How to Take Over the World

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas •

This is an episode of Becoming the Main Character, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts...

15 Jul 2025

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Alex Petkas joins to discuss the great Roman general Scipio Africanus, his relationship with Hanniba...

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:43:00 -0000

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How Joan of Arc went from a small peasant girl to determining the fate of nations, and what it tells...

Fri, 04 Jul

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Jefferson rebounds from his disastrous and governorship and personal loss to create a political lega...

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:22:00 -0000

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How did Thomas Jefferson overcome failure after failure to become the most significant politician of...

Fri, 27 Jun

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Hannibal Barca was Rome's greatest enemy. What was it about his strategies and leadership style that...

Tue, 27 May 2025 03:59:00 -0000

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Hannibal Barca was Rome's greatest enemy. What was it about his strategies and leadership style that...

Mon, 19 May

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Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the great composers of all time. What stands out is not only how gre...

Fri, 02 May

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Francois de la Rochefoucauld, was an infamous aristocrat who was always scheming, seducing, and figh...

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:10:00 -0000

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David Senra of the Founders podcast joins to discuss the most important attributes of great founders...

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:56:00 -0000

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On this premium subscriber I talk about how to be more high agency, including how to frame problems,...

Sun, 20 Apr

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Jesus of Nazareth was the son of a carpenter. He never traveled further than 150 miles from his home...

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 18:59:00 -0000

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Polaroid founder Edwin Land is one of the most innovative inventors to have ever lived. Steve Jobs c...

Wed, 26 Mar

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Despite an incredibly challenging childhood, Coco Chanel revolutionized women's fashion. The episode...

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:42:00 -0000

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Donald Trump: real estate mogul, master marketer, and the most polarizing figure of our time. How di...

Wed, 26 Feb

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Captain Cook was one of the greatest explorers of all time. And he also lived on of the most adventu...

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:17:00 -0000

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The name of Machiavelli is synonymous with deceit, oppression, atrocity, and naked power. But his le...

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:34:00 -0000

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Top lessons from 100 lessons of How to Take Over the World and more than 100 biographies on the grea...

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:00:00 -0000

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Isaac Newton was one of the great geniuses in human history. He established the basic laws of physic...

Mon, 06 Jan

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Charlemagne was a king, emperor, conqueror, reformer, and the father of a united Europe. On this epi...

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:56:37 -0000

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Lee Kuan Yew took a crowded, dirty, poor port town, and turned it into one of the world's great citi...

Sat, 07 Dec

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John Williams is the brilliant composer behind film scores like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Pott...

Wed, 27 Nov

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My takeaways and endnotes from the life of Augustus Caesar. Plus a conversation with Alex Petkas, an...

Fri, 15 Nov

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How does one go about creating the Roman Empire? That is exactly what Caesar Augustus did, and on th...

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 22:27:00 -0000

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Who was Vlad Dracula, and how did he go from Romanian ruler to blood-sucking monster? On this episod...

Fri, 25 Oct

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How did Grigory Rasputin become a close personal advisor to one of the most powerful people on earth...

Fri, 18 Oct

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What was it about Christianity that allowed it to grow from a few dozen believers to a global religi...

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 18:00:23 -0000

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Constantine the Great united the Roman empire, founded one of the world's great cities, oversaw the ...

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:16:00 -0000

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Simon Peter was Jesus's top guy. But he also denied him three times, and constantly got in trouble f...

Wed, 25 Sep

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Jesus of Nazareth was the son of a carpenter. He never traveled further than 150 miles from his home...

Fri, 30 Aug

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The story of how John Wooden won ten national championships on the way to becoming the greatest coac...

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 23:39:00 -0000

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The story of how Phil Knight founded one of the great companies - and brands - of all time. ----- Sp...

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:19:00 -0000

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"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something, but I can't accept not trying. I can't accept it...

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 22:45:00 -0000

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"Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something be...

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 21:36:00 -0000

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"When I was a child, my mother said to me, If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you a...

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:04:00 -0000

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On this mini-episode, I talk about my combined takeaways from the founding father of the United Stat...

Wed, 03 Jul

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Topics on the Franklin Guide to taking over the world include: How to convince someone of your view...

Mon, 01 Jul

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Benjamin Franklin was one of the greatest scientists, writers, diplomats, and statesmen of all time....

Wed, 26 Jun

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The ten-step guide to being Alexander Hamilton. In the endnotes section, I also discuss: My review...

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 20:32:00 -0000

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Alexander Hamilton was the greatest and most indispensable of the American founding fathers. On this...

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:37:00 -0000

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Alexander Hamilton was the greatest and most indispensable of the American founding fathers. (At lea...

Sun, 02 Jun

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In this conversation with Alex Petkas of the Cost of Glory podcast, we talk about one of Washington'...

Sat, 25 May

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What was the key to George Washington's success that made him such a beloved president and leader? ...

Mon, 20 May

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How did George Washington shape the future of the United States of America as its first president? I...

Fri, 10 May

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George Washington is one of the most celebrated and beloved leaders of all time. What was it about W...

Fri, 03 May

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George Washington is one of the most celebrated and beloved leaders of all time. What was it about W...

Wed, 24 Apr

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What was the key to Ernest Shackleton's success that made him "the greatest leader that ever came on...

Mon, 22 Apr

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When Ernest Shackleton's ship is trapped in Antarctic ice, he and his crew must figure out how to su...

Fri, 05 Apr

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AMA #1 - I answer questions about obsession vs discipline, where my intro music came from, who is co...

Sun, 31 Mar

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Why is Julius Caesar one of the greatest men to have ever lived? What made him so remarkable? And ho...

Wed, 27 Mar

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How did Arnold Schwarzenegger train? What was his approach to failure? Why did he just make things u...

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:55:00 -0000

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Bodybuilder. Actor. Governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger has managed to make his way to the top of three ...

Fri, 15 Mar

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Want to take over the world? Well, how about we start with a country? On today's episode I review Ba...

Fri, 01 Mar

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Was John Rockefeller a good man or a bad one? What did he do after he retired? How do his charitable...

Sun, 25 Feb

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How did John D Rockefeller become the richest man of all time, and leverage that wealth into unparal...

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 16:43:00 -0000

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More of my takeaways about obsession, cloning yourself, keeping a schedule, and more. --- New Websi...

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

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To watch this episode on YouTube, tap here: https://youtu.be/xlwwhAeknkA ----- MrBeast joins the po...

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0000

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In this endnotes episode, I cover Napoleon's psychology, his leadership style, his love life, his ch...

Sat, 27 Jan

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Part 2 covers the reign and eventual fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, starting shortly after his crowning...

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 17:02:00 -0000

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Part 1 covers the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, tracing his journey from a modest beginning on the isl...

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:50:00 -0000

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My review of the Ridley Scott directed movie, Napoleon. I go through what I liked and didn't like, s...

Wed, 22 Nov

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TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE (AND ALL FUTURE BONUS CONTENT) SUBSCRIBE HERE --- Takeoverpod.supercast.com...

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:47:00 -0000

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TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE (AND ALL FUTURE BONUS CONTENT) SUBSCRIBE HERE --- Takeoverpod.supercast.com...

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:22:00 -0000

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Part 2 covers the the triumph of the Wright Brothers, and how achieved human flight for the first ti...

Sun, 22 Oct

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Part 1 covers the the rise of the Wright Brothers, and how they went from frontier bicycle salesmen ...

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 21:08:00 -0000

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TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE (AND ALL FUTURE BONUS CONTENT) SUBSCRIBE HERE --- Takeoverpod.supercast.com...

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:12:00 -0000

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Part 2 covers the creation Genghis Khan's empire. It dives deeper into how he led, the strategies he...

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 03:19:00 -0000

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Part 1 covers the awe-inspiring ascent of Genghis Khan, the legendary conqueror. Discover how he ove...

Wed, 23 Aug

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What did the movie Oppenheimer get right? What was historically inaccurate? Did they manage to captu...

Wed, 16 Aug

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Learn the true story behind the father of the atomic bomb. This episode explores not only his ground...

Wed, 19 Jul

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Admiral Horatio Nelson's achievements and victories, including The Battle of Copenhagen and the batt...

Sat, 01 Jul

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The early life and the dramatic rise of Admiral Horatio Nelson, a naval hero of Great Britain. Episo...

Sat, 17 Jun

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Thoughts on Sir Humphrey Gilbert and his motto "Quid Non" and Benjamin Bloom and his famous "two sig...

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 19:35:00 -0000

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My notes and takeaways from Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words. ----- Sponsors: F...

Tue, 30 May 2023 20:57:00 -0000

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The second half of the life of Leonardo Da Vinci - artist, inventor, scientist, writer, playwright, ...

Tue, 23 May 2023 21:44:00 -0000

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The second half of the life of Leonardo Da Vinci - artist, inventor, scientist, writer, playwright, ...

Wed, 19 Apr

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The early life and career of Leonardo Da Vinci - artist, inventor, scientist, writer, playwright, an...

Sun, 26 Mar

Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset

The rise of Williams Randolph Hearst as a politician, the expansion of his media empire, the creatio...

Sat, 11 Mar

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The rise of Williams Randolph Hearst, founder of the Hearst Corporation and the first media magnate....

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 19:30:00 -0000

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Hey everyone - next week I'll be back with a normal episode but in the mean time please enjoy this c...

Fri, 24 Feb

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Joan of Arc's legacy, her greatest attributes, theories on the voices in her head, and more. Please ...

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:30:00 -0000

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The life and times of Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, as told by Alex Petkas on The Cost of Glory. Fin...

Sat, 04 Feb

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An interview with Dr. John Turner, professor at George Mason University and biographer of Brigham Yo...

Fri, 03 Feb

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Brigham Young leads his people on a journey into the wilderness and builds a new kingdom in the dese...

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 16:00:00 -0000

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The life and times of Elizabeth II, the late queen of the United Kingdom. Special thank you to our s...

Fri, 09 Sep

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How Brigham Young rose from abject poverty to lead The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. ...

Fri, 27 May

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Vladimir Putin: Modern day czar, KGB man, billionaire, reformer, autocrat. In part 1, we examine his...

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 16:25:00 -0000

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Walt Disney's rise to greatness, including his creation of Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Disneyland, and...

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 21:45:00 -0000

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Walt Disney's childhood, adolescence, how how he got his start in animation, and his first successes...

Sat, 08 Jan

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John Wooden was known as one of the greatest coaches of all time. So why he did he have shorter prac...

Sat, 25 Dec

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The story of St. Nicholas, plus listener questions!

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 17:10:00 -0000

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How exactly was Napoleon able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time? On this episode,...

Wed, 08 Dec

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Everything you didn't know you needed to know about Alexander the Great. Topics include a brief revi...

Fri, 19 Nov

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Alexander the Great took his father's kingdom and made it the greatest empire the world had ever see...

Mon, 25 Oct

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Alexander the Great took his father's kingdom and made it the greatest empire the world had ever see...

Wed, 06 Oct

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Recently, I was interviewed on the podcast "If I Was Starting Today" by Jim Huffman. He has gracious...

Fri, 17 Sep

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Is there a formula for genius? One man thinks that he has found it - and he used it to raise all thr...

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 18:58:00 -0000

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This week's mini-episode has two stories and two quotes that all focus on a single theme: Just work....

Mon, 19 Jul

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All my endnotes on Philip II of Macedon, including: * Who was greater, Philip or Alexander? * Why At...

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 07:58:00 -0000

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Philip II of Macedon is best known as the father of Alexander the Great. But was he an even greater ...

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 19:13:00 -0000

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Mansa Musa was possibly the richest man of all time, but there was something that mattered much more...

Fri, 03 Jul

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Slave. Runaway. Abolitionist. Orator. Statesman. Legend. On this episode, we explore how Frederick D...

Fri, 12 Jun

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A short anecdote about the greatest poet of all time, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and why some people mig...

Fri, 29 May

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All of my Edison notes that didn't make it into Part 1 & Part 2, including: Edison vs. Tesla Ediso...

Fri, 22 May

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How did Thomas Edison rise from obscure origins in a frontier town in Michigan to become the most fa...

Sat, 25 Apr

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How did Thomas Edison rise from obscure origins in a frontier town in Michigan to become the most fa...

Fri, 11 Oct

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How did a German girl from a family of little note become one of the most powerful people in the wor...

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 17:55:00 -0000

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This is the first-ever HTTOTW short. These 3-minute in-between-isodes will run during weeks when the...

Fri, 12 Jul

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How did the Rothschilds go from a poor family inhabiting a part-share of a home in a Jewish ghetto t...

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:30:00 -0000

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How did the Rothschilds go from a poor family inhabiting a part-share of a home in a Jewish ghetto t...

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 21:45:00 -0000

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Check out more at HTTOTW.com or find me on Instagram and Twitter at @HTTOTW.

Wed, 18 Apr

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Julius Caesar wraps up his conquest of Gaul and is forced to make the most crucial decision of his l...

Fri, 23 Mar

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In Gaul, Julius Caesar gives a master class on how to demonstrate leadership and cultivate trust whe...

Wed, 14 Feb

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In the first episode on the life of Julius Caesar, I analyze his rise and some of the fundamental ch...

Fri, 26 Jan

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In the second episode on the life of Vladimir Putin, I analyze his communication strategy, his vast ...

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 18:38:00 -0000

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Vladimir Putin: Modern day czar, KGB man, billionaire, reformer, murderer. In part 1, we examine his...

Fri, 29 Dec

Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset

The second episode on Steve Jobs explores his comeback and extremely successful second act. Again l...

Fri, 29 Dec

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Today we're talking about Steve Jobs, the innovator, businessman, and technologist who has arguably ...

Fri, 29 Dec

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Today we're talking about Napoleon Bonaparte, the French general, reformer, innovator, and emperor. ...