94: Joe John Duran | Life Doesn’t Happen to You, It Happens for You

The Edge Of Excellence Podcast

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Joe John Duran, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, Head of Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, and best-selling author. From CNBC to CNN, Joe regularly provides financial commentary at TV. He has been profiled in numerous publications, including the New York Times and SmartMoney. Joe is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds MBA degrees from Columbia University and UC Berkeley.

He will share his great American story which did not begin in America, including the hardships of growing up in Zimbabwe, having to work at age 11, and how those experiences prepared him to build successful businesses. He will offer advice to those who have had experiences similar to his, such as extreme poverty and abusive parents, on how to succeed. He will recommend Stutz, the Netflix documentary by Jonah Hill, and talk about the three inescapable aspects of life: pain, uncertainty and hard work.

He will talk about how he felt lost after selling his first business, how he dealt with it, and why he started his second company. You will learn why you need to know your purpose in life. He recommends several books on self-awareness and wellness, as well as the mindset required for success. You will learn why and how to be specific and intentional about your goals. He talks about how to make conscious choices, develop positive habits, and take radical responsibility. You will learn about the two non-negotiable standards in his family. He will explain why he sold his first business to GE even though there was a higher offer.

Join Matt and Joe for a fascinating conversation about living with integrity, how life does not happen to you, it happens for you, and the power of positive thinking.

Enjoy!

What You Will Learn In This Show:

• Joe's definition of excellence
• How a victim mindset is detrimental to your growth
• How important it is to learn to control your reactions
• The three inescapable components of life
• Improving and changing your life is a series of small, incremental improvements
• How important it is to give more than you get
• What leadership means to him
• The importance of having non-negotiable standards in your family.
• And so much more...

Resources:

The Edge of Excellence

Awareness: DeMello, Anthony