Why Not Now? With Amy Jo Martin

More than 27% of the internet is powered by Matt Mullenweg's creation. Matt is the Founder and CEO of Automatic, the parent company of Wordpress. At age 33, he's a tech powerhouse yet he remains humble and willing to share his learnings along his journey. In this episode Matt shares takeaways from growing his company, tips on when to consider raising money and the filters questions he uses when making various business decisions. Matt shares a Why Not Now? moment that became a defining point in the growth of his company. What questions to ask yourself if you're considering fundraising for your company and taking on investors. How Matt chooses his business partners. Matt shares something he does in effort to lead a more efficient and effective day. How Matt keeps his mind healthy. What is Matt reading? What keeps Matt up at night? Pirates or Ninjas, who’s tougher in Matt's opinion? What advice Matt would give to his younger self. Books & Reference Links: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie K

We're sending one Why Not Now? podcast listener to Brazil for an opportunity of a lifetime! The scholarship recipient will receive travel and tuition for this immersive experience that will enable you to make that idea you've been thinking about a reality. More info here: http://amyjomartin.com/scholarship/   To learn more about monday dot com, and for a free trial, go to http://hey.monday.com/amyjomartin   To learn more about the Renegade Accelerator, go to http://renegadeaccelerator.com   Get Amy Jo’s newsletter: https://amyjomartin.activehosted.com/f/21   Join the Why Not Now? Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/whynotnowpodcast/   Follow Amy Jo… FB: http://www.facebook.com/amyjomartin Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyjomartin Why Not Now? Insta: http://www.instagram.com/whynotnow   Buy Amy Jo’s Book: https://amyjomartin.shop/collections/frontpage/products/renegades

Oprah calls her a hero. At age 19, Amy Purdy was given a 2% chance to live after being diagnosed with meningitis. Due to a lack of circulation, she lost her legs below the knees. After this life-altering experience, Amy, now 37, has gone on to become a Paralympian snowboard champion, ABC's Dancing With The Stars runner-up, author, speaker and co-founder of non-profit Adaptive Action Sports. Amy knows all about adversity and she's an icon for resilience. In this episode we discuss tangible tips and tools Amy uses when faced with challenging times. Amy shares a Why Not Now? moment that changed her life. How the scariest and most uncomfortable experiences end up being the most valuable. Tactical steps Amy takes when she's faced with adversity. After a recent serious health scare, Amy shares exactly what she did and said to herself in order to stay positive and push through. How Amy keeps her mind healthy. Something Amy has been thinking about and now she's asking herself, "Why Not Now?" What is Amy reading? Wha

Liz Powers is the co-founder of ArtLifting, one of the most innovative companies out there (in my opinion). She's also a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur. Her for profit, do-good and do-well, company helps homeless and disabled individuals sell their artwork so they can put a roof over their heads and access new opportunity. ArtLifting has built the solution to a problem into their product. Their economic model is the way of the future. Liz boot-strapped the company to six figures and now has investors like Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes. Liz has been featured on national TV programs like the TODAY show. Some of her clients include Google and Staples. And she's just getting started!   Liz shares a Why Not Now? moment that resulted in the launch of her company. Liz talks through the difference between a non-profit and a for profit + for purpose (benefit corp) company. The benefits of "do good and do well" double bottomline benefit corporations. How Liz got her start, bootstrapping with $4k and ze

IN-Q is a multi-platinum winning songwriter, National Slam Poetry champion and incredible spoken word performer. He's written songs for Disney, Selena Gomez and many other artists. In-Q, short for In Question, writes to entertain, inspire, and challenge his audiences to look deeper into the human experience and ask questions about themselves, their environment, and the world at large. Show Notes: IN-Q shares a Why Not Now? moment that took place after losing a parent and it has changed each and every day since. How In-Q uses geography and travel to serve his creativity. IN-Q performs an impromptu spoken word piece that he's never shared before. How IN-Q got his name. How storytelling, using spoken word, can create empathy. What IN-Q is reading and his all-time favorite book. What keeps IN-Q up at night? Pirates or ninjas, who's tougher according to IN-Q? What advice IN-Q would give to his younger self. Books & Reference Links: Follow IN-Q on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook. IN-Q's website The Proph

Jim Kwik teaches people how to learn. He's a world expert in speed-reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance. Jim had a brain injury when he was very young which caused learning disabilities and then he went on to become a master of the brain. His clients include Nike, Harvard, GE, Virgin and Singularity University. As the CEO and Founder of Kwik Learning, Jim even taught me how to speed read! Show Notes: Jim describes how a brain injury at age 5 eventually led to his most profound Why Not Now? moment. We hear step-by-step exactly what happened the day Jim changed his life by asking himself Why Not Now? We discuss the power of asking good questions. Why after 25 years of intentionally not scaling his work, Jim is now evaluating ways to do so. Jim's current Why Not Now? moment was sparked after a near-death experience. How Jim keeps his mind healthy. What is Jim reading right now? All-time favorite book? What keeps Jim up at night? Pirates or Ninjas, who's tougher according to Jim? What advic

She's the woman behind Huffington Post, founder of Thrive Global and author of countless books. Arianna Huffington is one of the world's most powerful & influential women according to Forbes. In 2011, AOL acquired Huffington Post for $315 million and Arianna recently stepped down from the company to start a new company. Arianna shares the Why Not Now? moment when she decided to leave the company that bares her name. Show Notes: Arianna's Why Not Now? moment happened immediately after she collapsed from exhaustion. How we can change our perspective around accepting burnout as a necessary price of success. The power of remembering that death is inevitable. The data behind sleep, how technology gets in the way of our sleep and how we can change that. Arianna explains how Silicon Valley's macho corporate culture must change & how it can change. Twelve years ago, Arianna put citizen journalism on the map. What's next for the evolution of media? How Arianna keeps her mind healthy. Why Arianna left the Huff

An unexpected prompt caused Lane Wood to change nearly every aspect of his life in a matter of months. He came out as gay, moved, became healthy and transformed his outlook. Born in conservative Oklahoma and once a pastor at his church, Lane shares exactly how he navigated out of the closet.  Turns out, we are all in some sort of closet. Coming out is just a difficult conversation. A closet is no place to live. For anyone. Show Notes: Lane's series of Why Not Now? moments that happened after an unexpected prompt. The first time Lane told someone he was gay and the conversations that happened after. How Lane learned to follow his one internal GPS one step at a time. What else has changed in Lane's life? How Lane keeps his mind healthy. Lane's current Why Not Now? Pirates or Ninjas, who is tougher according to Lane? What keeps Lane up at night? What advice Lane would give to his younger self? Books & Reference Links: Follow Lane Wood on  Twitter Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance Subtle Art of Not Giving

He's one of the most accomplished sports business execs. Scott O'Neil is the CEO of the NHL's NJ Devils, NBA's Philadelphia 76'ers AND the Prudential Center. (Yes, all three at the same time.) He's spent time as the President of Madison Square Garden and SVP at the National Basketball Association. I met Scott while working in the NBA and I've always been drawn to his contagious energy and unique leadership style. In this episode, we discuss everything from leadership to company culture to the secret of life - just to name a few of many topics. Show Notes: Scott's Why Not Now? moment happened when he left Madison Square Garden and added a new filter to how he evaluates opportunities on his career path. How Scott continues to grow company revenue despite the team's performance on the court and/or ice. Scott's unique formula for company culture. His goal is to create the greatest place to work in the world. How Scott motivates his employees (the majority are millennials). As a leader, Scott talks about how he m

Erik Wahl redesigned his internal operating system in effort to live the American Dream instead of continuing to live the American Nightmare. Erik is an internationally recognized graffiti artist, TED speaker, No 1 bestselling author and creativity scientist. He's one of the most sought-after corporate speakers on the circuit today. On stage, Erik's speed painting and audience engagement acts as a metaphor for innovation and risk. Show Notes: Erik's Why Not Now? moment happened when he went to having “everything” financially to nothing financially. He talks about how he changed his operating system from scarcity to abundance. Erik and his wife put a unique safety net in place before taking the big leap. How Erik was able to draw upon his foundation of analytics and discipline when pursuing art. The American Dream vs. The American Nightmare Erik shares exactly what he does before he takes the stage to perform and how he learned to connect with his audience on an emotional level. How Erik keeps his mind health

Suzy Batiz is the founder of Poo-Pourri, a $300 million company. Her story is full of Resilience and resonance. She's navigated through two bankruptcies and now she says she does nothing to make money, yet she has a lot of money because it's a side effect. She's not ready to sell because she's still having fun. Show Notes: Suzy’s Why Not Now? is to build her own personal brand. She talks about why she was resistant to build her personal brand. She has overcome her own insecurities and social conditioning. "Being humble doesn’t mean don’t let your light shine.” Suzy’s gives specific advice to anyone who is ready to take a first step in starting a company, ready to walk the bridge between dreaming and doing. How and what to pay attention to in order to decide if your entrepreneurial idea is right for you. The science behind our internal GPS system also sometimes referred to as “intuition”. What cellular biologists have taught Suzy about the basic physics around resonance and constructive interference. Two ener

Well known for his famous Supersize Me documentary, Morgan Spurlock is a talented writer, director and producer. Show Notes: Morgan’s Why Not Now? moment involves drinking at a bar with an investor who wrote him a $250k check that he put in his sock. Morgan shares his favorite hangover cure. How we can create empathy through storytelling. Morgan shares how marching and protests can be more impactful through. The power of "showing your scars". Morgan shares advice for anyone who wants to become a film-maker and they’re ready to take the first step. We discuss the current media environment and mix of distribution outlets. How Morgan keeps his mind healthy. The benefits of having walking meetings. Morgan’s shares his current Why Not Now? (Personal and professional). Rapid Fire Round: Morgan’s all-time favorite book & what he’s reading now. What keeps Morgan up at night? Pirates or Ninjas? Who’s tougher in Morgan’s opinion. What advice would Morgan give to his younger self? Books & Reference Links:

More than 50 million people in 100 countries have been empowered by Tony Robbins. He's a New Times bestselling author, philanthropist and an intense force of nature. We talk about money, politics, leadership, empathy, pirates & ninjas and how Tony keeps his mind healthy. Tony explains how we can live in a state of now. Show Notes: Tony shares a dark Why Not Now? moment from his childhood that changed his life trajectory. How Tony can walk into a situation with zero expertise in a certain area and put himself in a state of certainty. How not giving yourself an "out" is a strategy. "If you want to own the island, burn your boats." I confess my Why Not Now? which involves financial planning. Tony talks about his new book, Unshakable. Why he wrote it, who he wrote it for and how it differs from others. We discuss millennial's resistance to investing in the stock market and it's long-term effects. How we can create empathy during a time of such divide. Tony's lunch with George W. Bush and their discussion aro

Known as the face of the wildly successful Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan, shares stories and ideas you've likely never heard. Whether you're a fan or not, this conversation will get you thinking. It's one of my favorite conversations yet. In effort to seek inspiration to write new music, Billy is spending 30 days on the road traveling in an RV to visit small towns and connect with people who see the world just a little bit differently. Notes: Billy shares a profound Why Not Now? moment when he was 25 years old. (This had me in tears.) What happened the morning Billy wrote "Today" which became one of his biggest hits. The ironic impact Nirvana and Pearl Jam had on Billy's personal and professional trajectory. What led up to a moment when Billy unlocked his own creative genius and resulted in a decade-long creative "dizzying" run. Billy's thoughts on mind over mastery and the importance of perspective. The #ThirtyDays project. What it is and why Billy set out to travel the country for 30 days in an RV. What

Aleena Valdez is a 13-year old entrapreneur and philanthropist. After presenting her Powerpoint business plan to her family in order to receive funding, she's started her own business at age 11. That's when she decided she wanted to give back too. Aleena now donates a portion of her proceeds to kids living with cancer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Last year she donated more than $1,000. Aleena and I created a leadership conference for young girls called Girls For Progress. The first one took place in Phoenix (2016). This year, we're expanding the footprint by taking the conference to Austin as well.   Learn more about Aleena: http://aleenaslemonaid.com/ Follow Aleena: https://www.instagram.com/aleenaslemonaid/   To learn more about monday dot com, and for a free trial, go to http://hey.monday.com/amyjomartin   To learn more about the Renegade Accelerator, go to http://renegadeaccelerator.com/   Get Amy Jo’s newsletter: https://amyjomartin.activehosted.com/f/21   Join the Why Not Now? Private Facebook Group:

Gabby Reece is known for her successful professional volleyball career but the 6’ 3” powerhouse wears many hats as a model, fitness leader, TV host and mom as well. We talk through several key times when Gabby has applied her unique Why Not Now? decision-making process, which is quite formulaic. How she navigates through the decision to give up a for sure thing for an unknown has elevated her success on many occasions. She also talks about making co-decisions with her pro surfer husband, Laird Hamilton. Notes: Gabby shares a variety of Why Not Now? moments ranging from her college years up to last year. When making key decisions, Gabby breaks the situation down to several buckets like time, money and impact on relationships. How Gabby has used her voice via social media and the traditional media follows suit by reporting on her content. The various sides of humility, from no better than to no less than. How Gabby changes her vernacular in order to keep her mind healthy. Gabby describes how there’s a

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist, New York Times best-selling author and professor. He pretty much makes thought candy for a living if you ask me. He's not only the youngest tenured professor at Wharton School but also the highest rated. He's recognized as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers with two TED Talks and two books (with another on the way). Adam has become one of my favorite people to learn from online.   Show Notes: Adam shares how his What Now? moment turned into a Why Not Now? moment The idea of success and generosity coexisting vs. waiting to "give back" until you've reached a certain level of wealth or success. The process Adam went through to determine if his future included springboard diving. Adam explains the difference between Givers, Takers and Matchers and how they impact our online environment. Unlocking Vuja de moments which can lead to big ideas (like Uber) Adam's new Why Not Now? (This is one of my favorites so far.) Books & Videos Mentioned:

Simon Sinek, Chris Sacca, Tony Hsieh & Sophia Amoruso. My favorite Why Not Now? snippets from 2016 are inside this episode. Visionary Simon Sinek, The "Why" Guy, talks about his own Why Not Now? moment and sheds his insight on the process. Billionaire Shark Tank personality and angel investor, Chris Sacca, shares when he left his top-notch job at Google and everyone else thought he was nuts. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, lets us in on a decision-making tips that can apply to your own Why Not Now? I will be using this trick for years to come! And Sophia Amoruso, Nasty Gal Founder, tells us how she not only asked Why Not Now? when getting her company started but also Why Not Me? She went from a College Campus ID checker to the cover of Forbes.   Learn more about Simon: simonsinek.com/ Follow Simon: www.instagram.com/simonsinek/   Learn more about Chris: chrissacca.com/ Follow Chris: www.instagram.com/sacca/   Learn more about Tony: www.deliveringhappiness.com/tony-hsieh Follow Tony: www.instagram.com/downtownt

Mark Cuban, Troy Aikman & Scott Harrison. A few of my favorite Why Not Now? snippets from 2016 are inside this episode. Billionaire Shark Tank personality and NBA team owner, Mark Cuban, shares his pivotal story about getting fired, exclusive negotiating tips and how he manages to take zero phone calls a day while reading three hours a day. 3x Super Bowl Champ, Troy Aikman, tells us about the best thing he has ever done for himself and what happened when his daughter told him she wasn't going to be a pro athlete. And Scott Harrison, charity: water founder, talks about how he did a 180 from being someone he didn't like as a club promoter to raising $200 million for clear water efforts.       Learn more about Mark: markcubancompanies.com/ Follow Mark: www.instagram.com/mcuban/   Learn more about Troy: www.aikman.com/ Follow Troy: www.instagram.com/troyaikman/   Learn more about Scott: www.charitywater.org/about/scott-harrison-story Follow Scott: www.instagram.com/scottharrison/   To learn more about monday

Shannon Lee, daughter of global icon Bruce Lee, is responsible for managing her father's legacy. No pressure. She is innovating the lens we use to understand Bruce Lee and his philosophies. Many people know Bruce Lee as the Hollywood star and kung-fu fighting martial artist and Shannon is shedding light on his strong relevance beyond entertainment and martial arts. Shannon is a mom, CEO, entrepreneur, singer, writer and former actress. Show Notes: We talk through Shannon's Why Not Now moment, when her mom asked her if she wanted to manage her dad's legacy. If Shannon could ask her dad or tell her dad one more thing. What would that be? The huge challenge Shannon faced at the very beginning of her role in managing her dad's brand. Shannon's favorite Bruce Lee quote How does the Bruce Lee philosophy apply to entrepreneurs? Shannon talks about harmonious individuality. Shannon's new Why Not Now? (I've been so excited about this!) Books & Websites Mentioned: East of Eden by John Steinbeck Bruce Lee Websit