Podcast Brendan Davis Podcast Brendan Davis

STEVE “CAPTAIN HOFF” HOFFMAN | From Hollywood to Silicon Valley to China

Millions of people in the tech & startup world know Steve Hoffman as "Captain Hoff" from Foundersspace, a leading incubator from Silicon Valley that is now omnipresent throughout China. But very few people know that his FIRST career was as a development executive in Hollywood, and this is the first time Steve's talked about all this in-depth since beginning his China adventures.

Millions of people in the tech & startup world know Steve Hoffman as “Captain Hoff” from Foundersspace, a leading incubator from Silicon Valley that is now omnipresent throughout China. But very few people know that his FIRST career was as a development executive in Hollywood, and this is the first time Steve’s talked about all this in-depth since beginning his China adventures.

The lessons he's learned from his success shaping startups & stories are invaluable, & applicable regardless of your vocation or location.

I especially love his closing thoughts: “Are you putting your time into the most important things? Given who you are and where you are in your life, what's the most value you can be creating for the people around you and the world around you, and can you focus your energies on that instead of getting distracted by all these other things?”

This was a very fun and special conversation, so I hope you check it out.  

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Podcast Brendan Davis Podcast Brendan Davis

CARL KING | Creating Your Own Path (series finale)

CARL KING is a true polymath: someone who's professionally good at many things. He's a screenwriter, published book author, composer, engineer, director, producer, & more. Carl has worked with numerous legends in the progressive music and geek culture scenes, including Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Kevin Smith, the late Jon Schnepp, Brendon Small, and many others.

CARL KING is a true polymath: someone who’s professionally good at many things. He’s a screenwriter, published book author, composer, engineer, director, producer, & more. Carl has worked with numerous legends in the progressive music and geek culture scenes, including Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Kevin Smith, the late Jon Schnepp, Brendon Small, and many others. And among his massive credits list, Carl created our theme music! So since Carl’s work (with drums by Mike Stone!) is the FIRST thing you hear on this podcast, I thought it made sense to have him on as my LAST regular guest on the show, too. Wait - last show, you say? What!? More details in the show. Enjoy! 

CARL KING links:
WEB: http://carlkingdom.com
MUSIC: https://shop.carlkingdom.com/collections/digital-downloads/products/sir-millard-mulch-how-to-sell-collection-2-failure-digital-download

MIKE STONE on Drums!
https://www.facebook.com/mike.stone1

BFMK Links:
APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2 
STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom 
WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com

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Podcast Brendan Davis Podcast Brendan Davis

PETER LEVENDA: China Business Secrets, Space Programs, & UFOs

This week's show, and show notes, are both longer than usual - but with very good reason! Hang on, it's going to be a fun and occasionally wild ride...   My guest today, for the first show in the Year of the Dog, is none other than internationally esteemed writer and lecturer Peter Levenda.

#039 - China Business Secrets, Space Programs, & UFOs | Peter Levenda

This week’s show, and show notes, are both longer than usual - but with very good reason! Hang on, it’s going to be a fun and occasionally wild ride...

My guest today, for the first show in the Year of the Dog, is none other than internationally esteemed writer and lecturer Peter Levenda. Mr. Levenda has a truly massive and very influential body of work, including his groundbreaking China business book “The Mao of Business”, and he is considered to be something of a legend in certain circles. For roughly 40 years, Levenda has taken a very rational, scientific and historical approach to researching topics that are most commonly viewed through a conspiracy theory lens, and he’s won the respect of mainstream scientists, academics, and fans around the world as a result. 

Lately, Levenda is most well-known for his work with rockstar @TomDeLonge of Blink182 and his “To The Stars” initiative, which is responsible for facilitating the recent high-level US Government disclosures regarding the UFO phenomenon, as reported on the front page of The New York Times and other newspapers around the world. This is an outgrowth of Levenda's earlier work writing extensively on post-WW2 issues related to the fate of various bad guys who escaped Germany and their subsequent roles in the founding of the US space program and other intrigues. But what’s most relevant to OUR show today is Levenda’s passionate interest in and pioneering role doing international trade with China, beginning in 1984.

Among other topics, we discuss: his early studies doing translations of Chinese alchemical texts as he earned his Master’s degree, and their relationship to Cabalistic material; his 34+ year career working with and traveling in China, and his impressions of how the country has grown and evolved as he has met and worked with people from all walks of life here; the disconnect between the “virtual China” that most outsiders conceive of versus the reality of the place; China’s sense of itself and how approaching it with a colonial, antagonistic attitude is a recipe for disaster; how China’s own space program will likely distinguish itself in the near future; the broader power dynamics at play in the East versus the West and what a smart China strategy should consider; and much more. We also cover the “To The Stars” project somewhat as well as other random tangents that pop up here and there, so it’s a relative buffet of Levenda goodness. 

This one gets very philosophical yet is extremely practical too. Peter is not only learned, he is also dryly funny and we had a wonderful chat. With all due respect to my other guests, I have to say that this is possibly my favorite episode of the show so far, so I really hope you’ll give it a listen and that you enjoy it if you do!

Also - we have a NEW, international sponsor this week! Stackry is the global leader in international parcel forwarding from the US to anywhere in the world.  The way it works is that you shop at any US retailer, have your packages shipped to your Stackry address, and once everything has arrived, Stackry consolidates your stuff and ships it to you anywhere in the world, even China, saving you up to 80% of the shipping costs versus shipping things directly from the store. Stackry provides free storage, same day consolidation of your packages, and a tax-free US address for you to use. I’m building my very first Stackry shipment from the US to China right now; it’s really easy to use their site and get started. Sign up TODAY via the link below, and use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout to save 10% off your first shipment. 

Alright! This is a giant intro, but it’s a pretty epic show. All the links are also available on the blog page at crazyinagoodway.com. Now, please enjoy my interview with Peter Levenda.

SPONSOR:
Stackry “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” sign-up link HERE!
Create an account, build an order, and THEN use the offer code BIGFISH at the checkout, and save 10% off your first shipment!

GUEST:
Peter Levenda website: http://peterlevenda.com
Peter Levenda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Peter-Levenda/100012276609499
Peter Levenda on Twitter: @Peter_Levenda

“To The Stars” website: https://coi.tothestarsacademy.com
The New York times article referenced in the show: "Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program" - https://nyti.ms/2kB62aH

HOST / SHOW:
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/

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