Pitchology

Doug and Steve discuss the natural progression many leaders have to go through as they learn how to harness their "inner wolf" for good. It's easy for us to intimidate others; we have an intense presence. But as we grow, learn, and evolve, we become more effective leaders.

Wolves are the villains of so much lore, yet are an incredibly vital part of many ecosystems. As an entrepreneur's business grows, they have to learn how to select and mentor the people who work with them. Often this takes a few years—and a few alienated employees who may jump ship. The wolf has to learn how to be a shepherd, which isn't a role wolves perform naturally. As Doug explains in the conversation, there's a big difference between a shepherd standing behind a flock of sheep, driving them forward by scaring them, and a shepherd whose sheep follow him by choice.

Highlights from this Episode:

• Entrepreneurial drive is natural. In my conversation with Dr. Doug Brackmann, we also discuss his first book, Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, and Maybe YOU. Many of these people have a unique genetic characteristic of having the allele (mutation) genes DRD2-A1 or DRD4- 7R, or both. Our drive is in our DNA! How you channel your energy is your choice. Left unattended or unaware, that drive can turn into negative results, but when harnessed for good, it can change the world.
• The internal drive might come from different sources. There are a lot of Drivens in places of high power; some are driven by heart or by wounds, while others are driven by greed.
• Drivens flock to different careers. Doug explains that there are exceptionally high numbers of Drivens who are high-performing athletes and Navy SEALS. There are also a high number of dictators who are Drivens. Whether it's for the greater good or not, a lot of Drivens⁺ are on the edge of being superhuman. A Driven⁺ might be attracted to more than one outlet for their energy.
• Don't try to figure out what inspires people. Hire to it. Don't try to change someone's values. Part of surrounding yourself with the right people are finding those whose values already align with the organization and its mission.
• A leader learns to stand in someone else's shoes. Inspirational leaders learn to put themselves in someone else's position and to lead them from that person's point of reference. Evolved leaders understand that what inspires them might not inspire other people.
• Learn to become a servant leader. The act of giving releases serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine for everybody involved, including the giver, the recipient, and anyone else who witnesses the deed. This means that if an employee is aligned with an organization's mission, any progress the organization makes feels good to everyone within the system.
• Don't surround yourself with "yes" people. The people in an organization must feel empowered to push back against an entrepreneur who is experiencing destabilizing optimism. That not only means you have to get the right people around you but it also means you can't be a bully. If your team is afraid to tell you no, that's a problem that will permeate every level of the organization. Great leaders create a culture in which people aren't afraid to voice their opinions.

Connect with Steve and Doug:

Steve Distante - https://stevedistante.com

Dr. Doug Brackmann - https://www.iamdriven.com

• Don't BS people. Your reputation will travel in this community, so you need to build that reputation on honesty and respect. Have the wherewithal to do what you say you're going to do.
• The importance of being genuine and respectful when asking for (and dealing with) Other People's Money, especially when working with an Entrepreneur Investor.
• You don't need to be the smartest person in the room if you're in a room where everybody is getting smarter. We learn by watching each other, taking advice, and being humble.
• Is the juice worth the squeeze? Joe and I talk about how even if you don't like someone, you can still make money with them, but as you mature and evolve as an entrepreneur (and as an individual), at some point, you have to ask yourself if the juice is worth the squeeze.

What makes a good, fail-proof sales pitch? How can you ensure that the investors will not say "No" when you try to raise capital for your business?

The conversation between Steve Distante and Sandra Powers surrounds the topic of creating your sales pitch. Sandra talks about the role of a global investment firm in helping small businesses to grow their market share and how it works with both managers and potential investors to help them connect and grow their assets. She also emphasizes the importance of being able to tell a story about why a product is different and better than what is already on the market.

The pitch map process is a way for entrepreneurs to raise capital efficiently by focusing on the why behind their product or service. In a competitive world, it is essential to be able to articulate what makes your offering unique and why it is needed. The best pitches are those that are clear and concise, focusing on the value that the product or service will add.

Who's The Guest? Sandra Powers is the CEO and founder of a global, a third party marketing company that helps entrepreneurs raise capital. She has been in the industry for over a decade and her experience includes working with retirement planning clients. Sandra decided to start her own company in order to work more closely with entrepreneurial investment management firms, particularly those that are women and diversity-oriented.

Highlights

• What is a third party marketer?
• How Sandra Powers got started in the field
• Differentiating factors that institutional investors are looking for
• Pitch mapping: A process for raising capital
• Importance of a good story in a capital raise
• Impact of Business Development on Investment Decisions
• Having a good team in entrepreneurship
• Understanding and starting with the "why"
• Benefits and drawbacks of pitching via Zoom
• Different stages of capital raising
• Process of capital raising
• The Do's and Don'ts of pitching to prospects
• Components of an interesting pitch
• Kinds of deals that Sandra is typically doing
• How to have a clear and concise pitch when raising capital

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Sandra Powers
• https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandrawpowers

In this episode of Pitch, host Steve Distante is joined by Akira Chan, director and founder of Rare Media. Chan discusses the company's focus on producing videos that tell human stories and highlights the demand for this type of content. He also talks about how he met Steve at the Abundance360 conference and how their meeting led to the creation of this podcast.

Akira also shares his belief that video is an essential part of marketing, as it is an easy way to share information with a large number of people. It is also an effective way to communicate, as it can convey a lot of information in a short amount of time and how Rare Media produces videos for investors which tell the story of the founder, the business, and the impact it is having on the world.

Who's The Guest? Akira Chan is a documentary filmmaker and also the founder of Rare Media, a production studio creating videos for organizations, entrepreneurs, and authors such as Mindvalley, Chopra Global, Abundance360, and more. Akira's recent film on art and addiction, was awarded Audience Choice Short at the Illuminate Film Festival 2018. Its film screening + art auction distribution model raised half a million dollars towards addiction recovery.

Highlights

• What is Rare Media?
• John's Crazy Socks: A company that empowers those with special abilities
• Importance of videos in telling stories
• Key elements they are looking for in an interview
• Difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
• Adding a video element: VR and AR in businesses
• Creating a video content to tell your story

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Akira Chan
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/akirachan
• https://www.raremedia.tv/

In this conversation, Tucker Max discusses the importance of writing a book and how it can help entrepreneurs raise capital. He describes how Scribe Media helps people write, publish, and market their books. He also talks about how most of their clients have more money than time, and so they hire Scribe Media to help with the process.

Tucker also talks about the benefits of writing a book, both in terms of the personal satisfaction of the author and the potential to make money from the book. They also describe how important it is to have a plan for promoting the book, including interviews, guest posts, and articles. The goal is to get sales and clients from the book.

Who's The Guest? Tucker Max co-founded Scribe Media, a premier professional publishing company that helped people like Dan Sullivan, David Goggins, and Tiffany Haddish publish and market their books. He has written four New York Times Best Selling books which sold more than 4.5 million copies around the world. He is only the fourth writer to have three of his books listed on the New York Times Nonfiction Best Seller List.

Highlights

• Benefits of writing a book
• How promoting a book goes
• Pros and cons of a full-package book launch
• How to get a book from idea to finish and launching to other people
• The power of a good book
• Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn and Aaron Taylor's
• The Bad One Stand Out among Simon & Schuster's books
• Tucker Max's unique ability
• Coming from nothing is easier than coming from suffering and pain
• Why you should hire a ghostwriter
• Writing multiple books
• The benefits and challenges of self-employment
• The advantages and disadvantages of raising capital for your business
• Investing in trees

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Tucker Max
• https://www.tuckermax.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuckermax
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Max
• https://twitter.com/TuckerMax
• https://www.amazon.com/Tucker-Max/e/B001JSAOIA

Living his best life in Puerto Rico, Richard Harmon, together with the host, Steve Distante, discusses the pros of living in another country, including the tax benefits it entails.

Richard moved to Puerto Rico in 2018 after a client of his expressed interest in doing the same. He found that, compared to the mainland US, Puerto Rico has much lower taxes (4% after a reasonable salary is deducted), no capital gains taxes, and is a great place to live overall. They also talk about raising capital and how to extract money from a business. Richard discusses how he helped to structure Tony Robbins' ESOP deal and how entrepreneurs can start using it for their businesses.

Who's The Guest? Richard Harmon began his CPA career at PwC. He was a top financial systems implementation specialist tackling numerous assignments for Fortune 500 companies. He founded TeamAlliance, a technology staffing company, opening offices in 30 states, and after a successful exit, started building several start-ups.

Richard Harmon's experience in public accounting, as a CFO, and as an entrepreneur, allows him to bring unique strategic insights and practical solutions to his investment banking activities as a Managing Director at CSG Partners.

Highlights

• Why Richard decided to live in Puerto Rico
• Benefits of moving to Puerto Rico
• The ground rules when moving to Puerto Rico
• Best ways to reach out to Richard Harman
• How you can extract money from your business without selling it
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): What is it and why you should own one
• The benefits of an S Corp ESOP
• Utilizing money for businesses using S Corp ESOPs
• The benefits of an ESOP for a business owner
• How the process works for getting an ESOP
• Different opportunities for an entrepreneur to use ESOP

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Richard Harmon
• https://www.csgpartners.com/esop-advisory-team/richard-harmon
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardharmon/

Dan Sullivan and Steve Distante discuss the benefits of collaboration and how it can lead to the creation of new and innovative ideas. They talk about the importance of finding collaborators who share similar values and goals and how collaboration can often lead to opportunities that are much larger and less complicated than funding alone.

Additionally, Dan goes on to share how he has since become involved in a number of collaborative ventures, including work with Entrepreneurs Organization, Tony Robbins, and Mike Koenigs. He describes how these collaborations have led to a number of positive outcomes, including the funding of his farm through Climate First Bank.

Who's The Guest? Dan Sullivan is the founder and president of Strategic Coach®. With over 40 years of experience as a highly regarded and world-class speaker, consultant, coach, and strategic partner, he helps entrepreneurs and groups in reaching their full potential, both in their business and personal lives.

Dan is also an accomplished author with more than 30 titles under his name, including Creative Destruction, How The Best Get Better®, and The Great Crossover.

Highlights

• The power of collaboration
• What are the benefits of collaboration for businesses and entrepreneurs?
• How Dan approaches collaboration
• The connection between collaboration and achieving success
• The importance of stockpiling capability over short-term money
• What the book, The War and Art of Funding: An Insider's Guide to Raising Capital Through Storytelling, is all about
• What impact investing is and why it is an important cause

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Dan Sullivan
• https://www.strategiccoach.com/
• https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dansullivansc

In the conversation, Peter Diamandis talks about his work with XPRIZE and his mission to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. He discusses his work with building a coaching program for entrepreneurs. Peter also talks about three different mindsets that he believes are important for people to have in order to be successful in the future.

Who's The Guest? Dr. Peter H. Diamandis is an international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions, and commercial space. He is a three-time best-selling author, public speaker, and philanthropist.

He is the founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. Peter is recently named as one of the world's 50 Greatest Leaders and continues to counsel the world's leaders on growing technologies.

Highlights

• What is Peter's work with XPRIZE and age reversal all about?
• The power of an exponential mindset in an age of abundance
• Defining the abundance mindset
• SPACs: A new way of going public
• The role of SPACs in the investment world
• What are the benefits and risks of SPACs
• The velocity of capital

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Peter Diamandis
• https://www.diamandis.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/PeterDiamandis/
• https://twitter.com/PeterDiamandis
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Diamandis
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdiamandis
• https://www.instagram.com/peterdiamandis

In the conversation, Andrew Sherman and Steve Distante discuss the importance of intangible assets in business deals, particularly in the context of mergers and acquisitions. They also talk about the challenges of building and selling a company, and the role of strategy in acquisitions.

Who's The Guest? Andrew Sherman serves as a legal and strategic advisor to both leaders of Fortune 500 companies and founders of rapid growth, emerging businesses in the areas of business planning, corporate finance, M&A, and intellectual property harvesting, such as franchising and licensing strategies. He authored about 26 books on business growth, M&A, and strategies and was a frequent public speaker to business groups. He also serves as a Professor in the MBA program at the University of Maryland and at Georgetown Law School for nearly 30 years.

Highlights

• The connection between the two books: Mergers &
• Acquisitions from A to Z and the Harvesting of Intangible Assets
• Mergers and acquisitions in business
• The importance of goodwill in business transactions
• Treating assets as collateral
• What a growth strategist attorney is
• Primary ways a business grows
• Why should you be prepared for an acquisition?
• The benefits of understanding your buyer when selling your business
• Setting the stage for a successful business scale
• The impact of intangible assets on a business valuation
• How to start leveraging your brand

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Andrew Sherman
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjsherman
• https://www.seyfarth.com/people/andrew-j-sherman.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Sherman
• Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z
• Harvesting of Intangible Assets

Ken LaRoe was a banker who decided to start a values-based bank. He was inspired by Yvon Chouinard's autobiography and his experience in the cannabis industry. He sold his first bank and then circumnavigated the country with his wife in a mini motorhome. He eventually started Climate First Bank, which was a part of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. He served on the board of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values.

Ken also shares his story of how he got involved in the industry and how he has seen firsthand the difference that green initiatives can make. He talks about the importance of making a profit while also doing good, and how few people in the industry are actually doing that.

Who's The Guest? After graduating from Florida State University, Ken LaRoe's banking journey started in 1982 at the Flagship Bank in Tavares, Florida. In 1996, he joined the Colonial Bank as the President for their Lake County operations and founded the Florida Choice Bank in 1999 which grew its assets to $400 million before being sold to the Alabama National Bankcorp in 2006.

Ken was inspired by Yvon Chouinard's autobiography and his experience in the cannabis industry after selling the First GREEN Bank. In the summer of 2020, he began working on a business plan and application for the Climate First Bank. After overcapitalization at $44.2 million, the bank was granted a charter by the State of Florida and the FDIC. The bank opened June 1, 2021 in St. Petersburg, Florida to a huge reception as the only Benefits Corporation bank in the State of Florida. Additionally, the bank was Net Zero day one as well as a member of 1% For the Planet and a provisional B Corp.

Highlights

• The tough time that Ken and his wife went through
• Using cannabis as a treatment for seizures
• The process of selling his first bank and traveling with his wife
• The evolution of a values-based bank: From First GREEN to New Resource
• Importance of green banking
• The transformation of capitalism to impact investing
• The power of collaboration: How two men are making a difference
• Vision of the Climate First Bank
• The business model of Climate First Bank
• Using storytelling as an art form that entrepreneurs need to master
• Characteristics of an ideal entrepreneur to work with
• Impact of investing on businesses
• Building a bank to last with the Climate First Bank
• The benefits of going public
• Why traditional banking doesn't work for businesses and entrepreneurs
• Kinds of investors they are looking for

Call to Action Join the Early Access List

Episode Resources

• Connect with Steve Distante
• https://pitchology.ai/
• https://joinvanderbilt.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/stevedistanteCEO/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedistante
• https://twitter.com/Sdistante
• https://www.instagram.com/sdistante/
• Connect with Ken LaRoe
• https://www.climatefirstbank.com/
• https://www.firstgreenbank.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/FirstGREENBank
• https://kenlaroe.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-laroe-92887510