Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 116: Chance Kornuth Joins Tribe of Mentors
I recently finished reading Tim Ferriss' book Tribe of Mentors in which he asks hundreds of experts and high-profile professionals a series of questions to help understand what inspires them and contributes to their success.
I found it both illuminating and inspiring and was pleased to see poker professionals Daniel Negreanu, Fedor Holz, and Liv Boeree all featured in the book.
Having just read it, I thought it'd be fun to piggyback off Tribe of Mentors by asking many of Ferris' questions to other poker personalities and share their answers here in Hold'em w/ Holloway. As their answers begin to filter in I will periodically pass them along here, starting today with Chance Kornuth.
With more than $6.7 million in lifetime earnings and two World Series of Poker gold bracelets to his credit, Kornuth has gone from the mid-stakes to firing high rollers. He's living the poker dream, and he's even helped others do the same after co-founding Chip Leader Coaching (CLC).
Below are some of the questions Ferriss asks in Tribe of Mentors, which you can check out here, and Kornuth's answers to those questions.
What is the book (or books) you've given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thích Nhất Hạnh.
What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? My readers love specifics like brand and model, where you found it, etc.
A jump rope, Rx Smart Gear brand.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a "favorite failure" of yours?
I can't think of a specific failure I'd like to share, but failure, in general, is just a learning tool for future success. When you do fail it should be treated as such instead of discouraging you.
"If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it — metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions — what would it say and why? It could be a few words or a paragraph. (If helpful, it can be someone else's quote: Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?)"
"I started working out and eating healthy seven months ago and I can't say how much of a positive impact it's had on my life."
"Work Hard, Stay Humble." Working hard often leads to success. Humility is often a problem I have after success.
Or "Be Nice" — one of my favorite slogans from a restaurant in Florida. The world needs more niceness in my opinion.
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
I started working out and eating healthy seven months ago and I can't say how much of a positive impact it's had on my life.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself?)
Unfocused — practice mindfulness and mental exercises.
Overwhelmed — break the project into small tasks and it feels much easier to hack away at.
