Brandon Nolte

I believe that there is no mind inside the brain because the brain is inside the mind.

 

Brandon Nolte is an entrepreneur who’s passionate about building businesses that help people live happier and healthier lives. Since starting HealthyHempOil.com, he’s made this vision a reality, because he’s been able to positively impact many people around the world.

HealthyHempOil.com now helps millions of people learn about the powers of CBD Hemp oil (the non-psychoactive substance found in both marijuana and hemp) by creating in-depth guides and resources that answer questions like “Will CBD get me high?”
His company also helps people find the best products by vetting the suppliers before any products make it online. Products are 3rd-party lab tested for heavy metals, mold, and other contaminants.

Brandon grew up on the east coast with his family before moving out west to the Bay Area in 2015. Outside of work he enjoys cooking and baking and playing sports like soccer, volleyball, and spikeball. He also spends his spare time reading weird books like “Why Materialism is Baloney” and trying to understand what this whole “reality thing” is all about.

To quote a good friend of his, he says he’s in the “helping people” business, and if this resonates with you, he encourages you to reach out to him at [email protected].

Where did the idea for Healthy Hemp Oil come from?

In 2014 I was frustrated at the lack of accessible and easy-to-read information on CBD Hemp Oil (the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis). Most information was still in PubMed articles and scientific journals.

I also wanted to figure out which CBD products were worth using. Sadly, some products that were tested had poor levels of cannabinoids and nasty things like pesticides, heavy metals, and mold.

Healthy Hemp Oil.com was born out of a need to provide helpful and accurate information and also to curate the best CBD products for people to use.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Each day brings its own unique challenges, but generally, I split it up into 3 phases.

First, I prefer to have time in the morning to do my creative work (strategy, marketing, product development) — anything that requires perspective. This runs from maybe 8 am – Noon.

The second phase of my day is more reactive. I jump into my email inbox for the first time, I also have my calls scheduled in these hours and generally I am making decisions, putting out fires, delegating, etc. This is probably from 1 pm – 5 pm.

The third phase is less about doing and more about relaxing and learning. By this point in the day, my willpower is mostly spent. So, I tend to use this time for reading, socializing and unwinding. If I don’t feel like working in the morning, I know I’ve gone too hard the night before.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Having a great team helps. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without the amazing team members that I work with. I’m blessed to be working with such talented people, and it makes every day more enjoyable.

It’s also nice to have someone gut check you. If you are working as a solopreneur, it can be hard to know if your ideas are good or not since you are in a vacuum.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Related to cannabis: It’s exciting to see laws change at a state level to start providing greater access to medical cannabis. The US is finally waking up to all the science and anecdotal evidence that’s been compiling over the years. I believe that cannabis has the potential to help many millions of people worldwide with a variety of issues, so the progress we are making every year is a great sign that more and more people will soon have access to it.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Meditation. Meditation is a superpower because instead of your mind running around in circles, you can actually direct it with focus to accomplish what you want. It has helped me greatly with anxiety. Now when anxious thoughts come up, I have some distance from them, and I’m able to act more rationally — even if my body is getting worked up.
If you are like me, you’ve probably heard this a dozen times before but never stuck to a routine long enough to see results. Try it for 30 days — it will change your life. There’s a reason why 80% of the successful people interviewed in “Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferris have some sort of meditative practice.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Start a meditative practice. You may think that this is me being lazy with my answers, but I assure you that I really think meditation is that important. When you are able to think clearly, you can do wonderful things.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I believe that there is no mind inside the brain because the brain is inside the mind. If that peaks your curiosity, I recommend checking out Bernardo Kastrup’s book: Why Materialism Is Baloney: How True Skeptics Know There Is No Death and Fathom Answers to life, the Universe, and Everything.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Taking more risks. I’m risk-averse by nature, so it’s easy to see the downsides before the upsides. For example, I was considering bringing on a friend to help with the business, but I didn’t know how to do it. How much do I offer? How do I write the contract? What if we ruin our friendship? I was afraid.

Well, we decided to go for it, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I could’ve ever made. My business is much stronger as a result. I learned that just because it makes me uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s the wrong decision.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

One large failure I had early on as an entrepreneur was that I started a business that required me to build a sales team. The problem was I was never in sales myself, and I had no idea how to build and manage a team. I learned that it’s hard to make a business work if you don’t focus on using your strengths. Needless the say the business never got off the ground.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I would love for someone to create a Price Optimization Tool for WordPress. Basically, this plugin would help online sellers figure out what prices would maximize their profitability. You could even use statistics to see if it’s statistically significant.
Selling this SAAS product to businesses would be easy because you can prove ROI directly. The product inherently shows you how much money you make when you use it.
If someone decides to build this, let me know, I’ll gladly be a beta tester 🙂

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

My Headspace subscription is invaluable. They created an amazing set of guided meditations. Using this app was the only way I’ve been able to stick to a meditation routine. The gamification is also a plus. I love to see the number of days I’ve meditated grow larger.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

Followupthen.com. This tool is a savior. It allows you to easily create a reminder for yourself to follow up at a certain time. Simply add a date/time that you want to follow up (for example [email protected]) to the BCC field of your email, and then at the right time, it will rise to the top of your inbox. I still can’t believe Gmail doesn’t have this feature yet. I use this every day.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle. This book radically changed my perspective on being a human. I believe that the way he describes the Ego explains all of human behavior.

Once you see the Ego for what it is, you will realize why you sometimes sabotage yourself. If you understand the teachings in this book, it will help you improve your relationship with co-workers, your loved ones, and even yourself.

What is your favorite quote?

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

― Lao Tzu

Key Learnings:

• Meditation is a super power because instead of your mind running around in circles, you can actually direct it with focus to accomplish what you want. Try it for 30 days — it will change your life.
• Don’t be afraid to take risks. Just because a situation makes you uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s the wrong decision. Often it means you have a chance to grow.
• It’s hard to be successful in business if you don’t focus on using your strengths. In your current work are using your strengths? Or if you are just taking advantage of an opportunity?
• Read “Eckhart Tolle: A New Earth.” If you understand the teachings in this book, it will help you improve your relationship with co-workers, your loved ones, and even yourself. You’ll understand the real reason why people get angry, upset, sad etc.
• FREE Business Idea: Price Optimization Tool for WordPress that helps online sellers figure out what prices maximize their profitability. This SAAS product sells itself because it shows business how much money they can make with it.

Connect:

Brandon Nolte on Linkedin:
HealthyHempOil on Twitter:
HealthyHempOil on Facebook: