Dan and Ian have talked to many business owners on this podcast about what it takes to create a highly successful business, but what are we supposed to do once our businesses become successful? Today's guest is Greg Berry. Greg has been a very big contributor to our online community The Dynamite Circle, and has spoken at many of our events. Greg joins us this week to share the story of Municibid, a marketplace company that Greg founded when he was 26 years old. Since then, Municibid has grown to become a completely location-independent seven figure business. On this week's episode, we seek to answer a very high quality problem that many entrepreneurs end up facing: what happens after you actually build the business of your dreams?

A few weeks ago on this podcast, Dan and Ian spoke about a failed negotiation that Ian went through when trying to purchase a car. Ian has said many times that believed he could have closed that deal if he just used the right tactics. Today's guest has spent a lifetime working on negotiating tactics, but he has primarily done so in matters of life or death. Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator and the author of "Never Split the Difference".Since leaving the FBI, Chris has devoted his time to a new business called Black Swan Ltd., which teaches people how to use the skills that he learned during his time as an FBI agent to improve their negotiation skills in business situations. On this week's episode, you'll hear Chris go into great detail about emotional intelligence, how to choose the right language to use while negotiating, and why you should never split the difference.

Over the years, Dan and Ian have spent a lot of time on this show talking about travel. One particular episode of this show called The 10 Travel Commandments, has resonated quite a bit with our listeners. We thought it would be fun to revisit some of the concepts from that episode and talk about how their travel philosophies have changed in the five years since that episode was published. You'll also hear tips, tricks, and essential strategies on how to make any trip a successful one. 

Dan and Ian love physical product companies. After all, they started their own entrepreneurial journey by selling physical products. On this week's show, they have chosen to showcase the story of a mid-market luxury brand that has found massive success. Jennifer Chong and Roman Khan are the founders of Linjer. Linjer manufactures and sells beautiful leather handbags and watches, which retail between $200 and $500 USD. On today's episode, Jennifer and Roman speak to us about a wide variety of topics, including researching marketplaces, building teams, and making deals with factory owners. This is not just an episode about people who are passionate about selling great products, though. It's also a unique case study on how to use savvy marketing techniques to grow your business.

This week, Dan and Ian are going to be talking about one of the most successful platforms for building an online business, and one that has historically been under-represented on this show. That platform is Amazon.com, and the reason that you haven't heard much about it is because Amazon sellers have been pretty secretive about the ways that they have been using it to make money. Today's guest has no problem sharing his knowledge, especially with those who are just getting started on Amazon. Scott Voelker is the host of an established podcast about Amazon called The Amazing Seller, where he offers insight and tips from his experience using the platform. On this episode, Scott talks about how people can start making some side money on Amazon, and eventually grow to earn a full-time income. If you are interested in making money on Amazon, but you're not sure where to begin, this is the episode for you. 

For the past several weeks, Dan and Ian have been speaking about what it means to build a culture for your company. One of the most important parts to fostering that culture is managing a team, and almost no one does it better than this week's guest. Enter Carrie McKeegan. In 2008, Carrie and her husband Dave founded Greenback Tax Services. Since then, their business has exploded and they have expanded to include a 55 person fully distributed team. On this episode, you will hear about the challenges of starting a business with your spouse, why Carrie believes her corporate experience prepared her for entrepreneurship, and some essential insights into running a remote team. If you are looking to grow a meaningful business that isn't just going to pay the rent, but pay for retirement, then this is an episode you're going to want to stick around for.

Dan and Ian often use this show as a platform to talk about the things that they are most passionate about. This week, we are taking a look at two of Dan's favorite topics: cycling and event-based businesses. Uli Fluhme is the co-founder of GFNY, a cycling event in New York city that was the first of its kind in America, modeled after the traditional Italian Gran Fondos. On this episode, you'll hear Uli's story about the logistical challenges of creating an event like this, how he set out to achieve the ambitious task of shutting down the George Washington bridge for a cycling race, and how GFNY has managed to expand into a global brand. Even if you aren't into cycling, today's episode offers some unique insight into building successful events, and building a strong brand that you can license out to others or build a franchise around.

Dan and Ian are currently seeking a Business Development Apprentice to help grow The Dynamite Circle, as well as this very podcast. Over the years, they have hired many people who were listeners to this podcast, or who were referred by listeners of this show. They decided that there was no better way to find the right candidate than to record an episode about this job offer and share it with the listeners of this show. This special 20 minute podcast will tell you everything you need to know about what kind of person we are looking for and how you can join the team here at the TropicalMBA.

Dan and Ian have often subscribed to the notion that some of their best ideas come from their most personal moments, and what moment is more personal than taking a shower? This week's episode is a collection of "shower thoughts" that the hosts of this podcast have been ruminating on for quite some time. You'll hear insights on what it takes to achieve life goals, why debt can be the #1 thing stopping you from reaching your potential, how to avoid the noise of information, and a whole lot more.

Dan and Ian are very fortunate to speak to one of their favorite entrepreneurs this week, and someone whose reputation certainly precedes him. This week's guest is Noah Kagan. Noah is the founder of AppSumo.com, and the host of Noah Kagan Presents. App Sumo is an extremely successful online business which offers daily deals for digitally distributed products and services. Noah's blog OkDork has also been a longtime favorite of the hosts of this show.. On this episode, you'll learn how Noah defines success. You'll also hear about his unique approach to hiring and team building, his investment strategy, and much more.

On this week’s episode, Dan and Ian unearth some important documents from 2009. On this episode, you’ll hear all about how these Dreamlines have directly caused change and progress in the lives of the hosts of this show. You’ll also hear a response to a listener submitted question about The 1,000 Day Rule, and the pros and cons of documenting your entrepreneurial journey.

On today's show, Dan and Ian are going to talk to an entrepreneur whose business is absolutely on fire right now. Nathan Barry is the founder and CEO of ConvertKit, an email marketing program for bloggers. ConvertKit currently has 28 employees, and is turning over 9 million dollars in annual recurring income. Nathan has built a long and storied reputation of being unafraid to confront and analyze the challenges of entrepreneurship through his blog at NathanBarry.com.On this week's episode, Nathan talks about a challenge that he is facing right now that many entrepreneurs would love to have. How do you create a company culture when your team is growing at a remarkable pace? It turns out the answer is brutal honesty. 

Today's guest is one of the smartest business minds that Dan and Ian have encountered in their travels. Jason Cohen is the founder of WP Engine, a very successful company that provides managed Wordpress hosting. He is also the author of Dan and Ian's all-time favorite blogs, A Smart Bear. A few years ago, Jason made the difficult decision to step down from his CEO role at WP Engine, at a time when the company was more successful than ever. Jason recently spoke about this decision at our recent Dynamite Circle event in Austin, and we invited him on the show this week to expand on that talk. On today's episode, you'll hear Jason share his insights about the struggles of growing at the pace of your company, the angst you can feel after you sell a business, and how he has been able to harness his "superpowers".

Dan and Ian have spent a substantial amount of their life making this show, nearly 8 years to be exact.What better way to celebrate the 400th episode of this podcast than to return to one of their favorite episode formats: the good, old-fashioned Q&A.This week, Dan and Ian are answering more listener questions, and riffing on topics like "Comfy Bed Syndrome" and "The Golden Handcuffs". You'll also hear some retrospective thoughts on 8 years of talking about entrepreneurship.

Today's show is the product of a dream that Dan and Ian both had, which inspired them to follow up with an old friend. The topic is a rather simple one. What if you could take your curiosity and energy about a topic and turn it into a serious business? In pursuing the answer, they both decided it was a good time to check in with their former business partner Jesse Lawler, who hosts a fantastic podcast called Smart Drug Smarts. Jesse didn't start the podcast with a PhD in medicine, or anything relevant to the medicinal field except a genuine desire to explore these issues, and he has had a tremendous amount of success in doing it. On this show, Jesse shares how was able to turn something that he was passionate about into a full-time business that generates real revenue. We hope this episode will inspire those of you who are passionate and curious to find a way to tell your own story.

Dan and Ian often speak on this podcast about how businesses and entrepreneurs evolve. Today's guest, Michael Erikson, has certainly done that since the last time he spoke on this show. Michael's journey started, as many of ours do, staring at a blank Google search screen and typing in the words "How do I make money online?"Several years later, Michael has spoken at several of the Dynamite Circle events. He was on this podcast last December, sharing his journey of building a 6 figure services business called Search Scientists. Michael has recently started a new company called AdBadger, which is in essence a software version of his previous services company. On this week's show, you'll hear Michael share insight on how to do something that most services entrepreneurs dream of doing: selling a product.

On today's show, Dan and Ian are once again reaching into the mailbag to answer some questions from the listeners of this show. You'll hear practical answers about a whole slew of topics, including purchasing an"entrepreneurmobile", The 1,000 Day Principle, and what it means to be useful. You'll also hear advice on how you can go to conferences for free, tips for traveling to Southeast Asia with your family and much, much more.

As many of our listeners know, Dan and Ian hosted an event in Austin, TX last week that brought together entrepreneurs from all over the world to talk about their businesses. Today's episode features five of the most important takeaways from that event, focusing primarily on the cold, hard realities of what it means to be an entrepreneur in 2017. These subjects range from hiring A players to harnessing your "superpowers" and much, much more. You'll also hear a lot of news about the podcast, including an opportunity for one talented listener to win a $1500 cash prize.

One of the dichotomies that Dan and Ian often address on this show is the difference between being an entrepreneur and having a job. Today's podcast is going to cover a rather taboo subject in some entrepreneurial circles, which is the decision to stop being an entrepreneur and go back to the daily grind of a 9-to-5. Anna Wickham is a former TropicalMBA intern, who traveled the world for nearly ten years and eventually started her own marketing agency called Charm House. Anna had been feeling pressure to remain an entrepreneur, even though she wasn't sure that it was the best fit for her. In this episode, Anna opens up to share her fears and hesitations about the entrepreneurial life, and why she ultimately decided that it wasn't healthy for her to keep pursuing it.