As 2024 starts drawing to a close, I want to unpack some of the key criteria I use to evaluate how successful my year has been. Tune in to hear my advice for overcoming some of the most common errors made by compliance professionals and the questions you should be asking yourself right now to ensure that you don’t fall into these traps again in 2025!

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[01:12] How and why my approach to evaluating each year of my life has changed.

[04:17] Some of the key questions that I recommend asking yourself at this time of the year.

[05:56] One of the biggest challenges faced by compliance professionals.

[08:13] My version of procrastination.

[09:21] Exploring what motivation is and how you can enhance it.

[10:18] What I am proud of having achieved in 2024.

[10:56] Why it’s important to evaluate how you deal with positive and negative surprises.

[13:32] A common approach adopted by compliance offers when something doesn’t go the way they planned.

[15:36] Why the aforementioned approach doesn’t work and what I recommend doing instead.

[16:30] Why I believe compliance is a revenue-generating function.

[19:39] An overview of the free workshop I am holding on the 18th of December that will help you convert your setbacks into successes!

Show links:

• Sign up for the Key Success Factors for FinTech Compliance - it’s FREE!

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

Today’s episode is inspired by a book written by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld. It’s called The Triple Package and while it’s received its fair share of criticism, I hope that after listening to my analysis, you’ll be able to appreciate the book’s theory as much as I do!

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[00:48] The conversation and book that inspired today’s episode.

[03:09] The key theory outlined in The Triple Package.

[03:54] What a superiority complex is.

[04:38] The unexpected benefits of being insecure.

[05:36] The correlation between impulse control and success.

[06:34] Criticism that The Triple Package has received and why I disagree with the critics.

[07:47] How The Triple Package theory can be applied to Russian immigrants.

[11:20] Characteristics to look out for when interviewing immigrants.

[14:58] The value of The Triple Package theory.

Show links:

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

In a paper released a few days ago (October 2024) two senior officials from the ECB outlined why they believe Bitcoin is dangerous, creates inequality, and is a threat to democracy. In this episode, I outline why they are wrong.

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[00:50] A real-life horror story.

[02:30] Arguments made by two senior ECB officials about the dangers of Bitcoin in a research paper.

[05:58] The high levels of accessibility of Bitcoin.

[05:58] Some of the many benefits of Bitcoin.

[07:16] Why it is untrue that early Bitcoin adopters benefit unfairly.

[09:35] The causes of inequality.

[10:35] My theories for the motivation behind the release of the anti-Bitcoin paper.

[16:19] What to expect from the MICA workshop I am holding in November.

Show links:

• Join my MICA Licensing for Self-Starters Workshop here!

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

I’ve always believed in the importance of IP rights and patents, like many of you, but my recent discovery of Stephan Kinsella’s theory on this topic has led me to almost completely change my mind. Tune in today to hear about the history of IP rights and patents, why they are anti-capitalist, and how they actually inhibit rather than promote innovation.

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[00:38] Why today’s episode is a special one.

[01:45] My argument against registering trademarks as a startup.

[04:03] How my opinion on IP rights has changed.

[04:48] The history of copyrights and patents.

[05:55] A summary of Stephan Kinsella’s argument against IP rights.

[07:26] How IP laws infringe on the property rights of individuals.

[08:58] How patents can inhibit innovation.

[10:04] An example of how IP rights act in the interests of big corporations rather than consumers.

[13:12] The three potential sources of property rights.

[14:33] What Stephan believes ownership principles should be based on.

[15:22] Contractual provisions that I always include in my client agreements.

[17:33] The challenges of enforcing IP rights.

[18:43] Why I am such a fan of Stephan Kinsella’s work.

[19:30] Stephan’s response to the fear that people have about the threat of AI.

Show links:

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

While I normally choose to keep my political views separate from my professional life, in this episode, I share why forming and defending your own political opinions is a very useful tool that can lead to the development of skills that will be invaluable to you as a financial-industry professional.

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[01:03] Why I usually keep my political views separate from my professional life.

[02:44] Damage that can be caused by bringing political will into the financial industry.

[04:00] My thoughts on Dima Kats’ decision to expose corruption.

[06:17] The value of having strong opinions.

[07:24] Real-world examples of how my strong opinions have benefited me.

[11:58] My first introduction to Donald Trump.

[13:22] What I thought when I found out he was running for president.

[14:15] How I feel about his time in office.

[15:56] My thoughts on why so many people are negatively triggered by him.

[18:30] Lessons that I think we can all learn from him, whether or not we agree with the things he says.

[19:31] Skills that can be developed through the formation of solid political opinions.

Show links:

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

Unfortunately, many employers have held onto outdated beliefs about employment and entrepreneurship. In this episode, I share why I agree with Nassim Taleb’s belief that getting a monthly salary (i.e. full-time employment) as opposed to working as a consultant often does more harm than good!

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[00:41] An overview of the focus of today’s show.

[01:14] The dangers of drugs vs. a monthly check

[01:48] The stories that inspired me to record this episode.

[03:10] Issues that have become commonplace in big companies.

[04:51] Nassim Taleb’s thoughts on the harm caused by formal employment.

[07:23] Travis Kalanick’s biggest battle as Uber’s CEO.

[09:26] A personal experience highlighting how employers misinterpret full-time employment and entrepreneurship.

[16:18] Lessons that can be learned from the communist revolution.

[18:48] Share your thoughts!

Show links:

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

I am obsessed with free speech and misinformation, so this episode about the attempted “canceling” of Darryl Cooper means a lot to me. Tune in today to hear about Darryl’s podcast episode that caused uproar amongst many of his listeners and my thoughts on the topic.

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[01:01] What Darryl Cooper’s podcast is about.

[02:29] The story that inspired today’s episode.

[06:16] Why I strongly disagree with the canceling of Darryl Cooper.

[07:30] How Darryl Cooper responded to the attempt to cancel him.

[08:14] What I learned about Israel and Palestine from Darryl Cooper.

[11:06] Positives that came from the Darryl Cooper controversy.

[12:21] Why cancel culture is so rife.

[14:21] The importance of not viewing complex events as ‘black and white.’

[15:37] The problem with trying to cancel certain opinions.

[17:08] Introduction to my upcoming brand new workshop.

Show links:

• Register for my new workshop, ‘Balancing DSA and GDPR Requirements,’ here!

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.

“Having a goal and not reaching it is better than not having a goal at all.” We all know the feeling of disappointment when we set a goal that we are unable to achieve. When this happened to me earlier this year, I reread Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, and in today’s episode, I share the invaluable lessons that it taught me about setting goals and not achieving them.

If you found value in this episode, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! My mission is to help and support as many FinTech startups as possible, and when you leave a positive review, more people can find this podcast and help their companies! If you are on Apple, just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and tell me what your favorite part of the podcast is.

Today's episode:

[00:39] An overview of today’s topic.

[01:06] The goal that I set for myself for this year that I wasn’t able to achieve.

[02:10] What the book Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl, is about.

[04:35] Criticisms that the book received.

[07:10] The power of having a purpose.

[10:04] Why Frankl believes that people always have freedom, regardless of their circumstances.

[13:04] Don’t put your goals on a pedestal!

[13:56] A new perspective on setting goals.

[18:38] How to deal with things not going to plan.

[20:28] The value of joining the FinTech Startup Certification Program.

Show links:

• Join our FinTech Startup Certification Program here!

• Interested in FinTech compliance? - consider investing in the FinTech Compliance Self-Starter Package!

• I would love to invite you to sign up for my newsletter. If you are interested, please click here.