This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Cameron Brown. Cameron is an award-winning composer, international speaker, and founder of Thriving Collective a world-wide movement dedicated to helping people reach their true potential. Cameron has been featured everything from TEDx to ABC and Millennial Magazine. He was born in the outback of Australia and started playing piano at a young age. His story has a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns which he will share with you today.

In 2016, he sold or donated 99% of the things he owned and embarked on a global initiative called the “Impact diaries” to inspire people to make a greater positive impact in the world. And just this year, he official partnered with National Geographic as a National Geographic Explorer.

Cameron has a developed a very compelling and unique way of speaking and teaching through what he calls Multi-Sensory talks where he speaks to audience while mixing in playing piano and a complete video experience embedded in.

Cameron credits all of his success to the incredible impact that curiosity can have on your life and we break that down with him in this episode.

www.ThrivingCollective.com

@AskCameronBrown on social

Cameron says he’s had a number of big defining moments in his life. One of them was in mid-2010 when they heard screaming from his neighbor that her son had just killed himself. He and another went running through the house and found the deceased. Cameron remembers most taking care of the siblings and pretending like nothing was going on, playing with them to keep them occupied, but to then see the father come home with a look of helplessness and the rest of the family. Cameron took away some very important truths from the experience. First, not one should ever have to go through that type of experience. Second, that there are others ways out and that there had to be a way to help people that are going through these tough times.

With a couple months, Cameron had enrolled in his first coaching course on personal development to help people. He learned a lot about himself and started to help people have breakthroughs. This grew and allowed him to start working with businesses to help them overcome their biggest challenges around the country.

Cameron’s work and other experiences lead him to ask 2 really important questions:

1. What do I really want to experience out of this life?
2. Am I really living?

The answer to the 2nd question was “no.” He made significant changes to his business to allow him to live more fully and begin to enjoy all aspects of life instead of just being focused on work.

He traveled and had had adventures, tried new things, met new people…and this really made him realize that life really is about experiences and he decided to find a way to blend helping others and companies with doing through a great experience.

What is the most important thing you have learned on your journey to this point?

• Earlier on, it would have been about taking responsibility for your life.
• Today, curiosity is the most valuable thing to nurture because it takes you into the unknown and helps to grow as a person.

Pay attention at the 9 min mark as Cameron talks about the benefits of curiosity in our lives and how it serves as the gateway to creativity and innovation.

At the 13 min mark, Cameron answers the question” How did the music side come to be in your life and how does it work with what you do?”

• Cameron’s favorite question to ask is “If it all ended today, what would the one thing you would regret not doing?”
• For Cameron, this was having a grand piano on stage while giving a talk. He set out to do it and visualized it daily. 3 months later, it was reality.
• Music often gets around the conscious mind to the subconscious and opens us in different ways.

Talk to us about the process of manifestation – how does someone go from visualization to get the real result?

• First, you must believe it is possible to achieve what you desire.
• One you believe, you can visualize.
• Then practice G.O.Y.A. Get off your ass! Take the inspired action.
• Be relentless in your pursuit.
• At the end of the day, it is about your being in alignment with who you want to become.

What did growing up in the outback of Australia teach you about how to succeed in life and business?

• The power and potential that technology has to allow to achieve things we would not necessarily be able to achieve. Because of growing up in a rural environment. Cameron took his singing lessons by phone because there wasn’t a singing teach in town.
• The value of time by yourself. As entrepreneurs, things can get lonely. Learning to be ok by yourself is a great skill to learn.
• The power of the mind to drive creativity.

What should people know about maximizing technology in their lives?

• We are already hybrid beings. Things may not be in us, but our phones, tablets computers, etc. are extensions of us.
• We have an operating system and it is either performing at its best or not. Our lives are the same and we must upgrade as technology allows us.
• You can choose how you can use or not use technology to upgrade your operating system.
• Things that hold us back are the scrolling through the social media feed or surfing the net or responding to every notification that comes up on our phone.
• To maximize your life, first audit and look at what areas you have that you don’t feel like you are in control.
• Can you use technology to close the gaps? Can you schedule “sprints” of uninterrupted work? Look at how you can create space in your life to make sure the technology does not run you.

Other advice?

• We have to prioritize ourselves and not the external world dictate who we are or what we do.
• If you don’t fill your calendar, someone or something else will.
• Treat yourself as your very best client. You wouldn’t cancel time you have with them.
• The first thing that goes when we get busy is our time for ourselves.

What are the 3 Impacts?

1. We make an impact on our lives
2. We make an impact on others’ lives
3. We make an impact on the planet

The big insight is that you can be succeeding in your business and taking care of others, but if that is out of alignment with taking care of your environment – then what you are doing in the other 2 areas, you can still have a negative impact.

• Doing even the smallest things can have an impact.

Tell us about curiosity and being comfortable with being uncomfortable…

• Curiosity is one of the most valuable and least used skills we practice
• The quality of your life will be in direct correlation with the amount of uncertainty you can handle
• Outside of your comfort zone is the unknown, a sometimes scary, but untapped unknown with endless possibility. Curiosity can bridge the gap between these two areas.
• Audit your believe systems to see which ones give you more level of certainty in your life vs. keep you from doing what you could do.
• Curiosity allows you to dream up what you could do. Ask yourself, “What could I do?”

Listen at the 44 min mark as Cameron really dives deep on curiosity and curious language and tonality…

What is Meercat Syndrome and why should people understand it?

• It’s the same as shiny object syndrome
• You get to into all the things you can vs. picking a few and focusing intently on them
• This is how curiosity can get you stuck, so you have to beware seeking too many opportunities and not focusing and acting on a few.

Best Quote: “Become comfortable with being uncomfortable.” 

Cameron's Misfit 3:

1. Responsibility. You must take responsibility because those who take responsibility get to create the change. Those who blame stay with the pain.
2. Courage. Develop the courage to go for what you believe in – even in the face of fear. You have to become and make peace with the worst case scenario - nothing can hold you back.
3. Curiosity. Learn to nurture your curiosity as a skill. It is the bridge between where you are now and infinite possibilities.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Heini Zachariassen. Heini is the creator and founder of the widely popular app, Vivino, which provides users with any wine's rating, review and average price. It is also the world’s largest wine community, claiming more than 31 million users.

Vivino’s been featured, well, just about everywhere and in every publication from Entrepreneur to Forbes to INC and on and on.

The interesting thing is that Heini started Vivino with no experience at all in the wine business. He has a varied background in software development and mobile innovation and as an entrepreneur, had had success in a few other ventures, but as he says he was a total outsider.

And that is one of the major topics I want to discuss with him today – how being an outsider can actually be the best thing for your business and success.

www.Vivino.vom

Heini was born in the Farrow Islands in the North Atlantic. Basically in the middle of nowhere. He grew up there and moved to Denmark when it was time for college. Heini says that he was always entrepreneurial, and his father was a “super-nerd,” so the whole family was into technology.

When he left college, he wanted to start a business. He found success after a few small enterprises with a software security company. The company did well and still exists, but he wanted to create something more fun. So, about 10 years ago, he noticed that there was no way to judge wine. There was no rating, no information, etc. He started building something really for himself and the idea was to create a web-database for wine.

One thing Heini notes is timing. They hit it right on for timing with smart phones coming online and giving people the ability to take a picture of a label and get instant info and a rating. A few years earlier and that would not have been possible, so timing was huge in the success of Vivino.

Talk to us about how being an outsider can help you in succeeding as a business…

• Heini was definitely an outsider.
• The priority was building the solution for the average wine drinker.
• He found that when he talked to people in the industry, they thought alike and were kind of a “herd mentality.”
• He found that what made the product win was creating a product more for the masses and not the connoisseurs.

Talk about launching the product…

• When they launched, there were 600 other wine apps, but more geared to the wine expert.
• Most people are more casual around wine.
• They wanted something that was easy, could help them quickly, and know they are getting a good deal.
• They wanted to find a way to empower people in their ability to choose

Over 30 million users, what can you teach us about how to grow and build an online community?

• There are no silver bullets.
• The Vivino group has been extremely product focused.
• Early on, they released the product quickly, but then really listened to the feedback and actioned it.
• The continuously improved for 2 years.
• Make sure to have your priorities right. Your only priority is getting people to absolutely love your product.
• You must know your core user. You can’t please everyone. So, focus on the core and make them raving fans.
• Keep things simple for people to use and engage your product. You can always add to it, so don’t give too much to start.

What ways did you market and gain visibility as you began to grow?

• One thing that has helped was building the app around something that people are sociable and enjoy – win. It makes it relatable.
• Be careful with spending too much time promoting the product early in the beginning. Pour that energy into the product. Your users will be your best marketers

Are there any mediums that you promote through that work better than others?

• Be humble. Targeting smaller blogs with loyal followers was very helpful for them.
• This works well when you are in niche and can be a big fish in a small pond.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about growing and scaling a business?

• Things change a lot.
• Your role as a founder changes a lot.
• See it as a layer cake
  • When you start out, you do everything
  • Then you begin to take slices out and give them to others to take one
  • Slowly you get to where you are focused on what you are best for in the business
• You will have to hand duties off.

Talk about replacing yourself in the business….

• First you start as a manager as the company grows
• Then you become a leader of leaders
• At some point, you will grow to a point where someone out there will be a better CEO for the future growth of the company.
• You must be willing to let go.

At the 24 min mark, Heini talks about what he looked for when he wanted to replace himself and find a CEO to take the company into the future.

What have you learned from raising capital?

• If you have a free, community-based product, it is very hard to succeed without raising funding vs. a product you may sell business to business.
• Raising money is hard, but the hardest part is building something that millions of people can use.
• There is plenty of money out there, but you must build something that can have a huge footprint and has a path to profitability
• Investors don’t invest in ideas – they care about what you’ve built.
• Many times, your first round will come from your network and people you know.
• Check out Heini’s YouTube channel Raw Startup to hear him talk more about this topic.

Do you have any critical habits that you practice and contribute to your success?

• Sleep and a good rest routine is important.
• Commuting to work on a bike giving exercise, but also shutting out the noise and allows you to think and come up with ideas.

Other advice?

• A lot of successful entrepreneurs that do well have a little bit of insecurity about how they are performing which spurs them to keep over-performing and making sure they are winning. Don’t rest on your achievements.
• Always believe in your luck.

Best Quote: "Always believe in your luck."

Heini's Misfit 3:

1. Always build something. When we are building something in our lives – a business, a garden, a relationship, we find purpose and meaning.
2. Think big, but start small. Little steps lead to the big picture.
3. There are no naysayers unless you choose to hear them and believe them.