Michael Loeb's New Approach To Launching Billion Dollar Companies

Joining us today is Founder and CEO of Loeb.NYC and Loeb.ATL, Michael Loeb. Loeb Enterprises is an early stage venture investing company and an incubator for startups.

Michael Loeb

Michael Loeb

Joining us today is the Founder and CEO of Loeb.nyc, Michael Loeb. Loeb.nyc represents a new approach to launching early stage startups that pairs capital with the support of experts across a wide range of disciplines. Prior to this, Michael Loeb co-founded Synapse in 1992 with Jay Walker. Synapse then became the largest seller of consumer magazine subscriptions worldwide and now is a subsidiary of Time Warner. Along with Jay Walker, Michael Loeb also assisted with the creation and early stage funding of Priceline.

Although Michael Loeb was born in St. Louis, MO, he has been in New York since the age of one year old. However, it was not until he was fired from Time, Inc that he realized his entrepreneurial potential. Tune in to this episode of Ambition Today to learn more of Michael’s amazing story:

  • Growing up in New York City.

  • Working at Time, Inc.

  • Why being fired can sometimes be important.

  • Creating Synapse.

  • Co-founding Priceline.

  • Expansion of Loeb Atlanta

  • Selling his company for $800 million & becoming a billionaire.

  • Creating Loeb.nyc to help build new companies.

  • Why New York is a unique startup ecosystem.

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
I have heard you say that you wish you had bet on yourself earlier in your life. How old were you when you quit Time and how can people bet on themselves earlier in their own life? 

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“It is hard to be an entrepreneur in your 30’s, if you didn’t have a big win in your 20’s.”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here. 

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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Brian McCullough How The Internet Happened & What Is Happening Today

Approaching two decades later, our guest, Brian McCullough’s company is still going strong. Brian is CEO of ResumeWriters.com which is the longest lasting company for this service, shout out to Brian.

Brian McCullough

Brian McCullough

Approaching two decades later, our guest, Brian McCullough’s company is still going strong. Brian McCullough is CEO of ResumeWriters.com which is the longest lasting company for this service, shout out to Brian. Not only is he a successful entrepreneur, he is also the Author of How The Internet Happened book. In 2016, he became a Ted Talk Resident, and is also known for his podcasts: Internet History Podcast and Techmeme Ride Home, which is a News Aggregator that now gives you a daily dose of tech news.

Brian McCullough grew up in Florida with no entrepreneurial background as his parents were both hard working teachers. Brian went to college to get a degree in Film, which he did, however, it was when he had to write his thesis to graduate, that he ended up becoming an entrepreneur instead. Tune in to hear more about Brian’s story:

  • Life background

  • Interviewing people for his book

  • Internet History Podcast

  • Techmeme Ride Home

  • History of the internet

  • How The Internet Happened book

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
With regard to the venture capital industry whose job is to depict that future, what advice would you have for them based on the history of the internet? 

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“We live in the world where entrepreneurs are rock stars”

Links from this episode:

·         Techmeme Ride Home

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

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50 Episodes Later, Ramphis Castro Returns To Talk About Investing In Hard-Tech & Life Science Startups

Ramphis is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of ScienceVest, a venture capital fund for hard-tech and life science companies. He is an experienced technologist and product strategist that has led and supported venture-backed teams from idea to exit. He is a Kauffman Fellow and co-Chairs the NYC chapter of the Society. As a Fellow, his research focused on the funding gaps for radical science companies in the U.S., collecting interviews of over 200 stakeholders across the research & commercialization ecosystem in the U.S.

Ramphis Castro

Ramphis Castro

Reminiscing on my first podcast is my guest, Ramphis Castro. We sat down for my very first podcast in August of 2015 and he has watched it grow over the years. It was great to have him here with me again. Ramphis is a serial entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist that has impacted several companies across 40 countries. His quote sums him up very well, “I am a Computer Engineer and Lawyer by training, serial entrepreneur by experience, and grass-root ecosystem builder by conviction.”

A Puerto Rican Native, Ramphis grew up by the beach with his dad, mom and three siblings. He is close to his family and had his mom instilling entrepreneurship in his mind from the beginning. The family always had little ways to make some extra spending money outside of their jobs, which taught Ramphis investing and ways to make money from a young age. He was fortunate enough to go to a school that taught English and went to an Engineering school for college. From there he was hired as a Microsoft, which was the hot company to work for at the time. He then started a consulting service company, had to learn from a few mistakes, and get back up. He has now owned several companies and has helped multiple companies by investing. Listen in to hear more about Ramphis and his path to success:

  • World happenings from Episode 1

  • Life in Puerto Rico

  • Early Entrepreneurial experiences

  • Working for Microsoft

  • Starting his own company

  • Learning from bad experiences in owning a company

  • Joining Kauffman Fellows

  • Seeing different Ecosystems around the world

  • NYCIC

  • Venture Capital

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
Where is the future of Venture Capital is going? 

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“You don’t know what you don’t know”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

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Understanding Your Habits To Become Indistractable, With Nir Eyal

Author, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Investor, and Consultant, also known as our next guest, Nir Eyal. Well known for his blog, Nir & Far, Nir writes about “behavioral design” the intersection of psychology, technology and business. He helps companies with techniques to motivate and manipulate users.

Nir Eyal, Author of “Indistractable”

Nir Eyal, Author of “Indistractable”

Author, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Investor, and Consultant, also known as our next guest, Nir Eyal. Well known for his blog, Nir & Far, Nir writes about “behavioral design” the intersection of psychology, technology and business. He helps companies with techniques to motivate and manipulate users. He has successfully founded and sold two businesses in the tech industry and now has his book “Hooked” on the market, with his newest book, “Indistractable” coming in September.

Nir, originally born in Israel, moved to the US when he was just three years old and grew up in Orlando, FL. He received his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he has since then taught. He is also an active angel investor as he believes in putting his money where his mouth is and invests in habit forming products. Listen in to learn more about Nir:

  • Growing up in Orlando

  • How Nir knew he would become an entrepreneur

  • Stanford Graduate School of Business

  • Nir & Far – the meaning behind the name of his blog

  • “Hooked”

  • Types of Manipulation

  • Creating Habit Forming products

  • His new book, “Indistractable”

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“What are your thoughts on iPhone addiction? How do we protect ourselves from them?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“It is not the best product that wins, it is the product that captures the monopoly of the mind.”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

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Smart Goals And Planning Your Future

The past year has been a long grind and while it’s not January yet, admit it, the thoughts of creative ways you can reinvent yourself in the new year have probably already started. You have probably been extremely busy these past twelve months, but, as you know, being busy does not mean you are being productive.

The past year has been a long grind and while it’s not January yet, admit it, the thoughts of creative ways you can reinvent yourself in the new year have probably already started. You have probably been extremely busy these past twelve months, but, as you know, being busy does not mean you are being productive.

Founder Institute Team Offsite 2018

Founder Institute Team Offsite 2018

If you are a rockstar founder or CEO though, you may have already met with your team to gather internal feedback, discuss a rough plan, come up with some smart goals, and chart the corporate course for the next 365 days. One example of how awesome teams do annual planning for the coming year; comes from our Founder Institute team offsite a few weeks ago in Lake Tahoe. As, Founder Institute CEO Adeo Ressi writes: “If you do not know what you want and where you are going, then you will never reach your potential.” Here is the 5 step process that we use at Founder Institute for our annual planning:

Adeo Ressi Kevin Siskar Annual Planning.png

So this got me thinking. What if individuals planned for the next year with the same thoughtfulness and designed precision that companies do. To create a proper future plan and their own smart goals. Like most people, I juggle many things; I run Founder Institute New York, host the Ambition Today podcast, helped start the NYC Innovation Collective non profit, and have a personal life, etc. The first and non obvious answer is I have help and amazing teammates. Never take those around you for granted and make sure you have help. The second answer is that I view all of these as aligned to my personal core mission statement. I have a north star that guides my career choices day in and day out. It helps determine, at a high level, what I should say yes and no to.

This long term planning to set smart goals can be vital. It is the foundation upon which you manage your daily routine or drive monthly traction for your company. This tweetstorm from Julien Smith, CEO of Breather, does a great job stating how important it can be to stay focused on your north star. And more importantly how the effects of your long term grind start to manifest in your life. I recommend reading the whole tweetstorm, but here are two highlights:

So what things should you keep in mind as you plan your future smart goals and what you want achieve in the next 8,765 hours.

One: Aligning Yourself

First you need to digest your own thoughts. You need to step out of your normal day to day routine to take a step back. Schedule time to reflect, sans technology device. Just you and your thoughts. Even if is just for a cup of coffee one morning a week, or during a run. Go to a museum or visit a bookstore. Read a self help book. Watch an inspiring movie. Keep an open mind. Do whatever you need to in order to break out of your normal headspace. The clarity this will provide you will be very important.

Second, you need to gather raw and honest feedback from those you most respect and admire. Find someone whose actions or lifestyle you want to emulate and see what they do. Ask them what their routines are like and how they have accomplished similar goals in their own lives. Get an understanding of the blueprint, so you can start to build it for yourself.

Two: Define Your North Star

If you know where you want to go in life, you want to try formalize it into one sentence. Be sure you take the time to workshop it. It might go through many iterations, until it is something you love and feel passionate about. Consider it your personal mission statement. For example, my personal mission statement is to “Help Founders Improve The Lives Of One Billion People”.

If you don’t have a “north star” or a long term goal yet, that is fine. I assure you that you are not alone. And the answer for you is to go back to step one and aim to get as many new experiences as possible in the coming year. You need to test drive new places and people. Join an extracurricular team or activity in the evenings. Go volunteer somewhere. When you find something that feels right, I promise you, you will know.

Three: Establish Measurable Smart Goals

Smart Goals Definition: A goal which needs to conform to the following criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. ie; S.M.A.R.T. is the smart goals acronym.

Now that you know what you want to accomplish from step two, it is time to define what smart goals will determine success for you. When smart goals setting try to only have a handful of primary objectives. Above five and it will be harder to accomplish them in only a few months. These smart goals are the steps that take you closer to achieving your core mission.

Make sure you quantify the smart goals. Here are some great smart goal examples. If your smart goals are health related you could set smart goals around a specific desired weight, business milestones, daily food consumption, weekly number of workouts, average heart rate, etc. If accomplishing one of these smart goals will require the help of another person, for example a significant other, then you should discuss the smart goals with them and involve them in the process Just like these smart goal examples, you need to always be including a measurement along with the objective.

Four: Create Actionable Plans

Now that you have a mission and list of smart goals, it is time to determine the plans you will execute to work toward accomplishing them.

I like to start by writing the actionable first step underneath each goal. This way when you read it, you don’t get overwhelmed. You will simply know the next action that needs to be taken. From there you can take some time to expand and to build out a repeatable process. Writing out a great process can be hard at the onset because it takes time, but the long term freedom it affords you can be a game changer.

Five: Develop Tracking Systems

You will need to track your plans in order to measure success, thereby determining if you have accomplished the smart goals necessary to bring you closer to achieving your mission.

  • As with all things in life, accomplishing these smart goals will require time. You should keep a digital calendar. This will allow you to schedule recurring time every week in your schedule to focus on the set smart goals.

  • If your smart goals require other people then create weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings with those people to review them together.

  • Allow yourself to view your progress. Create a visual space where you can, at a glance, see how you are doing. At Founder Institute we create dashboards using software. I personally use Todoist to track my tasks. But you could use something as simple as a whiteboard, which you take the time to update weekly.

  • I like to stack order my smart goals by the things in the next 90 days that will bring in the most revenue. Depending on your life, this can at times be a shifting and moving target. Which is why I re-evaluate it throughout the year.

It will take time to accomplish the five steps, but the result will be a strong annual plan for your life. In the coming months you will accomplish more than ever before. Ensuring that your day to day grind is not just busy work, but meaningful work bringing you closer to the long term vision for your life.

If you want some help and guidance in 2019, be sure to check out two of our Founder Institute NY portfolio company’s which might be able to help! Tenshey is on a mission to advance gender diversity and leadership development through executive coaching. The Lighthouse is a curated community of vetted industry insiders providing tailored career advice and support.

Remember, that the long term grind can be a powerful force. When you work toward your personal mission the long tail rewards will be the most meaningful! You may fail more than once, but keep going. That’s the moment when everyone else quits and you start to become an outlier. That’s when you break away from the pack. Keep the grind going.

I for one am excited for 2019, as major internet milestones are passed. Truth Seekers are pushed to the forefront of society as the Time Person of the Year. Private companies like Space X set records for most flights in a year. As investors leave mobile behind to look for new areas to back, such as blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, and more. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow looks like as we build it together!

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Byron Reese Believes Technology Will Bring About A New Golden Age Of Humanity

Fascinated about how things worked and technology from a young age, today’s guest, Byron Reese, makes you question, are you a machine?

Byron Reese, Gigaom

Byron Reese, Gigaom

Fascinated about how things worked and technology from a young age, today’s guest, Byron Reese, makes you question, are you a machine? Today, he puts his fascination into good use as the CEO and publisher of Gigaom, an industry-leading technology research company. Bryon is also an award-winning public speaker and author of “The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.”

Byron grew up in Austin, TX and became an entrepreneur at the young age of 12. He did not have entrepreneurship in his family background, but that wouldn’t stop Byron from becoming a great success today. As a futurist, a forward thinker, Byron helps you think about the good that artificial intelligence has to offer and where we are going in this age of technology. Listen in to hear more about Byron:

  • Growing up

  • Rice University

  • Starting his first company with a can of spray paint

  • Starting Knowingly

  • Santa Mail

  • Talking about Gigaom and AI

  • Are you a machine?

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“450 businesses is a lot. How do you think about playing the long game vs a short one, when it comes to sticking with something for so long?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“What are We in the end?”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

Read More

Matt Mandell Is Automating Businesses So They Can Focus On Higher Priorities

Starting out young, today’s guest, Matt Mandell, created his first company at the age of 12. Matt grew up with a supportive family full of entrepreneurs, so Matt was very comfortable with entrepreneurship from the start. He attended college in DC, where he spent the next several years developing multiple companies that were selective to college students.

Matt Mandell, GAM Payments

Matt Mandell, GAM Payments

Starting out young, today’s guest, Matt Mandell, created his first company at the age of 12. Matt grew up with a supportive family full of entrepreneurs, so Matt was very comfortable with entrepreneurship from the start. He attended college in DC, where he spent the next several years developing multiple companies that were selective to college students.

Matt is well known for his serial entrepreneurship and has spoken all across the nation teaching students how to become entrepreneurs themselves. He has been publicized multiple times, including New York Times, has helped start up multiple companies, and now is a managing partner with GAM Payments, a payment solution provider for mid-market companies. Interviewing Matt showed that there are different ways to look at being a leader that really make you think. Tune in to hear more:

  • Growing up in an Entrepreneurial Family

  • Creating his first business at the age of 12

  • College experiences in DC

  • The many businesses Matt created while in College

  • Mentoring at Founder Institute

  • Automation and Efficiency

  • Investing in companies instead of creating them

  • Meaning and reasoning for GAM Payments

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“How do you realize when automation is necessary or when you should just do the small task yourself?

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“If something goes wrong, it is my fault for not setting up the correct system and process for my team”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

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Dr. Dileep Rao Teaches How to Create Wealth and Keep It

Entrepreneur, investor, public speaker and author are a few titles that Dr. Dileep Rao is known for. He came from India to America in 1973 for his education, and has been a success ever since. While obtaining his PhD, he started working for an Adventure Capital firm one summer that ended up changing his life. He since then has helped invest in hundreds of businesses, which includes four businesses he started himself.

Dr. Dileep Rao, Author of “Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained”

Dr. Dileep Rao, Author of “Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained”

Entrepreneur, investor, public speaker and author are a few titles that Dr. Dileep Rao is known for. He came from India to America in 1973 for his education, and has been a success ever since. While obtaining his PhD, he started working for an Adventure Capital firm one summer that ended up changing his life. He since then has helped invest in hundreds of businesses, which includes four businesses he started himself. He is now a professor at the Florida International University and has been awarded numerous awards for teaching.

Dr. Dileep Rao is now a nationally acclaimed author, writing “Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained”. He was able to study many successful entrepreneurs in his time, and he came up with 7 steps that all successful entrepreneurs seemed to follow. His book dives deep into his findings. Learn more about Dr. Dileep in this episode!

·         Coming to America for Education

·         Working for his first Adventure Capital Firm

·         Helping Fund hundreds of companies

·         His experience writing his book “Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained”

·         The 7 steps for Entrepreneurs

·         Where growth opportunities are at

·         What Dr. Dileep is doing today

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“Where do you see the future of venture capital going next?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“Numbers help you monitor where you are going”

Links from this episode:

·         Dr. Dileep’s website

·         Amazon

·         Founder Institute

·         Audible

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

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Greg Alterman is Making Life Simpler with Gender Neutral Everyday Products

Today’s guest grew up with Entrepreneurial spirit surrounding him. All of the men in Greg Alterman’s family for generations owned and operated one of the largest grocery stores chains in the South since the early 1900’s.

Greg Alterman, m/f people

Greg Alterman, m/f people

Today’s guest grew up with Entrepreneurial spirit surrounding him. All of the men in Greg Alterman’s family for generations owned and operated one of the largest grocery stores chains in the South since the early 1900’s. With all the entrepreneurial passion within him, he started his first successful shirt business while attending college at the University of Florida. Alternate Apparel successfully grew until he sold the company for $60 million dollars nearly 30 years later.

In 2015 Greg suffered from a brain hemorrhage that would change his life forever. During his recovery, he noticed that vibrant colors and clutter really were bothersome to his sight which lead him to create his newest business endeavor, m/f people. Alterman wanted to company that didn’t market towards one sex or the other. m/f people focuses on sleek and simple designs for skin care products as well as apparel. Listen in to hear more of Greg’s amazing journey!

  • Family Owned business that started on the side of the road in the early 1900’s

  • Greg’s Entrepreneurial spirit from early on

  • Going to college on a Golf Scholarship

  • What Greg did to create income once his scholarship was no longer there

  • Alternative Apparel

  • Selling a company for $60 million dollars

  • How Brain surgery changed his life

  • His vision behind m/f people

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“How do you stick to the grind for so long?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“Listen to your own gut instinct.”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

Founder Institute

WeWork

Read More

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Launch: A Historic Interview To Touch The Sun

NASA made history on August 12, 2018, launching the Parker Solar Probe; their first ever mission to touch the sun. Luckily, I was invited by NASA to come down to Cape Canaveral to have a front row seat to the rocket launch! While there, I had the opportunity and pleasure of interviewing Felipe Ruiz, who is the Deputy Lead Mechanical Engineer from John’s Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Parker Solar Probe: Credit - Jon Reino Photography

Parker Solar Probe: Credit - Jon Reino Photography

NASA made history on August 12, 2018, launching the Parker Solar Probe; their first ever mission to touch the sun. Luckily, I was invited by NASA to come down to Cape Canaveral to have a front row seat to the rocket launch!

This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am proud to say I was able to witness with my own two eyes. While there, I had the opportunity and pleasure of interviewing Felipe Ruiz, who is the Deputy Lead Mechanical Engineer from John’s Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. He helped directly build the Parker Solar Probe and was kind enough to share his personal journey contributing to such an important advancement in human civilization.

The Parker Solar Probe will use seven gravity assist Venus flybys over the next seven years to slowly shrink its orbit around the sun. This will bring the Parker Solar Probe as close as 3.83 million miles to the center of the sun. On the probe’s closest orbit, it will be seven times closer than any spacecraft before it. Eventually becoming the fastest human-made object in existence, at 430,000 mph relative to the sun. The spacecraft will transmit its first science observations in December.

Listen to this episode now: 


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If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

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Alex Batdorf Is Teaching Female Entrepreneurs How To Get Shit Done

Did you know that only 17% of all startups have a female founder? Well we are lucky enough to have a female founder on our show today, Alex Batdorf. Alex is a business coach, co-founder of Zip Fit, a company that delivers a perfect fit denim for every body and now the creator of a YouTube series called Get Sh!t Done.

Alex Bartdorf, Creator of the Get Sh!t Done YouTube Series

Alex Bartdorf, Creator of the Get Sh!t Done YouTube Series

Did you know that only 17% of all startups have a female founder? Well, we are lucky enough to have a female founder on our show today, Alex Batdorf. Alex is a business coach, co-founder of Zip Fit, a company that delivers a perfect fit denim for every body and now the creator of a YouTube series called Get Sh!t Done. This series focuses on helping female entrepreneurs maintain a balance between pursuing purpose and profit.

Growing up in Seattle, Alex had a lot of family support; they always told her the sky was the limit. She was never that kid that knew she would be an entrepreneur, she just knew she wanted to impact the world. Moving to Chicago for her undergrad degree was a big culture shock for her, but taught her a lot. After getting her Sociology degree and seeing all the entrepreneurs from her classes she realized the potential she had to become the great entrepreneur she is today. Tune in for more!

  • Growing up in Seattle

  • Culture shock moving to Chicago

  • How Sociology influences her as a founder

  • The story of starting ZipFit

  • The ins and outs of finding investors

  • Her new Youtube series, Get Shit Done

  • How she is helping other Female Entrepreneurs

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“How do you know when it is time for a change, and when you recognize it, how do you push it forward?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“You have to give yourself oxygen first… if you don’t have oxygen for yourself, nothing else can work.”

Links from this episode:


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

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Mitch Wainer: Bringing an Infectious Energy to the Marketing World

We are exploring the marketing world on today’s episode, with our special guest, Mitch Wainer. He is the creative marketing leader with many accomplishments such as Co-Founding Digital Ocean and being the Chief Marketing Officer at Clubhouse, a project management platform for software teams that provide the perfect balance of simplicity and structure. Mitch is an active advisor and speaker on entrepreneurship and growth marketing to the startup community

Mitch Wainer, Chief Marketing Officer at Clubhouse

Mitch Wainer, Chief Marketing Officer at Clubhouse

We are exploring the marketing world on today’s episode, with our special guest, Mitch Wainer. He is the creative marketing leader with many accomplishments such as Co-Founding Digital Ocean and being the Chief Marketing Officer at Clubhouse, a project management platform for software teams that provide the perfect balance of simplicity and structure. Mitch is an active advisor and speaker on entrepreneurship and growth marketing to the startup community

Mitch grew up with a great family support system, that he feels is an important part in his entrepreneurial success. He graduated with a degree in Marketing from Northeastern. Short after graduating college, he found himself sitting in board meetings with seasoned professionals, trying to convince them that Facebook and Social Media is the way of the future. Listen in to find out more about Mitch and his success

  • High school and college years

  • Family Support System

  • Teaching himself how to build websites

  • Mitch’s first start out of college

  • Being a part of the Ask Jason podcast

  • Co-founding Digital Ocean

  • Mitch’s role at Clubhouse

  • Marketing then compared to marketing now

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“Do you travel often, how important is travel for you, how do you balance time for those new experiences and get shit done as a founder?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“The support system around you is a key ingredient to being successful”

Links from this episode:

  •  Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

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Behind The Scenes Of A Mission To Touch The Sun: NASA's Parker Solar Probe Launch

I will be sharing my experience behind the scenes at Cape Canaveral for NASA's Parker Solar Probe at 3:48 a.m. EDT on Saturday, August 11. Be sure to follow my social media posts over the next few days to watch behind the scenes of one of NASA’s biggest launches in recent years! 

Delta IV HEavy At Cape Canaveral

Delta IV HEavy At Cape Canaveral

In early 2017, Founder Institute announced a new initiative, the STAR Fellowship. To inspire and empower entrepreneurs to build 500 new space-related businesses by 2025. We wanted to help cultivate "astropreneurship". We did this in partnership with some of the world’s foremost leaders in space, entrepreneurship, and innovation to simplify the complex process of launching a space startup.

Commander Michael López-Alegría - NASA Astronaut

Commander Michael López-Alegría - NASA Astronaut

During this time I became fortunate to meet with some of the amazing space industry experts, such as the New York Space Alliance. I even got to met my first Astronaut during the release of Sparks & Honey's report "Space: Exploration Innovation Brought Down To Earth". It was a pleasure to met former NASA Astronaut Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, who holds the all time American record for number of Spacewalks (10) and total Spacewalk duration (67 hours and 40 minutes). 

So earlier this year when I heard NASA was scouting for social media influencers, I decided to apply for social media credentials. And then a few months later, to my surprise, I was selected by NASA to come down to Cape Canaveral for the launch of the Parker Solar Probe! 

Parker Solar Probe.jpeg

The Parker Solar Probe is NASA's first ever mission to touch the sun. The Parker Solar Probe will use seven gravity assist Venus flybys over the next seven years to slowly shrink its orbit around the sun. This will bring the Parker Solar Probe as close as 3.83 million miles to the sun. On it's closest orbit, the probe will be seven times closer than any spacecraft before it and it's eventual speed will make it the fastest human-made object in existence, at 430,000 mph relative to the sun.

As NASA states; "The spacecraft will go close enough to the sun to watch the solar wind speed up from subsonic to supersonic, and it will fly through the birthplace of the highest-energy solar particles. Still, as with any great mission of discovery, Parker Solar Probe is likely to generate more questions than it answers."

At 3:48 a.m. EDT on Saturday, August 11, the Parker Solar Probe will launch to begin its journey to the sun atop the second most powerful rocket in operation: the Delta IV Heavy. Selected in 2015 for the mission, it was the biggest rocket on the planet before being eclipsed by Space X Falcon Heavy in February of this year. To learn more about the mission, the Parker Solar Probe, and NASA's launch this Saturday be sure to watch the video below detailing the Park Solar Probes journey to touch the sun. 

I will be sharing my experience behind the scenes at Cape Canaveral on social media for everyone to follow along. I will be tweeting, Instagramming, live streaming on Twitch, and more. The links are below. So be sure to follow my social media posts over the next few days to watch behind the scenes of one of NASA’s biggest launches in recent years! 

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Brian Pasalich Is Setting The Foundation For Financial Health And Wellbeing

Growing up in an immigrant family, Brian Pasalich lived in Chicago, Croatia and even a small town in Montana all by the age of 13, which has allowed Pasalich to have a deeper understanding of the different walks of life that people face. This combined with a passion for helping people led him to his career in financial planning. He is the founder of Foundational as well as the Vice President of MassMutual.

Brian Pasalich, Founder of Foundational

Brian Pasalich, Founder of Foundational

Growing up in an immigrant family, Brian Pasalich lived in Chicago, Croatia and even a small town in Montana all by the age of 13, which allowed him to have a deeper understanding of the different walks of life that people face. This combined with a passion for helping people led him to his career in financial planning. He is now the founder of Foundational, a consumer-mindset driven platform for financial health and wellbeing

Since a young age, Brian’s passion has been helping others. In his career, he has been a volunteer EMT, a flight paramedic with the Army Reserve, serving on two SWAT teams, and a civilian flight paramedic for a trauma center. He majored in Microbiology at the University of Montana before finding his passion for helping people through financial planning and serving as a Mentor with Founder Institute. Listen in to find out about Brian’s unique experiences and how it has helped him help others:

  • Being a SWAT flight paramedic
  • Majoring in Microbiology at University of MT
  • How his failing business was the best thing that happened to him
  • Creating Foundational.co
  • Being a part of MassMutual team
  • Mentoring at Founder Institute New York
  • Being on the board for Marriage Equality
  • Staying active in the LGBT community
  • How health and fitness is a major part of his life

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“Why does family matter, and how do you balance your personal life with your work life?

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“Name one goal you can accomplish without money”

Links from this episode:

 

 Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

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Matt Britton Is Changing The Face Of Consumer Intelligence For The Millennial Generation With Suzy

As a serial entrepreneur, Matt Britton has successfully acquired and sold many companies at the perfect time. He is most known for his important role in creating MRY (Mr. Youth) and Suzy.

Matt Britton, Found of Suzy

Matt Britton, Found of Suzy

As a serial entrepreneur, Matt Britton has successfully acquired and sold many companies at the perfect time. He is most known for his important role in creating MRY (Mr. Youth) and Suzy. MRY is a digital and social media marketing agency that helps companies market to the youth, which is tomorrow’s future leaders. His latest venture, Suzy, is a consumer intelligence platform which helps bring the voice of real consumers directly to brands.

Now known as America’s leading expert on the Millennial Generation, Britton’s entrepreneurial spirit all started because of parties believe it or not. He ran 5 to 7 parties a week, and local businesses started to take notice. They would ask him to advertise their business during the parties, which led him to create his first business venue, Magma Group. This was just the beginning for Britton, listen to hear more of his great story:   

  • How Magma Group came about
  • The meaning behind “Magma”
  • Creating MRY, Mr. Youth
  • How MRY got Microsoft as their customer
  • How Suzy was developed
  • His book, “Youth Nation”
  • Being a serial entrepreneur
  • Being an investor

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“You have started several companies over the years, what is being a serial entrepreneur mean to you?.”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“Ninety-nine percent of decisions made in business have no data behind it”

Links from this episode:

 

 Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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Adam Tishman, Bringing Customization To Your Sleep

Do you have to be an expert on a product in order to become a successful entrepreneur? Let’s ask today's guest, Adam Tishman. He is a New Yorker through and through, growing up in Manhattan helped his independence from a young age before becoming the co-founder of Helix Sleep.

Adam Tishman, Co-Founder of Helix Sleep

Adam Tishman, Co-Founder of Helix Sleep

Do you have to be an expert on a product in order to become a successful entrepreneur? Let’s ask today's guest, Adam Tishman. Tishman is a New Yorker through and through, growing up in Manhattan helped his independence from a young age. He received his Bachelors Degree at Princeton in History before he decided to pursue an MBA where he met his co-founders of Helix Sleep.

Tishman knew he wanted to be a successful entrepreneur one day, however, he never thought it would be in mattresses. Knowing that mattress buying was confusing, expensive and hard for a lot of consumers, Tishman and his co-founders knew there had to be a better way. Listen for more details on how they have developed an amazing product, and what lead to Tishman's success:

  • Born and raised in NY
  • Growing up with a metro card
  • Obtaining a BA at Princeton
  • Tishman’s early on careers
  • Meeting his co-founders
  • How Helix Sleep came about
  • The research behind Helix
  • How sleep is innovative and necessary
  • The meaning behind the name “Helix”

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
As an entrepreneur: How important is sleep to you?

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“As you build your business, it is not just product at the end of the day, it is also the vision that you have and the story that you tell.”

Links from this episode:

 

 Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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Allen Saakyan's Simulation, Discussing The Future Of Humanity

We are proud to have Allen Saakyan on our show today. Not only do I get the pleasure of interviewing him, I had the privilege of being interviewed for his podcast, Simulation, as well!

Allen Saakyan, Simulation

Allen Saakyan, Simulation

We are proud to have Allen Saakyan on our show today. Not only do I get the pleasure of interviewing him, but I also had the privilege of being interviewed for his podcast, Simulation, as well! This episode will be a little different as we go back and forth asking questions for both of our podcasts, you won’t want to miss it!

Growing up, Allen knew he was destined to take a different path. He was always curious, which drove him to wonder why so many people always took the same path. His quest became to figure out how could he help people desire to take their own path? Fast forward, and now he is the successful founder of Simulation, a podcast that facilitates humanity’s most thought-provoking questions.  He also is the host of World’s Fair, a festival with mind-blowing technology and futuristic talks. Listen in to hear more about:

  • Allen's meaning of Simulation
  • How people are working to make the world a better place
  • Why mentorship is so crucial
  • How Allen is working to bring back the iconic World’s Fair
  • The need to talk about the future and why it is important
  • What is the most beautiful thing in the world

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“Value is determined by a person's passion to change the world and make it a better place”

Links from this episode:

 

Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer On Truly Knowing Your Customer

A successful entrepreneur, speaker, and father of 7, Wes Schaeffer is the person you seek when you want to generate more sales. Wes Schaeffer is a marketing strategist and is known as The Sales Whisperer. He grew up in Houston, TX, served in the Air Force, graduated from A&M and became a successful salesman.

Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer

Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer

A successful entrepreneur, TED speaker, and father of seven, Wes Schaeffer is the person you seek when you want to generate more sales. Wes Schaeffer is a marketing strategist and is best known as The Sales Whisperer. He grew up in Houston, TX, served in the Air Force, graduated from A&M and became a successful salesman.

Although he had the income and personal life he wanted, he wasn’t happy with his job, which is when he became decided to become the Sales Whisperer. Wes's analogy of being a sales whisperer came to him after some inspiration from the dog whisperer. Some dogs have behavior issues but the reality is that their trainers don’t have the proper training to enable them to be successful pets. Just like how sales leaders come to him with lack of training and sometimes incorrect sales tactics, it is Wes’ job to help them learn a better and more efficient way. Listen to our podcast to hear more about Wes’ insights!

  • Growing up in Houston and life in the U.S. Air Force
  • Knowing when to switch gears
  • The start of his career and transition to entrepreneurship
  • Common sales leadership do's and do not's
  • How he started The Sales Whisperer
  • Breaking down Wes' Ted Talk
  • Maintaining work-life balance with a big family

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
How do you maintain work-life balance to ensure you get time with your family?

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“If you have seven priorities, you have none.”

Links from this episode:

 

 Listen to this episode now: 


The A-List

Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

If you are already a member of the A-list then you can easily access your bonus content from right here! 

Thank you for listening! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

Transcript:

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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Gabe Zichermann's Onward Helps You Achieve Tech-Life Balance

Author, public speaker, and entrepreneur are just a few great titles for today’s guest, Gabe Zichermann. He is the CEO and Founder of Onward, a company that helps you achieve tech-life balance.

Gabe Zichermann, Gamification

Gabe Zichermann, Gamification

Author, public speaker, and entrepreneur are just a few great titles for today’s guest, Gabe Zichermann. He is the CEO and Founder of Onward, a company that helps you achieve tech-life balance. Gabe is also known for his expertise on the topic of Gamification. Having written three books, “The Gamification Revolution”, “Gamification by Design” and “Game-Based Marketing”. 

Gabe grew up in Toronto with his two parents that immigrated from Hungary and Romania. He had a passion for games from a young age of 8 when he got his first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, and programmed his first computer game. After college, his first big success was Trimedia, which he sold in 2005. From there Gabe helped define the field of Gamification. In this episode, we get to discuss Gabe's full background, both the ups and downs of life, including: 

  • The power of games and their application to the rest of the world

  • What is "Gamification"

  • How to recognize when to change your life

  • Why it can be so important to take a step back

  • The importance of doing the self work as an entrepreneur

  • His success with building Trimedia

  • Growing his newest company Onward

  • The future of tech-life balance

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“On the topic of tech life balance, how do you recommend people keep themselves in check?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice Gabe Has Ever Learned:
Join the Ambition Today A-list to listen now!

Quote Of The Episode: 
“The most important thing is to understand who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are, and be able to name it”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Be sure to listen and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform.


Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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Terry Young's Sparks & Honey Is Mapping Culture To Forecast The Future

From a small town in Western Kentucky to becoming an entrepreneur on Madison Ave, Terry Young joins us on this episode of Ambition Today. Terry is a successful advertising entrepreneur and the CEO of Sparks & Honey

Terry Young, CEO of Sparks & Honey

Terry Young, CEO of Sparks & Honey

From a small town in Western Kentucky to becoming an entrepreneur on Madison Ave, Terry Young joins us on this episode of Ambition Today. Terry is a successful advertising entrepreneur and the CEO of Sparks & Honey, a company identifying and mapping emerging cultural waves through the use of machine learning systems, algorithms, and human insight.

After earning his Master’s Degree in advertising, Terry started working in the digital advertising industry in 1995, when digital marketing was just getting started. A short two years later, he was running the company. Terry got the opportunity to live in China and help start-up initiatives while working for McKinsey. He also lived in Kazakhstan while in the Peace Corp where he helped small business shops with their financing and starting their businesses. Terry brings a great perspective on culture and new trends. On this episode, we also discuss:

  • Growing up in a small town in Kentucky

  • The impact of joining the Peace Corp

  • Rebuilding the traditional advertising model

  • The intersection of being gay and an entrepreneur.

  • How Sparks & Honey maps culture

  • Why predicting the future matters

  • Defining micro signals and macro trends

  • What is happening in the space industry

Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“How do you best recommend that people in organizations ride the waves in a trend?”

The Single Greatest Piece of Advice Terry Has Ever Learned:
Join the Ambition Today A-list to listen now!

Quote Of The Episode:
“I say to every person who was here … that has left, you are also leaving your shape and your mold on the company, because it is a reflection on them too.”

Links from this episode:

Listen to this episode now: 


Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned! 

Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…

You can find the full transcript of this episode here

Be sure to listen and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform.


Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:

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