Hello Misfit Nation! Welcome to another edition of "Lessons for Hannah!" In November of 2016, we introduced a new format that we are putting alongside our regular episodes called “Lessons for Hannah.” Hannah is my daughter and one of the main inspirations for the Misfit Entrepreneur. I wanted to have a place where she could go and learn from her daddy and his Misfit friends throughout her life….even after I am gone. If you haven’t listened to the first episode of "Lessons for Hannah," I urge you to as it gives some more background and tells the amazing story of how Hannah came to be in our lives.

"Lessons for Hannah" are short, very useful, and sometimes comical lessons, that I have learned which I want to share with you and give to Hannah to help in your lives. Because I want Hannah to have these for her life, I’m going to speak as though I am talking directly to her. These episodes are a lot of fun and if you think there is a lesson that we should include in these episodes, please don’t hesitate to send it over to us at support@misfitentrepreneur.com. We’d love to share it.

Hannah Sweetie,

Incredible! It has been a year since I started these lessons for you. We have covered a number of topics, but still haven’t scratched the surface of all I want to share with you. And I know there is probably more I could say about the topics we’ve already discussed. My hope is that you find one thing that can help you in these lessons.

In today’s, I want to speak to you about the power of gratitude. In life, you will experience many wonderful things. You will also go through many twists and turns, ups and downs. You will meet all sorts of people and you will have a chance to make an impact on something or someone every day.

I want you to remember that one of the most powerful tools you have for success in your life is gratitude. No matter what is happening or going on or who you are with or what is happening to you – there is always something to be grateful for, even if is a small thing like a good cup of coffee or the warmth of the sun on your face.

I want you to learn to find something to be grateful for every day in your life. When you do, it changes you. It allows you to find perspective and see the world in a different way. To know that no matter what, there is something good in your life - Something that you can truly be thankful for - gives you power. Power over yourself, over negative emotions, and the power to make the best out of any situation.

This isn’t just opinion, science and study has determined the power and effect of gratitude. Among the many benefits are the following:

• Gratitude opens the door to more relationships – Simply saying thank you and appreciating someone can open doors and new relationships
• Gratitude improves physical health – Grateful people have fewer aches and pains and are healthier
• Gratitude improves psychological health – It should be no surprise that people that practice gratitude have less negative emotions like envy or frustration, regret or jealousy and are happier
• Gratitude improves self-esteem and self-worth - People that are grateful, as I just mentioned, are less jealous or envious and thus have a healthier view of themselves and the act of being grateful makes you happier and more fulfilled
• Gratitude improves your mindset and mental strength – Research has shown that gratitude reduces stress, but also fosters a healthier way of overcoming the challenges of life. When you can recognize and still find things to be grateful – even in the worst times of your life – it creates resilience and allows you to handle tough situations easier
• Oh, and in case you need another reason, it helps you sleep better as well!

Taking the time to reflect and express gratitude for something each day in your life is one of the most important lessons and secrets to success that I can give you. Every day, I have to pinch myself how lucky I am to get to be with you and mommy. I am so grateful for both of you and for the life we share.

I love you,

Daddy

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Michael Kimelman. We’ve never had a guest quite like Mike on Misfit before. Michael was a successful lawyer turned extremely successful trader and hedge fund owner on Wall Street.

Through a series of unfortunate events and standing on principle – Mike went to prison for insider trading. He was not willing to admit to something he says he was not guilty of or take a plea deal that stated he broke the law, so he stuck it out, went to prison, and while there through self-reflection and introspection finding who he truly is.

Post-prison, with law and trading prohibited and the prospects of getting a job as a felon diminished, Mike had to re-invent himself as an entrepreneur. He founded a company called the Clarity Group and entered real estate investing building a successful company that has done over 300 deals in the last 3 years alone. He has also entered other industries as a consultant and published a best-selling book, “Confessions of a Wall Street Insider.

He also runs a successful leadership and growth coaching business and speaks on how to overcome life’s biggest challenges.

In meeting Mike, the most amazing thing I found in our initial conversation was the sense of calm and peace that he has about him. We explore a whole host of topics from his journey to success, then prison, battles with substance abuse, and how he learned to find himself and create a new life of success.

www.MichaelKimelman.com

www.MikeKimelman.com

Book: Confessions of a Wall Street Insider

Mike grew up in southern California and had a pretty normal childhood. He was always successful and did well in school. He went to law school and excelled. Upon graduate, he had his pick of jobs and chose one of the biggest and oldest law firms in New York, as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer.

The work was not as excited as he thought and he was working 100 hour weeks. He had a lot of friends that were working in finance and technology working half as much and making more than he was, but also doing more exciting and interesting work. So, he moved over to finance and starting trading for several different funds. He quickly became a top performer and then in late 2007 started his own fund that he grew to over a quarter of a billion in assets and a team of over 50 traders – in just 18 months. The firm did well in the 2008 crisis and became a powerhouse. Until the FBI came knocking at his door…

At the 6 min mark, Mike tells the whole story of what happened to him and how we decided to go to prison rather than agree to a plea deal saying did something he did not do.

The process took over 7 years and he wrote his book telling the whole story and being part of the largest insider trading scandal in history.

He went in with what most people would consider everything. The perfect life. And then walked out with nothing. He lost it all.

What is the most important thing you learned in going through your journey?

The most important lesson is that perspective is everything and it is all relative.

Mike talks about how he had everything. Had sold a piece of his business for millions, but was miserable. He would mask his unhappiness through going to excess in everything from alcohol to exercise, etc. Prison was the great equalizer. Everyone is the same. You have nothing and your life is controlled. For Mike, once he realized that you still can survive it and in some ways, adapt, prosper, and even grow from it – it is empowering. It eliminates the fear aspect that impacts everyone in their lives. Once you have had the worst case happen to you in every area of life and realize that you still can keep going and have gratitude for the things you do have – it gives you a new perspective and fearlessness. But you don’t have to lose it all to realize this. You just have to be open to changing your perspective.

Was there a moment where you finally found meaning? And how can others find theirs?

• Keep everything relative and see the forest through the trees.
• Having everything taken away was a blessing in disguise
• The ability to hit rock bottom and learn that you can still live and get a second chance is an unbelievable gift.
• Sometimes you do have to go through a lot of pain to find out what truly matters

At the 16 min mark, Mike talks about how he has found calm through everything and uses that to succeed today – especially what he learned about gratitude.

“The ability to exercise gratitude for what you do have is a tremendous asset to be able to employ as an entrepreneur or for any person trying to find happiness and meaning in their life.”

“In my poverty, I realized that I had tremendous wealth.”

You have to take the time to work on yourself and do so in your own solitude where you can clearly think and ask yourself and get to real answers of the following questions:

• What is going on in my life?
• Is this what I want?
• What do I want?
• How can I take action on what matters?

We have tremendous reserves within us that allow us to get through and overcome anything. We just have to realize it and embrace it.

At the 25:30 mark, Mike give his advice for anyone wanting to start over in life or their career.

Success Principles?

• Win the morning
• Plan your day
• Control your schedule
• Face reality as it is and not as you wish it should be (remove the biases)
  • Validate your ideas
• Make sure you have clarity in all areas of your life (if it feels “foggy” you need to figure it out)
• Treat yourself like a professional athlete. Take care of your health and your body (diet, sleep, and exercise)

Where are things going? What does the future look like for investment and opportunities?

• We are in a time of unbelievable rapid change and it is hard for people to grasp it.
• Our world will look totally different even 5 years from now.
• There is disruptive technology happening in every field including AI and robotization.
• Our current system is not prepared as it is still operating off of a 1950’s type model
• Decentralization is happening and will grow with the blockchain and that will change almost every industry
• If you are not spending time every day to keep up with the changes in your industry and to get a feel for where things are going, you are going to miss the opportunities and fall behind quickly.

What should people know about Wall Street?

• Wall Street today is a better entity than it was for the previous 100 years.
• It has fundamentally changed in a good way focused on delivering value to the client.
• For the first 80-90 years, the model was make as much off the retail client.
• There is now more of a fiduciary duty (Hedge funds have traditionally done a better job as they are paid on the gains they create).
• But it still is an enterprise set up to sell you something or push an agenda, so you have to ask the tough questions to make sure things are in your best interest.

Best Quote: “Once you’ve had everything stripped from you and faced it and realize that you can still go on, you develop a new type of fearlessness and no longer worry about the “what ifs” of life…”

Mike's Misfit 3:

• Perspective is everything and it all relative. You must appreciate where you are and what you have and have gratitude for it.
• Change your circumstances if you are not happy. If you don’t think you can, challenge yourself and you fear. If you truly cannot. Then change your perspective and accept it.
• You have to be clean and clear. Good diet, exercise, sleep, learning, etc. you must take care of yourself mentally and physically.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Bryan Kramer. Bryan is the founder a movement. He’s worked with everyone from IBM to the NFL to NASA. He is the best selling author of 2 books, H2h, Human to Human and Shareology. He is the ranked as one of the top 25 influencers to follow by Forbes, Top 100 Most influential on Twitter by Business Insider, and he tops on a host of other lists as well. He is a global TED speaker and a columnist for Forbes.

He owns two businesses. The first, Pure Matter, is a marketing consultancy offering “fractional CMOs” to small and mid-market companies to help them build, plan, and strategize their marketing efforts through awareness and demand generation.

The second is H2H companies which helps any human marketer to master the technologies you need to connect with new customers. Through coaching, online courses, and a membership service, they help people get the tools and teaching that will change their business forever.

As noted, Bryan is a founder of a movement…a movement to get back in touch with our human side and think like a human marketer again.

www.BryanKramer.com

www.H2HClub.com

Bryan started out as an ad agency account executive out of school. In college, right before the Dot Com bust, he started working on coding websites and this is what helped him get hired. He then worked his way up through agencies working in almost every role they had. He then started a consulting firm with a couple partners and sold it to a larger firm. He then met his now partner and wife 17 years ago and they started a business consulting company which is Bryan’s main business today.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned about marketing through all of your work?

The most important thing about marketing is understanding the customer’s pain point and that the customer is at the center. Most people and companies forget this. They put themselves at the center rather than the customer. Putting the customer at the center of every touchpoint in your marketing is the best thing you can do in your marketing strategy.

At the 7 min mark Bryan talks about his approach or methodology to help ensure that entrepreneurs are keeping the customer at the center of their marketing.

He talks specifically about a very unique way to understand your customer breakdown and email list using free tools, such as Business Manager on Facebook. His advice in this area is amazing and could be one of the most important things you do for your business in the next 12 months.

What the pillars of a good marketing strategy?

• Messaging ladder – A big mistake companies make is marketing a product or service without looking at their messaging tree. There are things you need to get clear on before you go to market such as being clear from the top down for the team involved of what can and will be said in each step of the marketing funnel(s). You need a complete picture.
  • That means top level, secondary, and individual categories of what it means to the customer (why it helps them)
  • Direct benefits
  • What are the different offers
• If you are not crystal clear on your message – the conversions won’t happen.

At the 17 min mark, Bryan goes through an example of how he did this with a client and the results they got – especially using “human touch points.”

Marketing vs. Sales?

It all comes back to the messaging and messaging tree. Marketing has to be aligned with sales. Sales need to communicate what the clients are saying and marketing needs to listen. Marketing then needs to create the right tools that work for sales on message.

At the 26 minute mark, Bryan talks about how he came up with the concept of Human to Human (H2H) and what you should understand about it.

He talks about how we crave the nature of connecting with each other, not online, but human to human and how it is innate for us. It is the reason we all want to share which is where the book Shareology came from.

The key component that came out of all the interviews Bryan has done is that people simply want to connect which is why we need to bring humans closer to the customer and create the “human touchpoints” in our businesses and lives.

Best advice on how to grow a community online?

• You grow them through grit
• It starts one on one and builds through hard work
• You need to have a human connection, not a topic connection You want to create 1000 dedicated, loyal community members
• Your job is to help people build a community for each other and do it in the most human way possible.
• Don’t automate in the initial phases of making a connection
• Bryan’s example for his community - Humanmarketinghub.com facebook group

At the 44 min mark, Bryan make a great point about “Thank You Departments”

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?

Grit, hustle, commitment, determination. Being “all in” separates the truly successful.

At the 47 mark, Bryan talks about his low point and how he overcame it.

Best Quote: Putting the customer at the center of every touchpoint in your marketing is the best thing you can do in your marketing strategy.

Misfit 3:

1. Embrace your “inner Focker.” If you’ve seen the movie Meet the Parents, you’ve seen how the main character is human and everyone can relate to him. Embrace that in your life.
2. There is a difference between loneliness and solitude. A lot of entrepreneurs feel lonely at the top, but it is actually solitude. You get more thinking time and focus time on your business – embrace your solitude time.
3. The more you can connect with people and be human, the more successful you will be. Pick up the phone and connect!

Hello Misfit Nation! Welcome to another edition of "Lessons for Hannah!"

In November of 2016, we introduced a new format that we are putting alongside our regular episodes called “Lessons for Hannah.” Hannah is my daughter and one of the main inspirations for the Misfit Entrepreneur. I wanted to have a place where she could go and learn from her daddy and his Misfit friends throughout her life….even after I am gone. If you haven’t listened to the first episode of "Lessons for Hannah," I urge you to as it gives some more background and tells the amazing story of how Hannah came to be in our lives.

"Lessons for Hannah" are short, very useful, and sometimes comical lessons, that I have learned which I want to share with you and give to Hannah to help in your lives. Because I want Hannah to have these for her life, I’m going to speak as though I am talking directly to her. These episodes are a lot of fun and if you think there is a lesson that we should include in these episodes, please don’t hesitate to send it over to us at support@misfitentrepreneur.com. We’d love to share it.

Hannah sweetie, I want to talk you about what it means to have principles. Principles are the things that you believe are resolute in life. They are the things that you will not sacrifice in any way, even it means limiting your personal gain. Anchoring to principles makes you who you are. They keep you from selling your soul and from straying from your true self.

As you know, I am a student of history, especially the founding of our great country, because it took great principle and true grit in adhering to those principles to not only defeat the greatest army in the world at the time, but to then come together and create a framework that gave and enshrined the power to the individual instead of a monarchy or government. During the revolutionary war, Thomas Paine has a very famous quote that went like this, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

You see, principles are everlasting. They are things that you follow and stand for in good times and bad, or when they are not popular. Adhering to principles many times will mean standing up for people and ideas you vehemently disagree with. That is the point. Principles, as I mentioned at the beginning of this message, are resolute. There are a lot sunshine patriots and summer soldiers out there – people that claim to have principles one day only to change them the next to go with herd or to appease others. I feel for these people, because they will never know who they truly are or what they stand for.

It’s OK to not please everyone. You see, When you stand for something it means that people will not agree with you. Hey, that’s part of life. But, as they say, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Don’t fall prey to this trap. Decide what you believe and hold those beliefs whatever comes your way.

But, what if you find yourself questioning one of your principles? That happens. Things may change in your life and you main gain new perspective or find that what you thought you truly believed is not what you believe now. Lord knows I have. The key. The most important key is that you think for yourself and don’t just do what everyone else does or what is popular – especially when you know you don’t believe in it and do it to selfishly enrich yourself.

Never sacrifice who you are and what you believe – your principles to enrich yourself. I’ll end by saying this – your principles are you. They determine who you are in this world and thus should be as well thought out and pure as you can make them. You should challenge them in every way to make sure they are resolute. And then you should adhere to them. One of my biggest principles is that I will always carry myself as though you and your mother are right there with me. If what I am doing is not something I would do with you and your mother or something that I would be embarrassed to do with you – I don’t do it. It has served me well and will be something I strive to always adhere to my whole life. I hope you can do the same and create a set of resolute principles for yourself that help you know who you are and be the best you can be. In the end, that is one of the best things we can have in this life.

I love you,

Daddy

Best Quote: "Decide what you beleive and hold those beliefs whatever comes your way"

Misfit 3:

1. Your principles are the things you believe are resolute in life.
2. You must stand for something or fall for anything. The point of having resolute principles is not for everyone to agree with you, because they won't. The point is to have a set values and steadfast believes that you don't sacrifice or change for personal gain.
3. Think for yourself. Never sacrifice who you are or what you believe to meet the demands or others or follow the herd or you will never truly find yourself and your voice in this world.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Amber Lilysetrom. Amber has a unique gift. She has a very innate ability to help people figure out exactly what they want in life and then help them with the actions needed to turn their dreams into reality.

She didn’t start with this ability though. She found it through a very traumatic experience in which she came very close to death. As she says, the moment awakened her to the realization that she could no longer hide from herself and what she was truly meant for. In less than a year, she made it all happen.

Today Amber is a transformational branding & business strategist, writer and speaker. She has been featured in Entrepreneur and Working Mother Magazine, is the host of The Amber Lilyestrom Show podcast and helps entrepreneurs turn their passions in to heart-centered brands and thriving businesses. ​

While Amber’s journey to find herself and her true calling is hers, what she has learned about how to help others do the same is universal and that is what she shares in this episode.

www.AmberLilyestrom.com ​

Amber was working in her corporate career in athletics in marketing and branding when she has near death, or more honestly, a death experience. During an emergency C-section giving birth to her daughter, she stopped breathing on the operating table as a result of high spinal tap. She had what she called a beautiful spiritual experience that gave terrifying clarity that she was not doing what she knew she was put on the earth to be doing – which was serving a bigger way to help people find their courage to be who they were truly meant to be.

She talks about the out of body experience she encountered and the fact that she had this moment of complete surrender where the switch had flipped and she came back, could breath, and was awake again.

As she says, she was a different person leaving the operating room.

At the 7 min mark, Amber explains what it feels like to truly know who you are and find your calling.

How do you take things from dream a reality?

• Be patient with yourself in the swamp
• Be where your feet are and be comfortable with it
• Don’t try to do it by yourself – it is ok to get help and support – and accountability
• Be tenacious and consistent
• Repetition is critical to succeed

Dave and Amber have a great conversation on the power of consistency.

At the 21 min mark, Amber talks about the power of focusing, discipline, and delegation - and why it is so important to success.

At the 24 min mark, Amber walks through her business and how she does things.

• She started by focusing on 1 on 1 coaching
• She then started coaching groups and creating programs
• She now makes money through 2 programs: Her Academy and Mastermind group
• She gets clients by Facebooks ads, going on podcasts, and partnerships

What does someone have to do to get their center and find out what they are truly meant to do?

• Tap into the why that you weep for. What is the thing that moves you to tears?
• It is ok to want more and not know how
• The next step is to reach out for help to find the steps to get it

Once you’ve found the “why,” what does someone do next?

• Everyone’s greatest fear is that they are not good enough and not worthy of love
• Fear is the biggest obstacle followed by trusting that they can actually do what they know they need to do.
• People have to decide “pick themselves for their own team” and give themselves the gift the gift of their own grace and self-compassion. When someone is willing to do that, they can do anything.
• It’s as simple as understanding that you choose who you are and have the ability to create it.

At the 35 min mark, Amber talks about how to find the sweet spot in going after your dreams while keeping your relationship with your spouse or significant other at the highest levels.

Biggest lesson from sport that has helped you in success?

No one is going to do the work for you. If you want to be the best, you have to show up and do the work.

Best advice for an entrepreneur starting out today?

Have the courage to dream really big and find the help you need on your journey

Best lesson you’ve learned on my journey?

You have the biggest impact when you allow yourself to be yourself ​

Final thought? We can learn a lot from each other across genders that give awareness and impact to grow in better, larger ways because we have great traits that are transferable.

Best Quote: “Be where your feet are..stay present and focused.”

Amber's Misfit 3:

• Great change requires great courage. When you are afraid and know you need to take your next big step, seize the courage and do it.
• Consistency is the key and the doorway to success. Not just in your business, but in yourself and soul care.
• You can never possibly know who will be positively impacted by you saying “yes” to your BIG dreams.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Darren Moorman. Darren is a founder and partner at Reserve Entertainment. A firm specializing in feature film and TV. Darren knows what it is like and what it takes to have a dream and work tirelessly to make it a reality. He grew up passionate about film and media and began acting at age 19. Over the years, he found his calling as a producer and ventured out to LA to pursue his dreams. He found some success and worked on different projects with people like Denzel Washington, Chevy Chase, and others, but he had one main dream which took over 10 years to bring to fruition.

That dream releases in theaters the week this episode is releasing (October 2017) in the form of an amazing film called “Same Kind of Different As Me” featuring an all start cast including Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, and John Voit – all academy award winners or nominees.

Dave and Darren talk about the film and its message, but just as importantly, they talk about the 10 year journey, the twists, turns, and ups and downs that it took to make it a reality.

www.ReserveEntertainment.Com

www.SameKindofDifferentAsMeMovie.com

Darren’s story starts over 20 years ago when Darren started his first career as a coach and teacher at an all-boys prep school. While there, Darren noticed something unique. When taught kids using the form of a story, they were much more attentive and learned more. They understood things more clearly. It was here where Darren leaned that stories really connect with people. So, Darren, who had some past experience in acting and film, decided to make the journey to LA to become a film maker.

Darren didn’t have instant success, but was a good networker and relationship builder and was able to create some great connections early on for mentors that had been there and done that in the industry. He credits this with getting him going helping his first successes. Now those mentors are business partners of his – after he paid his dues and proved he had staying power.

At the 8 min mark, Dave and Darren talk about simple, but two very important principle for success and that Darren credits with helping him get ahead: Asking for what you want and making it about them and not you.

At the 11 min mark, Darren talks about why he had to tell the story of Same Kind of Different As Me. He talks about how reading the book, a true story, over 10 years ago changed his life and showed him the power of hope, forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation.

At the 14 min mark, Darren talks about the 10 year journey it took to make this movie, how he lost the rights to it twice (including one time to Disney, and finally seized a chance opportunity to make it a reality. He talks about the mistakes he made and how even a chance meeting on a plane ride was needed to turn this dream into a reality.

Darren says the most important thing he did happened 5 years ago where he had a “Jerry Maguire moment” and wrote a manifesto and wrote the vision for his career and the stories that he is supposed to be telling to the world. The story at the top of the list was Same Kind of Different as Me – even though he didn’t have the rights to it. But, when the time came where he could get it, he was focused, ready, and had everything in place to go lock it up. And once he had it, everything came into focus and in-line including the all-star cast and a deal to help distribute it worldwide with Paramount. The latter because of a relationship and connection he had made many years ago showing the power of what relationships can do over time.

What does it mean to have a dream and vision and devote yourself to it for years on end not knowing if it will truly manifest? How do you keep going and stay prepared?

• At moments you question your sanity of it you are really supposed to be doing what you are doing
• Then it happens…it’s beautiful
• You know you are not crazy and you were meant for it
• You don’t always know how it will happen, just that it will, and you stay at it.
• You have to always be prepared to strike when the opportunity comes. Always be ready and prepared to go on offense and act.

At the 26 min mark, Darren talks about the impact the story has had on his life and the impact he wants for it to have on you and the world. Hint: It comes down to a simple act of kindness.

What has this experience of this film and meeting the real life people of the story taught you about life?

• We are no different from each other
• We are all on some kind of journey
• In the midst of that, we find that everyone has amazing gifts
• Those gifts can be used, whether homeless, poor, or well off

TIME SENSATIVE ITEM: On October 18th, the day this episode if released, there are a 150 red carpet screenings at rescue missions around the US that will show the film to their donors, sponsors, and benefactors to create awareness and show how much impact they can have in their communities. If you are interested in participating, go to

http://www.samekindofdifferentasmemovie.com/group-tickets.php

What does it take to be successful as an entrepreneur?

You have to continue to have more dreams. Once you accomplish one, you have to have what’s next. You cannot settle for accomplishing one dream. You have a lifetime of dreams to accomplish. The key is to be consistent and stay true to your core, but don’t stop…the best is always ahead of you.

What advice for people aspiring to make it in Hollywood or film?

• You’ve got to get into the business. You’ve got to learn your craft.
• Once you are in a place where you feel you can be in control of your future, then you must create a business plan for yourself
• In short, pay your dues, and look at yourself like a business.
• You must understand who you are, what your gifts are, and what projects you are supposed to get involved in – what you are truly passionate about. Don’t sacrifice who you are. ​

At the 38 min mark, Darren talks about how important the name of his company, Reserve Entertainment is to his mission.

Best Quote: “At moments you question your sanity and what you are doing…then it happens and it’s beautiful. Even if it takes 10 years, you know you are not crazy and meant for it.”

Darren's Misfit 3:

1. Use the power of story to help you in your life and business. Use them to move people to act and work with you in a much bigger way.
2. Make sure that you take care of the people you are working with. Make sure they feel that they are loved, cared for, and valued.
3. It’s not too early to start thinking about the legacy you are building and making sure to align it to your vision and dreams.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Matt Miller. Matt is a former Air Force Pilot turned entrepreneur. Like many guests on the show, Matt followed a Misfit path. When he left the Air Force after almost 10 years, he entered the corporate world and did well…

But there was something that kept eating at him and it was a desire to create his own business and go after his dreams. His challenge was where to start. Then, one day as he was talking to a good friend, they mentioned the gumball vending machines that he and his young daughters owned. This conversation began a 10 year journey that resulted in the creation and massive growth of School Spirit Vending.

The vending machine business is not new by any means, but it is ripe for innovation and that is exactly how Matt has created success with SSV – by thinking differently and taking a new approach.

It’s this way of thinking and way of looking at opportunities differently to create success that Dave and Matt share you in this episode. ​

www.SSVBusiness.com

If you are interest in Matt's course, "Vending Secrets for Passive Income," go to www.VendingSecrets.net

Matt went to Air Force Academy and then was a fighter pilot for almost a decade. He then went into the corporate world in sales and in the direct mail world. But, he was at the mercy of working for big corporations and when one made a decision that drastically hurt his income potential, he started to look at ways to create income. He did everything from collect aluminum cans to selling books on Amazon. He had success and created income from all the things he did, but he wanted to create passive income.

He could not even afford to own his own home, but met a friend who was in vending. So he tried it with a used gumball machine he bought on Ebay. He hustled and figured out how to get into locations and after 18 months, he had over 125 locations with his vending machines, and was making more in his part-time vending business than he was in his job. But, then 2007-2008 hit and sales went down…

It was at this time that some kids came to his door fundraising and gave him the idea for School Spirit Vending (SSV). And today, they are in over 40 states, have over 115 franchisees, and are in over 3500 schools around the nation. At the 8:40 mark, Matt talks about how he had to learn to be an entrepreneur as he started with no background.

The keys for him were learning to change his mindset, a good personal growth routine, and a willingness to get out fail and learn as he went.

To make it grow faster, Matt was working, doing his vendor routes, and delivering pizzas 20 hours per week. He practiced “chicken entrepreneurship” in that he worked his jobs to pay the bills while building and investing in his business.

At the 15 min mark, Matt talks about the fact that what you think will sell well or that is the hot item is not always the best thing to sell. It’s the things that are unique, different, and quirky that sell well and offer better margins in places like vending or Amazon.

At the 19 min mark, Matt talks about how he created SSV and his philosophies on business:

• As Zig Ziglar said, help enough other people get what they want and you’ll be taken care of.
• Matt’s goal is to deliver for everyone in his ecosystem – creating massive value for everyone that is a part of SSV.
• Their mission statement says it all, “Funds for schools, Freedom for Families, Change for Kids”
• He also believes in giving deeply and has a number of ways that they help and impact the kids that get SSV stickers.

At the 27 min mark, Matt talks about the unique way he used a podcast to communicate with his franchisees to help them and how with just over 100 listeners, the impact it has had on his business and the businesses of those involved is priceless.

He also does regional masterminds and weekly webinars which help to further the community, foster success, and share success stories from the field.

Principles and Lessons?

• There is no such thing as an overnight success or get rich quick
• Get excited about getting in the game
• Are you willing to commit 3-5 years of your life to have control over the rest of your life?
• You must be willing to do what it takes and what you know it takes to reach your dream. It will take a lot of shorter term sacrifice and you have to be ok with that.

Lessons from the cockpit that translate well to business?

• The checklist. As a pilot you live by the checklist and Matt uses them throughout the business to create systems and get things done.
• Think as a BIG business. What may make sense to you now will make no sense to you a few years down the road. Make decisions now like it is a few years down the road. ​

At the 43 minute mark, Matt and Dave discuss what really matters and “success to significance.” ​

Other advice?

• Learn to be an independent thinker
• Don’t worry about what other people think. Live your life for you.

Best Quote: “I needed to make money tomorrow, not 2-3 years from now. With vending – you put a machine out there and a month later you have income. It’s not sexy or flashing, but it’s tried and true. Sometimes, it pays to go against the herd.”

Matt's Misfit 3:

1. Get in the game. Stop getting ready to get ready to do something. Jump in with both feet and figure it out as you go.
2. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Get excited about the process and journey and get busy realizing that anything worth doing is going to take time and effort over a few years.
3. Be willing to think differently. You don’t have to have experience in anything to jump in and have an impact. But, you do have to take action.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Isaac Morehouse. Isaac is creator and founder of Praxis, a really unique startup that has created a solution for the new world of an old and tried and true path to success - apprenticeship. Praxis connects potential employers with people to apprentice with them starting their careers and getting them a full time job in 12 months or less with no degree required.

In the information age, the old advice of go to college, get good grades, find a safe-secure job, and work for 40 years just doesn’t fly any more. We are in the age of the entrepreneur and being an apprentice is one of the best ways to learn the systems and path to success where you can eventually go out on your own. For me and probably you, the word apprentice conjures up visions of blacksmiths and bricklayers with their apprentice in tow, but in reality, they are mentorships, a sort of one of one mastermind.

And in today’s world, it’s not blacksmiths anymore, it’s is building businesses and systems online, creating new solutions, apps, and a host of other things.

And that is why Dave wanted to have Isaac on the show. Praxis is bypassing college as the best way to get from student to career. They train young people with an intensive 6-month professional bootcamp, then place them in startups for a 6-month paid apprenticeship.

Praxis grads have a 98% employment rate out of the program, with average pay over $50k. And most of them do not have degrees entry level roles like sales, marketing, and operations.

www.DiscovePraxis.com

www.isaacMorehouse.com

It started for Isaac while he was in college. Isaac worked for a telecommunications company installing cable 3 days a week while going to school. And while in school he was hit with a realization. He was making good money in his work and turning around and spending it all on school to get a piece of paper that basically says because you have it, you are statistically better than someone without it to higher. You can get all of the things that go into the piece of paper for free – just not the paper. He thought, there has to be a way to be able to do the same thing without the cost of getting the piece of paper and that is how the idea for Praxis was born. Over the next decade, he brought it to fruition. ​

At the 7 min mark, Isaac talks about the mental journey and the winding random road that weaves through the way to creating and bringing an idea to reality. He goes into the way the subconscious helps us to achieve the goals we give it.

Isaac goes on to talk about learning and makes some good points:

• There is a difference between “Just in Time Learning” and “Just in Case Learning.”
• Most of the things you learn are just in case and you never need it.
• What would happen if you focused on the things you know you need to learn to solve a real problem just in time to solve it?
• You can learn anything and do it so fast when you are interested in it and have a use for it in your life.

What should people know about apprenticeships today?

• The best opportunities are in startups and early growth stage companies
• Companies want more than just an employee
• Companies want people they can invest in that will help grow beyond their initial role and help the company reach its potential and value
• Companies want people who take an interest in the overall success of the company – essentially those that think like an entrepreneur and owner.

Isaac finds that young, raw talent is the best fit. He uses the “sleep in your car” test. If you are willing to sleep in your car and do what it takes to get what you want in life, you are the type of person that is most successful in an apprenticeship role.

At the 27 min mark Isaac and Dave talk about the shift happening with the way jobs are viewed and how we approach work.

• The internet has given people a way to learn anything that you can learning an institution, but also provide a vehicle for them to showcase their talents like never before.
• Showing is better than telling and now you can see what people are capable of by what they have created about themselves on all the different platforms that exist today.
• You can be your own credential and don’t need 3rd party validation to succeed like was needed not too long ago.
• You don’t have to wait any more for a degree to showcase yourself and that changes everything.
  • This decentralization is disruptive

What have you learned about taking effective action and overcome fear and inertia?

• People have to go through a “de-schooling” of sorts
  • You don’t have to wait until you reach a certain level or gain a certain knowledge to get going
  • You don’t need someone to validate you or tell you that you are good enough
• A good exercise is to write a blog post and publish it every day for 30 days
  • This causes you to do something every day 7 days a week and not being afraid to ship it out to the world.
  • This helps turn creativity into a discipline which is critical for success in today’s age.

Thoughts on Entrepreneurship

• It’s incredibly brutal – in a good way
• The tough days are more than the good days, but the good days waaay outweigh the amount of bad days
• You are always overcoming challenges. Isaac early found his model was actually illegal and was totally defeated – but played a game on how to change the model and make it work. That is the key – to always be looking for the way to overcome and get around the obstacles.
• Find GOOD people!
• Focus on getting one good paying customer over perfection or little things like having your website all set or your product even finished. Once you find 1 paying customer, you are business. Biggest

Lesson Learned?

Don’t do stuff you hate. Period. And there is a difference between hate and hard. Don’t be afraid of hard work or things you want to do. The things you truly hates drain your energy and stifle your growth. Removing them forces you to find things or people to better fill the gaps and take on the areas that you are not fond of. This allows you to focus better and maximize your talents. ​

At the 44 minute mark, Isaac talks about overcoming the challenge of going a different direction than people think you should go.

Book Recommendation: The Act of Creation by Arthur Koestler

Best Quote: “Don't mistake hate for hard...Don't do what you hate, but do what you love, even it is hard.”

Isaac's Misfit 3:

1. Don’t do stuff you hate
2. Don’t’ have goals in the traditional sense. Instead, focus on one thing you can do every day to add value to yourself or your company or any area of your life.
3. Don’t have a lot of beliefs. Instead choose a very small amount of beliefs that you truly believe and are core to you and who you are. Be open, but don’t compromise those core beliefs.

In November of 2016, we introduced a new format that we are putting alongside our regular episodes called “Lessons for Hannah.” Hannah is my daughter and one of the main inspirations for the Misfit Entrepreneur. I wanted to have a place where she could go and learn from her daddy and his Misfit friends throughout her life….even after I am gone. If you haven’t listened to the first episode of Lessons for Hannah, I urge you to as it gives some more background and tells the amazing story of how Hannah came to be in our lives.

Lessons for Hannah are short, very useful, and sometimes comical lessons, that I have learned which I want to share with you and give to Hannah to help in your lives. Because I want Hannah to have these for her life, I’m going to speak as though I am talking directly to her. These episodes are a lot of fun and if you think there is a lesson that we should include in these episodes, please don’t hesitate to send it over to us at support@misfitentrepreneur.com. We’d love to share it.

Ok, so here goes…this week’s Lesson for Hannah.

Hannah Sweetie, I want to talk to you about how to be more productive and accomplish more. As you grow older, you will find that time becomes more and more precious, so your ability to be productive and accomplish more with the time you have is a blessing. But, how do you do that? There are tons of books and strategies written about how to be more productive and accomplish more. Most of the time, it is the same advice. Focus, plan for your success, don't multi-task, turn off email, etc.

All of that is great advice and works. But, I have found a few additional methods alongside the more standard ones that really make a difference.

First, you've probably read a million times that you need to plan your day or plan for your success. There is a reason for that. It works. But, one trick I have found that has made a big difference is to plan in two ways. First, each Sunday, I sit down and write out my “to do” items by day for each of my different businesses for the upcoming week. You’ve been watching me do this since you were a kid and know that it takes me about 20-30 minutes. The reason this is important is because it gives me a bigger picture and view of what I have on my docket and what I want to do, instead of looking at things from the microcosm of just one day. Once I am done, I can see where I need to make changes or move things around to maximize productivity. Second, each day, I the make my daily "to do" list from the weekly list. What is nice is that each day, I can also see what is to do for the rest of the week and if I think I will have time, I can start working in say Thursday tasks on Tuesday. One very, very important secret with my daily planning is this. Write your daily “to do” list the night before. At the end of the day, take a look at what you have for tomorrow and also do a “brain dump” of things you know you need to do as well. Things are fresh in your mind at the end of your day, so writing your tasks for the next day is much easier, clearer, and keeps you from forgetting things. I used to write my to do list each morning for the day and since I started doing it the day before, I have noticed a considerable jump in productivity and am getting more time with you and mommy in evenings and on weekends.

Next, a habit I started doing years ago is what I call the morning prime and my three to thrive and succeed. This takes less than 10 minutes each day. I write down 3 things I am thankful/grateful for. A lot of times it has to do with you and mommy, but doing this does two things. First, it allows me to start my day with gratitude and come from a place of thankfulness. You'll be amazed at how this makes a difference in your attitude and thus your productivity. Second, it gives me perspective of what is really important in life.

Once, I've done that which takes 4-5 minutes, I look at my to do list for the day and pick the top 3 items from that list that will make the biggest impact in my life and businesses that day. I ask myself, "If I could only get 3 things done on this list, which would be the most impactful." That's my "three to thrive." I write those down or circle them on the “to do” list and focus only on them until they are done before moving on to the rest of the list. In fact, creating this message for you is one of my three to thrive for today.

Lastly, is what I call my secret weapon. From tracking my productivity, I have found a secret weapon that when I do this vs. when I do not has proven to make a difference. That secret? Listening to music with noise cancelling headphones. But, not just any type of music. It has to be instrumental only and of 3 genre: Piano, Chill Type Music....and surprise, Movie Music Scores.

I know this sounds crazy, but you have to try it. I have experimented with a number of music types and those 3 work the best. Depending on what you need at the moment, each can help you in different ways. For example, in the morning when things are quiet and I am just getting going, I like to listen to Chill Music. It drowns out all of the thoughts going in my head as the day begins and I start on my three to thrive keeping me focused. If I am feeling anxious or overloaded, Piano Music works every time. And if, I need inspiration or motivation, Movie Music Scores. Hans Zimmer's are the best. You can just jump on the web and type what you are looking for in and find it. As of the date of this lesson, Youtube works best.

The last thing I would say to you sweetie is that doing any one of these by themselves will make a difference in your ability to be more productive, but if you combine them, planning your week/day, having a daily prime/three to thrive routine and doing your tasks listening to music, -you'll be insanely more productive.

I can’t wait to see you put these in action in your life and for you to figure out your own ways to increase your abilities and productivity. Here’s to your success!

I love you, daddy…

Best Quote: “One very, very important secret with my daily planning is this. Write your daily “to do” list the night before..."

Misfit 3:

1. When planning for your success each week, don't just focus on planning for a day. Plan your week out first, then plan each day while being able to look at the big picture.
2. Create a routine to start your day off in the right "state" by expressing gratitude and focusing on the most important items you have on your list for the day. I call this my Daily Prime where I write 3 things I am grateful for and decide on my 3 to Thrive - the 3 most important things I need to do for the day.
3. Listening to instrumental music while you work improves productivity and your mood.

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Evan Money. Evan is an incredible individual. He has worked with just about every big name you can think of from Joel Olsteen to Malcolm Gladwell to John Maxwell and had been featured on every major news outlet.

His story is the epitome of the American Dream. He started with nothing. No money. No investment. And he founded and built a multi-million dollar extreme sports enterprise. He then became a prime time sports talk radio personality in Los Angeles with no experience or schooling, and today he has businesses that span extreme sports, startup and growth financing, even TV and film. He is also a go to mentor and speaker for personal growth and transformation. Evan has his PHD and is the #1 best-selling author of “Take Action Now.”

He went from not being able to buy groceries to being able to rent out the Staples Center in LA to play basketball with his friends…and most importantly, he knows how to live life to the fullest and maximize the areas of health, wealth, and finances.

www.EvanMoney.com

Evan was raised in a dysfunctional family with a single mom. He went to Las Angeles public schools and as he said “came out with his goals and dreams beating out of it.” He says that he was a reluctant entrepreneur. After high school he was working in a job and a friend of his at the job got together with him and discussed starting a business. Surely they could create a business like the one they worked at, right? It can’t be that hard…at least they thought.

So with no business plan, no money, and a dream they started the business. After about 6 months, the friend left and Evan was responsible for the business. Evan and his wife decided they were going to do it and just figured it out through hard work, hustle, and sheer will.

Building the business brought Evan and his wife even closer and they have created a great tradition in which they get re-married every single year in a different place. This type of tradition can be used across any type of relationship and Evan has found that focusing on planning a honeymoon every year to celebrate his relationship has forced him and his wife into appreciating each other more. This has allowed him to grow a fantastic business and a fantastic relationship as the same time.

“It is about all 3. You want to have your health thriving, your relationships thriving, and your finances thriving.”

At the 14 Min Mark Evan talks about how he created success and the life he has now. Evan talks about how his journey was painfully slow.

The turning point for Evan was when he discovered, ROF. Return On Forgiveness.

Evan talks about how he had a lot of issues and past anger from his father issues growing up. The year he finally forgave his father and let it all go, he earned 3x as much. He took the mental and emotional anchor of this off his back and everything fell into place.

“The Power of Forgiveness and letting things go that you are holding onto, you can then be free to receive more.”

Why does forgiveness lead to more success and changes in one’s life? What happens for them?

• First, it frees you as you don’t realize how much mental energy has been going into un-forgiveness and it becomes almost a virus that prays on you.
• Second, unforgiveness affects your health and when you relieve yourself of the anger, stress, and weight of the burden, your health comes inline and you “feel” better about yourself, life, business, etc.
• Third, getting rid of all of the baggage and burden frees you to then see and act on the opportunities around you that you were not seeing and did not have the energy to act on prior.

At the 28 min mark, Evan talks about he helps his clients breakthrough and what he looks for to help them do so.

“Everyone is essentially the same and has the same stuff. We are all highly skilled and incredibly gifted to see other people’s stuff and not our own stuff. That is the value of a coach – they will point out your stuff to you and help you work through it.”

At the 33 min mark, Evan gives a great example of money and security and the relativeness of it.

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?

• Understand and come face to face with the “balance lie.” Work-life balance does not exist.
• Entrepreneurship is like an orchestra and the entrepreneur is the conductor. When you look at the orchestra, there is no balance, it is all different with different numbers of instruments, but when the conductor pulls them together, they create harmony. Your job as an entrepreneur is to pull it all together so it creates harmony.
• If you are going to be somewhere, be there. Be focused and present in your life.
• Evan’s personal tip – NO technology in the bedroom (no cell phones, TV, etc.)

Advice for entrepreneurs starting out?

• The less you know the better. The more you have to think about the more paralyzed you can become.
• Default to action. When in doubt, have the courage to act on your goals and move yourself forward.
• You are the expert on your idea. You don’t have to defer to others. No one else knows your idea better than you.
• But, leverage the knowledge of others to help you reach your goals and bring your idea to fruition.

At the 51 min mark, Evan shares something that he has not talked about interviews before about his personal life.

Best Quote: “It’s not what you get that makes your valuable, it’s what you become that makes your valuable.”

Evan's Misfit 3:

1. Try having a technology free bedroom for yourself and your relationship
2. Leverage the power of ROF – Return on Forgiveness. Use it and change your life!
3. The grass is greener where you water it. It is your responsibility to water your own grass. You have the control and responsibility to make it thrive.