Onward Nation

Nick Creswell leads the talent and development agenda for Thomson Reuters enterprise technology and operations. He partners with leaders to deploy, develop and engage diverse talent across this 15,000-person strong global team. He has worked at Thomson Reuters since 2009, during which time he has led the enterprise performance and talent management agenda, been head of talent for the Financial & Risk business unit and set up the talent function in the Corporate Technology group. Before Thomson Reuters, Nick worked in recruitment at Google, Korn/Ferry, and United Biscuits. Nick lives in London, and – having moved 16 times before the age of 16 and lived in four countries by the age of 10. Nick is a champion of change and diversity.

• Nick's background
• Staying focused on your vision
• How being more intentional can help you be successful
• The behaviors of a leader
• Managing your talent
• Being deliberate about how you want your culture to be
• How "behaviors" are just as important as the "smarts"
• Why you need to have a leader-led culture

• Twitter: @ncreswell
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ncreswell

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner and welcome to this week's solocast…Episode 440.

If you have been listening to Onward Nation for a while — you know that I like sharing strategies along with all of their tactical step-by-step processes that help business owners create predictable, measurable, and repeatable success for themselves and their teams.

Today's solocast will be no different.

We are going to dig into how hosting a podcast can be a perfect strategy for owners of business-to-business professional services firms.

I am going to take you deep into a sneak peek of the pages of my latest book, entitled Profitable Podcasting.

The book will not be released by my publisher until September but I want to begin sharing some of the insights now so you can begin to apply.

This book is comprehensive — and it is a research-based book that shares our full blueprint or "recipe" for podcast success with you.

Each and every step is presented in complete transparency. Not a single step has been be hidden from you. It's all here, in plain sight.

Within the book, I will walk you behind the green curtains of Onward Nation and Predictive ROI so you can learn our proven system. You will also have access to in-depth insights from 10 business owners just like you. Each of them decided to create a podcast to change the game – and then did it.

Their impressive stories are shared in full transparency too.

But why write such a comprehensive book?

Because you deserve a resource that eliminates the guesswork, demystifies the process and gives you a clear and concise strategy for going from zero to launch in about 30 days.

Only limited resources were available when my Predictive ROI team and I decided to create Onward Nation. Sure, there were plenty of hyperbole packed eBooks and webinars that led me into the sales funnels of information marketers, but those resources lacked depth, and candidly, they lacked business acumen.

We quickly consumed the resources and were left with more questions than answers.

Plus, the resources lacked full transparency. They typically provided just enough to get you interested in learning more, and then pitched a $997 online training or mastermind program.

All of which drove me crazy and didn't solve our problem. Not awesome!

But there are much more important reasons I decided to go as deep as possible with the book.

In my opinion, podcasting – as a medium – deserves a long-form guide, an encyclopedia of how to do it right. When I interviewed Gary Vaynerchuk before the release of his social media book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook (by the way — still the best book on the market regarding social media and the business strategy behind it all), we discussed how it wasn't just a social media book, but a business book that would elevate social media to a new level of legitimacy.

My hope is that this book will raise the bar for podcasting just as Gary did for social media marketing.

So on the surface, Profitable Podcasting looks like a podcasting book.

But it's actually a business book about how business owners just like you are using podcasting to grow their companies, expand their platforms, and build nations of true fans. I promise you — each chapter includes step-by-step instructions so you can create, launch, market, and monetize your own podcast.

The book includes checklists, production schedules, weekly goal tracking, social media strategies with visual examples, promotional emails, guest invitations, exclusive access to private online video tutorials, and other resources including time-saving third-party tools.

I am excited to share this resource because small business has been my focus for 23 years. This is my third book devoted to helping small business owners succeed.

Helping small business owners is deeply rewarding for several reasons. First, having owned five small businesses, I know that in today's economy, if one wants to have an impact (as I strive to do), then small business represents a tremendous opportunity. Small business owners are the lifeblood of our economy.

Second, the 28 million small businesses operating in the United States today, according to the Small Business Administration, account for 55 percent of all jobs and 54 percent of total revenue generated. I want to help as many business owners as possible grow so they can create more jobs and improve the lives of their families, employees, and communities.

Third, this book tackles the top challenge facing most business owners: According to a recent survey of 1,100 small business owners, 43 percent of respondents identified growing revenue as a top challenge facing U.S. businesses in 2016. That's more than 12 million businesses expected to face the same challenge.

Driving this number down is a worthy goal of this book. And if you know my family history — and our story — you will understand why I am so passionate about the success of small business owners.

But…there are significant challenges to small business owners who want to have a podcast. It is not as simple as just turning on the microphone, recording a conversation, and distributing it out to iTunes. Sure you can do that…but it is highly unlikely that your time and effort will pay off for your business.

So for today's solocast…I am going to address the challenges that typically paralyze business owners from either getting started — or — keep them from achieving the success they aspire to achieve from their podcast.

So here we go, Onward Nation.

Ready for the deep dive? Rock solid awesome!

First…a podcast is just a tool. It's just a platform, Onward Nation.

A platform is simply a conduit for distributing or sharing content. No platform in and of itself will help your business grow revenue. This is a very important point. Just because you have a podcast — does not mean — that prospective customers or even an audience will begin to flock to you.

Not at all.

In order for your podcast to be of value to your business, there needs to be purpose behind the guests you invite to be on your show.

There needs to be purpose behind the questions you ask your guests.

There needs to be purpose behind how you nurture and take care of your guests before their interviews and after their episodes have aired.

And ultimately, you need a strategy for how your podcast will grow your business, expand your platform, and build your nation of true fans.

Having interviewed nearly 500 of today's top business owners – and having talked with, consulted with, or worked with many of them in producing and launching their own podcasts – I can say with certainty that there are typically three primary challenges or questions that well up in the mind of a business owner who is considering a podcast.

Some business owners need to confront all three; others may just need to confront two.

But I assure you, Onward Nation — every business owner will need to confront at least one.

Question #1: How will my podcast make money and help grow my business?

Question #2: How much time with this take me?

Question #3: How will I get guests? (Or, the variation: What if no one accepts my invitation to be a guest on the show?)

I will devote a future solocast to the revenue topic.

But for this week — we will dive deep into Questions 2 and 3 because they are critically important to getting your mindset right before heading down the podcasting path.

If you don't get your mindset right, I assure you, there will be setbacks and challenges along the way. Without the correct preparation you will be tempted to quit – and you likely will…quit.

Most podcasters quit after just 7 episodes. It is called "Podfading" — because a business owner launches his or her weekly show — then expects the show to set the world on fire just because it is available — and when it doesn't — they quit after not even two months.

Really sad.

However, if I help you properly set expectations, when the challenges come your way, instead of being tempted to quit, you can confidently say to yourself, "Ah, Stephen said this would happen and that I'd feel this way" – and you will push forward.

Don't ever quit, Onward Nation.

Let me help you AVOID THE TIME TRAP.

One of the questions I am asked most often by business owners who have considered a podcast for their business is, "How much time will having a podcast take out of my schedule?" It's a great question because we should all protect our schedules.

Most business owners assume the answer is 10 hours a week – and that the solution will require them to add staff and make other investments. But here's the reality: You can have an awesome, top-rated podcast in iTunes by investing less than four hours per month.

Yes. Four hours.

Would you grow revenues faster if you invested more time? Likely yes, but four hours a month is an excellent place to start.

So why would business owners assume that my answer would be something like 10 hours a week?

Because then it would be easy for them to justify why they hadn't pursued it more seriously. But in fact, it isn't the perceived time commitment that stops a small business owner from having a podcast.

It is fear.

Fear often rears its ugly head in an attempt to derail the entrepreneurial journey you're on. Fear will beat you to your knees if you let it.

Fear will cheat you out of success in all aspects of your business, including developing a great platform like a podcast so you can grow revenue and build a nation of true fans.

Once business owners are assured that their time investment will only be about four hours per month, a second challenge typically comes to mind – this one with the subconscious goal of thwarting the podcast from gaining any additional momentum; to snuff out the fire that was building.

But what will be YOUR BIGGEST MOST PAINFUL CHALLENGE on your path to use podcasting to grow your business?

Well, you may be asking yourself the question right now, "Stephen, how will I get guests?"

Or maybe the variation: "What if no one accepts the invitation to be on my show?"

These two fear-laden questions should serve as warning signs that something sinister is lurking. If you let them, they will keep you in check and prevent you from moving forward.

The truth is, we all face such challenges. It's just that some people are better than others at pushing themselves past them.

In my opinion, this challenge may be blocking your success not just with podcasting, but in other areas of your business as well.

The challenge is known as the "Imposter Syndrome."

Clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne Imes coined the term in 1978 to describe high-achieving individuals who are unable to internalize their accomplishments and who consequently fear being exposed as a "fraud."

Actual, objective evidence of their competence doesn't matter to those who exhibit the syndrome. They remain convinced that they're frauds. They feel that they don't deserve the success they have achieved.

Calling it "luck" or "good timing," they never take credit for their accomplishments.

Perhaps they believe that they've tricked others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they actually are.

Now let's take that definition and break it down into its two core ingredients.

Ingredient #1: the inability to internalize accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud."

Have you ever walked into a meeting and felt that you weren't worthy — or that you didn't belong there? Perhaps someone on the selection committee, the award committee, or board of directors had made a mistake in selecting you.

Heck, maybe even some of your colleagues, family members, or friends even validated your own suspicions and asked you the seemingly innocent question: "So why did they pick you?"

I began to learn about the imposter syndrome back in 2009, around the time my first book was published. I was an academic staff member at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

After my book became popular with small business owners, several of the UW campuses around the state asked me to teach a class at their respective campuses. Awesome.

One day I mentioned this opportunity to a family friend: I told him I headed to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay the next day to teach a class based on my SEO book.

My friend looked at me and said, "Well, why are they having you teach the class? Couldn't they find someone in Green Bay to teach it?"

My friend was not trying to be hurtful — not in the least. But those comments hit me hard. Never mind that my SEO book was #3 in the United States, or that I had just been interviewed for Inc. Magazine, or any of the other credibility indicators.

When he asked me that question, I actually paused and thought about it. "Yeah, why are they hiring me to teach? Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? Am I the best they could bring in? Do I deserve to be there? Am I a fraud? Do I even know what I'm talking about?"

There is nothing unique about my story. We have all had these experiences where we begin to hear the voice in our heads whispering — or in some cases shouting — "Who do you think you are?"

The imposter syndrome will work hard to hold you back.

High-performers with imposter syndrome may work obsessively hard to prevent people from discovering that they're "impostors." And talk about a vicious cycle: The hard work leads to more praise and success, which only perpetuates the impostor feelings, leading the "imposter" to work even harder, which can lead to sleep deprivation, burnout and worse.

Ingredient #2: the "Imposter" takes the proof of success and passes it off as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe.

Has your business ever gone through a growth spurt that you couldn't explain? Have you ever looked around your office and suddenly realized you have some amazing people working for you and looking to you for leadership – and yet, you cannot figure out what they see in you?

Have you ever felt uncomfortable before a presentation with a new client?

Did you wonder why they invited you to the table?

Why do we ask ourselves such lousy and unfair questions?

Here's the important point that I really want you to get.

When you ask yourself, "How on earth were we able to hire such amazing employees? Don't they know that we don't know what in the world we're doing?" — your brain does a funny thing…it gives you an answer.

It's a crummy answer but it's an answer.

Your brain doesn't want to make you out to be a liar — so it gives you the answer to fit your story.

You start hearing things like, "Yeah, you really pulled the wool over their eyes on that one. Hope Becky doesn't figure it out — because if she leaves — then Tom is sure to leave the company, too."

Or, "Why did client X invite us here? We don't really have a shot at winning this pitch, do we?"

The answer you get back might be something like, "Nope, we have no chance of winning — especially if they knew about all the mistakes we made just last week on Client Z's account. We are lucky to have kept Client Z — hope X doesn't ask for references. Maybe we ought to back out of the process now."

What nonsense, Onward Nation!

You were invited into the evaluation process because you have a stellar network — perhaps stellar credentials — and you deserve to be at the table. The voice on your shoulder — the voice whispering in your ear — is the imposter syndrome.

And we all deal with it. It doesn't matter who you are thinking of right now. Tim Ferriss, the bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, has dealt with it. Joel Osteen has dealt with it.

All of the incredible business leaders that grace the cover of Entrepreneur magazine deal with it. Every business owner — every political leader — every leader throughout history has dealt with this. George Washington did not feel he was worthy to be this country's first president.

No one is immune from imposter syndrome.

But what is unique — and what is special — is when someone faces the fear of potential rejection.

To quote the beautiful words of educator and behavior expert Dr. Marcie Beigel — a two-time Onward Nation guest: "Stephen…be scared, and then do it anyway!"

I loved that.

Because it is oftentimes fear — which is another way of describing imposter syndrome — gets in your way more than anything else. You may be your own biggest constraint.

Not your ability to schedule guests on your show, not your ability to sell, not the market, not your lack of customers, not your pricing, not your product quality.

No, it is you.

You, as the owner, set the pace and tempo of your company — either fast or slow.

I asked Dr. Marcie to share how business owners can reach that elusive next level. She was kind enough to map it out into three simple steps:

1. Get clear on what the next level is — how will you know when you're there?
2. Walkthrough your fear; make a plan — and just do it
3. Find a mentor — we learn best from the people who have been there

So let's look at all three of these.

First, get clear on what the next level is for you and your business. Well, if imposter syndrome (aka FEAR) is making you believe you are not even worthy of your current level of success, then how could you possibly believe you're worthy of being the host of a top-ranked podcast?

Great question, right?

Instead, perhaps you need to spend some time being thankful for what you have already accomplished — consciously acknowledging that what you have achieved has been well deserved because you worked hard and you applied your God-given gifts and talents to get there.

Now, to realize your full potential, it's time to leap off your current plateau and move onward to that next level.

You deserve to be at the next level.

You're an expert.

The first step is to give yourself permission to define that next level so you know when you, your podcast and your business have arrived.

Second…be scared about the next level…and do it anyway. Kick fear to the curb. What's the worst that could happen? Prospective customers could say no.

You might make a bad decision and lose some money. An employee or a group of employees may disagree with how you're redirecting the company and could decide to leave.

Okay. Are any of these life-threatening situations?

Did anyone die? No? Then move on!

Stop making each decision more than it has to be. Just make a decision. Then move on. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that. As Dr. Marcie said, "Be scared and then do it anyway."

Finally, find a mentor to learn from as Don Yaeger recommended in the Foreword of this book. More specifically, find a mentor or group of mentors who are all moving at a pace and tempo that is faster than you.

It matters who you spend your time with — and if you spend your time with people who are moving at your current pace — or slower — those people may make you feel comfortable to be around — they may not challenge you — they may not push you or ask you tough questions — and it is easy to relax and unwind.

Why? Because as Coach John Wooden once said, "You will never outperform your circle." That's just human nature.

So you need to make sure the mentors you select are operating at a completely different level than you — a level to which you can reach and stretch.

You want to get into a group of people where you don't currently belong and then work like crazy not to get left behind. In the process you'll expand and grow.

You will then be able to leap from your current plateau onto the next rung.

As Onward Nation guest Scott McKain taught me, "Stephen, you cannot reach that next rung, unless you are willing to let go of the current one you are hanging on to." Wise words.

You were meant for greatness, Onward Nation. You are instilled with an infinite abundance of talent and gifts. Don't let something so small as fear limit all you were meant to be.

Don't give up — keep pushing — and don't ever, ever quit.

If you are going to be successful at using podcasting to drive your business onward to that next level — you need to get your mindset right first. Because when you do — you will no longer be at risk of podfading — and then the next step — will be for you to bolt on a monetization strategy to your podcast so you have an opportunity to drive significant revenue into your business. I will cover monetization in a future solocast.

So with that said…

I want to say thank you for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here — thank you for tuning in — your time is sacred and I am delighted you chose this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine.

However, our daily podcast fits into your daily routine — I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today's top business owners.

And please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation…good or bad…I always want your feedback. My direct email address is [email protected] — and yes — that is my actual Inbox. No fancy filters or filing system and I read and reply to every single email.

So please let me know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you.

We will be back tomorrow with an exceptional interview with Nick Creswell from Thomson Reuters in London — who will take us inside why he believes that today's leaders lead with culture. Nick is off-the-charts amazing. You will not want to miss it.

Until then, onward with gusto!

Javier Montes is on a mission to bridge the gap between Gen Xers and Millennials in today's world. As a millennial himself, Javier has spent his entire entrepreneurial journey working almost exclusively with a millennial workforce. He has built a successful event entertainment company in South Florida and now he is sharing how he experienced such success with a team of millennials. Javier writes and speaks regularly on the topic and recently published his first book "Millennial Workforce: Cracking the Code to Generation Y in Your Company."

• Javier's background
• Why you need to fully embrace millennials if you want to survive
• Why millennials value purpose and happiness over security
• Why the negative stereotypes about millennials exist (and what they really mean)
• Javier's morning routine that keeps him stay aligned with his purpose
• Why millennials believe that their personal and work lives are intertwined
• Why you shouldn't call your team members employees
• Why your core values must be non-negotiable
• How millennials define success — and how that's different from other generations
• Why lifestyle is important to millennials
• Why millennials have a very short time horizon

• Website: meetjavier.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/MeetJavier
• Book: "Millennial Workforce: Cracking the Code to Generation Y in Your Company"

David Mammano's mission in life is to help people realize their highest potential. He founded the Next Step Education Group in 1995 and successfully grew the business over 20-years making the Inc Magazine list multiple times. One of his greatest achievements was building a culture of high-performance within his team. Then Dave turned Next Step Education Group over to his leadership team so he could focus his time and energy toward his passion for helping other business owners realize their highest potential. And that is what we are going to dig into today during this special encore interview.

• Why David started Next Step magazine
• Why David elected to franchise the magazine out into different regions instead of taking it national
• Why moving the magazine from print to digital wasn't enough and why David turned Next Step into a college planning training program
• David's why: helping others — especially teens — find their own why
• Why you need to keep your ego in your back pocket, never feel satisfied, and push for more
• Why David started Avanti to coach entrepreneurs
• Avanti Summit: David's one-day boot camps for entrepreneurs
• Mangiamo: David's mastermind group and why it's a great resource for entrepreneurs that want to reach the next level
• Avanti Entrepreneur: David's podcast
• Why you can't be afraid to change the rules as an entrepreneur
• Why you need to change the definition of failure

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: davidmammano.com

David Bush was an All-American football player at the University of South Dakota — then pursued a professional football career, which landed him a starting role with the Iowa Barnstormers in Arena Football League. He played four years and earned two trips to the World Championship game. After football, David became a partner and co-owner of a regional mortgage company with 18-production offices in and continued his success in management and business as a co-owner of the organization. He exited the mortgage business in 2005 to pursue his dream of becoming a lifestyle entrepreneur. He has since coached and mentored thousands of people on how to live healthy, successful, and more significant lives.

• David's background
• The benefits of repetition & hard work
• Using Franklin Covey's alphabet strategy
• How spending just 23 minutes per weekday on your highest leverage activities can add an entire work day to your month
• Why you need to take control your habits & personal discipline
• Why you should master the skill of listening
• Differentiating between what's good and what's great
• Why you should have a plan for your health & mental well-being
• Knowing your purpose of why you started your business
• Partnering with people who believe what you believe

• Website: www.ehealthcoaching.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbush65
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/david-bush/8/524/487
• Resources: bit.ly/BusinessGrowthSummit

Cameron Herold was an entrepreneur from day 1. At age 21, he had 14 employees. By 35, he'd help build his first TWO $100 MILLION DOLLAR companies. By the age of 42, Cameron engineered 1-800-GOT-JUNK?'s spectacular growth from $2 million to $106 million in revenue, and 3,100 employees— and he did that in just six years. Cameron is a top rated international speaker and has been hired in 26 countries. He is also the top-rated lecturer at the EO / MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program.

• Cameron's background
• Setting & working on your top 3 goals every day
• Why you need to focus on employee satisfaction
• Focusing on saying no more than saying yes
• How Cameron uses reverse engineering
• Why culture is so important
• The simplicity of business
• Why you should focus on your 'A' players
• Getting into organizations where you can learn & grow

• Website: www.cameronherold.com
• Book: "Double Double"
• Book: "Meetings Suck"
• Book: "The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs"

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner and welcome to this week's solocast…Episode 435.

Where we are going deep — deep — deep — behind the scenes of one of today's top reality TV shows. In fact, the Emmy-award winning SHARK TANK on ABC has become the most successful business reality TV show of all time.

And it because of our incredible guest, Kevin Harrington, that we received a backstage pass – including Kevin's lessons learned – and how – if we apply what he shared during Episode 410 – you too can be a shark.

He is exceptional, Onward Nation.

So during today's solocast — I am going to distil down all we learned from directly Kevin into five lessons that you can immediately put into practice within your business. No matter if you want to increase revenue by 10 percent this year – or – you are the path to building a $100 million company as Kevin has twenty times with his companies – there is something here for you in this solocast.

I am going to start us off with a sharing some of the highlights from Kevin's career as an entrepreneur, and then we will dive into the six lessons. Kevin has been a successful entrepreneur over the last 40 years – he is the exact opposite of an overnight success – he started working when he was just 11 years old. I will come back to that story in a minute.

As I mentioned earlier – Kevin is an original shark from Shark Tank. He is also the inventor of the infomercial and "As Seen On TV" pioneer – and the story behind the brilliance of that invention — tie into lesson two this morning.

Kevin is also a co-founder of the Entrepreneur's Organization and has launched over 20 businesses that have grown to over a hundred million dollars in sales each — and has been involved in more than a dozen public companies — launched over 500 products, generated more than $5 billion dollars in sales worldwide with iconic brands such as Jack Lalanne, Tony Little, George Foreman, and the new I-Grow Hair Restoration product on QVC.

And it is because of this track record – Mark Burnett handpicked Kevin to become Shark where he filmed over 175 segments.

As I prepared for my time with Kevin – I found one of his quotes that seemed to really speak to who I knew Kevin to be and his path to success. Kevin once said, "If it doesn't challenge you – it won't change you."

In looking back on what I learned from Kevin during our time together – I can confidently say that these words have served like a creed guiding his life…and it started at a young age for Kevin.

So let's jump in.

Kevin started his entrepreneurial journey working as an 11-year old dishwasher inside his father's restaurant. At 11…Kevin learned lessons of grit, tenacity, and persistence that he still carries with him today.

For example…

Kevin's dad had been an entrepreneur his entire life and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps — but Kevin's mom — wanted him to become a doctor or lawyer because her father had enjoyed a successful career in banking.

Kevin's mom grew up in a household where the corporate life was the norm – the predictability felt comfortable.

But, Onward Nation…entrepreneurship requires swimming against the norm — swimming upstream — it requires us to swim against the rapids — against the odds — and to confidently swim toward the white water, and doing so, we need to have great anticipation for the unknown…the challenge of it all.

And sharing his personal story is how Kevin taught me the first lesson of what it takes to be a SHARK.

Lesson #1: SHARKS seek out the challenge.

When someone tells a SHARK that it can't be done…or that there is an easier, less trampled path…the SHARK sets out to map his or her own course.

Kevin, Onward Nation, is quite comfortable in swimming in the deepest of water…finding the blue ocean…and swimming all by himself if he needs to.

Kevin doesn't need the approval of his peer group.

He is not looking for validation. He is a SHARK and knows it.

A SHARK, like Kevin, never gets confused thinking they are something they are not. They don't forget their gifts and talents…or…try to become something they are not.

They are acutely aware of who they are and they revel in it for all of their competitors to see.

And because of Kevin's self-awareness…he knew at avery early age that entrepreneurship — and the uncertainty — the challenge of it all suited him perfectly.

He learned the ups and downs of running a business working alongside his dad. Kevin's father was his first mentor — someone who gave Kevin the right challenges to conquer at the right time. To push his son — to show him what needed to be learned — what needed to be mastered — and how to be successful so that when it was time for Kevin to swim out into the deep blue ocean to see his own challenges…he was ready.

Kevin used the story of his next adventure in life to teach me the second lesson of what it takes to be a SHARK.

Lesson #2: SHARKS seek out opportunity.

By the time Kevin was ready to own a car, and then later to attend college, there wasn't enough money to go around. His two older sisters and brother had already gone off to college and the family budget was stretched.

Kevin realized that if he was going to have a car and to attend college — he was going to have to pay his own way.

So what does a SHARK do, Onward Nation?

He searched the waters for opportunity. He needed to find an opportunity that would help him fund the next step in his journey.

To buy his car…Kevin started a driveway sealing business.

Not easy work…but the grit, the tenacity, the persistence he was learning was becoming part of his DNA…and he accomplished his goal.

But…because Kevin grew up in Ohio…his driveway sealing business was seasonal summertime work. So he looked at the market to seek out a new opportunity…something he could do year-round. And that landed him in the heating and air conditioning business because of the steady stream of year-round opportunity.

Great catch.

So during his freshman year in college, Kevin started an HVAC company and it was a success. As a freshman…he had 25 employees and was generating $1 million dollars a year in revenue. And just for context, Onward Nation — that was back in the 1970s, which would equal $6.2 million in today's dollars.

All the while…Kevin was a college student. Super impressive!

After college…it was Kevin's ability to seek out opportunity that fueled the acceleration of his career to become one of today's top business owners.

When Kevin was in the heating and air conditioning business — he would travel around the country to different trade shows looking to learn and to seek out the next opportunity.

He would go to home shows and heating and air conditioning shows — and it was at one of the home shows that the inspiration for his next opportunity hit him.

So then Kevin told me the full story behind his invention of the infomercial.

He watching one of the exhibitors at a show sell a knife set and was impressed with the demonstration and the entrepreneur's ability to sell the small audience watching the demo on the benefits of the knife set. But, the entrepreneur was only pitching 10 people at a time…and yes…eight people out of the 10 would want to buy at the end of the demo…but it was still only 8 sales.

That compelling demo flashed Kevin back to his recent experience as a brand new cable subscriber. He had asked the cable company to give him all the channels they could – the biggest package available – which was 30 channels back in the early 80s. He got a 24-hour news channel, CNN, a 24-hour movie channel, HBO, 24 hours a day of sports, ESPN. Rock solid awesome.

But, when he turned on the TV late one night…for what he thought would be 24-hours of national geographic shows…it wasn't there…all he saw were color bars.

So Kevin called the cable company and said, "Hey, I just got your 30 cable channel package but I'm looking at all the channels, but Discovery is not coming through. Is there a technical problem? What's happening?"

They said, "Oh, Discovery is only an 18-hour a day network. We, as the cable company, deliver the channels that we get. We don't produce anything. We're just a delivery vehicle. They give us 18-hours a day. We put up the bars, so you know there's nothing that supposed to be there. It's six hours a day of dark time."

That's when the lightbulb went off for Kevin.

He asked the representative at the cable company if he could come down and talk to somebody about putting something on the network during the dark time that they could both make money at.

So let's go back to the home show…Kevin watching the knife demo – cutting through a Coca-Cola can – a powerful visual demonstration. The knife set was called the "Ginsu" and Kevin knew it would be perfect for TV – and could fill the empty inventory that the cable company clearly had.

So Kevin…following his own lesson…and wanting to find his next opportunity went up to the entrepreneur doing the demonstration and said, "Hey, let's turn the camera on. Capture your pitch that you just gave selling those knives. We're going to put on that downtime on Discovery channel."

Onward Nation…Kevin started locally in Cincinnati, Ohio and bought up the excess programming inventory.

And then when they had proof of concept…Kevin went to Discovery Channel at the network level and said, "Hey, I'll program six hours a day for you", which turned into a long-term contract and that led to a deal with the Lifetime network.

Then boom. Acceleration.

Onward Nation, Kevin's imagination and his pursuit of opportunity gave birth to the infomercial at a time when the market was ripe for disruption. Kevin went on to work with Jack Lalanne, Tony Little, Billy Mays, and even George Foreman with his popular Foreman Grills.

And all of this was years before QVC ever started.

But a very key piece in this lesson, Onward Nation, is that Kevin realized there were significant opportunities on the front-end and back-end of the infomercial business.

For example, he signed contracts with inventors of products and pitchmen to create the right TV presence, the right story, the right direct response marketing to consumers…but…Kevin also realized there was money to be made on the back-end…in the customer service…in the manufacture and distribution of all the goods, too.

So when Kevin approached a business owner with an opportunity to join his portfolio of products…he was providing an A to Z solution that was very compelling and provided built-in marketing and distribution.

And then it went viral, Onward Nation, before "viral" was even a thing.

Kevin shared with me how one opportunity built on and led to the next. They took it viral not only in the US then went to England with Rupert Murdoch…then to Italy…then into Spain…into Germany…to Sweden, Latin America, and Japan.

Their distribution went worldwide viral through the TV networks with an 800 number on the back of it. Kevin's system generated hundreds and millions of dollars over several years.

And they were able to do that because Kevin and his team were not just creating content for stations – they also manufactured the products, imported the products, created a phone center to accept orders, set up a fulfillment center to ship the goods, a bank to cash the credit cards, a customer service center to handle the customer service.

Kevin capitalized on the opportunity to create a complete front and back end marketing and distribution machine. He was the pioneer behind the catchphrase – "not available in stores." And that ensure that all of the dollars for their products flowed through their own front and back end system. Direct to consumer. Brilliant.

And once the system was built – he achieved scale by recruiting as many products as possible – and because of the results he was creating for his partners – they would often introduce him to the next ones. One of them said to Kevin, "Hey, did you meet Billy Mays? Billy has a product. I'll introduce you."

Kevin was able to tie up the rights to all of them with all of their ideas, all their products. Kevin and his team created an industry but it started with seeking out an opportunity and then not being afraid of the enormous challenge that it represented. Lessons #1 and #2, Onward Nation.

And Kevin still applies this same level of curiosity today by attending 25 to 30 trade shows a year. I interviewed him just days before he left for CES in Las Vegas. He speaks at the events…meets with business owners in his portfolio of companies…and then is always on the lookout to be pitched the next opportunity.

Let's move to Lesson #3, Onward Nation: SHARKS are relentless.

SHARKS never stop swimming toward their goal — because if they do — they will suffocate and die.

And that makes a SHARK relentless. They have a strong will to win. But their will to win isn't because they just want to survive – no – a SHARK is driven to thrive. Even if that means they will collect battle scars along the way…each scar is just additional experience.

A SHARK's relentless pursuit to thrive is what has made them the undisputed top of the oceanic food chain. A Great White shark will nearly eat anything. And if a competitive feeding frenzy ensues – the SHARK with the strongest, most unrelenting will is the one who gets the most meat.

It is their relentless nature…their relentless pursuit of an opportunity…that produces incredible success.

Onward Nation…don't you think it is reasonable to think that Kevin Harrington received some naysayers who listened to his idea about pitching products on TV at 2:00 in the morning…who giggled a little bit. I can almost hear the skepticism now. Oh come on, Kevin…who is going to buy something they see on TV? How many people are actually awake that late? If people were actually interested in watching TV that late…don't you think the networks would already have programming?"

And yet…he relentlessly did it anyway. Because that is what SHARKS do, Onward Nation.

Time for Lesson #4: SHARKS never stop learning. And because SHARKS never stop learning — they are excellent problem solvers — and they pivot when necessary, and consequently, are on the front-end of the disruption.

SHARKS are early adopters to new tech so they can continue their position of market leadership and being at the top of the food chain. But they also help set the new trends and can be excellent teachers if we are willing to watch and learn.

For example, when Kevin attends a trade show…it is often in the role of being the keynote speaker. And he is there to share content about the disruptions he is seeing in the marketplace – where is the market headed. He can share those types of insights because he never stops learning – he doesn't rest on his laurels – his relentless nature of being a SHARK demands that he continue to learn – to continually perfect his craft in order to be the best expert he can be.

And his thought leadership is highly sought after because the "As Seen On TV" industry is in the midst of a serious disruption. For example, I learned from Kevin that there are 50 percent fewer viewers on TV today than there were 10-years ago.

Let's take a deeper look.

When shows launch today – if it's good – it will receive 5 to 6 million viewers – and maybe 7 to 8 million viewers if it is really good.

And if you go back just 10 years, those same shows would be doing double that.

But, today's audience is gone. They are either on YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or getting their content on their iPads, iPhones, etc.

Kevin described it as "cord cutting" and it is taking place at a very rapid rate right now. And because of that…industry associations are turning to Kevin – who built such incredible success around TV with his empire of products and back-end fulfillment systems – to now teach what is next. And because Kevin saw the trends coming – because of his study and learning – he smartly pivoted.

As a result…he is profiting within completely different platforms because he has learned what the consumer wants – and – where they want it.

Kevin urges today's business owners to "Follow the eyeballs. They're on Facebook. They're on Pinterest. They're on Instagram. Which is why 80 percent of Kevin's business comes from digital channels versus 100 percent coming from his TV presence just 5-years ago.

Lesson #5: SHARKS are decisive

Onward Nation, when was the last time you watched Shark Week on the Discovery Channel and you saw a shark being indecisive?

Did you see it hesitate?

Did you see it circling around an opportunity and never taking action to either strike or move on?

Living in fear and not knowing if they should move in to investigate and then decide if they should eat it or not doesn't happen in the wild.

No?

Why?

Because sharks in the wild are decisive. And SHARKS in business share that same trait with their oceanic counterparts.

How often have you seen Kevin and his fellow SHARK investors inside the Shark Tank waffle around a deal? Never. It doesn't happen.

Within minutes, they decide if they will — or won't invest — in someone's dream. They don't belabor a point…they are either in or they are out. They are decisive about an opportunity.

When they see an opportunity…they move.

I have been a fan of SHARK TANK for a long time – so during our pre-interview chat – I asked Kevin if he would be willing to take us behind the scenes of SHARK TANK. I was delighted when he agreed.

So here we go, Onward Nation…way…way…way…behind the scenes. It is as if Kevin gave us an all access studio pass. Here are some of the highlights.

Shark Tank is filmed on a soundstage on the Sony movie lot in Culver City, California – just outside Los Angeles — where all the original big movies with Clark Gable and today's biggest Hollywood blockbusters are filmed. Gulp.

And during the shooting of the first several episodes, the Shark Tank soundstage was physically right next door to the soundstage where Robert Downey Jr. was filming the first Iron Man movie.

So at lunch, Kevin and his fellow SHARKS were at lunch, and the Iron Man cast and crew was also at lunch. There were hundreds of crew and staff there, and the Sharks were like, "Wow, there's Robert Downey Jr. — Hey, we're from Shark Tank." And the reaction from everyone was "Who the heck are you guys?"

Onward Nation…nobody knew what Shark Tank was at that point. It was brand new. I am so glad Kevin shared that insight – because – it illustrates so perfectly that even one of the biggest shows on TV – had to start somewhere and that somewhere was at the bottom.

And they had to work like crazy to make the show a success. But not without needing to conquer number of intimidating moments along the way. And just like Kevin taught me during this interview – "If it does challenge you – it doesn't change you."

For example…

The ceilings within the soundstage were 60-foot high with 16 cameras and a crew of 150 people bustling about!

Now, Kevin came from a television business – he shot many infomercials and being in front of a camera was easy for him. But, a big expensive shoot in Kevin's world before Shark Tank was five cameras – and now he was on the Sony movie lot inside a soundstage that cost $1 million to build with 16 cameras and a 150 person crew.

There's the challenge Kevin spoke about, Onward Nation.

This was Hollywood. This was ABC, Sony, and big time Mark Burnett. He produces the biggest and the best from Survivor and all that.

Using Kevin's words…it was a little bit intimidating. But then Mark Burnett came over to Kevin and asked, "Kevin, tell me how you feel. What's going through your mind right now?"

Kevin said, "Well, it's a little intimidating, Mark. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm sitting here. I'm looking at 150-person crew, 16 cameras, Sony music movie lot. Mark, I feel really good because I know what is happening here…the entrepreneurs who are coming in…they're going to be pitching me and this is what I do every day in my business."

Then Mark Burnett said, "Kevin. Just put blinders on. Don't think about the cameras. Don't think about the crew. Don't think about anything. I want you to focus on the entrepreneur coming out, giving you the pitch. What would you do if that was in your office?"

Kevin told me… "Stephen, That's when it all came together."

Because of Mark's words, Kevin had a peaceful feeling and he could just focused on his expertise and what he did best.

But there was also another form of risk to the SHARKS themselves.

At that particular time, ABC had not committed to air SHARK TANK. So Mark Burnett still had to negotiate for distribution of the show.

So the reality was – that the SHARKS were investing in deals that had no guarantee of distribution on TV.

Kevin is one of the original SHARKS who helped forge the show because we went all in – he wrote checks to companies that were coming on SHARK TANK with no guarantee of distribution – no guarantee of getting eyeballs for those investments.

So for the SHARKS – it was a very risky proposition. They were investing hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own cash into deals that may never be seen by anybody on TV. The initial episodes were pilots.

Fortunately, selling to the networks is a skill for Mark Burnett. He got it sold into ABC, and the show launched in 2009, and the rest is history.

But SHARK TANK — as well as Kevin Harrington's incredible career — are great illustrations of how there is no such thing as an overnight success. Onward Nation…it takes grit, persistence, and tenacity to make your dreams a reality.

Don't give up — keep pushing — don't ever quit.

So with that…

I want to thank you for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here — thank you for tuning in — your time is sacred and I am delighted you chose this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine.

However our daily podcast fits into your daily routine — I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today's top business owners.

And please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation…good or bad…I always want your feedback. My direct email address is [email protected] — and yes — that is my actual Inbox. No fancy filters or filing system and I read and reply to every single email.

So please let me know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you.

We will be back tomorrow with an interview with Cameron Herold, the top-rated lecturer at the EO / MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program.

Until then, onward with gusto!

Phil Gerbyshak works with salespeople and leaders to increase their influence, impact and ultimately, their income. Phil believes in the power of social selling and connection. With a unique speaking style — part sales expert and part entertainer — Phil keeps his audiences engaged while providing actionable steps to bring in more leads, more referrals, and more business. If he's not traveling, speaking, or making new connections, Phil writes. He's published five books, including "10 Ways to Make It Great" and "#TwitterWorks", more than 2,500 articles, and been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times and a long list of other media.

• Phil's background
• Why LinkedIn is the most powerful social selling tool on the planet
• The importance of adding value to people's lives & why that matters
• Asking yourself "how can I do better?"
• How to add productivity time to your week
• Why focus is such an important skill to master
• Practicing being "you"
• Why your message needs to be packaged in the right way
• Getting clear on who you are as a business owner
• Finding great people to surround yourself with
• Learning by example

• Website: www.philgerbyshak.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 414-640-7445
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/philgerbyshak
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/philgerb
• eBook: "12 things you can do each day on LinkedIn to increase your impact, influence and income."

Henry DeVries is the CEO of Indie Books International. He works with consultants and coaches who want to attract more high-paying clients by marketing with a book and speech. Henry has helped ghostwrite, edit, and co-author more than 300 business books, including his bestseller "How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett. He is also the president of the New Client Marketing Institute, a training company he founded 18 years ago — and — has serves as a marketing faculty member and assistant dean of continuing education for the University of California San Diego.

• Henry's background
• Conquering your roadblocks
• What Henry considers the #1 marketing tool & #1 marketing strategy
• Why you need to just write instead of striving for perfection
• Being persistent & taking action
• The importance of knowing your numbers
• Why you need to maintain your daily and weekly standards
• Creating a business development machine

• Website: marketingwithabook.com
• Website: marketingwithabook.com/events
• Website: indiebooksintl.com
• Email: [email protected]

Christine Kloser is known as "The Transformation Catalyst®," and has trained nearly 70,000 authors and entrepreneurs from more than 100 countries and is well recognized as a leader in her field. Whether through private mentoring, group coaching, transformational retreats, live events, speaking or global virtual trainings programs, Christine's clients feel seen, heard, understood, valued and transformed in ways they never thought possible. As a result, they take action, claim their worth, write their books, experience life-changing breakthroughs and fulfill their heart's calling. Christine has personally authored and co-authored more than a dozen award-winning and best-selling books including "The Freedom Formula, "A Daily Dose of Love" and "Pebbles in the Pond." Committed to making a difference in the world, and raising the consciousness of humanity.

• Christine's background
• Why Christine believes that less is more when it comes to your daily to-do list
• Why Christine starts every day with quiet time
• Why you don't need to always have all of the answers
• Why you should build a business that extends beyond you
• Speaking in authenticity
• Why you need a community of champions & believers
• Creating & growing your business in a way that is right for you

• Website: christinekloser.com
• Webinar: "How to Get Your Book Done"