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The $4B Man: How to win BIG in business

2025-08-13 Entertainment
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My First Million
My First Million
913.0k subscribers

Billionaire Hayes Barnard: Overcoming Early Failure and Building World-Changing Companies

Learn the uncommon traits shared by top-tier "Level Five Leaders," drawn from Hayes Barnard’s journey from flunking first grade to co-founding a $10B enterprise. Discover how intense early adversity fuels ambition and why ethical discipline saves businesses during crises.

Short Summary

  • Pinpoint the three crucial ingredients (learning disability, daddy issues, near-death experience) that often drive transformational leadership.
  • Understand why refusing volume in the 2008 mortgage crisis, guided by ethics, ensured survival while competitors folded.
  • Recognize that the true value of a company often emerges precisely when competition dies during inevitable "valleys."
  • Adopt the "Blue Ocean Strategy" mindset to shift focus from beating competitors to creating an ecosystem where everyone wins.

This conversation explores Hayes Barnard’s intensely personal evolution from struggling student to successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. He details pivotal mentorships, the extreme work ethic modeled by leaders like Larry Ellison and Elon Musk, and the realization that financial success must be balanced with physical and mental health to sustain long-term fulfillment.

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Description

*Want to build your own million dollar side hustle? Get 700+ prompts here: https://clickhubspot.com/aed* Episode 734: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) sits down with billionaire Hayes Barnard for a rare interview. TeamWater is now live! $1 = 1 year of clean water for someone in need. During August, countless founders (including Hayes) are attempting to raise $40,000,000 to give 2,000,000 people clean drinking water for decades each! Anything you can give helps: teamwater.org — Show Notes: (0:00) Failing 1st grade to $10B Founder (4:21) The making of outperformers (9:28) Lessons from Larry Ellison (32:05) Surviving Crisis (41:30) The difference between rejection and results (46:40) Meeting Elon (56:07) What to chase (1:07:35) The Dad Story (1:18:30) Laying in the dirt (1:26:45) Give Power — Links: • TEAMWATER - https://teamwater.org/ • GoodLeap - https://www.goodleap.com/ • GivePower - https://givepower.org/ • Want to do breathwork like Hayes? His teacher, Johann can be found at Blurbay.com/johannurb and Pyramidbreath.com. — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

Top Comments (10)

@MiniKatanaStore 2025-08-14

one of the best episodes ever

68 5 replies
@joefrederick6471 2025-08-13

He is right about not having a dad around. Mine was an abusive alcoholic who is wish wasn’t there as a kid. He died when I was 21, but I carried those scars and they have impacted my life for 50 years. I even went to Ibogaine and 5-MEO-DMT therapy finally this year and it has helped tremendously. It also left me a little lost as I was born into trauma so the “reset” that many have was a little different as I had nothing pre-trauma. Anyway, I’m here listening to these types of stories to help me find my way as my neuropathways connect like they should have been connected. Best wishes to everyone out there!

33 2 replies
@smlcc9 2025-08-15

I rarely comment, but Shaan you did a FANTASTIC job. No joke this is one of the best episodes I’ve listened to in a really long time. More of these from Shaan. Superb interview skills in making guests feel comfortable to share the real, raw stories. GREAT GREAT JOB.

22
@MyFirstMillionPod 2025-08-13

*Want to build your own million dollar side hustle? Get 700+ prompts here:* https://clickhubspot.com/bhy

15
@arnauok 2025-08-13

This podcast is just something else. Shaan is the best at crafting an atmosphere so that the guests open up. Hayes energy is contagious, and as a viewer I feel thankful to be able to listen to his stories in general, but his dad story hit different. It's very cool that he felt comfortable enough to share it here, and I could definitely feel the emotions. Authentic, contagious, inspiring and entertaining! 👏👏👏

15
@amanmsiddiqui 2025-08-17

38:31 - "It's when your soul's getting crushed is when you get the download." He's so right.

10
@Motivational_Flavio 2025-08-14

The story about meeting his dad and forgiving him and understanding him is powerful "First you idolise them, then you demonise them, and finally you humanize them ❤"

9
@ZubairPenang 2025-08-13

Need a movie about the valley in the late 90s, riding through 01 and touching on the come back in the late 2000s.

6
@jamespossible2601 2025-08-14

"Sometimes, you don't even know you're quitting." ...BOOOOOM!!!

4
@MikeStallone 2025-08-14

That intro edit has to be the best I’ve ever seen for any podcast. Absolutely incredible.

3

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