starting all right everybody welcome to
another hangout blab I’m with my good
friend and special guest Steven Kelly
and we’re talking today about how it’s
never too early or too late to follow
your passion I’ve started today a little
bit under the weather but I’m feeling
just know that this is starting I got my
energy back and super excited to be here
Steven
welcome aboard again are you in London
yeah I’m in London but I just come back
from Paris and then I’m coming for this
to America’s next week actually
so we’ll be around a lot and Evan on
behalf of everybody out there all the
audience we feel for you because you are
a beacon of light and when you’ve got a
bit of sickness we feel very privileged
everybody out there that Evans cancelled
everything in his calendar
he’s probably cancelled advice calls to
Hillary and Donald and all these sort of
things going on and he’s here with us
today forget all the other stuff thanks
appreciate it it’s here and then to the
doctor’s office but they can’t miss this
this is the most important part stephen
super important topic lots of people
feeling like – I’m too old to get this
you know I’m past my prime I can’t start
a business or I’m too young nobody’s to
take me seriously
you know I need to wait till I’m X years
old there’s a ton of questions everybody
come in but before we dive to those what
do you have high-level advice thoughts
wisdom you made that is with Invictus as
well love to kind of get some initial
thoughts before we dive in yeah I kind
of think the real question is when’s the
right time and we all know the right
time is now so how do you kind of
engineer whether you’re paying a
mortgage whether you got kids whether
you’re starting off or whether you’re a
retirement age how do you engineer it to
to play to your strengths so we all know
about following your passion there’s the
right time is now if you want to do you
want to be your own boss there’s no
better time so it’s kind of mobilizing
your focus to make it a reality and
that’s the most important thing the
Invictus games is massive so one of the
things we’re doing through the Sage
Foundation and it kind of plays to this
theme is obviously a lot of
Lachie people have great skills teamwork
discipline trust all the things in terms
of management skills and they can be
incredible entrepreneurs so we’re
helping them with a whole program about
when they leave the military to come
into civilian life to have the right
skills to be successful as entrepreneurs
and I think it’s just incredible and
it’s a privilege trust support people
who have been here with you know
entrepreneurs are heroes but people who
give and prepare to give their lives for
their country or a special type of hero
and we’re all very humbled and
privileged to be able to help them
transition into civilian life and be
acheived successes on for us I love it
so are these people who already know
that they want to start a business and
then you help giving them training
support motivation yeah I’m watching
he’s one of the guys he’s the captain of
the USA team and he got his leg blown
off early in 2004 in Baghdad captain
will Reynolds so he’s an amputee but
what an incredible guy he’s probably
lived free lives and he’s he’s younger
than 40 he’s left the services he’s done
an MBA he started a new career in
business he’s had four kids and he’s
running in the Invictus games so it
shows you I think kind of all of us
particularly probably the older printers
worried about could we fail my god
terror rejection how I got this in me
haven’t got the energy but when you see
these poster children like will Reynolds
you think wow these guys are
inspirational you know they’ve overcome
adversity and they’ve reinvented
themselves they’ve got a massive career
change going from the military losing a
leg and then coming into being an
entrepreneur and a leader I just think
it’s inspirational I love it
well this day we got tons of questions
so let’s dive in and hopefully give some
value to everybody watching first up is
Alfonzo I have doubt I’m starting my
company but I’m 18 I think that people
won’t take me seriously how can I get
over this hey Alfonso you’ve got to
believe it’s behind Evan honestly you
believe there’s a few things one
social media you can be whoever you want
to be in terms of social media you can
build a presence you can build a brand
you can build awesome products I think
in the world of social media the digital
economy you know great products win
markets so if you’ve got a product idea
then you know it’s nothing stopping you
if it’s the services business and it is
even a face-to-face business then I
think people are gonna buy your
enthusiasm people have gotta buy your
commitment energy I don’t know a couple
of guys who are young and they’ve gone
in there some 21 and they’ve started a
services business and they’ve actually
said you know if you believe what I say
and I could do a good job for you I
think I’d learn really quickly I’ve got
a great work ethic I go great attitude
why don’t you take me on for two weeks
just on expenses and pay me nothing and
then the end the two weeks we’ll prove
ourselves and they’ve done similar sort
of thing with their people so it’s
almost like try before you buy so if you
got any anxieties about being sixteen
years old I’m number one put them away
and number two is just build up your
confidence and conviction because
there’s a lot of people who are 16 year
old now who are kind of changing the
world and just a couple of examples I
think there’s a Forbes article about
someone mayor Penn who’s done looted the
stuff she’s given free TED talks
I’m started a load of stuff around a
clothing company and environmental
activists and Wow at the age what 16
it’s just incredible you just couldn’t
have imagined it so you know hats it to
mayor on this as well Evan I’ll ping you
a few things on Twitter afterwards
around links and stuff so your your your
audience and the guys out there can I
have a look at some of these
inspirational people but we can all
learn a lot from in terms of absolutely
no fear and I don’t think age is a
barrier but age is something you should
kind of think you got tremendous energy
tremendous passion you’ve got a big idea
people back you if you back yourself
cool yeah any links that we talked about
we’ll add in the description for the
YouTube video and when we publish it up
I mean I can relate when I was 19 I had
my first
for company and I was selling the guys
three times my age who had peeped DS and
I didn’t have a single background you
know in science I’m selling the
scientists and I took me a while to get
over it and I would try to do everything
by email I thought oh if I talk on the
phone – no I’m too young and and you
know they won’t take me seriously and it
wasn’t until I realized that these guys
actually need me like I can provide
value to them and at the end of the day
that’s all they care about all they care
about is can you help me with the
problem that I’m facing right now and
once I understood that then it gave me a
lot more confidence and be able to talk
to people even even later as I started
work with brains one of the first
companies that work with was Microsoft
that was 20-something and I thought wow
I would Microsoft want to work with me
they’re Microsoft they know everything
and I’m just some young punk kid and and
then I started talking and realized oh
you know these guys these guys need my
help I can help them right so just
having confidence in your abilities
knowing that all they really really deep
down care about is that you can provide
value to them and help them and once you
understand that at least for me that the
age fear kind of went away yeah and with
Evan you know and I know whatever age
you are you could any any really smart
kids could go into a business and
improve it and you know when you run a
business for any period of time you just
either become complacent or you just do
the same things you do every day and I
think this complacency stifles
innovation so people accept the status
quo and I just think new pairs of eyes
with tremendous enthusiasm and know kind
of just just anxiety about changing
stuff can make a massive difference so
you know back yourself believe in
yourself and like you even when I was 16
I was selling ice creams on the
beachfront and telling why it paid for
my college education I couldn’t believe
how much margin there was in high
schools we used so these equivalent to
Canadian it was probably at the time
this is a long time ago is about dollar
and I used to buy this stuff in
the ice cream in the cone the actual
unit price of these ice creams was
probably about two cents I just couldn’t
believe the profit margin and ice creams
obviously there’s that you know if you
didn’t you didn’t hit it right it’s a
really hot day there’s a lot of wastage
so it makes you think about your margins
and I’ll be candid with you guys when it
was too kind of a rainy day was a bad
day no one came to little booth on the
seafront but what I had to do was get
out the booth and go and sell my wares
and sell the ice creams to whoever was
around and you find out as well you know
stuff happens in your head to say you
know people aren’t gonna buy this they
don’t want to talk to me their business
or their families but when you go up to
people and just have a conversation it’s
just amazing how people are welcome in
and and people are wanna buy stuff
especially from young people people back
young people people want young people to
be successful if you believe in yourself
that is contagious that belief and
conviction spreads like a beautiful
infection of love I love it I want to
see it a big deal of young Stephen Kelly
out hustling ice cream on the beach I’ve
been there
I said seven I love I had terrible spots
there’s a hole I’m not going off pasty
of it anyway but but they felt sorry for
me whatever it takes
they felt sorry for me and I’m good at
hustling but boy oh boy and you know
what it’s like even the first one
yourself the second one it gets easier
the third one gets easier the fourth
family you go up to is easier everyone
you do with all these things just take
the first step
believe in yourself back yourself have
no fear and then you just stop listening
to those crazy voices in your head
that’s so you telling you can because
you can I love it
well you ready how almost 500 high five
some of the audience on that so it’s
good okay next Franklin I’m on my way
finishing to set up a food business with
the twist the concept is created
originally by me the problem is I need
to make myself believe more so kind of a
related question there that it will work
no matter what and I seek for more
entrepreneurial guides so know exactly
what the food is with food
good business with the twist and he
doesn’t believe in the concept no matter
what what kind of advice would you give
Franklin on that well frankly I guess
you’ve got to believe in the idea and if
you believe in the product in the food
business I think then you’ve got to find
you know how do you go about the
distribution channel but I do believe in
food there’s so much kind of changing
food with organic with vegan with all
the different diets that people who are
adopting around the world around healthy
lifestyle it’s a golden time to be
innovative in the food business there’s
such an opportunity out there and again
you know I think we as a company have a
policy of buying from smaller medium
businesses and we buy from startups so
loads of people would say you know I
couldn’t go and call on a big company
but we we send the guys down here to get
lunches just from the market source
downstairs and you see kind of you go
against this stop all those voices in
your head certainly can’t be see that’s
the key thing is you have to believe in
the idea and again I you know the pretty
crazy example an 11 year old Michaela
our Ulmer was literally bitten by bees
when she was I think four and her story
is you know very personal that gave her
the idea of actually through a whole
series of event of creating a product
called let around lemonade and she
eventually sold their animal two million
pound deal to multi-million dollar deal
to Whole Foods so and it just came
through a number of elements that are
totally unconnected but it gave her a
really great idea that she really
believed in and then she did a moldy
winning the other as a result of that
and obviously you know the rest is
history
cool I think to and to expand on that
I’d love to see you test it you know
test out on a small scale see what’s
working if you get some early wins like
Stephen said you sell your first one
it’s easy to believe in the second one
and the third one the fourth one and
even going back to Stephens story of
just selling ice cream on the beach like
that’s starting up small right you go on
you buy a little bit ice cream when you
go sell it and you reinvest it to buy
more ice cream and go sell it and I
think too many times people make it’s
such a big idea that they can’t take the
first step
without a ton of money or without a ton
of you know roadblocks in front of them
and so your food concept with the twist
I’ve been looking at how can I just
start making some sales of this how can
I start getting some momentum of this
and as you start seeing people eating it
and tasting it and liking it and
spreading the word then it’s much easier
to keep going and get some momentum and
continue to believe in yourself
so just have the big dream but start
small yeah and and the other thing ever
you know today pop-up stores are there
for food they’re everywhere
you know you don’t have to buy real
estate you can do things exactly as you
say
start small kind of mentally treat treat
everything you’re doing very carefully
around your money because it’s very
scarce to almost run on fumes but then
think how do I get market tested how do
I find out what audience is like what is
the consumer there’s gonna be really
interested in my big idea and and if you
go on a movie night or something and set
up a pop-up door outside of movie
theater that’s a great way to go and
then you’ll find out you know there’s
your product appeal to the older
generation to the healthy generation you
know should you set up outside a gym and
all instead there’s loads of things you
can do but I’d say constantly innovate
to Evans point change and course correct
according to what works and double down
on what works and once you got your idea
kind of fully worked out then think how
do you scale it out next Chantal I want
to be my own company of organic products
for the body but I have no finances now
or guidance as to how I start who do I
seek advice from I am 28 years old so
starting the company we’re gonna
progress doesn’t have finances needs
wisdom guidance 28 years old Chantal
southern come this is an interesting one
because this is you know you could argue
a pretty crowded market so I think you
need a differentiated what is it you’ve
got around organic products whether it’s
skincare or whatever which is very
different I think so Evans point you
gotta really believe in your product
you’ve got to love your idea you’ve got
to love your product because that’s the
first essence you’ve got to have you got
then think secondly how do I
differentiate myself because you know
there’s this candidly it’s probably a
sea of mediocre fights out there but
it’s a noisy market so what do you do
differently and then all the other
things
Evans talked about in terms of kind of
market testing market testing with your
friends market testing with other people
find the market and then again once
you’ve done that then you can scale up
set up a website whatever in terms of
the distribution make it as you want to
use great products like Sage pay on your
website you can do all that sort of
stuff as well now what I would argue is
when you start putting their money don’t
underestimate it because if you’ve got
good products with all these things
golden rule of business is net expenses
get ahead of revenues so go and do a bit
of test drive them with stuff even your
friends if it’s a great product
they’ll pay five bucks for it and with
these sort of products typically the
manufacturing costs it should be like
eighty ninety percent gross margin
business so if you got this sort of
pricing right you could do test drive
and you could get enough money to go to
the next stage and you kind of want to
break it down and skinny it down in
these little increments well you don’t
scale up or do stupid stuff but you just
do baby steps on a big idea that you you
go to a market but it is a crowded
market and I think Evans got a lot of
experience in this space so what are
your thoughts have them to me are the
lack of financing is similar to somebody
seen they’re too old or they’re too
young it’s just another limiting belief
it’s another excuse it’s it’s like oh I
don’t come from the right family or I
didn’t get the right education or you
know in my country you can’t do this and
it’s never about the resources as an
entrepreneur it’s about you’re
resourceful miss and if you go back and
you look at any other guys who have
started the companies that you look up
to in the cosmetics business look at the
founder you know they started in their
kitchen miss ten ingredients putting
things in jars and selling them like you
may not look at you know the body shop
now and say you know why’d I need to get
that kind of distribution and that’s not
possible I need to raise millions of
dollars to do it but the body shop was
started because I need a rod
her husband left her to go ride a horse
from Argentina to New York City that was
his dream and so took him a year and a
half to do that and so she needs to make
money support herself with her husband
on this huge trip and so she started
selling stuff that she made in jars and
that’s the start right so it’s never
about how much money you have get
started now with what you have and start
selling to your friends and to Stevens
Point find something that’s different
because there are a ton of products out
there but it’s don’t don’t hold on to
the excuse that I don’t have the money
to do this because it’s always about how
resourceful you are and the most
successful entrepreneurs likely started
with less than what you already have
right now you already have all the
resources you need to be successful
having that social I think it’s a key
key aspect of the great of the
innovation and the more creative you get
the less money you have because you have
to and actually even even though you
know such as a big company buys I say to
be where every day treat the company’s
money as if it’s your own sink like a
startup you know what would you do what
would you stop what were you double down
or how how do we make a difference to
customers and I think the greatest
entrepreneurs I’ve met you know whether
it’s the Branson’s all these guys if it
started with nothing
they started with you know he’s a guy
who started with a loan from his arm you
know couple of hundred bucks and that
would sit and then built a multi-million
Empire now I do think it’s a good kind
of culture and philosophy to run your
business kind of lean I mean even when
you scale up but starting you’ve got to
pick pick something’s big idea pursue
your passions get a product even if you
kind of mix it in the kitchens get a
fanbase and then think about you know
the other innovations what other mixes
all never think that you’re locked into
a kind of cul-de-sac where you have to
do the same all the time early stage of
business you got to be innovating all
the time you might even change the
product every day based on feedback from
your customers and I think the other
thing that’s really important there is
what it does is Bo
in your mind to where it takes you
because you’ll never know where you end
up as a business and and every business
that starts with an idea the end product
that they build is very often different
from where they started so be very open
to that feedback and again through
social media wow what a great way to get
social antenna on what your customers
love about your products and what you
need to change yeah I mean to that point
you look at a couple like Wrigley’s
that’s made his fortune in gum
they started off selling baking soda and
gum was just a bonus that for every you
know five packs of baking soda you get a
free pack of gum and the gum just took
off so started selling the gum you look
at BMW and their logo that circle is
propellers because they serve off making
airplanes and then they got out of the
airplane business and one of the cars
and so it’s it’s super common to the
switch it’s really a great example next
rides on line you can always expect a
different question from Rhys online do
you believe that people’s life spans
youth and well-being can be extended
making it even less relevant what age
you are when you start as a late bloomer
so yeah I do by expanding life lifespans
you can we’ll be yeah I think so Evan
someone asked me the other day you know
when are you gonna retire Stephen I said
I’ve set my retirement date it’s the day
I die yeah wendy was so passionate about
business and you love what you’re doing
well I think you’ve got a much better
karma you can give much more to your
family your personal life your friends
you know no one wants to kind of go home
and be bent out of shape people want to
be positive energy and I all the
entrepreneurs dunno you know they’ve got
huge energy huge passion they really
believe they’re following their dreams
and it does it does become contagious it
rubs off and I I’ve got no statistics to
say you’re gonna live to do 150 and
you’re gonna have perfect health but
what I would say is you know you just
got a much greater calm you’ll probably
have more fun in your life yep if you’re
your own boss you
you know you’ve really accountable for
everything good about what you created
and that’s a very special and unique
feeling and I think I do think it rubs
off incredibly positive to leave where
it also you know it’s probably means
that your work and your life and your
friends there’s a greater blur and
they’re much more integrated they’re
much more holistic they’re much more
part of what your personality is I love
it in the in the pre-chat we’re talking
about two entrepreneurs
Ray Kroc and Colonel sandals Sanders and
Ray Kroc billed McDonald’s and he was in
his 50s and he already had diabetes and
arthritis and lost most of his
gallbladder and and he was convinced
that the best years were still ahead of
him you know when he’s in his fifties
and have all these issues and Colonel
Sanders started KFC and he started
franchising when he was in his 60s and
from 65 to 75 he opened up 600 stores so
you’re like 65 years old people thinking
about retirement here’s Sanders saying
no I still got a lot of work to do I’m
gonna open up 600 stores and he kept
working till the day he died to 90 years
old building up KFC and these these are
two guys who are in the restaurant
business which is you know the highest
failure rate of any industry is the
restaurant business and they say I don’t
care I’m gonna do it and so you know
when you’re at an age when most people
think they’re gonna quit that’s just
that’s just starting time for a lot of
people and I love that mentality I think
when you love what you do then it’s easy
to want to keep going because it it
fuels you gets you excited yeah and
everyone interested my family of small
business people so my dad had tea and
coffee you know early version of
Starbucks and he did importing coffee
and all that sort of stuff
and then he got sick actually in here we
had to sell the business
he was probably 60 when he did that and
he got better and then he could went to
work for someone but I remember coming
home when I was a kid and he said you
know I just hate I just you know I pay
em to take orders and I can see so many
things wrong with the business and we
could do it so much differently and
better and yeah he did that for three
years he got frustrated to say
I want to be my own boss again I want to
you know get back and go and do all over
again and that’s a guy in his sixties
and I think age is just Evans a young
guy I’m an old guy but I feel like a 19
year old kid in my head
and when you talk to whoever you talk to
you talk to your grandma you you ask
them honestly how do they feel in their
head they feel like they were 25 all
over again and I think a lot of people
were seeing this now is you got huge
energy with the embracement of kind of
the digital social media as well age has
very little impact on your capability
you enthusiasm your energy and the
experience you have is incredible so
some of the statistics over in the UK
from older people so over fifties are
actually creating businesses there’s
more than 50 percent more businesses
created by over 50s than there were in
2008 seven years ago the other thing is
really interesting they apply their
experience but their hiring is seven
times greater of employees than it is
for any other business in the UK the
average so what it means is more older
people are starting their businesses
they’re being more successful the data
is there 20 29% more profitable and also
they’re employing more people that
creates prosperity for you know rural
communities urban communities right
across you can the data is the same in
the US and I think also Evan I think
people kind of get sick of corporate
life and when you’re in your 50s you’ve
probably got you know reasonable
financial security and and you’ve got an
idea and that’s the time to say now
that’s the right time I’ll go and do
what I’ve always dreamt of doing for the
last 30 years and I will go and follow
my dreams great time to do it yeah it’s
great to see because you know I see a
lot of people go into the corporate path
and then the longer they stayed there
the harder it is to get off you know the
more they rely on that stability and
they built their family up and so that
there’s the even more pressure to
deliver results and they say well if I
was 20 and I didn’t have
espoused and enough kids to be way
easier to do it but it’s great to see
that people are now actually taking the
opportunity to jump off and throw up
their own business I think I mean I
think surrounding yourself with young
energy helps too you think I’m a young
guy but I’m the oldest guy in my company
in both my companies everybody’s younger
than me
so you know they keep me vibrant and
give me new ideas and energy as well so
I think that can help too if you’re you
know if your peer group isn’t giving you
the energy that you need and change your
peer group to get that vibe hey a couple
of I tell you covering the stores I just
done a couple with them someone could
she’s a Baroness he’s very important
person she’s awesome she’s inspirational
a lady called Martha Lane Fox and Martha
Lane Fox got hired by this company and
she started the first sort of online
retailer in the UK called our last
minute comm and it was her and Brent
Hoberman but the guy who was a founder
there amazing story are there at 3 or
forum and he interviewed her she’s 22
years old and he went upstairs to the
other guys and he said look this person
is so good so good so I’ll be prepared
to work for nothing and give her my
salary yeah and she was a rock star
she’s inspirational one of the most
amazing female entrepreneurs
and she’s doing loads of stuff around
encouraging our females to come into
tech and young people but their kind of
moral the story there is that if I was
in 50s and 60s and starred in a business
I’d probably go and get some apprentices
some really great guys who challenged
the status quo and the whiskey and just
loads of stuff in terms of all the ideas
that take people out Martha she’s just
on the Twitter board so she’s she’s so
engaged and so engaging but these guys
just bring great ideas to your idea and
they can create a flywheel of momentum
so I think it’s a good time the other
thing actually I haven’t really smart
someone told me this and I passed her on
to a gobbler guys who are in their 40s
and they said you know they’re classic
story and I’ve sort of seen a question
coming I’ve got a mortgage I’ve got
financial dependency on the kids I just
can’t afford to take the risk that’s
wrong
so there’s a couple of ways you can
think about how do i do a soft land into
an exit and start your business an
entrepreneur one do a bit of
moonlighting so you do your full-time
job
you’ve got your evenings weekends free
to start your business secondly if
you’ve got a great relationship with
your boss say how about a sabbatical how
about you know the reality if you gray
that company will beg you to come back
whether it’s a year two years three
years so you’ve got total security
because you know you’ve got a job so you
can go out and you can fail fast try a
couple things and have like a two year
sabbatical where you go and live your
dreams for that two years if it takes
off never go back so there’s some smart
ways you can think about how do I
actually use my existing company to give
me a bit of time space or a bit of
moonlight in – and ironically a guy
called Marc Benioff who started
salesforce.com
amazing entrepreneur amazingly to build
a great company did exactly that from a
company called Oracle and Larry Ellison
the chief executive of Ora but actually
gave him space and some time off to
start Salesforce back in what was it
2000 and now it’s I think about as seven
billion dollar company with a market
value of probably 10 times that so
there’s loads of ways whether you’re in
that you know in the 50s where if you
think you’ve got financial security
problem there’s got to be a way around
it where you can follow your dreams be
an entrepreneur and also maybe sometimes
get your company to give you a bit of a
buffer to actually start your dreams off
I love it it’s the resourceful list
right there I love it cool okay next I’m
up with new ideas daily but how to have
clarity from which ones will be the most
fruitful I’m surprised to see a few
ideas be people bid that implemented by
other companies I don’t understand why
I’m not able to make my decision quickly
enough to make my product so tons of new
ideas inability to act on it what do you
think God you know it’s so annoying Evan
you must have done I’ve done it where
you’re sitting down you’re thinking it
wouldn’t it be cool to do especially in
social media since so much district
mediation
I’m whether it’s what LinkedIn are doing
around recruiting or whatever we’ve all
sat there and we’ve had an idea and
we’ve failed to implement it and then
all of a sudden you see this kind of
really coming in the marketplace with
your idea how annoying is that I would
say you know it’s all about you just got
to do it you’ve got to believe in
yourself and then what you want to do if
you have an idea test drive it you know
test drive it ever in conversations with
you your friends your family if it’s got
legs either if it’s a build it if it’s a
service enable it and get out there but
test drive it if you have a lot of ideas
just just refine which ones are really
going to make the weight make a move on
the my place because I think you’ve got
to ask yourself sensible questions
around you know what’s the market needs
what’s the customer gonna one always put
yourself in the shoes of the customer
and some of the really innovative ideas
maybe too early for the marketplace so
it’s kind of I think that’s changing
there with the digital economy normally
now products that I’ve got first mover
advantage can really scale up and you’ve
seen you know was it people have
facebook about all these companies have
come from nowhere they weren’t even
invented 20 years ago but they had an
idea how to change the world if you’ve
got an idea like that I think you can
scale up and go huge within effectively
within months for several years but
start small
think big always start small test drive
it course-correct it ro test as much as
you can your ideas to if 20% your ideas
you know gonna be global products you’ve
got a winner
but even if 5% are you’ve got to find
out what the 5% are you’ve got to kill
the 95% really quickly and the only way
you find that out is put yourself in the
shoes of the customer ultimately through
market testing I mean at isin world
topic last month where we talked a lot
about the idea being not enough lots of
people have the idea you got to go and
execute and I think what holds a lot of
people back is they don’t necessarily
see the whole plan you have this big
idea but you don’t know how to go
and start executing because you don’t
know what the first thing to do is you
don’t do anything and it’s understand
there is no first right step they’re
just starting like start you make
mistakes keep going keep going keep
going and hopefully seeing that big
company make tons of money off your idea
is motivation for you too this is not
gonna happen to me again you know the
next idea I get it I’m gonna just go out
and start doing it and get some feedback
and step through the momentum for
because I don’t want to get you know
scooped up like I did last time that was
painful for me in my first company I
missed the opportunity I didn’t see it
and my biggest competitor got out got
bought out for 40 million dollars and we
were second and I ended up being
acquired for a good amount but not 40
million dollars and so you know I seen
the difference helped me in my future
deals just I want to get an idea I just
do it I don’t have like bucket list and
I wish in five years I could do this as
soon as I start saying I wish I could do
something it just starts happening I
start finding a way to take action and
make it happen and so hope for the next
time you get an idea don’t worry about
making the perfect right step just get
going and start on it
hey the companies are right at sherbert
snow listos coming and we still got that
so one bear there is they still talk
about this thing we come JDI just do it
just do it just if it’s a good idea just
do it so and we used to have meetings so
JD I just do it I like it
GDI with the last thing I love it you’re
so right you’re on the money you’re
totally on the money Evan you just got
to do it cuz and and you have no fear of
failure because it might be a seventh
idea that’s the winner you just got a
you just gotta keep go you’ll earn loads
on the way
yeah and Italian to that a lot of people
see failures this big huge blip and and
negative thing we’re failures just
feedback like you will fail everybody
fails any any athlete any entrepreneur
any singer you look at their growth look
at how they started they failed they
failed they failed they failed to failed
and then they hit it and so failure as
normal fails to be expected it’s not a
bad thing failure is going to happen so
expect it
and then keep going yeah and you’ve got
a do you know what it’s like failure
rejection whatever it is you deal with
all the time and in business there’s
thousands of examples and then in the
world of writing what JK Rowling for
seven years was rejected I think 12
publishers down her down and then she
landed this kind of okie coke little
published called Bloomsbury and the rest
is history Harry Potter what a star Wow
who would guess that the designer Vera
Wang as she was a figure skater didn’t
make the US team didn’t make the car
what a momentous day that was in her
life because it said Ashley there’s a
different path here and a big idea was
designed and she became one of the
greatest fashion designers in the world
today so I think it’s how you really
choose at the age of 40 as well so you
think Wow figure skater give it a you
right you cannot believe how much these
figure skaters train if you’re if you’re
of that level of an athlete they’ll be
up every morning at 4:30 they’ll be down
the Rinker 5:30 they’ll be just doing
six hours of training it’s relentless it
is they don’t breathe and have a life
all they do is figure said and to switch
that off and deal with the rejection and
bounce back you know crit to it and and
that’s what we got to be as
entrepreneurs I love it dropping a lot
of women entrepreneurs today viewer wang
JK rowling I need erotic the Baroness I
liked it I liked it
okay next up Davin dab in white I have
no idea how to start a business so I’m
scared to try
I fear that investors will either not
take me seriously or I will have been
taken advantage of somehow I have faith
in my idea but not my ability to make it
a reality you just got a number one take
that word behind ‘event belief right so
kind of let’s not get the sequence wrong
as well forget the investors focus on
the idea if the idea and then focus on
who the target customers are if you got
those right investors will flock to you
you don’t have to worry about
those guys you’ll have money chasing you
everywhere but you don’t want that
because that’s just the wrong ethos for
building a business you want to start
with the idea then go and find the
customers refine the idea to have a
winning product or a service and then
you can always find my need for great
businesses and growth businesses that’s
the least your problems I’m probably
actually have on one of these we should
do how do you find kind of growth money
and growth capital and all those sort of
things because there’s a whole topic in
itself but the last thing to do is go to
the investors focus focus focus on the
idea and get the business going
do it now JD I yeah I love it’s a theme
of the show I like it I mean I echo it
totally agree you’ll get destroyed on
your valuation if you take money before
you have any kind of momentum behind it
and you spend your whole time trying to
raise money instead of actually trying
to build a company the thing I would say
to add is when you start anything you’re
afraid right like you want to learn
snowboarding you’re afraid of going down
that hill or getting off me was getting
off the chairlift was freaking me out
because you only have one foot on the
snowboard I was falling down every time
but anything anything that you try for
the first time you’re gonna be afraid to
do and then once you start doing it it’s
not that bad it doesn’t seem as bad as
this huge fear that you set up in your
head and so it may help us to look at
all the other things that you try to do
whether it was you know asking that girl
out or learning that new language or
going to that new country whatever it is
you had fear and you overcame it and
once you did it you realize it wasn’t
that hard it’s the same thing with
business just start there’s no right
first step are you gonna make mistakes
you don’t need to get the investors yet
the wickets this huge big thing just
take one step after another after
another after another and those little
steps will add up to big steps hey the
other thing a but obviously people can
listen to you because you inspire people
but there’s a couple of arm examples
both service people so we talked about
will we’ve got a lot of people in here
Vitas games have had stuff like their
legs blown off and they are saying I’m
gonna be successful as an entrepreneur
so if those
can do it Wow you can do it you should
have no fear the other guy who’s had
almost three careers amazing it was in
the military guy called just impact Shaw
amazing guy Ted speaker but then he
became an explorer and an adventurer and
he climbed Everest I think he sailed
around the world he’s been to the North
Pole South Pole multiple times he’s
taken disabled service people on these
expeditions and made them believe and
I’m overcome massive physical
disabilities and he also runs he’s got a
really nice jewelry business high
quality in Londontown so he also said to
me is you know when you’re getting up
Everest it’s not about getting up is
about coming down I think one in six
people died coming down that’s something
crazy like that and the mission for
everybody in business is almost like an
analogy that comes from exploring it’s
you’ve got to get everybody safely
landed and safely down and he said when
you’ve dealt with the fear of facing
death so Bleakley and you know storms
coming in you should have no fear in
your business so I think I you know just
when you when you look at these people
there’s so many inspirational people out
there
you just gotta overcome your fear and
the way you do that is always take your
first step you know we could quote
Martin Luther King how do you climb a
giant staircase you just take the first
step you just got to take the first step
next Monday just think how are you gonna
do it build your product take your idea
to market go and test it go and share
with friends and family and and then you
build confidence and then you find out
what will work you refine your idea you
cause correct and you’ll have a product
that’s a winner in the marketplace
you’ve got a belief what really helped
me in in my company because I didn’t
mind you know my parents weren’t
entrepreneurs I didn’t have any
entrepreneur friends and have a Uncle
Joe who could guide me I just surrounded
myself with stories of successful
entrepreneurs and how they got started
and every morning I would read a quick
story about a famous entrepreneur how
they got started and you know how they
usually had nothing and it provided me
with both the motivation to keep going
and it’s like if they could do it then I
could do it and also some strong
jeez for like ideas of what I could do
because you don’t really learn this
stuff in school and so that really
really helped me and so having an
environment that you create then it’s
only easier now there’s so many YouTube
videos out there’s so many books you can
read something kind of daily to get you
going to motivate you and make you
believe in yourself
I think it’s crucial for any
entrepreneur because it’s it’s a hard
lonely game is if you have to start when
you have any momentum building up so
creating an environment for greatness is
super important in my opinion yeah I
mean if if there’s any kids out there
you know you’re 12 13 14 listening today
then I would say there’s some amazing
Network set up one is junior achievers
where we sponsor those guys across the
US and across the world and again what
will tween the links but they’ve got a
whole environment they’ve got these I’m
simulated towns where you can start up
your own business and there’s loads of
entrepreneurs around to help you and
also they can set up mentoring so if you
don’t have a network or a family of
entrepreneurs there’s loads of different
ways to actually get that so don’t feel
constrained and go out and find the
people who can help you and again
there’s so many voices in your head to
tell you people won’t be prepared to
give you their time people love to see
young kids succeed people love to be
asked to help young entrepreneurs so go
and ask people people you respect people
you can learn from and people who have
made a lot of mistakes in their own
careers of entrepreneurship though can
help you kind of navigate a really
successful path I love it just a quick
shout out to Rishi
Rishi Captiva Hussain Evan and Stephen
Kelly total rockstars to do the best
collabs so there you go thank you for
that Russia we love you too okay next
Paul is writing in most people who most
people will not follow their passion
because of what they believe others will
think or say often paralysis by analysis
is to cover up for worry about what
others will think or say so how do you
get over that fear of what other people
will think about you and your ideas and
potential face
yeah I just think you have to be
authentic I think you have to be
yourself I think in 2016 the world is
built authentic people with high
integrity so if I don’t know 20 years
ago you’d be there you’d be at school
your mom or pop will want you to be a
medic or a doctor or a lawyer or
barrister if that’s not for you you know
you’re gonna be sitting there doing your
exams when you’re 24 years old and
you’re gonna hate itself you’re gonna
hate will you do it I think you’ve got
to be really authentic with yourselves
and and again you know you just got to
be honest with your family your friends
and if if your path is to follow your
dreams through business and
entrepreneurship and build something
special and unique you’ll pretty quickly
find again just like we said when monies
follow you you’ll find your family
follow you if you’re having some
successes they’ll be proud of you your
mum and dad might think they want you to
go I don’t know and do some other
vocation but the greatest vocation on
the planet is being an entrepreneur I
agree with that I love that yeah I think
at some point you have to decide whether
you’re gonna live your version of your
life or someone else’s version of your
life right are you gonna leave your
parents version of your life or your
culture’s version of your life I think
back to the story of akio morita who
came from eleven generations of Japanese
sake farmers and you look at the
Japanese culture super traditional you
know you need to follow what your
parents say and your culture says it’s
not very individualistic and eleven
generations in the same business that’s
a lot of pressure in Akio said you know
what I don’t care I I don’t want to do
this I want to do my own business and he
started a little company called Sony and
hopefully made his parents proud and you
know just by following his passion for
what he wanted to do and said I’m gonna
live my version of my life I don’t I’m
not gonna you know it’s not that I want
to disrespect my parents or anybody else
just this is my life and I want to live
it and once you make that decision then
you start you stop caring as much about
what other people think because you
realize that this is for me and I don’t
care what you think
but it takes it takes a lot to go
through that at the start to realize
that you’re doing this for you and not
for other people yeah I think I’ve got
three daughters Evan and I just say
don’t live your dreams find what you
love if you don’t know what you love try
loads of different things and I think
parents in 2016 a much more into seeing
their kids fulfilled and happy and you
know if it’s the case as in your Sony
example every parents gonna be a proud
of an entrepreneur because you’re making
the difference to the community you’re
hiring people you’re giving people jobs
you’re giving people prosperity and also
you’ll just bounce when you come in and
see your parents you know I’m
Thanksgiving or whatever the celebration
is you’ll be flying like Eagles you’ll
be feeling good about yourself you’ll be
you know giving back more to people
because you’re you’ve got a lot of give
and a lot of love from the inside so you
know having three girls they’re all
amazing kids they’re all unique they’re
all very different they’ll all end up
I’m sure they’re very different things
but I just as a dad I just want them to
be really happy and never ever ever say
that I didn’t do what I wanted to do
because because the only person to stop
them is themselves I love it you get
parenting advice – I love it
Anne is writing in hi Evan and Steven
I’m still in University and the main
thing that holds me back whenever I
think of certain the business is the
money to start my business I want to
start the business to be independent but
I really don’t know where to get my
starting capital so we kind of addressed
this a little bit yeah prior but you
know for people who feel like I can’t
start until I have money what do you
tell them yeah I think you’ve got the
best opportunity started Business
University
I guarantee even if you work in really
really hard
you’ve probably got at least 20 hours a
week where you could be starting your
business or you could we go to rock
concerts or whatever you choose to do
but what a great place where you’ve got
an environment of amazing young people
great intellect around you to test drive
you do business develop product ideas
see if your idea is going to make
refine your idea I think that’s a golden
time I know loads of buddies of mine
even when I was back at University we
went off we earned money
we started businesses we saw or worked
we resold stuffed goods and I think it
was a great place and also you you’re
gonna be around really smart people at
University so that’s a great environment
to actually think about starting your
business that’s the golden time and then
obviously when you leave University you
should know what ideas are working what
scale and you might even have a lot of
university students and kids when they
leave I’ve already got businesses going
so go for I think that’s you are
absolutely living the dream at the
perfect time where you could create
space in your day and your week to
actually start your business right now I
love it quick shout out to Franklin
Hussain Evan and Stephen Kelly you guys
are really great I’m so thankful that
people like you exist getting the love
from Franklin their love me Franklin and
to answer your question I would just try
to find a way to start smaller I think
about it there’s a local big shop here
that’s really taking off called Bunner
that does organic baking and cooking and
when I first met her the owner she was
doing church bake sales you know like um
how much is the cost to go to the
basement of a church and sell her stuff
and then fast forward a couple years
later she has her first store and that
she’s opened her second store and now
she has cookbooks that she’s selling and
it all started by just going to church
bake sales and so if your dream is I
want to have my own store and I wanna
have my own line of clothing I want to
have my own line of you know cookbooks
all these things you can start smaller
without having to go and get money by
building momentum at church bake sales
right and so whatever your big dream is
just find a smaller way to get started
well you don’t need to get a lot of
money to do it and you can start right
now to start building momentum start
building an audience I’ve been the fan
base certainly in what works and what
doesn’t work you get money you know
you’re gonna find out that a lot of the
assumptions that you had were wrong
you’re gonna lose a lot of money in that
process too so whatever your big goal is
just find a smaller way to get started
yeah the other thing all obviously
university cover a lot is
you’ll be around a lot of smart people
that could work for you
and I believe you know the sort of start
up if they’re a university they could
they can work for nothing so they can
kind of sacra so you could give them a
very small part of the stock of the
company in consideration fragile taking
those salary the other thing is you’ll
be sitting around a lecture room you’ll
be seeing a lot of smart people but you
also see a lot of rich people they could
be angel funders for your business so
they could be part of your network and
whether you want to tap them up now or
tap them up in two years time when your
business is flying there’d be a great
source of funding because because
ultimately they’ll know to you they’ll
trust you they’ll like you and if they
like your idea they’re there and they
could be a great access to finance and
great angel investors we were follow-up
question about the the parenting advice
that you have I was talking sherry was
writing in the sage she had a talk with
the 22 year old daughter at 3 in the
morning she was afraid to talk to me
thinking I would disagree with her
decisions in life I told her that she is
an individual I support her and she
should support me and live your life
what what advice to give the parents to
try to create that environment where
they feel OK talking to their parents
sharing their life dreams especially at
a time when you’re trying to figure out
a lot of stuff they’re really stressed
out how do you make them feel
comfortable and accepting and you know
wanting to talk to and get some advice
I think first tip is have some more
sleep 3 in the morning
you’re pushing the envelope then they
seriously I think a couple of things as
a parent ultimately look your kids 22
years old it’s a matter of our
relationship and I think as parents you
know I see even when my kids were like
12 13 we haven’t really kind of grown up
conversations the the next thing is so
that means what’s your head is there
another fellow at all obviously as a
parent you’ve always got your best
interest their best interest you
probably be one person on this planet
that cares about that individual more
than they care about themselves
so you’ve got total integrity about
their best interest secondly I think
it’s really important as a parent to
show vulnerability and humility and that
means you know kids think their parents
got it all right no they did and they
screwed up they made mistakes
they’ve got skeletons in the cupboard
they’ve you know they’ve done all the
stuff that you’re probably going to do
so if you should show your vulnerability
and say look I’m just a normal person
I’ve made mistakes the more authenticity
you show the more honest the
conversation you have about what they’re
anxious about what what they’re excited
about what their big idea is how could
you back them how could you kind of just
gently nudge them towards a network of
potential customers people to market
test their product maybe Andrew
investors who could be friends of yours
all these sort of things you can open
the doors through your experience but I
think the relationships got to be
founded obviously on trust integrity
honesty and a nod I would say you know
it’s great for parents to show a bit of
vulnerability so yeah we screwed up we
made mistakes we’re not perfect
and I think the more we do do that the
more honest the conversation you know I
have a six-year-old son so I can’t add
as much context as you can Steven I
think a lot of times with with parents
and kids you’re you’re maybe just just
wearing from a six-year-old you spend a
lot of time just doing the stuff that
you need to do to get done right like
make sure your homework is done you know
make sure you’re cleaning your room and
and just making sure that he’s growing
up and doing the things that they need
to do or I think just having some time
good to be together and enjoy each
other’s company a lot of this kind of
stuff comes up to go into deeper
conversations I recently what to drive
my dad to go pick up a new car he was
buying it was like an hour out of the
city and we drove together for an hour
and had nothing else to do but talk to
each other and it was great you know
like I don’t think we spend enough
quality time with our parents that isn’t
around just something that has to get
done so
and tasks and quick updates where to
kind of go deeper whether it’s you go to
a cottage for a weekend there just
something to you know reconnect and get
to know each other on a deeper level
that’s what I think a lot of these
things can kind of come out yeah throw
top of the morning that’s a great time
generally you have very honest
conversations whether you drive pretty
good country up to a lodge or a three
o’clock you just got a crate space and
talk for each other and then I will say
you know your experience I don’t know if
they’ve got a really big idea you want
to back Wow why don’t yet instead of you
just letting them stay in the home and
stuff like that why don’t you say you
know let’s have some sort of financial
transaction here where you pay something
but I give you that back and we start
investing in your business and then you
can say well what sort of milestones
what would success look like you know
what where would you want to be in 90
days you know Hanley how many customers
would you want in 90 days and you can
ask the questions that get them thinking
about the right things to really start
their business and get going cool Luke I
think what’s holding me back is the fear
of the unknown
I believe I’m able to I know I believe
I’m able to write great inspirational
content but then whether I do with the
material I’m not a big name I’m not Tony
Robbins or Brian Tracy why would someone
want motivation advice for me I’m a
regular Joe financially I’m an absolute
superstar in my mind but readers and
audience are listened to already
successful people that mindset is
pulling me back I think Luke so Luke it
sounds like you are an awesome Rider and
you know what is it the 400th year of
some guy called Shakespeare you know in
reality and we talked about JK Rowling
there’s a lot of rejection you’ve got to
face now the opportunity for you I think
one thing that’s come out of a digital
age is we’ve lost that incredible
capability around writing amazing
material that connects the head and the
heart and is emotional and evocative and
and I think if you’re as good as you say
you are
you’ve got a unique skill says loads of
ways you’d go number one just kill those
voices in your head get doing stuff
either stop logging start creating a fan
base start sending people like ever me
material you know you never know we
might love it and we might say this is
incredible we want to do ghost blogging
with you and stuff like that there’s
loads of people out there who want
incredible content so if you have
inspirational content the only thing
stopping you is what you’re thinking and
what the voice in the head are telling
you and you’ve got to cut those
limitations off so I do think whether
you go back you know 30 years 20 years
10 years the world now through social
media we’ve lost a bit of the essence of
brilliant writing and I think it’s it’s
the case that you could actually create
a business by again finding your
audience
finding your spark around the
inspirational content and whether it’s
kind of yourself or a market you’re
looking at like people they ever me
business people Tony Robbins all these
guys Ted talkers everybody wants great
material and great content and I think
great content is the beautiful I’m about
the digital ages great content will win
hearts and minds yeah and it there’s
always room for quality there’s always
room for quality at the top there’s
always room for quality you might look
at a marketing say well Tony Robbins and
Brian Tracy dominate that but there is
always room for quality like that just
because some people are at the top right
now doesn’t mean that you can’t have a
space in there and be successful I think
the key is you need to be you need to be
you like if you try to beat Tony Robbins
it’s not gonna work right like you can
model somewhere have success but you
need to find what’s so special about
your message that unique and different
cuz people don’t want a twenty Robbins
junior you know they want Luke Luke
what’s the story man like let’s hear it
and maybe you speak to a new generation
of people you know Brian Tracy’s 80
years old right and he’s got a lot of
amazing content but now you could be you
know the guy for this generation and so
just there’s always room for quite at
the top I think it can hold so many
entrepreneurs back to see big players in
the industry and say well I’m never
gonna be successful you make something
good you make something people care
about you have a good chance of success
and you want to go and recruit new you
want to go and recruit a few fanatics
and and you could do some crazy things
like if you got content script material
I’m send it to people but but be a bit
different because yeah again it’s a
world that there’s a lot of noise just
two radical things find out someone you
really admire where they’re speaking
hang outside the stage door or whatever
and say just these guys like Brian or
Tony Robbins everybody will give you
time
if you grab them when they’re walking
out two seconds can I find you inspiring
can I actually have a bit of mentoring
through skype with you and you’ll find
people can give you time and then you
might find them when they’re on the
stage is name checking you and then
you’ll have your own kind of social
presence and you’ll find the stuff goes
viral so with this it sounds like you
just need to take the first step you
need to believe in yourself you’ve got
inspirational content you’ve got to find
what market is for that who the audience
is and then you need to kind of get the
velocity and and and kind of recruit a
little volunteer army of people who can
sell your brand for you so Luke is the
name we’re gonna watch for there’s that
word again velocity I love it Luke Luke
robach scene Thank You Steven and Evan
are some answers
cool well we’re at I’m ready it’s crazy
how how fast an hour goes Steven final
message that you have and how people can
reach you – to learn more about you yeah
so I’m handle s kelly CEO but I think
you’ve said a few times Evan it’s
amazing when we do these sessions I love
them I love you Evan Almighty I am in
all of you
and I think the message is a lot of the
questions say I can’t but you’re an
entrepreneur out there you can there’s a
lot of things in your head that tell you
those little voices say god that’s hon
how are they
first step I’m gonna I’m gonna fear
failure it’s all about taking that first
step and believe him and I think the
other thing is age is nothing ages
meaningless if you’ve got an amazing
idea it doesn’t matter if you’re a tea
or a steam there’s a marketplace out
there if you’re back in it the market
will back it with you and we’re in an
age where great products we market and
what took 20-30 years and we’ve talked
about you know Colonel Sanders KFC
McDonald’s these businesses you know
took 20 years to build businesses can be
built all in months and a couple of
years now on a global scale so if you’ve
got a great idea it’s all about taking
that first step and age is absolutely no
excuse it’s all out there for you I love
it
Stephen almost has 2,000 high-fives
let’s guys watching live let’s give him
some high-fives let’s get him over 2,000
there I love it there you go we did it
you know Stephen you got a huge company
to run we really appreciate the time you
spend with us every month doing this
thank you so much your time thank you
guys for watching live is gonna be on
YouTube as well everybody have a great
weekend I’m already feeling better this
is fantastic
continue to believe guys and we’ll see
you soon okay guys thanks very much
thanks Evan Cheers
another hangout blab I’m with my good
friend and special guest Steven Kelly
and we’re talking today about how it’s
never too early or too late to follow
your passion I’ve started today a little
bit under the weather but I’m feeling
just know that this is starting I got my
energy back and super excited to be here
Steven
welcome aboard again are you in London
yeah I’m in London but I just come back
from Paris and then I’m coming for this
to America’s next week actually
so we’ll be around a lot and Evan on
behalf of everybody out there all the
audience we feel for you because you are
a beacon of light and when you’ve got a
bit of sickness we feel very privileged
everybody out there that Evans cancelled
everything in his calendar
he’s probably cancelled advice calls to
Hillary and Donald and all these sort of
things going on and he’s here with us
today forget all the other stuff thanks
appreciate it it’s here and then to the
doctor’s office but they can’t miss this
this is the most important part stephen
super important topic lots of people
feeling like – I’m too old to get this
you know I’m past my prime I can’t start
a business or I’m too young nobody’s to
take me seriously
you know I need to wait till I’m X years
old there’s a ton of questions everybody
come in but before we dive to those what
do you have high-level advice thoughts
wisdom you made that is with Invictus as
well love to kind of get some initial
thoughts before we dive in yeah I kind
of think the real question is when’s the
right time and we all know the right
time is now so how do you kind of
engineer whether you’re paying a
mortgage whether you got kids whether
you’re starting off or whether you’re a
retirement age how do you engineer it to
to play to your strengths so we all know
about following your passion there’s the
right time is now if you want to do you
want to be your own boss there’s no
better time so it’s kind of mobilizing
your focus to make it a reality and
that’s the most important thing the
Invictus games is massive so one of the
things we’re doing through the Sage
Foundation and it kind of plays to this
theme is obviously a lot of
Lachie people have great skills teamwork
discipline trust all the things in terms
of management skills and they can be
incredible entrepreneurs so we’re
helping them with a whole program about
when they leave the military to come
into civilian life to have the right
skills to be successful as entrepreneurs
and I think it’s just incredible and
it’s a privilege trust support people
who have been here with you know
entrepreneurs are heroes but people who
give and prepare to give their lives for
their country or a special type of hero
and we’re all very humbled and
privileged to be able to help them
transition into civilian life and be
acheived successes on for us I love it
so are these people who already know
that they want to start a business and
then you help giving them training
support motivation yeah I’m watching
he’s one of the guys he’s the captain of
the USA team and he got his leg blown
off early in 2004 in Baghdad captain
will Reynolds so he’s an amputee but
what an incredible guy he’s probably
lived free lives and he’s he’s younger
than 40 he’s left the services he’s done
an MBA he started a new career in
business he’s had four kids and he’s
running in the Invictus games so it
shows you I think kind of all of us
particularly probably the older printers
worried about could we fail my god
terror rejection how I got this in me
haven’t got the energy but when you see
these poster children like will Reynolds
you think wow these guys are
inspirational you know they’ve overcome
adversity and they’ve reinvented
themselves they’ve got a massive career
change going from the military losing a
leg and then coming into being an
entrepreneur and a leader I just think
it’s inspirational I love it
well this day we got tons of questions
so let’s dive in and hopefully give some
value to everybody watching first up is
Alfonzo I have doubt I’m starting my
company but I’m 18 I think that people
won’t take me seriously how can I get
over this hey Alfonso you’ve got to
believe it’s behind Evan honestly you
believe there’s a few things one
social media you can be whoever you want
to be in terms of social media you can
build a presence you can build a brand
you can build awesome products I think
in the world of social media the digital
economy you know great products win
markets so if you’ve got a product idea
then you know it’s nothing stopping you
if it’s the services business and it is
even a face-to-face business then I
think people are gonna buy your
enthusiasm people have gotta buy your
commitment energy I don’t know a couple
of guys who are young and they’ve gone
in there some 21 and they’ve started a
services business and they’ve actually
said you know if you believe what I say
and I could do a good job for you I
think I’d learn really quickly I’ve got
a great work ethic I go great attitude
why don’t you take me on for two weeks
just on expenses and pay me nothing and
then the end the two weeks we’ll prove
ourselves and they’ve done similar sort
of thing with their people so it’s
almost like try before you buy so if you
got any anxieties about being sixteen
years old I’m number one put them away
and number two is just build up your
confidence and conviction because
there’s a lot of people who are 16 year
old now who are kind of changing the
world and just a couple of examples I
think there’s a Forbes article about
someone mayor Penn who’s done looted the
stuff she’s given free TED talks
I’m started a load of stuff around a
clothing company and environmental
activists and Wow at the age what 16
it’s just incredible you just couldn’t
have imagined it so you know hats it to
mayor on this as well Evan I’ll ping you
a few things on Twitter afterwards
around links and stuff so your your your
audience and the guys out there can I
have a look at some of these
inspirational people but we can all
learn a lot from in terms of absolutely
no fear and I don’t think age is a
barrier but age is something you should
kind of think you got tremendous energy
tremendous passion you’ve got a big idea
people back you if you back yourself
cool yeah any links that we talked about
we’ll add in the description for the
YouTube video and when we publish it up
I mean I can relate when I was 19 I had
my first
for company and I was selling the guys
three times my age who had peeped DS and
I didn’t have a single background you
know in science I’m selling the
scientists and I took me a while to get
over it and I would try to do everything
by email I thought oh if I talk on the
phone – no I’m too young and and you
know they won’t take me seriously and it
wasn’t until I realized that these guys
actually need me like I can provide
value to them and at the end of the day
that’s all they care about all they care
about is can you help me with the
problem that I’m facing right now and
once I understood that then it gave me a
lot more confidence and be able to talk
to people even even later as I started
work with brains one of the first
companies that work with was Microsoft
that was 20-something and I thought wow
I would Microsoft want to work with me
they’re Microsoft they know everything
and I’m just some young punk kid and and
then I started talking and realized oh
you know these guys these guys need my
help I can help them right so just
having confidence in your abilities
knowing that all they really really deep
down care about is that you can provide
value to them and help them and once you
understand that at least for me that the
age fear kind of went away yeah and with
Evan you know and I know whatever age
you are you could any any really smart
kids could go into a business and
improve it and you know when you run a
business for any period of time you just
either become complacent or you just do
the same things you do every day and I
think this complacency stifles
innovation so people accept the status
quo and I just think new pairs of eyes
with tremendous enthusiasm and know kind
of just just anxiety about changing
stuff can make a massive difference so
you know back yourself believe in
yourself and like you even when I was 16
I was selling ice creams on the
beachfront and telling why it paid for
my college education I couldn’t believe
how much margin there was in high
schools we used so these equivalent to
Canadian it was probably at the time
this is a long time ago is about dollar
and I used to buy this stuff in
the ice cream in the cone the actual
unit price of these ice creams was
probably about two cents I just couldn’t
believe the profit margin and ice creams
obviously there’s that you know if you
didn’t you didn’t hit it right it’s a
really hot day there’s a lot of wastage
so it makes you think about your margins
and I’ll be candid with you guys when it
was too kind of a rainy day was a bad
day no one came to little booth on the
seafront but what I had to do was get
out the booth and go and sell my wares
and sell the ice creams to whoever was
around and you find out as well you know
stuff happens in your head to say you
know people aren’t gonna buy this they
don’t want to talk to me their business
or their families but when you go up to
people and just have a conversation it’s
just amazing how people are welcome in
and and people are wanna buy stuff
especially from young people people back
young people people want young people to
be successful if you believe in yourself
that is contagious that belief and
conviction spreads like a beautiful
infection of love I love it I want to
see it a big deal of young Stephen Kelly
out hustling ice cream on the beach I’ve
been there
I said seven I love I had terrible spots
there’s a hole I’m not going off pasty
of it anyway but but they felt sorry for
me whatever it takes
they felt sorry for me and I’m good at
hustling but boy oh boy and you know
what it’s like even the first one
yourself the second one it gets easier
the third one gets easier the fourth
family you go up to is easier everyone
you do with all these things just take
the first step
believe in yourself back yourself have
no fear and then you just stop listening
to those crazy voices in your head
that’s so you telling you can because
you can I love it
well you ready how almost 500 high five
some of the audience on that so it’s
good okay next Franklin I’m on my way
finishing to set up a food business with
the twist the concept is created
originally by me the problem is I need
to make myself believe more so kind of a
related question there that it will work
no matter what and I seek for more
entrepreneurial guides so know exactly
what the food is with food
good business with the twist and he
doesn’t believe in the concept no matter
what what kind of advice would you give
Franklin on that well frankly I guess
you’ve got to believe in the idea and if
you believe in the product in the food
business I think then you’ve got to find
you know how do you go about the
distribution channel but I do believe in
food there’s so much kind of changing
food with organic with vegan with all
the different diets that people who are
adopting around the world around healthy
lifestyle it’s a golden time to be
innovative in the food business there’s
such an opportunity out there and again
you know I think we as a company have a
policy of buying from smaller medium
businesses and we buy from startups so
loads of people would say you know I
couldn’t go and call on a big company
but we we send the guys down here to get
lunches just from the market source
downstairs and you see kind of you go
against this stop all those voices in
your head certainly can’t be see that’s
the key thing is you have to believe in
the idea and again I you know the pretty
crazy example an 11 year old Michaela
our Ulmer was literally bitten by bees
when she was I think four and her story
is you know very personal that gave her
the idea of actually through a whole
series of event of creating a product
called let around lemonade and she
eventually sold their animal two million
pound deal to multi-million dollar deal
to Whole Foods so and it just came
through a number of elements that are
totally unconnected but it gave her a
really great idea that she really
believed in and then she did a moldy
winning the other as a result of that
and obviously you know the rest is
history
cool I think to and to expand on that
I’d love to see you test it you know
test out on a small scale see what’s
working if you get some early wins like
Stephen said you sell your first one
it’s easy to believe in the second one
and the third one the fourth one and
even going back to Stephens story of
just selling ice cream on the beach like
that’s starting up small right you go on
you buy a little bit ice cream when you
go sell it and you reinvest it to buy
more ice cream and go sell it and I
think too many times people make it’s
such a big idea that they can’t take the
first step
without a ton of money or without a ton
of you know roadblocks in front of them
and so your food concept with the twist
I’ve been looking at how can I just
start making some sales of this how can
I start getting some momentum of this
and as you start seeing people eating it
and tasting it and liking it and
spreading the word then it’s much easier
to keep going and get some momentum and
continue to believe in yourself
so just have the big dream but start
small yeah and and the other thing ever
you know today pop-up stores are there
for food they’re everywhere
you know you don’t have to buy real
estate you can do things exactly as you
say
start small kind of mentally treat treat
everything you’re doing very carefully
around your money because it’s very
scarce to almost run on fumes but then
think how do I get market tested how do
I find out what audience is like what is
the consumer there’s gonna be really
interested in my big idea and and if you
go on a movie night or something and set
up a pop-up door outside of movie
theater that’s a great way to go and
then you’ll find out you know there’s
your product appeal to the older
generation to the healthy generation you
know should you set up outside a gym and
all instead there’s loads of things you
can do but I’d say constantly innovate
to Evans point change and course correct
according to what works and double down
on what works and once you got your idea
kind of fully worked out then think how
do you scale it out next Chantal I want
to be my own company of organic products
for the body but I have no finances now
or guidance as to how I start who do I
seek advice from I am 28 years old so
starting the company we’re gonna
progress doesn’t have finances needs
wisdom guidance 28 years old Chantal
southern come this is an interesting one
because this is you know you could argue
a pretty crowded market so I think you
need a differentiated what is it you’ve
got around organic products whether it’s
skincare or whatever which is very
different I think so Evans point you
gotta really believe in your product
you’ve got to love your idea you’ve got
to love your product because that’s the
first essence you’ve got to have you got
then think secondly how do I
differentiate myself because you know
there’s this candidly it’s probably a
sea of mediocre fights out there but
it’s a noisy market so what do you do
differently and then all the other
things
Evans talked about in terms of kind of
market testing market testing with your
friends market testing with other people
find the market and then again once
you’ve done that then you can scale up
set up a website whatever in terms of
the distribution make it as you want to
use great products like Sage pay on your
website you can do all that sort of
stuff as well now what I would argue is
when you start putting their money don’t
underestimate it because if you’ve got
good products with all these things
golden rule of business is net expenses
get ahead of revenues so go and do a bit
of test drive them with stuff even your
friends if it’s a great product
they’ll pay five bucks for it and with
these sort of products typically the
manufacturing costs it should be like
eighty ninety percent gross margin
business so if you got this sort of
pricing right you could do test drive
and you could get enough money to go to
the next stage and you kind of want to
break it down and skinny it down in
these little increments well you don’t
scale up or do stupid stuff but you just
do baby steps on a big idea that you you
go to a market but it is a crowded
market and I think Evans got a lot of
experience in this space so what are
your thoughts have them to me are the
lack of financing is similar to somebody
seen they’re too old or they’re too
young it’s just another limiting belief
it’s another excuse it’s it’s like oh I
don’t come from the right family or I
didn’t get the right education or you
know in my country you can’t do this and
it’s never about the resources as an
entrepreneur it’s about you’re
resourceful miss and if you go back and
you look at any other guys who have
started the companies that you look up
to in the cosmetics business look at the
founder you know they started in their
kitchen miss ten ingredients putting
things in jars and selling them like you
may not look at you know the body shop
now and say you know why’d I need to get
that kind of distribution and that’s not
possible I need to raise millions of
dollars to do it but the body shop was
started because I need a rod
her husband left her to go ride a horse
from Argentina to New York City that was
his dream and so took him a year and a
half to do that and so she needs to make
money support herself with her husband
on this huge trip and so she started
selling stuff that she made in jars and
that’s the start right so it’s never
about how much money you have get
started now with what you have and start
selling to your friends and to Stevens
Point find something that’s different
because there are a ton of products out
there but it’s don’t don’t hold on to
the excuse that I don’t have the money
to do this because it’s always about how
resourceful you are and the most
successful entrepreneurs likely started
with less than what you already have
right now you already have all the
resources you need to be successful
having that social I think it’s a key
key aspect of the great of the
innovation and the more creative you get
the less money you have because you have
to and actually even even though you
know such as a big company buys I say to
be where every day treat the company’s
money as if it’s your own sink like a
startup you know what would you do what
would you stop what were you double down
or how how do we make a difference to
customers and I think the greatest
entrepreneurs I’ve met you know whether
it’s the Branson’s all these guys if it
started with nothing
they started with you know he’s a guy
who started with a loan from his arm you
know couple of hundred bucks and that
would sit and then built a multi-million
Empire now I do think it’s a good kind
of culture and philosophy to run your
business kind of lean I mean even when
you scale up but starting you’ve got to
pick pick something’s big idea pursue
your passions get a product even if you
kind of mix it in the kitchens get a
fanbase and then think about you know
the other innovations what other mixes
all never think that you’re locked into
a kind of cul-de-sac where you have to
do the same all the time early stage of
business you got to be innovating all
the time you might even change the
product every day based on feedback from
your customers and I think the other
thing that’s really important there is
what it does is Bo
in your mind to where it takes you
because you’ll never know where you end
up as a business and and every business
that starts with an idea the end product
that they build is very often different
from where they started so be very open
to that feedback and again through
social media wow what a great way to get
social antenna on what your customers
love about your products and what you
need to change yeah I mean to that point
you look at a couple like Wrigley’s
that’s made his fortune in gum
they started off selling baking soda and
gum was just a bonus that for every you
know five packs of baking soda you get a
free pack of gum and the gum just took
off so started selling the gum you look
at BMW and their logo that circle is
propellers because they serve off making
airplanes and then they got out of the
airplane business and one of the cars
and so it’s it’s super common to the
switch it’s really a great example next
rides on line you can always expect a
different question from Rhys online do
you believe that people’s life spans
youth and well-being can be extended
making it even less relevant what age
you are when you start as a late bloomer
so yeah I do by expanding life lifespans
you can we’ll be yeah I think so Evan
someone asked me the other day you know
when are you gonna retire Stephen I said
I’ve set my retirement date it’s the day
I die yeah wendy was so passionate about
business and you love what you’re doing
well I think you’ve got a much better
karma you can give much more to your
family your personal life your friends
you know no one wants to kind of go home
and be bent out of shape people want to
be positive energy and I all the
entrepreneurs dunno you know they’ve got
huge energy huge passion they really
believe they’re following their dreams
and it does it does become contagious it
rubs off and I I’ve got no statistics to
say you’re gonna live to do 150 and
you’re gonna have perfect health but
what I would say is you know you just
got a much greater calm you’ll probably
have more fun in your life yep if you’re
your own boss you
you know you’ve really accountable for
everything good about what you created
and that’s a very special and unique
feeling and I think I do think it rubs
off incredibly positive to leave where
it also you know it’s probably means
that your work and your life and your
friends there’s a greater blur and
they’re much more integrated they’re
much more holistic they’re much more
part of what your personality is I love
it in the in the pre-chat we’re talking
about two entrepreneurs
Ray Kroc and Colonel sandals Sanders and
Ray Kroc billed McDonald’s and he was in
his 50s and he already had diabetes and
arthritis and lost most of his
gallbladder and and he was convinced
that the best years were still ahead of
him you know when he’s in his fifties
and have all these issues and Colonel
Sanders started KFC and he started
franchising when he was in his 60s and
from 65 to 75 he opened up 600 stores so
you’re like 65 years old people thinking
about retirement here’s Sanders saying
no I still got a lot of work to do I’m
gonna open up 600 stores and he kept
working till the day he died to 90 years
old building up KFC and these these are
two guys who are in the restaurant
business which is you know the highest
failure rate of any industry is the
restaurant business and they say I don’t
care I’m gonna do it and so you know
when you’re at an age when most people
think they’re gonna quit that’s just
that’s just starting time for a lot of
people and I love that mentality I think
when you love what you do then it’s easy
to want to keep going because it it
fuels you gets you excited yeah and
everyone interested my family of small
business people so my dad had tea and
coffee you know early version of
Starbucks and he did importing coffee
and all that sort of stuff
and then he got sick actually in here we
had to sell the business
he was probably 60 when he did that and
he got better and then he could went to
work for someone but I remember coming
home when I was a kid and he said you
know I just hate I just you know I pay
em to take orders and I can see so many
things wrong with the business and we
could do it so much differently and
better and yeah he did that for three
years he got frustrated to say
I want to be my own boss again I want to
you know get back and go and do all over
again and that’s a guy in his sixties
and I think age is just Evans a young
guy I’m an old guy but I feel like a 19
year old kid in my head
and when you talk to whoever you talk to
you talk to your grandma you you ask
them honestly how do they feel in their
head they feel like they were 25 all
over again and I think a lot of people
were seeing this now is you got huge
energy with the embracement of kind of
the digital social media as well age has
very little impact on your capability
you enthusiasm your energy and the
experience you have is incredible so
some of the statistics over in the UK
from older people so over fifties are
actually creating businesses there’s
more than 50 percent more businesses
created by over 50s than there were in
2008 seven years ago the other thing is
really interesting they apply their
experience but their hiring is seven
times greater of employees than it is
for any other business in the UK the
average so what it means is more older
people are starting their businesses
they’re being more successful the data
is there 20 29% more profitable and also
they’re employing more people that
creates prosperity for you know rural
communities urban communities right
across you can the data is the same in
the US and I think also Evan I think
people kind of get sick of corporate
life and when you’re in your 50s you’ve
probably got you know reasonable
financial security and and you’ve got an
idea and that’s the time to say now
that’s the right time I’ll go and do
what I’ve always dreamt of doing for the
last 30 years and I will go and follow
my dreams great time to do it yeah it’s
great to see because you know I see a
lot of people go into the corporate path
and then the longer they stayed there
the harder it is to get off you know the
more they rely on that stability and
they built their family up and so that
there’s the even more pressure to
deliver results and they say well if I
was 20 and I didn’t have
espoused and enough kids to be way
easier to do it but it’s great to see
that people are now actually taking the
opportunity to jump off and throw up
their own business I think I mean I
think surrounding yourself with young
energy helps too you think I’m a young
guy but I’m the oldest guy in my company
in both my companies everybody’s younger
than me
so you know they keep me vibrant and
give me new ideas and energy as well so
I think that can help too if you’re you
know if your peer group isn’t giving you
the energy that you need and change your
peer group to get that vibe hey a couple
of I tell you covering the stores I just
done a couple with them someone could
she’s a Baroness he’s very important
person she’s awesome she’s inspirational
a lady called Martha Lane Fox and Martha
Lane Fox got hired by this company and
she started the first sort of online
retailer in the UK called our last
minute comm and it was her and Brent
Hoberman but the guy who was a founder
there amazing story are there at 3 or
forum and he interviewed her she’s 22
years old and he went upstairs to the
other guys and he said look this person
is so good so good so I’ll be prepared
to work for nothing and give her my
salary yeah and she was a rock star
she’s inspirational one of the most
amazing female entrepreneurs
and she’s doing loads of stuff around
encouraging our females to come into
tech and young people but their kind of
moral the story there is that if I was
in 50s and 60s and starred in a business
I’d probably go and get some apprentices
some really great guys who challenged
the status quo and the whiskey and just
loads of stuff in terms of all the ideas
that take people out Martha she’s just
on the Twitter board so she’s she’s so
engaged and so engaging but these guys
just bring great ideas to your idea and
they can create a flywheel of momentum
so I think it’s a good time the other
thing actually I haven’t really smart
someone told me this and I passed her on
to a gobbler guys who are in their 40s
and they said you know they’re classic
story and I’ve sort of seen a question
coming I’ve got a mortgage I’ve got
financial dependency on the kids I just
can’t afford to take the risk that’s
wrong
so there’s a couple of ways you can
think about how do i do a soft land into
an exit and start your business an
entrepreneur one do a bit of
moonlighting so you do your full-time
job
you’ve got your evenings weekends free
to start your business secondly if
you’ve got a great relationship with
your boss say how about a sabbatical how
about you know the reality if you gray
that company will beg you to come back
whether it’s a year two years three
years so you’ve got total security
because you know you’ve got a job so you
can go out and you can fail fast try a
couple things and have like a two year
sabbatical where you go and live your
dreams for that two years if it takes
off never go back so there’s some smart
ways you can think about how do I
actually use my existing company to give
me a bit of time space or a bit of
moonlight in – and ironically a guy
called Marc Benioff who started
salesforce.com
amazing entrepreneur amazingly to build
a great company did exactly that from a
company called Oracle and Larry Ellison
the chief executive of Ora but actually
gave him space and some time off to
start Salesforce back in what was it
2000 and now it’s I think about as seven
billion dollar company with a market
value of probably 10 times that so
there’s loads of ways whether you’re in
that you know in the 50s where if you
think you’ve got financial security
problem there’s got to be a way around
it where you can follow your dreams be
an entrepreneur and also maybe sometimes
get your company to give you a bit of a
buffer to actually start your dreams off
I love it it’s the resourceful list
right there I love it cool okay next I’m
up with new ideas daily but how to have
clarity from which ones will be the most
fruitful I’m surprised to see a few
ideas be people bid that implemented by
other companies I don’t understand why
I’m not able to make my decision quickly
enough to make my product so tons of new
ideas inability to act on it what do you
think God you know it’s so annoying Evan
you must have done I’ve done it where
you’re sitting down you’re thinking it
wouldn’t it be cool to do especially in
social media since so much district
mediation
I’m whether it’s what LinkedIn are doing
around recruiting or whatever we’ve all
sat there and we’ve had an idea and
we’ve failed to implement it and then
all of a sudden you see this kind of
really coming in the marketplace with
your idea how annoying is that I would
say you know it’s all about you just got
to do it you’ve got to believe in
yourself and then what you want to do if
you have an idea test drive it you know
test drive it ever in conversations with
you your friends your family if it’s got
legs either if it’s a build it if it’s a
service enable it and get out there but
test drive it if you have a lot of ideas
just just refine which ones are really
going to make the weight make a move on
the my place because I think you’ve got
to ask yourself sensible questions
around you know what’s the market needs
what’s the customer gonna one always put
yourself in the shoes of the customer
and some of the really innovative ideas
maybe too early for the marketplace so
it’s kind of I think that’s changing
there with the digital economy normally
now products that I’ve got first mover
advantage can really scale up and you’ve
seen you know was it people have
facebook about all these companies have
come from nowhere they weren’t even
invented 20 years ago but they had an
idea how to change the world if you’ve
got an idea like that I think you can
scale up and go huge within effectively
within months for several years but
start small
think big always start small test drive
it course-correct it ro test as much as
you can your ideas to if 20% your ideas
you know gonna be global products you’ve
got a winner
but even if 5% are you’ve got to find
out what the 5% are you’ve got to kill
the 95% really quickly and the only way
you find that out is put yourself in the
shoes of the customer ultimately through
market testing I mean at isin world
topic last month where we talked a lot
about the idea being not enough lots of
people have the idea you got to go and
execute and I think what holds a lot of
people back is they don’t necessarily
see the whole plan you have this big
idea but you don’t know how to go
and start executing because you don’t
know what the first thing to do is you
don’t do anything and it’s understand
there is no first right step they’re
just starting like start you make
mistakes keep going keep going keep
going and hopefully seeing that big
company make tons of money off your idea
is motivation for you too this is not
gonna happen to me again you know the
next idea I get it I’m gonna just go out
and start doing it and get some feedback
and step through the momentum for
because I don’t want to get you know
scooped up like I did last time that was
painful for me in my first company I
missed the opportunity I didn’t see it
and my biggest competitor got out got
bought out for 40 million dollars and we
were second and I ended up being
acquired for a good amount but not 40
million dollars and so you know I seen
the difference helped me in my future
deals just I want to get an idea I just
do it I don’t have like bucket list and
I wish in five years I could do this as
soon as I start saying I wish I could do
something it just starts happening I
start finding a way to take action and
make it happen and so hope for the next
time you get an idea don’t worry about
making the perfect right step just get
going and start on it
hey the companies are right at sherbert
snow listos coming and we still got that
so one bear there is they still talk
about this thing we come JDI just do it
just do it just if it’s a good idea just
do it so and we used to have meetings so
JD I just do it I like it
GDI with the last thing I love it you’re
so right you’re on the money you’re
totally on the money Evan you just got
to do it cuz and and you have no fear of
failure because it might be a seventh
idea that’s the winner you just got a
you just gotta keep go you’ll earn loads
on the way
yeah and Italian to that a lot of people
see failures this big huge blip and and
negative thing we’re failures just
feedback like you will fail everybody
fails any any athlete any entrepreneur
any singer you look at their growth look
at how they started they failed they
failed they failed they failed to failed
and then they hit it and so failure as
normal fails to be expected it’s not a
bad thing failure is going to happen so
expect it
and then keep going yeah and you’ve got
a do you know what it’s like failure
rejection whatever it is you deal with
all the time and in business there’s
thousands of examples and then in the
world of writing what JK Rowling for
seven years was rejected I think 12
publishers down her down and then she
landed this kind of okie coke little
published called Bloomsbury and the rest
is history Harry Potter what a star Wow
who would guess that the designer Vera
Wang as she was a figure skater didn’t
make the US team didn’t make the car
what a momentous day that was in her
life because it said Ashley there’s a
different path here and a big idea was
designed and she became one of the
greatest fashion designers in the world
today so I think it’s how you really
choose at the age of 40 as well so you
think Wow figure skater give it a you
right you cannot believe how much these
figure skaters train if you’re if you’re
of that level of an athlete they’ll be
up every morning at 4:30 they’ll be down
the Rinker 5:30 they’ll be just doing
six hours of training it’s relentless it
is they don’t breathe and have a life
all they do is figure said and to switch
that off and deal with the rejection and
bounce back you know crit to it and and
that’s what we got to be as
entrepreneurs I love it dropping a lot
of women entrepreneurs today viewer wang
JK rowling I need erotic the Baroness I
liked it I liked it
okay next up Davin dab in white I have
no idea how to start a business so I’m
scared to try
I fear that investors will either not
take me seriously or I will have been
taken advantage of somehow I have faith
in my idea but not my ability to make it
a reality you just got a number one take
that word behind ‘event belief right so
kind of let’s not get the sequence wrong
as well forget the investors focus on
the idea if the idea and then focus on
who the target customers are if you got
those right investors will flock to you
you don’t have to worry about
those guys you’ll have money chasing you
everywhere but you don’t want that
because that’s just the wrong ethos for
building a business you want to start
with the idea then go and find the
customers refine the idea to have a
winning product or a service and then
you can always find my need for great
businesses and growth businesses that’s
the least your problems I’m probably
actually have on one of these we should
do how do you find kind of growth money
and growth capital and all those sort of
things because there’s a whole topic in
itself but the last thing to do is go to
the investors focus focus focus on the
idea and get the business going
do it now JD I yeah I love it’s a theme
of the show I like it I mean I echo it
totally agree you’ll get destroyed on
your valuation if you take money before
you have any kind of momentum behind it
and you spend your whole time trying to
raise money instead of actually trying
to build a company the thing I would say
to add is when you start anything you’re
afraid right like you want to learn
snowboarding you’re afraid of going down
that hill or getting off me was getting
off the chairlift was freaking me out
because you only have one foot on the
snowboard I was falling down every time
but anything anything that you try for
the first time you’re gonna be afraid to
do and then once you start doing it it’s
not that bad it doesn’t seem as bad as
this huge fear that you set up in your
head and so it may help us to look at
all the other things that you try to do
whether it was you know asking that girl
out or learning that new language or
going to that new country whatever it is
you had fear and you overcame it and
once you did it you realize it wasn’t
that hard it’s the same thing with
business just start there’s no right
first step are you gonna make mistakes
you don’t need to get the investors yet
the wickets this huge big thing just
take one step after another after
another after another and those little
steps will add up to big steps hey the
other thing a but obviously people can
listen to you because you inspire people
but there’s a couple of arm examples
both service people so we talked about
will we’ve got a lot of people in here
Vitas games have had stuff like their
legs blown off and they are saying I’m
gonna be successful as an entrepreneur
so if those
can do it Wow you can do it you should
have no fear the other guy who’s had
almost three careers amazing it was in
the military guy called just impact Shaw
amazing guy Ted speaker but then he
became an explorer and an adventurer and
he climbed Everest I think he sailed
around the world he’s been to the North
Pole South Pole multiple times he’s
taken disabled service people on these
expeditions and made them believe and
I’m overcome massive physical
disabilities and he also runs he’s got a
really nice jewelry business high
quality in Londontown so he also said to
me is you know when you’re getting up
Everest it’s not about getting up is
about coming down I think one in six
people died coming down that’s something
crazy like that and the mission for
everybody in business is almost like an
analogy that comes from exploring it’s
you’ve got to get everybody safely
landed and safely down and he said when
you’ve dealt with the fear of facing
death so Bleakley and you know storms
coming in you should have no fear in
your business so I think I you know just
when you when you look at these people
there’s so many inspirational people out
there
you just gotta overcome your fear and
the way you do that is always take your
first step you know we could quote
Martin Luther King how do you climb a
giant staircase you just take the first
step you just got to take the first step
next Monday just think how are you gonna
do it build your product take your idea
to market go and test it go and share
with friends and family and and then you
build confidence and then you find out
what will work you refine your idea you
cause correct and you’ll have a product
that’s a winner in the marketplace
you’ve got a belief what really helped
me in in my company because I didn’t
mind you know my parents weren’t
entrepreneurs I didn’t have any
entrepreneur friends and have a Uncle
Joe who could guide me I just surrounded
myself with stories of successful
entrepreneurs and how they got started
and every morning I would read a quick
story about a famous entrepreneur how
they got started and you know how they
usually had nothing and it provided me
with both the motivation to keep going
and it’s like if they could do it then I
could do it and also some strong
jeez for like ideas of what I could do
because you don’t really learn this
stuff in school and so that really
really helped me and so having an
environment that you create then it’s
only easier now there’s so many YouTube
videos out there’s so many books you can
read something kind of daily to get you
going to motivate you and make you
believe in yourself
I think it’s crucial for any
entrepreneur because it’s it’s a hard
lonely game is if you have to start when
you have any momentum building up so
creating an environment for greatness is
super important in my opinion yeah I
mean if if there’s any kids out there
you know you’re 12 13 14 listening today
then I would say there’s some amazing
Network set up one is junior achievers
where we sponsor those guys across the
US and across the world and again what
will tween the links but they’ve got a
whole environment they’ve got these I’m
simulated towns where you can start up
your own business and there’s loads of
entrepreneurs around to help you and
also they can set up mentoring so if you
don’t have a network or a family of
entrepreneurs there’s loads of different
ways to actually get that so don’t feel
constrained and go out and find the
people who can help you and again
there’s so many voices in your head to
tell you people won’t be prepared to
give you their time people love to see
young kids succeed people love to be
asked to help young entrepreneurs so go
and ask people people you respect people
you can learn from and people who have
made a lot of mistakes in their own
careers of entrepreneurship though can
help you kind of navigate a really
successful path I love it just a quick
shout out to Rishi
Rishi Captiva Hussain Evan and Stephen
Kelly total rockstars to do the best
collabs so there you go thank you for
that Russia we love you too okay next
Paul is writing in most people who most
people will not follow their passion
because of what they believe others will
think or say often paralysis by analysis
is to cover up for worry about what
others will think or say so how do you
get over that fear of what other people
will think about you and your ideas and
potential face
yeah I just think you have to be
authentic I think you have to be
yourself I think in 2016 the world is
built authentic people with high
integrity so if I don’t know 20 years
ago you’d be there you’d be at school
your mom or pop will want you to be a
medic or a doctor or a lawyer or
barrister if that’s not for you you know
you’re gonna be sitting there doing your
exams when you’re 24 years old and
you’re gonna hate itself you’re gonna
hate will you do it I think you’ve got
to be really authentic with yourselves
and and again you know you just got to
be honest with your family your friends
and if if your path is to follow your
dreams through business and
entrepreneurship and build something
special and unique you’ll pretty quickly
find again just like we said when monies
follow you you’ll find your family
follow you if you’re having some
successes they’ll be proud of you your
mum and dad might think they want you to
go I don’t know and do some other
vocation but the greatest vocation on
the planet is being an entrepreneur I
agree with that I love that yeah I think
at some point you have to decide whether
you’re gonna live your version of your
life or someone else’s version of your
life right are you gonna leave your
parents version of your life or your
culture’s version of your life I think
back to the story of akio morita who
came from eleven generations of Japanese
sake farmers and you look at the
Japanese culture super traditional you
know you need to follow what your
parents say and your culture says it’s
not very individualistic and eleven
generations in the same business that’s
a lot of pressure in Akio said you know
what I don’t care I I don’t want to do
this I want to do my own business and he
started a little company called Sony and
hopefully made his parents proud and you
know just by following his passion for
what he wanted to do and said I’m gonna
live my version of my life I don’t I’m
not gonna you know it’s not that I want
to disrespect my parents or anybody else
just this is my life and I want to live
it and once you make that decision then
you start you stop caring as much about
what other people think because you
realize that this is for me and I don’t
care what you think
but it takes it takes a lot to go
through that at the start to realize
that you’re doing this for you and not
for other people yeah I think I’ve got
three daughters Evan and I just say
don’t live your dreams find what you
love if you don’t know what you love try
loads of different things and I think
parents in 2016 a much more into seeing
their kids fulfilled and happy and you
know if it’s the case as in your Sony
example every parents gonna be a proud
of an entrepreneur because you’re making
the difference to the community you’re
hiring people you’re giving people jobs
you’re giving people prosperity and also
you’ll just bounce when you come in and
see your parents you know I’m
Thanksgiving or whatever the celebration
is you’ll be flying like Eagles you’ll
be feeling good about yourself you’ll be
you know giving back more to people
because you’re you’ve got a lot of give
and a lot of love from the inside so you
know having three girls they’re all
amazing kids they’re all unique they’re
all very different they’ll all end up
I’m sure they’re very different things
but I just as a dad I just want them to
be really happy and never ever ever say
that I didn’t do what I wanted to do
because because the only person to stop
them is themselves I love it you get
parenting advice – I love it
Anne is writing in hi Evan and Steven
I’m still in University and the main
thing that holds me back whenever I
think of certain the business is the
money to start my business I want to
start the business to be independent but
I really don’t know where to get my
starting capital so we kind of addressed
this a little bit yeah prior but you
know for people who feel like I can’t
start until I have money what do you
tell them yeah I think you’ve got the
best opportunity started Business
University
I guarantee even if you work in really
really hard
you’ve probably got at least 20 hours a
week where you could be starting your
business or you could we go to rock
concerts or whatever you choose to do
but what a great place where you’ve got
an environment of amazing young people
great intellect around you to test drive
you do business develop product ideas
see if your idea is going to make
refine your idea I think that’s a golden
time I know loads of buddies of mine
even when I was back at University we
went off we earned money
we started businesses we saw or worked
we resold stuffed goods and I think it
was a great place and also you you’re
gonna be around really smart people at
University so that’s a great environment
to actually think about starting your
business that’s the golden time and then
obviously when you leave University you
should know what ideas are working what
scale and you might even have a lot of
university students and kids when they
leave I’ve already got businesses going
so go for I think that’s you are
absolutely living the dream at the
perfect time where you could create
space in your day and your week to
actually start your business right now I
love it quick shout out to Franklin
Hussain Evan and Stephen Kelly you guys
are really great I’m so thankful that
people like you exist getting the love
from Franklin their love me Franklin and
to answer your question I would just try
to find a way to start smaller I think
about it there’s a local big shop here
that’s really taking off called Bunner
that does organic baking and cooking and
when I first met her the owner she was
doing church bake sales you know like um
how much is the cost to go to the
basement of a church and sell her stuff
and then fast forward a couple years
later she has her first store and that
she’s opened her second store and now
she has cookbooks that she’s selling and
it all started by just going to church
bake sales and so if your dream is I
want to have my own store and I wanna
have my own line of clothing I want to
have my own line of you know cookbooks
all these things you can start smaller
without having to go and get money by
building momentum at church bake sales
right and so whatever your big dream is
just find a smaller way to get started
well you don’t need to get a lot of
money to do it and you can start right
now to start building momentum start
building an audience I’ve been the fan
base certainly in what works and what
doesn’t work you get money you know
you’re gonna find out that a lot of the
assumptions that you had were wrong
you’re gonna lose a lot of money in that
process too so whatever your big goal is
just find a smaller way to get started
yeah the other thing all obviously
university cover a lot is
you’ll be around a lot of smart people
that could work for you
and I believe you know the sort of start
up if they’re a university they could
they can work for nothing so they can
kind of sacra so you could give them a
very small part of the stock of the
company in consideration fragile taking
those salary the other thing is you’ll
be sitting around a lecture room you’ll
be seeing a lot of smart people but you
also see a lot of rich people they could
be angel funders for your business so
they could be part of your network and
whether you want to tap them up now or
tap them up in two years time when your
business is flying there’d be a great
source of funding because because
ultimately they’ll know to you they’ll
trust you they’ll like you and if they
like your idea they’re there and they
could be a great access to finance and
great angel investors we were follow-up
question about the the parenting advice
that you have I was talking sherry was
writing in the sage she had a talk with
the 22 year old daughter at 3 in the
morning she was afraid to talk to me
thinking I would disagree with her
decisions in life I told her that she is
an individual I support her and she
should support me and live your life
what what advice to give the parents to
try to create that environment where
they feel OK talking to their parents
sharing their life dreams especially at
a time when you’re trying to figure out
a lot of stuff they’re really stressed
out how do you make them feel
comfortable and accepting and you know
wanting to talk to and get some advice
I think first tip is have some more
sleep 3 in the morning
you’re pushing the envelope then they
seriously I think a couple of things as
a parent ultimately look your kids 22
years old it’s a matter of our
relationship and I think as parents you
know I see even when my kids were like
12 13 we haven’t really kind of grown up
conversations the the next thing is so
that means what’s your head is there
another fellow at all obviously as a
parent you’ve always got your best
interest their best interest you
probably be one person on this planet
that cares about that individual more
than they care about themselves
so you’ve got total integrity about
their best interest secondly I think
it’s really important as a parent to
show vulnerability and humility and that
means you know kids think their parents
got it all right no they did and they
screwed up they made mistakes
they’ve got skeletons in the cupboard
they’ve you know they’ve done all the
stuff that you’re probably going to do
so if you should show your vulnerability
and say look I’m just a normal person
I’ve made mistakes the more authenticity
you show the more honest the
conversation you have about what they’re
anxious about what what they’re excited
about what their big idea is how could
you back them how could you kind of just
gently nudge them towards a network of
potential customers people to market
test their product maybe Andrew
investors who could be friends of yours
all these sort of things you can open
the doors through your experience but I
think the relationships got to be
founded obviously on trust integrity
honesty and a nod I would say you know
it’s great for parents to show a bit of
vulnerability so yeah we screwed up we
made mistakes we’re not perfect
and I think the more we do do that the
more honest the conversation you know I
have a six-year-old son so I can’t add
as much context as you can Steven I
think a lot of times with with parents
and kids you’re you’re maybe just just
wearing from a six-year-old you spend a
lot of time just doing the stuff that
you need to do to get done right like
make sure your homework is done you know
make sure you’re cleaning your room and
and just making sure that he’s growing
up and doing the things that they need
to do or I think just having some time
good to be together and enjoy each
other’s company a lot of this kind of
stuff comes up to go into deeper
conversations I recently what to drive
my dad to go pick up a new car he was
buying it was like an hour out of the
city and we drove together for an hour
and had nothing else to do but talk to
each other and it was great you know
like I don’t think we spend enough
quality time with our parents that isn’t
around just something that has to get
done so
and tasks and quick updates where to
kind of go deeper whether it’s you go to
a cottage for a weekend there just
something to you know reconnect and get
to know each other on a deeper level
that’s what I think a lot of these
things can kind of come out yeah throw
top of the morning that’s a great time
generally you have very honest
conversations whether you drive pretty
good country up to a lodge or a three
o’clock you just got a crate space and
talk for each other and then I will say
you know your experience I don’t know if
they’ve got a really big idea you want
to back Wow why don’t yet instead of you
just letting them stay in the home and
stuff like that why don’t you say you
know let’s have some sort of financial
transaction here where you pay something
but I give you that back and we start
investing in your business and then you
can say well what sort of milestones
what would success look like you know
what where would you want to be in 90
days you know Hanley how many customers
would you want in 90 days and you can
ask the questions that get them thinking
about the right things to really start
their business and get going cool Luke I
think what’s holding me back is the fear
of the unknown
I believe I’m able to I know I believe
I’m able to write great inspirational
content but then whether I do with the
material I’m not a big name I’m not Tony
Robbins or Brian Tracy why would someone
want motivation advice for me I’m a
regular Joe financially I’m an absolute
superstar in my mind but readers and
audience are listened to already
successful people that mindset is
pulling me back I think Luke so Luke it
sounds like you are an awesome Rider and
you know what is it the 400th year of
some guy called Shakespeare you know in
reality and we talked about JK Rowling
there’s a lot of rejection you’ve got to
face now the opportunity for you I think
one thing that’s come out of a digital
age is we’ve lost that incredible
capability around writing amazing
material that connects the head and the
heart and is emotional and evocative and
and I think if you’re as good as you say
you are
you’ve got a unique skill says loads of
ways you’d go number one just kill those
voices in your head get doing stuff
either stop logging start creating a fan
base start sending people like ever me
material you know you never know we
might love it and we might say this is
incredible we want to do ghost blogging
with you and stuff like that there’s
loads of people out there who want
incredible content so if you have
inspirational content the only thing
stopping you is what you’re thinking and
what the voice in the head are telling
you and you’ve got to cut those
limitations off so I do think whether
you go back you know 30 years 20 years
10 years the world now through social
media we’ve lost a bit of the essence of
brilliant writing and I think it’s it’s
the case that you could actually create
a business by again finding your
audience
finding your spark around the
inspirational content and whether it’s
kind of yourself or a market you’re
looking at like people they ever me
business people Tony Robbins all these
guys Ted talkers everybody wants great
material and great content and I think
great content is the beautiful I’m about
the digital ages great content will win
hearts and minds yeah and it there’s
always room for quality there’s always
room for quality at the top there’s
always room for quality you might look
at a marketing say well Tony Robbins and
Brian Tracy dominate that but there is
always room for quality like that just
because some people are at the top right
now doesn’t mean that you can’t have a
space in there and be successful I think
the key is you need to be you need to be
you like if you try to beat Tony Robbins
it’s not gonna work right like you can
model somewhere have success but you
need to find what’s so special about
your message that unique and different
cuz people don’t want a twenty Robbins
junior you know they want Luke Luke
what’s the story man like let’s hear it
and maybe you speak to a new generation
of people you know Brian Tracy’s 80
years old right and he’s got a lot of
amazing content but now you could be you
know the guy for this generation and so
just there’s always room for quite at
the top I think it can hold so many
entrepreneurs back to see big players in
the industry and say well I’m never
gonna be successful you make something
good you make something people care
about you have a good chance of success
and you want to go and recruit new you
want to go and recruit a few fanatics
and and you could do some crazy things
like if you got content script material
I’m send it to people but but be a bit
different because yeah again it’s a
world that there’s a lot of noise just
two radical things find out someone you
really admire where they’re speaking
hang outside the stage door or whatever
and say just these guys like Brian or
Tony Robbins everybody will give you
time
if you grab them when they’re walking
out two seconds can I find you inspiring
can I actually have a bit of mentoring
through skype with you and you’ll find
people can give you time and then you
might find them when they’re on the
stage is name checking you and then
you’ll have your own kind of social
presence and you’ll find the stuff goes
viral so with this it sounds like you
just need to take the first step you
need to believe in yourself you’ve got
inspirational content you’ve got to find
what market is for that who the audience
is and then you need to kind of get the
velocity and and and kind of recruit a
little volunteer army of people who can
sell your brand for you so Luke is the
name we’re gonna watch for there’s that
word again velocity I love it Luke Luke
robach scene Thank You Steven and Evan
are some answers
cool well we’re at I’m ready it’s crazy
how how fast an hour goes Steven final
message that you have and how people can
reach you – to learn more about you yeah
so I’m handle s kelly CEO but I think
you’ve said a few times Evan it’s
amazing when we do these sessions I love
them I love you Evan Almighty I am in
all of you
and I think the message is a lot of the
questions say I can’t but you’re an
entrepreneur out there you can there’s a
lot of things in your head that tell you
those little voices say god that’s hon
how are they
first step I’m gonna I’m gonna fear
failure it’s all about taking that first
step and believe him and I think the
other thing is age is nothing ages
meaningless if you’ve got an amazing
idea it doesn’t matter if you’re a tea
or a steam there’s a marketplace out
there if you’re back in it the market
will back it with you and we’re in an
age where great products we market and
what took 20-30 years and we’ve talked
about you know Colonel Sanders KFC
McDonald’s these businesses you know
took 20 years to build businesses can be
built all in months and a couple of
years now on a global scale so if you’ve
got a great idea it’s all about taking
that first step and age is absolutely no
excuse it’s all out there for you I love
it
Stephen almost has 2,000 high-fives
let’s guys watching live let’s give him
some high-fives let’s get him over 2,000
there I love it there you go we did it
you know Stephen you got a huge company
to run we really appreciate the time you
spend with us every month doing this
thank you so much your time thank you
guys for watching live is gonna be on
YouTube as well everybody have a great
weekend I’m already feeling better this
is fantastic
continue to believe guys and we’ll see
you soon okay guys thanks very much
thanks Evan Cheers
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