The Futur Podcast with Chris Do

Episode 407: Stop Waiting for Permission to Succeed w/ Drigo Tasca
Date: December 20, 2025

Overview

This episode is a candid, introspective conversation between Chris Do (CEO of The Futur) and longtime collaborator Drigo Tasca. The focus: what's really holding creators and entrepreneurs back from success—and the mindset, habits, and self-limiting stories that can keep people stuck. Drawing on their personal and working relationship, Chris coaches Drigo through the obstacles preventing him from stepping into his next level, advocating for proactivity, self-awareness, and the critical importance of "giving yourself permission to succeed."

Key Discussion Points

1. The Self-Imposed Barriers to Creative Success

• Low Definitions of Success and Wrong Circles
  • Chris observes that as an immigrant, Drigo (like many) has limited his definition of success, having always been "the tip of the spear" among his friends, yet not surrounding himself with those who are truly ahead.
  • Quote:
    “You are at the tip of the spear and that's always a sign you’re in the wrong circles of people.” — Chris (02:00)
• Gratitude as Both Asset and Anchor
  • Gratitude keeps Drigo grounded, but can also act as an anchor, preventing forward motion and greater ambition.
  • Quote:
    “We need a compass and the anchor keeps us grounded, but it doesn't allow us to find direction.” — Chris (03:10)
• Describing Yourself by Outcomes, Not Actions
  • Chris urges Drigo to stop introducing himself by “what” he does (e.g., video production), and instead by the outcomes he creates for clients.
  • Practical Shift:
    “I help thought leaders achieve a certain reach or impact... Video production is what you do, but it's not what you sell.” — Chris (03:55)

2. The Power—and Pain—of Letting Go

• Attachment to Old Paradigms
  • Fundamental challenge: Drigo’s slow adaptation until he sees tangible proof.
  • Example: His delayed move to L.A., only triggered by life events.
  • Quote:
    “You're fairly slow to adapt to things you cannot see... The whole point of the word vision is to see what no one can see. That requires faith, it requires imagination.” — Chris (05:26)
• Mindset: It's Not the Money, It's the Perspective
  • Chris illustrates with stories of convincing Drigo to buy designer clothing, showing how internalized scarcity narratives restrict growth.
  • “The story you tell yourself is, ‘I can’t afford this.’ … The gap in which I suggest you do something, it’s closing...”

3. Extracting the Lesson: How Chris Sees So Clearly

• Vision Comes From Repetition and Intentional Practice
  • Story from Drigo: Chris’s ability to instantly clarify his message and ideas.
  • Quote:
    “For me, it’s quite easy because if you work on stories and... [are] used to art directing... there’s just repetition.” — Chris (08:41)
• The Habit of High-Fidelity Observation
  • Chris deliberately catalogs what works and doesn’t in everything he experiences, from films to shoes, enhancing his “mental library” for creative decision-making.
  • Suppressing competing internal voices is essential for creative clarity.

4. Developing a Strong Core—The Marriage of Awareness and Skill

• Self-Awareness Through Inner Dialogue
  • Chris credits his introverted, isolated youth for developing rich self-talk and self-awareness.
  • Strong identity comes from both inner honesty and mastery of a skill (in his case, graphic design).
  • Quote:
    “It's very important for everyone to have a strong core.” — Chris (13:13)
• Learning Quickly: A Story About Fishing With His Son
  • Illustration of how real learning comes from honest feedback, rapid error correction, and dropping blame.

5. Crafting the Razor Edge: Building Observational Power

• Film Critique as Mind Training (16:40)
  • Chris tells the story of a college course where he learned to “watch twice”—once as a viewer, once as a critic—training himself to see narrative, technique, and meaning all at once.

6. Practical Advice: Training Perception Outside School

• Exercise:
  • Invent 8-9 focused questions to answer each time you watch a film: narrative arc, main characters, metaphors, art direction, etc. Repeat viewing with these in mind.
  • Absorb vocabulary and frameworks from film geeks and directors, e.g., Quentin Tarantino.
  • Quote:
    “Part of the learning process is discussion and dialogue and learning terminology you're not familiar with.” — Chris (21:23)

7. Growth Requires Becoming a Different Person

• Diagnosing the Struggle
  • Most entrepreneurs know what they need to do, but are stuck due to routine, fear, or stories about what's possible.
  • The catch: “You can’t make 10x more money being the same person… you have to be 10x the person you are today.” (30:40)
• Overcoming Resistance
  • Whether in shifting business focus (e.g., into social content), public speaking, or career pivots, underlying obstacles are always fear, attachment to routine, and lack of clarity or desire.

8. Self-Development: Outworking and Outlasting

• Relentless Improvement
  • Chris distinguishes himself from typical speakers: always adapting, refining, expanding topics and delivery.
  • “Many speakers only have one topic…What I try to do is teach people. My identity is an educator.” (32:36)
• Dedication to Craft
  • Key differentiators: constant learning, meticulous preparation (designing engaging slides), presence, and willingness to change.
  • Analogy to songwriting: “[Some] want to have one hit song… Very few have multiple hits—the Beatles, the Rolling Stones. That’s why they’re rare.” (33:50)

9. Maximizing Opportunity: Mentorship and the Power of Questions

• Missed Opportunities
  • Drigo has unprecedented access to mentorship, yet isn't capitalizing by asking real, specific questions—something Chris urges listeners to do.
• Attachment as Resistance
  • Attachment to the “old self” (or city, or routine) blocks evolution; detachment is required for major growth.

10. Action Over Permission—Creating Momentum

• Letting Go of the Need for External Validation
  • Chris argues that waiting for permission—from friends, parents, or society—to go after what you want is self-defeating.
  • Quote:
    “If I need permission, I give myself permission.” — Chris (56:05)
• On the Myth That Change Depends on ‘Right People’ or ‘Right Place’
  • While community can help, true transformation comes from a personal decision—not circumstance.
  • Quote:
    “You don’t need to be around any environment… If you told yourself it’s not hard, it’s not easy. It’s just a thing. Now, here’s something I do know about you…If you say it's hard, then it'll be really hard. If you say it's really easy, it'll be easy." — Chris (42:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mindset:
  “There is no loss as long as I play.” — Chris (47:29)

• On the Story We Tell Ourselves:
  “What happened to you is real. But at this point, it’s just a story. It’s a memory. All we have is right now. The decisions you make today will govern the future you have tomorrow.” — Chris (48:28)

• On Permission:
  “I have great disdain for people who need things from other people. Get yourself together. You can do this. Why are you waiting for that permission?” — Chris (55:24)

• On Adventure and Growth:
  “Adventure says, take caution, throw it to the wind… leap before you look. …When you're ready to die, your core memories will be built around high emotional moments. And they're almost always around the misadventures, the time things could have gone really wrong but went right.” — Chris (54:16)

• Episode Title Inspiration:
  “If I need permission, I give myself permission.” — Chris (56:05)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |-----------|---------------------------------------------| | 02:00 | Low definitions of success/circles | | 03:10 | Gratitude as an anchor | | 03:55 | Selling outcomes, not activities | | 05:26 | The problem of slow adaptation/vision | | 08:41 | How Chris achieves clear vision | | 13:13 | The importance of a strong core | | 16:40 | Film critique, training perception | | 21:23 | Learning outside school: observation method | | 30:40 | You must become a different person for 10x | | 32:36 | Public speaking: continuous improvement | | 42:36 | Letting go of needing the "right" context | | 47:29 | “There is no loss as long as I play.” | | 48:28 | On stories and action | | 54:16 | Adventure, memory, and core experiences | | 55:24 | On self-permission, disdain for waiting | | 56:05 | “If I need permission, I give it to myself.”|

Takeaways for Listeners

• Your circle and your self-concept are linked—expand both.
• Leveling up takes intentional discomfort and detachment from the “old you.”
• Outcomes, not skills, are your value proposition.
• Clarity comes from repetition, self-observation, and eliminating internal noise.
• Seek mentors, but maximize their value by asking informed, specific questions.
• Waiting for permission is a losing strategy; progress is a choice, not an external license.
• Growth—personal, creative, entrepreneurial—requires action, resilience, and belief that “there is no loss as long as I play.”

Episode tone is frank, motivational, and occasionally tough-love—a hallmark of Chris Do's coaching style. The consistent message: Stop waiting. Give yourself permission. Step forward and succeed.