Miami Hustle Series

This episode features a unique "hustler" that most of us have come across on our time here in Miami – the ridesharing driver from apps like Uber and Lyft. David Lowell is one of South Florida's top Uber drivers, having amassed nearly 10,000 rides and over 5,000 5-star ratings at the time of the recording.

 

Don't assume that because this isn't a typical Miami "startup" that there aren't business lessons here – believe me, there are, and David and I touch on a handful right out of the gate. We get into the importance of "showing up" and how he's often able to make more than other drivers with just a little more hustle. Having been a business owner himself earlier in life, he also shares advice for anyone considering a new job (including being a driver).

 

We even get into "tech" as he shares his thoughts on Uber's long-term pivot to self-driving cars and why he's not concerned about it taking his job.

 

Highlights:

 

     1:48 – David's approach to customer service & how little things differentiate him as a driver.      3:59 – Timeless lessons he learned from running his own businesses prior to Uber.      4:41 – Lessons in "showing up" from a ride given to two businesswomen in Brickell.      5:46 – The importance of approaching every ride with care.      6:33 – Secret lessons in making money as an Uber driver.      9:54 – Knowing your surroundings & how it translates to business success.      11:33 – How he sets goals as a driver & the importance of doing so in business.      14:48 – Lessons he's learned as a driver that he wouldn't have learned elsewhere.      15:55 – Some favorite stories from the road.

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

 

Applications:

 

     Usurv

 

Books:      Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

 

Noah Ohlsen and the business of being a Pro CrossFit Athlete     We're excited to bring Noah Ohlsen (@nohlsen) to you, one of the top athletes in the CrossFit community and boasting a huge social media following of over 350K followers.   We talk how Noah became a competitive CrossFitter while going to school full-time at UM and how he first realized the power of social media by experimenting on Instagram in the early days.   We get into the streams of income he has available to him as a pro athlete in the "Sport of Fitness," how it breaks down by category, and what he's excited about in the future when it comes to growing a brand outside the sport.   We're excited to bring this interview with "Miami's Fittest Man" who shares his ups and downs as an athlete and passes on lessons of hard work, attention to detail, and making things happen when you've got your sights set on a goal.     Highlights: 9:00 - Noah's mindset when it comes to putting in the work every day. 10:50 - Dedicating yourself to your craft. 11:51- What followers might be surprised to know about Noah. 14:37 - How Noah makes revenue by working with sponsors and competitions. 21:16 - Guido Trinidad on Noah's foresight professional branding and utilizing social media influence. 24:48 - Noah's advice on social media branding and why he takes it upon himself. 33:55 - How he deals with the backlash of having a large social media following. 39:15 - Questions from Noah's followers. 42:05 - Closing Questions – Best advice, Books, "Only in Miami" moments & what he'd do with $500 if he was new to Miami and starting a business.     Mentioned in this episode   Noah's Social Media:  Twitter Instagram Maximus's Instagram   Apparel: Nike Training Caffeine & Kilos   Fitness Equipment: Strength Wraps RPM Jump Rope Exo Sleeve ROMWoD   Supplements:  Perfect Fuel Perfect Bar X-Werks Protein Marc Pro   Books: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE  by Phil Knight

If there's one episode Miami tech startups should listen to it's this one, because Seth shares their formula for building a company WITHOUT the typical Angel and VC investment approach that pervades the startup culture, not just here in Miami but everywhere.   I sit down with Seth Cassel, President at Everymundo to talk about how "going narrow to go deep" and focusing on an industry niche has led to a sustainable business and now future opportunities to expand into other industries.   Why Seth was especially attracted to founder Anton's unique philosophy to business growth, despite its differences from what he learned at Harvard Business School.   Seth shares some great stories, including how getting banned by Google Advertising sparked the idea for their biggest business opportunity and how their philosophy of focusing on employee productivity surprisingly leads to employee happiness.   Solid lessons here in lean startup philosophy, culture, and navigating a multilingual company with customers spanning the globe.     Mentioned in this Episode:   Software: Basecamp Jira   Books: The Hard Thing About Hard Things The Culture Map

What can startups learn from a 200 year-old industry? It may sound like an unlikely correlation, but as it turns out, an exercise in turning around a railroad's operations can teach us a lot about what it takes to manage a startup.   Today's episode is focused on answering the question "What are the most important things that someone should be working on when building a startup." In a separate Podcast I produced, I interviewed consultant Roy Johanson - his experience turning around the operations of a railroad give us some insight on how taking the time to observe a business, it's dealings and how its customers respond to the way things are currently being run can guide us to make beneficial changes that go beyond the scope of traditional management.    Roy also gives us some essential questions that we should be asking ourselves while working in and on our businesses. His process appealed to us because it wasn't just another story about an up and coming tech company's 5 easy steps to startup glory and venture capital funding. Instead, it was based on enduring principles about business, innovation, and creating change that will be true for another two hundred years. His experience and previous work on the railroad exemplifies the idea that doing something worth doing will take time and more than a surface level understanding of the problems at hand.   Highlights:   1:51 - "What are the most important things that I should be working on in a startup?"   2:17  - Cliff Notes" / The four key points of this episode.   4:01 - "What does a railroad have to do with innovation?"    4:45 - "Fly on the wall observation" of the organization and it's customers.   7:15 - Two sets of essential questions asked by Roy   8:11 - Asking "Why" and how it can be  critical to finding what makes a problem challenging.   9:18 - Filtering out signal vs noise based on the organization you're working in.   10:59 - Talking to people and testing pitches.    13:12 - "Don't be afraid to change things"   16:51 -  Putting yourself in other people's shoes.     Mentioned in this Episode:   Catalant   The Lean Startup Movement   The Innovator's Method: Bringing the Lean Start-up into Your Organization   Value Proposition Design   Perry Marshall: 80/20 Rule in Business

This episode is one for the books with Otto Othman (@otto_othman) and Nedal Ahmed (@nedalaahmad) from Pincho Factory (@pinchofactory) - the first in a series of episodes featuring Endeavor's entrepreneurs (@endeavormiami).   Hear how these #miamihustlers came up with the idea for Pincho at a 4th of July BBQ, then nearly called it quits when the going got rough, to now having ten locations across Florida, including two at AAA (@americanairlinesarena).     These guys know what it takes to start and scale a business and have a unique view when it comes to managing their team - putting employees first.   Plus, great advice on how to escape the 9-5 and pursue that startup or side hustle.   And If you haven't checked out their burgers, pinchos, salads, and more - get in there!  You won't be disappointed.      

Looking for an example of taking the long view when it comes to business?  You've found it right here with Miami's very own Jojo tea.

We cover how Jojo came to be after Mike's pursuit of acting took an interesting turn into yoga and meditation and the amazing story of how Jojo got it's name, something that might put chills down your spine.  Plus, the story of how Tico turned down a job opportunity to help build Jojo and what he's learned about business in the process.

An amazing story shared by these two Miami hustlers and solid lessons for anyone, especially when it comes to taking the long view in business.

Other Highlights:

The right way to drink tea (hint, it involves slurping, not sipping)

How they are using Miami's strengths in food & hospitality to create a new American tea culture.

The ONE metric they'd navigate their business by . . . and why it certainly isn't what you might expect.

What they'd do if a major retailer came and wanted to put Jojo on their shelves

Mentioned in this episode

Jojo Tea - tasting room schedule DIRT Panther Coffee The Third Plate Tao Te Ching

What's Miami startup life really like?

This episode is a bit different than others and for those loyal listeners who've noticed I've been publishing less episodes recently well this is the reason why - I've taken on an operating role in TIKD, the company I covered in EP 038, so am now deep into startup life.

I thought it would be valuable for Miami entrepreneurs and hustlers of all types to put ourselves out there and hear our raw story, so here we go . . . this is TIKD at about 1 month, give or take and we cover some good stories here like . . . 

Blowing money on an overseas developer and switching to a US-based one . . . 

Why we're frustrated with the first version of our product - and why that's OK . . . 

Our "only in Miami" moment of getting scammed by a print vendor . . . 

How we went too big, too early, what we learned along the way but how sometimes it still pays to be aggressive and make things happen, even if the outcome isn't perfect.

What you'll hear a lot of in this episode is the realization of that daily grind setting in . . . where we face resistance, that blank canvas everyday.

We're sharing our raw startup story right here for the benefit of all Miami hustlers, so have a listen, learn from our mistakes, and then start taking action - sometimes that's the only way to learn.

CIC Miami is here!   I sat down with Natalia Martinez-Kalinina (@soulafloat) to talk about all one of Miami's newest centers of gravity, CIC Miami (@cicmiami).   Natalia has a deep background in organizational psychology so we had an interesting chat around how she goes about building a team, what she looks for during interviews, and how she "tries out" candidates for a day before bringing them on full-time.   We covered why CIC chose to expand in Miami, how she came onboard and why she has renewed faith in Miami's potential after immersing herself in the ecosystem over the last year.   We also talk about her side project, Love Lost Miami, a unique art exhibit that will take place during Art Basel and the lesson in entrepreneurship that we can take away from it.   Natalia is a true "hustler" in Miami, making big things happen through her work in getting CIC Miami to where it is, but reminds us that the future is where the real work will need to be done.   2:30 - How she became involved in CIC Miami and why CIC chose Miami   7:30 - Advice to people thinking of taking on an entrepreneurial process   9:30 - What success would be for CIC Miami in a year   11:30 - Her side project Love Lost Miami, previewing some of the romantic and other stories of loss featured   14:00 - Lessons for entrepreneurs from Love Lost Miami   14:30 - Team building, what she looks for in hiring, and how she "tries out" candidates before hiring them   19:00 - How she helps people avoid burnout    20:20 - Other organizations in Miami that do a great job at team building   22:25 - Closing questions: best advice, book recommendations, only in Miami moments, what she'd do if new to Miami and had $500 to start a business   Mentioned in this episode: Awesome Foundation CIC Miami Venture Cafe Miami The New Tropic Love Lost, Miami Ultimate Software Lulu's Ice Cream Leading Teams  Black Swan Theory

Wondering how to keep your health on track through that Miami hustle?

I'm excited to bring Jordan Kaplan (@kaplanchirosobe) from Kaplan Chiropractic in South Beach to you.  He shares what it was like to nearly go bankrupt before his practice even opened and how he bounced back by bringing on a great team and building an office culture where patients stop by even when they're not being treated.

We also cover how to get a better night's sleep, the benefits of "bulletproof" coffee . . . AND I get frozen during the episode is his office's cryochamber.

Some powerful lessons, health tips, and an overall positive vibe from one of our community's emerging leaders.  I'm proud to call Jordan my friend - he has big hopes for Miami and the community of people making it a better place every day.  (Be sure pay a visit to @kaplanchiro - it's my go-to place for healing, rejuvenation, and a great vibe).

Highlights

2:00 - Realizing his gift for healing

2:50 - The miraculous experience with a chiropractor that piqued his interest in chiro

3:45 - How he learned business without having any experience

5:15 - Advice to other professionals considering their own practice

6:30 - How he's gotten past the fear of not feeling good enough

7:30 - How he was almost bankrupted before opening

8:45 - Why he thinks comfort is our worst enemy

9:30 - How chiropractic helps the body heal itself

10:45 - Advice on getting a better night's sleep

12:45 - Thoughts on "Bulletproof" coffee

15:15 - Using cryotherapy for health, recovery, rejuvenation

16:30 - I get frozen in the Cryochamber; Jordan talks about celebrities who stop by and use it

19:15 - What "biohacking" means to him

20:00 - How Kaplan Chiro generates revenue

21:00 - How he and his team have created a healing environment where people love to stop by and hang out even when they're not being  treated

22:00 - The one metric he'd use to navigate his business by

22:45 - Thoughts on having celebrity clients

24:00 - How he's built a strong company culture

25:45 - Being committed to developing his team personally and professionally 

26:50 - What it's been like having a family as an entrepreneur

27:45 - Closing questions: best advice, book recommendations, pros/cons of doing business in Miami, "only in Miami" moments, what he'd do with $500 if he was new to Miami

  Mentioned in this Episode Neuromore  "Bulletproof" Coffee Cryotherapy The Obstacle is the Way The Code of the Extraordinary Mind

Wondering what it takes to get into your dream job or kickstart a passion project?

I sat down with inspiring Miami hustler Leigh-Ann Buchanan from Venture Cafe Miami to hear how she found her dream job after working for 7 years as a commercial litigation attorney.

We chat about her methods for networking authentically and how she's handled the challenge of being a structured, process-oriented person now dealing with ambiguity and the "seat-of-your-pants" operations inherent in entrepreneurship.

We cover the non-profit she founded, the NYAH Project and of course, the great work she and others at Venture Cafe and CIC Miami are doing to bring innovation to our entrepreneurial ecosystem, including their weekly event series every Thursday.

Leigh-Ann is an emerging leader with her finger on the pulse of Miami's rising entrepreneurial scene.  Miami hustlers of all types can all learn from her perspective and how she worked her way into the leadership role at Venture Cafe.

Highlights

2:15 - How she went from being an attorney to taking the leadership role at Venture Cafe Miami

3:15 - What she would recommend for someone trying to pursue a passion project

5:15 - Her advice on networking and reaching out to people

9:15 - How CIC and Venture Cafe are bringing an inclusive event environment to Miami

11:30 - What is was like launching the "startup" of Venture Cafe and advice to entrepreneurs

12:45 - Overcoming "analysis paralysis" to get ambiguous jobs done 16:00 - What she wishes she knew before launching Venture Cafe

20:15 - Her personal passion project, The NYAH Project

24:10 - Best advice, book recommendations, what she'd do with $500 to start a business if she were new to Miami

  Mentioned in this Episode The NYAH Project The New Tropic Lemon City Tea Originals by Adam Grant