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Hi Michael,

I wanted to drop you a note, and say that I’ve been recently enjoying your Podcasts. I saw your name come up in during some investment book searches, and saw that you have a podcast. A quick background on me, I’m a financial advisor who is interested in learning more about your trend following philosophy and methods. Being I’ve had a fair amount of experience in the investment business, (I began in 1992) I’m not a total believer in EMH. I am however, a fan of Milton Friedman, and although I have the utmost respect for the likes of Swenson, and Bogle, I believe there’s space for an advisor who can provide the potential for a market beating process to clients. I’ve been subscribing to Dorsey Wright since 2006 or so, and am familiar with P&F charting and basic trend following. I realize this my be foolish and naive, however I want to do all I can to rule out the possibility of a potentially better process, other than EMH.

I especially enjoyed your Podcast with Bernstein and his book “Against the Gods” which I keep on my desk for regular reference. I’m grateful for any information you may direct me to, or suggestions you may have.

Sincerely,
[Name]

You are welcome!

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David Burkus is author of “Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career.” David has delivered keynotes to leaders of Fortune 500 companies and future leaders of the United States Naval Academy. His TED talk has been viewed almost 2 million times and he is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. What if the advice we have all heard about networking is wrong? David outlines the right way to network in the modern age.

How do you meet people? How do you meet the right people? Once you meet those people, what do you do with the relationship? Maybe you haven’t talked to someone for a few years but you could still call him or her up and have a personal talk with them. This is an example of one of the most useful networking ties, known as a “dormant tie.” David uses UFC founders, Dana White and Lorenzo Lamas, as an example. They went to high school together, hadn’t talked for years, both had a passion for fighting, but lived in different spheres of the fighting community. After reconnecting at a high school get together they realized they had some aligning career aspirations. They ended up buying the UFC and made it the fastest growing sport in history.

When you start taking chances on meeting people and putting yourself out there, that is when your network really expands. David shares another example of a movie producer who got his foot in the door by getting creative, taking some risks, and reaching out to the right people for conversations. Who do you know? Who do your friends know? Where do you know them from? These are basic questions that can get the ball rolling when trying to expand your network.

Knowing a ton of people is not necessary to be successful, you just need to know the right people to give yourself credibility. Shared activities and hobbies are ways to draw in a set of diverse people to build deep relationships. Networking events have become a thing of the past (thank goodness).

In this episode of Trend Following Radio:

• Curiosity conversations
• LinkedIn
• Network science
• Self observation
• Dormant ties
• Robust networks
• Network science
• The majority illusion
• The spread of Facebook

Mentions & Resources:

• David Burkus
• “Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career”
• Daniel Kahneman
• Vernon Smith

Inspired by this post from Seth Godin… Michael expands it out on today’s podcast:

“What is and what might be: They have much less in common than you might expect. The key step in creating a better future is insisting that it not be based on the assumptions, grievances and dead ends of the past. The future won’t be perfect. We won’t be perfect. But we can be kind. We can listen. We can give opportunity the benefit of the doubt. The future won’t always work. We won’t always succeed. But we can be alert and seek out the possible instead of the predicted. The future won’t always be fair. But we can try. We can care. We can choose to connect. It can be better if we let it.”

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From IMDB: “An unsettling and eye-opening Wall Street horror story about Chinese companies, the American stock market, and the opportunistic greed behind the biggest heist you’ve never heard of.” That’s the opening description for a new documentary titled “The China Hustle” (2017).

Today, Michael talks with Director Jed Rothstein about the backstory for his film and the complexity of fairly describing a modern China. Whether you know something about China or not–this conversation will stimulate your China understanding.

Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Jed Rothstein specializes in hard-to-get stories from around the world that help people understand one another better. Whether seeking out heavy metal musicians who become Arab-Spring revolutionaries (PBS’s Before the Spring After the Fall); pioneering doctors (HBO’s Coma and Pandemic); Al Qaeda terrorists (The Oscar-nominated HBO documentary Killing in the Name); defenders of free speech (The 2009 Sundance film Shouting Fire); journalists on the front lines (Independent Lens’ Democracy on Deadline)–Rothstein works with people to help them tell their own stories in their own words. His films and television programs have played in festivals around the world, enjoyed special screenings at the United Nations, and been broadcast on HBO, PBS, National Geographic, Amazon Prime, The Discovery Channel, IFC, Channel 4, the BBC, CNN and elsewhere.

In this episode of Trend Following Radio:

• China

Mentions & Resources:

• The China Hustle

Food for thought:

• The Limits to Data
• Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Faces Wave of Investor Redemptions
• Research: Learning a Little About Something Makes Us Overconfident
• Warren Buffett explains how to invest in stocks when inflation hits markets
• Double Bottom Chart Pattern Explained
• Rejection of an individual by a group is the worst kind of bullying
• 10 Ways To Reduce Stress
• Meta-Cognition: Understanding How Much I Know or Do Not Know
• Read Jamie Dimon’s full shareholder letter here
• When Breaking up is Easy To Do
• BlackRock Plans to Block Walmart, Dick’s From Some Funds Over Guns
• Finance blogger wisdom: missing ETFs

Enjoy.

Michael reaches back in time to explore a mega episode with three of his favorite guests: Salem Abraham, Walter Williams and Emanuel Derman.

Salem Andrew Abraham (born 1966) is an American investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. He is the president and founder of Abraham Trading Company, a futures investment firm based in Canadian, Texas.

Walter Edward Williams (born March 31, 1936) is an American economist, commentator, and academic. He is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University, as well as a syndicated columnist and author known for his classical liberal and libertarian conservative views.

Emanuel Derman (born 1945) is a South African-born academic, businessman and writer. He is best known as a quantitative analyst, and author of the book My Life as a Quant: Reflections on Physics and Finance.

Staying within the title of this episode: three very clear thinkers.

Note: If you have not seen my newest edition of Trend Following check it out here.

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Hi Michael, just wanted to reach out and thank you for the information you’ve been providing and the offer a couple of weeks ago to get a discount on your Flagship System Course. Though I wasn’t able to sign up for your course then, I will definitely be doing so in the May/June timeframe and I won’t mind paying full price for it either. You’ve provided a lot of insight and inspiration and I’ve been reading what you’ve provided via emails and your website. I really enjoy your podcast. I wish I had found them before I retired. Could have listened to all of them given the hour plus commute I used to have. I love the breadth of subjects and the quality/knowledge of your guest. Thanks again for everything you’ve been doing and again you’ll be hearing from me in the next couple of months to sign up for your course.

[Name]

Welcome!