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Dave Lukas, The Misfit Entrepreneur_Breakthrough Entrepreneurship

The weekly podcast with serial entrepreneur, Dave M. Lukas, devoted to giving you incredibly useful and unique insight from the world's top entrepreneurs with a focus on their non-traditional methods for achieving success, their Misfit side. Misfit was created to give YOU the breakthrough entrepreneurship strategies and actionable advice to accelerate your success! The show's open format and Misfit 3 concept, combined with Dave's intuitive and engaging interview style quickly uncover each guest's key tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can start using in their lives right now. Learn more about the show at www.misfitentrepreneur.com and become a member of Misfit Nation by signing up for the Misfit Minute, the FREE weekly email with specific resources from the week's "Misfit 3," and actionable tips and items from the world of Misfit Entrepreneurs. It is delivered every Friday to your inbox!
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The weekly podcast with serial entrepreneur, Dave M. Lukas, devoted to giving you incredibly useful and unique insight from the world's top entrepreneurs with a focus on their non-traditional methods for achieving success, their Misfit side. Misfit was created to give YOU the best, actionable advice to accelerate your success!

The show's open format and Misfit 3 concept, combined with Dave's intuitive and engaging interview style quickly uncovers each guest's key tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can start using in their lives right now.

Learn more about the show at www.misfitentrepreneur.com and become a member of Misfit Nation by signing up for the Misfit Minute, the FREE weekly email with specific resources from the week's "Misfit 3," and actionable tips and items from the world of Misfit Entrepreneurs. It is delivered every Friday to your inbox!

Feb 27, 2019

Misfits, this episode was recorded while I was on the road with live mics, so it will sound different than normal, but I promise that you will absolutely love this episode. This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Peter Katz. Peter is a Canadian Screen Award-nominated singer-songwriter. He’s been rated the best Male Vocalist in NOW Magazine and is has been #1 on the Itunes Singer-song writer charts multiple times. He’s toured the world playing to sell-out crowds and has built an incredible fanbase of loyal listeners, selling over 25,000 copies of his discs mostly from stage, one show at a time.

I recently got to see Peter in a private concert and meet and spend time with him - and I have to say I came away incredibly impressed. Not only is he one of the best voices I have ever heard sing, but also one of the most down to earth people I have ever met.

And make no mistake, he understands business. Especially in today’s world, where to succeed as a singer-songwriter, is radically different than the days where you could just cut an album and get it on the shelves. Nowadays, it takes the whole package. It takes having a great product, understanding all the different channels to market it through, being truly genuine and engaging your fans in a meaningful way, and above all - staying true to yourself.

There is a lot we can learn from Peter on how to succeed in business and I’ve brought him on today, to teach it to you. We may even get to hear a song or two if we are lucky.

www.PeterKatz.com

@PeterKatzMusic

Peter has been touring for the last 12 years. For the first 10 years, he was doing about 150 shows/performances a year, playing to small crowds, sleeping on floors, and figuring out how to make ends meet. He would drive 8 hours a day to do a show for sometimes just a few people. After over 10 years of doing it, his music began to take hold and he began to get a large following and got his first major hits.

“The only way I was going to get good at being a singer/songwriter was by doing it all the time.”

Peter talks about how each show he got better and he had to go all in and that everything he learned helped him to get better and better. It then led to a bunch of unexpected outcomes which added to his success.

At the 13 min mark, Peter tells the story of a certain hotel that kept popping up through his story and what he realized about life’s journey…It’s best to just listen to the story.

  • You will go through your biggest fears in your life at some point and you will be able to get through them, because they are not as big as you made them out to be. You will be OK.
  • Learning to maintain perspective in the face of all the bad and good that happens, is very important.

How do you keep perspective and stay true to who you are?

  • Live your life by the “head on the pillow rule.” When you lay your head on the pillow at the end of the night, can you honestly say that you have given your best, done your best, and treated everyone with integrity? If so, you will sleep like a baby.
  • You have to be able to stand up and believe in what you are doing, saying, and in your actions.
  • If you are going to pick an entrepreneurial or unconventional path, you might as well do something that you can believe in and be proud of as that may be your only reward as an entrepreneur for a while.
  • It’s the self-respect you must have to keep perspective and stay true.
  • Create standards to live into.

Tell us about how you built your business and lessons you’ve learned…

  • Do every job you can in your business before having someone else do it for you.
  • You will need to learn to let go of the reigns at some point and it will be challenging – but to grow you will have to do it.
  • You have to find a way, make a way, and hustle. Get out and create your opportunities.
  • The only way you can get better is by doing it every day in and out, not just once a week.
  • Your team will build over time. Be patient.
  • Make it a point to spend the most time and where you make the most impact on the business.
  • It’s a balance of hustle and continuous improvement.

Talk to us about what it means to be relentless…

  • First, you can push too far…you have to realize this.
  • You must schedule time for yourself away from it. You should be relentless in your self-care the same as you as in your work.
  • Re-charging yourself helps you to be more relentless.
  • To be relentless, you must constantly make choices toward what you believe in and not stop in your pursuit.
  • You have to want it so bad that you will move heaven and earth to get it. And this puts you into a whole new category of possibility.

What are some of the principles you have used to build and keep a loyal following?

  • From day 1, treating people with the respect and recognition they deserve.
  • Always honor people in your life and business. Remember their names. Be genuine.
  • Show appreciation to those that help you and follow up with thanks. Show up.
  • Show up on time and be your best. There is no other way to do it.
  • Be kind and remember that people will remember how you treated them- sometimes many years after.
  • Be and stay consistent

How do you overcome and put yourself in a place where you are always ready to perform?

  • Be open, honest, and vulnerable.
  • Wherever you are before you walk on stage, compete, etc. – acknowledge where you are starting from and go from there.
  • Trust that you will get into the moment. You must have self-respect for yourself in that when you perform at whatever it is you do, enjoy it.
  • Nervousness is selfishness. You should be thinking about those that you are performing for and everything it took for them to be there. You are doing it for them – not for you.
  • People don’t want you to fail – they want you to follow through on the promise of what you can be to them or their business.

Any success hacks or habits you can’t live without?

  • Going to the gym or physical activity in the morning is a miracle cure.
  • It is focused time to take care of yourself.
  • You will feel better after every time.

 

Best Quote: People don’t want you to fail – they want you to follow through on the promise of what you can be to them or their business.

 

Peter's Misfit 3:

  1. Follow the “head on the pillow” rule. Be and do your best. Hold yourself to a higher standard.
  2. Make sure you carve out the time to work on “the thing.” You have to work on whatever it is that needs your personal focus.
  3. Practice self-care. Everything falls apart if you don’t take the time to take care of your body, your mind, and your relationships.
Feb 20, 2019

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneurs are Tom Antion. Wow, where to start with Tom. Tom has never had a job. He has been an entrepreneur since he was a kid. He owned 5 apartment buildings and a hotel before he graduated college. He owned and operated the 2nd largest nightclub in the state of West Virginia. On top of that, he has started and owned everything from print shops to video production companies and entertainment companies. He was one of the early online marketers and has a number of businesses online.

And if that is not enough, he is a top rated speaker, consultant, and founder and host of the Screw the Commute Podcast.

It should be pretty obvious why I had to have him on at this point, because Tom has Misfit Entrepreneur written all over him. And today, I’m excited to share his best advice on how to succeed on the entrepreneur’s journey.

www.ScrewtheCommute.com

Tom’s family came over on a cattle boat from Syria and his father by the age of 13 had started his own electrical business, so Tom has entrepreneurship in his blood. By the time Tom was 10, he was selling advertising door to door and once he got a license sold encyclopedias. As Tom says, he’d do anything that is ethical and moral to get out of working for someone!

Tom ended up with football scholarship to play at West Virginia. In college, he read a book on how to “Turn a $1000 in $1 million in real estate.” He ended up buying 5 apartment buildings with no money down. At same time, was helping the landlord where he lived when something needed fixed. The landlord mentioned he was retiring and like Tom so much that he offered to give Tom a hotel he owned. He helped finance it and Tom owned it for 5 years making almost $400k on it.

He did some other jobs and then bought a nightclub. He took a biker bar in the country in West Virginia and fixed it up. But, there will still problems with fights, shootings, stabbings, etc. around it with patrons.

He got out of that and then created a practical joke company where people hired Tom and his group to pull practical jokes – think Jackass before Jackass. He also started speaking and training during this time.

In 1994, the internet came along. He spent two years figuring it out and eventually started learning how to make money and things went from there.

At the 9:45 mark, Tom talks about what he loves most about entrepreneurship and why…

  • The freedom of it all. The freedom to create. The freedom build things the way you want, etc.
  • You only deal with people that you want to deal with and not have to put with unethical or amoral people.
  • You can speak your mind
  • You can make your own schedule

What advice would give someone to get to their first $1 on the internet?

  • You must be somewhat frugal – not cheap.
  • Don’t get sucked into having to spend a bunch of money to start a business.
    • For example, you can use a solution called speakpipe.com and get messages to from your website directly to you and send them back to engage your audience.
  • Get some knowledge and spend time using the tools that are virtually free online. Keep your costs low

At the 14 min mark, Tom gives examples of businesses you can start online with no cash…

  • Use affiliate marketing. Market a product that already exists online and get a commission for it. You don’t even need a website. All you have to do is find a way to promote a product online.
  • You could go to Youtube, create a video on your phone and put the affiliate link in the description. When or if people go buy thought the link – you get a commission.
  • You don’t even need a website….just a phone camera and a little bit of time on Google.
  • A podcast is a great example of something you can get going in about an hour on audio.fm
  • Write an e-book. All you need to do is compile the information and there are ton of people out there that can make it into an e-book or with a little artistic license, you can do it in word and convert it to a PDF. You can sell e-books from $17 on up.
  • Record video on how to use a software or solution by recording your computer screen and put it up on Youtube or link to where they can get it.

Where can people go to sell their product such as E-books, etc.?

  • Clickbank.com is good and is kind of the old guard.
  • JVZoo.com is newer and is growing fast because it has a mechanism that if you qualify, you get paid instantly where you have to wait with Clickbank. 
  • Those are really the only two you need.

At the 21 min mark, Tom talks about how to make money online with their hobbies and make them tax deductible.

You can create things out of thin air. Try them with a free Wordpress site. And you are in business without going broke. You can try any idea for basically lunch money!

What are ways that you use to drive traffic to these ideas you create?

  • The #1 thing is also the #1 mistake. That is Key Word Research.
  • Every idea is a CSI. A “Crappy, Stupid Idea” until you can prove that someone is really willing to pay for it and can back it up with real numbers.
  • The first thing you should do is key word research. Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that tells you stats on key word research as well as related terms.
    • Make a big list of all the terms
    • You then need to include as many of those terms on your website.
    • The return on investment is huge.
    • You want to incorporate key words into your social media posts, blog posts, videos, etc.
  • Once you get some money flowing, you can spend a little money on Google or use
  • Youtube Skip Ads Youtube Skip Ads are one of the best bargains. If people don’t watch all 30 seconds, you don’t pay.
  • Youtube is more fair than Facebook when it comes to how they charge for ads.

What are some of the overarching things entrepreneurs need to do to succeed?

  • You have to be willing to give up things in the short run and delay gratification
  • At the 35 min mark, Tom details the “Marshmallow Test.” Listen in on this!
  • Reinvest in yourself and your business – spend money today that you made last year.
  • Delaying gratification, just a little bit is the BIG secret.
  • The most successful though are not balanced, they are highly focused and devoted. An extra hour a day can make such a difference in your success.

Best advice for an entrepreneur just starting out?

  • Get some knowledge and you have to avoid shiny object syndrome. Stay focused and be careful with who you learn from.
  • You can learn anything you want from Youtube Videos that are free.
  • One specific thing that can ramp in a hurry is membership sites. A membership site is one of the best ways to create a business with your knowledge. If you had 100 members at $20/mo, you can have a $24,000 a year business.
  • Listen at the 42 min mark for the “embroidery example that generates $200k per mo”

You were a college football player at WVU and a state champion wrestler – what are some things you learned from sports that have helped you to succeed in business?

  • You are pushed to your limits and beyond in high-level sports…
  • If you can learn to push yourself past what you have dreamed you can do, you can create amazing results for yourself.
  • You have to develop your own sense of confidence and sports does this. Even when you lose, you learn, and you get better.
  • You learn to work on your weaknesses. Open up and work on yourself where you are weak.

What advice can you give to maximize their business and career through speaking?

  • Know that you don’t have to do it.
  • If you are willing to improve your skills to be in front of people, they get a better feel for who you are and it helps your online business or other businesses.
  • It builds your credibility and broadens your reach.
  • There are a lot of ways to speak…
  • Being on video is public speaking
  • Being on Podcasts is a form of public speaking

 

Best Quote: “If you aren’t commuting and going to and from work in a car, making someone else rich every day, you can live 2 or lives with that time and accomplish so much more!”

 

Tom's Misfit 3:

  1. Give before you get. Prove yourself first and you will stand out like crazy to others that can help you.
  2. You have to keep going.
  3. Excellence. Don’t you ever do anything in your life that is not excellent and learn what you need to know to be excellent.
Feb 13, 2019

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Dale Beaumont. Dale is an award-winning technology entrepreneur, speaker, and author of 16 Best-Selling books. He’s been featured everywhere from Forbes to Business Insider, GQ and Gizmodo. Dale started his first business at 19 and has been building companies ever since.

He is the creator of BizVersity. BizVersity has been called the Netflix for business which gives users access to over 1,000+ TV-Quality videos, which have been produced by over 250+ leading business experts from around the globe to give you The World’s Best Business Training. Anywhere, Anytime.’

With a passion to give back, Dale’s goal is to help more than one million entrepreneurs around the world with Bizversity.

Dale made his first million before 25 and has gone on to train over 50,00 people to achieve business success. There is so much we can cover today and I’m going to get everything possible that I can out of him for you in this episode.

www.DaleBeaumont.com

www.BizVersity.com

Dale grew up in Sydney Australia in a middle-class family. His father owned a small business. He grew up sort of being in the business with his dad. His journey really started at 7 years old when he started gymnastics. He was an energy ball and he had a talent for the sport. At age 9, he was selected for an elite squad and by 10 years old, he was training 36+ hours a week while going to school.

It was very intense and became his life until he was 18. He learned a lot of great lessons in hard work, the value of having a coach, how to motivate himself and push through barriers as well as discipline. He made it to multiple world championships representing his country, but by 18, he had a few big injuries that put him in place where he had to take his life in a different direction.

He decided to go into business and started seeking out mentors and coaches to help him learn. He went to seminars and events of everyone from Tony Robbins to Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, Robert Kiyosaki, and others. He was always be one of the youngest in the room and people would tell him how they wish that they had learned the stuff he was learning at a young age.

This gave him an idea – to help youth get the type of training he was getting. He started Tomorrow’s Youth, a company that teaches personal development and life skills to young kids to help them get ahead in life.

He only had 3 people in his first workshop and realized that you can be great at what you do, but if you aren’t good at marketing, you can’t get that far.

He figured it out and the business expanded to other countries.

Then at 25, he wrote a series of books called the Secrets Exposed Series. He came up with a format and over the course of 3 years developed 15 books which sold over 250,000 copies.

He had a few other businesses he did but started teaching and doing workshops on how to succeed in business. This grew with him doing workshops and teaching thousands.

The need to give this content in a bigger way and reach more people lead to the creation of BizVersity.

Out of everything you’ve learned, what is the most important lesson to succeed?

  • Invest in your self-education and self-growth to become better
  • The more that you learn, the more you will earn.
  • One of the best ways to learn is to find people who have done what you want to do and learn from them. Read their book, listen to their podcast, whatever you can do.
  • Never stop growing and learning.

What do you see that holds people back the most?

  • The beliefs they have that are not serving them.
  • They are just really excuses.
  • You can make money, or you can make excuses, but you can’t make both.
  • Don’t tell yourself the wrong story and put brakes on yourself.
  • Whatever your reason or “excuse” for not being where you want to be, is, someone has had it and overcome it before.
  • You can’t control everything that life throws at you, but you can control the things you can control – and your beliefs are in your control.

How do people change their belief systems?

  • First, you must become aware of your beliefs – find out what beliefs are causing you to put on your brakes.
  • Once you start to find them, write them down and choose which ones you want to change.
  • Ask yourself what your new belief should be and why…
  • Make the conscious decision to change it to what you want and write it down in spite of what your brain is telling you.
  • You then have to start deliberately finding opportunities to make that new pattern come alive and gain evidence to support the new belief for your brain to register.

You made your first million before 25, what can you teach Misfit Nation about creating their first million?

  • Find an existing idea that is already working and improve on it by 10-20%
  • What you create must be something that can be duplicated, scale and be sold repeatedly.
  • Build a product that you can sell thousands or millions of times.
  • Dale’s tip – Document the process from the very beginning to create a model and systemize everything.
  • Patience is very important. Success doesn’t grow in a straight line but has a compounding effect. Play the long game.

You’ve sold over 250,000 books, what is your best advice on how to sell a book?

  • It’s important to realize that a book today is a doorway into your business or the products and services you offer.
  • They can be used as a great marketing piece and to gain customers.
  • In some ways, a book is like the new business card.
  • A book is a message that you can take and recreate in many different ways from workshops to course, to audible, Udemy, etc.
  • It better to sell a thousand books to one person – so search for groups to sell you books to. Examples are promotional companies that can give it as an option to their clients. Business groups are also great prospects.

At the 36 min mark, Dale talks about his 52 Ways workshop of tested strategies to become a multi-million-dollar business and live the lifestyle you want.

  • There are 8 topics: Technology, Marketing, Websites, Sales, Social Media, Strategy/Systemization, Outsourcing
  • Under Systems – you need a place to store all your systems or SOP’s such as google drive or docs. The key is to get them all in one place.
  • For project management, you can use Teamwork or Trello.
  • Get a good CRM system as well for all of your contacts. 15% of people buy in the 1st 3 months, but over 80% will buy over 18 months. You need a way to nurture your lead over a period of time to be there when they are ready to make a decision.
  • Follow up with people that come to your site through re-targeting.

How can people travel 3-4 months out of the year, while still making millions?

  • Design your business around your life, not your life around your business.
  • You absolutely can with technology.
  • You need to build a good team and systems first.
  • Have everything online in one place where people can search and find the processes they need is critical.
  • Dale uses an app called Voxer for his team to connect with him while traveling.
  • Book the travel in advance and lock yourself in, so you can’t make an excuse not to go.
  • Start small. Maybe 2-5 days. Then grow the days from there.
  • Most importantly, have the courage to do it and follow through.
  • Doing this will make your business a better one and self-sufficient without you.

At the 47 min mark, Dale talks about how to market, fill an event, and grow your message?

  • You need a good BIG idea – a concept for your event that really grabs attention.
  • It has to be appealing and bring massive value that make people want it.
  • You can fill the room through Facebook marketing, partnering with businesses that are complimentary (JV’s) – this is one of the best ways.
  • Use local media to help spread the word.
  • Engage attendees to help promote the next event.

 

Best Quote: “The more you learn, the more you will earn...”

 

Dale's Misfit 3:

  1. Invest in your self-education. The more you learn, the more you will earn.
  2. Get a good coach to guide you and support you. Someone that already has the results you want. Ask them to mentor you.
  3. Your environment and who you spend time with directly impacts your success, so choose wisely in these areas. You network = your net worth.
Feb 6, 2019

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Tom Nardone. Tom is known as the Millionaire Mailman. He is a great example of ingenuity and the American Dream. He is the co-author of the best-seller, Secrets of Real Estate Millionaires and has been featured on Good Morning America, CNBC, and others.

At age 19, Tom started working for the post office, but according to him, it didn’t take him long to realize that the security entrapment of a “good job” is NOT a lot different from a 30-year jail sentence.

So in 1993, he took some real estate investing courses and bought his first property. But, he realized that he had a huge advantage where others didn’t. Every day, he would see properties along his mail route. In fact, being a mailman, gave him even more huge advantages which I won’t spoil and let him tell you about.

Because of the system he developed, Tom was able to retire at 35. Nowadays, he has purchased over 250 properties and works with and mentors others on their path to real estate investing success.

The lessons he will share with you will not only help you if you invest in real estate but also in your business as well.

www.MillionaireMailman.com Get

Tom's Free Ebook on How to Make $10,000 in Your First 90 Days in Real Estate: Text Mailman to 31996

Tom started working as a mail carrier in 1979. After 5 years, he and his wife wanted to find a way for her to be a full-time mom. And one mailman’s paycheck wasn’t going to make it work. So, Tom went to a few real estate seminars where he met a couple mentors that were real and doing the business. They helped him to realize that he was in the neighborhoods everyday where he got to look at houses and start a real estate business doing what he was doing every day.

He got started by buying run-down, foreclosed houses on his mail route. He slowly fixed them up and rented them out and after 10 years, he woke up and realized that he had enough cash flow that he could go full time.

At the 6:30 mark, Tom reveals more about how found and got his homes…

  • He would see the notices of potential foreclosure in the mail where he had to deliver a certified letter.
  • The home owner would mention needing to get rid of the house and Tom would offer to help.
  • He would come back after work in his civilian clothes and work out a deal with the seller.
  • Tom stressed that timing and being prepared to act are big keys to success.

What is different between the crisis in the 80’s and what we saw in 2008/09 with real estate and what are you seeing in the market now?

2008/09 allowed many to reinvest in the market at a very low price which hadn’t been available in a few decades.

  • There are signs to watch for to see if there will be a slowdown in real estate or a future buying opportunity.
    • Look for new housing starts to slow
    • Look for defaults on credit cards to pick up
    • Look for defaults on car payments
    • After these happen, then you see foreclosure filings go up.
  • At this point, Tom is seeing houses not move as fast and prices begin to flatten out.
  • There has been an uptick in foreclosures.
  • The next crash is not here yet, but things look to be slowing or at least in a softer patch

Tell us about your system. How do you find properties and make them profitable?

You want to buy houses for way below market value – find $1.00 for $.50.

  • Tom uses postcards/mailers to find interested parties that need to get out of properties
  • Mailers still work very well.
  • You can get much more “intelligent” mailing lists
  • You can get lists of absentee owners, 2nd homeowners, age, price range, how long people have owned properties, and also the equity spread, etc.
  • Your profit as an investor is directly related to the equity already in a property.
    • For example, if you find a property worth $100k and the owner only owes $50k on it, but wants to get out…you can negotiate to get the property below market value.

Where can an investor get a list like you mentioned?

  • Listability.com
  • Listsource.com
  • Where you need to be careful is that it can be expensive to test because of mailer costs.
  • You have to give it a shot and when you find a good response rate with a list, stay with the company you got it from because the data is good.

What is the criteria you look for in a deal?

  • Look for problems, not properties.
  • There needs to be uncomfortable circumstances with the seller and they have to be ok with selling at a discount. They just want to get out.
  • There will be work that needs to be done – so you have to have a good idea of what those costs will be.
  • If you can do a cash offer, you have a better chance.
  • Only a small amount of offers you put will have interest and you will close a few over time – so staying consistent is important.

At the 26 min mark, Tom talks about wholesaling and how you can make money that way.

When flipping a property, you don’t want to have more than the 40% mark in the home compared to similar homes in the market. This means if houses are $200k average, you don’t want to have more than $120k in it after purchase and repairs.

How does someone purchase a property if they don’t have the ability to do an all cash offer?

  • Throughout the country there are real estate clubs and meetups.
  • Go to the meetings in your area and start to make connections and learn
  • These connections will have money and or be able to help you.
  • Meeting others in the space can help you as well in evaluating deals to make sure you are not doing a bad deal.
  • There is even the ability to use 401k or IRA money.
  • There is a lot of money from non-traditional places looking for a home. It’s called “lazy money.”

Talk to us about renting…

  • That is the endgame. You want to have a rental portfolio in which the tenants pay down and eventually become free and clear.
  • This will give you great cashflow and tax benefits over time.
  • This cashflow is better than most retirement plans. But, you must be willing to play the long game to get there.

Thoughts on AirBNB?

  • You can do really well with them.
  • It is more hands on as you need to run a tight ship with them.
  • You also need to get good reviews from your guest

Any other tips and tricks?

  • Don’t become emotionally involved in a property.
  • If you are buying a distressed property, it has problems, so the numbers have to make sense.
  • Treat it like a business.
  • Be careful about borrowing money personally – make the asset the sole collateral.

What have you learned from real estate investing that translates well to running a business?

  • You cannot and should not do everything yourself
  • Put together your team of all stars in the areas where they are needed to help you.
  • Stick with your unique ability

 

Best Quote: "Look for PROBLEMS, not properties..."

 

Tom's Misfit 3:

  1. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Do something bigger and braver.
  2. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
  3. Where the mind goes, the man follows. Feed your mind with good things.
Jan 30, 2019

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.

This week’s Lesson for Hannah

I want to talk to you about a very famous poem, IF, by Rudyard Kipling. You may have noticed that I have a canvas of this on my wall in my office. Today, I’m going to tell you why. But, in order to do that, first, I need to read you the poem.

You can view it here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46473/if---

After hearing it, you probably have some idea why I think it is important. It gives some of the best time-tested advice and lessons for life. Now, when it was written, it was written by Rudyard giving advice to his son, but the advice is equally as important to a daughter, a friend, a family member, and of course, you sweetie. Let me explain going through each of the 4 stanzas.

The first stanza says…

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

What this says to me is that you must believe in yourself and walk your own path doing what is right. You must keep your head when all about you are losing theirs – so think logically and methodically in your actions and don’t follow the herd or lemmings over the cliff. Trust yourself when others doubt you, but at the same time, take the time to understand why they doubt you and ask yourself whether it is valid or not. In other words, believe in yourself, but don’t follow blind ambition or lose your humility in the process. Lastly, if you can wait and not be tired of waiting or being lied about, but don’t deal in lies or being hated – don’t give into hating, yet don’t look to good nor talk to wise. This is great life advice, have patience for what you want, know that others may lie about you, but you must not fall to their level and deal in lies, and don’t flaunt your looks or try to be the smartest person in the room all the time – even if you are. Let others have a chance.

The next stanza says…

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

This gives 3 very important lessons. First, dream and think, but realize that dreams and reality are not always going to be the same. Second, understand that you will have great successes and failures in life and there are amazing lessons and gifts in each of them – so treat them the same and learn from them. Third, know that things you put a tremendous amount of time and effort into may not always workout or be destroyed – be ok with that and be strong enough to rebuild in the face of it.

The 3rd stanza says…

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

This is one of my most favorite messages in this poem – you must be willing to persevere. You must be willing to take risks and deal with the consequences of them, good or bad. You must never quit and always be willing to start again, and above all else persevere and hold on!

The 4th stanza says…

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

More very sage advice. To me this is all about remaining true to yourself and who you are. Talking to crowds and keeping your virtue and walking with kings, but not lose your common touch. Hannah, don’t change who you are for the audience in front of you. Be who you are and let it shine through. And the last part of the poem tells us to seize each moment and make the best out of it and that if you do all of this, yours is the earth and everything in it.

It is amazing how much wonderful wisdom can be packed into such a short little group of words…and that is maybe the last lesson for me. The lesson that a small amount of anything can make such a huge difference. A small amount of extra effort can be the difference between winning and losing a race. A small amount of ingenuity can be the difference between inventing the solution and missing it forever. A small amount of perseverance can take you to levels no one ever thought possible.

Hannah, I hope you can use the lessons of IF and the power of small things to help you in your life the way they have helped me. Yours is the earth and everything in it.

I love you, Daddy

 

Best Quote: “A small amount of anything can make such a huge difference. A small amount of extra effort can be the difference between winning and losing a race. A small amount of ingenuity can be the difference between inventing the solution and missing it forever. A small amount of perseverance can take you to levels no one ever thought possible"

 

Misfit 3:

  1. Read "IF" by Rudyard Kipling and think about how you can apply the lessons to your life.
  2. You must believe in yourself and walk your own path doing what is right.
  3. Learn and use the power of small things in your life to make a difference.
Jan 23, 2019

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Alex Quin. At just 24 years old, Alex is a Forbes accredited entrepreneur, investor, and influencer. He’s worked with everyone from Adidas, McLaren to Puma and Red Bull through his marketing agency, UADV.

On top of that, he has investments in a number of other entities, owns an exotic car rental company, and produces documentaries on entrepreneurship and other aspects of the entrepreneur life.

One of the things Alex said to me when we first met is that hustle inspires hustle. He’s right and that is just one of the reasons I asked him to come on and share what he has learned on his journey with you in this episode.

www.AlexQuin.com

@MrAlexQuin on social

Since Alex was a little kid, he had an entrepreneurial mindset and was a master at arbitrage. After graduating high school, he worked in food-service doing all the lowly tasks someone can do while he built his business. His first business was car shows like you’d see in Fast and Furious. They had initial success and had partners like Lamborghini and others. The business blew up, but it was cash suck. They could pay for the events, but not have much leftover. It was the connections he made that would later help his business today.

He kept working in food-service, but also started driving as a chauffeur for the CEO of a major Advertising agency in Miami. After learning some from the CEO, he quit his job and started his advertising business.

Now, they are a private agency that carries out its own projects and invests in others as a partner.

At 6 min mark, Alex explains what it means to “just keep going” and “sometimes it is just part of the cycle and process.” Consistency is the most critical aspect of succeeding.

Was there a time where you hit bottom? How did you claw your way back?

  • Yes! At least 4 times!
  • Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster that never stops
  • There is always something happening that you have to work on, overcome, or work through.
  • Sometimes you are going to doubt ourselves and our biggest opponent is our mind.
  • You must learn to defeat your own negative thoughts and you can always make it through.

Advice on how to overcome?

  • It like a game. Like sports. The big game.
  • You start off on the team as 3rd stringer
  • You’ve got to practice and put your time in.
  • You’ve got to learn the little tricks and habits to make you better. You’ve got to commit and then you work your way up.
  • No one is a “starter” in entrepreneurship out of the gate.
  • All business is training yourself. It’s you that must be trained. 

There is no such thing as a loss…there is only a lesson to learn.

At the 14 min mark, Alex explains “Hustle Inspires Hustle…”

  • Alex loves to infect people with good energy.
  • Doing what you do and doing so well that others gravitate to you and are inspired by you. That is hustle inspiring hustle.
  • We all can inspire someone else in some way. Every day, someone can be looking up to you.

What have you learned about building a business through your experience?

  • If you are creative, at some point, you will have to choose between being a creative and business person. It is very hard to do both.
  • Getting business is about the numbers. If you reach out to enough people, you are going to see a return. If you are not getting a return, you are not talking to enough people.
  • Pivoting requires time and strategy and is not something to just do. You have to really think through what you want.
  • But, you have to be open-minded and sometimes the things you want are not life has planned for you.
  • As long as you stay true to your values, you will be good.

How does someone pivot effectively and make it happen?

  • You have to know when to keep going and when to cut your losses. Your gut will tell you.
  • You have to believe in yourself enough.
  • You can only control YOUR actions and must focus on those things you can control.
  • Sit down, make a plan, and then be obsessed with executing.
  • Entrepreneurship is not for those unsure of themselves and that don’t believe in themselves.

Can someone who doesn’t believe in themselves learn to do so? How?

  • You can learn.
  • You learn by the little victories you have.
  • Every day you will run into little adversities that give you a chance to overcome them.
  • Each time you overcome, you get stronger.
  • You have to go through the weeds to get to the flowers.

What your biggest success hacks?

  • Maintain awareness of world news at all times
  • Maintain awareness of what is happening in culture
  • Taking solid care of himself both mentally and physically
  • Remaining humble and slowing down when it is needed
  • Keep your mind open to learn new things. We know very little at the end of the day.
  • Surround yourself with people that you can really trust and that you know will stick it out through very hard times. It takes time to find them.

 

Best Quote: “There is no step by step guide on how to succeed as an entrepreneur. There are only takeaways that you can grab and apply to your situation to create your own formula.”

 

Alex's Misfit 3:

  1. Honesty. Be honest with others and be honest with yourself.
  2. Humility. Materials things come and go. Keep your humility and be true to yourself.
  3. Hustle. If you are honest, humble, and you hustle – you are going to get what you want.
Jan 16, 2019

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneurs are Sania Khiljee. Sania is a serial entrepreneur as well as social media expert. Sania has businesses in everything from children’s private pre-schools to subscription box services.

She is the founder of Losers to Legends, a social media consulting and education company that started out as a motivational movement on social media and has grown to over 1.5 million followers.

The thing that stuck me most about Sania when we met is how humble, down to earth, and willing to help others she is. I knew I had to have her on to share not just her incredible wisdom and advice with you, but her entrepreneurial spirit as well.

www.SaniaKhiljee.com

@SaniaKhiljee on social

@LoserstoLegends on social

Sania grew up in an entrepreneurial family. But, 10 years ago, Sania was not allowed to be on social media. She had a very possessive ex-fiance that was very dominant over her and would not allow her to be on social media. It took several years to find out why – he was cheating on her using the platforms.

After she got out of that terrible circumstance, she fell in love with social media and its possibilities. She built several brick and mortar businesses alongside her family, but wanted to do something her family had never done before. So, she branched out and created subscription box service using social media and sold it. Since then, she has been teaching others on how to grow their business using social media.

What’s the best advice on entrepreneurship that you got from your father?

  • Sania’s dad is very practical
  • His philosophy is not “follow your passion,” but “Do what makes you money. Do what drives cashflow. It is the lifeblood of any business. Get that right and then follow your passions from there.”
  • Don’t be afraid to be money-minded.
  • Another lesson is that he never let work-life balance get in the way. He made time for family each day. It was a priority. P
  • rioritize money, but not at the expense of the quality of your life.

At the 11 min mark, Sania talks about work-life balance in a 24/7 world…

  • Structure is very important.
  • The more you plan, the better you will do, even with the fires that come up.
  • You have to always be ready for the unexpected demands of business day to day.
  • Ask yourself, “What does a productive day really look like?

What was like going out on your own away from the family business?

  • Sania is not a rags to riches story, but a prove your own worth story.
  • She had beat imposter syndrome by building a business and selling it herself.
  • Creating businesses that make money that were aligned with dreams she had were very validating for her.
  • The lessons learned and what it took to be successful are very integral to who she is as a person today.

What did you do to actually create the conviction you now have as an entrepreneur?

  • You don’t have to be so polar or a binary decision between one thing or another. You can do multiple things at once.
  • Sania still worked in the family business but built her other businesses outside of it.
  • Having a side-hustle that you can build to a point where you can do it full time is a great way to go.
    • Gary Vaynerchuk is a great example of this.

What are your best tips on how to grow a worldwide audience through social media?

  • Have a focus. Don’t jump around between a bunch of different types of posts.
  • As much as you can niche down, you will do better in speaking to a specific audience.
  • Get granular. For example, “30 year old entrepreneurs who live in the US and are looking for morning motivation.”
  • When someone lands on your page, they should know immediately who it’s for, what it is about, and the content they can count on from it.
  • Quality of content is critical as well. 1 piece of viral content can change everything, so every piece you put our should be top quality.
  • Consistency. If you are serious about social media – it is 2-3 hours per day minimum across all platforms. Instagram, Youtube, Quora, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • It is not enough to just put up content – you then have to go out and engage and attract people back to your pages and take a real interest in you and what you are doing.

Tell us about the 3 hours a day…

  • The 10,000 hour rule. If you spend 3 hours a day on social media, within 10 years, you will become world-class at it.
  • Sania chooses not to outsource, but to use the time to hone her skills.
  • If you do not want to be an expert. You can put in less time, such as an hour a day, and outsource for the rest.
  • No matter what, you are looking a devoting time daily.

What about someone that owns a business and only has 3-5 hours per week? Can they maximize their presence online?

  • Yes – you can hire an intern or hire an agency that does done for you solutions.
  • If you outsource, you may miss out on some of the engagement. If you can still find some time to engage, that is good.

Talk to us about some of the methods you use to grow your account…

  • There are paid and organic growth tactics
  • $5 per day in social media marketing, such as Facebook ads or boosting posts, can make a huge difference.
  • The more exposure you get coupled with high quality content is a recipe for success.
  • You can pay for influencer shoutouts. You can pay a little bit to someone with a million followers or more to promote you.
  • Engagement with other users in a genuine way costs nothing. Leaving comments and posts on other pages that you like will drive slower growth, but the best followers.
  • There are also software available for growth. Automations are touchy as they can de-personalize, but can and do work.
  • LinkedIn has a lot of automation as well.
  • You should also research times to post across platforms as well as which hashtags. You can study others you admire in your niche. Copy them.
  • Social media is a science – doing the right things in a consistent way.

What is a paid shoutout and what do they cost?

  • It is when an influencer promotes you to their audience.
  • You can pay anywhere from $10-$300 for a shoutout.
  • Sania usually pays $10-$20 or does a trade.
  • You have to be very careful when paying for influencer shoutouts to make sure people have real followers, not ones they bought.
  • You can go to socialblade.com and type in an influencers name to see their growth.
  • You want to see consistent daily growth instead of bursts of growth followed by a loss of followers (this is a sign they buy followers).
  • You should also look at the makeup of followers and quality of comments to see if they resonate with your focus.

At the 44 min mark, Sania talks about the types of shoutouts she does and others do…

It is generally best to give something free to potential followers or new subscribers

If you could pick only one social media platform to be on, which one would it be and why?

  • Instagram because it is where she started
  • Data shows Instagram is one of the most lucrative platform and better for organic growth vs. Facebook where you have to pay more now.
  • Instagram also has better ability for viral content
  • But, you should figure out which platform is best for you and for what you like.

What are ways to make money online from your social media presence?

  • Once you have an audience, you can promote your services to them.
  • Books, video courses, masterminds, affiliate products you promote, etc.
  • Referring business to others and taking a cut – so look for partnerships you can do shoutouts for.

 

Best Quote: “ Do what makes you money. Do what drives cashflow. It is the lifeblood of any business. Get that right and then follow your passions from there.”

 

Sania's Misfit 3:

  1. Try meditation. 30 mins to an hour a day can change your life. Search “deep-guided” meditation on Youtube. Guided makes it easy for you.
  2. Find your focus(es). Find the 1-2 things that deserve your most focus and that are symbiotic to each other and focus on them intently.
  3. Approach your sales as being a friend or partner first, then your customer. If you try to sell people right at the start without a relationship, it will make it harder.
Jan 9, 2019

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.
Jan 2, 2019

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.
Dec 26, 2018

Misfit Nation! Welcome to the Misfit Entrepreneur 2018 year in review where each year I attempt to boil down all of the incredible, useful information, strategies, and tips that our guests have given on the show into less than one hour for you…with a few surprises thrown in.

It’s impossible for me to go over every single best piece of advice from these amazing people and that is why I urge you to take some time and go through the Misfit Archives to see which episodes resonate most with you. In doing this episode, my goal is to spur ideas – to give you a lightning strike that propels you down a path of action to better improve yourself, your life, and your business or career in 2019!

But, before listening, I want to tell you something. I want to say “Thank YOU.” Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support of the show and thank you for sharing our message. Without you and the amazing feedback members of this audience give me every week, it would not be half of what it is. Because of you, in just over a year, this show has reached hundreds of thousands of people in over 70 countries. I am truly humbled and in awe OF what we’ve done together and I am excited about having an even bigger impact with your help in 2019.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did creating it for you!

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