Episode 61: High Stakes Poker, Game of Life and Spirituality with Rafe Furst

Quote: "All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” - St. Francis Of Assisi

*Trigger Warning: In this episode, you'll hear some sensitive topics. So if you got little ones around, please grab your headphones now.

Today's interview is my new friend, Rafe Furst, an accomplished entrepreneur, tech investor, and world champion poker player.  Take about twists and turns, surviving rollercoasters of ups and downs, to realize you are a spiritual being having a human experience.  In today's interview, we dive into:

1. Rafe's origin story
2. Association & relationship with the word 'game'
3. Startup lifecycle of Pick'em Sports
4. Winning a World Series of Poker Championship Bracelet in Pot Limit Hold-em
5. Spirituality: Series of events that led to his spiritual awakening
6. Do the end justify the means?
7. What does 'energy' mean to Rafe?
8. Advice he would share with people that want to start feeling more.

 Show Notes

[3:22] - Hi folks, welcome back to episode 61 of the Boom Vision podcast! 

I'm estatic to invite Rafe Furst to our show today. Rafe is a new friend that was introduced through our mutual friend Tian Mu (Episode 36) a couple months ago, and I could not be more excited to share Rafe's story with you all today. 

As a brief background:

Rafe Furst is an accomplished entrepreneur, tech investor, and world champion poker player, renowned for his victory at the 2006 World Series of Poker Championship Bracelet in Pot Limit Hold-em. Beyond his poker prowess, Furst is a thought leader in the realms of early-stage finance and cryptocurrency, having shared his insights through various articles, interviews, and presentations like TEDx. His visionary ideas encompass technology and investing, and they have garnered attention in publications such as WIRED, the New York Times Magazine, and the Freakonomics blog. Furst's personal mission is to facilitate individuals in overcoming obstacles and finding solutions in their lives, a process he initiates by empathetic listening and offering practical guidance. He has worked with a diverse range of individuals, from high net worth to those facing financial challenges, executives, entrepreneurs, creative professionals, and more, consistently delivering positive outcomes for those willing to embark on a deep exploration of their personal journey with him.

[5:16] - Rafe's origin story

[5:38] - (BY) How did hip hop shape your childhood?

[11:25] - What is your association and relationship with this word 'Game'?

[16:08] - What was the business lifecycle of Pick'em Sports?

[20:20] - After that startup, what did that springboard you into?

[26:22] - (BY) Knowing what you experienced in that 1 year, what's one thing you found out about yourself you couldn't have known had you not gone on that trip?

[30:34] - (BY) Speaking of spirituality, what event acted as a tipping point in awakening your spiritual journey?

[39:39] - (BY) Do the end justify the means? How do you feel about this statement?

[53:25] - (BY) What does the word 'energy' mean to you?

[1:07:09] - (BY) What is one advice to our audience that is a gentler first step of feeling?

[1:10:23] - (BY)  Time Machine: What is one thing you would tell yourself if you had an ability to travel back to your younger self? 

[1:11:57] - Where to find you: Where can our listeners find you?

• Rafe's Website: Website 

[1:13:30] - Final Thoughts

There's so many stories and rabbit holes that Rafe shared with us today, I love the 2 things what he said at the end, which is:

1. You are a spiritual being having a human experience.

2. The ends never justify the means.

If there's a quote I can share that captures some of the feelings I felt from today's interview, it is this:

Quote: "All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” - St. Francis Of Assisi

Folks, if you are going through a rough patch or feeling moments of uncertainty or darkness, know there is light within you.  I hope by hearing Rafe's story, that this inspires you allow some air and space for yourself to allow your light to breath, to glow and shine. You got this!

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a DM on IG (@benjaminyeh). If you enjoyed today's interview, I encourage you to go to Apple Podcast and review and rate this podcast so that others can find this show.

If you haven't already, I invite you to hit that subscribe button to this Boom Vision podcast if you want to take this journey together in growing mentally, physically and spiritually!