Podcast episode
Episode 370 – What @theschoolofhardknocks Creator Has Learned Interviewing Billionaires | James Dumoulin
Host Justin Forman sits down with James Dumoulin, co-founder of the School of Hard Knocks, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build something that lasts. With 21 million followers and a media empire generating over a million dollars a month in revenue, James shares the surprising pivot that changed everything — and why humility, not hustle, has been his greatest business asset.
EPISODE NOTES
James Dumoulin didn’t build 21 million followers by putting himself at the center — he did it by flipping the camera. As co-founder of the School of Hard Knocks, James and his team made one early pivot that changed everything: stop giving advice they hadn’t earned, and start extracting wisdom from those who had. The result? A media platform doing over a million dollars a month in revenue, global reach across multiple channels, and conversations with some of the most influential entrepreneurs on the planet.
In this episode, James joins Justin Forman to reflect on what he’s truly learning from the world’s most successful people — and why the most surprising thing he’s discovered is that billionaires still ask questions. He opens up about keeping God at the foundation of everything he’s building, the danger of a why-less pursuit of success, and what it looks like to stay grounded when things are moving fast.
Whether you’re just starting out or scaling something significant, this conversation is a masterclass in humility, lifelong learning, and building for legacy — not just revenue.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: What billionaires ask James in interviews
01:14 School of Hard Knocks intro clip with Tim Tebow
03:13 Justin Forman welcomes James: Where in the world is James?
03:34 Going global: Why international content changes everything
04:48 The pivot: From making content to interviewing legends
06:47 Inside the business: 21M followers, $1M+/month, 60–70 employees
07:27 Flipping the camera: The humility behind the pivot
09:02 Reading successful people: What James looks for in a crowd
11:18 FDE Foundation Groups ad
12:06 Democratizing learning: Keeping a student posture
14:00 The learning that stuck: Reverse mentorship and pattern recognition
15:13 Justin affirms James: Humility and enthusiasm in interviews
16:23 Wealth, emptiness, and the billionaires who got it right
19:50 Having a why: What keeps entrepreneurs from burning out
21:08 Staying grounded while building fast
23:35 Legacy vs. inheritance: Putting things in motion
24:21 Who’s on James’s dream interview list?
25:45 The tension of telling known and unknown stories
26:33 How to pray for James Dumoulin
27:45 Justin’s closing encouragement: Lift up builders in prayer
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