The Man Who Makes $1M/Year Selling Christmas Trees

Christmas Tree Mafia (0s)

• The Christmas tree business in New York is a large and competitive industry controlled by a few eccentric and sometimes ruthless tycoons known as "tree men" who spend 11 months a year preparing for the 30-day Christmas season (51s).
• These tree men have carved up the city into different territories, with individuals like George Nash and Kevin Hammer controlling areas such as Harlem and Manhattan (1m10s).
• Kevin Hammer is a Brooklyn-born Scientologist who is rumored to own half the tree stands in Manhattan, bringing in over $1 million every December, and is said to live on a yacht in the Atlantic (1m33s).
• The idea of selling Christmas trees in New York City originated with a Dutchman named Mark Carr, who is considered the father of the Manhattan Christmas tree business (2m57s).
• Mark Carr started selling trees in 1851 after being out of work, and he attempted to associate the trees with the Christmas spirit and the idea of bringing a piece of nature into the city (3m9s).
• Carr's wife initially rejected his idea, but he pursued it anyway, which is seen as a characteristic of many entrepreneurs (3m17s).
• The history of Christmas trees as a holiday tradition is relatively recent, with the idea of bringing a tree into the home being seen as bizarre just 200 years ago (2m28s).
• The tradition of associating trees with Christmas time did not exist until the mid-19th century, when Carr and others began to promote the idea (2m42s).
• The tradition of selling Christmas trees indoors is believed to have started when a man bought a permit for $1 to sell trees inside Washington Market, a wholesale bazaar, and explained to people that these trees could be stood upright in their houses to signify Christmas, selling out in a day (3m48s).
• The narrator's parents used to own a fruit stand that made a lot of money every October by selling pumpkins and every Christmas by selling Christmas trees (4m37s).
• The narrator's father is a produce broker who buys products from farmers, organizes transportation, and sells them to big companies like Walmart, making a profit in the process (4m10s).
• The narrator is fascinated by once-a-year businesses, such as Michael Girdley's fireworks business, where 99% of the revenue happens the day before July 4th (5m2s).
• The narrator thinks that going around the neighborhood and offering to put up Christmas lights is a great side hustle that can make tens of thousands of dollars in a six-month period (5m22s).
• A guy in the narrator's neighborhood makes money by offering Christmas light installation services, getting 50 houses to say yes and charging each one a significant amount of money (5m40s).
• The narrator respects the hustle of people who can make money from seasonal businesses and side hustles (6m0s).
• HubSpot has put together a list of resources to help people find market opportunities and validate their next business idea, including a market size calculator, tools to identify market trends, and a huge list of ideas to get started (6m21s).

Neko Health (6m45s)

• Many health startups have ideas that sound great but often don't work because they cater to the needs and wants of wealthy, smart people from cities like San Francisco, LA, and New York, assuming everyone has the same needs and wants, but in reality, these ideas are often too expensive, hard to do, and bespoke (6m57s).
• An example of such an idea is a newsreading app launched by the Instagram co-founders after they left Facebook, which aimed to change the way people consume news, but it shut down after two years due to lack of demand (8m18s).
• People often prefer "junk food" or easy-to-consume content, and startups that try to offer something healthier or more complex may not find much demand (8m31s).
• Daniel Ek, the founder of Spotify, has launched a health startup called Neko Health, which has gained over 60,000 signups in just 12 weeks, despite some initial warning signs that it might not work (9m58s).
• A company has signed up 60,000 email subscribers for a $250 scan that reflects a growing shift towards preventative healthcare and early detection (10m7s).
• The scan's full value is estimated to be $15 million in pipeline in three months, with the potential for $1 million in bookings for a single geographic location in London (10m31s).
• Not all email subscribers are expected to convert, but even a small percentage would be significant (10m39s).
• The scan aims to provide a better health check by looking for moles, examining arteries, and checking cholesterol levels, among other things (11m3s).
• The goal of the scan is preventative, aiming to identify potential health issues before symptoms arise, unlike the traditional healthcare system (11m12s).
• The company is working to make preventative healthcare a reality, both technically and by building a brand and generating revenue (11m43s).
• The company's ability to make the concept work and generate excitement among consumers and investors is impressive (11m51s).

Superpower (11m57s)

• Superpower is a digital clinic that offers a 10 times better version of an annual physical, with the goal of making advanced healthcare available to everyone, not just the wealthy, at a cost of around $400 or $500 per year (11m57s).
• The founders of Superpower aim to make high-end healthcare, which typically costs $100,000 or more per year, accessible to the general public (13m32s).
• The product offered by Superpower includes over 100 lab tests, a full-body report, a one-hour consultation with a doctor, limited Q&A with the doctor throughout the year, and additional health consults at insider prices for $499 (14m53s).
• The company had 3 million hits to their site during launch week and a waitlist of over 100,000 people, which is a significant achievement (14m23s).
• The founder, Jacob, sent an investor update sharing the company's progress and goals, which included making high-end healthcare more accessible and affordable (13m20s).
• The company's mission is to help people live longer, prevent disease, and feel their best, with a focus on simplicity and a powerful pitch (12m12s).
• The company's website features endorsements from notable individuals, including Mark Zuckerberg's sister, Arielle Zuckerberg, and the Winklevoss twins (12m47s).
• A health startup, superpower.com, gained significant traction with 100,000 people signing up in the first three to four months, which is impressive and indicates a shift in the culture where health startups are no longer seen as wishful thinking (15m36s).
• The startup's success is attributed to a growing interest in health, with people willing to pay for health-related products and services, as seen with content creators like Huberman, Peter Attia, and Brian Johnson (17m16s).
• The adoption of health startups can be categorized into different segments, including Freaks and Geeks (innovators), early adopters (wannabes), early majority (smart and reasonable people), late majority, and laggards (those who are slow to adopt new things) (18m0s).
• The early adopter phase is characterized by people who are willing to try new things and spend money on them, but may not necessarily repeat their purchases (17m39s).
• The speaker has tested various blood work companies and has not had a huge amount of repeat purchases, but is excited to try new things and thinks that a lot of these health startups are one-off experiences (18m42s).
• The individual has tried various health and fitness products, including those from Forward Health and One Medical, and has become a recurring customer of some of these services (19m0s).
• They believe that getting customers to try new products is less challenging than retaining them as repeat customers, and it will be interesting to see which companies can achieve this (19m26s).
• The individual has tried various health and fitness products, including those from Perovo and InsideTracker, and has found them to be awesome, but relies on only a few of them on a regular basis (19m37s).
• They mention that they are in the "Freaks and Geeks" category when it comes to health and fitness, and have tried unusual products, such as injecting substances into their body to reduce cravings (20m5s).
• They had previously discussed OIC, a product that helps with addiction issues, and had predicted that it would change the world, and recently, the CEO of Eli Lilly announced that a similar product had been officially approved for alcoholics (20m40s).
• The individual had texted someone about a new product that they believed would be successful, and had considered buying Eli Lilly stock, but decided against it due to the company's already large market value (21m1s).
• Despite missing out on investing in Eli Lilly, the company's stock has increased significantly over the past five years, with a 10x increase in value (21m36s).

Shaan's 4x/wk training program (21m43s)

• Two daily health practices have been incorporated into the routine for about 2 years, the first being breath work every morning using the Other Ship app, which takes 6 to 10 minutes (22m34s).
• The second daily practice is working out, but not in the conventional sense of cardio or weightlifting; instead, it involves functional patterns, a style of training focused on core movement (23m0s).
• Functional patterns training is based on four core movements: running or sprinting, throwing (a twisting motion), jumping, and walking or gait (24m30s).
• This type of training helps with everyday movements, such as picking up a baby when older, and is beneficial for preventing injuries and diseases (23m31s).
• The workouts involve practicing and perfecting these core movements, including proper weight distribution, weight shifts, and ankle mobility, which may resemble rehabilitation exercises (24m54s).
• Functional patterns training is used by athletes, including NBA players, and is focused on preventing injuries and promoting overall health (25m12s).
• This style of training is done four times a week, with a focus on proper technique and movement to prevent injuries and promote long-term health (25m29s).

Prediction: Whole Foods is going down (25m33s)

• It is predicted that in 15 years, Whole Foods will be viewed as a discount grocer, similar to regional brands like Kroger or Safeway, and people will prefer buying meat locally (25m34s).
• The perception of Whole Foods as a high-prestige health food store may be due to its early popularity, but in reality, it may not be significantly different from other alternatives, and its products may be more expensive (26m12s).
• An examination of the ingredients in Whole Foods' hot food bar reveals the presence of unhealthy ingredients, which is seen as a signal of the store's true quality (26m30s).
• A comparison of meat from a local farmers market and Whole Foods shows that the former has more color and appears fresher, with chickens having bright yellow skin, whereas Whole Foods' products may not be as fresh or healthy (26m50s).
• The ability of a large company like Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, to supply fresh and healthy products year-round is questioned, and it is suggested that buying local and in-season products is a better option (27m14s).
• The availability of out-of-season products like strawberries in December in Connecticut is seen as ridiculous and highlights the issues with Whole Foods' supply chain (27m26s).
• It is believed that buying local meat and produce is a better option than relying on large retailers like Whole Foods (27m39s).

Prediction: Natural fibers, local meat (27m40s)

• Buying whole animals directly from farms or ranches is expected to become a huge trend in the next 15 years, allowing people to have a year's worth of meat for around $1,000 (27m41s).
• Some people already have personal relationships with ranches and buy meat directly from them, which may become more common in the future (28m2s).
• There is a concern about the authenticity of products sold at farmers' markets, with some products potentially being sourced from supermarkets rather than actual farms (28m30s).
• The trust issue with food sources is a widespread problem, and even local farmers' markets may not always be selling genuinely farm-to-table products (28m51s).
• In the future, people may prioritize having plants in their homes to keep the air clean, which could become a popular trend in the next 20-30 years (29m14s).
• Natural fiber clothes, such as cotton workout gear, are expected to make a comeback due to growing concerns about forever chemicals and plastic in clothing (29m31s).
• A company called Rer RYK makes all-cotton workout gear, which is a rare example of natural fiber clothing in the workout industry (29m37s).
• The use of single-use plastics, such as bottled water, is expected to decrease in the future as people become more aware of the environmental and health impacts (30m10s).
• There may be a trade-off between quality and price when it comes to natural fiber clothing, with high-quality options like Lululemon offering a unique stretchy feel that may not be replicable with natural fibers (30m28s).
• The discussion shifts to the topic of man-made materials versus natural fibers, with man-made materials being cheaper and more resistant to losing shape, but possibly having trade-offs in terms of performance and convenience (30m43s).
• Man-made materials are often used in performance wear due to their better performance, and there is a trade-off between the two types of materials (31m14s).
• Rker is a company that makes non-toxic workout gear, which is an interesting angle for a company to take (31m26s).
• The importance of local eating is emphasized, with the benefits of having a personal connection with the people who produce the food, such as a "cheese lady" or a "chicken guy" (31m49s).
• Having a personal connection with food producers is seen as a desirable future, with the idea of having a specific person for each type of food (31m56s).