Millennial Investing Podcast Episode: Venture Capital Investing With Kevin Siskar
Last month I had the opportunity to sit on the opposite sit of the podcaster’s table to be a guest on the Millennial Investing Podcast! Where hosts, Robert Leonard and Clay Finck interview successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to help educate and inspire the millennial generation.
Kevin Siskar, Millenial Investing Podcast
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit on the opposite sit of the podcaster’s table to be a guest on the Millennial Investing Podcast! Where hosts, Robert Leonard and Clay Finck interview successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to help educate and inspire the millennial generation.
I hope you enjoy the episode. Listen here!
Host Clay Finck chats with Kevin Siskar about venture capital investing, the types of companies emerging in the venture capital space, how studying human behavior can help you as an investor, the differences between working at a large corporation vs a smaller company, how you can shift yourself to have a growth mindset, how luck has played into the companies Kevin has worked with, and much, much more!
Topics Discussed:
· What types of companies 43North looks to invest in.
· Why tech incubators should be everywhere, not just in Silicon Valley.
· What types of industries are currently most exciting from Kevin’s point of view.
· How studying human behavior can help you as an investor.
· What Kevin wishes he could tell his younger self about investing in startups.
· The differences between working at a large corporation and working at a smaller company.
· How people can shift from a worker mindset to a growth mindset.
· How luck has played into the companies that Kevin has worked with.
· The importance of a strong network and how Kevin maintains such a wide network.
· And much, much more!
How Jordan Levy Left His Mark On The Venture Capital Industry
In the fall we sat down with one of the godfathers of Venture Capital, Jordan Levy, who shares his very inspiring founder story and how that led to his career as an investor.
Jordan Levy | SEed Capital Partners (SBNY)
In the fall we sat down with one of the godfathers of Venture Capital, Jordan Levy, who shares his very inspiring founder story and how that led to his career as an investor.
Jordan co-founded Software Distribution Services which was acquired by Ingram Micro, before going on to be a Partner on the early-stage investing team at SoftBank Capital (SBNY) for 16 years.
Jordan has served on the boards of BuzzFeed, TalkSpace, Work Market, ACV Auctions, and many others. Using his upbringing and religion to pay it forward (Tzedakah) to the community that he grew up in, in Buffalo, New York. Jordy also co-founded Z80 Labs, a startup incubator in Buffalo, and 43North, an accelerator that hosts an annual startup competition, investing $5M per year in Buffalo, NY. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including:
Topics Discussed:
Building Software Distribution Services in the early days of venture capital.
How to think about the private vs public markets.
The intricacies of SPACs vs the IPO.
Lessons learned from decades of investments.
Betting on the first days of the internet and what has changed since.
Investing through the dot com boom and bust.
How ACV Auctions re-defined the auto market.
The importance of investing in people over markets, trends, and other aspects of the business.
Quote of the Episode:
“You invest in the people and I will always believe that” and “if you don’t think someone can take this company to the promised land, then don’t invest in them.”
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
As his grandmother passed down to him, “never go to bed angry with your wife.”
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Finta - Finta’s end to end fundraising management platform enables you to manage your investors throughout their entire lifecycle in a single streamlined flow.
A-List: After every episode of the Ambition Today podcast we record an exclusive bonus clip, where we ask each guest to tell us the best advice they have ever received. Hear first-hand stories from over 30 entrepreneurs and investors in these exclusive bonus clips.
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Productivity Today: Finding Your Flow for Maximal Productivity
Flow can transform your experience at work, as well as your productivity, satisfaction, and happiness. While there is no hard and fast rules for inducing flow, there are ways for you to recreate meaningful flow in your life. Join me as I share my methods for unlocking your potential at work and setting yourself up to be more productive with flow.
Surprise! I actually created two new classes with Skillshare this year and this one is all about how to enter the flow state of mind while working!
Flow is the state of being fully in the moment and completely immersed in an activity to the point of effectively disappearing into it. In it, there’s no conscious division between the doer and what’s being done—there’s only the doing.
Flow can transform your experience at work, as well as your productivity, satisfaction, and happiness. While there is no hard and fast rules for inducing flow, there are ways for you to recreate meaningful flow in your life. Join me as I share my methods for unlocking your potential at work and setting yourself up to be more productive with flow. You can take the online class for free here.
Together, you will:
Understand the meaning of flow
Find where flow already exists in your life
Analyze flow themes and build your personal flow strategy
Share these strategies amongst your team and encourage others to reach their full potential
A 10-year McKinsey study on flow and productivity found that top executives are five times more productive during flow. That’s a 500% increase in productivity.
Whether you’d like to increase your productivity at work or simply find joy in what you do, this class will provide you with the tools to harness flow in any scenario. I hope it helps and that you truly enjoy this masterclass in finding focus.
Productivity Optimization: Tips and Tools for Automating Your Workflows
Automation softwares are so important for becoming more efficient and creating meaningful output across your team. Join Kevin as he shares top productivity tools for automating your workflows, enabling you to refocus your energy on what you're passionate about and become the best version of yourself.
With over 55,000 students and over 1 million minutes watched on my previous Skillshare classes, I am excited to announce my newest class on how to set up workflow automations!
Automation softwares are so important for becoming more efficient and creating meaningful output across your team. Join me as I share top productivity tools for automating your workflows, enabling you to refocus your energy on what you're passionate about and become the best version of yourself. You can take the class free here.
Together, you will learn how to:
Measure your time in order to maximize your ROI
Determine the automation opportunities within your workflows
Plan and build your workflow automation, with tools like Zapier.
Re-measure your ROI to ensure you are actually saving time and energy
Maintain and monitor your automations for long term success
Whether you’re in a leadership position on your team or just starting out, this class will provide you with the tools to focus on what really matters and exercise your creativity in the process. I hope it helps and that you enjoy this automation masterclass.
Scott Wayman's Plan for Kangarootime to Support the $648 Billion Care Economy
From a 6 year old calling around on car repairs for his mother, to a thriving CEO of Kangarootime, our next guest Scott Wayman gives us insight on how he got to where he is today. Scott was the oldest son of 24 kids (18 of which were adopted).
Scott Wayman | Kangarootime
Scott Wayman's shares his very inspiring founder story. His passion for Kangarootime is next level and the company is currently focused on winning the childcare management software space for daycares and preschools. With plans to expand to the larger “care economy” which includes not only early education & childcare but also elder & senior care. A $648B TAM in the U.S. Alone according to Melinda Gate's Pivotal Ventures.
The Kangarootime team brilliantly positioned themselves throughout COVID19 as leaders in the space, by taking time to host educational sessions about how their customers can best adapt their centers, as well as quickly shipping new features such as contactless check-in/out, health checks, and more. I have personally watched Scott relentlessly grow this company from their early days at Founder Institute, through several investments from 43North, and was very excited to sit down with him for this episode.
Topics Discussed:
A unique upbringing with 18 adopted siblings.
Building his sales chops with Enterprise Rental Car.
Why you need passion to succeed in your startup’s vision.
Kangarootime’s origin story.
The role of psychology in startups.
How Kangarootime seized a leadership role by helping their daycare centers through COVID19.
The future of the $648 Billion Care Economy.
Quote of the Episode:
“Working in a center and living the life of our customers… was crucial to finding product-market fit”
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Check out the podcast’s backchannel, The A-List , where you can listen to free exclusive audio clips containing the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Finta - Finta’s end to end fundraising management platform enables you to manage your investors throughout their entire lifecycle in a single streamlined flow.
A-List: After every episode of the Ambition Today podcast we record an exclusive bonus clip, where we ask each guest to tell us the best advice they have ever received. Hear first-hand stories from over 30 entrepreneurs and investors in these exclusive bonus clips.
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Taking Your Team Remote: People, Process, and Tools
Remote work is quickly becoming normalized and ubiquitous all around the world. Companies are learning that they can now access talent from anywhere globally; while team members are currently building new habits in their day to day workflows. As a leader, it is imperative to make sure your organization is optimized for the next decade of work where results matter much more than a physical location. This course will teach you the foundational steps best to operate any team in a remote work environment. We will be exploring the three main focus areas for building strong remote work environments.
A few years ago I taught a free online class on Skillshare called Productivity Today. Since then over 45,000 people have taken the class and watched over 1 million minutes! So when Skillshare asked me to work together again earlier this year I was excited to partner on a new class.
This past year, like many companies, we transitioned Finta from an office setting in New York’s financial district to a remote organization. It was a transition that was not easy and required meaningful work, but in the long run, we are a better and stronger organization for it. I am excited to share the lessons we have learned as a company in this new class:
Taking Your Team Remote: People, Process, and Tools
Remote work is quickly becoming normalized and ubiquitous all around the world. Companies are learning that they can now access talent from anywhere globally; while team members are currently building new habits in their day to day workflows. As a leader, it is imperative to make sure your organization is optimized for the next decade of work where results matter much more than a physical location.
This course will teach you the foundational steps best to operate any team in a remote work environment. We will be exploring the three main focus areas for building strong remote work environments:
People
Process
Tools
Across each of these areas, we will be including examples and recommendations you can implement immediately with your own team and business. So you can start operating a strong remote team today!
The best part is that any tips and tricks to running a strong remote company are actually complementary to running your company in an office setting. So regardless of if you are running a fully remote, hybrid remote model, or completely in-office work environment, this class will help you be a stronger operator, manager, and leader. Let’s get started!
More Classes From Kevin on Skillshare:
Creating Data-Driven Founding Sales Leaders With Peter Kazanjy
Pete Kazanjy is Ambition Today’s new guest from Southern California. He is sitting in San Francisco, CA right now as we speak, enjoying Alamo Square. He is a serial founder and seasoned early stage Saas executive, advisor, and investor.
Peter Kazanjy | Co-Founder of Atrium
Pete Kazanjy is Ambition Today’s new guest from Southern California. He is sitting in San Francisco, CA right now as we speak, enjoying Alamo Square. Peter Kazanjy is a serial founder and seasoned early stage Saas executive, advisor, and investor. Pete has cofounded many companies including TalentBin, Modern Sales, and Atrium. He is also an author of “Founding Sales”.
He went to Stanford where he learned English and Philosophy. Pete is still going strong and has a lot to offer his clients, be sure to read his book “Founding Sales”, a Startup Sales Handbook. In this episode of the podcast, we go deep into how best to optimize early sales for startups companies.
Topics Discussed:
Go-to-Market and Marketing Strategies
The difference between founding sales and normal sales.
Why sales are so critical to early growth.
The best tools for sales, revenue, and accounting
Maintaining work-life balance as an entrepreneur
Quote of the Episode:
“Three main rules: focus, focus, focus”.
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Check out the podcast’s backchannel, The A-List where you can listen to exclusive audio clips containing the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Finta - A secure, cloud-based, deal room platform. Companies quickly set up a deal room and have a blazing fast tool for raising capital. We make sharing company information with investors secure, simple, and automated.
A-List: After every episode of the Ambition Today podcast we record an exclusive bonus clip, where we ask each guest to tell us the best advice they have ever received. Hear first-hand stories from over 30 entrepreneurs and investors in these exclusive bonus clips.
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Jack Greco Helps Build A Unicorn Company In Buffalo, With ACV Auctions
From growing up on a dairy farm, to a successful entrepreneur with hundreds of employees, meet our next guest, Jack Greco. Greco co-founded ACV Auctions, an online auction dealer platform, which was last valued at $1.5B.
Jack Greco | ACV Auctions
From growing up on a dairy farm, to a successful entrepreneur with hundreds of employees, meet our next guest, Jack Greco. Greco co-founded ACV Auctions, an online auction dealer platform, which was last valued at $1.5B. He never thought that he would be the person to co-found Buffalo’s first unicorn startup in 2014. The great part is the story behind his success. He later reveals to Kevin that he has been fired from every job before he became a founder, and what kicked him in gear, was learning that he had a baby on the way. Every success story is different, and I think this is great for our audience to hear, and prove to you, never give up, or think that you are not worth something because you got fired! Pick your feet up and move on!
As of 2018, Greco left ACV Auctions and is now an angel investor. To date, he has invested in over 50 companies and is trying his hardest to maintain a quality work-life balance for his son.
Topics Discussed:
A little background on Jack Greco
Unicorn Start-Up
Angel investing in 50 companies
Working with others
Covid effects on the world
Work-life balance
Mental Health
Having a coach is so important
Buffalo Bridge
Quote of the Episode:
“This [ACV Auctions] is a great learning experience, and it will shape who I am going to be as an investor, a mentor, executive, father, for the rest of my life.” - Jack Greco
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Checkout the podcast’s back channel, The A-List where you can listen to exclusive audio clips containing the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Finta - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency.
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Bringing Back Jeff Wald To Discuss The End Of Jobs
Our next guest is so amazing, we had to interview him a second time! He was on nearly 5 years ago on Episode 8! Jeff Wald is an entrepreneur who has started three technology companies, with his latest company, WorkMarket, being sold to ADP.
Jeff Wald | Author | The End of Jobs
Our next guest is so amazing, we had to interview him a second time! Jeff Wald was on Ambition Today nearly 5 years ago on Episode 8 and we are bringing him back for episode 62!
Jeff Wald is an entrepreneur who has started three technology companies, and since we last spoke with Jeff, he sold his latest company, WorkMarket, to ADP. Jeff is also a Board Member on the following boards: Steel Connect, Costar Technologies, TransfrVR, Peerless Systems, and Register.com. During this episode we catch up with Jeff and talk about his new book, “The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations”. Tune in to hear all about his book as well as statistics regarding the workforce in 2020:
Topics Discussed:
His experience selling the company.
The impact of remote working.
How to create “social squads” in your company.
The importance of defining the goal of any meeting.
The steps of technological change, mechanization, electrification, computerization and what comes next with robots and AI.
Quote of the Episode:
“Every time {we revolutionize} we ended up with more jobs, at a higher standard of living, with working fewer hours, that is definitively clear through history.” - Jeff Wald
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Checkout the podcast’s back channel, The A-List where you can listen to exclusive audio clips containing the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Finta - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency.
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Join The Bandwagon With Harold Hughes
Imagine being on a cruise with friends and a good business idea comes to mind, then months later, your idea is now being distributed in Walmart’s around the world! Today’s guest, Alexis Beechen was enjoying her time partyin’ and thought, putting wine in a can would be much easier to casually drink.
Harold Hughes I Founder of Bandwagon
Our next guest on the show, is the amazing Harold Hughes. He is the founder of Bandwagon, which helps companies discover the identity of their fans in order to increase attendance, offer personalized services, and increase revenue.
Growing up, Harold made his first dollar selling AirHeads for cheaper than the school sold them at their cafeteria until he got caught! He went to Clemson University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics, before going back for his Masters's degree later. It was then, while he was taking his strategic management course that he realized it was a lot like being a fan at a sports event.
Harold loved playing sports when he grew up, and he loved that it didn’t matter your families financial status was or where you lived, you just loved to play the game. That is where Bandwagon all started. Now Harold has expanded Bandwagon from just preventing ticket fraud for fans, too also being a fan identity and data analytics company. Tune in to hear more about Harold’s story and experiences going through the ups and downs of being a CEO.
Quote of the Episode:
“Service to others is the rent for your time on earth”
Gauntlet:
Listen in for Harold’s amazing tips from his experience growing his business:
Branding/Design
Go-to-Market
Product Development
Hiring
Revenue and Accounting
Fundraising
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Join the podcast’s backchannel, The A-List where members can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Equity Token - Helping early stage companies raise capital faster. Set up your company and fundraising deal once to build your company’s deal room. Then share it anywhere. Let Equity Token take care of the rest.
Audible - Visit www.audibletrial.com/AmbitionToday to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now!
The A-List - Join the podcast’s 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 each 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!
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Alexis Beechen Drops Some Knowledge From Building Her Wine Empire
Imagine being on a cruise with friends and a good business idea comes to mind, then months later, your idea is now being distributed in Walmart’s around the world! Today’s guest, Alexis Beechen was enjoying her time partyin’ and thought, putting wine in a can would be much easier to casually drink.
You are on a cruise with friends and a good business idea comes to mind. Fast forward a few years later and your idea is now very much real and being distributed in Walmart’s around the world!
Alexis Beechen I Founder of The Drop
That’s what happened to today’s guest, Alexis Beechen. She put wine in a can making it much easier to casually drink and enjoy. Alexis and her team created The Drop, which is now at concert venues, small wine stores, and as of late last year, in Walmart’s all around.
An entrepreneur by heart, Alexis made her first dollar selling her mom’s gently used clothes when she could barely drive. Her dad, an entrepreneur himself, had his own legal firm, and her mom was the first person that talked to her about branding yourself and establishing trust with people. Alexis went to Georgetown for Marketing and eventually landed a job with Havas where she maintained Dos Equis account while helping to create the Most Interesting Man in the World. Although she loved her job with Havas, she decided to go back to Columbia for business school. During her schooling is when The Drop was born. Today, she is working on another business that she is passionate about, Hunterz.io which helps startups with connections they need to grow their business. Listen in to hear more in-depth about Alexis’ awesome story!
Quote of the Episode:
“You can only make as much money as the hours you build”
Gauntlet:
Listen in for the best tips, tricks, and tools that Alexis used growing her business:
Branding/Design - Fiverr
Go-to-Market – Hunterz.io
Product Development – feedback from customers
Hiring - LinkedIn
Revenue and Accounting - QuickBooks
Fundraising - Carta
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Join the podcast’s backchannel, The A-List where members can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Equity Token - Helping early stage companies raise capital faster. Set up your company and fundraising deal once to build your company’s deal room. Then share it anywhere. Let Equity Token take care of the rest.
Audible - Visit www.audibletrial.com/AmbitionToday to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now!
The A-List - Join the podcast’s 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 each 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!
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Automating Indoor Agriculture with Dan Nelson's Grow Computer
Packing for a nice relaxing vacation, you look around, and realize, you have these beautiful plants that you have worked so hard in growing, and you wonder, are they going to be thriving when you get home?
Dan Nelson I Founder of Grow Computer
Packing for a nice relaxing vacation, you look around, and realize, you have these beautiful plants that you have worked so hard in growing, and you wonder, are they going to be thriving when you get home? Our amazing guest today, Dan Nelson thought just that as he prepared for his honeymoon a few years back. There has to be a better way than having dead plants when you get back from vacation! This is the event that gave him a new chapter in life. After countless hours of studying under his belt, he helped create Grow Computer as it is today!
Dan didn’t always have the ambition to help automate agriculture, he grew up in Long Island where his father and grandfather instilled his great work ethic in him. He would help with the latest house project by wheelbarrowing supplies to them when needed. He had great hardworking role models and followed in their footsteps. Nelson graduated with a Masters Degree in accounting and an undergraduate in Economics at the University of Michigan. Before Grow Computer, he had many jobs, with one of his favorites being a virtual CFO because he has always loved helping people build better businesses. He even created a tool called Start of Economics 101. Tune in to this episode to hear more about Dan and his tips and experience in building his own company.
Quote of the Episode:
“If it [computer system] doesn’t talk to each other, it adds layers, complexity, transaction costs and stress and hassle, and reduces the efficiency in any business”
Gauntlet:
Listen in for the tips, tricks, and tools that Dan shares with us!
Branding/Design
Go-to-Market
Product Development
Hiring
Revenue and Accounting
Fundraising
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Join the podcast’s backchannel, The A-List where members can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Equity Token - Helping early stage companies raise capital faster. Set up your company and fundraising deal once to build your company’s deal room. Then share it anywhere. Let Equity Token take care of the rest.
Audible - Visit www.audibletrial.com/AmbitionToday to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now!
The A-List - Join the podcast’s 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 each 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!
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Taylor Jacobson Shares How Focusmate's Virtual Coworking Creates Distraction-Free Productivity
Welcome to Season 3 of Ambition Today! My guest today is Taylor Jacobson. He is the founder of Focusmate, the app that helps you focus and in return be more productive. In this episode, we discuss with Taylor what in his personal life lead him to the idea of needing a solution like Focusmate, as well as his personal take on a lot of procrastination issues.
Taylor Jacobson I CEO of Focusmate
After a summer break, we are back with a brand new season of Ambition Today!
Season 3 brings with it some fresh new changes to the podcast, coming to you from our brand new podcast studio in the heart of New York City!
We have some exciting guests coming up and I can’t wait to share all of the great conversations & new questions with you! I hope you enjoy Season 3, now on to the episode!
Who struggles with procrastination? Did you know that studies show up to 95% of people struggle with procrastination!
My guest today is Taylor Jacobson. He is the founder of Focusmate, the app that helps you focus and in return be more productive. In this episode, we discuss with Taylor what in his personal life lead him to the idea of needing a solution like Focusmate, as well as his personal take on a lot of procrastination issues.
As Taylor developed Focusmate, he found three major aspects of being more productive. One, you perform better when you need to complete a task in the presence of someone else. Two, if you commit to another person that you are going to do something, it is highly likely that you will complete it. And three, you are likely to increase productivity if you reflect on your work afterward. You know that you are going to have to review the job that you did, so in the moment of work, your actual focus becomes stronger. Focusmate is now helping thousands of people with all of these aspects! Tune in to hear more about Taylor and his company, Focusmate!
Quote of the Episode:
“These are the people {Co-workers} that have my back to grow into my best self”
Gauntlet:
This is a new section of my podcast for season 3, where I will ask my guest a tip or tool that they recommend for their business in each of the following categories. Listen in to hear Taylor’s answers:
Branding/Design
Go-to-Market
Product Development
Hiring
Revenue and Accounting
Fundraising
The Greatest Piece of Advice:
Join the podcast’s backchannel, The A-List where members can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned!
Links & show notes from this episode:
Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By:
Equity Token - Helping early stage companies raise capital faster. Set up your company and fundraising deal once to build your company’s deal room. Then share it anywhere. Let Equity Token take care of the rest.
Audible - Visit www.audibletrial.com/AmbitionToday to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now!
The A-List - Join the podcast’s 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 each 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!
Listen to Ambition Today now:
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! 🤗
Conquering The Winter Blues With Colors Of Colleen
It is always impressive to watch when founders and creators show constant persistence over time. One of the most persistent creators I have had the pleasure of watching grow, I am proud to say I am married to. For the last few years I have watched as Colleen has built Colors Of Colleen, a fashion fix with a mindful mix.
It is always impressive to watch when founders and creators show constant persistence over time. One of the most persistent creators I have had the pleasure of watching grow, I am proud to say I am married to. For the last few years I have watched as Colleen has built Colors Of Colleen, a fashion fix with a mindful mix. This month she wrote an excellent post that I feel could be helpful to the lives of some New York City founders. As such I felt it was worth sharing here, with you.
Living in the North Eastern United States means winters can at times be long and brutal. Especially those across New York State, stretching from Buffalo to NYC. When we’re getting less sunlight in the fall and winter our brain is producing less serotonin, which cam impact mood. Two recent studies suggest the culprit is a brain circuit that connects special light-sensing cells in the retina with brain areas that affect whether we are happy or sad. When these cells detect shorter days, they appear to use this pathway to send signals to the brain that can make a person feel glum or even depressed. This is Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons and begins and ends at about the same times each year.
As a licensed Art Therapist, Colleen shared some of her personal top 10 tips for combating the winter blues and staying at the top of your game, all season long. Head on over to Colors of Colleen and take a quick read for yourself! And don’t forget to subscribe to her newsletter as well!
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
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:
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!
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
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.
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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
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.
Productivity Today: Managing Attention in the Digital Age
Want to be more productive? I’m excited to announce my new free online class with Skillshare & Todoist on better managing your attention in the digital age.
Want to be more productive? I’m excited to announce my new free online class with Skillshare & Todoist on better managing your attention in the digital age. In this class, I’ll share how you can increase your attention span, quiet your mind, and get more done. You can take the online class for free here.
In today’s world, everyone wants your attention. From app and website notifications to emails and calendar invites, it can be difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. In this class, I'll share how you can increase your attention span, quiet your mind, and get more done. You’ll learn how to:
Hone your ability to focus
Reduce daily distractions
Improve your prioritization process
Whether you’re freelance or full-time, everyone can benefit from learning how to better manage their attention. After taking this class, you’ll regain control over your own attention, allowing you to put your focus where you want it and be more productive every day. Learn to control your attention and take your productivity to new heights in this class.
Dennis Mortensen Is Hyper Focused On The Future Of Artificial Intelligence With X.ai
From the brand new Fulton Center in downtown Manhattan we bring you Dennis Mortensen. He is founder and CEO at X.ai, an artificial intelligence driven personal assistant named Amy who schedules meetings for you.
Dennis Mortensen
From the brand new Fulton Center in downtown Manhattan we bring you Dennis Mortensen. He is founder and CEO at X.ai, an artificial intelligence driven personal assistant named Amy who schedules meetings for you.
Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in Denmark, Dennis initially strove to be a game engineer at IBM. He soon failed to resist the call to entrepreneurship though as he started and sold three of his first four companies. Dennis is now changing the way people interact with artificial intelligence by pioneering it's future. After raising $30+ million and growing the team to 93 people, he is hyper focused on building X.ai to rescue people's time. It is clear that focus is something he excels at from some of the unique lessons he shared:
- Growing up in Denmark in a family of entrepreneurs
- Difference between being a serial entrepreneur and a first time founder
- The impact immigrants can have creating jobs in the United States
- Importance of doing one thing really well
- Keeping a clear mind is one of the keys to success
- Why this wave of artificial intelligence is different from any before it
- Where the future of Artificial Intelligence is going
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
"As a serial entrepreneur how do you manage your life and prevent burnout?"
Quote Of The Episode:
"I take pride in the mental freedom Inbox Zero provides me every day. You can start to think again, and really good ideas come with that"
Links from this episode:
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…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
Protecting Your Time
Both for better and for worse, the way we work in the new digital age is changing fast. The freedom to work anywhere is causing us to work everywhere. But are we really being productive (getting shit done) or creative (having original ideas), both of which are essential to building a strong business.
Both for better and for worse, the way we work in the new digital age is changing fast. The freedom to work anywhere is causing us to work everywhere. The result is that too often we find ourselves being pulled from email to meeting, to text message, to social media notification, to lunch meeting, to viral meme of the day, to phone calls, and so on. In what feels like the blink of an eye 8:00 am becomes 8:00 pm. We end the day having been incredibly busy. But are we really being productive (getting shit done) or creative (having original ideas), both of which are essential to building a strong business.
Time is the scarcest personal resource in existence. Unlike money, which every year the government prints more of, your time is finite. You can never get more time than the amount you were born with and therefore it is priceless. It is your duty to protect it.
Protecting your time so your mind has time to actually think and your body has time to actually get shit done is something which can be a bit tricky. I recently blew up my calendar to make some lifestyle changes in the pursuit of being more efficient, better focused, and having a greater clarity in the way I work. I have been finding these new changes very effective, so I thought I would share them with you.
Monday:
After the weekend it is important to start the week organized. Aside from one global call with the Founder Institute Directors from all over the world, Monday is reserved for E-mail and getting organized. Reaching inbox zero each Monday allows the peace of mind later in the week to know I am not missing anything urgent that may have come up this week. While answering and archiving e-mail, the action items from them get moved onto my to-do list for the week.
Tuesday:
Starting Tuesday with the peace of mind that my inbox is in great shape is incredibly refreshing. Especially because there will not be much time for e-mail today. Tuesdays are for meetings! I try to schedule all my meetings and coffees exclusively on Tuesdays. Back to back meetings can make for an exhausting day, but I have found I am able to give much more attention to being present & attentive during meetings, as I am not thinking about e-mail throughout the day. Again, the action items from my meetings get moved onto my to-do list for the week.
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday:
With the bulk of e-mail and meetings behind me for the week, it is now time to get shit done. It's time to throw on my headphones, a great playlist, and to start crossing tasks off of my to-do list. I use Todoist, which provides karma insights into how productive I am being week to week. I have seen a big uptick in the amount of actual productive work I have been getting done.
This time is also for getting your creative brain power flowing again. I have been finding that around Thursday afternoon I have usually accomplished enough tasks that the original ideas start to come flowing naturally again. These moments are essential if you want to actually innovate on your business in unique ways, as opposed to just doing what everyone else is.
Weekend:
Spend time with family and friends. Taking the time to maintain your personal relationships is vital to playing the long game of life. It will be a lonely and difficult journey without them. Many an entrepreneur have missed the mark here and you need to make sure you're not one of them.
Be bored! I mean it. To clarify though, watching Netflix is not being bored. That's just called relaxing. I am talking about actually letting your mind wander. This is when the best original ideas come to you. For you, this might be while in the shower. For me, this is at the gym, while I am driving, or while I am walking around New York City. You need to give creativity the room to strike you.
More:
- Over-ear headphones make a difference. I love my Apple Airpods while walking around the city, but they do a lousy job preventing you from hearing distractions like side conversations while you're working. Getting even a cheap $20 pair of over-ear headphones will help you focus.
- Work to accomplish tasks within specific blocks of time. We have a shot clock style timer in the office we set when doing work. You may not always get your tasks done within the set amount of time, but regardless it will give you self-awareness into how long tasks are taking and how much you are actually getting done.
- Tracking your progress is the only way to know how you're getting better. You can use services such as Escape or RescueTime to track how often you're getting distracted. And a to-do list app such as Todoist to track how many tasks you're accomplishing.
- Set up something to block websites you traditionally find distracting. There are many to choose from but I have recently been using one called "Go F**cking Work" because I liked its motivational tone.
- If you really need help pulling away from the addiction of technology then be sure to use Onward. A new app which helps you change your overuse behavior in 1 minute per day to achieve tech-life balance!
Obviously, this is a pretty rigid schedule that can be hard to maintain. And yes, there are weeks where meetings happen on a Monday, work happens on the weekends, or e-mails get answered on a Thursday, but think of this more as a goal. When you find what works best for you and you start to constantly follow it effectively, I promise you will start to get some of your brain power back for yourself. Allowing you to dictate your future as opposed to everyone else dictating it for you.