Great PR and communications can very well be an x-factor in the success of a tech business. What are the greatest lessons learned from a successful career in this space? What is the future of the industry? What is love-based marketing and what will it do? On this episode, Sabrina Horn shares insights from her perch as the grand dame of Silicon Valley PR.

The worst mistakes I ever made were because I didn’t make the right decision soon enough. -Sabrina Horn

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Sabrina shared on her life story, her parents’ own entrepreneurship and how running a business is very humbling. Next, she talked about her life outside of work and the new wave of technology that is based on AI. She also shared tips for getting the most out of media relations and the biggest mistakes she’s ever made.

Sabrina also talked about;

As tech draws nearer to AI, and the media continues to be turned on its head, communicators are necessary now more than ever to take the fear and uncertainty out of these times. It comes down to keeping your head on your shoulders when things go nuts, learning from mistakes and filtering the noise out so you can listen to yourself, ask smart questions and make the best decisions.

Guest Bio

Sabrina is the Founder of the Horn Group, a Leading PR/Digital Communications Agency. She is also a partner at Finn Partners and she has 20 years of tech, enterprenuerial and media/leadership training experience. Follow her on Twitter @SabrinaHorn or find her on LinkedIn LinkedIn.com/in/SabrinaHorn

The army is overweighted in military capability but underweighted in the other things. What are the lessons that can improve this? What can the military teach businesses? What is the paradox of senior leadership? On this episode we are joined by the legendary General Stanley McChrystal, who shares his life journey, his military career and his company.

When you don’t have a discipline in a system, and there’s not a way to fail, then it’s hard for anyone to really succeed. -Stanley McChrystal

Takeaways

At the start of the show, General Stanley McChrystal shares how becoming a grandfather has impacted him, and the lessons it taught him about fatherhood and having a career. “When we say work-life balance, I don’t think we mean it on a daily basis.” Next he shared on how he came up in the army, and how he joined the US Army at a time where it was looking for its identity. We also talked about why younger soldiers aren’t affected by the need to make things look good, his book and the work his company does. Towards the end of the show, we talked about the importance of discipline.

We also discussed;

Senior leaders walk the line between not BSing while also conveying confidence to the people who look up to them. The best path to take is to be as honest as you can all the time - so your credibility never comes into question. In military and in business, it’s important to focus on the human element as much as you think of the capabilities and technical side of things. Technology is something we can leverage to create understanding. We tend to hate the people we really don’t know, so the right tools can make us a better society.

Guest Bio

Stanley A. McChrystal was born on August 14, 1954, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1990, he became action officer for Army Special Operations, working in Joint Special Operations Command. In 1991, he saw action in the Desert Shield and Desert Storm tours.

Building a business that goes the distance is a challenge for today’s entrepreneurs. What makes a good CMO, and how do they fit into building lasting businesses? How do you market a company as successful as Sequoia Capital? In this episode Blair Shane, CMO of Sequoia Capital answers these questions and shares her expert insight into the world of venture capital. She also talks candidly about how Sequoia runs and how she balances her work and home life.

We will have lost if the companies we back don’t transform the world. – Blair Shane

Takeaways

We began this episode by discussing what being legendary means and Blair gave us her views on this, as well as some information about her background within the working world. Blair then went on to discuss everything related to Sequoia including what they look for in the people they decide to work with, and how they continue on the mission that their founders created by valuing teamwork over showmanship. Following on from that Blair explained to us what she feels Sequoia’s secrets to success are. We moved on to talk about why companies are waiting longer and longer before going public nowadays. Blair moved on to talk about how she markets brands that are already dominating their category and how she markets a firm that doesn’t want to market its own successes. We finished up by talking about what it means to be a CMO today and what category design means to Blair.

We also discussed;

If you want to change the market you must have an idea that is based on a market need and you must not only have the ego to push and realize the full potential of the product, but also realize that you are not bigger than the product itself. It should be the idea that fuels you, not a desire for fame or wealth. The people that fit that bill can become true legends and category kings.

Guest Bio

Blair Shane is the CMO of Sequoia Capital where she is responsible for building Sequoia's global brand and helping to build the enduring companies of tomorrow. Previously to this she worked as the Associate Dean and CMO at Stanford School of Gradu...

People in business make an unconscious choice to attack an existing space, market or category. Why is this the wrong way to go about things? Is your business marketing to an existing space or category? What do you miss out on when you take this approach? On this special episode of Legends and Losers, we are joined by Rhonda Smith and other entrepreneurs for a mindset on utilizing category design in your business and how you sell yourself short when you don’t use it. You’ll learn how you can start using it today to improve your business.

This book changed my life, I don’t mean it changed my business, it changed my life as well as my business – Rhonda Smith

Takeaways

In this episode we began by discussing what category design is by showcasing some examples of companies using it to their advantage. We then went on to discuss personal branding and how important it is to be authentic in your branding and advertising. Next, we talked about the importance of category design in branding and how branding without category design is a bad idea. Later in the show, we discussed how someone can become legendary and design a legendary category. We shared on the success of CEO of Salesforce, Mark Benioff and how companies like Netflix have created their own categories by marketing new problems to people that they didn’t know they had. We finished off by discussing the importance of not selling yourself short.

We also shared insights on;

Every product or service that we love exists because a legend executed the magic triangle; company design, product design and category design. They are all equally important and many people in business don’t even understand what category design is or how best to utilize it. You can see great examples of category design through the ages, like Henry Ford marketing the car as a horseless carriage. In many ways the category is in the context of what it isn’t because we understand a prior category. The most important feature of category design is marketing the problem,...

People in business make an unconscious choice to attack an existing space, market or category. Why is this the wrong way to go about things? Is your business marketing to an existing space or category? What do you miss out on when you take this approach? On this special episode of Legends and Losers, we are joined by Rhonda Smith and other entrepreneurs for a mindset on utilizing category design in your business and how you sell yourself short when you don’t use it. You’ll learn how you can start using it today to improve your business.

This book changed my life, I don’t mean it changed my business, it changed my life as well as my business – Rhonda Smith

Takeaways

In this episode we began by discussing what category design is by showcasing some examples of companies using it to their advantage. We then went on to discuss personal branding and how important it is to be authentic in your branding and advertising. Next, we talked about the importance of category design in branding and how branding without category design is a bad idea. Later in the show, we discussed how someone can become legendary and design a legendary category. We shared on the success of CEO of Salesforce, Mark Benioff and how companies like Netflix have created their own categories by marketing new problems to people that they didn’t know they had. We finished off by discussing the importance of not selling yourself short.

We also shared insights on;

Every product or service that we love exists because a legend executed the magic triangle; company design, product design and category design. They are all equally important and many people in business don’t even understand what category design is or how best to utilize it. You can see great examples of category design through the ages, like Henry Ford marketing the car as a horseless carriage. In many ways the category is in the context of what it isn’t because we understand a prior category. The most important feature of category design is marketing the problem,

Success in business and life is all about having an appetite for risk. Why do we need a little bit of crazy to make things happen? What has changed about media relations today, and how can companies play in that arena? On this episode, Paul Maher talks about category design, his career and having the power of having the courage to think your own thoughts.

You do need to conceive immediately what the largest piece you can play on is, and make that move. If you don’t, that will drop you into the loser category. -Paul Maher

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Paul shared insights from a conference he attended in India, and how the world of employment is going to change because of automation. We also talked about how Paul became so good with PR, and his career at companies like Scient and HP. Next, we discussed how he started Positive Marketing, the things he discovered, and what helped him zero in on the right client and category design.

Paul also shared insights on;

True power and legendary status come from the courage to think your own thoughts and have a big appetite for risk. It’s about finding a piece that works really well for you and making a move on it at the right moment. For companies to succeed, the media relations piece will always be important, but now it also needs the category design piece to stand out. This is how you create the halo effect and dominance that only category kings enjoy.  

Guest Bio

Paul is the founder and CEO of Positive Marketing. Go to PositiveMarketing.com for more information or follow him on LinkedIn www.LinkedIn.com/in/pmaher.

Everybody in marketing wants to create something that catches fire. What are the best practices for creating and sharing content that goes viral? What can we learn from the creation of the Mexican Wave? What is the role of AR and AI in the future of marketing, health and other aspects of our lives? On this episode, Bryan Kramer talks about shareology, the future of agencies and tech.

Shareology is the why, what, when and how people and brands share. -Bryan Kramer

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Bryan shared insights from the Adobe Conference, including VR and AI. Next, he talked about how humans are holding chatbots back, and how the Mexican Wave was created. He also gave insights on why good content can still fail to go viral, and what people get wrong when it comes to content. Towards the end of the show, we discussed how marketing will change radically, and the future of prosthetics and medicine.

Bryan also shared insights on;

Shareology is all about the human-to-human connection, and creating content that catches fire is all about quality, team and influencers. In the future, we’re going to experience the expansion of human-to-human marketing, and technology will be instrumental in this. It will change how marketers get hired, how they work and who they will be able to reach. We’ll experience many innovations that won’t seem as scary as they do now. They will warm up to be acceptable as we progress.

Guest Bio

Bryan Kramer is a renowned social business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive coach, and bestselling author. He’s one of the world’s foremost leaders in the art and science of sharing, and has been credited with instigating the #H2H human business movement in marketing and social. Go to BryanKramer.com for more info or follow @bryankramer on Twitter and Facebook.

A huge part of the experience of watching a UFC fight is the veteran voice of the Octagon. How did Bruce Buffer develop his own unique style and become a legend? What is the mindset that keeps him going? What are some of his most legendary stories? On this episode of Legends and Losers, we are joined by the man himself, and he tells us about Steve McQueen, John Wayne and the most memorable fighters in the sport.

We’re here because of the fans, the fans are what make us great, we have to do the best job we can to please the fans. -Bruce Buffer

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Bruce talks about managing his brother Michael, developing his own style and getting involved with UFC. He also talked about his friendship with Steve McQueen, his love for celebrity memorabilia and his adoration of Lululemon. He also spoke about a few fighters, including Randy Couture and Conor McGregor. Towards the end of the show, he shared on the possibility of a McGregor/Mayweather fight.

Bruce also spoke about

From the start of his career Bruce set out to have his own unique style, and through his voice, he has basically become king of his category. His secrets: never resting on his laurels, never forgetting where he came from and where it all started. Most importantly, without the fans all of it would be impossible, so he does his best to make them happy.

Guest Bio

Bruce Anthony Buffer is the official Octagon announcer for UFC events, introduced on broadcasts as the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon". He is the President and CEO of The Buffer Partnership. Follow him on Twitter @brucebuffer or go to BruceBuffer.com.

Ideas, businesses and companies that have no template hear the word “no” a lot. What mindset does it take to bet on the ventures that are considered to be on the fringe? Why is entrepreneurship so similar to poker? How do you get people to buy into an idea that requires a leap in forward-vision? On this episode, Bullpen co-founder Paul Martino shares his journey and the insights behind his greatest successes.

If the people with the money have that level of certitude about a future, you know you gotta bet the other way. -Paul Martino

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Paul shares the legendary story of a chance meeting with Mark Maples and the impact Bill Campbell had on Silicone Valley. Next, he shared on going to grad school because it was hard to start a company as a 20 year old back in the early and mid 90s. We also talked about the kind of ventures Bullpen likes to invest in and why they believe in backing the outsiders. Paul also shared a legendary story about how Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for Rocky in 48 hours. Towards the end of the show, he talked about what he learned with his venture Tribe, and future plans for Bullpen.

Paul also shared insights on;

The temperament required to be a good poker player is the same temperament you need to be an entrepreneur. Both require a lucky break and the ability to capitalize on it. If you want to be an entrepreneur you’ve got to play the game enough times, and when you’re coming into the game as an outsider, it’s important to have a chip on the shoulder directed to the venture ecosystem. As is the case with the game of poker, what determines whether you’re legendary or not, is what you do with the cards you’re dealt. All the failures help you put the pieces together to make the next opportunity a success.

Guest Bio

Paul is the founder of four companies including Ahpah Software (a computer security firm acquired by InterTrust); Tribe (one of the world’s first social networks), and Aggregate Knowledge (a big data advertising attributi...

The future is uncomfortable because we don’t have evidence for it. Why is the courage to speak and have conversation central to our advancement? How has school ruined us? What is the distinction between thinking and having thoughts? On this episode, Bix Bickson talks about accessing our own power, making the difference we’re committed to, and how we can change organizational conversations. We go deep on overcoming the world’s invalidation, and having the courage to have influential, authentic conversations.

The DNA of organizations lives in the conversations we’re having with each other, our customers, and the conversations we’re having with ourselves. -Bix Bickson

Takeaways

At the start of the show, we talked about the causes of imposter syndrome in society. Bix also shared on tacit knowledge and the power of making sure your speaking is making the difference you’re committed to. “There are three mysteries in this world: air to a bird, water to a fish and human kind to ourselves.” We also discussed how we define power, “it’s the ability to convert ideas into results with velocity in a time frame that matters.” Bix shared on how changing company culture can, “attack the most vulnerable rather than confront the most powerful.” We also discussed new ways of learning, “play is the difference between the rules of the game, and the freedom to act within those rules.” Towards the end of the show, we talked about how we can create the future.

Bix also shared on;

Every breakthrough in history, was a matter of someone standing on their own two feet and saying something was possible where there was no evidence. It is our job to invent, imagine, create and declare the future and have the courage to strive f...