Unconventional Mindset

Odum Idika

Conversations with interesting people who can inspire us to become the best version of ourselves.

  1. 4D AGO

    Our System Is Built Against You (And What You Can Do About It)

    Dave Culligan breaks down the lie we’ve been sold: work hard, be a good employee and you’ll be able to buy a house, live a comfortable life and be happy. Dave Culligan is the found of threesixfive, a creative studio located in the heart of downtown Halifax that specializes in creative story telling for ambitious brands. Today Dave will cover: 🔹 Redefining happiness beyond money 🔹 Using social media the wrong way 🔹 Authenticity, AI, and the future of online trust 🔹 Leadership and the cost of people-pleasing 🔹 The power of doing the hard inner work Follow Dave: 🌐 Website 👉 https://www.threesixfive.ca/ 🌐 Personal Website 👉 https://www.daveculligan.com/ 🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-culligan/ 🔗 Company LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-culligan/ 🔗 Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/dave.culligan/ 🔗 YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ2TlP_ul9bDFBFEHP1uG8g ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 What leads to happiness 00:01:04 Navigating materialism in society 00:08:00 Balance between authenticity, professional and AI 00:14:00 Overcoming adversity and learning how to help others 00:15:22 Desire to be loved 00:20:00 Losing friends throughout life’s different seasons 00:24:38 Changing level of professionalism 00:30:07 We need to tell better stories 00:42:37 Project 365 and making one video everyday for a year 00:49:18 Mindset going into project 365 00:55:21 How to change your mindset if you’re not where you want to be (yet) 00:58:33 Importance of mentorship and being a mentor 01:03:35 Challenges facing our youth today 01:14:11 What can “I” do to help? 01:19:26 Provoke change through powerful storytelling 01:23:08 Finding common ground as Canadians 01:28:20 Advice to our youth to help them navigate through life 01:32:18 What will be the legacy for Dave?

    1h 34m

  2. JAN 20

    Stop Building Ideas No One Will Pay For (You're Solving the Wrong Problem)

    Dennis Dixon is the founder of Oquli, a lean and bootstrapped team working to build custom software tools designed to solve real-world problems. We sit down to have a candid conversation on failure, validation, and why the most successful founders learn to deeply understand real problems before trying to solve them. Today Denis will cover: 🔹 The danger of building in isolation 🔹 The importance of validating ideas quickly 🔹 Progress comes from listening more and building less 🔹 Learning when to walk away from ideas you’re attached to 🔹 How to look for problems that people actually want solved Follow Dennis: 🌐 Website 👉 https://codiii.com/ 🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisod/ 🔗 Oquli LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/oquli/ ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Takeaway from this episode 00:00:35 Introduction to Dennis 00:01:47 What’s it like teaching adults as a teenager 00:04:15 Falling in love with an idea 00:08:14 Learning from people within your industry 00:11:46 Finding actually problems from the noise 00:14:47 Learning to let go of your ideas and changing your mindset 00:19:50 Finding solutions after you identify a problem 00:25:12 The hidden dangers of building software 00:29:00 Importance of getting feedback from users 00:31:50 Bootstrapping 00:37:33 Canada vs. United States for selling software 00:42:00 Mindset shift for growing business after validation 00:45:26 Don’t be ignorant to AI, even if you don’t use it 00:48:02 Putting aside ego to grow 00:53:24 Thoughts on when to quit a business 00:57:10 What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

    1h 3m

  3. 2025-12-23

    Skip the Startup Phase and Go Straight to Cash Flow (A Proven Path to Ownership)

    Entrepreneur Amin Tran takes us on a journey from being kicked out of school, holding 37 jobs, not fitting into traditional roles, to building a portfolio of companies which is tracking to generate 9 figures of revenue in 2026. Amin Tran highlights the current opportunity we have for acquiring businesses, particular in the construction industry. Today Amin will cover: 🔹 The biggest productivity killers today 🔹 The importance of trusting your gut 🔹 How to find opportunities to buy businesses 🔹 Developing strength through hardship 🔹 Why strong leadership is more critical than ever ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Buying businesses and starting with cash flow 00:10:58 Being fired from many jobs 00:16:24 The entrepreneur mindset 00:19:42 When to continue or pivot 00:21:16 Our education system 00:24:12 Top productivity killers and a lack of strong men 00:29:09 How do we help young men 00:36:42 Learning about mergers and acquisitions 00:40:19 Growing and scaling businesses to over 8 figures in annual revenue 00:44:47 What’s on the horizon for Amin 00:46:49 Unlocking new skills 00:51:10 Growing from your past 00:55:50 Importance of having purpose 00:57:42 What it means to be a good leader 01:01:58 Managing clients 01:11:55 Women make better project managers 01:14:17 Settling down with a family 01:16:52 Navigating social media with kids 01:21:21 Amin staying away from social media 01:27:31 Leaving legacy behind to children 01:29:02 Don’t make New Year resolutions 01:34:15 Advice to break free from the 9-5 01:38:11 How to look for mentors

    1h 42m

  4. 2025-12-16

    How Downsizing Built a $2,000,000 Investment Portfolio (Stop Chasing Status)

    Luke Morgan is a passive income investor who has built his portfolio to over $2 million in assets providing him with $28,000 in monthly income. Today Luke breaks down all the investing mistakes he made, including losing $500,000 in a span of a few months. He gives us a blueprint into building wealth intentionally, how to avoid common pitfalls, and most importantly how to change your mindset to help you attain true financial freedom. Today Luke will cover: 🔹 Mindset needed for long-term investing & wealth generation 🔹 Real-estate and the hidden costs of homeownership 🔹 Pitfalls of chasing status and material possessions 🔹 How to get started with passive income investing 🔹 How to navigate risk ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 How to change your mindset  00:04:15 Introduction to Luke and passive income investing 00:07:37 Building a $2,000,000 portfolio with $28,000 monthly passive income 00:10:12 Growth mode with passive income 00:11:10 Enjoying money now 00:14:21 Path to investing: real-estate & cannabis 00:19:52 Early wins in investing leading to a dangerous mindset 00:24:36 Learning to be content and staying away from greed & envy 00:30:43 Simplest way to get started with investing (don’t lose $500,000 like Luke) 00:38:51 Simple investment strategy to make your kids millionaires 00:44:04 Social media’s negative effects on our perception of finances for our youth 00:49:40 Using social media with intent and purpose 00:52:54 Just start today 00:55:00 Understanding that Real-estate is a liability 01:06:17 Wealthsimple & Questrade for investing in Canada 01:12:41 Turning liabilities into assets

    1h 16m

  5. 2025-12-09

    How to Stand out in the Attention Economy (Psychology That Makes Your Brand Impossible to Ignore)

    Sarah Hart is the found of Hart & Co., a creative agency that helps founder-led B2B brands build memorable, attention-grabbing visual identities. Today Sarah breaks down how to stand out in today’s attention economy, and how to use simple psychology principles to hijack people’s brains so your brand stops being ignored. Today Sarah will cover: 🔹 What it means to be the glitch 🔹 Psychological principles that drive attention 🔹 Why so many brands look the same 🔹 Understanding the attention economy 🔹 The importance of having a vision as a founder Follow Sarah: 🌐 Website 👉 https://hartcocreative.com/ 🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhartcreative/ 🔗 YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SarahHartDesign ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 “Be the glitch” 00:02:45 Introduction to Sarah 00:07:08 Changes in brand industry 00:10:23 Psychology behind design 00:15:41 Dealing with clients 00:18:25 Tying design to the buyer’s journey 00:19:45 Finding happiness in work 00:23:46 Navigating clients as an entrepreneur 00:25:42 Psychology and design principles 00:29:42 Using AI to create assets 00:32:11 Hijacking brains 00:36:32 Finding balance in standing out 00:39:41 Tips on branding Unconventional Mindset and getting clarity 00:44:23 Challenges and joys of entrepreneurship 00:46:30 Sarah’s entrepreneurship journey and making over $100,000 early 00:52:23 Getting back into education 00:54:37 Personal growth as a business owner 01:01:34 What’s next

    1h 3m

  6. 2025-12-02

    How to Get More Customers (It's Not About You)

    Most companies don’t lose customers to competition, they lose them because they don’t really understand them. Melissa Hughes is the owner of Marketing Mile where she helps clients from all over the world truly understand their customers. Today Melissa will cover: 🔹 Asking the right questions 🔹 How to avoid making assumptions 🔹 Understanding the customer journey 🔹 Using data effectively without getting overwhelmed 🔹 Better marketing through a better understanding of your customer Follow Melissa: 🌐 Website 👉 https://marketingmile.co/ 🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahughes/ ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Key takeaway from today’s episode 00:02:05 Introduction 00:06:14 Working with big clients 00:10:32 How to avoid making assumptions 00:13:49 Why entrepreneurs often don’t think about their customers 00:17:02 Melissa’s transition to entrepreneurship 00:22:10 Odum’s transition to entrepreneurship 00:25:51 Starting point to understanding your customers 00:32:07 Understanding pain points of customers’ day 00:35:10 Customer journey 00:46:30 Making data-driven decisions 00:48:53 Run intentional experiments 00:50:03 Example of great customer understanding 00:52:47 Is AI helpful for understanding customers? 00:58:30 How to nurture customers to keep them 01:01:47 Marketing mistakes by small businesses 01:05:34 Last word to entrepreneurs

    1h 6m

  7. 2025-11-18

    How Agencies Keep Clients For Years (And Build Businesses They Love) - Taylor McMaster

    Taylor McMaster is the founder of DOT & Company, a leading agency providing client account management for digital marketing agencies. Taylor breaks down step by step how to properly onboard clients so you can build long term, loyal customers that keep coming back for more. Today Taylor will cover: 🔹 Where people go wrong in client retention 🔹 The importance of focusing on a singular pain point 🔹 How to communicate effectively with clients 🔹 What to do in the first 24 hours of a sale 🔹 Why clients leave Follow Taylor: 🌐 Website 👉 https://www.dotandcompany.co/ 🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylormcmaster/ 🔗 YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@UC9_2hri1R1uaNTGeZr0Oyxg  ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:51 Why is it important to keep clients happy? 00:02:31 Why people don’t get it right 00:05:32 Getting started with account management 00:10:45 Finding pain points that stick 00:12:00 Being fulfilled in your work 00:14:28 Why people fail to retain clients 00:16:21 Learning to understand your clients’ needs 00:18:59 The work starts when you sign the contract 00:21:28 Taylor walks me through giving great podcast experience 00:24:40 Don’t be afraid to over-communicate 00:26:00 How to maintain and grow client relationships 00:27:15 Taylor’s biggest mistake in business 00:28:50 Things to look for in great account managers 00:34:05 Letting employees think for themselves 00:35:13 Taylor’s early entrepreneurial days 00:38:00 Learn to let go of things in your business 00:39:44 Where are you in 5 to 10 years? 00:41:56 Desire to be the best 00:45:05 A one person business is still a business 00:47:00 Finding your purpose 00:50:57 Never lose sight of the human experience

    53 min

  8. 2025-11-04

    How to Grow Your Business with AI in 2025 (No Experience Needed) - Robert Newcombe

    Robert Newcombe is the founder of AI-First Consulting, a firm that helps businesses implement AI into their daily processes to improve performance, productivity, and collaboration. Driven by curiosity, Robert discusses how he got started with AI, the importance of embracing this technology, and offers his reflections on how AI is reshaping the workplace and the future of work itself. Follow Robert: 🌐 Website 👉 https://www.ai-first.ca/ 🔗 LinkedIn (Personal) 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertnewcombe/ 🔗 LinkedIn (Company) 👉 https://linkedin.com/company/ai-first-consulting Today Robert will cover: 🔹 How to get started with AI 🔹 How AI can save you hours of work 🔹 Finding pain points in your life that AI can solve 🔹 Privacy concerns with data 🔹 Building AI agents 🔹 Organizing information inside ChatGPT ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:29 Lean Six Sigma process 00:08:38 Improving government efficiency 00:10:22 Getting in the field of AI and starting a company 00:18:44 Going all in on AI 00:20:48 Putting together a team 00:23:43 How AI can help do better work 00:28:01 Businesses struggling to keep up with AI 00:29:26 How to get started with AI 00:31:19 Privacy and data security 00:34:43 Using AI to help create this podcast 00:36:50 Making custom GPTs and organizing information in ChatGPT 00:43:54 Look for small wins when starting with AI 00:46:32 Learn AI to make you more valuable in your job 00:49:15 AI agents and how to implement them to solve pain points 01:00:07 Is AI hurting our ability to learn? 01:03:95 Future of work and AI 01:08:39 Just get started so you don't get left behind

    1h 12m
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About

Conversations with interesting people who can inspire us to become the best version of ourselves.

Information

  • Creator
    Odum Idika
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unconventional Mindset
  • Show Website
    Unconventional Mindset