Money, Cannabis, and the Real Cost of Chasing Success with David Kram

From Wall Street spreadsheets to cannabis smoke-filled rooms.

What does success really mean? Is it hitting your first million, chasing a billion, or waking up every day doing something you love?

In this episode, David Kram takes us inside the raw side of entrepreneurship — from being broke in San Francisco to building a business in the Hollywood Hills.

David shares how chasing wealth brought both freedom and noise, why believing your own bullshit can sometimes be the edge you need, and the harsh truth that money alone doesn’t buy happiness. 

He opens up about cannabis as a proving ground for resilience, the power of conviction, and why storytelling and people are the real currencies of entrepreneurship.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to make it and why most people get it wrong — this conversation will change the way you think about success.

Key Topics:

-Redefining success from money to meaning

-Believing your own story to create conviction

-The role of cannabis in shaping resilience and risk

-Storytelling and people as the real drivers of entrepreneurship

-The hard truth that success takes time and consistent work

Quote  From The Episode: 

"If I dream it, I can achieve it.

- David Kram

Timestamp:

[01:04] The Truth About Success, Wealth, and Why $500 Million Still Isn’t Enough

[09:42] From Broke in San Francisco to a Mansion in the Hills: The Brutal Plan That Changed Everything

[19:32] From Banking Spreadsheets to Cannabis Hustle: Why Conviction (and a Little Bullshit) Builds Empires

[29:01] Storytelling and Billion-Dollar Deals: The Real Playbook of Entrepreneurs

[35:58] The Valuation Mirage: How Entrepreneurs Fool Themselves (and Their Bankers)

[45:36] The Hidden Skill Every Great Founder Masters (and Why Money Alone Won’t Drive Your Team)

[53:53] The One Truth About Success Nobody Wants to Hear: It Takes Time

[1:06:58] Outro

Connect with - David Kram:

LinkedIn -  linkedin.com/in/davidkram

Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959

Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence