Ryan Begelman, Summit Series // Holistic Entrepreneurship, Philosophy + Buying A Mountain

Who Is Ryan?

Ryan Begelman co-founded Summit Series, described as “TED meets Burning Man” & “The Davos of Gen Y” by Forbes

They’ve become known for hosting incredible events with thousands of leading creators like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos & Jessica Alba. Summit acquired Powder Mountain, America’s largest ski resort after pre-selling the opportunity to their community.

Ryan also bought into Bisnow Media, became CEO & sold for a reported $50mil+, all without venture capital.


What You’ll Learn


🏔️ Part 1: Business Frameworks + Backstory

  • Framework For Business Ideas – a technique to generate ideas: marketing, monetization + markets
  • Bootstrapping + Buying A Mountain – how they pre-sold an idea to their community to buy a mountain for $50mil + why you should consider bootstrapping too
  • Joint Venture Waterfalls – applying a concept from private equity to real estate + businesses
  • Dealflow – four ways to think about generating deal flow: hunting, trapping, farming, trading
  • Replacing Yourself – how to find, hire & train someone to replace you



🧠 Part 2: Holistic Entrepreneurship, Philosophy + Mental Fitness

  • Redefining Wealthy + Holistic Entrepreneurship – creating a well-rounded, fun & meaningful life through entrepreneurship
  • “Software For The Brain” – train your brain for mental fitness, developing awareness + neuroplasticity
  • Practical Philosophy – concepts from greek philosophy, buddhism & stoicism to help you be less reactive + less annoyed
  • The Story of the Chinese Farmer – a parable about nature + grounding yourself in truth
  • Ego – is wanting to leave an indelible mark on humanity a form of ego or something to strive for?


⏳ Time Stamps (YouTube)

00:00:00 Preview
00:01:54 Welcome
00:04:16 Summit Series
00:10:12 Buying A Mountain
00:12:18 Revenue & Size of Summit & Bisnow Sale
00:15:28 Holistic Entrepreneurship: The Trap of Venture Capital
00:22:43 Life Cycle of Real Estate Investing
00:25:34 Joint Venture Waterfalls
00:31:22 Business Idea Framework
00:34:42 Pickleball Example
00:41:01 Finding Trends
00:42:39 Dealflow: Hunting, Trapping, Farming, Trading
00:47:20 Hiring Someone to Replace You
00:50:43 Part 2: Mental Fitness, Philosophy & Holistic Entrepreneurship
00:58:16 Mindfulness
01:05:53 Developing Awareness
01:08:30 The Story of the Chinese Farmer
01:11:14 “Don’t Be the Tree Limbs, Be the Trunk”
01:14:12 Assumptions and Biases
01:17:02 Dropping Your Concept of Right and Wrong
01:18:48 Appeal of Stoicism: Controlling What You Can Control
01:22:56 Training Your Brain
01:24:36 Getting Out Of The Worst Phase Of Your Life
01:28:37 Relationships Aren’t for Happiness
01:32:11 Dealing with Ego
01:34:00 Training Himself To Complain Less
01:35:40 Is Making An Impact On The World Driven By Ego?
01:37:30 Avoiding Unsolicited Feedback
01:38:22 Alternative To Jumping To The Solve
01:39:13 Wrap-Up


💌 Exclusive Content + Free Giveaways

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    Thank you to our partner

    This week’s episode is supported by InstaSleep Mint Melts, the drug-free, convenient sleep aid.   They’re easy to take without water & melt in your mouth like a mint. They’re designed to help you fall asleep faster & wake up without feeling groggy in the morning.   If you’ve had issues sleeping like I have, try them out – available at select Walgreens stores and their website: www.upgradeyoursleep.com

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