First Things THRST

E140 - Billionaires Brutal Lessons On Wealth, Discipline & Building From Nothing» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/ Website: https://hackyou.media/ Gediminas Ziemelis is Lithuania's wealthiest entrepreneur, who started his first business at 19, and this conversation reveals what separates founders from managers, why treating business like a three-life computer game keeps him motivated, and how being born in a small country forced him to think globally from day one. Gediminas explains growing up in the Soviet Union where businessmen were criminals, how poverty and limitation shaped his drive to be rich, and why selling his first company at 27 pushed him toward building something unrepeatable in aviation. The key insight: work-life balance doesn't exist when building something big; your lifestyle becomes the business, and you risk everything while managers sell hours for the highest price with no social life at stake. This covers why he has four assistants but stays hands-on daily, how spending money on relationships beats marketing, and why the only thing he fears is losing motivation. 00:00 Gediminas Ziemelis Introduction 04:47 Early business endeavours in post-Soviet Lithuania 10:19 Importance of international business for Lithuanian entrepreneurs 15:28 First IPO and stepping into diverse business sectors 20:30 Entering aviation amidst challenges and opportunities 26:46 Overcoming financial crises in business 34:25 Global thinking and expanding aviation business 43:54 Dedication to Avia Solution Group and future plans 47:54 Passion and motivation in business pursuits 54:18 Importance of networking and relationships in business 59:53 Expanding interests beyond aviation, including AI and numbers 01:05:09 Space industry insights and potential future ventures 01:10:19 Reflections on health, AI, and personal discipline 01:14:36 Final advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on collaboration and planning » Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life - https://www.digitalplaybook.net/ » Transform your physique - https://www.thrstapp.com/ » My clothing brand, THRST - https://thrstofficial.com » Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston • 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO • 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO » Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/ » Join Whoop and get your first month for free - join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst » Follow Gediminas YouTube: youtube.com/gediminasziemelis-official LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gediminasziemelis

140|1H 17min

E139 - The Most Personal Q&A I've Done (Money, Dating & Life)» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/ Website: https://hackyou.media/ From staying in Dubai despite recent events and travelling to Cape Town and Japan, to losing your peptide virginity at 35 and selling Bioniq, join me for a special Q&A filmed in the apartment where this podcast started five years ago. I talk starting over from scratch, the balance between life-maxing and business-maxing, why investing in yourself beats everything else, and the mindset shifts that matter when nobody's watching. Thank you to everyone who's tuned in, asked questions, or supported the journey so far. Here's to the next chapter. 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Thoughts on living in Dubai long term 02:22 Top three favourite travel destinations 03:42 Starting over and choosing a niche 05:01 Use of peptides and personal experiences 07:14 Views on marriage and having children 08:12 Making friends in a new environment 10:16 Daily non-negotiables for health and wellness 11:17 Thoughts on diminishing returns of wealth 13:48 Strategies for avoiding doomscrolling 15:21 Evolving focus on swimwear brand 17:50 Surrounding oneself with inspiring people 19:56 Boredom and seeking new experiences 21:33 Lessons from launching a coaching channel 25:02 Navigating life post-business acquisition 27:19 Does Mike adjust his training volume according to his Whoop data 28:23 Has Mike ever worked with a performance psychologist 30:28 Mike’s experience with emotional eating 34:01 Should you help others unconditionally? 34:50 What are some non-negotiables when dealing with people in business 36:20 Who would Mike choose as my ideal gym partner 39:34 Controversial figures on First Things THRST 42:34 What if Mike had never travelled to UAE? 44:46 How to date when you're broke 46:54 What excites Mike the most 49:33 Young Financial Investments vs going out to see the world 53:35 How important is Mindset in your journey 55:36 Should you set self-standards? 58:24 Is life in Dubai Better than the UK? 59:33 Biggest Problem in Modern Dating 1:02:23 Admiration for Women with Careers 1:04:34 Mike’s Favourite Film 1:05:45 A Lesson from Mike’s Father 1:08:00 What would you have done if you were 20 again 1:12:04 Perfect Work-Life Balance 1:13:42 Mike’s Biggest Goal 1:16:04 Outro » Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life - https://www.digitalplaybook.net/ » Transform your physique - https://www.thrstapp.com/ » My clothing brand, THRST - https://thrstofficial.com » Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston • 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO • 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO » Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/ » Join Whoop and get your first month for free - join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst

139|1H 17min

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