Pass The Flame: Lessons from Founders, CEOs, and Exceptional People

Elan Gelfand
  • 5.0 (27)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Someone passed the flame to the people you admire. Now they're passing it to you. Every week, Elan sits down with founders, CEOs, and exceptional thinkers to extract the exact mindset shifts, decisions, and habits that got them there. Past guests include Chris Voss, David Meltzer, Keith Ferrazzi, Derek Sivers, and more. If you're ambitious, hungry to learn, and want proof that what you're building is possible, you belong here. Formerly Abundant Thinking.

  1. 5d ago

    Why Relentless Focus Is Now a Career Risk — Gregg Schoenberg | Ep. 168

    Gregg Schoenberg is an investor, a longtime adviser to a multistrategy hedge fund, and the founder of a media business he went on to sell. Connect with Gregg Schoenberg:- Website: https://greggschoenberg.com- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/greggschoenbergIf this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please subscribe! It takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.The best advice I’ve ever received shouldn't stay private. That's why I started the Pass The Flame newsletter, 100% free. I distill the absolute highest-ROI lessons handed down to me by world-class guests into a high-impact email that takes less than 3 minutes to read. Built specifically for high achievers who don't have time to waste, these insights changed my trajectory—now it's your turn. Join the newsletter: https://www.elangelfand.com/newsletterRelentless focus is becoming a career risk in an economy that rewards adaptability. Gregg Schoenberg explains why doubling down on one path can leave you vulnerable.Most professionals are taught that singular intensity is the key to success, but that mindset often leads to professional stagnation. In this conversation, Gregg breaks down why maintaining a rigid professional identity prevents you from identifying new opportunities. He explores the shift from a narrow career path to a more sustainable, diversified approach that protects your long-term value.If you have been relying on a singular skill set, this discussion offers a roadmap for recalibrating your strategy. By understanding the dangers of over-specialization, you can begin to build a more resilient professional life. Gregg provides insight into how to identify when your current trajectory has become a liability rather than an asset, ensuring you remain relevant in a changing market.If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please subscribe for weekly career strategy breakdowns.

  2. Oct 6

    Successful People Don't Make Better Decisions, They Leave Bad Ones Faster — Shawn Dill | Ep. 167

    Shawn Dill is a chiropractor turned business coach who helps service providers and entrepreneurs grow through leverage, adaptability, and relationships. Connect with Shawn Dill: - Website: https://shawndill.com - Instagram: https://instagram.com/drshawndill - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shawndill - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drshawndill

  3. Sep 15

    The People You're Closest To Are the Ones Keeping You Where You Are — Gary Schoeniger | Ep. 166

    What looks like a lazy person is almost always someone who decided, without ever noticing they decided, that nothing they do will change anything. Gary Schoeniger has interviewed hundreds of everyday entrepreneurs, and his conclusion is that the traits we admire in them aren't traits at all. They're muscles, built over decades, usually before anyone was watching. In his third appearance on the show, he breaks down the three psychological needs every human is chasing (autonomy, competency, relatedness) and what happens when you can't reach them: you buy the car you can't afford as a stand-in for purpose, then stay tethered to a job you don't like to pay for it. He explains why people on a predetermined path never learn to think about their own thinking, why two-thirds of North American workers are checked out at work, and why the friends keeping you comfortable might be the exact thing keeping you stuck. He also tells the story of the multimillionaire road builder who signed over millions in building lots to a broke kid, with one line of explanation: somebody else helped me. Connect with Gary Schoeniger: Website: https://garyschoeniger.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/garyschoenigerELI Mindset and the Ice House Programs: https://elimindset.comBook (The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage): https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurial-Mindset-Advantage-Unleashes-Potential/dp/163774577XBook (Who Owns the Ice House?): https://www.amazon.com/House-Eight-Lessons-Unlikely-Entrepreneur/dp/0971305935 If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.

  4. Aug 25

    Why People Who Talk Most About Manifesting Often Have the Weakest Results — Jonny Pardoe | Ep. 165

    A lot of people talk a great game about manifesting their dream life. Jonny Pardoe has learned to ignore every word of it and look at their results instead. Jonny — host of the top 1% ranked Self Esteem and Confidence Mindset podcast, with over 1,200 episodes and 3.3 million downloads — breaks down the map of consciousness he learned from mentor Peter Sage: the difference between living as a "victim," grinding it out "by me," and finally operating from "froobie," where you stop fighting life and let it redirect you. He explains why he writes a daily letter to his inner child, a five-year-old he calls "little Jay," and how that ten-minute habit rebuilt his relationship with himself. He also makes the case for a less popular idea in mental health: that opening up to the wrong person can do more damage than staying silent — and how to tell the difference before you share. Connect with Jonny Pardoe: Website: https://jonnypardoe.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/jonnycpardoeLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jonny-pardoe-08148b194Podcast: The Self Esteem and Confidence Mindset — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-self-esteem-and-confidence-mindset/id1497438573Book: The Self Esteem and Confidence Mindset — https://www.amazon.com/Self-Esteem-Confidence-Mindset-Muscles/dp/B08F6RC8C6If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.

  5. Aug 18

    Before You Build a Platform, Test Your Idea on Someone Else's — Henry Gordon-Smith | Ep. 164

    Passion feels like proof you're on the right path. It isn't. Henry Gordon-Smith found that out the hard way, and it's what built Agritecture into a global urban agriculture consultancy. Henry ran three blogs at once. Six months each, no exceptions. Two weren't working, so he killed them, even the one he loved writing. The survivor became Agritecture, the company he still runs today. He talks about the DIY vertical farming kit he was proudest of and why he eventually killed that too: loving a project never once translated into revenue. Then he gets honest about the thing founders don't want to hear. He wouldn't start this company solo again. And the first thing he tells every new entrepreneur is simple: assume you're going to fail, then build backwards from there. Connect with Henry Gordon-Smith: Website: https://www.agritecture.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/theagritectLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hgordonsmith/ If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.

  6. Aug 11

    Affirmations Don't Work — Confidence Only Comes From What You've Actually Done — John O'Sullivan | Ep. 163

    Telling yourself you're enough doesn't make you enough. John O'Sullivan has coached at the youth, college, and pro level for 30 years, and he says confidence built on words alone falls apart the moment it's tested. John breaks down why affirmations without action get you nowhere, then walks through the exact exercise sports psychologist Jim Lehrer used with Andre Agassi and Jim Courier: write down your most repeated negative thought, flip it into its opposite, then practice saying the new version until your brain believes it. He also unpacks Michael Gervais' idea of FOPO, fear of other people's opinions, and why chasing to be liked costs you your autonomy while earning respect for your standards never does. The real source of confidence, John argues, isn't a mantra. It's the hours you put in before anyone's watching, and the willingness to take action even while your hands are shaking. Connect with John O'Sullivan: Website: https://changingthegameproject.comPodcast: Way of Champions (https://www.wayofchampions.com/podcasts)Instagram: https://instagram.com/ctgprojecthqLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/coachjohnosullivanBook: Every Moment Matters (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1734342609) If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.

  7. Aug 4

    Why a 50-Year-Old and a 22-Year-Old Can Be the Exact Same Customer — John Elbing | Ep. 162

    Follow more conversations with founders, ceo's and exceptional thinkers! Nobody cares about your story, they care about whether they can see themselves in it. Storytelling consultant John Elbing has coached over 150 companies on the exact moment a stranger decides you're "for them," often before they understand a single thing you actually do. John breaks down the three-stage framework: recognition, perception, projection. That determines whether someone stays on your page or scrolls past in the first three seconds. He tells the story of a humanitarian water-purification client and why the real problem they needed to solve wasn't "people get sick," it was "trucks get stuck in the mud." He explains why Red Bull no longer bothers advertising its own product, and why most companies fail not because they niche down too much, but because they're too afraid to niche down at all. He also breaks down why targeting a customer's mindset and maturity works better than targeting their age. Connect with John Elbing: Website: https://standpoint.ch/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elbing/Book: Storybuilding: Your Brand From Their Standpoint — https://www.amazon.com/Storybuilding-Your-Brand-Their-Standpoint/dp/1947276654If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.

  8. Jul 28

    Why Adding More Tools to Your Toolbox Is Actually Holding You Back — Alan Stein Jr. | Ep. 161

    Most people think self-improvement means constantly adding more, more tools, more habits, more hacks. Alan Stein Jr. spent 15+ years coaching Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant, and he's convinced that's exactly backwards. Alan breaks down why he's actively removing tools from his toolbox instead of collecting more, and why "you can't pay someone to do your push-ups" applies just as much to AI as it does to physical fitness. He explains why he'd rather do the hard, unglamorous work of getting in shape than lean on a shortcut like a GLP-1 drug or peptides, and why the identity you build in the process matters more than the result. Alan also unpacks his line "emotions are information, not directives," and shares his personal rule for never letting anger or irritation drive his decisions. He closes with a mantra that reframes generosity entirely: a compliment you don't give is an act of selfishness. Connect with Alan Stein Jr.: Website: https://alansteinjr.com/Instagram: https://instagram.com/alansteinjrLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alan-stein-jrBook: Raise Your Game — https://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Game-High-Performance-Secrets/dp/1546082859 If this episode gave you one idea worth keeping, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it takes 30 seconds and it helps more people find the show.

See All (168)

5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Someone passed the flame to the people you admire. Now they're passing it to you. Every week, Elan sits down with founders, CEOs, and exceptional thinkers to extract the exact mindset shifts, decisions, and habits that got them there. Past guests include Chris Voss, David Meltzer, Keith Ferrazzi, Derek Sivers, and more. If you're ambitious, hungry to learn, and want proof that what you're building is possible, you belong here. Formerly Abundant Thinking.

Information