Good morning, friends!

I like to look at the new year as a clean slate for building new habits, starting new ventures, or simply trying new things.

So every year, I revisit old Profile Dossiers to get inspiration for the year ahead. Below are some quotes that have made an impression on me, and I hope you find value in them too.

“Breaking rules isn’t interesting. It’s making up new ones that keeps things exciting.” — Christopher Nolan

"You can never leave footprints that last if you're always walking on your tiptoes."  — Leymah Gbowee

“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success.” — James Cameron

“Great ones are willing to get burned time and again as they sharpen their swords in the fire.” — Josh Waitzkin

"Align your personality with your purpose, and no one can touch you.” — Oprah

“Fashion goes in only one direction — forward — and I am a firm believer in thinking that way too.” — Anna Wintour

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” — Stephen King

“Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” — Sara Blakely

“As the seconds of our lives are ticking away, you have to realize that life needs to be an adventure.” — Hans Zimmer

… this is an excerpt. Read the full version by clicking on the button below:

Read the Rest of the Article Here

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A PODCAST REC: I went on a lot of podcasts as part of the promotion for my book, ‘Hidden Genius,’ but I still think back to my conversation with James Altucher. He is genuinely curious, and it shows. In this podcast, we talk about a wide array of things I hadn’t previously discussed. I hope you enjoy it.

On to the profiles:

PROFILES.

— The people who brought you Travis Kelce [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The woman answering the hotline
— The orphans of Flight 723
— America’s most famous financial adviser
— The nonprofit that wants to preserve your body after death

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The people who brought you Travis Kelce: In the only recent year in which Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs weren’t playing in the Super Bowl, the NFL star was driving around L.A. in early February with his business managers, André and Aaron Eanes, marveling at billboards featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Kelce said, “Man, I don’t think I’ll ever be as famous as the Rock.” His co-managers looked at each other: “We’re like, Yes, you can.” Kelce’s recent ascent to stardom hasn’t been by accident. The reality is that it’s the result of a carefully manicured business plan developed by the 34-year-old Eanes brothers that blossomed at precisely the right moment. Fascinating profile. (The New York Times)

“We positioned Travis to be world famous.”

The woman answering the hotline: Jessica Blanchard is an operator and education director for Never Use Alone, a safe-use hotline for drug users. The hotline serves people who worry using alone makes them vulnerable to dying by overdose. And there is reason for concern. Total overdose deaths have climbed to nearly 110,000 in 2022. Never Use Alone increases a caller’s chances of survival by promising to stay on the line while you use, and send you help if you become unresponsive. This is a heart-breaking and important story. (Slate)

“You hear my voice change? I knew she was going to overdose.”

The orphans of Flight 723: In 1973, Michelle Brennan’s dad died in a fiery plane crash in Boston. Over two years, she had managed to track down survivors for all but four of the 89 people who had been aboard the plane, and persuaded them to gather in person on the 50th anniversary of the crash. She had chosen for the location of their one and only meeting an obvious and terrible place — Logan Airport, not far from the runway where Flight 723 had burst into flames. Would they answer her questions about loss? (The New York Times)

“This has been buried under the rug for so long. All of a sudden people are going to rip up the pieces.”

America’s most famous financial adviser: Suze Orman, one of the most famous financial advisers in America, doesn’t believe your money should control you. “I hate budgets,” said Orman, 72, comparing them to diets. “If you restrict, you limit, you cut back, you don’t buy this, you don’t buy that, and then all of a sudden you explode and you go out and you buy everything at once.” In this Q&A, she talks about 3:30 a.m. wake-ups, marriage advice and why she’s against setting spending limits. (WSJ)

“You have to live below your means but within your needs.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The nonprofit that wants to preserve your body after death: Founded in 1972 by Fred and Linda Chamberlain, the Alcor Life Extension Foundation is dedicated to cryonics research and education and has about 1,500 members planning on some form of cryogenic preservation. For $200,000, Alcor Life Extension Foundation will cryogenically preserve your body after death. The question is: Why? (Bloomberg)

“Einstein’s brain is all over the world in little chunks. And you can never get that data back.”

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