Making the Impossible Possible (ft. Ben Nemtin)

Mic Drop

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1+ y ago 39:45

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Making the Impossible Possible (ft. Ben Nemtin)

One man’s dream to help others achieve theirs

OPENING QUOTE:

“It was national news, then it was international news, and then people also started sending us their dreams, asking for our help. And so we just kept doing it because the energy was there. And that's why this project turned into, really, a lifestyle. And I realized that a list is really a reminder of the things that are truly important to you that tend to get buried by the day-to-day.”

-Ben Nemtin

GUEST BIO:

Ben Nemtin rose to fame when he and three buddies from school made a list of 100 impossible things they wanted to do before they died. Then they jumped into a van together and set out to make them happen. The catch? For every one dream they accomplished, they had to help someone else achieve a dream of their own.

The foursome filmed the whole thing, which became a hit TV show on MTV and helped launch Ben's remarkable speaking career. This last year, Ben delivered over 150 paid keynotes and is one of the most in-demand speakers on the planet. He helps audiences make the impossible possible while covering topics like mental health, burnout, and regret in a deeply personal and authentic way.

Links:

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[10:04] - From Desire to Belief to Action

Going from wanting something to making it reality

How do you play basketball with the President? First, you have to decide to do it. Then you have to never take no for an answer. Next, and this is the important part, you have to continue refusing to take no for an answer.

That’s what Ben learned— that achieving your dreams happens only when you mix a desire with the belief that it’s possible and the continual, never-ending drive to take action and make it happen.

[14:47] - Building the Speaking Muscle

Dispelling the talent myth

“Every speaker that you see started where you are now.” With that simple message, Ben nails what makes speaking so magical— the fact that it’s not magic at all. If you’re willing to put in the reps, put in the hours, and keep striving to become better, anyone can truly become a transformative speaker. There’s no secret talent, no genetic code for speaking prowess. It’s just practice, practice, and more practice.

[20:45] - Growing During the Pandemic

How Ben turned the normal COVID story on its head

When your circumstances become worse, how do you respond?

Ben responded to the worst possible circumstances by making himself the best he could be. “When COVID hit, I had to really look at, ‘How do I make my keynote 20% to 30% better? Because I feel as though it’s going to be less impact virtually, just by nature of the virtual environment.”

That ownership over difficult circumstances is rare, and powerful. Sometimes you can lighten your load. But when you can’t, you can always make yourself stronger to bear the weight.

[36:03] - The Ultimate Regret

How to avoid feelings of missed opportunities at the end

76% of people on their deathbed regret having lived their life for someone other than themselves. “I lived the life I thought I should live, not a life for me.”

How do you avoid that regret? By following the three steps we started with. Find your desire, truly believe it’s possible, and then set about making it a reality every day with everything you do.

RESOURCES:

[7:38] The Buried Life, by Matthew Arnold
[33:20] The Buried Life Website

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ABOUT MIC DROP:

Hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter it’s starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is sponsored by ImpactEleven.

Learn more at: MicDropPodcast.com

ABOUT THE HOST:

Josh Linkner is a Creative Troublemaker. He believes passionately that all human beings have incredible creative capacity, and he’s on a mission to unlock inventive thinking and creative problem solving to help leaders, individuals, and communities soar.

Josh has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million and is the author of four books including the New York Times Bestsellers, Disciplined Dreaming and The Road to Reinvention. He has invested in and/or mentored over 100 startups and is the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners.

Today, Josh serves as Chairman and Co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research, training, and consulting firm. He has twice been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

Josh is also a passionate Detroiter, the father of four, is a professional-level jazz guitarist, and has a slightly odd obsession with greasy pizza.

Learn more about Josh: JoshLinkner.com