Cryptocurrency may be the most exciting thing happening today. But there is still a lot of stigma and mystery surrounding it. To a newcomer, it could be overwhelming to parse so much information at once. Luckily, our guest this week will guide us through the world of Bitcoin and NFTs and why cryptocurrency is here to stay. 

In this episode, our guest Joel Comm talks about his career and all things cryptocurrency. Joel gives a commentary on his background in app development and marketing. Here, we learn how the mentality of being playful can serve you well in your career. Joel then discusses how he first got involved with cryptocurrency and why cryptocurrency is the future. 

Tune in to this episode to satisfy all your questions about why cryptocurrency is the future. Plus, discover how working smarter is better than working harder!

3 Reasons to Listen:

1. Discover the benefits of work and play in your career.
2. Gain more knowledge and insights about the emerging world of cryptocurrency and NFTs.
3. Learn how to become involved and participate in Bitcoin and the different avenues in cryptocurrency.

About Joel

Joel Comm is one half of the creative duo that brought us the Bad Crypto and the Nifty Show podcasts. The podcasts provide informative and entertaining commentary on everything going on in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. 

Beyond this, Joel is also a New York Times best-selling author, keynote speaker, marketing strategist, live video marketing expert, technologist, and brand influencer. With his willingness to try new things and learn, he describes himself as an eternal twelve-year-old.

To know more about Joel and his work, you can check out his website. You can also go to Twitter and LinkedIn to connect with him. 

Resources

• Subscribe to our website to get resources from our guests and updates on our latest giveaways and episodes.
•  iFart app 
• The Bad Crypto Podcast by Joel Comm and Travis Wright
• The Nifty Show by Joel Comm and Travis Wright 
• The Fun Formula by Joel Comm. If you are interested in his other books, you can browse through this link. 
• If you’re interested to find out more information about how cryptocurrency is the future, check out Joel Comm’s recommended sites CoinTelegraph and CoinDesk.
• If you’re looking for places to buy bitcoin, check out these sites: Crypto, Etoro, and Coinbase. 
• If you’re curious to see what decentralized videos look like, check out Odysee.
• Connect with Joel: Twitter | LinkedIn|  Website
• Episode Details

Episode Highlights

[03:20] Joel’s Background

• Joel describes that he doesn't work — he plays for a living.
• His career spans 26 years and involves doing business online. Joel constantly changes his work to fit his lifestyle. 
• Joel doesn’t believe he left anything too soon because he always follows his curiosity and interests.

[05:25] “But I always do what I want to do. I always follow my curiosity to what interests me at that moment. So that means I’m always right on time.”  - Click Here to Tweet This

[05:44] Making Money and Liking Your Work

• Joel acknowledges that some people find it hard to make money when they need to cover their basic needs. 
• But when someone already has their essentials, bringing value to others is not challenging. They only need to figure out how to bring it out in a way that makes them feel fulfilled.
• For Joel, making money is not hard. Because once you know how to make money, you won’t have a hard time doing so.
• Joel never wants to trade his play for work. The balance should lean more towards what you want to do; you tolerate the work that needs to be done. 

[07:55] The Success of iFart 

• In December 2008, Joel was part of the team that created the iFart app. It became a pop culture phenomenon that still gets downloaded today.
• iFart was not Joel’s first iPhone app. But their first app, iVote, no longer exists today.
• The iFart app started when one of their team members suggested a digital fart app. So Joel discussed with his developer and designer about its development.
• With compelling storytelling, this landed him an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. 
• Because of its popularity, other apps also imitated the work.

[10:21] Storytelling in Marketing

• The success of iFart reinforced the importance of storytelling in marketing. 
• The best marketers are good storytellers. Lean into owning what the story is.
• You're going to strike out and fail multiple times. But when you connect, you hit a home run. 
• Marketing is a matter of leveraging what people are talking about and not being afraid. Have the willingness to keep trying things; eventually, it will pay off.
• A competing fart app developer filed a lawsuit against Joel’s team. Tune in to the full episode to find out how Joel responded. 

[12:48] “Having the willingness to keep trying things that you know ultimately pays off. You go up the plate, and you swing for the fences every time. Yep, Babe Ruth, that marketing campaign. And that means you’re going to strike out a lot. Sometimes, you get to first or second base, but boy, when you connect, it’s out of the park. And that’s why I do what I do.”   - Click Here to Tweet This

[14:02] The Fun Formula

• There are seasons in life where you need to buckle down and work. But the hustle and grind is not a sustainable or rewarding lifestyle in the long run for anyone.
• Things are more difficult when you’re inexperienced. So for most people in their 20s, they believe hustling and grinding will bring them success.
• People can be more prosperous when they balance work and play. When you enjoy your work, it translates into balance.
• Joel doesn’t work a lot in a traditional sense because he doesn’t want to burn out.

[16:01] Joel’s Defining Moment

• Joel has always been curious and creative. He never liked the idea of having a job.
• In 1995, he owned a mobile DJ business. After working in nightclubs, he realized he would make more money DJ-ing for events.
• In around 2008, Joel invested in mobile marketing. But because he wasn’t passionate about it, it didn’t go anywhere.
• Our failures are our best teachers. When Joel pulled the plug on the mobile marketing business, he felt a weight fall off his shoulders. 
• Joel realized that he stopped failing the moment he stopped paying for it. Now, he doesn't go into something unless he really wants to be in it.

[20:26] Redefining Success 

• His failed venture was a redefining focus moment for Joel. The event helped him realize that he isn’t interested in doing business for the money.
• Joel advises us that stuff only brings us moments of happiness. There’s an attached weight to them. 
• Since 2011, Joel has been focusing on simplifying and scaling back his life. He has since sold his collections and moved to Puerto Rico.
• He doesn’t own as much as he did before, but what he has is enough for him. It makes him feel light.
• Joel doesn’t judge people on their purchases. Being in the marketing business, he likes creating and selling NFTs because it doesn’t take up space.

[26:59] On Getting Involved with Blockchain

• Joel ignored cryptocurrency back in 2012. But after learning more about it, he thought it was revolutionary and bought his first piece of Bitcoin in May 2017.
• Just as the Internet was the future in 1995, Joel believes that cryptocurrency is the future in 2021.
• He and Travis Wright were interested in the cryptocurrency industry. With their backgrounds in broadcasting, they decided to start a podcast, The Bad Crypto.
• The success of their show took both of them by surprise and enabled them to start another podcast about NFTs.

[31:29] Dealing with Career Boredom and Overload

• Joel admits to being bored and feeling burnt out after almost 4 years and over 600 episodes in their podcast.
• But he enjoys his work, which pushes him to take too much on his plate at times.  
• Having his own business helps Joel juggle work and play on his own time. 
• Living in Puerto Rico helps his entrepreneurial side take a break because he enjoys being in the community he has found.

[36:40] Why Cryptocurrency is the Future

• Governments are terrified of what cryptocurrency can do to their control over money.
• All fiat currencies are backed by faith in a specific government. Political and economic shifts can drastically affect the value of fiat currency. 
• Cryptocurrency is the future. It is the great equalizer that’s far more empowering to people. 
• Decentralized money has the power to put the value of money in the people’s hands.
• Listen to the episode to find more information and insights about why cryptocurrency is the future!

[38:48] “Cryptocurrency is the great equalizer because it takes the power away from the governments and gives it to the people who say, ‘Wait a second, we don’t need to depend on your failed currency that keeps us enslaved to your system we didn’t opt into.’” - Click Here To Tweet This

[41:52] Government Control of Cryptocurrency

• The government has no control over the Internet. Shutting it down to control cryptocurrency will only cause them more problems.
• Cryptocurrency is now beyond the point of being overregulated.
• Financial institutions, governments, and big institutions are now learning that cryptocurrency is the future. They’re now buying into cryptocurrency as well.  
• Cryptocurrency does not charge its users as much as banks do. Furthermore, you get to transfer and receive money instantly.

[44:57] How to Start Navigating Cryptocurrency and NFTs

• Before going into cryptocurrency and NFTs, Joel advises us to do our research rather than listening to others' hearsays.
• Becoming better informed means making better decisions and choices. 
• NFTs are non-fungible tokens. An NFT is an item in a blockchain with a distinct serial number.  
• Anybody can mint NFTs. As collectibles, it all comes down to how you bring value to them and market them.
• Joel gives a compelling and detailed introduction to NFTs in the full episode. 

[45:34] “Don’t let anybody tell you, ‘Oh, we’ll just go to this exchange and go buy this.’ Anybody who’s doing that is trying to sell you something. You need to use critical thinking and learn, inform yourself.” - Click Here to Tweet This

[54:06] Joel’s Concerns 

• Joel is concerned about how governments don’t know what they’re doing about NFTs and cryptocurrency.
• America presents itself as the land of the free. Yet, it is harder for Americans to buy crypto than for other people in other countries.
• Governments are merely trying to regulate crypto and hold onto their financial systems to protect their own interests and cronies.

[56:13] Joel’s Take on Shutdowns and Social Media

• Joel shares how an early shutdown of the Bad Crypto podcast affected their follower count.
• He also believes people on social media are being used and blinded to how broken the world systems are.
• Joel then introduces how decentralized video platforms can help avoid your content being taken down. 
• Joel encourages people to stop and think about what’s true regarding social media.

[01:04:24] “If you have this curiosity and this willingness to try and to fail, to have some sandcastles to just collapse because that’s how you learn. You’re going to build amazing stuff.” - Click Here to Tweet This

[01:03:23] Seek, Go, or Create?

• Joel resonates with the words seek and create.
• You have to seek something before you can find it.
• If you have the curiosity and willingness to try and fail, you will learn and create amazing things.
• Everybody is talented and gifted in some way. Don’t be single-minded in approaching where you want to go.

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