TDC 075: How To Craft Your Worldview With AI

What I learned at Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi's $250,000 private mastermind this week.

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque dives into building a comprehensive worldview and why it's your hidden operating system.

You'll learn how to surface your existing beliefs, discover the three levels of reality that shape decisions, and explore a six-step AI-assisted process for crafting worldviews that drive real results.

Question of the Day 🗣️

What's one principle that deeply shapes how you see the world, and where did it come from?

Key Take-aways

• Your worldview is the combination of what you believe is true, patterns you notice, and how you act
• The world operates cyclically not linearly—learn the cycle and phase to predict what's next
• Energy is the base layer of everything; capitalism is just turning energy into useful stuff
• There are three levels of reality: objective, subjective, and inter-subjective
• Green fruit marketing focuses on nurturing prospects over time, not just picking ripe fruit

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 – Cold open & hook
00:39 – Your hidden operating system: why worldviews matter
02:38 – Deep convictions loosely held: three lenses
04:11 – The world operates cyclically, not linearly
06:47 – Energy is the base layer of human experience
07:52 – Three levels of reality: objective, subjective, inter-subjective
09:01 – Lessons from a $40 million product launch
11:23 – How to build your worldview with AI
11:52 – Step 1: Surface what you already have
12:33 – Step 2: Articulate 5-10 strong beliefs loosely held
13:26 – Step 3: Choose your faculty of thinkers
15:00 – Step 4: Stress test with dissonance
15:48 – Step 5: Connect worldview to real decisions
17:14 – Step 6: Create a review rhythm
18:24 – Your turn: one principle reshaping your worldview

Links & Resources 🔗

👉 Issue 046 of The Digital Contrarian: "Brace for Impact"

📄 https://ryanlevesque.net/brace-for-impact/

👉 Issue 022 of The Digital Contrarian: "How to See Hidden Patterns"

📄 https://ryanlevesque.net/hidden-patterns-others-completely-miss/

👉 Issue 028 of The Digital Contrarian: "The Return to Real Movement"

📄 https://ryanlevesque.net/the-return-to-real-movement/

👉 Issue 042 of The Digital Contrarian: "How to Keep Your Head Straight…"

📄 https://ryanlevesque.net/how-to-keep-your-head-straight/

👉 Get on the waitlist for "The Return to Real": https://ryanlevesque.net/return-to-real-book/

👉 Subscribe to The Digital Contrarian newsletter: https://thedigitalcontrarian.com

Each week, I share frameworks and contrarian strategies for finding meaning and building resilience in both business and life.

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC 074: The First Trillion Dollar Thought Leader: Being Known for How You Think, Not What You Consume

Why being known for how you think beats influence every time.

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque dives into the critical distinction between influencers and thought leaders in the AI era.

You'll learn why chasing followers is the wrong game, how thought leadership transforms ideas into equity, and discover the unsexy immediate next step to start building your own trillion-dollar personal brand.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Are you planting fruit trees or ordering DoorDash with your content strategy? What's one idea you could turn into an email this week?

Key Take-aways

• Influencers rent attention from algorithms; thought leaders build mental real estate in decision-makers' minds
• Markets already treat certain personal brands as multi-billion dollar assets (see: Elon Musk's pay package)
• Thought leadership lives in the "important but not urgent" quadrant—it's fruit tree behavior, not DoorDash behavior
• Most people never build one because they chase quick hits instead of planting for generations
• Start with one email about one idea you have energy around right now—then do it weekly for 12 weeks

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 – The trillion dollar thought leader shift
00:21 – Influencers vs thought leaders: The wrong game
01:36 – Elon Musk's trillion dollar personal brand
02:06 – What thought leadership actually buys you today
02:22 – Company value and deal flow (Edelman LinkedIn data)
03:31 – Optionality: When opportunities find you
04:07 – Talent magnetism: Attracting operators who think
04:34 – Durability: Personal anti-fragility
05:32 – Why doesn't everyone build one?
05:47 – The fruit tree vs DoorDash behavior
07:06 – The "no shortcuts across the green" rule
08:20 – Your small unsexy immediate next step
09:34 – Closing thoughts

Links & Resources 🔗

• Issue #022 of The Digital Contrarian – "How to See Hidden Patterns Others Completely Miss" → https://ryanlevesque.net/hidden-patterns-others-completely-miss/
• Issue #028 of The Digital Contrarian – "The Return to Real Movement" → https://ryanlevesque.net/the-return-to-real-movement/
• Issue #042 of The Digital Contrarian – "How to Keep Your Head Straight…" → https://ryanlevesque.net/how-to-keep-your-head-straight/
• Issue #046 of The Digital Contrarian – "Brace for Impact: 3 Converging Forces…" → https://ryanlevesque.net/brace-for-impact/
• Strategic Content Ecosystem Service → https://www.ryanlevesque.net/apply
• "Return to Real" book waitlist → https://ryanlevesque.net/return-to-real-book/

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC: The Efficiency vs. Resiliency Dilemma

What's the biggest vulnerability in your business right now?

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque explores the dangerous trade-off between efficiency and resiliency in business.

You'll learn why single-channel dependency threatens your business survival, discover how the Irish Potato Famine reveals critical marketing insights, and explore how to build an antifragile strategic content ecosystem that can weather any storm.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Where is your business most vulnerable right now? Are you overly dependent on a single traffic source, platform, or channel?

Key Take-aways

• Efficiency often comes at the expense of resiliency, creating massive business vulnerability
• 77% of mobile Google searches now result in zero clicks, effectively killing SEO as a traffic source
• Single-channel dependency in the post-AI world is an existential business threat
• Strategic content ecosystems provide the diversification needed for business antifragility
• You can achieve resiliency without complexity by hiring teams to manage your content ecosystem

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 – Introduction: The efficiency vs. resiliency dilemma
00:31 – The efficiency-resiliency spectrum explained
01:46 – Farm optimization: Why we choose resiliency over efficiency
02:12 – The Irish Potato Famine: A warning about monoculture dependency
03:18 – The shocking truth about global food biodiversity loss
03:41 – The zero-click reality killing SEO
04:28 – Why single-channel dependency is a business death sentence
04:48 – The strategic content ecosystem alternative
05:38 – Understanding the resiliency trade-off
06:24 – How to achieve resiliency without the complexity
06:54 – The Digital Contrarian content ecosystem model
07:19 – Final thoughts & CTA

Links & Resources 🔗

• Strategic Content Ecosystem Service Priority Waitlist → https://www.ryanlevesque.net/apply
• Issue #003 of The Digital Contrarian – "The Zero-Click Reality" → https://ryanlevesque.net/decision-making-framework-for-entrepreneurs/

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque © 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC 072: How to Become A "Category of One" Thought Leader.

Three questions that separate thought leaders from everyone else in their market.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque reveals the Category of One framework that's made his consulting practice oversubscribed and generated 24 speaking invitations in 18 months.

You'll learn the three critical questions that establish thought leadership positioning, discover why timing and novelty matter more than credentials, and understand how to make all roads lead naturally to you.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Which of these three questions is hardest for you to answer powerfully in your market?

Key Take-aways:

• Category of One positioning requires answering three questions in your market's mind
• "Why now?" establishes urgency by showing the old paradigm is obsolete
• "Why this?" positions your novel solution against conventional approaches
• "Why you?" creates natural authority where no other provider is worth considering
• Strategic content ecosystems can syndicate across 37 formats and channels

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:53 – Results from the framework approach
01:14 – Agency work and strategic content ecosystems
02:09 – The three questions framework introduction
02:13 – Question 1: Why NOW?
02:29 – Question 2: Why THIS?
02:47 – Question 3: Why YOU?
03:05 – Reflection prompt for your business

Links & Resources 🔗

• Priority waitlist for agency clients → https://www.ryanlevesque.net/apply
• Subscribe to The Digital Contrarian newsletter → https://thedigitalcontrarian.com

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC 071: How to Get Your Website to Show Up in ChatGPT…

The 2025 version of ranking #1 on Google—master these AI concepts before your competition does.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque dives into Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and the advanced AI concepts determining which brands get recommended by ChatGPT.

You'll learn how to optimize for vector embeddings instead of keywords, discover entity graph gap analysis techniques, and master information gain rate principles that make AI systems choose your content over competitors'.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Have you tested whether ChatGPT recommends your brand when asked questions in your niche? Try it and share what you discover in the comments!

Key Take-aways

• ChatGPT usage doubled to 16 min/day while Google search time declined to 18.2 min/day
• Optimize content for concepts and semantic meaning, not just keywords
• AI models often stop after reviewing just 100 lines of content
• Vector embeddings measure semantic similarity using cosine angles between text
• Entity graphs reveal how AI connects your brand to relevant concepts and competitors

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 – Cold open & hook
01:14 – The data proving ChatGPT is eating Google's lunch
02:09 – Why AEO is the new SEO
03:01 – Key Concept #1: Vector Embeddings explained
04:22 – The paradigm shift: Keywords → Concepts
04:53 – Key Concept #2: Entity Graphs
06:33 – How to do an Entity Graph Gap Analysis
07:00 – Key Concept #3: Information Gain Rate & Time to Answer
08:46 – How to optimize IGR and TTA for your content
09:30 – Final thoughts: The first mover advantage
10:22 – Building your strategic content ecosystem

Links & Resources 🔗

• Apply for Strategic Content Ecosystem → https://www.ryanlevesque.net/apply
• Google Natural Language API → https://cloud.google.com/natural-language
• Subscribe to The Digital Contrarian newsletter → https://thedigitalcontrarian.com
• Private Advisory (7-8 figure business owners) → https://ryanlevesque.net/1-1-vip-waitlist/
• Strategic Mastermind (6-7 figure entrepreneurs) → https://ryanlevesque.net/strategic-advisory-group-mastermind-waitlist

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC 070: Seven "Non-Obvious" Email Lessons I've Learned Writing This Email Newsletter Each Week.

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque reveals the seven most impactful lessons from writing 70 consecutive weekly newsletters by hand.

You'll learn how less AI usage led to higher engagement, why creative volume beats perfectionism, and discover the custom dashboard metrics that actually matter for email success.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Which of these 7 lessons resonates most with you? Drop a comment and let me know!

Key Take-aways

• Custom AI dashboards beat vanity metrics – track engagement scores, not just opens and clicks
• Less AI in writing process correlates directly with higher reader engagement scores
• Creative fecundity is essential – you never know which piece will break through
• Buffer days between writing and sending prevent newsletter stress and missed deadlines
• Make it great before you make it grow – optimize for impact, then scale

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

01:26 – Lesson #1: Let data drive decisions (AI dashboard reveal)
05:03 – Lesson #2: Less AI = More engagement (the shocking data)
06:38 – Lesson #3: Creative fecundity is the key to success
08:38 – Lesson #4: Keep your cutting room floor
09:20 – Lesson #5: Build in a buffer day
11:25 – Lesson #6: Make it non-negotiable (decide to win)
13:25 – Lesson #7: Make it great before you make it grow
14:26 – All 7 lessons recap

Links & Resources 🔗

• Issue 001 of The Digital Contrarian – "An Embarrassing Confession" → https://ryanlevesque.net/authentic-business-communication-confession/
• Issue 027 of The Digital Contrarian – "Your Strategic Content Ecosystem" → https://ryanlevesque.net/strategic-content-ecosystem/
• Issue 058 of The Digital Contrarian – "Bombshell Week in AI" → https://ryanlevesque.net/bombshell-week-in-ai/
  • Related video: "Bombshell Week in AI" → https://youtu.be/BAnNrTQC47M
• Issue 062 of The Digital Contrarian – "Is the AI Bubble Bursting??" → https://ryanlevesque.net/is-the-ai-bubble-bursting/
  • Related video: "Is the AI Bubble Bursting??" → https://youtu.be/153Y_LP2oYc
• Issue 066 of The Digital Contrarian – "A Crazy Person's Guide to Living Life" → https://ryanlevesque.net/a-crazy-persons-guide-to-living-life/
  • Related video: "A Crazy Person's Guide to Living Life" → https://youtu.be/tbDx0R2j0GQ
• Private Advisory (7-8 figure business owners) → https://ryanlevesque.net/1-1-vip-waitlist/
• Strategic Mastermind (6-7 figure entrepreneurs) → https://ryanlevesque.net/strategic-advisory-group-mastermind-waitlist

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC 069: The Circular AI Money Shell Game?? | What To Do About The AI Bubble That May Soon Be Coming To an End

The AI bubble may be closer to popping than you think—and the evidence is hiding in plain sight.

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque goes into the current state of the AI bubble and where we might be on the hype cycle curve.

You'll learn why enterprise AI adoption is actually declining, discover the circular money shell game happening between major AI players, and uncover a potential opportunity hiding in OpenAI's recent job postings that could rival the early days of Facebook Ads.

Question of the Day 🗣️

Where do YOU think we are on the AI bubble curve? Share your perspective in the comments below!

Key Take-aways

Enterprise AI adoption has fallen from 14% to 12% between June and August 2025—unprecedented for any new technology
The NASDAQ curves from the dot-com bubble (1998-2001) mirror today's AI-driven market almost identically
Circular AI deals between OpenAI, Nvidia, and AMD echo the financial engineering that preceded past bubble crashes
A single ChatGPT algorithm change wiped out $8 billion in Reddit's market value by reducing citations 86%
OpenAI's recent job postings suggest an ad-supported model may be coming sooner than expected

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 – The AI bubble question everyone's asking
00:08 – Why you can't see bubbles from the inside
01:40 – Where are we on the AI hype cycle curve?
02:12 – The late-stage bubble evidence piling up
03:04 – The circular AI money shell game explained
04:07 – Why 95% of enterprise AI pilots are failing
04:42 – The anti-bubble argument (and why it matters)
06:41 – Unprecedented volatility: AMD up 35%, Reddit down 22%
07:36 – The neuroscience of staying calm in chaos
08:23 – OpenAI's next move: The biggest opportunity since Facebook Ads?
08:59 – New agency service announcement

Links & Resources 🔗

Issue #068 of The Digital Contrarian – "Why Your $20/month AI tool is about to cost $500..." → https://ryanlevesque.net/your-20-month-ai-tool-is-about-to-cost-500/

Issue #039 of The Digital Contrarian – "Right Thesis, Wrong Timing?" → https://ryanlevesque.net/right-thesis-wrong-timing/

Derek Thompson's "This Is How the AI Bubble Will Pop" → https://www.derekthompson.org/p/this-is-how-the-ai-bubble-will-pop

Bloomberg's circular AI money flow diagram → https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-08/the-circular-openai-nvidia-and-amd-deals-raising-fears-of-a-new-tech-bubble

Return to Real Agency waitlist → https://go2.bucketforms.com/sf/8a8a42b9

1:1 VIP Client waitlist → https://ryanlevesque.net/1-1-vip-waitlist/

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.

TDC 068: Your $20/month AI tool is about to cost $500: The Coming AI Price Shock...

The coming AI price shock that could destroy your business model overnight.

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque exposes the broken economics behind OpenAI's $500 billion valuation and the entire AI sector.

You'll learn why venture-capital subsidized AI pricing is unsustainable, discover the shocking financials that reveal AI companies lose money on every transaction, and understand why a 25x price increase is inevitable when the subsidy ends.

Question of the Day 🗣️

How dependent is your business on artificially cheap AI tools? What's your contingency plan if prices increase 25x?

Key Take-aways

• OpenAI loses $1.35 for every dollar of revenue despite its $500 billion valuation
• The AI sector exhibits textbook bubble behavior with negative unit economics
• Current AI pricing is artificially low, subsidized by venture capital funding
• A 25x price increase (like Netflix's evolution) is inevitable when subsidies end
• Build contingency plans now before your AI-dependent business model breaks

Timestamped Outline ⏱️

00:00 – The $500 AI price shock is coming
01:04 – Inside the town hall: What we covered
01:58 – OpenAI's terrifying financials revealed
03:13 – The math problem that makes no sense
03:58 – When the AI subsidy ends
05:30 – What this means for your business
06:03 – The Netflix playbook: $8 to $200/month
07:22 – Build your contingency plans now

Links & Resources 🔗

• Issue #062 of The Digital Contrarian – "Is the AI Bubble Bursting??" → https://ryanlevesque.net/is-the-ai-bubble-bursting/
• Subscribe to The Digital Contrarian newsletter → https://thedigitalcontrarian.com

Connect & CTA 🎯

👉 Enjoyed this? Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

🎁 Join 100 000+ digital entrepreneurs who get Ryan's "Strategic Insights for Digital Entrepreneurs Who Think Differently" every weekend: https://ryanlevesque.net/join-the-digital-contrarian/

Credits

Host: Ryan Levesque
© 2025 RL & Associates LLC. All rights reserved.