OTSS Podcast

Tim Herbel is not your average entrepreneur, and Not Your Average Joe is not your average business. The always energetic and enthusiastic Herbel started Not Your Average Joe as a coffee shop that employs students and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities. Unemployment among adults with special needs is a staggering 77.5%, and Herbel made Not Your Average Joe’s mission to reduce that number. Further differentiating Not Your Average Joe is that it operates as a 501(C) nonprofit with an entrepreneurial mindset when it comes to innovation and growth.

Originally started as a singular Oklahoma location five years ago with four employees, Not Your Average Joe has seen massive expansion. The coffee shop chain now has six locations and employs almost 200 people, with plans for more. On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn discusses with Herbel all that he has learned on the amazing journey that is Not Your Average Joe Coffee. From exploring successfully growing a non-profit to evolving as a leader, the interview is worth a listen. Click on the icon above to hear the full episode. Here are our top five takeaways:

* The mission of your brand matters.

* People won’t support your mission if you don’t have a quality product.

* Non-profits should share their success with others to make the biggest impact.

* Asking for help is critical to leadership.

* Building an effective organization is more about circles than pyramids.

Your Mission Is Important

People want to connect with brands now more than ever that serve a larger purpose than solely making a profit. The mission of your company is absolutely important and not just a forgotten paragraph on a website. Not Your Average Joe is proof of this, as high school and college students have raised significant sums of money to help build new locations. They strongly believe in and support Not Your Average Joe’s mission and want to see it succeed.

“The altruism of college students and the wholeness of our mission are good combinations. So that fire started to spread across the city, and then local high schools started raising money,” said Herbel. “Our model moving forward is we need about $300K (to open a new location). Two high schools in Edmond, Oklahoma, Deer Creek High School and Edmond Santa Fe, went in together, and one raised $120K and the other $180K. That is our $300K magic number, so we will be in Edmond this fall. The students of Moore Public Schools just raised $228K. We have to get the other $72K, but we should have a store in Edmond and Moore by the end of the year.”

Having a Quality Product is Just as Important

Calling Not Your Average Joe a coffee shop is like calling a Ferrari a car. Yes, Not Your Average Joe sells coffee and food, but it is a far cry from a Denny’s. Both the coffee and the food Not Your Average Joe serves are absolutely exceptional. That quality matters because, while people might believe in your mission, it is hard for them to support it if your products are subpar.

“We did from the beginning know that we had to have great coffee,” said Herbel.  “We focus on SCA, which stands for the Specialty Coffee Association, training. We have the first female roaster certified by the SCA in the state of Oklahoma. We are the only coffee shop in the state of Oklahoma to send a barista to the U.S. Barista Championship. Now, we have the first and only Native American female certified coffee roaster in the world. We did that, and then we put together a good menu, so arguably, we have the best turkey club sandwich in Oklahoma City.”

“Export” Your Success

It is easy to see that Not Your Average Joe is a success. However, Herbel doesn’t want to covet that accomplishment or keep it within the walls of his coffee shops. Not Your Average Joe's mission is to reduce the shockingly high unemployment among those with special needs. He can make a more significant impact on reducing that number if he can help other brands participate beyond Not Your Average Joe.

“Our voice has been able to be heard now among the biggest businesses in Oklahoma and beyond,” says Herbel. “For example, we have done corporate training with Boeing, for the Choctaw Nation and for the Metropolitan Library System. One of our income streams is going out and training businesses how to do what we do in terms of making jobs accessible and making the way attainable.”

Leaders Ask for Help

Business leaders often have pretty big egos, and sometimes, rightfully so. However, that same ego that helped build a business can also destroy it. Thinking you know the solution to every problem is a surefire way to slow or reverse your brand's growth. A true leader will recognize their limitations, ask for help and surround themselves with people who can assist them.

“I graduated valedictorian from high school and summa cum laude from college with a master's. I thought I had all the answers,” says Herbel. “It wasn’t until I failed and learned from failure that I learned what leadership is. Leadership is about being transparent and saying, ‘I don’t know, and I could use your help.’ Learning to ask for help as a leader is hard. But if you do it, you get surrounded by a good team.”

The Circular Org Chart

Most organizations envision their organizational charts as rigid pyramids. For Herbel, that approach doesn’t work and is outdated. Instead, he sees Not Your Average Joe as more circular and almost like a tire. Individuals form each section of the “tire” to create teams that can lean on each other for support. That “tire” then helps support the larger corporation and moves it forward.

“We are trying to build a circular organization chart here,” says Herbel. “The idea is that we are teams. Somewhere on that ‘tire’ where the rubber meets the road, there is an individual on that slice of pie or those spokes. They are in charge of that space, but they are not by themselves. You have to lean on each other to be strong. That is how the tire works. We don’t go anywhere without those tires.”

Phillip Griot of Griot’s Motors on “Only The Strong Survive”

Phillip Griot’s life and work both revolve around a passion for cars inherited from his father, Richard. As a child, Phillip got tossed into the family’s Chevy Suburban for long road trips with his dad at the helm. On those cross-country journeys, Phillip began to appreciate the many idiosyncrasies of early cars and their bonding power. During his teenage years, Phillip spent much of his youth helping his dad maintain and preserve the elder Griot’s ever-expanding collection of automobiles. Eventually, his dad’s car collection grew so large that a larger facility and professionals were needed to maintain it.

As the scope of Richard’s collection grew, so did the team's capabilities surrounding it. They were now performing extensive restorations, custom fabrication and high-quality paintwork. When other people began asking for help restoring their cars, Phillip saw an opportunity and launched Griot’s Motors. Now, the business is well-known as a first-rate restorer of exotic and classic cars, along with providing storage and assisting in their sales.

Launching and running a business has taught Phillip a lot about entrepreneurship. In this latest episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” he discusses with host Dan Kahn what it took to get Griot’s Motors off the ground and the lessons he learned along the way. Click on the link above to listen to the full episode, and here are our top five takeaways:

* Adaptation is the key to a thriving business.

* You need a way to separate yourself from the competition.

* Don’t be afraid (or too proud) to ask an expert for help.

* Brands should always focus on their customers.

* Hire someone strong in the areas where you are weak.

You Have to Adapt to Survive

Griot’s Motors has existed informally in the back of the family business, Griot’s Garage, since 2008. However, the official launch of Griot’s Motors happened right before a global pandemic became a reality. The timing might have seemed problematic, but Phillip quickly learned that being able to pivot rapidly is vital to any successful business.

“It (the pandemic) did make us go back to the whiteboard on how we were planning on doing things,” said Phillip. “We were very lucky to be new in the industry and agile without concrete opinions on how business was supposed to be done. Also, we were willing to learn and adapt to what was a quickly changing marketplace.”

Separate Yourself from the Competition

There are a lot of talented car restorers, builders and fabricators out there. However, some don’t have the best business sense. Vehicles might get shoved into the back of the shop, deadlines blown and you have to chase them down for updates. Phillip focused on running Griot’s Motors as a professional business to differentiate it from those “types” of shops.

“I think I was lucky to grow up with a lot of great businessmen. My grandpa was a great businessman; my dad is a great businessman,” says Phillip. “I read a lot of books in the planning stages. I think I read ‘E-Myth’ about six times. It focuses on processes above all.”

Call in the Experts When Needed

One unique aspect of Griot’s Motors is that it doesn’t work with only one brand of cars. This gives Griot’s Motors a wider range of customers and insulates it from market trends. However, the key to making this work is not having a big ego and being able to call on a trusted network of experts for help when needed.

“We have done a ton of Porsches, so we have a lot of Porsche expertise,” says Phillip.  “However, should we find a Porsche-specific problem where we need a Porsche-specific answer from an expert, we have a Rolodex full of them. We have great relationships with all of these people. I will pay to send them out, walk around the car and diagnose these questions that we don’t have answers to. We won’t make up answers.”

Simplifying Your Customers’ Lives is a Priority

Getting lost in the daily grind of running a business is easy. However, losing focus on your customers is a surefire way to lose them. Regardless of the type of business, solving your customers' problems to make their lives easier should always be a priority.

“We are trying to simplify the life of the client who only really wants to have fun. The understanding of the contract and the transaction is that this is someone who has enough money to pay us because they don’t have the time to do it themselves,” says Phillip. “We appreciate that, and our goal is not to waste their time. Instead, we want to give them exactly what they want to enjoy their car in whatever way they see fit.”

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

To run a successful business, you need to be absolutely honest with yourself about your own strengths and weaknesses. Doing so is not about setting out on a mushy self-healing journey or a path of enlightenment. Instead, it allows you to hire the right people who can strengthen the areas in which you are weak.

“Know what your strengths and weaknesses are and then compensate someone well to cover your weaknesses,” says Phillip.  “After five years, I know what I am not good at better than what I am good at. I don’t do those things anymore because that is what leads to folly. So, that is the biggest lesson I have learned. It is not from failing once but from stubbornly believing I could figure everything out.”

CEO of Good Boy Vodka Alex Pratt on “Only The Strong Survive”

Alex Pratt's first foray into the workforce started in the family business. He was the third generation of Pratts involved in Pratt Industries, a manufacturer of trailers for both heavy-duty and lighter utility applications. Eventually, the family business was sold to a private equity group, and Alex stayed on to run the sales department. However, the company culture had changed under new ownership, and Alex didn’t necessarily enjoy working for other people.

Looking for a change and more freedom, Alex started Good Boy Vodka as a side project. The new alcoholic beverage company quickly grew to the point where Alex left Pratt Industries to run Good Boy Vodka full-time. Now, he spends his days as its CEO and founder, guiding the rapid growth and leading the marketing efforts of the innovative company, which achieved a massive 930% increase in revenue last year.

On this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” host Dan Kahn discusses with Alex Pratt what he has learned from his remarkable entrepreneurial journey with Good Boy Vodka. From transitioning to a family business to starting his own, Alex gained plenty of insight into what it takes to run a successful brand. Click on the icon above to give the full episode a listen, and here are our top five takeaways from Dan and Alex’s in-depth conversation:

* Breaking into highly competitive markets takes different tactics.

* Distribution is always critical for retail operations.

* Having a brand identity separates you from faceless competitors.

* Partnering with the right brand ambassadors can be a huge plus for growth.

* Finding the right position for an employee is better than letting them go.

You Have to do Something Different to Break into a Crowded Field

The alcoholic beverage market is crowded and competitive. Almost every celebrity has their own label, and new companies are popping up seemingly daily. To stand out in that congested space, Alex knew he had to have a different product to separate Good Boy Vodka from the herd. The idea came to pair natural tea, fruit juice and Good Boy vodka in refreshing, ready-to-drink cans and expand the business from there.

“It is a very competitive and well-established market,” says Alex. “Our can business is allowing us to dive deeper into the vodka business. We pivoted towards the cans that build a lot of revenue and velocity for us as a company. Now, we inject our vodka into all of these accounts that are doing well with our John Daly or Travis Pastrana (canned) drinks. We are building a consumer base with our cans and now they want Good Boy vodka if they are having a vodka and soda.”

Good Distribution is Vital to Any Business

You can have the best products in the world, but your sales will be non-existent if you can’t get them in front of customers. E-commerce has the luxury of shipping products directly to consumers. However, distribution is essential for any brand that deals with having a physical product in stores. For the complex distribution model of alcoholic beverages, the proper distribution channels are even more critical.

“You can have a product that saves people's lives, and if you can’t get it to market, guess what, people don’t get to buy it. It is super tough,” says Alex. “For us, it was grassroots. We started with Anheuser-Busch Group, and they did well for us. We were then awarded a Walmart contract and had to have statewide distribution, so we used a bigger distribution company called Breakthru Beverage. Then, from there, we used the Southern Glazer’s and Johnson Brothers of the world. You just have to build one SKU at a time and build your velocities.”

Brand Differentiation is as Important as Having a Different Product

Having products that are different from your competitors is always a good idea. However, to stand out in a crowded space, your brand must also be different. Alex does this with the Good Boy Foundation, which supports veterans, warrior dogs and other charitable organizations, along with the “Every Pour Helps a Pup” tagline. Both give Good Boy Vodka a mission and identity and fulfill Alex’s father’s mantra of always giving back.

“We knew we always had to differentiate our brand above and beyond a great product and good packaging. Ever since we were kids, my dad instilled in us that we always need to give back,” says Alex. “We came up with the tagline ‘Every Pour Helps a Pup,’ and the idea behind it is a portion of the proceeds of our company we give directly back. We were giving back to two main foundations when we started. One was Pet For Vets, and one was the Warrior Dog Foundation. From there, our mission grew, and I started my own non-profit called the Good Boy Foundation, which gives to hundreds of charities.”

The Right Brand Ambassadors Can Make a Huge Difference

Teaming with the right brand ambassadors can make a big difference in the success of a brand. For Alex, it wasn’t just about how big an audience they could reach. Instead, he wanted to work with brand ambassadors that perfectly aligned with Good Boy Vodka’s brand identity. Carefully choosing golfing legend and epic beard enthusiast John Daly, along with motorsports icon Travis Pastrana, as ambassadors helped build authenticity and introduce Good Boy Vodka to different markets.

“Obviously, the celebrities have helped. John Daly’s demographic is from eight-year-olds to 80-year-olds. They all know who John Daly is and like golf,” says Alex. “Then we look at Travis Pastrana, who is the most legendary motorsports guy of all time. I have these two widely different demographics now coming together under one brand. When you do that, you are capturing a lot of consumers.”

Hire the Right People for the Right Positions

Finding the right people for your organization is a challenge. However, being inflexible with employees after you hire them can add to that difficulty. Sometimes, they might not be the best fit for a particular position, but they can still add value to your company. Being able to pivot and find the right spot for them is a better option than letting them go.

“I was hiring a lot of people to do jobs that they weren’t good at rather than really trying to understand the individual and figure out where they could add value. Some people are really good at something and not everyone is good at everything. Rarely is someone good at everything. The more I have learned about the industry, the more I can quickly tell where people will fit,” says Alex. “Not trying to change people and getting people into the right positions is one of the biggest reasons why we are growing now much faster than before.”

Juro Kusnir fell in love with Alaska after spending a summer working at a fish processing plant during a school work exchange program. Everything about the 49th state was completely different from his native Slovakia, and he was captivated by its natural beauty, people and wildlife. Juro would return to Alaska multiple times to continue working at the fish processing plant and to explore its rugged landscapes.

Alaska is also well-known for its salmon, halibut and black cod. During his multiple trips to the state, Juro became very familiar with bringing back filets of each to his friends in the Lower 48. After meeting his wife Adra at a conference in Chicago, the duo decided to turn Juro’s fresh fish delivery hobby into a business. Juro and Adra launched Alaska Fresh in 2018 to bring high-quality fresh and wild-caught Alaskan fish right to people’s doors anywhere in the United States.

Since its launch six years ago, the business has rapidly grown, but it hasn’t always been easy. On this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” host Dan Kahn discusses the entrepreneurial journey of Alaska Fresh with Juro and Adra. Listen to the full episode as Juro and Adra share what they learned about launching and running their unique business. Here are our top five takeaways:

* Starting small and then scaling up is a less risky growth model.

* Customer convenience should always come first.

* Supply chains and logistics need to be carefully addressed.

* Your products need a unique selling proposition to differentiate them.

* Word-of-mouth marketing only goes so far.

Starting Small Helps

While food delivery services are common now, that wasn’t the case when Juro and Adra launched Alaska Fresh in 2018. They weren’t sure what the demand would be or if their business model would be successful. However, starting Alaska Fresh initially as a side business and on a smaller scale helped mitigate risk. If the company failed, they still had jobs and wouldn’t be out huge sums of money.

“Now, with Shopify, Wix, GoDaddy and whoever else, it is fairly easy to build a website. You don’t have to quit your job and raise $100 million to start a company with a whole team of people,” says Juro. “You can probably just go ahead and try it. It obviously depends upon what you want to do, but for a lot of people, you can just do this. So, just go ahead and try it. Dip your feet in it and see what happens.”

Make It Easy for Your Customers

Juro and Adra could have taken multiple paths when starting Alaska Fresh. However, the duo decided to go directly to the consumer through an e-commerce site. This was easier for Juro and Adra to set up and also the most convenient for the consumer. When you are trying to sell higher-priced items that a customer doesn’t necessarily need, the process needs to be as simple and streamlined as possible.

“The idea from the very beginning was to allow people who are far away from Alaska, far away from a source of excellent wild seafood, to make it simple, convenient, affordable and easy for them to get that,” says Juro. “E-commerce was the easiest thing to build, but it was also very convenient for the customer. Back in 2018, it wasn’t common to go online and find wild Alaskan salmon, halibut or sablefish and buy a box of it or get a subscription and get it delivered to your door. It was a relatively new idea at the time.”

Your Supply Chain is Vital

Supply chains often get overlooked but are absolutely vital to any business. This is especially true of an upstart business selling perishable items that could make people sick if not kept at the proper temperatures. Juraj’s background in fish processing gave him valuable experience, but he still had to find the right partners and techniques to keep his products moving. Operating out of Cordova, Alaska, which is only accessible by boat or plane, complicated logistics even further.

“What really helped was that I had so much experience working with fish. I knew what I could and couldn’t do and what I needed to do to keep the quality at the top level. That was a great base, but after that, there was trial and error in the process to find the most affordable, safest and quickest way to get the fish to me,” says Juro. “Alaska Airlines is the best airline to ship perishable products because they understand what it is and how important and valuable it is. Basically, the only layover we get is in Seattle, and whenever there is a layover, they have a freezer where all our products go.”

Product Differentiation is Paramount

Differentiating your products from others is critical to the success of an upstart business. Yes, you can buy salmon, halibut and other fish from almost any grocery store, but it is more than likely farm-raised and low-quality. Alaska Fresh sells wild-caught fish that are properly processed and quickly preserved. The result is a premium product that tastes amazing, allowing Alaska Fresh to carve out its own market niche. Telling that story is just as important to today’s consumers, too.

“People want to know our story. They want to see it (Cordova) on the map. They want to know who the fisherman is, the name of the boat, and what is the timing of how long the fish is out of the water until it is processed,” says Adra. “I think with everyone spending more time on social media and seeing these stories come up and having lived that experience of having chickens and foraging for their own food, they know they can access that information. Consumers really expect it now.”

Organic Growth Has Its Limits

The quality of Alaska Fresh’s fish spoke for itself, and in the beginning, Juraj and Adra did little marketing. Word of mouth and happy customers were enough to keep their business growing at a rate they were happy with. However, organic growth has limits, as word of mouth only spreads so far, and new competitors enter the market trying to take a chunk of Alaska Fresh’s sales. Even with an excellent product, you will have to invest in marketing.

“Sales and marketing are what we are working on the most now. It is building a good strategy and really continuing and accelerating our growth. The growth that we’ve been experiencing over the last six years has been mostly organic and word of mouth. That is what motivated us to go all in now,” says Juro. “The year our baby was born, we doubled our sales without trying to do that. We figured if we can go all in this year, we can make it work.”

On this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Kahn Media President & CEO Dan Kahn talks to Azam Rangoonwala. As the CEO of P1 Offshore, Azam’s first experience with the powerboat racing sanctioning body came through his father, who ran the organization. While Azam studied engineering in college, his father wisely suggested that Azam start racing boats. The shrewd move was a long-term plan for Azam to learn the family business from the ground up.

The plan worked as Azam eventually transitioned from racing boats to building them. Along the way, he learned everything about offshore boat racing from a racer’s perspective. He then put that knowledge to good use upon transitioning to a leadership position at P1 Offshore. Coming onboard immediately after a global recession in 2008, Azam quickly had to adapt to new economic realities. His adaptation abilities were tested even further during the pandemic as massive motorsports events ground to a halt. While at the helm of P1 Offshore, Azam has learned a lot about what it takes to run a successful global motorsports brand. Here are our top five takeaways from Dan and Azam’s in-depth discussion:

* Harnessing the reach of social media is essential for any brand.

* Getting around roadblocks takes creative thinking.

* Do what you know best in challenging times.

* A connection with consumers is critical for brands.

* Delegation is important but can be overdone.

Any Sport Can Now Be Global

Motorsports used to rely heavily on in-person attendance and traditional television coverage. Without either, it was impossible to maintain a healthy series and sponsorships for both racers and sanctioning bodies. Most of this coverage and attendance were regionalized as drawing interest from outside of an area was difficult. However, now, through the power of social media, any sport can find a worldwide audience.

“There is a lot of cool international history (with powerboat racing) that ties together the Middle East, Europe and the U.S.,” said Azam. “One of the things I feel is that we have the opportunity now, especially with globalization the way it is and with social media, livestreaming and connectivity, to launch a sport with a global history and re-ignite it.”

Just Show Up

Acquiring sponsors for any racing series is a lot of hard work. Sometimes, “getting in the door” can be challenging, with many gatekeepers and roadblocks keeping you at bay. One of Azam’s techniques he has developed to get around these is to show up at the headquarters of potential sponsors. While it is definitely a bold move for some, it works more often than not.

“One of my tactics in life is, ‘Hey, I am just close by. Are you around?’” says Azam. “You just keep showing up. So I did that (with Mercury Racing) and managed to get in the door and create a partnership, which was great.”

Build a Connection with Your Brand

One of the most interesting lessons recently from motorsports is the success of Netflix’s “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” The F1-focused documentary shows that people are more interested in the personalities of a racing team than just the results of a particular race. The same can be said of almost any brand. Connecting to a brand’s personality (or identity) is now just as important for many consumers as the products it produces. Figuring out how to build that connection is vital.

“Formula 1 did an incredible job with that. Drive To Survive made motorsports cool again,” says Azam. “People now understand that it is not just the person in the vehicle but the whole team. It is the whole lifestyle of being part of a motorsports team. It is also who owns that motorsports team and why they are doing it. There are so many elements that Drive To Survive has helped to expose.”

Lean Into What You Are Good at When Times Are Tough

Managing a global motorsports organization is never simple. Global recessions, pandemics and recent economic uncertainty have all thrown major curveballs at Azam. Through it all, he has had to adapt to keep pushing P1 Offshore forward. One of his most significant pieces of advice during economic turbulence or challenging times is to focus on what your brand is good at.

“Because of the current (economic) tide, our thought process now is, rather than focusing on creating a full international championship, we are essentially leaning into what we are good at, which is where we are now,” says Azam. “Let’s focus on the current business, let’s focus on the gate, let’s lean into the actual sport and build our characters that are involved already. Obviously, we want to attract new people and broaden our horizons, but it is easier now to get your neighbors involved than going across the world to attract new people.”

Delegation is a Tricky Process

Any manager knows that delegating tasks is essential for success. Doing so empowers employees to make their own decisions and increases their responsibility. Delegation is also critical to reducing the strain on overloaded individuals and completing tasks. However, delegating too much can be just as detrimental as not delegating enough.

“The mistake I made was when we took the opportunity to restructure the business. I pulled away from a few key areas and managing certain things,” says Azam. “I feel like delegation is a great thing. I took over as CEO in 2017, and I started delegating, and it really worked for me. But I over-delegated and gave away too much. We brought in a new structure and that was a mistake. It is finding that balance between micromanaging and delegation.”

Loren Feldman of 21 Hats on “Only the Strong Survive”

On this episode of “Only the Strong Survive,” host Dan Kahn speaks with Loren Feldman. For those unfamiliar with the name, Feldman is the person behind the popular “21 Hats” podcast that focuses on entrepreneurs and business owners. He has successfully turned the podcast into a much larger platform with a daily newsletter that correlates and shares information with busy business leaders. A monthly “mastermind” virtual meeting helps make connections, compare notes and discuss current issues. 21 Hats also hosts smaller in-person events to forge bonds, share knowledge and create networking opportunities. Together, all the offerings of 21 Hats help form a community where business owners learn from and help each other.

Feldman started his journey to 21 Hats with a long career in business journalism. Working for prestigious news organizations like The New York Times, Inc. and Forbes covering entrepreneurship for decades taught Feldman plenty. However, it wasn’t until he started his own business with 21 Hats that he put that knowledge into practice. As he grew 21 Hats, he learned even more about what it takes to run a business successfully and be an entrepreneur. Click on the play icon above to hear Dan and Loren discuss what he learned.

Here are our top five takeaways:

* Taking the familiar route is easy but usually doesn’t lead to growth.

* Launching a business isn’t easy, so know what you are getting into.

* Take advantage of technology to make life easier.

* Quality absolutely matters in everything entrepreneurs do.

* Staying focused on what you can control is a better path to success.

Falling Into Traps is Easy

Entrepreneurs, by nature, are extremely busy people with limited time. That lack of time and the daily grind of starting a business can make it difficult to see the bigger picture. And when people can’t visualize where they should be heading, they can fall into the trap of doing whatever they are most comfortable with. That fallback position can lead to a lack of growth or even doom a business to fail.

“It can be hard in the middle of a busy day to set your priorities appropriately. It is very easy to fall into the trap of just doing the things that you’re comfortable doing and that you know you’re good at and putting off the things that might actually change the business and the trajectory that you’re on and lead to greater success,” says Feldman. “That is where it helps to kick things around with other people that have had similar experiences.”

Knowing What You Are Getting Into is a Huge Plus

In his career as a journalist, Feldman covered entrepreneurship for decades. This experience gave him a solid understanding of what starting his own business would actually be like. Feldman knew it wasn’t the simple or carefree process sometimes falsely portrayed on social media or other outlets. Being an entrepreneur is a lot of hard work and isn’t easy. Knowing that ahead of time made him prepared for the rough road ahead.

“My eyes were open to the ups and downs in a way they wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t had that (experience),” says Feldman. “I will be the first to admit that I did not have the guts to do this when I was in my 40s too. I just had too many responsibilities and too little confidence that I could make it work.”

Take Advantage of Low Barriers to Entry

Feldman’s initial idea before 21 Hats was to start a local online publication as city newspapers struggled. However, it was too difficult to get off the ground by himself. Changes in technology made starting his own podcast relatively easy in comparison. Taking advantage of lower barriers to entry provided by technology is a good idea for any entrepreneur.

“I couldn’t find anybody, and I didn’t have confidence in the technology. I didn’t know what it would mean to start an internet-forward publication,” says Feldman. “Whereas the technology now is so routine and so obvious that even I could do it.

Quality Matters

One key to 21 Hats' success has been the quality of its content, which provides useful information. That lesson of quality goes beyond 21 Hats and can be applied to all entrepreneurs. If you want people to believe in your brand, you better believe in it yourself and create useful, high-quality products. Feldman could have taken an easier route with 21 Hats, but he decided quality matters most.

“If it is good, people will read it. I think you don’t want to fall into that trap of just churning (out content) and relying on SEO,” says Feldman. “In the end, I think the quality of content really, really continues to matter. And if that’s lost, we have a problem.”

Focus on What You Can Control

Many business leaders and entrepreneurs are seriously concerned about the economy. Nobody really seems to know what direction it will head. The partisan “noise” of an election year about the economy only adds to the confusion. For Feldman, trying to understand what is going on is essential. However, equally important is focusing on what you can control.

“I think in most cases, business owners are well served by not worrying too much about the economy and just focusing on the things they can control. Most of the businesses that I touch are small enough that if they do what they do well, there is a place for them,” says Feldman. “That is not always the case clearly, but the market is big enough, and the businesses are small enough that even in a tough time, they can manage to survive.”

For the full interview, click on the play icon at the top of the page.

EarthCruiser CEO Lance Gillies wanted to travel deeper and further into his home country of Australia in more comfort than a typical overland vehicle could provide. With few options available, Lance decided to create his own overlanding platform. The capabilities of it would go far beyond the typical Hilux or Land Cruiser equipped with a rooftop tent and other accoutrements. Instead, Lance envisioned a vehicle that would be fully self-contained, highly-capable and comfortable enough to live in for months at a time. In 2008, EarthCruiser was founded, and Lance began to sell his version of the ultimate overlanding vehicle to others.Three years later, Lance expanded EarthCruiser to America. While overlanding is now familiar to many, that wasn’t exactly the case in 2011. The U.S. was also still in a hangover from a major recession a couple of years earlier. Trying to sell an extremely specialized vehicle with a rather hefty price tag while launching a relatively unknown brand wouldn’t be easy. However, Lance preserved and, through it all, learned valuable and hard-fought lessons in entrepreneurship. In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” host Dan Kahn discusses with Lance what he learned from his unique journey with the launch of EarthCruiser. Here are our top five takeaways:

* Launching a business during economic downturns is possible.

* Picking the right location for a startup absolutely matters.

* Scaling is complex for brands of any size.

* Constantly learning and adapting is critical to success.

* True leaders value their employees.

Starting a Brand During a Recession Can Actually WorkWhen Lance originally started EarthCruiser in 2008, the world was in the midst of a recession. The impact of that downturn was lessened in Australia but still felt. Things weren’t much better when Lance brought the company to America in 2011. Launching a brand in economically rocky times might seem like a bad idea, but it is possible. And it can bring some unique advantages when finding vendors and employees.“Because what we were doing was very unique and because things weren’t going well financially around the world, although Australia wasn’t as badly hit as quickly as the U.S., but it certainly caught up, people were hungry for work,” said Lance. “So once upon a time, they might have turned you away, but this time, they will take a risk on it because they might as well. It actually worked in our favor.”Location Matters for StartupsSome look for the most affordable location when starting a brand. Cost can certainly be a factor, but it shouldn’t be the only consideration. Picking the right location when launching your brand involves more than convenience or lower rents. Deciding on Bend, Oregon, for EarthCruiser’s North American headquarters allowed Lance to tap into eager local talent and shops, along with other unexpected benefits.“I was so clueless initially about building a vehicle for the cold. Going somewhere cold made no sense to someone like me,” said Lance. “From a company perspective and building vehicles perspective, Bend has been fantastic. It is one thing to go play in the cold, but it is another thing to build vehicles that can maintain all of their functionality in absolute extreme weather conditions. From a vehicle’s builder perspective, Bend couldn’t be more ideal. It gets a terrific summer, but it gets a really good winter as well. That lets us fulfill our promise to our customers that wherever they take their vehicles, they are going to be okay.”Scaling Requires Trusting Your InstinctsScaling can be extremely difficult for any startup. Expand too fast, and one can be left with excess inventory and employees. Go too slow, and the opposite is true, resulting in not enough product, long lead times and angry customers. Either one can sink a business regardless of size. Lance faced the same dilemma when growing EarthCruiser but ultimately trusted his instincts.“It is a scary moment because once you make that commitment, you are in,” said Lance. “I went to one of the very first Overland Expos in Arizona. I don’t even know how I heard about it. If I remember correctly, there were 12 or 13 vendors in total. I looked around at the stuff that was there and thought that this was Australia 20-plus years ago. So, if this is that little twinkling light, this could be interesting. There is all this open space in the U.S., so it isn’t like there isn’t a place to take them. You have South America on one end and Canada on the other. You have all these places to go, so there might be something to this.”Constantly Learning is KeyTraveling around the world is both a passion and a business for Lance. However, he doesn’t just travel to say he has been to places. Encountering different people, cultures and climates allows Lance to learn from them. That willingness to constantly learn and put that knowledge back into EarthCruiser has been key to its success. Without it, the vehicles that EarthCruiser builds would never evolve.“We can learn a lot from people who not just travel, not just survive, but absolutely thrive in some of the most inhospitable places in the world. To them, it is just their home,” says Lance. “If we give ourselves a chance to think about how they do that, we can learn a lot without just consuming more. They don’t have more to consume; they have what they have. They know how to use it well and not be a detriment. They can live within their means, and I don’t just mean their financial means but within their environmental means.”Leaders Eat LastSome think that building a new brand only requires a lot of hard work and some luck. However, there is a lot more to it than that. Any brand needs effective leadership to be successful. Leadership can take many different forms, but for Lance, it is about putting your employees first. After all, they are his most important assets.“I really believe a leader should always eat last,” says Lance. “If you own a company, people are trusting you to make sure they get paid on Friday, you have customers who have put their faith in you and there are times you don’t know what the right answer is. Sometimes, eating last is the best thing you can do simply because you get the chance to observe what is going on. It is not leading from behind; it is asking and observing if your people are going in the right direction.”Click on the play icon above to hear the full discussion between Dan and Lance.

JessR1des and ActuallyItsAxel Talk About Being Content Creators on “Only the Strong Survive”In this episode of “Only the Strong Survive,” Kahn Media President & CEO Dan Kahn talks with two motorcycle influencers and content creators who come from different worlds. Jessica is well known in the sportbike community as JessR1des on TikTok and Instagram, with almost 2 million followers on both platforms. Becky has also built a strong social media following and is the first woman to complete a motorcycle as an Invited Builder on the Born Free Show. She also built her own brand using her ActuallyItsAxel username as the URL for her website.Both were early adopters of social media and crafted their followings through lots of hard work. They also did it by staying true to themselves and not taking easy routes. Through it all, they learned plenty about what it takes to make a living as content creators and the current state of the creator economy. Give this episode of Only the Strong Survive podcast a listen as Jessica, Becky and Dan discuss what being a content creator is like in 2024. Here are our top five takeaways from their discussion:

* Technology like automated content moderation can throw constant curveballs

* Authenticity is extremely important.

* All content creators can struggle with burnout.

* Staying ahead of the competition requires a sound strategy.

* You are going to need thick skin.

Mistaken Content Moderation is Making Life HardAlgorithms have never made life easy for content creators. Long-form videos were once preferred before they were dumped by the algorithm in favor of much shorter ones. However, automated content moderation is making life seriously difficult for some content creators. Surprisingly, both Jessica and Becky have a hard time posting almost any motorcycle riding videos to TikTok. They are instantly flagged as being unsafe even when they are not.“I get violations like crazy, so my reach on TikTok has just plummeted. It is my biggest platform, but it is almost my least performing in that sense because they have docked all of the motorcycle-type content,” said Jessica. “I can’t post any riding. I get docked for anything. I get a little warning if I am riding and take my hands off the bar or fix my visor.”Authenticity and Trust Are Critical to CreatorsMany large-scale influencers are considered fake, and sometimes rightfully so. For Jessica and Becky, being authentic is critical to their success. After all, it is hard to fake a love of riding and an interest in motorcycles. Being in an enthusiast space, authenticity is crucial to having followers trust you know what you are talking about. Increasingly, it is also what brands are looking for when they partner with content creators.“For me, if I am not authentic, my stuff doesn’t do good,” said Becky. “So brands only hire me because they know who I am and what I do. I do like to tell people and other women who are getting into this to totally just be yourself. You cannot fake it, and being authentic is the best way to do it. You are not going to have a lot of followers if people don’t like you anyways, so just be yourself.”Burnout is a Real StruggleBurnout can be a struggle in any job, but even more so with creators. Having to constantly deal with an ever-changing algorithm, always coming up with new ideas and always being “on” when in front of the camera can all take their toll. Sometimes, the creative process can be as fun as pulling teeth, but finding ways to avoid burnout is key.“It is finding that balance,” said Jessica. “I wake up sometimes and am like, I am not getting behind a camera; you can’t pay me enough. You got to have that mental break because the creator burnout is real. Last year, I took three months off of Instagram. I was still reposting content on other platforms, but I wasn’t making any new content. I just hit that burnout and said I am done for now. I just needed to reset, relax and restructure some things. I hit the ground running again, and now I am trying to find ways to avoid that burnout.”Have a StrategyCreating content can seem like a haphazard process, and for some influencers, it probably is. Sometimes, that approach can work to capture spontaneous happenings and make quick videos. However, to be successful as a content creator, you must develop a content strategy. And to stay ahead of the competition, it better be a good one.“I have applied the strategy recently of having different content buckets,” said Jessica. “So I will tackle trends, I want knowledge posts, I want my brand relationships and then what I call onboard footage which is basically me riding around and interacting with my friends or people on the street because that does well on social too. I try to hit one of those four buckets when I am creating content. Then, if I have an idea that sparks interest, I will just do it because it is my page, and I can do what I want. Sometimes, you have to throw things at the wall and see what works.”Thick Skin is EssentialLet’s face it: the internet is becoming an increasingly hostile place. That negativity seems even more prevalent on social media, with algorithms boosting posts with the most engagement, often consisting of negative comments. If you want to be a content creator, you will need some thick skin. And if you are a female influencer in a male-dominated space like motorcycles, that skin needs to be extra thick.“In person, they are so cool, nice and supportive. Any biker community I have been involved with at the track or around is supportive, great and awesome,” said Jessica. “It is online that they are nasty, misogynistic, tearing down, jealous and toxic. I think that is true for all creators in general, but especially if you are a woman in a male-dominated type of space.”Click the play button at the top of this page to listen to the full episode of the “Only the Strong Survive” podcast with Jessica and Becky.

A self-described Formula 1 nerd, Sean Kelly serves as the head statistician for one of the highest-profile motorsports organizations in the world. He researches and discovers the many statistics and data that Formula 1 uses in its live coverage during its globe-trotting 24-race season. Beyond his voice, Kelly has also become a familiar face to many F1 fans as a host of its broadcasts. He is also the only person to have been on every iteration of Formula 1’s coverage since he started his career in 2001.Kelly’s journey to Formula 1 is a fascinating one. He didn’t study statistics at Oxford or come from a well-off racing family. Instead, he clawed his way into his dream job through perseverance, hard work and providing value. On this episode of the “Only the Strong Survive” podcast, Kelly shares what he has learned from his journey with host Kahn Media President & CEO Dan Kahn and how it applies to anyone in the business world. It is a must-listen, even for those who aren’t fans of Formula 1. Here are our top five takeaways from Dan and Sean’s in-depth discussion:

* Persistence pays off in the long run.

* Always try to figure out ways to deliver value.

* If you give up on your dreams, they will never come true.

* AI can’t completely replace the human experience.

* Build your personal brand.

Be Persistent and InnovativeSurprisingly, there were no F1 statistician jobs when Kelly began pursuing his path to Formula 1. However, that didn’t stop Kelly from thinking his obsession with statistics could be of value. He was also creative in his approach. Knowing that the Formula 1 European broadcasting team would be inundated with job requests, he approached its American counterpart instead. His persistence paid off, and he eventually landed a position with Speed Channel, the broadcaster of Formula 1 races in the United States. After lots of hard work and proving his worth there, Kelly then went on to work for Formula 1 directly.“I made a series of phone calls to Speed Channel, who were the rights holders for Formula 1’s TV in the U.S. back in the day. I thought I had a better chance of getting in with the U.S. broadcaster than the European broadcaster because I thought they would have less phones calls about people talking about Formula 1 than they would IndyCar or NASCAR,” says Kelly. “I think about after four months of calling, they finally gave me a job as a researcher. I think it was as much as anything to stop me calling them.”Providing ValueAfter talking his way into a job that hadn’t existed before, Kelly’s career might have been extremely short-lived. While he might have gotten by on bluster for a while, it would never lead to an over two-decade career. Instead, Kelly focused on providing value to his employer and a service that no one else was doing. That value-focused approach propelled his career and eventually made his statistician expertise attractive to others outside of his first job.“I was making $200 a race. I wasn’t going to retire on that kind of money,” said Kelly. “I had this eureka moment. If Speed Channel needs this content, what about all the other broadcasters? We are all watching the same race and using the same TV pictures because Formula 1 produced the TV feed when the cars were on the track. So we have to all show the same thing. What if all the other broadcasters need this? They must because it is content they would use in their broadcasts. What if they hired me as well? Then suddenly, this is a career.”The One Thing AI Can’t ReplaceMany have been fearful of the future with the rise of AI. While some are concerned about replicating Skynet, most fear AI stealing their jobs. That concern is valid as AI currently can do many tasks that once could only be accomplished by humans. AI’s capabilities are growing exponentially, making it even more adept at some jobs. So is Kelly worried that he could be replaced by some statistics-mastering AI chatbot in the near future? His answer is an interesting one.“I think we are all lying if we were to say that we haven’t thought about the prospect of our careers being made redundant by AI,” says Kelly. “One thing I do think is we will still, for a while, want humans to entertain us. That is why I thought it was important (for me) to be on stage. That is why I think Formula 1 drivers won’t be replaced. There is already a robo-race concept of driverless cars, which no one watches. It is not because it is not scientifically fascinating and an amazing achievement. It is because people want the human condition. They want the human story.”Be Sir Jackie StewartOne of Kelly’s role models is Sir Jackie Stewart. A legendary British Formula 1 driver from Scotland, Stewart raced from 1965 to 1973, winning three World Drivers’ Championships during the era. However, the “Flying Scot” was just as impactful after he hung up his racing helmet. Stewart methodically built and paid close attention to his own personal brand. Doing so made him one of the first drivers to successfully transition to the role of an ambassador for the sport and other brands. Plus, he is a genuinely nice guy and easy to work with.“Jackie is one of my role models in so much as that you are your own brand. Jackie was the first person to really fully understand what could be achieved as a sportsperson and also a spokesperson for brands. He was the first truly professional racing driver, and a lot of the things he engendered into Formula 1 I follow these days,” says Kelly. “Look at what Jackie has done in the last half-century with Rolex, with Moet, with Ford, with Heineken. He is the ultimate brand ambassador.”Sean Kelly’s Best AdviceKelly’s grinding journey to where he is now is an inspiring one. As he says, he “lashed himself to the mast” with no other option except to make his dream of working in Formula 1 a reality. The hard-fought experience he gained in the process isn’t just limited to those hoping to work in Formula 1. Anyone with a dream or entrepreneur can learn from Kelly’s career path, and he happily shared some of his best advice with us.“Be tenacious. Don’t wait for the opportunity to come to you. In my case, there was no opportunity. No one was hiring. I went in there and made them hire me. Actually, the same thing happened with the stage work. They didn’t come to me and say we would like you to appear on stage. It was me going to them and saying I have an idea,” says Kelly. “I have never actually applied for a job in Formula 1. All the jobs I had were me, in the first 10 years, banging the door down and saying, ‘Look, I got an idea, and what do you think? I think this is going to work. Trust me; this is going to work.’ You get over that hump, and then after you get over that hump, they call you.”

Click the play button to listen to the full episode of the “Only the Strong Survive” podcast with Sean Kelly.

In this episode of the “Only the Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn talks to Hemmings Senior Vice President of Media Matt Boice. An industry veteran, Boice has had an interesting trajectory over his decades-long career. In 2005, he worked at Source Interlink negotiating the placement of magazines, periodicals and other items in newsstand checkout displays. Eventually, the company began to diversify by buying magazine distribution channels. It then took that diversification a step further by purchasing Primedia, the owner of the many enthusiast magazines Source Interlink distributed and what was once Petersen Publishing. Boice switched from the distribution side of the business to the media side, becoming a “magazine guy” in 2009.During the era that followed, Boice had to navigate through a rapidly changing media landscape. The internet led to the demise of magazines as a major form of media. Legacy publishers then struggled to transition from print to online. The rise of video platforms like YouTube threw another giant wrench into the confusing media mix. Before stabilizing, the only constant during the time was change.Now, Boice helps lead Hemmings through another tumultuous time in the media. During an in-depth discussion with Dan Kahn, Boice shares his thoughts on the modern enthusiast media landscape and how to navigate it. Here are our top five takeaways from the conversation, which include:

* How quality content always matters.

* Why first-party data is now critical for any media or marketing company.

* How first movers can move too fast.

* Why influencers are here to stay.

* Where enthusiast media is headed.

Quality Content is Always KingThe forms of media may have evolved over the years. Traditional enthusiast magazines once reigned supreme but gave way to websites, destroying whole publishing empires in the process. Now, those online platforms are seen as “legacy media” and are being replaced by content creators and influencers on social media and YouTube. Another wave of decentralization is now rocking the enthusiast media model.However, there has been one constant throughout the changes: quality content is always essential. “We have a media team. We have a team of editors and a network of freelancers that do things with the written word and host some of our video series as well,” says Boice. “The media part is paramount for our success, and in the marketplace, it has a lot to do with how we tell our story.”

Data is Just as ImportantOne of the main reasons for the decline of print was the superiority of online advertising targeting. As potential consumers browsed the internet, third-party cookies tracked their every move. This allowed digital marketers to build highly detailed profiles about people’s interests, hobbies, products they liked, purchasing decisions and even demographics. Marketers could then use that information to deliver highly-targeted advertising aligned with that data. However, all of that is rapidly changing as data privacy laws are enacted and Google works to remove third-party cookies by the end of the year. First-party data is now more critical than ever, and brands need to do whatever they can to gather it.“A lot of our call to action on the website is just to get people to register and sign up. In general, but also to get people to get our newsletters as well,” says Boice. “That turns into currency as Google does what it is going to do, and privacy becomes a bigger concern. Now you have the mechanisms in place where you can still have the integrity of someone’s data being private, but you can pass it through to exchanges and advertisers to where they can target that person in a finite way without knowing more than they should about the individual.”

Moving Too Fast Can Be a MistakeIn the fast-paced business world and constantly changing media environment, the temptation is to make rapid-fire decisions and move quickly. However, sometimes trends are flashes in the pan and not worth reacting to. Deciding on an outcome without all the data or time to interpret it can also be a way to make a hasty and uninformed decision. Fast movers are sometimes rewarded, but patience can also be a virtue in turbulent times.“I think there is so much transition happening in media, the companies and the industry that you really can move too fast,” says Boice. “I’ve learned to try to be more patient. You are running so fast trying to keep up with an algorithm change or whatever else. Just try to take an inventory and listen to people and not make a decision until you have to.”

The Rise of InfluencersTraditional media companies were slow to understand the role that influencers can play in marketing. Some even actively fought against them, portraying influencers as being less than influential. All of it was an effort to make their advertising options seem more attractive and gain a larger share of any advertising budget. However, those days are over, and professional marketers need to be honest with clients about the positive impacts the right influencers can have.“In the beginning, when the influencer phrase first came out, if you were sitting in a media company, like a larger media company, you would probably fight that notion with a potential advertiser. Now, if you try to fight it (influencers), you are going to lose their trust,” says Boice.  “It is prevalent enough now, and enough media company employees are talking about it too. If you lose their trust, a company is not going to listen to what you say about what they should be doing with their products.”

Where Is Enthusiast Media HeadedWith the constant changes to the media landscape, it can be hard to see where it is all going. Will enthusiast media go away completely? Will influencers replace everything, and we will be stuck watching endless TikTok videos for the rest of our lives? What is the next evolution of enthusiast media? Thankfully, Boice has some insight based on his decades of experience in the space.“We learned a lot where we really do try to put content out there that people want to see but doesn’t necessarily sell a car on the marketplace or an intake manifold or whatever,” says Boice. “It’s hard to balance all of that. It goes back to the old world where there was church and state between advertising and editorial, but there was always a bit of crossover, and you tried to make it fit for everyone. I think that is the case today, but you have to lead with the consumer. The storytelling has to resonate with the audience, and you have to figure out how that, in our case, aligns with selling a car or, for an advertiser, it might be selling a product.”