In 1883, Theodore Roosevelt was on a Buffalo hunting trip in the rugged and untamed Badlands of Medora, North Dakota, when a couple of cowboy pranksters made “the dude” from the big city the target of a devious practical joke. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to the lawless and violent Wild West to learn how a twenty-five year old rich kid from New York City named TR faced ridicule and defeat, but refused to back down, even as the raucous laughter of the cowboy bullies began to draw a crowd from the nearby saloon. But would the “toughest little town in the Badlands” witness the infamous bucking bronco, White-Faced Kid, murder another tenderfoot? Or was it Roosevelt that would have the last laugh? Listen in and learn more—discover the key characteristic that transformed a sickly, asthmatic young boy into one of the greatest and most tenacious leaders in American history.

In 1939, George Dantzig, a humble graduate student at Berkeley in San Francisco, changed mathematics history when he showed up 10 minutes late for his final exam. Listen in as we travel back to Northern California in the midst of the Great Depression to discover the powerful role that expectations can play in transforming your career and your life. In this episode of Classic Influence, we will also take a brief look at how people often unintentionally set themselves and others up for failure or success depending on the beliefs they hold, the words they use, and the frames they mindlessly adopt. Finally, we’ll revisit one of the critical, recurring themes on this podcast: What you honestly think your future can become has a powerful effect on how your future turns out.

Walt Disney’s ultimate, iconic success belies the years he struggled to make ends meet, often going without food to cover the bills. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to Hollywood in the early 1920s to discover the ownership mindset, appetite for risk-taking, and bold actions that set people like Walt Disney apart from the pack. This episode also explores the power of titles, symbols, and rules; the challenge of authority and how to create it; and how to navigate these social constructs to maximize your options and increase your probability of success. This episode also reveals the urgent need to adopt an abundance mentality and reframe roles while maintaining relationships and trust. Be sure to catch this insightful journey into the world of young Walt Disney and the strategies that can help abolish one of the biggest obstacles to your own success.