Guest
Gary Leland
Gary Leland: Fatherhood, Bitcoin & Life
- Gary Leland founded BitBlockBoom in 2018 as a Bitcoin maximalist conference and grew it into the world's longest-running Bitcoin event by holding it during COVID when others canceled. - The sixth iteration of BitBlockBoom (August 2023 in Austin) now spans four days with a la carte ticketing, expanded Thursday workshops, and integration with other Bitcoin events throughout the week. - Gary co-authored "Bitcoin and the American Dream" with Jimmy Song, Amanda Cavalieri, CJ Wilson, Lamar Wilson, Charlene Fedorov, and Pete Rossi, written for policymakers with chapters on money, social justice, national security, and job creation. - Gary emphasized that conferences are networking opportunities, not passive speaker-watching events; most business deals and career breakthroughs happen in hallways, parties, and dinners where speakers and attendees mingle. - Upcoming projects include a college tour bringing Bitcoin education to universities (January–February 2024 launch), plus existing ventures: SatsCardShop.com (wholesale Sats Cards), Azteco voucher sales, and a weekly Bitcoin Boomer TV show. - Gary's philosophy centers on personal responsibility, taking calculated risks, embracing failure as growth, and building generational wealth through Bitcoin rather than trusting government institutions.
Gary Leland: The Bitcoin Boomer on How to be a Closer
- Gary Leland's entrepreneurial journey from small-town South Carolina to serial business success in Texas, including ventures in mini blinds, wallpaper, e-commerce, and sporting goods. - Early adoption of Bitcoin around $3,500 in August 2017 after years of skepticism, followed by a complete understanding and maximalist conviction between 2018 and 2019. - The mechanics and importance of sales closing techniques learned during high-pressure storm window sales, which he applied across all his businesses. - Bitcoin's parallels to religion in terms of personal conviction and missionary zeal to share the message, comparing it to his friend's Jehovah's Witness evangelism. - Long-term Bitcoin outlook focused on nation-state adoption, potential government confiscation tactics (via exchanges and propaganda), and the role of scarcity in driving value over decades. - The Silk Road case and Ross Ulbricht, including his production of the *Railroaded* podcast and views on prosecutorial overreach for nonviolent crimes.