Brian’s currently distilling his experience and studies into a practical philosophy for the 21st century while having fun creating his new business, “PhilosophersNotes” (think mini-CliffsNotes for self-development books). He’s always been passionate about understanding and applying the principles of what makes great people great—that .00000001% who go out and change the world. The PhilosophersNotes give him the chance to share the wisdom he’s picked up along the way in his own hero’s journey as he inspires and empowers people to live at their highest potential. He loves his job.
In one of his past lives, as a 24-year-old law school dropout turned Founder/CEO, Brian led the creation of eteamz—the world’s largest amateur sports site that currently (and profitably) provides team and league web sites and a comprehensive suite of services to over 3 million teams from over 120 countries around the world. (For example, Little League Baseball® uses the technology.) After spending the requisite time in “garage-mode,” eteamz won UCLA’s Business Plan competition, raised over $5 million of capital, grew from 3 to 45 employees in less than a year and was sold for over $13 million of stock and cash to The Active Network, Inc. in 2000.
After successfully leading the integration of the two companies as a Vice President at Active, Brian spent a few years as a philosopher, immersing himself in philosophy, psychology, mysticism and optimal living. He read hundreds of books and traveled a bit—studying Jesus in Jerusalem, Marcus Aurelius in the Danube of Hungary, Rumi in Konya, Turkey, and Socrates in Greece. On his return, he created thinkArete.com, a site where he began distilling the universal truths of optimal living. Over 10,000 people signed up to receive his daily newsletter where he shared the wisdom of his favorite teachers, showing how everyone (from Nietzsche to Buddha to Emerson) is saying the same thing.
In 2004, in an effort to integrate his philosophical and entrepreneurial and to put the truths he was studying into practice, Brian created Zaadz (now Gaia)—a company named after the Dutch word for seed committed to leveraging world-class social networking tools to connect, inspire and empower people committed to transforming their lives and our planet. (Think: MySpace for people who want to change the world.) As the Philosopher & CEO of Zaadz, he raised $3 million to finance the launch of the business. Feeling the dharmic pull to immerse himself back into studying and living the universal truths, Brian sold Zaadz to Gaiam, Inc. (Nasdaq: GAIA) in the summer of 2007.
Brian graduated Magna Cum Laude with Phi Beta Kappa honors from UCLA where he studied Psychology and Business. He reads a lot and loves to hike, laugh, write, think, draw, teach, enjoy great conversations with an inspired soul, meditate in his infrared sauna, spend time with his fiancée, Alexandra, and play with their puppy, Joy. He’ll be publishing his first book in 2009. He’s 33.
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