I love people who ask questions other people aren’t asking. See trends others don’t see. Have the courage to try a new approach. Risk the illusion of security. Think differently. Jump into the abyss with nothing but faith and their own resolve in search of answers. And refuse to wait for permission to simply do. In a certain sense, this dictate can be boiled down to a singular principle — people who Choose Themselves. And this is what today’s guest is all about. Enter James Altucher. Where to even begin with this multi-talented hyphenate. Hedge fund manager, investor & serial entrepreneur, James has founded or co-founded over 20 companies; chess master; inspirational public speaker, radio, television and successful podcast host (his show debuted at #1 on all of iTunes a few months back); bestselling author with 11 books to his name, both self-published and with the biggest publishing houses; husband, and father. I first stumbled upon the world of James Altucher about a year ago through his prolific, always humorous discernments on his The Altucher Confidential Blog and have counted myself a rabid fan ever since. What keeps me coming back isn’t just his keen perceptions and invaluable insights, but the honesty, authenticity and total transparency as a vehicle to deliver his perceptions. A self-deprecating style that astutely mines his many fears and failures with a profound degree of relatability that threads a fabric of deep emotional connection with his readership. An expert in navigating rejection and colossal failure with as much enthusiasm and authority as his lays out — brick-by-brick — the many principles he has honed and freely shares to achieve greater health, perspective, life satisfaction and prosperity. We live in precarious times. A fear-based, quickly changing world pulling the thinly veiled curtain on the illusion of security. To crib a few ideas from James, markets have crashed. The traditional idea of jobs are disappearing. Everything we thought was “safe,” no longer is: College. Employment. Retirement. Government. In every part of society, the middlemen are being pushed out of the picture. No longer is someone coming to hire you, to invest in your company, to sign you, to pick you. More than ever, it falls on the individual to create a sustainable future. Scary stuff. We can look at this as a crisis. Or we can change perspective and see it as a moment of great opportunity. As always, destruction begets renewal. The truth is that we live in an amazing, unprecedented time of opportunity. A time of fantastical technology that in many ways has simply eradicated the seat once occupied by what we call the gatekeepers. With the advent of mind-blowing software and social media, new tools and economic forces are emerging that make it more possible than ever for individuals to create, thrive and change the world without “help” from the finicky sometimes not so permissive hand traditionally relied upon to feed us. This is the idea behind what James would call the Choose Yourself era. It’s also the title of his most recent book, a roadmap primer on transcending the decaying the master/servant paradigm of our economic system of employment and a call to action on how to configure a more meaningful life liberated from the so-called gatekeepers. With a keen wit and finely honed insight, James is a guy who sees, understands and can translate life principles in a way that will both challenge and humor you. I encourage all of you to read his book and the many articles on his blog, then experiment by incorporating his tools into your life. So there you go. I hope you enjoy today’s conversation. I certainly did. Let me know what you think in the comments below.