The 2025 Milly Awards!
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this year-end "Milly Awards" episode, Sam Parr, Shaan Puri, and Steph Smith gather to reflect on their biggest wins, losses, and life-changing moments from 2024. (00:30) The trio covers everything from unconventional investments to personal embarrassments, sharing intimate stories about career pivots, creative pursuits, and frame-breaking encounters.
• Main themes include investment strategies, personal growth through challenges, networking event failures, and the importance of pursuing excellence in unexpected areas
Speakers
Sam Parr
Sam Parr is the founder of Hampton, an exclusive community for entrepreneurs doing over $3M in revenue. He previously founded The Hustle, a popular business newsletter that was acquired by HubSpot. Sam is also the creator of Copy That and has built multiple successful media and community businesses.
Shaan Puri
Shaan Puri is a serial entrepreneur and investor who previously served as CEO of Monkey Inferno and held leadership roles at Twitch. He's known for his angel investing and has become a prominent voice in startup circles through his podcast appearances and social media presence.
Steph Smith
Steph Smith is a growth expert currently working at Grok (formerly at a podcast company). She's the creator of Internet Pipes, a trend analysis project, and the Digits Database featuring generation-defining statistics. She's also an accomplished writer and frequent podcast guest known for her insights on technology and business trends.
Key Takeaways
Location Changes Can Transform Your Life
Sam's decision to move from the suburbs to New York City demonstrates how geographical changes can dramatically improve life satisfaction. (01:42) He sold his cars, moved into a furnished apartment, and now sees his in-laws four days a week while working in an office five days a week. This shift from suburban isolation to urban connection resulted in significantly increased happiness. The key insight is that proximity to family and work can be more valuable than material possessions or larger living spaces.
Address Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms
Steph's Accutane investment highlights the importance of treating underlying issues rather than managing symptoms indefinitely. (03:15) After nearly two decades of dealing with acne through various treatments, she was inspired by MrBeast's casual mention of Accutane to finally address the root cause. The lesson extends beyond skincare - many people spend years managing problems that could be solved more definitively with the right approach or treatment.
Document Your Investment Decisions Publicly
Shaan's Christmas shopping strategy of investing $1.25 million across six stocks on December 16th, 2023, and tweeting about it created accountability and transparency. (05:28) His portfolio returned approximately 35% over the year, with standouts like Shopify (53%) and Google (50%). The public documentation prevented second-guessing and emotional trading while creating a clear benchmark for performance evaluation.
Pursue Mastery Without Obvious Rewards
Shaan's year-long piano journey exemplifies how pursuing excellence in unexpected areas can yield profound personal satisfaction. (45:30) Inspired by Jesse Itzler's "misogi" concept, he learned to play Nuvole Bianche despite having no musical background. The emotional payoff came when he played for others at Itzler's house, creating a moment of genuine connection and validation that work achievements rarely provide.
Community Over Square Footage
Kristen Berman's approach to using wealth demonstrates how behavioral economics principles can guide better life decisions. (67:48) Instead of upgrading to a larger home, she bought multiple units around her existing apartment and carefully selected neighbors to create a micro-community. This strategy prioritizes the proven happiness factor of close relationships over material upgrades, showing how money can be used as a tool for life improvement rather than status signaling.
Statistics & Facts
- My First Million reached 90 million views and downloads across all platforms in 2024, with nearly 2 million subscribers across YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. (00:30)
- Shaan's diversified stock investment strategy returned approximately 35% over one year, with individual stocks performing as follows: Shopify up 53%, Tesla up 17%, Eli Lilly up 35%, Google up 50%, while Bitcoin was down 8% and Coinbase up only 1%. (06:00)
- Steph completed two marathons in 14-16 months of running, with her second marathon time of 3:30 (just under 8-minute miles per mile pace), demonstrating rapid progression in endurance athletics. (97:58)
