David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to emerging companies, and international bestselling author of 13 books, including Fanocracy and The New Rules of Marketing & PR. His work has helped companies generate tens of billions in revenue, and his portfolio career spans speaking, writing, advisory roles, and equity-based coaching, giving him a uniquely practical perspective on how to build a flexible, lucrative life in business.​

On this episode we talk about:

How David went from pulling weeds at 11 to launching an office in Tokyo in his 20s

Why his “dream job” on Wall Street became unbearable—and what he did next

How to act like an entrepreneur inside a company and get paid to learn

The transition from corporate CMO to fractional CMO, author, and speaker

Why he stopped consulting for cash and started coaching for equity instead

How book writing became the engine for 500+ paid speaking gigs worldwide

Portfolio strategy: mixing speaking, royalties, courses, and equity for freedom

Avoiding lifestyle bloat so you can say yes to long-term upside (not just quick cash)

Top 3 Takeaways

You can practice entrepreneurship while still employed by taking ownership, cutting deals tied to profit, and treating your role like you’re running a mini-business.

Building intellectual property (like books and courses) can become powerful marketing for higher-ticket revenue streams such as speaking and advisory work.

Keeping your lifestyle lean and your income diversified gives you the freedom to take equity, play the long game, and avoid becoming trapped in work you hate.

Notable Quotes

“It was totally entrepreneurial even though I was on salary—my bosses were 12 time zones away, and I was responsible for everything.”

“I wasn’t writing books to make money from book sales; the books were the advertising for my speaking and advisory work.”

“I don’t want cash; I want a piece of the upside.”​

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