In this episode, Dave is excited to welcome Andrew Weinrich. Andrew is a serial entrepreneur, social networking pioneer, and active presence in NYC’s Silicon Alley for 2 decades. To date, he’s founded 7 startups and has been awarded 2 software patents.

Since 2013, he has sold 2 businesses, including Xtify to IBM, while advising 5 tech startups. He is currently the co-founder and Chairman of Indicative, a data analytics startup. Additionally, Andrew created the Roadmap Curriculum, an unparalleled educational guide for startup founders. The Roadmap Curriculum provides a solid foundation for founders to build their companies using best practices in order to manage and scale their teams. It covers everything from business planning to product development, branding, financing, and even pivoting/changing course.

But, one of Andrew best gifts is the ability to spot large scale trends and take advantage of them. We are going to share some of his best secrets on entrepreneurship and spotting and actioning on trends in this episode.

www.AndrewsRoadmaps.com

www.PredictingOurFuture.com

Andrew says he progressed through a number of careers that didn’t work for him to find his way. He did everything from banking to being an attorney, but had a long desire to build something on his own. In 1995/1996, he formed a group to look for the best opportunities in the new internet era. One of the things that he did during this time was create and patent and database used for social networking. Andrew quit his job and started a company called 6 Degrees, which was the first social network. He sold that in the early 2000’s.

He then went on to his next venture in the Wi-Fi-networking space and his other companies like Xtify which sold to IBM.

Andrew has a knack for spotting trends and positioning himself to take advantage of them at the right times.

Andrew shares his best piece of advice for each of the areas of his roadmap curriculum:

• Business Planning: It’s almost never that you see a great business look like its business plan. The goal of a business plan is not to identify of what you will be doing 5 years from now. It’s the exercise of thinking through your business holistically. It is a tool to demonstrate to yourself, people that work for you, and investors that you are addressing a problem holistically and thinking through all of the problems and things you will need to do to make the business successful.
• Company Formation: It shouldn’t take more than a day’s worth of thought. It’s driven by tax considerations and by an appreciation of it you are building a venture backed business, which you would almost always do a C-Corp. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Qualify your objectives with an attorney and listen to their advice.
• Branding and Identity: The key piece to branding and identity is the exercise of understanding who you want to be. You do this by articulation all of your aspirations. Great brands are reflective of who they want to be in the future.
• Product Development: Almost nobody launches a digital product that correctly hits the mark. Identify the 99% that is terrible on launch and the 1% that is brilliant. Take the %1 and then create the next iteration. Don’t outsource. Product development is a process. A great CEO is almost always the director of product. They must be fully engaged.
• Marketing and Sales: Startups need to prioritize one or the other. It’s tough to do both at the same time. First ask the question, “Marketing or Sales?” It depends on your company type. For example, if you have a website that you want to get eyes to, then it’s marketing. If you a new SAAS solution, you would want to sell your first clients to prove the solution works.
• Financing: You should always be networking and spending at least 10% of your time telling your story. To find financing, you can start putting together a list of anyone who is a competitor or related to your industry, then go to www.Crunchbase.com and look at which investors have invested in companies like yours or your industry. Look for those that are focused on your space.
• Pivoting: Every business pivots at some point or multiple points. The question is how big or small is the pivot? You will have to be open and willing to change course and adjust as needed.

Every entrepreneur should know that they are not an island. There is a broader community to participate in and that you can share and gain insight from. Share more without fear of it being stolen or mis-appropriated. Don’t be afraid to put it out there.

At the 30 min mark, Andrew talks about how to spot trends and disrupt markets. ​

Ask yourself what is inevitable in a space? Then look at how you can figure out where they wave is going to be and go ride the wave in the way you see fit. You don’t have to be exactly right, you just need to get into the ballpark.

Best Quote: "Great entrepreneurs have the right mix of arrogance and humility. Arrogance in that they think that they can do something that has never been done before. Humility in that they recognize that there is a lot to learn from other people and are willing to change course as needed.”

Andrew's Misfit 3

1. 1Macro thesis: Form a perspective on the future of a space.
2. Identify the smartest people you know to work with and recruit them to work with you. People are most interested in joining a passionate leader with a purpose than money or the right title.
3. There is never a right time to start. If you have a macro thesis and the semblance of a team – get going!

In this episode, Dave is excited to welcome Cloris Kylie. Cloris is a highly sought after speaker, trainer, and author. She has been featured on TV, has been a featured guest on many top shows and podcasts like EoFire and her articles have been published throughout the world and read by millions on sites like Addicted2Success, TinyBuddha, and others. Additionally, she has worked with some of the top minds and entrepreneurs in their verticals such as such as Chris Brogan, Dorie Clark, Neil Patel, Mel Abraham, and Serena, Saje and Skye Dyer, the 3 daughters of Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.

After getting an MBA in Marketing, Cloris figured out one thing early on. How to leverage connections with influencers and owners of marketing platforms to help your success. She teaches others how to do the same and helps to reveal their”Magnificance.”

She shares her best tips and wisdom for connecting with the right people to help you grow yourself and your business.

www.ClorisKylie.com

Cloris started out wanting to be an engineer. She never saw herself as owning her own business, but as she went through school, she became increasingly interested in marketing. She got her MBA and went into the corporate world. It didn’t take long for her to get tired with the corporate world. She had a desire to do something bigger, to be able to make the most out of her gifts. So, she left corporate life and started a business helping college and high school students transition to their next levels.

She quickly realized how much she loved helping people one on one. She grew the business and was very successful. Then she had a huge setback with the loss of her marriage. At that time she wrote a book and met Wayne Dyer who personally mentored her. She learned how to connect with influencers and entrepreneurs and began using her marketing skills to help them.

At the 9 min mark, Cloris gives her best advice on how to overcome obstacles.

“It is your choice how fast you get out of a challenge just by looking at what is next. By asking what action you can take today to move forward. That first step builds the positive momentum."

What are the top pieces of advice for connecting with Influencers?

• First and foremost you must believe that you have the power to connect with influencers and something to offer them. You have value to offer – even if your platform is small, your ideas and support for that person is huge.
• Don’t’ think that you need to go after the “whales” either. Look for people that have a very similar avatar or audience that you do and that you resonate with. It could be even a local person.
• The key is start, even if it is small, and then build from there.
• Make sure you have a genuine interest in the person and that you resonate with them. They will know if you don’t.
• You must be authentic and be willing to share your story.
• Reach out whether though writing them or commenting on their blog or social pages and be ready to do it without a response back. Here are some ideas:
  • Read their book
  • Connect with them on Linked with a customized note including your thoughts on their books
  • Go to Amazon and post a review and let them know
  • This starts a connection and allows you to stand out, but don’t stop there.
  • Nurture the connection by posting on their blog or Youtube or other social media and share it. Tag them as you see fit.
• Give the value first before you look to benefit. Once you have a relationship you can start to work with them to appear on their podcast, write for their blog, network with them and connect with others
• Everything should be done with a strategy in mind and be deliberate.

Best tips on how to grow a list:

1. Focus on your avatar and try not to do everything at once.
2. Learn about your avatar, your ideal market. Know their wants, needs, pain points, etc. All of your messaging needs to reflects their needs 
3. You need to have authority and trust
   1. There are few ways to do this:
      1. Be on another’s platform such as a podcast or Youtube show
      2. Publish a book (it can be small – 50 pages)
   2. Use Facebook targeted ads
4. Patience! Be patient and take your time, but be consistent.
5. Use the power of partnerships with others that have complimentary products and services. It cost nothing but time to reach out and ask if you could create synergy.
   1. But don’t just partner with anyone. Make sure you are a good fit and values line up. And commit to the partnership

At the 35 min mark, Cloris shares what most people are missing in growing their marketing impact and magnificence.

Best advice for an entrepreneur starting out today?

Take things one step at a time

Create a vision of what you want to create

Once you have a vision, create a mission and the mission includes: Who you help, what you will do to help them, and the results you want to them to achieve.

The results you want them to have will guide you to the product and services you will offer.

Lastly, but more importantly choose to believe in yourself!

Keep looking until you find that driver. That burning desire that allows you to keep going no matter what and you’ll find it because we all have one in us.

Best Quote: "There is one quality that all entrepreneurs have to have…and that is resiliency. Along the journey there will be a lot of challenges and obstacles. You have be able to quickly recover and then find a new way. You know where you want to go, the journey will not go as planned, but you will still get to your destination.”

Cloris's Misfit 3

1. Focus on what works. Whatever you are doing in your business that works, do more of that.
2. Focus on the one ideal client you want to serve.
3. Focus your marketing efforts on one message, one channel, etc. until you’ve mastered it, then move on to the next.

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.

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

Hannah, you are such an amazing young lady and you have such amazing opportunity ahead of you in your life. I was recently asked what I would tell a college graduating class if I were to give a commencement speech. There is so much that I probably would be speaking for hours, but there are a few things that I think are really important and that you need to understand to help you in your life.

First, the world is changing rapidly. More rapidly that most have ever seen. At least it feels that way, but I am sure at the turn of the 1900’s when the industrial revolution was starting to take off and people were moving from horses to the first cars and seeing man in flight for the first time, they probably felt this same way. Things are relative. The difference I see at this time is that the change we are experiencing is coming from technology and not just technology, but technology that is becoming as smart as or smarter than we are. This is different than what we have seen throughout history. In most major revolutions of growth and innovation, tools have been created to help aid us in creating a better life. For example, assembly lines made it easier to build a car and make them less expensive. But, in our current situation, what we are creating leaves a window for the creation, the technology itself, to not only aid us, but possibly become part of us, and because of its level if intelligence and capability, it has a chance to turn against us.

Now, I don’t want to get all Skynet here (We’ll watch the movie when you are a little older). But, what I do want you to understand is that the world you know now, will be drastically different by the time you will go out on your own. Consider this. As I tell you this, you are 5 years old and you are used to getting in the car and driving with mommy and daddy, but by the time you are old enough to drive, 16 years old, you may never need to have a driver’s license because the car will self-drive and take care of you. Just hop in and tell it where you want to go. You may never have to learn to drive, but I’ll teach you anyway.

Then, about 6-8 years after that, you’ll be graduating what is college today. But honestly, I don’t know if you will ever need to go to college by that time. The choice will be up to you. What I mean is that the skill sets in this new world will be different. Getting a business degree may not do much for you in a world where much is automated or artificial intelligence runs things and is smarter than most humans. You would need to go to school to learn to be a doctor or something like that…but even then, think about what technology will be able to do with medicine in 20 years. We already have robots performing surgery and their capabilities grow every day.

From what I see though, there are some skills, both hard and soft that you and all of the kids your age will need.

First, the soft skills. There are certain things that AI and machines cannot replace. The first is emotional intelligence and critical thinking. Learning to control your mind, your thoughts, and harness the power of your subconscious to help you succeed and be resourceful will always be needed. Second, you will have to know how to sell. Whether it is selling your business, yourself, or an idea, you will have to understand how people buy and how they make decisions. You will need the experience of reading people, understanding body language, voice inflection, tone, and what it means…and then how to recognize this and use it create the best outcomes. Some of this is empathy, but it is also a quick wit. Another soft skill is resourcefulness. You mother and I will teach you to never be helpless, to find a way or figure it out. To ask “How can it be done,” instead of just saying it can’t. We will challenge you to find new ways of doing things. Lastly, Jim Rohn once said that formal education will make you a living, and self-education will make you a fortune. I believe that statement will be more important than it ever has been for your generation. No matter what in the future, everyone will be an entrepreneur in some way shape of form, even if it is just managing your personal and digital brand. Taking the time to self-educate, learn, and grow yourself will be a massive separator in success.

Now, the hard skills. You will need to understand computers, programming, and how different technologies fit together to create ecosystems. You will need to be well versed in math, science, and economics. You will have to gain a good understanding of the how the world is connected in business, from banking to technology, and finance. You will need to understand how to build systems and lead people. The last point will be very important. I have feeling in a world of convenience where it things are readily available with just a thought, people will seek out leaders and people they can trust more than they do today. Learning how to build teams, create consensus, and give people direction will be highly valued.

Lastly, in a world where technology and things like virtual reality will be able to give people the ability to experience things that they probably never would…albeit, in a virtual way...I believe people will give a lot of value to those that have gone and done true experience and been there and done that in real life. I think this will happen because once someone gets a taste of something, even on a virtual headset, they hunger for the reality of it and will seek those that have actually had the experience to learn from them. Focus on gaining the real experiences of life. Travel, take calculated risks, and let failure come, but learn from it. As I have said to you since you were little, what do we do when we fall? We get back up. And keep getting back up, pushing through. That maybe the most important skill of all. I love you, Daddy.

Misfit 3

1. The world and its future is changing faster than it has at other times in history. Technology is finally at a point where it will be smarter than most humans and this will change things.
2. Understand that certain skills such as emotional intelligence, control over your thoughts, knowing how to sell, understanding computers/programming and the world of commerce, economics, and banking as well as how to lead people will be essential to success.
3. Above all, the perseverance to keep going and breakthrough, harnessing your inner will, will always propel people to new levels and success no matter what is changing around them.

In this episode, Dave is excited to welcome Mike Goncalves. Mike is the founder of The Wellness Bucket, a business dedicated to helping entrepreneurs to be physically, mentally, and spiritually fit. The Wellness Bucket system leverages exercise to help entrepreneurs push past their limiting beliefs, fears, and self-doubt in order to achieve and succeed in both health and entrepreneurship.

Through the Wellness Bucket, Mike has created a global community of entrepreneurs committed to help each other with their health and businesses. And Mike embodies everything he teaches. He has a Masters degree in sports medicine. He is a marathoner and ultra marathoner He speaks at numerous events throughout the year teaching people how exercise has a direct impact on their success.

Exercise and good health is such an important part of success as an entrepreneur and after meeting Mike and seeing his passion for bringing exercise and entrepreneurship together, Dave knew he had to have him on the show.

www.TheWellnessBucket.com

Make sure to get Mike's free gift to you, Misfit Nation, a 15 minute entrepreneur workout you can do anywhere!

www.The WellnessBucket.com/Misfit

Mike always gravitated toward exercise and fitness. It is his passion. He has owned brick and mortar businesses helping people reach their fitness goals, but it was after having to move from San Diego to Boston and leave his main business in San Diego that he came up with the idea for the Wellness Bucket. His goal was to be able to help people from wherever he was in the world achieve their fitness goals and create a better life.

Now, Mike has both a traditional fitness training business and the Wellness Bucket and it helping more people than ever.

At the 5:50 mark, Mike talks about the blind faith, curiosity, and fear that he went through in creating his first business and how that led to the creation of what he does now. He talks about how curiosity helps lead to taking action.

At the 8:30 mark, Mike talks about the correlation between fitness and entrepreneurship and how your health directly impacts your career.

How does an entrepreneur find the balance between work commitments and prioritizing their health?

Over 17 years, Mike has seen patterns that lead to good consistent fitness routines, and he breaks it down into 4 specific things:

1. Your state and mindset – For example, if you know it is your “leg day” and your thoughts and mind are dreading it, your chances of going and doing it, decrease. But, if you realize that and also know how to trigger a positive state around working out like listening to a song that pumps you up or watching a motivational video, you can break through the barrier and get to the right state to move forward. Mike calls this “Creating a Champion’s Mindset”
2. Knowing exactly what you want from your fitness routine – This does not mean saying “I want to lose weight” or “Get in better shape.” It is being specific. “I want to lose 18 pounds so I can fit in a bikini” or “I want to be able to run 5 miles without issue.” Being specific with your goals and not generalizing is the key.
3. Creating a strategy that works for you – This means putting some time and thought into a strategy that actually works for your life schedule. Whether that is 15-20 mins a day or one hour 3 times/week, the point is to set things up that you can actually do and will do. Make it yours.
4. Have a routine to stay motivated – This is important in that you do need to keep yourself motivated, especially in the beginning of a fitness routine. It is easier to stay motivated once you begin to see results, but in the beginning they aren’t there yet. It takes time and you must realize that, so looking for little things is important. For example, sticking to a routine for an entire week and then the next, etc. is motivation. Giving yourself little rewards at milestones, etc.

In the end it comes down to choice and the choices you make determine your life.

At the 20 min mark, Mike gives an example of how working with someone to implement a fitness program centered on them and helping them perform at a higher level in their business paid off.

“How and what we think will dictate what we do and what we do will dictate our results.”

What have you learned about entrepreneurs and success in working with so many over the years?

The 40% rule. Keep your cup 40% full and keep the other 60% for yourself – family, fitness, personal growth, life aspirations.

The top entrepreneurs make themselves and their relationships a priority They fall off track like anyone, but they are good at recognizing and getting back on track as fast as possible.

Why should we embrace competing against ourselves?

The person we should be competing against is ourselves. This how you find mastery by striving to be better than yourself yesterday. Can you give a little bit more? When you compete against yourself daily, you feel better. You are more inspired to do better and grow.

What did you learn from your biggest setback to date as an entrepreneur?

Fear has held him back and he has fallen into the trap of chasing the money and fame and not making a difference. He failed hard. If you want to be truly successful all around, shoot to make a difference first, make a dollar second. When it comes to fear, realize that it is temporary. He let a failure and the fear from it sideline him for 2 years and lost 2 years’ worth of opportunity that he did not have to.

What advice do you have for an entrepreneur starting out online today?

1. Consistency – Be consistent with what you are doing and playing the long game. Consistency builds credulity
2. Patience – Success doesn’t happen overnight. We want it to, but it doesn’t happen that way. Be patient and savor the process. You learn more and grow each day. Enjoy the journey.

Best Quote; "We are our greatest asset. If we are not at our best, we cannot expect others around us and that we lead to be at their best.”

Mike's Misfit 3:

1. Exercise regularly, even if it is 5-10 mins a day, get into a routine of fitness for yourself.
2. Making time for exercise is making time for success. In order for things to get better, we must get better.
3. We get better through pushing ourselves and doing what we commit to doing long after we said we would do it.

In this episode, Dave is excited to welcome Stan Peake. Stan is the founder of InSite Performance Coaching, a leading business and performance coaching organization serving clients throughout the world. InSite Performance Coaching exists to help values-based leaders live their dreams though showing them how to tap into the abundance of opportunity that exists for them as entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Stan is also the co-author of Swim Upstream: Unsubscribing to Conventional Wisdom, and he has started multiple different business that he has exited through acquisition, so he has diverse knowledge of all areas of the business cycle and what it takes to succeed.

But, what I really want to explore with Stan today is how he was able to make a very successful transition from being an employee for 18 years to starting and creating a successful business. There are so many people out there that want to do just that. They are not happy in their job. They are passionate about something, but just don’t know how to make the leap or overcome the fear that is holding them back. Stan has been there and through his story and insight, my goal is help any in the audience going through that same type of struggle, be able to do the same thing…

www.insiteperformancecoaching.com

Stan had a unique journey of having a blended experience of being an employee-entrepreneur and spent 18 years in the fitness business. Stan says that he was lucky that he fell into what he was passionate about right away in life, but as time went on, his business went through merger and things began to get misaligned and by the time he was in his late 30’s he felt like he had no purpose and lost his passion. As he says, things just felt empty.

What should people know about transitioning to be an entrepreneur?

• There is no ‘sign from god” or if you get one, it is very subtle.
• If you are miserable, get out.
• If you do leave your current role, it doesn’t mean happily ever after.
• You have to give yourself a “violent” shove and rock the boat. Action.
• You will have to work hard on yourself and look I the mirror to find out who you are, peel back the layers, and find out who is left after going through the experience.
• This leads to clarity on who you are and gives you the base you need to move on to your next venture.
• To sum it up, Get crystal clear on your purpose and then make the big leap.

“When your idea and mission is grounded with clear purpose that is how passion becomes an obsession and creates amazing things.”

It is OK to start your business while at a job or another role to get it off the ground, but it will not reach its full potential if you aren’t devoting yourself to it. It was when Stan left his job and focused full time, he was able to create a thriving coaching business in less than a year.

How does someone find their purpose?

Stan uses the “5 Whys” method to help people in finding out what they truly want and their purpose. To do this, articulate what you believe your purpose or mission is and then ask the question “why” in 5 different ways to get to a deep level of commitment and emotional bedrock. As Stan says, “skip past the Miss America answers” to get to your core and the core of who you. The greatest adversity you have had in your life is your greatest gift because it is through this suffering that you learn who you are and how you can truly help people and yourself.

At the 15 min mark, Stan talks about how trying to do too much hurt him and his success and how he used the lessons learned to run a better business and have a better life. He also talks about the relationship of fitness and business.

What is the one area that you see consistently that most people need to work on?

Self-Awareness and listening. No one is ever really wholly aware. The best leaders you meet though are the most humble because they are truly self-aware. Accountability and feedback are critical to creating a successful organization. Being self-aware helps you to care and get better. Surround yourself with people that are more open and at a higher level than you are because it will teach you to accept feedback and then in turn work better with those you lead.

Stan says, “Leaders that don’t listen will eventually be surrounded with people who have nothing to say.”

At the 24 min mark, Stan talks about the 4 distinct stages in a leader’s lifecycle. Each stage requires some re-invention and that is why self-awareness and listening is so important.

1. Owner/operator
2. Manager (customers, team, processes, et.c)
3. Leader (brings on leaders to work with them)
4. Coach (brings out the best in those around them)

Best advice for an entrepreneur starting out today?

• Do your homework and find out two things:
  • Who is your target market? What is their psyche?
  • What is the problem that they have?
• Don’t’ be so concerned with perfection, instead make sure there is a market and you understand it very well. Your product can evolve as needed.

Biggest lesson learned about business and success?

There is not a universal formula. You have to be open and seek learning from your business. You will have to adapt and pivot based on the market, competition, and all other factors that affect it. Otherwise, it will not reach its true potential.

Advice for any entrepreneur? ​

They should know their core contribution to their organization. They should know their biggest strength and use that in all the areas where it helps the business, but not force it in where it doesn’t belong.

Best Quote: "The difference between an expert and a beginner is that the expert has failed more times."

Stan's Misfit 3: 

1. Passion isn’t just what you love. Instead, it is what you can’t help but do. An obsession. Once you find your passion, you lose your ability to quit.
2. Self-awareness is key to becoming a better leader. Be open. Stay open to better yourself.
3. Every day you have the opportunity to change your life, however you also have the ability to put in the minimum. The choice you make most consistently determines your reality. If you are feeling uncomfortable, you are avoiding putting in the minimum.