Uncommon Excellence

Liam Applegate
  • 4.2 (5)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Discover the excellence of history's uncommon leaders, ideas, and businesses through weekly podcast episodes, each exploring key insights from a must-read book. "I am a voracious reader... I am convinced that the single most important thing you can do is to read and think. The more you read, the more you know, and the better decisions you make." — Charlie Munger

  1. 3d ago

    Uncommon Moments: Your Success Depends on Your Enthusiasm

    I've listened to over 270 hours of this one podcast... This Uncommon Moment is a tribute to the Founders Podcast by David Senra. I talk about some of my top highlights and notes from recent episodes I've listened to. Here are some quotes mentioned:  "Successful people listen. Those who don’t listen don’t survive long." - Michael Jordan (Founders Episode #213) "Stay in the game long enough to get lucky." - David Senra "The most beautiful things in the world are the things from which all excess weight has been eliminated."- Henry Ford (Founders Episode #266)    _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

  2. Aug 25

    #34 Ideas That Built Empires

    These Ideas Built Empires. In this episode, we explore timeless ideas from some of the world’s greatest founders, builders, and thinkers. From John D. Rockefeller and Dietrich Mateschitz to James Dyson, Daniel Ek, Kevin Kelly, and more. Ideas on ambition, focus, execution, endurance, innovation, and the long journey of building something that matters. _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

  3. Aug 19

    #33 Marc Randolph (Co-Founder of Netflix) Part 1

    What I learned from That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph That Will Never Work tells the story of how Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings turned a simple idea of renting movies online into Netflix. From early skepticism and failed ideas to launch-day crashes and a rejected Blockbuster deal, Randolph shares the risks, setbacks, and lessons behind building one of the world’s most disruptive companies. It’s a story about entrepreneurship, resilience, and turning an idea no one believes in into something that changes an industry.  There’s something new beyond this episode: I’ve launched a brand-new website where you can explore every episode, discover past books, and easily find what to listen to next. _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

    #33 Marc Randolph (Co-Founder of Netflix) Part 1

  4. Jul 13

    Uncommon Moments: The Greatest Fear Isn't Death

    In this moment of Uncommon Excellence, we explore one of Marcus Aurelius’ most powerful quotes: “It is not death that a man should fear, but never beginning to live.”  Through reflections on fear, purpose, and living fully, we dive into the timeless wisdom of the Stoics and explore what it means to build a life of courage, meaning, and impact. I also share the story behind Boundless: The Man Who Became Human and why this quote became the opening message of the documentary. _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

  5. Jun 1

    #32 J.K. Rowling: The Benefits of Failure

    What I learned from Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling This powerful book is based on her 2008 Harvard commencement address. J.K. Rowling is best known as the author of the Harry Potter series, wrote one of the most widely read book series in history after crawling out of rock bottom. This included a failed marriage, unemployment, and near poverty as a single mother. In this speech turned book, she shares two lessons she wishes she had known at graduation: the hidden benefits of failure, and the crucial importance of imagination.  _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

  6. Apr 22

    #31 How Walt Disney Thought (Part 2)

    What I learned from The Official Walt Disney Quote Book During his long career, Walt Disney frequently commented on his philosophies of life, his ideas, his dreams, and his hopes for a better world. This book is a collection of those quotations attributed to Walt.  Walt once said, “In order to make good in your chosen task, it’s important to have someone you want to do it for. The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements but rather with the things we do for the people we love and esteem, and whose respect we need.”  _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

  7. Apr 6

    #30 The Philosophy of Walt Disney (Part 1)

    What I learned from The Official Walt Disney Quote Book Drawn from his own words, this is a deep exploration of how Disney actually thought about work, failure, money, leadership, and what it takes to build something that lasts. This is more than a collection of quotes. It’s a blueprint about building, about adversity, and about pursuing work that matters. If you want to understand how to create something timeless, this is how Walt Disney thought. _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

  8. Mar 1

    Uncommon Moments: The Art of Concentration

    Uncommon Moments #3 focuses on this quote... “Do not many of us who fail to achieve big things … fail because we lack concentration—the art of concentrating the mind on the thing to be done at the proper time and to the exclusion of everything else?”- John D. Rockefeller _________________________________________________ Official Sponsors of Uncommon Excellence: Readwise helps me retain the most powerful ideas from every book, article, and highlight. If you’re serious about learning at the level of the greats, Readwise is non-negotiable. Start your 2-month free trial at Readwise Uncommon Excellence Merch: Every piece is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to: uncommon effort, uncommon ambition, uncommon results. Wear it as a symbol of the mindset that builds legacies. Click the link to join the movement. Uncommon Excellence AI: Designed to think like a founder, it’s trained on the lessons, books, and mindset that fuel the world’s greatest builders and thinkers. Whether you’re refining a business idea, breaking down a strategy, or tackling your next big move, this AI challenges you to think sharper, act bolder, and unlock your next level. Click here to try Uncommon Excellence AI now

See All (41)

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Discover the excellence of history's uncommon leaders, ideas, and businesses through weekly podcast episodes, each exploring key insights from a must-read book. "I am a voracious reader... I am convinced that the single most important thing you can do is to read and think. The more you read, the more you know, and the better decisions you make." — Charlie Munger

Information

  • Creator
    Liam Applegate
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Uncommon Excellence
  • Show Website
    Uncommon Excellence

You Might Also Like