Legendary sales executive in the corporate events industry, Skip Jansen shares his personal journey from being an alcoholic who started drinking at 11 years old to designing a legendary life. Skip is open, honest, funny and real, so buckle up for the latest episode of Legends & Losers!

Normal people adjust their behavior to achieve their goals. Alcoholics and addicts adjust their goals to accommodate their behavior. -Skip Jansen

Takeaways

If we’re able to satisfy the baseline of the pyramid of needs, what shows up after that is making a difference and being of service.

Sobriety: It takes 0-5 years to get your head out of your ass, 5-10 years to figure out who you want to be, and 10 years to become that person.

Don’t get too hungry, angry, lonely and tired.

At the start of the show, we talked about dyslexia, alcoholism, and Skip’s work as a sponsor, and some of the struggles he went through when he was drinking. “The guy I am today, I would have made fun of because I was envious.” He shared on how he inspired a former client to get sober, and how becoming sober connected him to a purpose and changed how he works. Skip went on to share on how he built client relationships when he was powdering people’s faces backstage.

Skip also shared on;

The steps in Alcoholics Anonymous were created to help people overcome their past and create brighter futures. The final step is all about making a difference so you can be in touch with the commitment to being who you are. The organization is about being a part of the fabric of the tribe and when you’re part of it, you do what you have to do to keep it together. It’s all about giving people a sense of tribe, community and commonality. It’s also about carrying the message, making a difference and applying the service model in everything you do.

Guest Bio

Skip is the Vice President of Business Development at Rezin8. He uses his unique understanding of strategy and creative to keep the teams aligned with the client’s objectives on projects both large and small; because they’re all mission critical. Go to

The economy was predicated on the notion of scarcity, but this is shifting. What is the new capitalism paradigm we’re transitioning into? How do Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s Law play into this? What is missing in our conversation about small business and entrepreneurship? On this episode, Floodgate’s Mike Maples talks about mission clarity, the crisis in entrepreneurship and future of capitalism.

Technology has allowed for new categories and companies who aren’t fighting for scarcity, but creating a new kind of abundance. -Chris Lochhead

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Mike shared on why the moon landing encompasses greatness and hot teams. We also discussed how the country could do more for veterans, and how technology can help create prosperity for everyone. Mike also gave us an interesting piece of history, “from 1820-2000 the standard of living of humankind went up thirteen-fold.” We also talked about the advantages of being a network capitalist. Mike went on to share on people’s attitudes towards innovation, “when you’re talking about the innovation of the future, the burden of proof is always on the guy who is pro-innovation, it should be on the person who is being negative.” Towards the end of the show we discussed how we can operate in the prosperity that tech jobs create.

Mike also shared on:

Capitalism is shifting from the traditional corporations to networks. Value in the future is going to be a function of the reach, value and breadth of the networks you curate and manage. Venture capital was designed to back disruptive, exponentially growing companies, but capitalism is often suppressed by over-regulation. We need to find ways to bring the prosperity of tech jobs to more people. Our economy would be more vibrant, and there’d be much more broad prosperity for everybody.

Guest Bio

Mike Maples Jr has been on the Forbes Midas List since 2010 and was also named one of "8 Rising Stars" by FORTUNE Magazine.

Tim is a true visionary and serial entrepreneur, a former #1 real estate professional in his market as well as the founder of 1 Life Fully Lived and GoBundance. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tim takes us through his journey from bagging groceries to real estate sales, investing and founding two organizations that are helping people live legendary lives.

The barrier to entry today to becoming an entrepreneur is lower than it’s ever been. -Tim Rhode

We started with Tim’s blue collar background, struggling to make ends meet as a husband and father of two. “It’s called motivation!” Tim pointed out, and went on to explain that he referred 11 people to his Realtor friend over the course of a year. He added up the potential commissions if he handled those deals himself, and decided to get his license. Tim went on to sell 2,500 homes in 18 years in Manteca, CA, becoming the #1 agent in his market.

How did Tim become a category king in a mature industry like real estate? “It didn’t happen overnight, it was slow, organic growth. But I consistently built a brand. Everything was, Call Tim Rhode and Start Packing.” And that message, that Point of View, attracted not just the right kind of prospects, but prospects who reached out to him already sold on working with him.

Tim also went deep into...

Tim is an outstanding example of becoming a category king in a mature industry by building a fun, unique brand that speaks directly to the ideal client who are ready to make a decision. He’s also a great example of someone with a genuine heart to help people be more successful and live legendary lives. If you want to design a life you really want to live, this episode is for you!

Guest Bio

Tim Rhode comes from a very humble background, growing up in a blue-collar family in a blue-collar town. Tim barely graduated high school and never attended college. A natural hustler and entrepreneur, once he found real estate he achieved massive success.  

He went on to sell over 2,500 homes in his 18-year real estate career and retired at 40.  He invested wisely and went on to dream, plan,

Amazon is the number one company in the cloud computing space. Why is it the epitome of a category king? What is AWS and why should we care about it? Why are chickens so near and dear to this show? On this episode, we share how Amazon captured the cloud, how information technology has created abundance, and category design in the business and personal space. Get your favorite drink ready for this episode, and join our drinking game!

You have to pair up the right insight with your superpower, or you’ll poorly execute on whatever that is, and end up not being the category king. -Matt Johnson

Takeaways

At the start of the show we talked about Amazon, why it’s such a powerful company, and how it created a new category from excess computing power. We also shared on the changes technology has brought about, “information technology and it being embedded in everything is creating a paradigm where the economy is actually creating abundance.” Towards the end of the show, we shared on the power of podcasting and sparking legendary tenacity.

We also shared insights on:

Becoming a category king in your own domain is all about finding the sweet spot between something unique enough to dominate, and something you consider your unique superpower. You want to be the only logical choice in a market that has enough demand for the venture to be profitable. The game comes down to creating a category that brings about abundance. It takes legendary tenacity, seeing problems and delivering solutions that carve out incredible new spaces.  

Marketing has become both sides of the brand; the creative and the analytical. How do companies better align themselves with what the consumer wants to hear? How do leaders go about recruiting for the brand of the future? How do businesses strategize and develop faster? On this episode, Bob Evans shares his career journey, and also talks about The Cloud, channel conflict, multichannel marketing and the other facets of modern business.

To be a winner all you have to do is care about stuff, get in there, fight, try, love it and not be afraid to do things different. -Bob Evans

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Bob shared on his life, love for writing, and passion. He also shared on the impact his mother had on him. We also discussed the story behind the name of the podcast, Legends and Losers. He shared on his work at Oracle and the wisdom Larry Ellison shared with him. We went on to share on changing business models, channel conflict and what’s coming in tech and business. We also talked about how changes in business have impacted the hiring requirements in finance. Bob also gave his view on being and legend, “it’s how you think, how you behave, how you believe and tap into that well of courage, confidence and fearlessness people have and go and do something with it.” Towards the end of the show, we discussed the importance of timing, and how technology has changed the conception of time.

Bob also shared insights on:

Legendary innovators not only position themselves by evangelizing a problem and designing a new category, they also reposition the current paradigm. This requires fearlessness, fighting for those ideas and being willing to take some slams for them. The best companies are able to go further by erasing what they think of themselves internally, and rebuilding to match up with what the customers want to hear, and the problems they want solved. That’s what will make you a magnet for brilliant people and loyal customers.

It’s hard to be successful without passion. What do ambitious women need to equip themselves with to become successful? How do they set themselves apart, deal with problems and take responsibility for both success and failure? On this episode of Legends and Losers, Shaku Atre shares her incredible life experiences and imparts her knowledge about tech, data and women in tech and business.

Find out what your passion is and specialize yourself in that area so there are very few people who can compete with you. -Shaku Atre

Takeaways

At the start of the show Shaku shared her life story from her early interest in math, to being the first girl in her village to go to college, and her career at IBM. She also shared on what she’s learned in her journey, and the wisdom she can impart to women who are trying to work their way up. Shaku also talked about the importance of specializing and finding an area to dominate. She shared on writing, public speaking and why passion is the fuel for success.

Shaku also shared insights on:

One of the first things most women have to learn is taking calculated risks and not taking no as an answer. It’s important to think without procrastinating and be prepared to show what you’re capable of. When you find your passion and speciality, you stand out more, and when you stop asking for permission you can write your own ticket to freedom. Don’t be afraid of losing, if you’re never a loser you will never discover what’s better.

Guest Bio

Shaku is the founder and managing partner of the Atre Group, Inc. Santa Cruz, California, and New York City, NY- a business intelligence and data warehousing corporation. She is an internationally renowned expert who lectures on business intelligence, data warehousing, data mining, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and database technology. Atre is also the author of six highly regarded books. She has worked with a number of organizations including financial institutions, manufacturing companies, Insurance organizations and health industry in resolving a number of business related issues by imple...

If you’re not number one, you’re in trouble. What are the factors that can make a brand a category king, or the creator of a new category? How can you shift business models, and ensure brand evolution? On this episode, Ray Wang talks category killers, growth turnaround and the source of new categories and innovation in technology.

New technologies make new solutions to old problems possible. Entrepreneurs and innovators have to be deeply steeped in both the problems and the new, emerging potential solutions. -Chris Lochhead

Takeaways

At the start of the show Ray shared, the core traits of leadership and how people develop a dynamic leadership style. He also shared his story, and how he built his own business, and the importance of having grit. We also talked about the importance of being number 1 in a category, and why that has to do with having an evolving business model. Towards the end of the show, we discussed the relationship between solving problems and emerging new technologies.

Ray also shared insights on:

We’re in a winner-take-all world. If you don’t have a brand and a very defined mission, and you’re not a category king, you cannot be number one. When you’re not number one you won’t have the margins, the profit for product and you can’t command talent. New categories are created and old categories are redesigned when problems are solved. To truly stay on the pulse of new innovations, you have to answer the customer’s problem first. Ultimately you’re trying to solve a problem that enough people have, and take that to market.

Guest Bio

Ray Wang is the Principal Analyst, Founder, and Chairman of Silicon Valley based Constellation Research, Inc.  He's also the author of the popular business strategy and technology  blog "A Software Insider’s Point of View". With viewership in the 10's of millions of page views a year,

Fear is a big showstopper for entrepreneurs, and it keeps them from taking risks and becoming legends. What is the journey of learning from failure, building a new business and keeping your sense of humor and ultimate vision intact? On this episode, Spiro co-founder Adam Honig shares his career journey and the mindset he applies to his work.

If you want to do something great you have to put your heart in it. If you put your heart in it, you can’t let your head get in the way. -Adam Honig

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Adam shared how he got into his career, and the lessons he learned early on. He also talked about how he got into CRM, and how he was inspired by the challenges salespeople face daily to get the job done. Next he talked about the insights that helped him launch Spiro and why the company’s birth was all about perfect timing. He also shared on the marketing practices he carried out at the launch of the business. Towards the end of the show, we talked about how Spiro zoned in on its category.

Adam also shared on:

A business venture must be a living, breathing, in-the-game experiment, and it requires you to learn as you go along, and fix the problems that arise. For it to be great, your heart has to be in it. That will give you the fuel to keep pushing, and the humility to keep learning. Don’t let your head or fear get in the way of your heart, you’ll go far with courage.   

Guest Bio

Adam is the co-founder & CEO of Spiro Technologies, Blogger and Speaker. Go to Spirohq.com for information.

We have less time than we think. Procrastination, fear and the pursuit of external validation take even more precious time away. How do we make sure we’re turning mistakes into lessons, and practicing enough to master our dreams? On this episode of Legends and Losers, writer Dushka Zapata shares her extraordinary life story, and gives her wisdom on getting in the game and achieving ferocious happiness.

There are two kinds of people. The ones that sit on the sidelines doing nothing other than finding fault in what the participants do, and the participants. -Dushka Zapata

Takeaways

At the start of the show, we introduced Legends and Losers and we talked about getting in the game. Our guest Dushka told us her life and the journey she took to writing her books. She talked about the impact her father’s dementia had on her, and how it taught her not to procrastinate. “There’s the type [of procrastination] where you leave for later, what you want to do the most. It’s sneaky, because we disguise it with responsibility.” She went on to talk about being an amateur, and why it’s a good thing. Towards the end of the show, Dushka talked about how we learn from bad moments. “Any form of struggle is uncomfortable, but that’s where the lesson is.”

Dushka also shared insights on:

An amateur is someone who does something for love, someone who’s always willing to learn something new, and manufacture action out of fear. If you’re too scared to be loser you’ll never be a legend. It’s necessary to do things for the right reasons, not external validation, because it’s fickle. When it comes to how we learn, remember: practice and everything will come. You can either be a participant in life, or sit at the sidelines missing out on valuable lessons.

There’s a crisis in American entrepreneurship right now. Millennials are forecasted to be the least entrepreneurial generation in history. Why is this state of affairs bad for the country as a whole? How can people get inspired to design their own lives? In the very first episode of Legends and Losers, we share our stories, and talk about what inspired the creation of this show.

What determines whether or not we’re a loser isn’t that we lose, it’s that we make the decision we’re not going to continue to be a loser. - Chris Lochhead

Takeaways

At the start of the show, Colin shared his background, and the journey he took to become a photographer. “Photographers enjoy the world more from a visual standpoint than other people.” Next we talked about the crisis in American entrepreneurship, and how this sparked the inspiration for this show. We also shared on succeeding in a winner-take-all world, my journey to entrepreneurship, and what’s coming up on Legends and Losers.

We also shared insights on:

Entrepreneurship is a way out or a way up for individuals who want to design their own lives. Its decline threatens the enterprising spirit of the nation. It’s necessary to encourage category design both personally and professionally, and stoke the flame of entrepreneurship and innovation through teaching and inspiring. All levels of entrepreneurship are needed, and we succeed when the people who have made it to the top, send the elevator down for more people.