Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle

Dan Andrews; Ian Schoen
  • 4.9 (465)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle

With 10M+ downloads and thousands of listener meetups worldwide, the TMBA Podcast is the hub for 7 & 8-figure founders who’ve built life-changing businesses while attaining personal freedom. New episodes every Thursday morning.

  1. 4D AGO

    #803 I Can’t Stick With It. Should I?

    What if your struggle to follow through isn’t a discipline problem — but a signal? This week, Dan unpacks why many entrepreneurs bounce between ideas early on, and how that phase might be necessary, not broken. He shares a simple framework for telling the difference between just another project… and a business worth going all-in on. CHAPTERS (00:00:13) Intro + Listener Question (00:02:03) Why $150/Month Is a Great Start (00:02:58) The 100 Ideas Phase (00:03:48) Recognizing Early Market Signals (00:04:51) Execution Only Matters After Momentum (00:07:18) The Classic Founder Venn Diagram (00:07:59) Pitfalls of Passion Projects (00:11:54) High Ticket vs. Consumer Products (00:13:54) Designing Your First Offer (00:15:04) Why Market Feedback Solves the Focus Problem (00:16:17) Final Advice: Stay Playful and Keep Experimenting CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Subscribe to the newsletter Follow us on Instagram MORE EPISODES The Roadmap for Turning a Skill Into a $1M Business The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice? Shiny Object Syndrome The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Service Strategies

    17 min

  2. APR 10

    #802 The 10 Behaviors Killing Your Business — Masked as Productivity

    Some of the “smart moves” founders make might be signs of hidden resistance. This week, Dan and Ian break down 10 behaviors that can quietly kill momentum, from expanding marketing channels too early to pausing sales during busy stretches. They also dive into why scaling too soon backfires, the hidden risks of declining assets, and what happens when you delay building management layers. CHAPTERS (00:00:13) Introduction (00:01:09) Understanding Resistance in Business and In Life (00:04:51) A Balanced Marketing Diet (Finally!) (00:09:15) Pause Selling Because We’re So Busy! (00:12:03) Keeping Team Members Maximally Busy (00:16:08) Cutting a Clever Deal With a Declining Asset (00:20:47) I Simply Won’t Do ideas That Don’t Scale! (00:25:01) I’m Going to Quit My Job! (00:28:04) The Myth of the Great Idea (00:32:11) I’m Re-Investing In My Product! (00:35:38) Building an Audience: Start With The Basics (00:38:33) Should I Build Out a Management Layer? Tempting! CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Subscribe to the newsletter Follow us on Instagram MORE EPISODES The Roadmap for Turning a Skill Into a $1M Business The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice? Shiny Object Syndrome The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Service Strategies

    42 min

  3. APR 3

    #801 Why Founders Stall at $300K + The Blank Sheet

    Dan shares strategies for creating value as an entrepreneur - from maximizing personal productivity to defending your creative space so you can build something meaningful. He breaks down the common roadblocks entrepreneurs face at the $300K revenue mark and shares practical wisdom for navigating difficult personalities in business and in life. Book recos form the episode: “Getting Things Done” “5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life” “The Courage to Be Disliked” CHAPTERS (00:00:13) Intro (00:00:45) “Entrepreneurs create more value than they consume” (00:02:12) Create & define space for creativity (00:03:52) Consistency in daily activities (00:04:55) “Getting Things Done” (00:05:59) What’s your “one thing”? (00:06:22) Setting up for reactive success (00:08:30) Being your own leader (Manage productive time) (00:11:40) Change meeting structure to protect creative time (00:15:17) The $300K sticking point (00:15:55) Key blockers: marketing systems & hiring decisions (00:17:46) Taking a pay cut in order to grow (00:18:53) Scale beyond one-to-one service delivery (00:19:56) Organizational design is critical (00:21:18) “The Five Types of People Who Will Ruin Your Life” (00:23:07) “The Courage to Be Disliked” (00:24:11) Improving business and personal relationships (00:25:39) Wrap Up CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Follow us on Instagram PLAYLIST "The Tailwind Index" & Dodging Business Blindspots The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice?

    27 min

  4. MAR 27

    #800 Our Lifestyle Business Non-Negotiables

    Dan and Ian break down what makes a great lifestyle business in 2025—one that delivers both strong cash flow and location freedom. They dive into the nuanced tension between building a lifestyle-friendly business and “going big,” and share five essential design principles for creating a business that supports the life you want. CHAPTERS (00:00:14) Intro (00:04:25) Lifestyle Business vs “Going Big” (00:10:25) Cash Flow Logic that Solves Financial Needs of Founders (00:19:04) Solid Perspective on Acquiring Customers (Strong Channel Logic) (00:24:05) You’re Actively Turning Away Customers (00:28:26) You Can Leave the Business for 4 Weeks Minimum (Cash Flow Does Not Suffer) (00:34:07) Cash Flow Does Not Suffer Based on Your Location CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Follow us on Instagram PLAYLIST "The Tailwind Index" & Dodging Business Blindspots The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice?

    44 min

  5. MAR 20

    #799 90-Day Growth Plan in 10 Questions

    What if 90 days from now, your business was sharper, more focused, and positioned for real growth? In this episode, Dan walks you through a simple but powerful 10-question framework designed to help you identify your biggest challenge, clarify your team’s focus, and uncover new opportunities to stand out in your market. This is the same exercise that 7- and 8-figure founders in DC BLACK worked through on their recent trip to Phuket—a way to step back, reset strategy, and get clear on what matters. Grab a pen and follow along. You might walk away with a concrete plan for the next 90 days. Want the worksheet? Newsletter subscribers get it for free. Sign up at (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) to grab your copy. CHAPTERS (00:02:16) Biggest challenge and next steps (00:05:20) Focus (00:07:11) Understand your customer (00:11:32) Positioning (00:14:42) Innovation and unique advantages (00:20:02) Network (00:21:44) Business model (00:23:53) Team (00:25:25) Cadence & leadership (00:27:21) Bonus CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Follow us on Instagram PLAYLIST "The Tailwind Index" & Dodging Business Blindspots The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice?

    30 min

  6. MAR 13

    #798 Observations From our Trip to Thailand

    Dan and Ian share key insights from their Thailand mastermind event, exploring how successful entrepreneurs balance curiosity, diverse business models, and personal life. They talk about navigating market uncertainties, implementing AI workflows to enhance business operations, and the irreplaceable value of in-person networking events. And unlike magic mushrooms, the benefits of attending an event like this will ideally last a lifetime. CHAPTERS (00:00:25) Introduction and Reflections on Thailand (00:02:01) Key Lessons from 7 & 8-Figure Mastermind (00:03:43) The Power of Curiosity in Entrepreneurship (00:08:54) Diverse Business Models and Common Traits (00:11:46) Work-Life Balance and Business Durability (00:14:06) Living in Thailand: Value and Lifestyle (00:16:44) Tax Strategies and Wealth Creation in Thailand (00:17:12) The Power of Bootstrapping and Financial Independence (00:19:21) Navigating Market Uncertainty and Business Durability (00:22:32) AI Workflows: Revolutionizing Business Operations (00:27:07) The Value of In-Person Networking and Community Building CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Follow us on Instagram PLAYLIST "The Tailwind Index" & Dodging Business Blindspots The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice?

    33 min

  7. MAR 6

    #797 DOGE, Team Resets & The 1,000-Day Playbook

    Dan unpacks what business owners can adapt from DOGE’s new strategy, delivers a practical cure for practitioner syndrome (that paralyzing fear of putting yourself out there), and shares fresh insights on the legendary 1,000-day principle. Plus, strategies for accountability and effectiveness and answering questions about profitability from hosting events. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:19) Zero-based budgeting for efficiency (00:03:43) Accountability for effectiveness (00:08:40) Surviving your first 1,000 days in business (00:16:59) Why you need to put yourself out there (00:19:47) How to make money from events CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Follow us on Instagram PLAYLIST "The Tailwind Index" & Dodging Business Blindspots The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice?

    26 min

  8. FEB 27

    #796 Bigger Business = More Freedom?

    Dan sits down with Neel Parekh (CEO of MaidThis Franchise) to talk about the shifts that drive real business growth—why decision-making matters more than productivity, how time compression accelerates success, and why bigger businesses can create more freedom. They dive into the power of accountability, hiring smarter, and using personal branding to attract the right opportunities. Plus, Neel shares how he scaled through franchising—an unconventional path for a lifestyle business—balancing hustle, risk, and long-term rewards. What’s missing in your business that’s keeping you stuck? Connect with 1000+ global founders running profitable online businesses without sacrificing their unique lifestyles @ dynamitecircle.com. CHAPTERS (00:02:02) Compressing Time for Success (00:04:17) The Law of a Thousand Hours (00:07:43) Staying Motivated Through Accountability (00:11:28) Building Confidence in Your Business Model (00:17:25) The Paradox of Growth and Lifestyle (00:24:35) Understanding the Franchise Model and Its Costs (00:26:16) The Challenges of Running a Franchise (00:26:31) The Decision to Franchise vs. Self-Expansion (00:30:44) Vetting Franchisees: Finding the Right Fit (00:31:22) Success Rates and Expectations in Franchising (00:37:01) The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Risk and Reward (00:39:51) The Durability of the Cleaning Business Model (00:43:51) Finding Excitement in Business and Life (00:44:09) Expanding Business Opportunities (00:44:50) The Hustle-Life Balance (00:46:49) The Power of Decision Making CONNECT Dan “at” tropicalmba dot com Ian “at” tropicalmba dot com LINKS Join the DC Follow us on Instagram PLAYLIST "The Tailwind Index" & Dodging Business Blindspots The Unexpected Downsides of Selling Your Business Success Without Sacrifice? Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal

    49 min
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4.9
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465 Ratings

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With 10M+ downloads and thousands of listener meetups worldwide, the TMBA Podcast is the hub for 7 & 8-figure founders who’ve built life-changing businesses while attaining personal freedom. New episodes every Thursday morning.

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