Bryan Elliott

What’s holding you back from doing that thing? My guess is that it’s some form of fear. Having the right amount of fear is healthy and logical. It’s biological and we are hardwired to survive. But fear might also be keeping us playing small. In my experience, and it doesn’t matter what it is— fitness; relationships; growing a business— anything worth doing requires a level of courage, effort, sacrifice and risk that comes with having to pay a price to earn the reward. That is, the rent is due every day for any form of victory big or small. As an example, I just worked on a TV spot with a big consumer brand that went way out of their comfort zone on our creative idea. This took courage and I know it hasn’t been easy for them. That said, the competitive landscape requires breaking away from the herd and being distinct. To break out of being a commodity product and into the category of legitimate brand requires bold moves. Author James Clear writes: "The problem with smart people is they can come up with a good reason for not doing anything. They are smart enough to find the cracks, to foresee the challenges, and to talk themselves out of the idea. They are experts at justifying their lack of courage or lack of action with an intelligent excuse. But there will always be reasons to not do something, and this is particularly true of anything worth doing. We value those moments in which we overcame challenge, not those in which we avoided it. Ultimately, action is a choice. The choice to emphasize the reasons for doing it despite the reasons you have for avoiding it." What’s holding you back from doing that thing?

Why won't dealers quote you a price over the phone? Former dealer Tomi Mikula: your presence is their power. In the store, walking out feels harder. Has a dealer ever refused to give you a price? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula: 85% of buyers say no in the finance office. Good finance managers get 80% to walk out saying yes. A bump quoted at $20 a month turns out to be $80. Did you read your contract line by line? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog): everyday anxiety is experiencing failure in advance. Failure is real. Anxiety suffers through every version of it before it arrives. What failure are you rehearsing right now? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

An editor told @robertgreene he didn't have the talent. 60 jobs and a lot of awful bosses later, those bosses became the kings and princes in The 48 Laws of Power. Which bad boss taught you the most? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula's MSRP rule of thumb: Raptor R, $10K to $20K over is a good deal. RAV4, never over. GX550, MSRP. Civic Type R, at or below. Would you pay over sticker for any car? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) made one rule in 1980: don't miss a deadline. Deadlines have the word dead in them. Don't go near the line. When did you last ask for an extension? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

A founder told @AlexHormozi his market was saturated. Revenue: $2 million. Industry: $60 billion. The real problem was solvable: he did not know how to get more customers. Full episode on Behind the Brand.

The 48 Laws of Power almost shipped as The Black Book of Power. @robertgreene also started with 52 laws, then cut to 48. Would you have bought The Black Book of Power? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula: never tell a dealer your car is totaled or breaking down. The second you show your hand, the dealer knows you have no reason to walk. What did you tell the dealer last time? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Former dealer Tomi Mikula: there's no magic word for a car discount. Competition is the magic. Get one offer, pin the offer against another dealer, and be ready to walk. What's the best discount you ever negotiated? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Is year-end the best time to buy a car? Former dealer Tomi Mikula says no. Dealers chase monthly quotas, and his pick for a year-over-year deal is August and September. When did you buy your last car? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

She hates making content. Her videos built a multimillion-dollar AI business. Inside Sabrina Ramonov's playbook in my new @Inc column: inc.com/bryan-elliott/exit-b…

At 35, @robertgreene was a failing screenwriter in LA. In Venice, a book packager asked for an idea. He improvised a pitch about power. It became The 48 Laws of Power. Are you ready when someone asks for your idea? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

Smart founders lose investors before slide one. Vanessa Van Edwards studied 495 Shark Tank pitches to find out why. My new @Inc column: inc.com/bryan-elliott/invest…

Chad Smith played on Ozzy's last two solo albums. Ozzy wanted to be one of the guys, with a story for every session. What's your favorite Ozzy song? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

MSCHF runs one brainstorm a day. One hour. Open to anyone, including the lawyer. Gabe Whaley on why non-creatives bring better ideas.

In 1837, John Deere sold a plow. In 2026, Deere sells work. What 189 years of John Deere teach you about building a brand built to last, in my new @Inc column: inc.com/bryan-elliott/john-d…

The Red Hot Chili Peppers guard how their music gets used. A Chili Peppers song in a hemorrhoid ad? No. Would you turn down the money? Full episode on Behind the Brand.

To MSCHF, Nike is material, no different than paint and canvas. Gabe Whaley on remixing real brands into new work.

Your phone taught you to trust nothing. Netflix magician Justin Willman fills theaters by fooling you honestly. My new @Inc column: inc.com/bryan-elliott/justin…