Matt Brown Show - CLIPS!

 Change. The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. If we truly want to change the world, we have to change our thinking. It is said that we should have an open mind when it comes to the subject of change, butt the trouble with having an open mind, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Identity politics has long permeated and influenced our society and culture and it is a very sensitive subject because at its most basic level, identity politics is the tendency for people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, social background, etc. to form exclusive political and social alliances. So why are we talking about this on the Matt Brown Show? Well, my view is that we need to unite workplaces, not divide them. Company cultures that are deeply united aren’t just better at being productive, they’re better at retaining talent - and, critically, they’re better at mentoring talent. I reached out to my good friend Brent Tollman, probably one of the smartest people I have in my network, to explore how we as entrepreneurs can use identity politics to build better businesses. My hope is that If we can have honest conversations like this - and understand what caused and what drives Identity Politics, we’ll know have the answer to the million-dollar question here: Where do we draw the line - but in a smart and informed way that helps us transform our employees, etc. - and ourselves 

Taken From MBS (Episode 132): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0k7MlJDLs&t=617s

 Change. The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. If we truly want to change the world, we have to change our thinking. It is said that we should have an open mind when it comes to the subject of change, butt the trouble with having an open mind, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Identity politics has long permeated and influenced our society and culture and it is a very sensitive subject because at its most basic level, identity politics is the tendency for people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, social background, etc. to form exclusive political and social alliances. So why are we talking about this on the Matt Brown Show? Well, my view is that we need to unite workplaces, not divide them. Company cultures that are deeply united aren’t just better at being productive, they’re better at retaining talent - and, critically, they’re better at mentoring talent. I reached out to my good friend Brent Tollman, probably one of the smartest people I have in my network, to explore how we as entrepreneurs can use identity politics to build better businesses. My hope is that If we can have honest conversations like this - and understand what caused and what drives Identity Politics, we’ll know have the answer to the million-dollar question here: Where do we draw the line - but in a smart and informed way that helps us transform our employees, etc. - and ourselves 

Taken From MBS(Episode 134):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0k7MlJDLs&t=617s

 It is said that to live a creative life we just lose our fear of being wrong. As an entrepreneur it is about knowing where your blind spots are and this is easier said than done. Let’s take creative companies and agencies for example. They are so busy building the brands of other companies they very rarely build their own brand which is one of the greatest paradoxes in the business world today. Yet most creative agencies do not acknowledge this blind spot even exists because as the saying goes, when you are stuck inside the bottle you can’t read the label. So what you need is perspective to break through and that often means working with experts and skill sets you don’t have on the payroll. Lauren Woolf is the CEO of Mrs Woolf, a strategic consultancy that helps creative companies identify their blind spots and helps them to unleash and direct their creativity toward building their own brand. Oh, and pay attention to a new segment on the show called the Justice League where Lauren gets busy with a baseball bat in the studio. 

Taken From MBS (Episode 113): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUS0pUxUURw&t=1487s

 Pizza. They say you can’t buy happiness but you can buy pizza and in my world that’s kind of the same thing. When John Nicolakakis took over the reins of Roman’s Pizza from his father, he had only one goal: To create the biggest pizza brand in South Africa. Billions a year in system-wide sales into this journey, and the company’s aggressive expansion plans have never wavered. In fact, if ever there was a poster child for the mantra ‘go big or go home’, Nicolakakis would be it. John came onto the Matt Brown Show to share his story about building Romans Pizza into a network of over 250 stores in three countries and we also has a bit of fun in the studio by throwing him into a blind folded pizza tasting test and he shows us a new way of taking out the trash in the studio with a base ball bat. The Injustice League just doesn’t get old for me. 

Taken From MBS (Episode 125): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=732wuWTKPnc&t=2985s

 Perseverance. Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding on the 20th. But imagine not getting a lucky break day after day for 7 years straight. How would that make you feel? Would you quit, or would you persevere? Many entrepreneurs would and do give up for one simple reason: Rejection sucks. But here’s the thing about rejection: When you are rejected it doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough or worthy enough, it just means that you need to get up and try again. This is the single biggest quality I have noticed in highly successful people I have interviewed on this show. Our guest today is none other than Danny K who is the embodiment of perseverance. He is a four-time South African Music Awards winner, singer song writer, actor and philanthropist. He has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, has been a brand advocate for Nelson Mandela’s foundation and collaborated with some of the world’s most well-known music artists. But despite his celebrity status, his story is in fact also one of many rejections, and an unwavering ability to persevere despite all the odds. There are so many nuggets and pearls of wisdom on this episode of the Matt Brown Show, so without further ado. 

Taken From MBS(Episode 123):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEY5Kw01Hlg&t=1306s

 Hey guys, so entrepreneurs must deal with pain more than most. You know, the pain of cash flow, the pain of failure, and the pain of just well, having to make it on your own. And so, when the proverbial shit hits the fan, it’s easy to think we’re suffering more than most – but that’s just not the truth or reality. You see, regardless of how bad things get in your life, there is always someone who is worse off than you are. In today’s episode, I chat to Cathy Davies, an entrepreneur who the transforms the lives of ordinary people and celebrities. In her new reality TV show called Outpatients on FOX Life she shares the real stories of ordinary people who are dealt some really unbelievably bad blows and yet despite everything have the strength inside of them to push through incredible pain and despair to achieve their dreams. This particular episode of the Matt Brown Show is really one about perspective – because sometimes the right perspective makes things possible. 

Taken From MBS(Episode 116): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozMbXqENWD8&t=2s

 Grit. The difference between entrepreneurs who make it and those who don’t. This theme has been a consistent one of the last three years of doing this show and yet stories about entrepreneurs who do whatever it takes to break through the obstacles that lie in their way just never get old. The story of Jonathan Kohler is no different and it is a story that truly brings to life what it takes to build a monster of a business. As the saying goes, only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. 

Taken From MBS(Episode 114):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPEnOUCM0Us&t=1633s

 Cartoonists. They say that cartoonism is simply organized gossip but in South Africa, a simple cartoon represents far more than trivial gossip – for Jonathan Shapiro AKA Zapiro his cartoons have become nationwide talking points for over 25 years. He has been published over 27 times, was the first cartoonist to win a category prize in the CNN African Journalist of the year Awards, has held solo cartoon exhibitions in New York, London and Frankfurt and many in South Africa and through his running commentary on local political developments he became personal friends with Nelson Mandela and archbishop Desmond Tutu. Not surprisingly, his work has ruffled the feathers of certain corrupt politicians in South Africa and on this episode of the Matt Brown Show we explore his very personal account of taking on the political establishment through his work and the sometimes very dire consequences thereof. We also dissect the little know inner workings of his creative process and how he has managed to find the courage to continue to be one of the most honest and courageous voices in journalism and media. 

Taken From MBS(Epiasode 126):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe390DLkcls&t=698s

 Pizza. They say you can’t buy happiness but you can buy pizza and in my world that’s kind of the same thing. When John Nicolakakis took over the reins of Roman’s Pizza from his father, he had only one goal: To create the biggest pizza brand in South Africa. Billions a year in system-wide sales into this journey, and the company’s aggressive expansion plans have never wavered. In fact, if ever there was a poster child for the mantra ‘go big or go home’, Nicolakakis would be it. John came onto the Matt Brown Show to share his story about building Romans Pizza into a network of over 250 stores in three countries and we also has a bit of fun in the studio by throwing him into a blind folded pizza tasting test and he shows us a new way of taking out the trash in the studio with a base ball bat. The Injustice League just doesn’t get old for me. 

Taken From MBS(Episode 125):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=732wuWTKPnc&t=2985s

 Perseverance. Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding on the 20th. But imagine not getting a lucky break day after day for 7 years straight. How would that make you feel? Would you quit, or would you persevere? Many entrepreneurs would and do give up for one simple reason: Rejection sucks. But here’s the thing about rejection: When you are rejected it doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough or worthy enough, it just means that you need to get up and try again. This is the single biggest quality I have noticed in highly successful people I have interviewed on this show. Our guest today is none other than Danny K who is the embodiment of perseverance. He is a four-time South African Music Awards winner, singer song writer, actor and philanthropist. He has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, has been a brand advocate for Nelson Mandela’s foundation and collaborated with some of the world’s most well-known music artists. But despite his celebrity status, his story is in fact also one of many rejections, and an unwavering ability to persevere despite all the odds. There are so many nuggets and pearls of wisdom on this episode of the Matt Brown Show, so without further ado.

Taken From MBS(Episode 123):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEY5Kw01Hlg&t=1306s