Show Notes: KimOrlesky.com/1 “It’s not where you start, it’s how you adopt tools and values in order to get where you want to go.” - Ryan Blair (click to tweet)

How many of us were running a company at age 23? Not many!

But my guest on this week’s podcast, Ryan Blair, was. Still under fourty, Ryan has already authored two books and a documentary, been Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and is currently the CEO of ViSalus Sciences.

Ryan’s here to share his experience traveling through all of these projects to get to where he is now, and offering advice to new entrepreneurs.

Ryan’s getting into his story of starting out with little, but finding some strong mentors to help him get his business and his life in order. We’re talking about  how to surround yourself with the right people to keep you motivated when you’re down, and to keep your ego in check when you’re doing well.

Ryan’s also digging into his regrets, what he might have done differently, but more importantly, what he’s learned from past experiences and wants you to know also. There’s some great advice in this episode, so get your pens ready to take notes!

Even for those of you have already read both of Ryan’s books, this is an insightful conversation that will make you think about your personal and business timeline, your priorities, and the people you go to for advice.     

“You’re going to have ups and downs because you need those things to strengthen you and to wizen you.” - Ryan Blair (click to tweet)  Bullet-points

• Ryan Blair, co-founder and CEO of ViSalus Sciences. He was Ernst & Young's 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year, and is the author of New York Times bestseller 'Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain,' and the documentary of the same name, as well as of a new book, 'Rock Bottom to Rock Star'.
• Find a mentor, someone to support and teach you in your business. As your plans change and work evolves, look for mentors in the direction you want to go.
• The key to having professional success, even when your personal life isn’t going as smoothly as you might hope, is to compartmentalize. Focus on work at work, on home at home, etc.
• Show up in person, when it’s possible. Go meet with clients and mentors and investors in person. Face to face communication can build a personal rapport and stronger connection.
• When things aren’t going how you planned with your business, find an analogy.  You might need to let go of one of your goals and pivot, but find a business that is doing something yours could be, and use that to get to your objective.
• Figure out what the purpose of your company is, not just the product. Once you know why you’re selling what you are, or what it means to you and to your customers, you are better able to orient your product and yourself.
• Don’t believe your own hype.  Be real with yourself, and know that even if you’re on a winning streak right now, eventually it will run out. Plan for a rainy day.
• Think about the unintended consequences of your actions. Think strategically about the people around you, and how what you’re doing will affect them, intentionally or not.
• The only way to not believe your own hype and to keep your ego in check is to surround yourself with good people and strong mentors. Have people in your life who will hold to discipline in business and will ask you lots of questions about your decisions.
• Ask more questions. Do less talking and ask more questions of everyone.  Instead of congratulating people on their successes, ask them how they’ve accomplished what they have, and wait for specific answers.
• Pay attention to your timeline. Use your down time really well, and when you’re making big business decisions, think about where you want to be in the next 10, 20 years.

Advice to entrepreneurs:

1.      Focus on message. Make sure it’s duplicable and memorable.
2.     Test your messaging. Test different messages against each other to see which gets the desired results.
3.     The Path is All Math.

Links

http://www.ryanblair.com/

http://www.ryanblair.com/ntl/ (Nothing to Lose)

www.rockbottomtorockstar.com  (This is the link he says to go to for his new book but it just reroutes to his home page)

http://www.vi.com/ (ViSalus)

http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx (Strengths Finder)

Show Notes: KimOrlesky.com/1