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Beyond Curious ™ (formerly 7-Figure Millennials)
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Description
Curiosity alone won't change the world, but going Beyond Curious™ will.
The people that shape society are the explorers — the brave adventurers willing to take a voyage into the unknown to satisfy their curiosity, fulfill their purpose, and bring their ideas to life.
This is a show for those people.
The people that are relentlessly curious about themselves, their impact, their potential, the people they love, and the world around them.
The people who are CONSTANTLY asking themselves, “What if…”, “I wonder…”, “Why not…”, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible for themselves and for society at large.
Join me (Brandon Fong) as every week I interview pioneering adventurers who have dared to go Beyond Curious™.
Past guests have included NYT Bestselling authors, main stage TED speakers, 7-9 figure entrepreneurs...
... and even an occasional Olympian, NFL player, FBI hostage negotiator, hypnotist, drug dealer turned (legal) millionaire, decorated air force pilot, illusionist, Hollywood legend, Shark from Shark Tank, and even the man that invented the cell phone!
I'm grateful to say that the show achieved a top 2% global ranking out of the 2.8M+ global podcasts indexed by Listen Notes in 1 year after launching.
To hear the full story of how Beyond Curious™ was born and learn about the vision for the brand, listen to episode #140!
The people that shape society are the explorers — the brave adventurers willing to take a voyage into the unknown to satisfy their curiosity, fulfill their purpose, and bring their ideas to life.
This is a show for those people.
The people that are relentlessly curious about themselves, their impact, their potential, the people they love, and the world around them.
The people who are CONSTANTLY asking themselves, “What if…”, “I wonder…”, “Why not…”, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible for themselves and for society at large.
Join me (Brandon Fong) as every week I interview pioneering adventurers who have dared to go Beyond Curious™.
Past guests have included NYT Bestselling authors, main stage TED speakers, 7-9 figure entrepreneurs...
... and even an occasional Olympian, NFL player, FBI hostage negotiator, hypnotist, drug dealer turned (legal) millionaire, decorated air force pilot, illusionist, Hollywood legend, Shark from Shark Tank, and even the man that invented the cell phone!
I'm grateful to say that the show achieved a top 2% global ranking out of the 2.8M+ global podcasts indexed by Listen Notes in 1 year after launching.
To hear the full story of how Beyond Curious™ was born and learn about the vision for the brand, listen to episode #140!
185 Episodes
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Growing up, Markus Kaulius’ family was so stressed financially, he felt too guilty to ask his mother for 25 cents to buy a hot dog at school.
He lacked confidence, didn’t have a father figure in the picture, and was overall dealt a bad hand.
Yet if you look at Markus today, you wouldn’t believe that was his backstory…
Markus…
- Is the founder of multiple 8 and 9 figure businesses — growing his supplement company from startup to $170M and helping his clients lose 3 million pounds
- Has impacted the lives of over 10 million people, was a model, is a Guinness World Record holder, and has an online following of 300,000+
- Has an amazing relationship with his wife, Brooke, and two daughters
And most importantly:
He’s a good freaking dude.
Markus’ energy is off the charts, and I can’t wait for you to not only hear his story, but to take some of the valuable lessons he shares in the episode with you on your journey!
To learn more about Markus, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/markus-kaulius/
To this day, the most downloaded episode of the podcast is episode #45 with Jeff Madoff.
Jeff is an incredible human who has also had an inspiring career… some highlights include:
- Starting off as a fashion designer, being chosen as one of the top 10 designers in the U.S. and having 110 employees and two factories at age 22…
- Switching careers to film and video production — creating award winning commercials and documentaries for companies like Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, and Tiffany
- Authoring Creative Careers: Making a Living With Your Ideas based on the class he developed and teaches at Parsons School of Design, in NYC.
- Most recently, Jeff became a playwright and theater producer. His play “Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical”, is based on the life of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Lloyd Price
Anywho…
Since our recording in 2021, Jeff has become a dear friend and mentor (Leah and I saw his play when it came to Chicago!).
After one of our more recent catch ups, Jeff introduced me to his son, Jake, who is ranked in the top 1% of growth marketers, having worked with 100+ brands, and manages anywhere from $5K/mo - $2M/mo in monthly ad spend.
Jake and I had a great conversation, and it sparked an idea:
As many of you know, I became a dad in November 2023 and I have been thinking a lot about “entrepreneurial dadding”.
Being an entrepreneur is one thing…
Being a present and loving dad AND an entrepreneur is a WHOLE other thing…
It was clear in knowing Jeff and meeting Jake that they have a great relationship, and have BOTH built incredible careers out of what they love.
And thus a question formed:
What if I interviewed them together to talk about co-creating a loving entrepreneurial family… and also how to grow in your own entrepreneurial career while inspiring your kids to pursue their own passions?
So, if you haven’t guessed already… they loved the idea, and THAT is what we discussed on today’s episode!
If you’re someone who’s passionate about raising a loving family AND pursuing your passions, this is an episode you won’t want to miss 🙂
To learn more about Jeff and Jake, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/jeff-jake-madoff/
Ever meet someone and instantly know you were going to be good friends?
Well, today I can’t wait to introduce you to one of those people for me — Randy Molland.
(Shoutout to Laura Di Franco for the intro!)
Randy is the founder of a movement called Go Big To Give Big — empowering visionary entrepreneurs to expand their impact and income through strategic philanthropy.
Not ONLY has Randy made some amazing introductions to future guests coming on the show (including Markus Kaulius, Micah LaCerte, and Sir Darren Jacklin) but he’s also shared concepts that have radically transformed my worldview.
I can’t WAIT for you to meet Randy and learn about his story.
Here’s a teaser of some of the things we talk about in today’s episode:
- How to use the “+2 Strategy” to transform your life (not hyperbole, this concept is changing everything for me and everyone I share it with… I’m redesigning big chunks of my life and business around this concept)
- How to go bigger with your goals so you can give bigger with your profits… and why businesses with giving initiatives outperform companies that don’t
- What Randy learned from hiking 29,029 feet in 36 hours (the height of Mt. Everest) and how he spent $50 on ice cream to make a MASSIVE impact
If you’re someone who’s passionate about making a difference in the world and becoming a transformed human in the process, this is an episode for you!
To learn more about Randy, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/randy-molland/
Imagine being 8 years old and waking up to your mom telling you that you don’t have to go to school today.
YAY!
Now imagine that the reason you don’t have to go to school isn’t because it’s a snow day…
… but because your country is at war.
This is Lloyed Lobo’s story.
Lloyed experienced the Gulf War as a young refugee in Kuwait, and grew up visiting the slums of Mumbai.
Surprisingly, BOTH of those experiences are things that Lloyed has transformed into positive experiences.
Lloyed’s experiences in the slums and in war taught him about the power of community.
Eventually, Lloyd (out of instinct) found himself as an entrepreneur and eventually leveraged his community building skill sets to bootstrap a $10M company.
Insane.
If you’re someone who’s a sucker for a good “underdog story” and wants to learn how to build community, this is an episode for you!
To learn more about Lloyed, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/lloyed-lobo/
Mark Podolsky is considered the country’s most trusted and foremost authority on buying and selling…
… dirt.
Yep, you read that right.
Mark has literally made millions (and helped countless others to make money) selling raw, undeveloped land within the United States.
But, as with any entrepreneur’s journey, Mark’s path was NOT easy.
For example:
In 2010, Mark hit a low point where he had to short-sell his million-dollar house.
He went from a 4,500-square-foot home and luxury cars to a 1,700-square-foot rental.
BUT…
It was because of this journey that Mark recognized that he was looking for his happiness in all the wrong places.
This is an EPIC conversation with a deeply curious and connected entrepreneur, and I can’t wait for you to listen!
To learn more about Mark, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/mark-podolsky/
Donnie Boivin became an entrepreneur at age 40 after he got slapped in the face.
Okay, not literally…
But Donnie was having dinner with a business partner when his partner said, “Donnie, thank God you are my retirement plan…”
Even though his partner meant it as a compliment, Donnie realized that he had spent his whole life building someone ELSE’S retirement plan.
15 days later, he started his company.
Several months later, things weren’t going so hot.
Eventually, he had to ask if his wife would be willing to cash in her 401(k) just to stay afloat…
Not fun.
But despite this crazy journey, today Donnie is the CEO of Success Champion Networking where he’s on a mission to change how the world networks.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why Donnie, an ex-marine, stared at himself in the bathroom mirror and said “I love you” to himself, and why I actually decided to do the same
- How you can transform your entrepreneurial journey into a powerful self-discovery tool
- The “The Steve Jobs Task Evaluation Technique” Donnie used to step into his role as a CEO
To learn more about Donnie, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/donnie-boivin/
One day, Laura Di Franco received a FB Messenger request from a stranger:
Hey Laura,
I read your “Mind Body Green” blog and loved it. I was wondering if you had any other links for me to read…. I'm a mom of 5, and I've been struggling a little bit with some depression.
Not only did Laura respond, but she ended up writing a blog post about self care and dedicated it anonymously to Shirley.
After reading the outpouring of support in both the post and in the comments, Shirley ended up overcoming her depression and sharing her journey in her own writing.
But here’s the crazy part:
Eventually, Shirley confided to Laura that she was in the process of writing a suicide note to her husband and 5 children when she sent that FB message…
… and it was because of what Laura did that she finally didn’t feel alone anymore.
Friends…
Your words, your content, your stories have the power to save lives.
And THAT is what this episode is all about.
Laura Di Franco is the CEO of Brave Healer Productions.
She has personally authored 13 books, and her company has published over 74 Amazon bestselling books with a global community of over 1,000 authors.
Not only will you learn how YOU can start sharing your stories to create an impact, but you’ll also learn a BUNCH of other nuggets along the way, including…
- Why Laura has a feather tattoo with the initials “YFIB” engraved, and what that has to do with helping you to embrace your fear
- How to make a “yes” or “no” decision when you are unsure of the answer
- What Laura has learned about healing and content creation along her journey of becoming a 3rd degree black belt
… and so much more.
To learn more about Laura, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/laura-di-franco/
Perry Marshall has one of the coolest brains + one of the biggest hearts of anyone that I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with.
I’ve been a fan of Perry’s work for several years… and if you haven’t heard of him, here are some highlights:
- Founder of the Evolution 2.0 Prize, world’s largest award ($10M) for Origin of Life research with judges from Harvard, Oxford and MIT.
- One of the most expensive business strategists in the world, with his work being featured in Harvard Business Review, and his Google book laid the foundations for the $400B digital advertising industry.
- Originally an electrical engineer, Perry is incredibly passionate about curing cancer. For example, he’s currently partnering with prominent people in the cancer space to develop a “Tissue Search Engine” that will allow us to detect the early evolution of cancer (at stage negative 1). (More info can be found on his site, reversingcancer.org)
This is one of those “break your brain” kind of episodes, where you get to see inside the mind of a man that is solving some of the biggest problems around town.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How you can approach solving the biggest problems in both your life (and the world) leveraging insights from a poem written 1,300 years ago
- How to apply 80/20 thinking at a whole new level to find greater alignment in your life and business with your natural strengths
- How you can use “Renaissance Time” to gain clarity and discernment (and why Perry has been using this practice without missing a day for the last 10.5 years)
If you’re the kind of person who wants to be a clearer thinker and learn how to solve problems more effectively, this is an episode that you WILL NOT want to miss.
To learn more about Perry, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/perry-marshall/
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P.S. Huge shoutout to both Brian Kurtz and Bob Regnerus for helping to bring Perry on the show 🙂
P.P.S. Perry’s book, 80/20 Sales & Marketing, is a book I’ve read at least 3 times now… HIGHLY recommended!
Sean Swarner was diagnosed with cancer at 13 and given 3 months left to live.
He survived.
At 16, he was diagnosed with ANOTHER (unrelated) cancer, and given 14 days left to live.
The 2nd cancer took his lung, but he survived again.
Since beating cancer twice, Sean has…
- Summited the “7 Summits” — the highest mountains on each of the seven continents
- Gone on to reach the North AND the South poles
- Completed the Hawaii Ironman
… DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE ONLY HAS ONE FREAKING LUNG.
Insanity.
This is an episode you WON’T want to miss, that is, unless you DON’T want to learn:
- How Sean beat cancer 2x using “Vivid Visualization”
- Why getting “high altitude cerebral edema” while climbing Mount Everest ended up being a blessing in disguise
- How to dream BIG and deal with people telling you what you want to do is impossible
If you’re cool with not learning about those crazy things, then don’t bother listening to this episode 😜
But if you DO want to learn about the mindset that has empowered Sean to go Beyond Curious time and time again to accomplish the impossible… you’ll want to check it out!
To learn more about Sean, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/sean-swarner/
Fun fact:
My first job out of college was running the marketing for a company that taught accelerated learning techniques.
With over 250,000 students, our courses helped countless people read faster & remember more…
But here’s the thing:
There’s a BIG difference between reading faster and actually IMPLEMENTING what you learn.
That’s where today’s guest comes in.
Nick Hutchison is the founder of BookThinkers.
In just over 7 years, he has cultivated a platform reaching over 1,000,000 people monthly and his newest book, Rise Of The Reader, specifically focuses on helping people APPLY the incredible wisdom in books.
Here are 3 things to look forward to in today’s episode:
1. Discover how Nick uses tattoos as "play bigger triggers" to reinforce positive behaviors and how YOU can tap into this unconventional source of motivation.
2. How to shift from reading books to eventually learning directly from the authors. Nick shares his insights that have empowered him to connect with BIG players (Nick has interviewed people like Brian Tracy, Peter Diamandis, Ryan Holiday, and Evan Carmichael, to name a few)
3. Nick’s “Time Capsule” strategy to help you radically increase your gratitude and appreciation for life. (I’m committing to doing this in all of 2024)
To learn more about Nick, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/nick-hutchison/
Today, we’re talking A.I… and it’s NOT “Artificial Intelligence”.
I’m talking about an A.I. that is equally transformational… yet you probably haven’t heard about it.
Today’s guest is Jon Berghoff.
I LOVE Jon’s content so much that in 2023 I’ve attended 6 days worth of his trainings… and it has opened my eyes to an entirely new way of looking at the world.
Jon is considered a pioneer in the field of transformational group facilitation.
His company’s mission is to unlock human potential at scale… and they deliver.
Jon is the founder of XCHANGE, a scientific approach to unlocking collective wisdom in any group.
I’ve started implementing Jon’s approaches like crazy, and I’m beyond excited to share some of his insights on the show today.
In today’s episode, you’ll learn:
1. What the kind of A.I. is that I was hinting at before that will help you build a life (and company) around your strengths
2. How you can change your reality by simply shifting the lens that you view life through
3. Why Jon believes that part of the “secret” behind the growth of his entire organization that has led to educating 15,000+ people in his methodologies is Scaling Up Curiosity (and how you can do the same!)
To learn more about Jon, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/jon-berghoff/
Typically you’d never hear the words “Wall Street” and “Consultant For Pokèmon” in the same sentence…
That is, unless you’re today’s guest, Lucas Root.
If it wasn’t apparent already, Lucas’ path is the definition of “non-linear”.
Lucas spent 17 years on Wall Street doing mergers and acquisitions until he burned out. Badly.
In his own words, he was “dying” and a “ghost in his own skin”.
Realizing that he had to change, he tried his hat at consulting… starting out by making 400 cold calls in 6 months.
398 said no.
Two said yes.
ONE of them was The Pokèmon Company, and Lucas is still working with them 8.5 years later.
Today, Lucas is a community builder focused on empowering communities and leadership through technology.
This is a FUN and wide-ranging episode.
3 things to look forward to in today’s episode:
1) How Lucas survived a near-death hang gliding experience by literally holding together a broken glider with his bare hands
2) How the language you use shapes your reality and why it’s the #1 element to building effective communities
3) The #1 (and surprising) thing that Lucas learned from watching Pokèmon grow from $400M - several BILLION dollars in sales
To learn more about Lucas, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/lucas-root/
Crafting compelling messages that resonate with your audience isn't just an art – it's a science.
Today’s guest is Ben Guttmann.
Ben is the author of Simply Put and has worked with brands like Comcast NBCUniversal & the NFL… moving millions of dollars in product.
Today, we’re diving into why clear messages win… and how YOU can design them.
Here are 3 things to look forward to in today’s episode:
1. What strange bet was given to Dr. Seuss that led to creating Cat In The Hat and Green Eggs & Ham… and what that has to do with making your messages more powerful
2. What creating simple and effective messages has to do with fluency
3. How to use the “Drill Build Method” to create messages that cut through the noise and resonate with people on an emotional level
To learn more about Ben, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/ben-guttmann/
In 7th grade, Christopher Panagiotu learned about stocks from his quirky math teacher.
A lightbulb went off… and he dove HEAD first into the finance world.
Today, he oversees $135M in his financial planning business.
But his journey wasn’t easy.
Initially he started out in corporate and was MISERABLE…
And at one point in running his business he had $11.14 left in his bank account.
In addition to his journey, in this episode, you’ll enjoy 3 BIG things:
1. How to leverage “The 10% rule” to help you become more unapologetically yourself
2. How to incorporate your purpose into your investing philosophy
3. Why one of Chris’ mentors flew across the country to hand him a piece of paper… and what that piece of paper said that impacted the way he grew his business
To learn more about Christopher, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/christopher-panagiotu/
Man oh man do I have another treat for you today…
It’s my honor to introduce you to someone I’ve respected and followed for the last 5+ years:
Brian Kurtz.
Not only is Brian one of the most well respected and relationship-focused direct response marketers in the world…
… but he’s also responsible for helping Boardroom Inc. sell over a billion dollars’ worth of products “$39 at a time” to millions.
His book, Overdeliver, in my opinion, is a must read for anyone interested in making a massive impact in the world.
In this episode, you will learn…
- What transformational concept on creating impact you can learn from a five-time World Series Champion
- Why Brian went to Barnes & Noble with a hand truck and bought enough books to make his 1985 Toyota Camry’s tailpipe almost drag on the ground… (and what that has to do with helping you create a bigger impact in the world)
- The ONE metric that Brian believes was responsible for helping Boardroom Inc. generate $1 Billion in product sales…
… and SO much more.
Enjoy!
To learn more about Brian, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/brian-kurtz/
If you’ve been following my work for awhile, you might have heard me share what I believe to be my purpose in life:
To create a more deeply connected world by catalyzing curiosity.
When I first met Ajaya Sommers, I almost immediately knew that she has a similar purpose… yet comes from a completely different set of tools and approaches than I do.
Ajaya is the founder of a unique somatic discovery process called, Core Embodiment®.
For the last 28 years, she has studied how to connect deeply with your body's intelligence to awaken and align with the power of your human potential.
My perception is that as a society, we often prioritize thinking with our head, and discount the power of listening to your heart and what your body is telling you.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to tap into a whole different level of your body’s intelligence to find greater alignment with your purpose and natural gifts.
To learn more about Ajaya, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/ajaya-sommers/
What happens when you connect a Hollywood storytelling legend to a world-class "liquid storyteller"... and then sit back and listen?
MAGIC.
I think a new format for Beyond Curious just emerged...
Context:
Michael Hauge has been one of Hollywood’s top story experts since 1985.
He consulted for Will Smith to help create I Am Legend... and has worked on projects starring Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman, Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy, Tom Cruise, and many others.
Ryan Castelaz is a "liquid storyteller" and the founder of Discourse Coffee, which Growler Magazine called “the most gonzo, balls-to-the-wall, experimental coffee house.” Ryan has been featured in Milwaukee Foodie, Food & Wine, Barista Magazine... etc.
I was catching up with Michael last week when he asked about someone (Ryan) in a video I showed him from the "Curiosity Quest" retreat I co-hosted with John Davie...
Long story short, Ryan, Michael, and I got on a call back in October.
The coolest part?
When I had Michael tell an AMAZING story...
... and then had Ryan translate that story into a drink that would tell that story in liquid form.
It was honestly one of the COOLEST conversations I've ever been a part of.
Thinking of calling this "Brilliance Blending™" where I bring two masters of their craft into a conversation...
Anyways... this episode is the byproduct of that conversation. It was too good NOT to turn into an episode!
Ryan and Michael, thank you for the epic conversation!
Want to go deeper with Michael and Ryan?
Check out episodes #134 and #135 to listen to my conversations with Ryan.
And check out episodes #36 and #37 to hear my conversations with Michael!
To learn more, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/brilliance-blender-1/
Guys.
I'm. A. DAD.
Kaiya Elizabeth Fong was born on November 2nd, 2023 at 4:07 AM ❤️
To introduce her to you, I'm creating a new format I'm calling "Keys With Kaiya" where I share lessons Kaiya has taught me... and share some wisdom I'd like to share with her to support her as she gets older.
Enjoy!
Jenn Drummond has a story so crazy you might think it’s a fictional superhero backstory.
1. 8-Figure business owner
2. She almost died in a crazy car crash
3. Struggled with infertility… but today is a mom of 7 kids
4. Set the world record for being the 1st (and only) woman to ever climb the second-highest peaks on each continent (harder than summiting the highest peaks...)
No joke.
If it wasn’t clear already, Jenn is another person that is the definition of being Beyond Curious — someone who reinvented themselves in MULTIPLE ways.
This is an EPIC conversation… and Jenn is the first world-record holder that has been on the podcast!
I had so much fun reading her new book, Breakproof, in preparation for this conversation… not only to hear about her crazy journey setting an insane world record, but learning about the process of achieving massive goals.
To learn more about Jenn, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/jenn-drummond/
Observation:
We’ve made so much progress in science… Yet we’ve SO lost touch with the nature that gave us the progress to begin with.
How can we begin to reconnect with the natural world, and what can we learn from doing so?
Today’s guest, Chris Kyle, has dedicated the last portion of his career studying and practicing Nature Based Leadership.
In this episode, we dive into:
- How you can connect with nature to unlock higher quality decision making, greater emotional intelligence, & deeper presence
- How to find alignment with your purpose, and what to expect when making life transitions toward your purpose
- How you can use Chris’ “Hard Eyes, Soft Eyes” exercise in nature to zoom out and gain a higher level perspective
To learn more about Chris, visit https://gobeyondcurious.com/podcast/chris-kyle/
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Love the information, love the perspective, love the podcast. And congrats on providing so much authentic quality!
Congrats Brandon on 50 episodes! And well done on the Shannon Graham interview. The way you extrapolate the really valuable info is quite remarkable. Looking forward to the next 50!
Totally love the guests you've been having on the show Brandon. Talk about a wealth of insight and perspective! Congratulations on getting so much momentum so quickly. Just goes to show that you're doing something really powerful here.
Wow, what an inspiring story of rising beyond expectations. Andre shared a lot of insightful truths. Thanks for sharing!