I've been in Bitcoin coming up on just four years, but it has been a WILD ride. I started as a client at The Bitcoin Way when I realized that self-custody is the revolution.
Then I was hired on as Chief Growth Officer, started the pod, and haven't stopped talking about Bitcoin since. In fact, I had a chance to speak at BTC Prague on the Main Stage this year!
This is your chance to ask me ANYTHING 😬
Have you ever actually sat down and interrogated your parents on why they named you Michael Jordan? 🤣
What was their reasoning? It's hilarious that you play with it in your handle & whatnot but I imagine if you weren't such a fun-loving & easy-going guy, some people would legit be pissed off about all the people constantly making stupid jokes about it
😂
I give them a hard time about it but their reason is actually decent. I was born in '89 when Michael Jordan was ascending - he hadn't won his championships.
My mom just liked the name Michael and my dad (while not a big sports fan) is from Indiana, THE basketball state here in the US. They thought it seemed like a good fit.
Never could they anticipate what would happen in the 90s and what it would be like showing up to school every day with the most famous name on earth...
That is fucking hilarious 🤣
Did you ever feel tempted to change it, or were you always a good sport about it when you were younger?
I was a good sport about it. The fact that an unmemorable guy like me has an unforgettable name is a blessing.
That said, I have to deal with a lot of the same comments
"You're Michael Jordan! I bet year hear a lot about that..."
"Did you play basketball?"
"Were your parents huge Chicago Bulls fans?"
(This guy took my question)
😂
Who is the hardest to orange pill: a Goldbug, XRP holder, or fiat slave?
Fiat slave - goldbugs get the problem, XRP holders are dumb but at least open to "something else being the thing"
Fiat slaves don't want their worldview wrecked
What's something you believe about bitcoin that few bitcoiners agree with you on?
"Bitcoin fixes this."
I don't think Bitcoin "fixes" anything. It realigns incentives but HUMAN ACTION is what fixes broken things.
Smart 🧠
🙏
What incentive do people have to invest in anything if there is generalized deflation?
Some but far less (at least as we know it today). People will always seek out opportunities to "get ahead" and make more money. And that is a good thing if it isn't done out of desperation and in the form of gambling/speculating (the latter of which is most of what people think of as "investing" today.
People will "invest" in a deflationary world by building productive businesses, funding startups that they've more thoroughly vetted, etc.
What do you think sets The Bitcoin Way apart from other Bitcoin Companies? I think its having Tony, the most bullish guy in bitcoin!
We are one of the few unwavering on principle - 100% self-custody only, no paper Bitcoin, no third party trust, no KYC, etc.
Very few adhere to all of these even if they agree to some.
And yes, Tony 😆
What's the most surprising thing you've learned as CGO at The Bitcoin Way?
Phew, that's a tough one. Not much surprises me anymore.
That said... I've been surprised at how much philosophical division there is within Bitcoin. We are definitely not all anarcho capitalists hellbent on a bright orange future.
What did you do before going full time into bitcoin content and services?
Great question. Started my career in cybersecurity consulting before doing a decade of SaaS sales (selling cyber/privacy compliance tools, funny enough as I now hate the notion of "compliance"). I then started and sold a cybersecurity business with my brother, joined an AI startup and left that pretty quickly to join The Bitcoin Way!
What the most popular service The Bitcoin Way offers?
Great question. Our self-custody training is still our bread and butter, especially in terms of number of individuals helped.
However, we're seeing more and more people looking at the news our of Australia, the UK, Canada, and other places who are growing VERY interested in our Plan B residency program.
Did you finish watching the Europa series? Curious of your overall thoughts on it
I didn't finish it but got through enough to believe...
There are two sides to every moment of history, and we are only taught one. To be critical thinkers we need to evaluate all the facts, not just the mainstream narratives we've been fed.
Schedule a time to learn more from our team: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/contact
What has been the most memorable moment you've experienced on Banter or TBW podcast?
Easy. Having Ben Wehrman on. The REAL Bitcoin GOAT.
In all seriousness, it's probably been the way we keep the show running even when I'm on the road. I remember recording from a hotel room in Vegas with Sphere in the background, in an Airbnb Athens last year while there meeting with the TBW team, and in a cabin in the mountains of Utah while connected to a Starlink.
Pretty cool that we just make things happen.
Did you fill the "Bitcoin Self Custody Specialist" role?
We filled three such roles a few months back and are considering an additional hire in the coming year. Stay tuned...
Would that require another application or will you look back through the previous ones?
We'll ask for new applications - we receive too many to revisit old ones in the event that some people are no longer interested or available.
How do you feel about the rollout of "The Golden Age of America" so far, is it all you'd hoped for?
It's been utopia, how could you even disagree? 😁
How did you get so based?
Studying Bitcoin and finding out that most everything I was taught in school is a lie
Would you onboard a Somali Daycare owner if they wanted to convert their dollars into Bitcoin?
We do not discriminate
Which growth effort yielded the best performance?
Growth effort as my role as CGO? I'd have to say our YouTube channel where we seek to educate the masses on Bitcoin. We went from a couple of thousand passive listeners at the beginning of last year to almost 10k today with lots of comments each time 🔥