Michael Walker: Yeah. Hmm. But you didn't see that coming, Yanik? I did not see it. So I call it my—literally the only thing I use it for. Just—don’t make me get out the—

Yanik Silver: Puppet this early.

Michael: It is a nice—it's like a little cup of coffee. Yanik, I'm really grateful to have you here on the podcast today. Thank you for taking the time to be here. And just a quick introduction. So, Yanik—we met at a mastermind group that I'm part of with Jeff Walker. And it became pretty clear—you were a guest at the mastermind, and there were some conversations I was having earlier and people were bringing up Yanik. It became clear that there's this mutual respect everyone had for Yanik in the group as an OG in this digital marketing and business space. And when he presented at the mastermind, it became clear why. And I mean, just for a quick introduction: Yanik, you're the founder of Maverick1000, which is a private network of visionary leaders, including Richard Branson, Tony Hawk, and Tim Ferriss. He's an author—

Yanik: Well, they've been participating—people in there, not necessarily members.

Michael: Okay, cool. So participating members include—or folks who've been involved with it are—Richard Branson, Tony Hawk, Tim Ferriss. He's the author of Evolved Enterprise and Cosmic Journal, which helps guide entrepreneurs to align their profit with purpose and intuition. And he's also a pioneer of conscious business—he helps blend direct response marketing with intention and community and doing it in a way that creates a wider impact. So when we connected, you also shared the art that you had been working on, and I just thought it was really cool how you had created this space for creative expression with art-meets-business. And so that was really the context for the conversation today. I thought it would be great to connect and share a little bit about your journey and experience and advice for artists who are still getting in touch with who they are and sharing their art in a bigger way.

Yanik: I appreciate that. Thanks, Michael. Yeah, I really appreciated meeting you. I thought you were one of the real bright spots in the group. I mean, the entire group is amazing, and Jeff and I have known each other for—I don't know how long—20-some years. So it was really awesome to be able to be there in Durango. You know, I was thinking about this interview this morning and what I wanted to be as a kid: I wanted to be a professional hockey player and then a cartoonist in the off season. That was my original goal as a kid, and I did not make the NHL. And then when I went into the business world, most of my art had already fallen away by that point. So many of us, when we're young, have that talent and then we put it away for more practical, pragmatic reasons or whatever the case is—there are a million reasons. And then recently, last couple years, I've gone back to it, and it's been an amazing journey and really fun because it opens up a whole other expression of who I am.

Michael: A hundred percent. I hear that a lot from artists we work with or in the community whose music has been a lifelong passion—something they've done—but now they're coming into sharing it with people and more intentionally wanting to create a career or a business. So to start, I'd love to hear a bit more about your journey and your story because I know you've accomplished some remarkable things in business, and I’d love to hear how that journey went for you—specifically with art, reconnecting with that, and how that weaves into it.

Yanik: Yeah, well, the art part—so my parents had seen some of my art talent and thought they were fostering it. They put me into a fine arts program as a young kid, and I hated it—drawing still lifes and all sorts of things. I wanted to draw cartoons. So I dropped out of this fine arts program and, really, when I think about it, I’d doodle here and there, but not much. Then I started coming back. The business side: I grew up in an immigrant family, came over from Russia when I was three years old. My dad built a medical equipment sales and service company. At 14 I was telemarketing; at 16 the only way I got a car was to go cold-call doctors. I got a really early education in marketing and sales and realized cold calling kind of sucked. A client of mine gave me this Jay Abraham tape about direct response marketing—how to write ads that get people to raise their hands and either give you money or be interested. I was fascinated. I’d spend hours at night reading, learning about psychology, copywriting—could you write words on paper or an ad and have an action? It helped grow my dad's business from a regional player to a national player. He’d look at these long ads and say, “Nobody's going to read all this.” I'd say, “Okay, let's try it,” and we'd get big results.

Then the internet came along—this was 2000—and I felt there was something there. I created something called Instant Sales Letters. I believe your questions create your answers, so one of my questions was: How do I create a fully automatic website that makes me money while I sleep and is an incredible value for people? Literally, I woke up at three o'clock in the morning with this idea for Instant Sales Letters—fill-in-the-blank sales letter templates. Some were templates I created for my dad's business; some from consulting work. That turned into, in a couple months, a six-figure business and then my first million-dollar product. Then people asked, “How did you do that? Could you teach me?” I kept following that path of what people wanted me to teach them—how to take their knowledge and share it online. That did really well. Then about 18 years ago I asked a very simple question: Am I happy? Would I be happy doing what I'm doing 10 years from now? When I was honest in my journal, the answer was no. That led me into an exploration with Maverick and this idea of combining growth, impact, and fun for entrepreneurs. It’s been a really interesting journey from there.

Michael: Cool. Super inspiring—especially those pivot points where you realized you were living a life of success by certain metrics, but it wasn’t fulfilling. That process of reconnecting with that—I'd love to hear more about that part. For someone listening who resonates—maybe working a job they don’t enjoy that pays the bills and they have a dream to focus on their art—what was that moment for you where it flipped? How would you guide someone at a crossroads wondering if what they’re doing now is the right thing?

Yanik: I call these “cosmic alarm clock” moments. There's a whisper—our intuitive voice, higher self—whatever you want to call it. It starts as a quiet voice: “Am I happy? Would I be happy doing what I'm doing 10 years from now?” It would be easy to say, “Yeah, this is fine,” because outside looking in, everything looked great: hot sports car, making a lot of money, helping a lot of people. I don't want to discount that—I’d be at an event, not even speaking, and someone would say, “Yanik, you changed my life. I sell guitar lessons online now and I’m financially independent because of you.” That was heartwarming. But I didn't feel like this was my highest expression of who I am. In some ways it's harder when things are going well. If you’re in a job you don’t like, it can be easier—you have your creative pursuit as your real joy. Everyone has their way to step into it fully. When things are going really well, it can be harder to ask: What does my soul really want? That requires exploration into who you are—what makes you happy. Our fullest expression is what makes us happy at a soul level, and typically that expression is creative. We are creators. I'm happy when I'm creating. The more you do that, the more happiness comes as a byproduct when you're not chasing it.

A couple books I love: The Great Work of Your Life by Steven Cope. I came into it synchronistically. My wife is definitely afraid of bugs. I was playing men's league hockey—10 p.m.—and she texts: “There's a bug in the hallway.” A book was over top of it. It was The Great Work of Your Life. I remembered ordering it, never read it. Got rid of the bug, read the book—now I've read it eight or nine times. It looks at the Bhagavad Gita and different people's lives—Nelson Mandela, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman—how following true dharma ignites everything, and also “regular” people. One aspect: you can't be attached to the fruit of your labor—only your labor. When you put your full heart and soul into something, that's the true gift—your true work—and you can't be attached to results. As entrepreneurs, we’re attached to numbers, accolades. But when it’s simply: What is my truest work?—that’s the real gift to the world and yourself. That’s where the magic happens.

Michael: Mm.

Yanik: So it is called The Great Work of Your Life by Steven Cope. At these crossroad moments, it’s easy to let the head—pragmatic, logical—be loud: “We can't do this.” But the heart is where the artist connects, and the higher purpose too. You really do have to connect all of it. I love what you're doing—helping artists connect that part: it has to be all of it.

Michael: So good. I appreciate you sharing that. The head, the heart, and the higher purpose—there are times you might be successful from a business standpoint, but if you're not connected with higher purpose or heart, there's misalignment—dissonance that wants to be resolved. As it relates to listening to that quieter voice—the universe speaking through you—if someone is struggling in a moment where the head is very loud and they don't have a practice to get in touch with that quieter voice, what would your advice be to build touchpoints with it?

Yanik: For me, a lot of it is journaling. It’s a foundational practice. Many have tried journaling or stopped; there's no right or wrong way. It’s a beautiful process of getting what's in our head onto paper, creating a beginning, middle, and end on that page. It’s great for processing. I do other things in my journal I think are unique: using my non-dominant hand. You get so much insight using your non-dominant hand. I'm right-handed; I’ll ask my 111-year-old self, then use my left hand to answer as my 111-year-old self. It's better if you can get quiet—reflection or meditation—and connect to that 111-year-old self who’s seen everything and is coming from a wise overview. Ask him. When things felt sideways with Maverick—the first time ever after building seven or eight seven-figure products/services—I asked my 111-year-old self, and the answer was: “Light a thousand suns. Each has the potential to light another thousand suns.” That became my North Star for the last 13 years.

Also, I created the Cosmic Journal. It works like an oracle—a guide. If you have something in your life, connect and ask: What do I need to know? When you ask, messages come from the universe in different ways. Sometimes we overthink them, but you'll feel the difference. Part of this is calibrating. Should we pick a page, Michael?

Michael: Yeah, let's do it.

Yanik: All right. We can pick a number or flip to a random page. Tell me when to stop—77. “Your words create worlds.” You can learn so much about someone by their words and language. What we say or think determines what we believe is possible or impossible. Phrases like “I can't” or “I'll try” indicate they've given up before starting. Stop yourself and slow down to examine what you're telling yourself. Your words invoke what's real. Take apart your next excuse and observe what you're saying. Is it true? Why are you repeating it? Where did it come from? What empowering words could you use instead? Words are alive with real power. Ensure you're using magic words to open up more worlds.

Michael: Hmm.

Yanik: That feels potent right now. If you're exploring—what do we tell ourselves? It becomes true. “I can't pursue my art because…” I fall to this too—I want to do even more of my art. So: okay, why not? Then excuses pop up. We think if someone has done really well, they don't have excuses, but everyone has something. Examine those words.

Michael: Awesome. A few synchronicities from that page. The difference between asking “Can I?” versus “How can I?”—one-word difference that shifts what opens up.

Yanik: When asking questions, I love journaling—put that empowering question at the top of the page. Let your dominant hand answer—keep answering. The first one or two answers will be the same thoughts. Then you'll get deeper. Then use your left hand—see what happens. You'll be like, “Oh, okay—something pops up by going beyond the typical two or three answers.”

Michael: Really interesting. That's the first I've heard about flipping and journaling with your other hand, but it makes sense. It reminds me of a brain study with split hemispheres—different sides think independently and justify actions. The takeaway: different hemispheres have independent processes that create the illusion of one solid self. Using a different hand activates a different part of your brain.

Yanik: It does—and brings the two halves together. You're tapping into wisdom you're not getting. I've used it to “talk to” the universe or my mom, who's passed away nearly 20 years. You can connect to any parts. Don’t overthink—allow yourself to write. You'll ask, “How do I make an ‘e’ again?” Just allow. I guarantee something powerful comes out. I’ve done this with high-powered entrepreneurs. One friend had seen me do it—he finally tried it: “It worked again. I got the answer I needed.”

Michael: Cool. It reminds me of the conversation with your 111-year-old self—getting perspective, separating from our normal identities, connecting with deeper wisdom—helpful exercise.

Yanik: Yeah, I just did it the other day in the sauna—asked for insight and got a great note my “normal” self wouldn't have given me. To me, these are experiments—see what happens, play with them, allow time to decide if you want to add it to your life. I do a lot of experiments—meditating, journaling, alcohol/no sugar—whatever it is. Play with it, but not too many at once. Even your art: look at it as an experiment. So many times we want the full A-to-Z pathway instead of being prolific instead of perfect—constantly creating, even a little bit every day. The last couple years this has stuck with me. I continue this process—every day is a new page. An illustration and something that comes through—after meditating or whatever comes through. Just one creative act per day. That’s where one of my favorite things was born. I had one book a few years ago—maybe eight years—that was the first crack into exploring the arts. It was a business book: Evolved Enterprise—how to create more impact in your business—for entrepreneurs—part of my journey. I was on deadline; last day I thought, “There's something missing.” Suddenly: “I want to include my doodles.” Instant energy surge—you know you're onto something when that energy flows. I stayed up until four or five in the morning drawing a bunch of things. That was it—fun and amazing—my first inching into publicly showing some art.

Michael: Cool. That's awesome. With the Cosmic Journal, the handwritten heart behind the doodles and drawings felt very real and authentic. It makes sense that it came from inspiration—from reconnecting with that quiet voice that then surged through you.

Yanik: The Cosmic Journal is an example of that daily practice. I saw a 100-Day Art Challenge—every day for 100 days you create a piece of art. That felt like a lot—I travel—but I thought, who knows, there’ll be an amazing byproduct. My journal justified it: I'm going to do it. I made it 108 days—I had a little Moleskine and made 108 checkboxes. In the wisdom traditions, 108 is potent. Every day, no matter what—could be three in the morning—I’d draw something. No rhyme or reason; I wasn’t intending to publish. It was just for me—creating art for yourself reduced pressure. After day 50–60, I thought, “This is like an oracle.” I'd pop it open: what do I need to know? I showed it to a few people. When done, I carried it around: “Take a breath and open a page.” Multiple people said, “This is incredible.” One friend said, “I want to be the publisher.” He paid to publish it. This purple version—888 of them. He paid around $11,000 to publish—made it real, gave direction. I scanned every page—two-inch squares—laid them on my kitchen island to find an arc, created left-hand pages so people could use it as a journal. It was the most in-flow, magical project. Then I got a meeting with Hay House—Jeff Walker helped set it up. Reid from Hay House said, “I've never seen anything like this.” That’s where the Cosmic Journal came from at Hay House, and a set of oracle cards—part of the contract. A magical journey—doing art for yourself with the constraint of a daily piece.

Michael: So cool. One through-line in this conversation is creativity for the sake of creativity—being connected without being attached to the outcome. Even the story you shared—you didn't set out to get it published, but it came together into a published book. I'm curious about your advice—I'm an entrepreneur with goals, KPIs, metrics—setting targets—but I also recently had a breakthrough where I realized I was working every day, not prioritizing health; my family relationship was starting to suffer. I attended an ayahuasca ceremony that broke through a bunch of that—realized I was out of alignment with my core values. Powerful and needed. But I also live in a world with goals and ambitions. How do you integrate goal setting and visualization—like my family just created a vision board—with respecting the present moment and not being overly attached in a way that constricts it?

Yanik: Great question—it's a constant inquiry. As I've matured, my goal setting has changed. Originally I learned traditional goal setting: “I want this by this date.” Then I learned to allow the universe more say: “I want this by this date or sooner,” “this or more,” etc.—more flexibility. Recently it's been more about intention. That intention becomes the North Star—guiding force—how do I want to feel? I remember a journal entry at 38 about my 40th birthday: by 40 I want this amount of money in the bank; I want to hang out with a local sports team owner; I wanted a Fisker Karma. I turned 40 and read it to my wife. She asked if I was upset it didn't happen—pretty much nothing on the page happened. I thought about it and said, “No.” The money represented freedom to do what I wanted with people I want and projects I want. Hanging out with a celebrity owner represented doing cool things with amazing people. I couldn't predict it, but I got invited by Richard Branson to a safari right after my birthday; on my birthday I was at the Virgin Galactic factory seeing the rollout of the spaceship. And the Fisker Karma ended up a lemon—so it worked out better.

Now I have this from my journal on my desk: “Trust the universe—it has even more in store for you than you can imagine.” Sure, we can have goals, but allowing the bigger unfolding of magic is something I've grown to appreciate. We can't get so far into “It will just show up,” though sometimes it does. We try to control our way to what we want, but it's probably not going to show up the way we believe. This next evolution relies more on tapping into feelings and inner guidance—allowing synchronicities, people, and things we couldn't have predicted.

Michael: That's a great answer. The quote that came up: “Man plans and God laughs.”

Yanik: Yeah, something like that.

Michael: Personally helpful as I balance setting goals and showing up with trust in the process. To take things in a slightly different route—connected to our conversation—you mentioned this period of time we’re in: humanity—special time in history—Ray Kurzweil’s “singularity” approaching. We have AI—super-intelligent machines—able to create faster than ever, but also in some ways we feel disconnected from our essence. What's your perspective on where things are at for humanity with superintelligence—and how can we embrace emerging technologies while staying true to who we are and connected with deeper purpose?

Yanik: It's a fascinating time. I've studied different cultures and prophecies. There's a big 26,000-year cycle—science calls it precession—the wobble of the earth; many cultures see it as big eras—different suns or yugas. People know “golden age,” “silver,” “bronze,” “iron.” Most think of history linearly; many cultures view time as cyclical—especially the Mayans. I celebrated in 2012 in a Mayan village—came out of a temazcal (a Mayan sweat lodge) at midnight on the winter solstice. When I think about this moment, it's easy—like head, heart, higher purpose—to let technology guide us. But there's so much technology within our human body we haven't activated. You mentioned ayahuasca. There's amazing indigenous wisdom—I love having elders and wisdom keepers I turn to. One tells me: during times of transition, sing your songs, dance your dances, pray your prayers, and be in ceremony. Music is a huge part of that. As a kid, I wasn't really into music; then in ceremony I’ve felt music in a deeper way. If you're putting out music, you're part of this unique time for an evolutionary shift—or art—catalyzing it. “Lighting suns who can light other suns” is my full mission. Don't get enamored only with technology—“Let tech do everything.” It's easy to get sucked in and not tap into what's ours to do as humans: creativity, community, connection, ceremony—the things that make us human. Double down on that. Yes to technology, and honor and elevate our humanness. The artistry is a big part.

Michael: A hundred percent. What I'm hearing: technology is amazing and exciting, but it's easy for the head to get excited and lose touch with heart and purpose. Staying grounded through this time is especially important. I'd love you to talk about this next evolution humanity is going through—maybe a renaissance of the soul—spiritual movement—awakening—enlightenment—waking up from our egos. What's the role of art and musicians—specifically as it relates to lighting up a thousand suns—expressing higher self or higher truth?

Yanik: Thanks for bringing me back to cyclical cycles. If we have golden, silver, bronze, iron—we're in the ascending age. You can feel it: conversations about meditation, consciousness, ceremony—ten or fifteen years ago they weren’t common in entrepreneur circles; now they are. There are awakenings across categories. “A thousand suns lighting a thousand suns” is a metaphor—but not. You yourself have to be lit up fully as a sun. Then you plant seeds—art, music, education, training—even a kind word to an Uber driver. These are seeds planted from you being fully lit; then you light other suns: gathering communities, transformative work, empowering and multiplying leaders and creators. Then come blooms—joint projects, opportunities, ways of playing together. It’s a new way of being—seeds, suns, blooms—a fractal. The role of artists and creatives and musicians is huge. Look at the history of music—messages embedded to awaken or get people thinking differently. I took my daughter to Taylor Swift; 70,000 people—music brings people together and entrains them. If there's higher consciousness in what we deliver, it gets exciting—not just commercially viable, but designed to activate someone into their fullness. Again: suns lighting suns. I love art as Trojan horses for higher consciousness, connection, creativity—sneaking in under the radar. If we have time, I want to share about identity—we talked about it before starting—the identity of being an artist and how important that is.

Michael: Absolutely. I resonate with what you shared—even the premise of a sun lighting a thousand other suns.

Yanik: You're doing it—this is what you're doing.

Michael: We're doing it together, aren't we? This conversation—

Yanik: It's not “my” thing—it's come to me multiple times. One buddy in the Amazon jungle said, “I want to light suns; I thought that was the Yanik thing.” I'm like, “No—different words, but same energy: lighting someone up fully as their fullest expression.” It has to come from you first. It’s evolutionary—not one and done.

Michael: There's power in the concept of light and dark—it comes up in every world religion. As I've been getting back into my morning ritual—going for a run—sometimes I imagine my body filled with light, radiating light. It makes a noticeable impact on how I'm showing up. I'm more friendly—saying hi. There's something to lighting up each other—it comes from you.

Yanik: It’s you first—then overflow and radiance in multiple dimensions. It's beautiful.

Michael: Speaking of lighting things up, you mentioned identity work—diving deeper into that.

Yanik: I wanted to hit on that before we wrap. I identified as an entrepreneur. I can track my shifts by immigration forms—where you write occupation. A couple years ago I changed it to “artist.” I am an artist. There have been two or three times an immigration officer asked, “What kind of art do you do?” It stopped me for a second. “No, I am an artist.” I'd show them one of my drawings: “Okay.” That identity— for a while I didn't feel like a “true” artist because I wasn't paid, even though I published books and the journal. I was talking to a friend—he asked what I was excited by. Instead of a business thing, I said my art—doing more of it. I showed him a neon artwork of one of my drawings. He said, “I want to be one of your first collectors for the office.” I said, “Okay.” He said, “It's going to be less than $10,000, right?” I said, “Yeah.” Him buying it activated something—removing some shame—made it real.

There's something powerful there. I wrote about it: What shame story are you ready to burn? We have shame stories we can get rid of. My shame story was “My art is just a side project.” I told myself that. Then I said, “No—this is real—my next evolution.” Whatever story you're telling yourself—goes back to “Your words create your world”—see what story is ready to evolve or be burned away.

Michael: Awesome. Thank you for sharing that. We’ll include a link in the show notes so people can dig in. It seems like you can let go of the shame story and let it burn—alchemy—turning poison into medicine.

Yanik: Yeah. It takes exploration to see what that story is that isn't true and burn it away now.

Michael: Yanik, I really appreciate you taking the time to be here. This has been a lot of fun—explored areas I don’t often talk about. Hopefully folks watching feel inspired to reconnect with their art and share it—to enjoy art for art's sake without getting lost in what it “needs” to be or the outcome. I know you’ve got some very cool things you’re working on—your art and sharing that. What would you recommend for folks who want to connect more—artists who want to see what you're up to? You’ve got your Cosmic Journal and your—maybe share what you’re most excited about right now for someone interested in connecting more.

Yanik: Cosmic Journal is at hayhouse.com or amazon.com, or the Cosmic Journey Oracle cards. These have been really fun to create. I pulled one for us that felt appropriate: “Deliver your greatest gift to the world,” which is definitely anyone listening—you have a great gift and the world is waiting for it. Also, I’ve been doing a daily—I don't know—my friend says I can’t call it a doodle anymore, but it is kind of a doodle. It's a daily sun spark—thousandsunsparks.com—and I do a daily illustration that goes out to people.

Michael: Thousand Sun Sparks—that’s a way cooler name. The words—you know, a wise person once told me, Yanik, the words you use matter.

Yanik: They do matter. Words definitely create your world. As a copywriter, one word change makes a huge difference. Words have energy—in our songs, lyrics—powerful.

Michael: The specific words—the symbols—they’re connected to the roots of the intention behind the word. Good stuff. Yanik, thank you again so much for being here. We'll put all the links in the show notes for easy access, and looking forward to being one of the lights continuing to spread this message of reconnecting with your source and who you are and sharing it with more people.

Yanik: You're already doing it. Thanks, Michael.

Michael: Yeah.