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Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome guest Andre Swanston. Andre Swanston was born in the Bronx, New York, and is a proven leader and entrepreneur with a wide range of experience in marketing, finance, and starting and scaling companies. Andre has also completed the fifth largest exit of any black CEO. He was the former CEO and Co-Founder of Tru Optik. Under Andre's leadership, Tru Optik has become the preferred over-the-top data and technology partner for many of the world's largest media companies, brands, and agencies. Before founding Tru Optik, Andre served as a Vice President of Investments at JP Morgan Chase. He also led the Media and Entertainment division at a boutique investment bank in New York City. Today Andre serves as the Senior Vice President of Media & Entertainment Vertical at TransUnion.
This week on the podcast, Andre dives into the future of digital media and OTT. He also talks about what it takes to be an entrepreneur, both in terms of the business side and the mindset perspective.
Listen to Josh and Andre discuss being an entrepreneur:
(2:18) Andre's Introduction To Entrepreneurship
Even from a young age, Andre always had an entrepreneurial mindset — he was always trying to do things differently. His first steps as a "real" entrepreneur would come in college; he was known as the Cables Zap guy. He bought a cable zapper for 350 dollars and charged people 100 dollars to zap their cables. Then once he had reached his junior year of business college, he started to work as a promoter for parties and events, and eventually, that led to Andre opening up his own nightclub at the age of 23.
(7:46) Andre's Big Break In The Digital Space
Working as a small business owner exposed Andre to the types of media needed to market to people. He identified a massive opportunity in the future of marketing: the shift from traditional to digital media. Even though Andre didn't really have much venture capital behind him, he was able to get ahead of the curve because he bet everything on connected TV to be the future of media consumption, and he was right about it.
(16:25) The Future Of OTT And Digital Advertising
Andre believes that the future of OTT and digital advertising is a company's ability to be agnostic. When it comes to privacy and someone who's going to be a steward of data, you need someone that you can trust. That's why while the space continues to evolve, there needs to be a responsible third party that can be trusted to be impartial and act as a source of truth and understanding.
(19:22) The Biggest Challenges That Come With Selling Your Company
Every industry is different, so depending on your industry, you will have different industry-specific challenges when you go to sell. With most businesses, you'd have to focus on traditional business metrics, but it's different when it's a tech startup. So it's essential to understand things relative to the industry you're in so that you can go about growing and valuing your business correctly. Surround yourself with people with a different natural market or relationships or network because it widens the opportunities for exposure for your business and lets you look at things differently.
(26:10) Tips For Entrepreneurs
There are a few things entrepreneurs need to focus on. The first is to get the most out of your life experiences. Your experiences are valuable because there are lessons to be learned. You don't need money, learn to trust your gut and motivate yourself. The second thing is to persevere — never quit early because you're going to regret it. As an entrepreneur, you need confidence, ambition, and the willingness to take risks, but it's only your ability to persevere that will keep you focused and ensure that you succeed.
Links mentioned:
Twitter: AndreSwanston
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andreswanston/
Gratitudegear.com — use code “makingbank10” for 10% off!
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome a guest for the second time — Timothy Sykes. Timothy was once an aspiring pro tennis player, but an elbow injury eliminated all chances he had of going pro. Since then, Timothy has set his focus on the stock market. Today Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader, entrepreneur, and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of his Bar Mitzvah money that he had saved up while in school. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes trading challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading methods. He has been featured in various media outlets, including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, the men's journal, and many more. Tim is also an active philanthropist and environmental activist and has donated millions of dollars because he wanted to give back and start impacting people's lives.
This week on the podcast, Timothy talks about how to be a successful trader and dives into the most common mistakes that most people make when starting in trades. He also gives many tips on improving your life, mindset, and becoming a better overall human.
Listen to Josh and Timothy discuss trading and life tips:
(5:25) Living The Life You Want To Live
Many people see Timothy with his laptop trading in some of the wildest and most ridiculous spots, and many think it's just to brag. To Tim, it's more about being able to document his life. He wants to show people you can take your laptop or phone anywhere in the world and still trade. Tim believes that you decide to live whatever life you want to live, so choose to live a life that's worth living no matter what other people think.
(9:58) Strategy For Success
Tim credits his success to his ability to be adaptable. Over the last few years, the world has been quite unpredictable, so your ability to adapt and overcome is essential, especially regarding trading. The most important thing is to be open to opportunities and adjust to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. Listen to your heart, and don't be closed-minded — you'll be shocked at the life you can create.
(16:58) Tips For Trading
One of the best tips for trading is being able to cut your losses early. Don't be afraid of getting out; there's always going to be the possibility to buy back in later. Many people follow the crowd, but the results that come from trading are on an individual basis. Learn to keep your gains bigger than your losses and focus on trading individually. A lot of small gains add up over time. Being a successful trader means focusing on winning strategies and staying disciplined.
(21:41) Most Common Trading Mistakes
Tim talks about how he's made many mistakes trading because so many mistakes can be made. Some of the most common mistakes start with not cutting your losses quickly. Another mistake is putting all your eggs in one basket — 90% of traders lose, so you have to understand the game but don't try to do too much. Also, don't put off studying — trading is a game of preparation, but many people don't put in the time to prepare. Finally, no matter how much you prepare, you might still lose, so learn not to get discouraged by your losses and try again. Treat your losses as lessons.
(27:59) Be Real, Learn Discipline, And Work Hard
When it comes to being a better version of yourself, learn to be real — be natural and put yourself out there. Have a positive attitude, be authentic, think long-term, and then work on it every single day. In order to get better, you need to be disciplined, so learn discipline, build a foundation of knowledge and then work hard. While some people think that's boring — to a certain degree, that's true. However, just being an "exciting" person doesn't mean you are going to make money and be successful in life.
Links mentioned:
Instagram: timothysykes
Twitter: timothysykes
Facebook: timsykesfans
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timothysykes/
Gratitudegear.com — use code “makingbank10” for 10% off!
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome guest Brent Kesler, owner of The Money Multiplier. Brent was a chiropractor and chiropractic coach for over 14 years. However, after developing and implementing The Money Multiplier (TMM) Method, he could pay off over 984,000 dollars in 3rd party debt over the span of 39 months. Once he had realized how powerful the TMM method was, he became passionate about sharing it with others. His primary goal was to help more people understand how to manage and grow their wealth. After taking advice from his previous mentor, Brent started his journey to becoming a licensed producer. Over the last ten years, he has been lecturing thousands of people around the country on the dynamics of the TMM Method and helping individuals break the bonds of financial slavery and take control of their financial life. Brent passionately believes that whether you make $10/hour or $10,000/hour, you should know about and learn how to use this powerful information to control your money.
This week on the podcast, Brent talks about his money multiplier method. He explains the infinite banking system and how you can start putting your money in different areas and make it work for you.
Listen to Josh and Brent discuss the money multiplier method:
(2:42) Brent's Background
Brent used to be a licensed chiropractor and chiropractic coach; however, that didn't necessarily translate into patients lining up outside his clinic. He had precisely 984,711 dollars of debt to his name. When he first heard someone speaking about the infinite banking concept, like most people, he was skeptical, but finally, in 2008, he started implementing the idea in his life and was able to pay off his debt in 39 months. After seeing how well it worked for him, Brent has now shifted his focus to teaching others how they can implement the same concept in their lives and change their financial situation for the better.
(7:00) What Is The Infinite Banking Concept
So the idea around the concept is that you purchase a whole life insurance policy in a mutual company that pays dividends. It's not the standard whole-life policy that most agents try to sell you. It's a specifically designed and engineered whole-life policy that pays yearly dividends. The policy is designed so that you have high, immediate cash value to use from that policy and immediate means within 30 days. You probably haven't heard about this because the agent has to take a 60 to 90 percent cut in their commission to design this policy, and no agent wants to do that.
(10:28) How Does The Policy Work?
You can set up the policy with any amount. Whether it's 100 dollars or 100,000 dollars, the policy will work the same way. The policy has a guaranteed growth rate inside the contract. Typically it's between 4.7 and 6.2%. So you can take out money on a policy loan, which is borrowing money from the insurance company's general fund. However, since it's borrowed money, the money you put in continues to grow uninterrupted compound interest.
(14:56) How Long Do You Have To Pay?
How long you pay is up to you. Think of it as a deposit; you put money into an account you control, and those numbers continue to increase each year. Now, the dividends can fluctuate — one company may have a higher dividend this year, and then they may have a lower dividend next year. However, depending on how your policy is designed, it will be more efficient.
(20:08) One Of The Tools The Rich And Wealthy Use
Brent explains that this isn't about you buying the policy right now. This is just one of the tools that the top 1% use to grow their money. Brent's goal is to teach and educate you on how you can design your policy to best suit your specific needs. He aims to share the money multiplier method so that you can drastically change your financial life, just like he did.
Links mentioned:
Facebook: themoneymultiplier
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brent-kesler-324abb19/
Gratitudegear.com — use code “makingbank10” for 10% off!
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome Jake Stenziano and Gino Barbaro. Jake and Gino are multifamily real estate investors, educators, operators, and the founders of Jake & Gino LLC. They have managed to accumulate over 175 million in assets under management. They have grown their real estate portfolio to over 1800 multifamily units as leading experts in investing and operating in the multifamily real estate space. Now Jake and Gino teach others how to invest in multifamily real estate through Jake & Geno LLC — a multifamily real estate education company founded on the three pillars of sound apartment investing: buy right, manage right, and finance right. Their students have closed over 400,000 growing units and have accumulated over 2 billion in deal volume.
This week on the podcast, Jake and Gino dive into the three pillars of multifamily investing. They also give valuable insights on the right time to invest and what you should look out for before you get started in the multifamily real estate space.
Listen to Josh, Jake and Gino discuss multifamily investing:
(2:26) The Beginning Of Jake & Gino
For Jake, it was all about the state he lived in aligning with his values. At the time, he lived in New York but wanted many things that New York didn't provide. That's when he created a spreadsheet and found that the best place for him was Knoxville, Tennessee. In Tennessee, Gino was working out of his pizzeria, and the two of them, friends at the time, were trying to figure out how to have a passive income. They started looking into multifamily investments, and after two years, they got their first deal, and they created Jake & Gino from there.
(6:39) The Right Time To Invest?
The most important thing is supply and demand. The right time to invest is really dependent on where you're situated. If you're in a growth market where the population and the jobs are growing, you've got an opportunity to make money. The problem isn't always your market; sometimes, people make excuses and talk themselves out of the real estate space. Don't fall prey to being doubtful. Instead, get educated, get your mindset right, and take action to start.
(12:41) Key Things To Look Out For Before Investing
There are four keys to getting started in the real estate business. The first is to set your goals, decide what you want to accomplish, and have clarity about what you want to do. Next is to select your market; pick a market that's good for you because it takes time to get things going. Then you have to start networking and getting acquainted with brokers and others in the market. Finally, you need to get educated on your selected market, the procedures, and the space in general, because you can't succeed without being educated.
(17:04) Biggest Hurdles Of Multifamily Investing
The most common struggle in real estate is property management. You need to be able to lead and dictate the way things should be for your property manager. Hold your property managers accountable and maintain a tight relationship with them. Another common mistake is not having an exit strategy. It's one thing to get started in the space, but once you buy a deal, you need to figure out if you're going to sell the deal, hold it for the long term, or refinance it. Your exit strategy is crucial to your success.
(19:52) Top Three Things To Pay Attention To In A Management Company
The first thing is to have accountability. Knowing and understanding your key performance indicators — your vacancies, collections, delinquencies, economic occupancy, etc. You need to be proactive. The second thing is to determine if your management is a good fit for your core values and culture and if they'll be a good team member. Finally, the third thing is don't be cheap and make sure you pay your management companies.
Links mentioned:
Instagram: jakeandgino
Twitter: JakeandGino
Facebook: jakeandgino
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/jake-and-gino
Gratitudegear.com — use code “makingbank10” for 10% off!
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome guest Dr. Eric Holsapple, a successful developer, and entrepreneur. He has used mindfulness to transform his life and business and helped many others do the same. Eric has been a real estate CEO and developer for nearly 40 years. He also has a Ph.D. in Economics and has lectured on real estate at Colorado State University for 20 years. Eric has been practicing yoga and meditation for 30 years and has developed a unique perspective on how merging business and mindfulness can be a catalyst in changing lives. Dr. Eric Holsapple is the Founder and Lead Facilitator of Living In The Gap. Through his popular workshops, he has been able to teach countless CEOs and professionals a different way to operate mindfully while improving their bottom line.
This week on the podcast, Eric talks about his entrepreneurial journey and why he believes mindfulness is essential for your life as an entrepreneur. He explains mindfulness and breaks down his process of becoming a mindful leader.
Listen to Josh and Eric discuss mindfulness:
(3:21) Eric's Start As An Entrepreneur
Even from a young age, Eric had a knack for business. So by the time he finished college and went out to work, he was almost immediately successful. However, he wasn't doing too well on the personal side of things — he had completely let go of himself. Finally, his decision to diet and get in shape helped him find meditation and yoga. Once he noticed the benefits of being mindful, he was able to start Living In The Gap and developed a nine-month program that showed people how to merge mindfulness and business.
(6:22) Finding Where Your Passion And Abilities Meet
Eric credits some of his success to being lucky, but the majority of his success comes from the fact that he was able to find out what he wanted to do. Eric was able to identify what he didn't want to do with his life and capitalized on what he was good at. To succeed, you have to find your element — where your passion meets your abilities. Find that intersection where your capabilities allow you to do what you're passionate about, and then you'll be able to live with more purpose and peace of mind.
(10:51) Defining Mindfulness
Mindfulness isn't necessarily meditation; instead, meditation is just one of the methods of being mindful. Mindfulness is the process of slowing down and letting your mind quiet down. Today almost everything in our lives promotes keeping our minds active. However, science says that most people feel joy and peace once they've quieted down their minds. To be mindful, you don't need to spend hours meditating, just find anything that allows you to switch your mind off for a few minutes at a time.
(15:31) The Process Of Mindful Leadership
The first step to being mindful is slowing down and clearing the clutter. Start by giving your mind a few minutes to quiet down and then gradually increase that over time. The next step is to plant seeds of what you want to do. Once you've cleared your mind, you'll be more aware of the direction you want to go in life. Spend your time envisioning what you really want to do with your life and find a purpose worth living for.
(18:39) Narrowing Down Your Vision
Our visions tend to be quite extensive, and there's never enough time or resources to act on all of them. That's why we need to narrow down our visions to something more attainable. It's good to know where you want to be in 10 or 15 years, but it's more important to know your plan for the next year. Focus on smaller and more achievable objectives and work on transforming your life more meaningfully and intentionally.
(21:51) Eric's Book: Profit With Presence
Eric has been working on a book called Profit With Presence that will share the story of his journey and the 12 pillars of mindful leadership with the business community. The book will be available for preorder around November this year and will release in the first quarter of 2023. So stay tuned!
Links mentioned:
Instagram: holsappleeric
Instagram: livinginthegap501c3
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-eric-holsapple-57590316/
Gratitudegear.com — use code “makingbank10” for 10% off!
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome guest Cole Gordon to talk to us about the 7 beliefs your prospect needs to have before buying in phone sales. Cole is one of the top closers in the high ticket industry, having sold over 10 million in consultancy, coaching, and agency deals. He then scaled his own consulting company to over eight figures in less than 18 months. Currently, Cole builds, trains, and consults the sales teams of hundreds of seven and eight-figure companies online through his company Closers.io. He has even been able to work with groups such as Tony Robbins, Frank Kern, and others.
This week on the podcast, Cole dives into what your customer needs to believe in order to close a sale with them. He breaks it up into seven fundamental beliefs that allow your prospects to believe in what you're selling.
Listen to Josh and Rylee discuss the 7 key beliefs of sales:
- (2:21) Cole's Start As An Entrepreneur And Entry Into Sales
Cole dropped out of medical school because of a book he read that shifted his focus to becoming an entrepreneur. He felt that he needed to start an online business and started with SEO and blogs, but he couldn't find any success doing that. By buying courses and finding mentors, he came across Facebook ads, and that's where he first had his initial success in sales. He brought in around 30k a month, which fueled his belief that sales were his talent. Eventually, that would lead to Cole joining a team as a high ticket closer.
- (6:19) What Makes You Good At Sales?
It took Cole some time before he could find success as a high ticket closer. He credits his success to his solid work ethic and discipline. The other members on Cole's team were much better closers than he was. However, he decided to shift his focus to becoming the best he could be at sales. That amount of dedication required discipline and consistency — he hired coaches and invested in himself, and eventually, by staying consistent, he was able to become the best on his team
- (9:36) The 7 Fundamental Beliefs
Cole explains that objecting to your customers doesn't bring in sales. The idea is to reverse engineer a deal whereby at the end of the call, your customer is basically enrolling themselves to buy what you're selling. He discovered the seven fundamental beliefs a prospect needs to have to buy are pain, doubt, cost, desire, money, support, and trust. Pain is the problem they have. Doubt is the lack of surety of whether the problem can be fixed. Cost is the consequence of leaving a problem unfixed. Desire is the compelling payoff of fixing the problem. Money is the funds required to fix the problem. Support is if the people around them are willing to stand with them and support the fixing of their problem. Finally, trust is if they believe in your specific problem-solving methodology.
- (13:37) The Biggest Hurdles When Teaching Sales
The most common hurdle is a person's beliefs about selling. Do they look at selling as evil? Do they think it's a bad practice? Are they unable to be assertive? To train someone in sales, you must teach them that selling isn't about doing whatever you can to sell a product. Instead, it's you selling your prospect on a way of thinking. A new salesperson can always be trained in tactics, but the most essential aspects are their beliefs, mindsets, and character traits.
- (16:28) Focus On What You Naturally Gravitate Towards
Don't over consume information. Instead, find the industry that you naturally gravitate towards. Then focus on getting any job in the best company in that particular industry. No matter your position, focus on dominating and doing your very best at that position. Your passion is what will allow you to accelerate your growth.
Links mentioned:
Instagram: colethomasgordon
Facebook: closersintoleaders
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cole-gordon/
Gratitudegear.com — use code “makingbank10” for 10% off!
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, Rylee Meek, the Founder, and CEO of The Social Dynamic Selling System, talks to us about money, God, and Sales. Rylee Meek is also the founder of King’s Council Coaching and a fellow podcaster hosting the King’s Council Podcast. Through King’s Council Coaching, Rylee has been able to empower individuals and families and help them create a proven framework of success. Rylee has also used his company Social Selling Dynamic to help eight companies reach 7 to 8 figures in just a year of their inception. Utilizing his proven methods and strategies, those companies have each generated over 150 million in sales over the last decade.
This week on the podcast, Rylee talks about the importance of having money, whether it’s for life, business, or your God-given purpose. Rylee believes that everything has its roots in sales. He explains that we live everyday life trying to sell products, services, ideas, thoughts, and even who we are as people.
Listen to Josh and Rylee discuss money, God, and sales:
- (2:22) Rylee’s Start As An Entrepreneur
Rylee’s start in entrepreneurship came when he was 15 years old. He realized he didn’t want to be working a typical ‘job’ for the rest of his life. He disliked the idea of an hourly rate being put on his time and set out to make money his own way. Rylee shares the concept of looking for the fruits in other people’s lives. He did whatever he could to surround himself with mentors and people whom he could learn from. The exposure to these mentors then provided him with opportunities that helped him make money and subsequently set him out on his entrepreneurial journey.
- (5:40) Money Is Not Evil
Many other Christians believe that money is the root of all evil. However, Rylee, who is a Christian himself, disagrees with that. He believes that God gives us the ability to create wealth. Evil doesn’t come from money; instead, money is just the tool that allows us to operate and live our lives the way we choose. Rylee believes the more money you have, the better you are at operating within your God-given calling.
- (9:15) Lessons For Entrepreneurs
Rylee talks about the top three things he learned on his entrepreneurial journey. First, there’s no truly passive income; you must put in the work and some type of effort to make things work. The second is to surround yourself with people that already have what you want and learn from them. Especially as a fresh entrepreneur, you need to do whatever you can to get with people you can learn from. Finally, following your passion doesn’t always work out because sometimes that leads to your passion turning into a chore. Instead, look for opportunities and bring your passion with you no matter what the opportunity is.
- (12:40) Shiny Object Syndrome
Shiny object syndrome refers to an entrepreneur jumping at every opportunity they get but never finishing or getting fully engaged in what they started. Rylee explains that no matter how great your product or service is, if nobody knows about it, then you can’t help anybody. That’s why he believes it’s so important to bring your passion to your opportunities. Use your passion as fuel to help you sell whatever you start. Starting without completion is pointless.
- (15:42) Ninja Sales Techniques
Rylee believes that whoever controls the customer controls everything. Being able to sell is key to you connecting with your customers. He explains that we all receive information differently; some connect better visually or auditorily while others want to feel or touch. Your job is to ensure that you can sell and convey information in whichever ‘language’ your customer connects to the most. When you talk to people, pick up on cues and pay attention to their language. Selling to a group of people is more challenging. You have to make sure that at some point in your presentation, each individual feels like they’ve connected with you because you were able to sprinkle in their ‘language’ at some point in your presentation.
Links mentioned:
Kingscouncilcoaching.com/podcast
Twitter: theryleemeek
Instagram: theryleemeek
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryleemeek
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome serial entrepreneur, partner at High Performance Institute, and New York Times bestselling author Randy Garn. Randy has been passionate about helping CEOs, companies, and experts grow and become high performers. He has founded or partnered with numerous companies such as Prosper, Hero Partners, Education Success Inc, High Performance Institute, and many others. Today Randy specializes in guiding leaders through personal and professional transformation.
On the podcast, Randy talks about business strategies and models that you can implement to take your business to the next level. Randy also explains the importance of people and what you can do to optimize the performance of your employees.
Listen to Josh and Randy discuss high performance:
- (3:48) How Did Randy Get Started
Randy talks about how his dad used to pay him to help out on their cattle ranch. Randy says that while growing up, it was through getting paid for helping out that he was able to get the things he wanted. He grew up with six other kids and developed the mentality of not wanting to be a burden to his family. So through his desire to be self-sufficient, he learned how to create his own income.
- (9:56) Driving Value
To Randy, people are the most important. He doesn't believe in being a solo entrepreneur; instead, he believes in growing people. When hiring people for his business, he picks people who can drive the maximum amount of value. At the end of the day, no matter their position, your employees are hired with the sole purpose of driving value, revenue, and profits for your business.
- (15:29) Working With Your Best Friends
Randy talks about always trying to hire his best friends and explains that he can do that because there's clarity. When you're working with friends or family, an essential part is having clarity about each other — knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses and the value they bring. Another important thing is writing things down so that you can avoid misunderstandings. When something is in writing, it leaves no room for dispute. So if ideas or plans change, make sure you're always writing them down.
- (18:45) The Biggest Challenge
According to Randy, the biggest challenge for people is not learning. As entrepreneurs, one of the most crucial practices is continually learning. Things are constantly evolving and changing, and we must be ready for that. Continually learning is vital so that you can innovate and come up with new ideas. The need to be able to innovate constantly is so that you won't get left behind when change comes.
- (24:25) Creating Culture and Making Your Company Thrive
Randy explains that the most important aspect of your company is the people. You create culture through your employees; thriving as a company depends on their performance. It goes back to value — are you hiring high performers? Your team needs to be committed to excellence in order to thrive. Make sure you're hiring the right people for the job, not only in terms of the technical skill or service they provide but also their mentality and attitude.
- (29:07) A Good CEO Focuses On...
Throughout this episode, Randy has emphasized the importance of people. That's why he says a good CEO always focuses on bettering their team. A good CEO is concerned about their team's wellbeing. You want to be able to support your team whenever you can — always cheer for your team. A good CEO focuses on enabling his team to win. By caring about your team's wellbeing and growth, you're giving them a reason to feel valued and accepted. Your team is the backbone of your success, so it's vital to focus on their growth and improvement.
Links mentioned:
Twitter: randygarn
Instagram: randygarn
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/randygarn
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
On this episode of the Making Bank podcast, Tim Kennedy discusses his career in the military, the UFC, and Socratic education. Tim saw with his own kids how every child learns differently and set out to create an education that reflected that. His school, Apogee, seeks to help every child fulfill their potential.
Tim also chats about his time in the UFC fighting, as well as in Special Forces. He covers what inspired him to join the military and the lessons he now applies to his businesses. Listen to the episode to hear more about Apogee’s education model, boxing victories, and war stories.
Tim has also written a book titled Scars And Stripes that shares Tim’s story and the lessons he learned from his experiences. Tim is a Decorated Green Beret sniper, UFC headliner and a businessman who started two multimillion dollar companies. The book describes his failures and how he was able to learn from and embrace his failure to become the man he is today. The book is available for pre-order and will be released on June 7th.
Listen to Josh and Tim talk about the lessons Tim learned:
New Adventures (1:33)
Tim discusses the lessons he’s learned on pivoting from the military, as well as this past year—and is applying them to his entrepreneurship. He is launching 12 new companies, including a school.
Apogee: An Acton Academy (3:04)
Tim’s venture that he’s most proud of is his school Apogee. Having been homeschooled himself, Tim understands and follows the model that parents should facilitate the education of their children.
A Socratic School (8:45)
Tim explains how at Apogee, the students—otherwise known as “heroes”—are active participants in their own learning. They are the ones leading the classroom discussions and activities and with the guidance of the teachers, the students discover the answers themselves.
When accepting heroes into their studios, Apogee looks for parents and children who are both willing to try this new approach.
Different Learning Styles for Different Children (11:22)
No two children learn the same way. Tim’s seen it in his own children, and he’s seen it in the heroes at Apogee. Traditional schooling follows certain agendas—whether that be the teacher’s, the school’s, or the governments. At Apogee, the focus is on the children.
How Tim Manages Multiple Companies (14:36)
When it comes to managing multiple companies, Tim hires the right people and then allows them to do their jobs properly, without being micromanaged. Tim also follows a military approach that emphasizes training, as well as organization.
People, Purpose, and Plan (17:41)
Tim first makes sure that the person he’s looking to hire has the right attitude and culture to fit well into the organization. Next, he looks to see if his purpose aligns with their purpose. Finally, he looks to see what their plan is, how they will execute it, and if they even planned in the first place.
Discipline (22:49)
Without discipline, there is no success. For Tim, discipline is commitment to a plan that is executed in 30-minute blocks. If you have a plan, even when life gets in the way, you can go back to the plan. Tim also touches on how discipline can not only help your business but also your family life.
Tim’s Background (28:14)
For those who don’t know, Tim shares his background of homeschooling, sports, martial arts and more. After a career in UFC and watching 9/11 unfold, Tim joined the military and became a Green Beret.
The Camera’s Focus (37:11)
Zooming out, Tim and Josh discuss Special Forces and the state of the US right now.
Lessons from the Special Forces (46:46)
Tim explains the key lessons he’s learned from the Special Forces that he now implements in his businesses. He values qualities like communication, and more.
The UFC (49:37)
Tim talks about his time at the UFC and what he would’ve done differently.
Stopping Poverty Stops Trafficking (55:04)
Before the episode wraps up, Tim touches on SERE school, as well as ways you can help stop crimes such as drug and sex trafficking. He encourages those who can to open community centers, gyms, programs and more. If we can prevent poverty, then we can prevent other crimes as well.
Links mentioned:
Twitter: TimKennedyMMA
Instagram: timkennedymma
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
In this episode of the Making Bank podcast, we welcome Sean Kelly, the founder of the Chibi Dinos NFT project, which sold all 10000 of its PFPs in 18 minutes, generating around 2.4 million dollars in revenue. He is also the founder and CEO of Jersey Champs and the marketing agency NFT Gorillas which recently got acquired. Sean is currently working as the Vice President of Web3 Marketing at InfiniteWorld, a metaverse infrastructure company.
Sean talks about how he entered the NFT and dives into NFTs and what makes them valuable. He talks about his journey in the NFT space and answers some of the questions you may have as a newcomer.
Listen to Josh and Sean discuss NFTs:
- (2:22) Sean's Start As An Entrepreneur
Sean's entrepreneurial career started when he was in college. He founded Jersey Champs, where he would go on to sell custom throwback jerseys. Jersey Champs was his entry into the e-commerce world, and through drop shipping, he was able to make his first six figures. When COVID came around, Sean's e-commerce business took a hit. However, at the time, he saw Gary V and the buzz around NBA top shots, and he exposed himself to the NFT creators, and within a few months, he was able to understand the NFT space.
- (5:47) What Is An NFT
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. However, Sean explains that he sees NFTs as a proof of ownership. Whether a video snippet or a static image, you can prove your ownership to everyone as long as it's documented on the blockchain.
- (10:43) NFTs And Utility
The NFT space is continuing to evolve. What started out as static images and video snippets of cool art has now grown to a point where people ask what they get in return for buying an NFT. Sean talks about NFTs having a utility that allows them to reward their holders. For example, with his own NFT project, Chibi Dinos — there are in-person meetups, calls with NBA players, and they're also working on a game. So now, if an NFT project wants to be looked at as valuable, they need to think of creative ways to provide utility to their holders.
- (14:15) Minting NFTs
Sean talks about why people buy NFTs — some people are flippers who buy NFTs looking to sell them and make a profit, while some buy into established projects for the community. Sean explains NFT minting, which means a person pays a fee to mint, so an NFT project launches, and that person gets a randomly assigned NFT. Doing this opens the possibility of getting assigned a really rare NFT that could go for a lot of money. Essentially, that person is taking a chance on the NFT launch, but they are also helping the project owners execute their plan for that project by supporting them.
- (17:43) Sean On Selling His Marketing Agency
Sean had also founded a marketing agency known as NFT Gorilla that aimed to help and consult upcoming NFT Projects and Brands with their marketing. His marketing agency was recently acquired after just six months of its inception. InfiniteWorld was looking for someone to take over their Web3 marketing role and hired Sean as their VP of Web3 Marketing and Strategy.
- (19:19) Things To Know About Today's NFT Space
Today the NFT space is evolving, and more people are hopping on the NFT wave. So Sean advised newcomers to be wary of the NFT projects they support. The most important thing to do is research the team behind the project. It's also essential to see if there are only flippers since they're in it to profit from their investments. Sean also mentions being cautious of celebrity NFTs, a lot of them are just cash grabs, so it's crucial to stay away from the hype because hype can and usually will die out. So be careful, do your research and look for projects that have established team members. You might be able to make some money but, more importantly, be exposed to a valuable community of people.
Links mentioned:
Twitter: seankelly25
Instagram: seanmikekelly
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-mike-kelly/