Smith, Eugene (2017, January 23). “Why Hubris Causes Leaders to Significantly Overreach Themselves.” Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/why-hubris-causes-leaders-significantly-overreach-themselves-546913
  10. Hornum, Michael B. (1993). Nemesis, the Roman State, and the Games. New York: E.J. Brill. Pg. 15.
  11. The Holy Bible. Proverbs16:18
  12. Sidey, Hugh (1988, November 7). “The Presidency: Will These Mud Crawlers Learn to Fly?” Time. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,968875,00.html
  13. Beard, Mary (2015). SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. New York: Liveright Publishing Corp. Pgs. 397-398.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Achilles," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 021.

Milk Your Assets, Face the Brute Facts: The Cunning and Charismatic Cleopatra Assumes the Egyptian Throne

Flooded with political ambition and romantic intrigue, the saga of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Cleopatra, has captivated historians and storytellers throughout history. Contrary to the modern myth, however, it was not beauty, but her cunning and charisma, her savvy and self-belief, that enabled Cleopatra to make her mark on the world. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll explore how Cleopatra defied the political patriarchy, and influenced Julius Caesar to support her ambition to rule.


  1. White, Frances (2014). “The Ruthless Rise to Power of Cleopatra.” All About History, Issue 18. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pg. 70. Quote: “With an eager and curious mind driven by a near-insatiable thirst for knowledge,” Cleopatra learned to speak nine different languages. “…Even her esteemed scholars were amazed by her aptitude for languages,” writes one historian, “readily conversing with any foreign visitors,” whether they spoke Egyptian, Arabic, Ethiopian, Hebrew, Median, Parthian, Syrian, Trogodyte, Latin, or her native Koine Greek.
  2. White, Frances (2014). “The Ruthless Rise to Power of Cleopatra.” All About History, Issue 18. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pg. 70. Quote: While Cleopatra’s early life was filled with the wisdom and “wonders of the academic world,” sheltered within the wealth and lavish “luxury of the royal residence,” the real world outside the palace windows and its protective walls was being pushed to the breaking point, “in danger of being ripped apart.” “She would steal Caesar and Rome’s support while her brother slept; her charisma would succeed where her brother’s sword had failed.” (p. 76).
  3. McDermott, Bridget (2013). “The Last Pharaoh and the Fall of Egypt.” All About History. Issue 2. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pg. 67.
  4. White, Frances (2014). “The Ruthless Rise to Power of Cleopatra.” All About History, Issue 18. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pg. 72. Quote: In a grossly misguided effort to keep their bloodlines pure, keeping marriages within the family was typical of Egyptian royalty. Cleopatra, however, was not having it. She was not some “naïve wide-eyed child torn from her books to rule a kingdom on the brink of war,” as her brother’s guardian-advisors assumed.
  5. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 206, 207. Quote: “She wanted to rule alone and to restore Egypt to its past glory, a goal she felt none of her other siblings could achieve…” (p. 206).
  6. Goldfinch, Lottie (2014, November). “Cleopatra: Queen at Any Cost.” History Revealed. Bristol: Immediate Media Company. Pgs. 84-85.
  7. Roller, Duane W. (2010). Cleopatra: A Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pgs. 56-57.
  8. Jackson, Curtis and Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 27.
  9. Greene, Robert (2012). Mastery. New York: Viking. Pgs. 115, 116. Quotes: “To reach mastery requires some toughness and a constant connection to reality” (p. 115). “Masters,” Greene writes, “are those who by nature have suffered to get where they are. They have experienced endless criticisms of their work, doubts about their progress, setbacks along the way. They know deep in their bones what is required…” (p. 116).
  10. Collins, Jim (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t. New York: Random House. Pgs. 67, 70. Quotes: Management consultant Jim Collins, in his book, Good to Great, reports that one of the chief guiding principles of those few organizations that successfully transitioned from “good” to “great” was their willingness and ability to “confront the brutal facts of reality head-on” (p. 67). “When…you start with an honest and diligent effort to determine the truth of the situation,” Collins writes, “the right decisions often become self-evident. Not always, of course, but often. And even if all decisions do not become self-evident, one thing is certain: You absolutely cannot make a series of good decisions without first confronting the brutal facts” (p. 70).
  11. Greene, Robert (2012). Mastery. New York: Viking. Pg. 116. Quote: “In this day and age, you must get the sharpest dose of reality that is possible… You must go in search of it and welcome it. …Gain as much feedback as possible, no matter how hard it might be to take. Accustom yourself to criticism.”
  12. Jackson, Curtis and Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperCollins. Pg. 25. Quote: “The firmer your grasp on reality, the more power you will have to alter it for your purposes.”
  13. Michaelson, Gerald A. (2001). Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media Corporation. Pg. 100-101. Quote: “Know the enemy and know yourself, and your victory will never be endangered; know the weather and know the ground, and your victory will then be complete.”
  14. Holiday, Ryan (2014). The Obstacle is the Way. New York: Portfolio. Quote: “The obstacle is the way. The obstacle in the path becomes the path.”
  15. Maxwell, John (2007). Talent is Never Enough: No Matter How Gifted You Are, These 13 Choices Will Make You Better (Workbook). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Pg. 135. Quote: In stark contrast, when successful people face the inevitable obstacle or setback, rather than moving on to the next shiny object that comes along, explains psychology professor John Norcross, they see it as a “reason to recommit and a reminder to refocus on their goals with more determination.”
  16. Davis, Paul K. (1999). 100 Decisive Battles from Ancient Times to the Present: The World’s Major Battles and How They Shaped History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pg. 59. Quote: The defeat of Pompey—and, later, his treacherous assassination (at the hands of Ptolemy’s commander, Achillas)—put Caesar at “the pinnacle of power, effectively ending the [Roman] Republic.”
  17. White, Frances (2014). “The Ruthless Rise to Power of Cleopatra.” All About History, Issue 18. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pg. 74. Quote: “Cleopatra would have to use all her cunning just to make it into the city alive.” “…arguably the most powerful man in the known world…” (p. 74). “Caesar needed Egypt as much as Egypt needed Rome and she would use that fact to her advantage” (p. 74).
  18. Greene, Robert (2001). The Art of Seduction. New York: Penguin. Pg. 7. Quote: Cleopatra… “like Venus emerging from the waves…” Caesar and his generals were “dazzled at the sight” of this royal seductress “appearing before them suddenly as if in a dream” (p. 7). What’s more, “they were astounded at her daring and theatricality—smuggled into the harbor at night with only one man to protect her, risking everything on a bold move,” writes Robert Greene in The Art of Seduction (p. 7). It was indeed a daring risk, destined to be a defining moment in her life, and “no one was more enchanted than Caesar” (p. 7).
  19. Burstein, Stanley Mayer (2007). The Reign of Cleopatra. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Pg. 98. Quote: Julius Caesar was enthralled with the bright, colorful, and charismatic Egyptian Queen and, writes Plutarch, after “succumbing to the charm of further intercourse with her, he reconciled her to her brother on the basis of a joint share with him in the royal power” (p. 98).
  20. Goldfinch, Lottie (2016, January). “Cleopatra and Rome.” History Revealed, Issue 25. Bristol: Immediate Media Company. Pg. 40. Quote: “Cleopatra finally had the military support she needed to rule Egypt.”
  21. “In a lavish display of the new union, a fleet of Roman and Egyptian ships sailed down the Nile accompanied by the grand royal barge where Cleopatra and Caesar sat together” for all of Egypt to see (White 2014, p. 77).

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Dub Eastern," "Transition One," "Greta Sting," "Cowboy Sting," "Morocco Sting," "March of the Spoons," "The Forest and the Trees," "Hidden Agenda," "Thief in the Night," "The Chamber," "For the Fallen," "Achilles," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 020.

Surface Your Submerged Assumptions: President Kennedy and the Curious Consensus for the Bay of Pigs (Part 2 of 2)

John F. Kennedy is widely regarded as one of America’s most popular presidents. On matters of leadership, communication ability, and social intelligence, political scientists and historians continue to rank Kennedy as one of the greats. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast we explore how President Kennedy responded to his biggest blunder as President, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, and the leadership lessons we can learn from his response. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Greek philosophers and modern management scholars, this episode also reveals one of the most common causes of failure, along with a couple of key tactics you can adopt to avoid this type of mistake, and significantly improve your probability of success.


  1. Ruiz, Don Miguel. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
  2. Janis, Irving (1983). Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes, 2nd Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Pg. 14.
  3. Wicker, Tom; Finney, John W.; Frankel, Max; and Kenworthy, E.W. (1966, April 25). “C.I.A.: Maker of Policy, or Tool?” The New York Times. Pg. 20.
  4. Kotelnikov, Vadim (2017). “Challenge and Manage Assumptions.” 1000 Ventures. http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/creativity_challenging_assumptions.html
  5. Robbins, Stever (2012, August 28). “Challenge Your Assumptions.” Quick and Dirty Tips. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/productivity/time-management/challenge-your-assumptions
  6. Schlesinger, Arthur M. (2002). A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Pg. 250, & 240.
  7. Halberstam, David (1972). The Best and the Brightest. New York: Random House.
  8. Einstein, Albert (1946, June 23). “The Real Problem Is in the Hearts of Men.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1946/06/23/archives/the-real-problem-is-in-the-hearts-of-men-professor-einstein-says-a.html
  9. Matthew13:54-57. The Holy Bible.
  10. Proverbs 12:11. The Holy Bible.
  11. Butler-Bowdon, Tom (2004). 50 Success Classics: Winning Wisdom for Work and Life from 50 Landmark Books. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Pgs. 87-88.
  12. Conwell, Russell (1901) Acres of Diamonds: A Lecture by Russell Herrman Conwell. San Francisco : John D. Morris and Co.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Dub Eastern," "Transition One," "Greta Sting," "Cowboy Sting," "Morocco Sting," "March of the Spoons," "The Forest and the Trees," "Hidden Agenda," "Thief in the Night," "The Chamber," "For the Fallen," "Achilles," and "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 019.

Look First to Your Frames for the Seeds of Success: Russell Conwell's Acres of Diamonds (Part 1 of 2)

Revealing the surprising power of mental maps, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast takes you on a journey to the diamond mines of Golconda, and extracts the lessons we can learn from the tragic loss of the Persian farmer depicted in Civil War captain Russell Conwell’s most famous essay, “Acres of Diamonds.” Drawing on Henry David Thoreau’s experience living in the woods at Walden Pond, this episode also briefly explores the power of the unconscious mind, and the inherent inclination for people to slip into mindless mental habits and routines, often undermining their own deeply held desire to succeed. Geared toward avoiding the mental traps and flawed conceptual maps that so often hold people back, this episode concludes with a few key tactics you can adopt to improve your thinking, and, therefore, your decisions and your life.


  1. Hillis, Newell Dwight (1902). A Man’s Value to Society: Studies in Self-Culture and Character. Chicago: Fleming H. Revell Co. Pg. 177.
  2. Conwell, Russell (1901) Acres of Diamonds: A Lecture by Russell Herrman Conwell. San Francisco : John D. Morris and Co.
  3. Tolle, Eckhart (2004). The Power of Now. Vancouver: Namaste Publishing. Pg. 7.
  4. Robbins, Mike (2018). Bring Your Whole Self To Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity. Carlsbad: Hay House.
  5. Halpern, Diane F. (2014). Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking, Fifth Edition. New York: Psychology Press.
  6. Richardson, Robert D. (1986). Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind. Berkeley: University of California Press. Pg. 171. Richardson was paraphrasing Thoreau’s Journal entry dated August 5, 1851. Thoreau’s exact words were: “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”
  7. Snow, Peter John (2009). The Human Psyche: In Love, War and Enlightenment. Salisbury: Boolarong Press. Pg. 306.
  8. Rolfs, Martin (2011, February 11). “Looking at What the Eye Sees.” NPR’s Science Friday.
  9. DiSalvo, David (2013, June 22). “Your Brain Sees Even When You Don’t.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/06/22/your-brain-sees-even-when-you-dont/
  10. Thoreau, Henry David (1910). Walden. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Pg. 427.
  11. Covey, Stephen (1990). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 157
  12. Wilde, Dana (2013). Train Your Brain: How to Build a Million Dollar Business in Record Time. Bloomington: Balboa Press. Pg. 121. See also: Butzer, Bethany (2010). The Antidepressant Antidote: Five Steps to Get Off Antidepressants Safely and Effectively. Bloomington: Balboa Press. Pg. 103.
  13. Wilson, T.D. (2002). Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Pg. 24.
  14. Wind, Yoram & Crook, Colin (2006). The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business. Upper Saddle River: Wharton School Publishing. Pg. 5.
  15. Hill, Napoleon (1965). The Master Key to Riches. New York: Ballatine Books. Pg. 141.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Dub Eastern,""Wish Background," "Transition One," "Greta Sting," "Cowboy Sting," "Morocco Sting," "March of the Spoons," "The Forest and the Trees," "Hidden Agenda," "Thief in the Night," "The Chamber," "For the Fallen," "Achilles," and "Cartoon Battle." FreeSound.org: "Stream River" and "Water Splash" by InspectorJ, "Donkey Braying" by Beskhu, and"Whoppie" by RatSalsa. "Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 018.

Craft a Compelling Image to Increase Your Influence and Amplify Your Power: Blackbeard Becomes the Dark Lord of the Skull and Crossbones

Blackbeard remains the most famous pirate in the entire Golden Age of Piracy, and for good reason. In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll examine the key characteristics that set Blackbeard apart from the pack, and how this cunning pirate captain used the power of a fearsome image to achieve his aim. We’ll also briefly explore the five most fundamental factors in creating an effective image or personal brand, a vital part of the process of maximizing your influence and power. Finally, you’ll discover why the most effective impressions must begin with a deep understanding of your audience.


  1. Woodard, Colin (2014, November 14). “Blackbeard’s Face Was His Greatest Weapon.” Smithsonian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU7k920I5pc
  2. Johnson, Captain Charles (1927 [1724]). A General History Of The Robberies And Murders Of The Most Notorious Pirates, From Their First Rise And Settlement In The Island Of Providence To The Present Year. London: Routledge. Pg. 88.
  3. Leeson, Peter and Matson, John (2008, November 26). “What Would Blackbeard Do? Why Piracy Pays.” Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pirates-rational-choice/
  4. Leeson, Peter (2007). “Pirational Choice: The Economics of Infamous Pirate Practices.” PeterLeeson.com. Pg. 4. http://www.peterleeson.com/Pirational_Choice.pdf
  5. Konstam, Angus (2007). Scourge of the Seas: Buccaneers, Pirates, and Privateers. New York: Osprey Publishing Ltd. Pgs. 83, 88, 155.
  6. Fox, E.T. (2013, October 24). “The Most Terrifying Pirate in History” Smithsonian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–QdMC9qGQQ
  7. Westlake, Hannah (2018). “Blackbeard.” All About History Book of Pirates, 2nd Edition. Bournemouth: Future Publishing Limited. Pgs. 98-101.
  8. Pickman, Sarah (2006, August 8). “Too Great a Cruelty: Archaeology’s Top Ten Vicious Pirate Acts.” Archaeological Institute of America. https://archive.archaeology.org/online/reviews/pirates/poll.html
  9. Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan (1902). Tragedy of the Korosko and The Green Flag: And Other Stories of War and Sport. New York: D. Appleton and Company. Pg. 58.
  10. White, Frances (2017). “Blackbeard: King of the Pirates.” All About History, Issue 51. Bournemouth: Future Publishing Limited. Pgs. 31, 32.
  11. “Edward Teach: Blackbeard.” (2015, February). History Revealed, Issue 13. Bristol: Immediate Media Company. Pg. 43.
  12. Ailes, Roger (1988). You Are the Message: Getting What You Want by Being Who You Are. New York: Doubleday.
  13. Lynch, Lt. General (Ret.) Rick (2013). Adapt or Die: Leadership Principles from an American General. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. Pg. 197.
  14. Dombowsky, Don (2014). Nietzsche and Napoleon: The Dionysian Conspiracy (Political Philosophy Now). Pg. 71.
  15. Matthews, Christopher (1988). Hardball: How Politics is Played Told By One Who Knows the Game. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pg. 194.
  16. Anderson, Dorothy Middleton & Eastman, Margaret (2014). St. Philip’s Church of Charleston: An Early History of the Oldest Parish in South Carolina. Charleston: The History Press.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 017.

Leverage the Paradox of Self-Reliance: General George Washington Wins the War By First Building Belief and Rapport

Surveying the disciplined strategy, transforming leadership, and dogged determination of General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast reveals three key lessons we can learn from Washington’s effective prosecution of the war in the years leading up to the alliance with France. Looking back to the wisdom of the ancient Greeks, echoed in the insights of modern social science, this episode also reveals the power of the paradox of self-reliance. Finally, illustrating how this theme surfaces repeatedly throughout history—beginning at least as far back as classical Roman mythology—you will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for why self-reliance is so fundamental to your ultimate success.


  1. Brands, H.W.; Breen, T.H.; Williams, R. Hal; & Gross, Ariela (2012). American Stories: A History of the United States. Boston: Pearson. Pg. 189.
  2. Rees, James C. (2007). George Washington’s Leadership Lessons: What the Father of Our Country Can Teach Us About Effective Leadership and Character. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Pg. 60.
  3. Hamilton, Ross (Editor)(2016). “George Washington.” All About History: Book of U.S. Presidents. Dorset: Imagine Publishing Ltd. Pg. 17.
  4. Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin. Pg. 790.
  5. Engber, Daniel (2010, April 30). “Why Do We Love to Root for the Underdog.” Slate. https://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2010/04/the_underdog_effect.html
  6. Wertheim, L. Jon & Sommers, Sam (2016, March 15). “The Eternal Appeal of the Underdog.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/15/opinion/the-eternal-appeal-of-the-underdog.html
  7. Vandello, Joseph A. (2007, December). “The Appeal of the Underdog.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Volume 33, Number 12. Pgs. 1603-1616.
  8. Nietzsche, Friedrich (1997). Twilight of the Idols, Or How to Philosophize with the Hammer. Translated by Richard Polt. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing. Pg. 6.
  9. Ellerman, David (2006). Helping People Help Themselves: From the World Bank to an Alternative Philosophy of Development Assistance. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. Pg. 269.
  10. Ballou, Maturin M. (1899). Edge-Tools of Speech. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co. Pg. 61.
  11. Greene, Robert (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Penguin Books. Pg. 98-100.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure,""Mighty and Meek," "Achilles," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

If you like this show, then you’ll love Mastering the Power of Grit, available as an ebook or a paperback on Amazon. Following a format similar to this show, shared through their own compelling stories, Mastering the Power of Grit reveals the timeless lessons learned from the legends of grit, and the corresponding strategies, tactics, tips and tools you can use to master the power of grit to achieve your own most daring dreams and goals.

CIP 016.

Assume Ultimate Ownership, Embrace Radical Responsibility as a Rule: President Lincoln Pays the Ultimate Price

Examining the extraordinary experience and soaring example of President Abraham Lincoln, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast explores one of the vital, indispensable prerequisites of success. Unmasking the secret behind the greatness of legendary leaders like Lincoln, this episode also reveals how people are so often duped into giving their power away. You will also discover how the ultimate ownership mindset leads directly to the power and strength you need to achieve your ultimate dream.


  1. Lamon, Ward Hill (1895). Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, 1847-1865. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company. Pg. 118.
  2. Day, Harvey (1966). Seeing Into the Future. London: Thorsons Publishers Ltd. Pg.175.
  3. Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2005). Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 49, 53.
  4. Sandburg, Carl (1939). Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, Volume 4. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company. Pg. 269-270.
  5. Boller, Paul F. (1996). Presidential Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 146.
  6. Fears, J. Rufus (2007). “The Wisdom of History” Part 3, Chapter 7. The Great Courses. Chantilly, Virginia: The Teaching Company, LLC.
  7. Covey, Stephen (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press. Pg. 131.
  8. Hamilton, Ross (Ed.)(2016). “Abraham Lincoln.” All About History Book of U.S. Presidents. Bournemouth: Imagine Publishing, Ltd. Pg. 60.
  9. Petro, Joseph; Robinson, Jeffrey (2005). Standing Next to History: An Agent’s Life Inside the Secret Service. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Pg. 16. Note: The U.S. Secret Service was originally created to deal with counterfeit currency. It was not formally tasked with protecting the President of the United States until after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure," "Failing Defense," "Mighty and Meek," "Achilles," For the Fallen," Darkest Child var A," "At Launch," "The Rule," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 015.

Develop Deep Self-Belief: Napoleon Bonaparte's Lucky Star

Drawing on the experience and beliefs of Napoleon Bonaparte and his “lucky star,” this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast examines the extraordinary power that becomes yours through simple self-belief. Grounded in the success literature and the academic literature in positive psychology, you will also learn strategies and tactics you can adapt to develop your own unshakeable self-belief, the indispensable prerequisite for achieving your greatest ambitions and goals.


  1. Abbott, John Stevens Cabot (1855). The History of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume 1. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers. Pg. 344.
  2. Anonymous (1846). Anecdotes of Napoleon Bonaparte, His Ministers, His Generals, His Soldiers and His Times. Manchester: S. Johnson & Son. Pgs. 283-284.
  3. Bloch, Heinrich (1922). “Napoleon’s Superstitions.” The Living Age, Volume 314. Boston: The Living Age Company. Pg. 642.
  4. Butler-Bowdon, Tom (2004). 50 Success Classics: Winning Wisdom for Work and Life from 50 Landmark Books. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Pg. 44.
  5. McLynn, Frank (2011). Napoleon: A Biography. New York: Arcade Publishing. Pgs. 96, 97, 250, 289.
  6. Meneval, Claude François (1895). Memoirs to Serve for the History of Napoleon I From 1802 to 1815. London: Hutchinson & Co. Pg. 378, 380-381.
  7. “Napoleon on Suicide” (1895, February 9). From the manuscripts of Napoleon Bonaparte. The South Australian Chronicle. Pg. 7. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93970818
  8. Rathus, Spencer (2013). Psychology: Concepts and Connections, Ninth Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Pg. 358.
  9. Schwartz, David J. (2010). The Magic of Thinking Big. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 21.
  10. Selin, Shannon (2016, July 8). “Superstitious Napoleon – Did Bonaparte Really Believe in Bad Luck, Ghosts and Evil Spirits?” Military History Now. https://militaryhistorynow.com/2016/07/08/superstitious-napoleon-did-bonaparte-really-believe-in-evil-spirits-omens-and-lucky-charms/ See also: Alexandre Brierre de Boismont (1862). “Des Hallucinations, ou Histoire raisonnée des apparitions, des visions, des songes, de l’extase, du magnétisme et du somnambulisme.” Paris. Pg. 46.
  11. Sewell-Rutter, Colin (1999, September/October). “So You Want to Be a Leader?” Manager. Telford, UK. Pg. 8.
  12. Strathern, Paul (2009). Napoleon in Egypt. New York: Bantam Books. Pg. 22.
  13. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, NKJV, (2002). John C. Maxwell (Editor). Philippians 4:13. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Bibles. Pg. 1453.
  14. Tracy, Brian (1995). Brian Tracy’s Little Silver Book of Prosperity. New York: Barnes and Noble Books. Pg. 60.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure," "Failing Defense," "Mighty and Meek," "Achilles," For the Fallen," Darkest Child var A," "At Launch," "The Rule," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 014.

Aim First for Self-Reliance: The Roots of Cornelius Vanderbilt's Transportation Empire

Exploring the roots of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s early success as a budding titan in the transportation industry, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast is designed to enhance your understanding, and deepen your appreciation for the importance of self-reliance to your success. Drawing on the wisdom of some of the early self-help thinkers, this episode will also help you to gain a better understanding of how a lack of independence, autonomy, and self-will can leave you weak and vulnerable, ultimately stunting your growth, and undermining your efforts to succeed.


  1. Downey, Kirstin (2014). Isabella: The Warrior Queen. New York: Anchor Books.
  2. Nasaw, David (2006). Andrew Carnegie. New York: Penguin.
  3. Yardley, Jonathan (2006, October 15). “Andrew Carnegie. By David Nasaw.” (Book Review). The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101201097.html
  4. Dyer, Wayne (2007). Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc. Pg. 74.
  5. Aeschylus (1926) [circa 5th century B.C.]). Fragments. Translated by Smyth, Herbert Weir. Loeb Classical Library Volumes 145 & 146. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. FRAGMENT 223: “God loves to help him who strives to help himself.”
  6. Koch, Marylane Wade, (2011) “Cornelius Vanderbilt: American steamship and railroad magnate.” In Bromberg, Howard (ed.) (2011). The Incredibly Wealthy: Great Lives from History. Pasadena, California: Salem Press.
  7. Renehan, Edward J. (2009). Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. New York: Basic Books.
  8. Hobbes, Thomas (1998). Leviathan (Oxford World’s Classics). Edited by: J. C. A. Gaskin. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 84.
  9. Dyck, Arthur J. (1994). Rethinking Rights and Responsibilities: The Moral Bonds of Community. Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press. Pg. 12.
  10. Strauss, Leo & Cropsey, Joseph (Eds.). (1987). History of Political Philosophy (Third Edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Pg. 333.
  11. Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1841). Self-Reliance. White Plains: Peter Pauper Press.
  12. Jordan, William George (1907). Self-Control, Its Kingship and Majesty. Buffalo: Corlis Company Publishers.
  13. Everett, Charles Carroll (1892). Ethics for Young People. “Always Try It Yourself.” Boston: Ginn and Company.
  14. Barnum, P.T. (1855). The Life of P.T. Barnum. New York: Redfield.
  15. Jordan, William George (1907). The Majesty of Calmness: Individual Problems and Possibilities. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company.
  16. Allen, James (1903). As a Man Thinketh. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  17. Jackson, Curtis and Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperCollins.
  18. McRaven, William H. (2017). Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe the World. New York: Hachette.
  19. Peterson, Jordan B. (2018). 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. New York: Random House Canada.
  20. Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1841). Self-Reliance. White Plains: Peter Pauper Press.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Danse Macabre," "The Path of the Goblin King," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 013.

Dare to Run More and Greater Risks: P.T. Barnum Risks It All on an Unknown

Drawing on one of the transforming incidents in the early days of P.T. Barnum’s life as a showman and promoter, in this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast you’ll discover the indispensable role of risk in seizing ambitious opportunities, overcoming limits, and conquering unfamiliar terrain, and how bold, calculated risk-taking is often what separates the superstars of success from the vast majority who are merely mediocre. You will also learn five key tactics you can use to strengthen your capacity to run more and greater risks, as you learn to take the bold actions necessary to expand and accelerate your success.


  1. Vitale, Joe (2006). There’s a Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum’s Amazing 10 “Rings of Power” for Creating Fame, Fortune, and a Business Empire Today—Guaranteed! Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Pgs. 80, 127, 180.
  2. Barnum, Phineas Taylor (1888). The Life of P.T. Barnum: Written By Himself, Including His Golden Rules for Money-Making. Buffalo: The Courier Company Printers. Pg. 309.
  3. “People and Events: Jenny Lind, 1820-1887.” Stephen Foster (film). American Experience. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/peopleevents/p_lind.html
  4. Sullivan, Robert (ed.) (2010). LIFE 100 People Who Change the World. New York: LIFE Books, Time, Inc. Pg. 91.
  5. Maltz, Maxwell (1960). Psycho-Cybernetics. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 117.
  6. White, Richard D. (2006). Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long. New York: Random House. Pg. 75.
  7. Jeansonne, Glen (1993). Messiah of the Masses: Huey P. Long and the Great Depression. New York: Longman. Pg. 86.
  8. Roosevelt, Theodore (1899). The Rough Riders. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Pgs. 122-130.
  9. Jackson, Curtis and Greene, Robert (2009). The 50th Law. New York: HarperCollins.
  10. Keller, Helen (1957) The Open Door. New York: Doubleday. Pg. 17.
  11. Arden, Paul (2006). Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite. New York: Pengin. Pg. 26.
  12. Marden, Orison Swett (1899). Character: The Grandest Thing in The World. Thomas Y. Crowell and Company. Pg. 6.
  13. Landrum, Gene N. (1999). Eight Keys to Greatness: How to Unlock Your Hidden Potential. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. Pg. 203.
  14. Robbins, Anthony (1995). Notes from a Friend: A Quick and Simple Guide to Taking Charge of Your Life. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pg. 30.
  15. Englund, Steven (2004). Napoleon: A Political Life. New York: Scribner. Pg. 322.
  16. Markham, Felix (1963). Napoleon. New York: Penguin. Pg. 226.
  17. O’Neal, Bill (1979). “The Clanton Gang a.k.a. The Cowboys.” Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
  18. Russell, Mary Doria (2017, April). “Who Was the Best Huckleberry? One Doc Holliday Actor Stands Above the Rest.” True West. Pg. 40.
  19. Roberts, Nancy (2008). Ghosts of the Wild West. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.
  20. Ortner, Mary J. (2001). “Captain Nathan Hale (1755—1776).” The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. https://www.connecticutsar.org/captain-nathan-hale-1755-1776-2/
  21. Hatfull, Jonathan (2014). “Heroes and Villains: Joan of Arc.” All About History, Issue 10. Dorset: Imagine Publishing Ltd.
  22. Towne, Stephen (2016, June). “Dangerously Discreet: The Civil War’s Most Famous Female Spies.” American History, Volume 51, Number 2.
  23. Clinton, Catherine (2016). “Five Women of the American Civil War.” The American Civil War Story, 150th Anniversary Edition. Bristol: BBC History Magazine, Immediate Media Co.
  24. Wilkes, Jonny (2017, January). “Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People.” History Revealed, Issue 38. Bristol: Immediate Media Co.
  25. Orta, Josep Palau (2017, September-October). “Martin Luther Sparks the Reformation.” National Geographic History, Volume 3, Number 4. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Partners, LLC. Pgs. 60-69.
  26. McCullough, David (2006), 1776. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 183.
  27. Frankel, Max (2002, October). “Learning from the Missile Crisis: What Really Happened on Those Thirteen Fateful Days in October.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/learning-from-the-missile-crisis-68901679
  28. Schlesinger, Arthur M. (2002). Robert Kennedy and His Times. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Pg. 438.
  29. Branson, Richard (2012). Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School. New York: Penguin. Pg. 10.
  30. Smith, Preserved (1920). The Age of Reformation. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Pgs. 65-67, 71.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Drankin Song," "Porch Blues," "MJS Stings," "Cowboy Sting," "Danse Macabre," "The Path of the Goblin King," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Evening Melodrama," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 012.

Expand Your Perspective, Effect Strategy to Win the Greater Game: The Supreme Pontiff's Immaculate Deception

Continuing with the life story of Cesare Borgia, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast explores Cesare’s approach to dealing with the Borgia family’s nemesis, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (who later became Pope Julius II), as an illustration of the dangers of failing to think strategically. In this episode, you’ll discover the power of maintaining a strategic perspective, and the significance of expanding your perspective to include the broader context of your strategy, tactics, decisions, and goals. This episode concludes with four core strategic lessons we can learn from Cesare Borgia’s fall from power.


  1. Strathern, Paul (2009). The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior. New York: Bantam Books. Pg. 257, 263, 286.
  2. Dreiser, Theodore (1914). A Traveler at Forty. New York: The Century Co. Pg. 335.
  3. Hibbert, Christopher (2009). The Borgias and their Enemies: 1431—1519. Boston: Mariner Books. Pg. 260, 268, 271.
  4. Lee, Alexander (2013, October 1). “Were the Borgias Really so Bad?” History Today. https://www.historytoday.com/alexander-lee/were-borgias-really-so-bad
  5. Garner, John Leslie (1912). Caesar Borgia: A Study of the Renaissance. New York: McBride, Nast & Company. Pg. 248.
  6. Sabatini, Rafael (1912). The Life of Cesare Borgia, 3rd Edition. London: Stanley Paul & Co. Pg. 426.
  7. White, Richard D. (2006). Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long. New York: Random House. Pg. 241.
  8. Hayden, Erik (2012, March 22). “Everyone Loves a Good Etch A Sketch Meme.” Time. http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/22/everyone-loves-a-good-etch-a-sketch-meme/
  9. Goodman, J. David (2012, March 26). “Microphone Catches a Candid Obama.” The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/us/politics/obama-caught-on-microphone-telling-medvedev-of-flexibility.html
  10. “Cesare Borgia.” (2018, January 18). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cesare-borgia
  11. “Cesare Borgia.” (2017, January 24). New World Encyclopedia. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cesare_Borgia
  12. Najemy, John M. (2013). “Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia: A Reconsideration of Chapter 7 of ‘The Prince.'” The Review of Politics. Volume 75, Number 4. Pgs. 539-556. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43670906
  13. Ricks, Thomas E. (2017, June 2). “Churchill had his faults, but he was a far better strategist than his generals were.” Foreign Policy. http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/02/churchill-had-his-faults-but-he-was-a-far-better-strategist-than-his-generals-were/
  14. Heifetz, Ronald A. (1994). Leadership Without Easy Answers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Pg. 252.
  15. Greene, Robert (2012). Mastery. New York: Viking. Pg. 184.
  16. Porter, Jennifer (2017, March 21). “Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection (Even If You Hate Doing It).” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it
  17. McManus, John C. (2004). The Americans at D-Day: The American Experience at the Normandy Invasion. New York: Forge Books.
  18. Manchester, William (1983). The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874—1932. New York: Bantam Books. Pg. 348.
  19. Counsman, Randy & Glass, Nancy (2018). “The Pope Who Founded Modern Diplomacy.” Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History (Documentary). CNN Original Series. https://www.cnn.com/shows/pope

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Drankin Song," "Porch Blues," "MJS Stings," "Cowboy Sting," "Danse Macabre," "The Path of the Goblin King," "Long Road Ahead,""Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Evening Melodrama," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 011.

Saturate Your Mind with a Lifelong Orientation to Time: Cesare Borgia's Fight to Rise

Exploring the remarkable power of your time horizon, this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast reveals the surprising benefits of aligning with and orienting to the long view. Drawing on the life story of Cesare Borgia and his father, Pope Alexander VI, as well as the research of former Harvard professor of political science Edward Banfield, you will also learn the hazards of failing to implement this essential mental frame and how to avoid them, and three key application tools for helping to ensure your success. Finally, you will discover the single most critical secret of self-discipline.


  1. Strathern, Paul (2009). The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior. New York: Bantam Books. Pgs. 257, 260.
  2. Church, Jeffrey (2015). Nietzsche’s Culture of Humanity: Beyond Aristocracy and Democracy in the Early Period. New York: Cambridge University Press. Pg. 95.
  3. Hofele, Andreas (2016). No Hamlets: German Shakespeare from Nietzsche to Carl Schmitt. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pg. 36.
  4. Tracy, Brian (2004). Getting Rich Your Own Way: Achieve All Your Financial Goals Faster than You Ever Thought Possible. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Pg. 4.
  5. Tracy, Brian (2000). The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Pg. 163-164.
  6. Phillips, Derek (1986). Toward a Just Social Order. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Pg. 410.
  7. Lustig, Robert (2017). The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains. New York: Penguin.
  8. Tracy, Brian (2018). “The Key to Long-Term Success.” Brian Tracy International. https://www.briantracy.com/blog/leadership-success/the-key-to-long-term-success/
  9. Tracy, Brian (2010). Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want—Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Pg. 54.
  10. Hill, Napoleon (2007). Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement. New York: Penguin.
  11. Shoda, Yuichi; Mischel, Walter; Peake, Philip K. (1990). “Predicting Adolescent Cognitive and Self-Regulatory Competencies from Preschool Delay of Gratification: Identifying Diagnostic Conditions.” Developmental Psychology. Volume 26, Number 6. Pgs. 978–986. https://www.webcitation.org/62C0yfhcJ
  12. Shoda, Yuichi; Mischel, Walter (1989, May 26). “Delay of Gratification in Children.” Science, Volume 244, Number 4907. Pgs. 933-938. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2658056
  13. Shoda, Yuichi; Mischel, Walter; Peake, Philip K. (1988, April). “The nature of adolescent competencies predicted by preschool delay of gratification.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 54, Number 4. Pgs. 687-696. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3367285
  14. Taylor, Richard S. (1962). The Disciplined Life. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers. Pg. 17.
  15. Barber, James David (2009). The Presidential Character: Predicting Performance in the White House. New York: Routledge.
  16. Truman, Margaret (1972) Harry S. Truman. New York: William Morrow and Co.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Drankin Song," "Porch Blues," "MJS Stings," "Clenched Teeth," "Cowboy Sting," "Danse Macabre," "The Path of the Goblin King," "Long Road Ahead," "In Your Arms," "Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Evening Melodrama," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 010.

Stay Hungry to Make Your Mark: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Drum Major Instinct

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we examine the role and importance of ambition to your success, and how misguided social norms can unintentionally sabotage your best efforts. Looking to the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and drawing on the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr., this episode also serves as a sort of call to arms for you to raise the bar and reexamine your focus in light of your true, perhaps hidden, aspirations.


  1. Brinkley, Alan (1982). Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression. New York: Vintage Books.
  2. Leamer, Laurence (2005). Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
  3. Schwarzenegger, Arnold (2013). Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. New York: Simon and Schuster.
  4. Kluger, Jeffrey (2005, November 6). “Ambition: Why Some People Are Most Likely to Succeed: The Science of Ambition: How Genes, Family Affect.” Time Magazine. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1126746-1,00.html
  5. Movers and Shakers: The 100 Most Influential Figures in Modern Business (2003). Perseus Publishing. New York: Basic Books.
  6. White, Richard D. (2006). Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long. New York: Random House.
  7. Earhart, Amelia (1928). 20 Hrs. 40 Min: Our Flight in the Friendship. New York: Arno Press. Pg. 110.
  8. Marden, Orison Swett (1919). Ambition and Success. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company Publishers.
  9. Gibbs, N. & Duffy, M. (2012). The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity. New York: Simon & Shuster.
  10. Eldredge, John (2001). The Journey of Desire. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
  11. Nohria, Nitin & Champy, James (2000). The Arc of Ambition: Defining the Leadership Journey. Cambridge: Perseus Books.
  12. Collier, Robert (2008). The Secret of the Ages. Wilder Publications, Pg. 42.
  13. Shenkman, Richard (1999). Presidential Ambition: How the Presidents Gained Power, Kept Power, and Got Things Done. New York: HarperCollins.
  14. King, William (2013). Ambition, A History: From Vice to Virtue. New Haven: Yale University Pres. Pg. 3.
  15. Pressfield, Steven (2012). Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work. New York: Black Irish Entertainment, LLC.
  16. Jones, W. Randall (2009). The Richest Man in Town: The Twelve Commandments of Wealth. New York: Business Plus.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Drankin Song," "Porch Blues," "MJS Stings," "Clenched Teeth," "Cowboy Sting," "Danse Macabre," "The Path of the Goblin King," "Long Road Ahead," "In Your Arms," "Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Evening Melodrama," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 009.

Crown Yourself: Huey Long's Campaign for the Poor

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we reveal some of the key lessons we can learn from Huey Long’s 1928 campaign for governor of Louisiana, including the importance of transcending rules, boundaries, and cultural norms in order to get attention, gain power, and meet the needs of your tribe, or your own individual purpose and goals. We also look at how people can get trapped by the status quo, and how culture can be used and abused to reinforce the existing power structure. Finally, we explore the importance of being mindful, strategic and purposeful in regards to how the rules, norms, beliefs, and values of organizations and society can subtly constrict your thinking and, thereby, limit your vision, ambition, and goals.


  1. Brinkley, Alan (1982). Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression. New York: Vintage Books.
  2. Smith, Gerald L.K. (1975). Huey P. Long: Summary of Greatness Political Genius, American Martyr. Manuscript. Pg. 8.
  3. Williams, T. Harry (1981). Huey Long. New York: Random House. Pg. 182.
  4. Williams, T. Harry (1981). Huey Long. New York: Random House. Pg. 267

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Drankin Song," "Porch Blues," "MJS Stings," "Clenched Teeth," "Cowboy Sting," "Danse Macabre," "The Path of the Goblin King," "Long Road Ahead," "In Your Arms," "Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Evening Melodrama," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 008.

Conquer Fear Through Action: Theodore Roosevelt in the Badlands

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we examine a revealing experience of Theodore Roosevelt in the Dakota Badlands. We’ll also explore a few lessons we can learn from his experience as well as a few of the tactics he used for overcoming his fear. We also look briefly at Eleanor Roosevelt’s experience during the women’s rights movement, and her approach to dealing with her own fears. This episode emphasizes the importance of both your actions and beliefs in regards to fear and how to adopt the most resourceful mindset about confidence and courage, one that will serve you throughout your life.


  1. Roosevelt, Theodore (1922). Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Pgs. 54-55.
  2. Peterson, Christopher & Seligman, Martin E.P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. Chapter 9: “Bravery [Valor].” New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 223.
  3. Barnes, Paul; Baucom, Pam Tubridy; & Burns, Ken (Producers). Burns, Ken (Director). (2014). The Roosevelts: An Intimate History [Documentary Film]. United States: Florentine Films.
  4. Peterson, Christopher & Seligman, Martin E.P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. Chapter 9: “Bravery [Valor].” New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 215.
  5. Roosevelt, Eleanor (1960). You Learn By Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press. Pgs. 29-30.
  6. Robbins, Anthony (2014). Money: Master the Game. 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pg. 183. “Here’s the truth,” writes Anthony Robbins, “the ultimate thing that stops most of us from making significant progress in our lives is not somebody else’s limitations, but rather our own limiting perceptions or beliefs. No mater how successful we are as human beings, no matter how high we reach personally, professionally, spiritually, emotionally, there’s always another level. And to get there, we have to be honest with ourselves…”
  7. Silver, Idora (1996). The Chutzpah Connection: Blueprint for Success. Reno: Chutzpress. Pg. 59. “The mind has an amazing ability to help you create the behaviors necessary to be consistent with your thoughts.”
  8. Isaacson, Walter (2011). Steve Jobs. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pg. 55. “I taught him,” Bushnell said of Jobs, “that if you act like you can do something, then it will work. I told him, ‘Pretend to be completely in control and people will assume that you are.'”
  9. Dennis, Felix (2010). The Narrow Road: A Brief Guide to the Getting of Money. New York: Penguin. Pg. 44. “One cannot banish fear,” writes Felix Dennis in The Narrow Road, “but one can face it down, crush it, bury it, padlock it in the deepest recesses of your heart and soul—and leave it there to rot.”
  10. Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2014). The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pgs. 39-40. Quoting one of his childhood friends, Doris Kearns Goodwin explains, “‘by constantly forcing himself to do the difficult or even dangerous thing,’ he was able to cultivate courage as ‘a matter of habit, in the sense of repeated effort and repeated exercise of will-power.'”
  11. Roosevelt, Theodore (1922). Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Pgs. 52. “Most men can have the same experience if they choose,” Roosevelt wrote. “They will first learn to bear themselves well in trials which they anticipate and which they school themselves in advance to meet. After a while the habit will grow on them, and they will behave well in sudden and unexpected emergencies which come upon them unawares.”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Americana," "In the West," "MJS Stings," "Western Streets," "The Builder," "Clenched Teeth," "Cowboy Sting," "Danse Macabre," "At Launch," "Long Road Ahead," "Crusade," "Daily Beetle," "Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 007.

Hustle While You Wait: Walter Chrysler's Siren Call

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we look at the strategy Walter Chrysler used to crack into the automobile manufacturing business. We explore a few lessons we can learn from Chrysler, as well as a couple of short anecdotes from other historical legends, including General Stonewall Jackson and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. This episode emphasizes the value of maintaining perspective, optimizing time, and hustling while you wait.


  1. “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.” —General Patton
  2. “Before anything else preparation is the key to success.” —Alexander Graham Bell
  3. “It is better to act on a plan that is still weak,” wrote Napoleon Hill, “than to delay acting at all.”
  4. “Procrastination is the archenemy of personal initiative,” wrote Hill, “and if you let it become a habit this early in the game, it will plague your every move.”
  5. “That is where it happened…I spent four days hanging around the show,” he said, “held by that automobile as by a siren’s song.” Curcio, Vincent (2000). Chrysler: The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 108.
  6. Einstein quote: “The kind of work I do can be done anywhere. Why should I be less capable of reflecting about my problems on the Potsdam bridge than at home?” Fadiman, Clifton and Bernard, Andre (eds.) (2000). Bartlett’s Book of Anecdotes. New York: Little, Brown and Company. Pg. 184.
  7. Movers and Shakers: The 100 Most Influential Figures In Modern Business (2003). Perseus Publishing. New York: Basic Books. Pgs. 150-151.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Danse Macabre-Big Change," "In the West," "MJS Stings," "Fluffing a Duck," "The Builder," "Long Road Ahead," "Call to Adventure," "Achilles," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 006.

Start with What You Have, Where You Are: The Legend Behind the Story of Robinson Crusoe

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we explore the story of Scottish buccaneer and navigator Alexander Selkirk—the inspiration behind the legend of Robinson Crusoe—and the wisdom and insights we can gain from his experience as a castaway on an uninhabited island off the coast of Chile. We explore the significance of self-reliance and resourcefulness, and the need to lean into your challenges, rather than turning your back.


  1. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” —Theodore Roosevelt (1858—1919)
  2. “Do not wait,” said Napoleon Hill, “the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”
  3. The Duke’s Captain, Woodes Rogers, was skeptical of this strange and strangely fit and agile man, who by now was “clothed in goat skins who looked wilder than the first owners of them.” Rogers, Woodes (1712). A Cruising Voyage Round the World: First to the South-Seas, thence to the East-Indies, and homewards by the Cape of Good Hope. London: A. Bell and B. Lintot. Pg. 125.
  4. The “governor,” as he quickly came to be called, proceeded to astonish the crew with both his remarkable agility and speed—even outrunning and outlasting their dogs—as he caught two or three goats a day and helped to restore a number of the crew, who were suffering from scurvy, back to full health. Rogers, Woodes (1712). A Cruising Voyage Round the World: First to the South-Seas, thence to the East-Indies, and homewards by the Cape of Good Hope. London: A. Bell and B. Lintot. Pgs. 127-132.
  5. “The best place to succeed is where you are with what you have.” — Charles M. Schwab
  6. Rogers (1712, Pg. 130). “One may see that solitude and retirement from the world is not such an insufferable state of life as most men imagine, especially when people are fairly called or thrown into it unavoidably, as this man was.”
  7. Steele, Richard (December 1713). The Englishman, No. 26. Note: Richard Steele (1672-1729) was an essayist and reporter and briefly a Member of Parliament. He was also a cofounder (with Joseph Addison) of The Spectator. See also: Balkan, Evan L. (2008). Shipwrecked! Deadly Adventures and Disasters at Sea. Birmingham, AL: Menasha Ridge Press. Pgs. 148-149. “I am now worth eight hundred pounds, but shall never be so happy, as when I was not worth a farthing.” Note: A “farthing” is about a quarter of a penny.
  8. “Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so?” asked the late great U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841—1935). “Too often,” he said, “it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.”
  9. Rogers (1712, Pg. 130). Despite the great hardship, Rogers wrote, “he found means to supply his wants.”
  10. Rogers (1712, Pg. 130). “We may perceive by this story,” Rogers concluded, “the truth of the maxim that necessity is the mother of invention…”

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Danse Macabre-Big Change," "Clenched Teeth," "MJS Stings," "Evening Melodrama," "Expeditionary," ‘Five Armies," "At the Shore," "Long Road Ahead," "To the Ends," "Call to Adventure," "Not as It Seems," "Truth of the Legend," "Achilles," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 005.

Concentrate Your Power: Casanova's Great Escape

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we explore the success philosophy of the legendary seducer Giacomo Casanova. We also touch on some of the overlapping ideas from thinkers as diverse as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Andrew Carnegie.


  1. “Imagination can kill a man. Or it can aid him in rising to heights of achievement that border on the miraculous, if he keeps his mind busily engaged in the direction of the things he desires most.” —Napoleon Hill (1883—1970), Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion, pg. 154.
  2. “He would do anything for her, even risk his life, which in fact he sometimes did.” Greene, Robert. 48 Laws of Power. Pg. 233.
  3. “Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade, in short in all management of human affairs.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life
  4. Casanova himself, Robert Greene tells us, “attributed his success in life to his ability to concentrate on a single goal and push at it until it yielded.” Greene, Robert. 48 Laws of Power. Pg. 175.
  5. They mistake urgency for value and importance. Covey, Stephen. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
  6. “There is no such thing as destiny,” Casanova wrote. “We ourselves shape our lives.”
  7. “I have always believed that when a man gets it into his head to do something, and when he exclusively occupies himself in that design, he must succeed, whatever the difficulties. That man will become Grand Vizier or Pope.” Casanova, Gicamo.
  8. “Here is the prime condition of success,” wrote the Scottish American steel baron Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men in history, “Concentrate your energy, thought and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun on one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.” Carnegie, Andrew.
  9. “The one prudence in life is concentration,” wrote Emerson;” the one evil is dissipation: And it makes no difference whether our dissipations are coarse or fine.” Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1866). The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations. Volume II. “The Conduct of Life.” London: William Clowes and Sons. Pg. 339.
  10. “We race from one thing to another, but the people who are winning have a consistent focus for what they are trying to do.” Godin, Seth.
  11. “Focusing is about saying, ‘No.'” Jobs, Steve.
  12. To succeed, wrote Emerson, you must put a decisive end to all miscellaneous activity and concentrate your power “on one or a few points.” Learn from the example of the gardener, he said, who “by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree into one or two vigorous limbs, instead of suffering it to spindle into a sheaf of twigs.” Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1866). The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations. Volume II. “The Conduct of Life.” London: William Clowes and Sons. Pg. 338.
  13. “There is,” said Vince Lombardi, “only one way to succeed in anything and that is to give everything. I do,” he said, “and I demand that my players do. Any man’s finest hour is when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle…victorious.” Ekeren, Glenn Van (1994). Speaker’s Sourcebook II: Quotes, Stories and Anecdotes for Every Occasion. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
  14. “So [it is] with the power of thought,” wrote Charles Haanel in The Master Key System, “let power be dissipated by scattering the thought from one object to another, and no result is apparent; but focus this power through attention or concentration on any single purpose for any length of time and nothing becomes impossible.” Tarcher, Jeremy P. (Ed.)(2007). The Prosperity Bible: The Greatest Writings of All Time on the Secrets to Wealth and Prosperity. New York: Penguin.

Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), "Heroic Age," "Take a Chance," "Fife and Drum," "Danse Macabre-Big Change," "Court of the Queen," "Darkest Child," "MJS Stings," "Evening Melodrama," "Failing Defenser," ‘Impending Boom," "To the Ends," "Truth of the Legend," "Sneaky Snitch," "Call to Adventure," "Cartoon Battle." Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 004.

Resolve to Pay the Price: Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll look at the development of the H-4 Hercules (Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose), around the time of World War II, and the lessons we can learn from Howard Hughes’ experience, including the importance of commitment, risk, hard work, follow through and conviction. We’ll also discuss one of the secrets of Hughes’ success.


Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre-Big Change,” “Achilles,” “Black Vortex,” “MJS Stings,” “Evening Melodrama,” “Covert Affair,” “Cartoon Battle.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 003.

Cultivate a Fantastic Obsession: Walt Disney's Epic Dream

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll explore the vision of Walt Disney, the role that a great dream or grand aspiration plays in ensuring your success, and how you can cultivate your dream until it becomes your own fantastic obsession.


Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre-Big Change,” “Call to Adventure,” “MJS Stings,” “Evening Melodrama,” “Covert Affair,” “Cartoon Battle.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 002.

Select Yourself: JFK's Campaign for President

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we look at John F. Kennedy’s decision to run for President, the pushback he faced from within his own party, and the lessons we can learn from his response, including the critical importance of being the master of your own fate.


Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heroic Age,” “Death of Kings,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre-Big Change,” “Achilles,” “Black Vortex,” “MJS Stings,” “Evening Melodrama,” “Achaidh Cheide,” “Cartoon Battle.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

CIP 001.

The Power of Initiative: President McKinley's Message to Garcia

In this episode of the Classic Influence Podcast, we’ll explore the role and importance of initiative and the ownership mindset in your success. Drawing on the experience of Captain Andrew Rowan and President McKinley’s famous “message to Garcia” during Cuba’s war of independence from Spain, as well as the reception of Elbert Hubbard’s essay, “A Message to Garcia,” you’ll begin to see the surprising influence of men and women of initiative. You will also discover the one factor that makes this quality so essential to your success.


Music Credits: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), “Heroic Age,” “Take a Chance,” “Fife and Drum,” “Danse Macabre-Big Change,” “Achilles,” “Black Vortex,” “MJS Stings,” “Evening Melodrama,” “Covert Affair,” “Cartoon Battle.” Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

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