Powderkeg - Unvalley

Max Yoder is a lifelong learner and trailblazer who knows that clearly-defined processes empower employees to level-up their quality of work from average to exceptional.

Yoder is the cofounder and CEO of Lessonly, a team learning software platform that lets companies capture internal knowledge, best practices, and team policies as searchable and assignable step-by-step lessons. Lessonly currently helps half a million users from hundreds of companies learn the processes they need to excel in their work (Lessonly.com).

Yoder shares some of his most valuable insights on team building, team learning, and building a great company culture. Our conversation exposes how feats that look like magic are just processes, why you need to have difficult conversations with your teammates, how to be a great team player, and how to worry less and view challenges as opportunities. But Max and I also end up playing some of his original music, and he teaches me how to play one of his songs on his new album.

We recorded this episode of Powderkeg with the help of our partners, Edge Media Studios, based in Indianapolis. And Max and I brought a few musical instruments with us to the studio, so make sure you check out the part where Max teaches me one of his latest songs he wrote.

I had a blast recording this episode with Max. He’s a very down-to-earth guy with a great sense of humor who loves helping others succeed, and I’m honored he took the time to chat. Connect with him on Twitter and Instagram (@maxyoder) and on his website, MaxYoder.com.

Enjoy this podcast with Max Yoder! You’ll learn:

— How to approach things that look like magic and turn them into processes

— How to be an effective team player

— The 3 best culture tips for small teams

— The power of hiring the right teammates

— How the right investors will guide your business to success

— Why you should stop worrying and view challenges as opportunities

Please enjoy!

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes

Emerson Spartz has hunted down and capitalized on patterns in business since he was 12 years old.

Fast-forward 18 years, and Spartz is the CEO of Dose, a digital media company that reaches 200 million Millennials every month with content designed to provide fresh ideas, knowledge and perspectives. Spartz is also one of the world’s leading experts on virality, having extensively studied its patterns and used what he learned to build his media company that was onced composed of more than 30 unique websites.

In our interview, Spartz lets me in on his secrets for effectively learning new information, his best strategies for negotiating deals, the power of doing “comfort zone challenges,” and of course, how virality really works. He’s an extremely well-read guy who’s practically bursting at the seams with knowledge, and I’m grateful that he’s more than willing to share some of his insights.

Head over to Spartz’s personal website to connect with him and learn more about his journey, and please enjoy the interview to learn about virality and the power of patterns in business.

In this episode with Emerson Spartz, you’ll learn:

— The secret to making any business project a success

— How you can learn to be successful by studying the lives of successful people

— Strategies you can use to get better at learning

— The two best tactics for becoming a better negotiator

— Why doing “comfort zone challenges” will make you a better businessperson

— The art and science behind virality

Please enjoy!

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes

“Pivoting” might seem like a dirty word in business, but Jenny Blake has learned to embrace it. Not only that, but she’s built her career around it, becoming a business strategist, keynote speaker, and author who teaches others the positive value of pivoting.

Blake is the author of Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and the creator of the Pivot Method, which distills all the wisdom she’s gained throughout her career to teach you how to change your business direction without falling on your face.

Blake learned the virtues of pivoting by doing it many times throughout her career. After spending two years at a technology startup in Palo Alto, she landed a job at Google as a product trainer for AdWords. She stayed there for five years, training more than 1,000 employees and building her public speaking and career coaching skills, before she pivoted once more and set out to become a solopreneur.

She now speaks and holds workshops on the Pivot Method around the world, at companies like Intuit and Pimco, universities like Yale and MIT, and conferences like TEDxCMU and the World Domination Summit. She also runs the Pivot Podcast, which started as a passion project while she was writing Pivot and has grown into a forum for world-renowned authors and businesspeople to share their advice on how to seize opportunities and pivot like pros.

Jenny has so many great stories and insights to share in our interview, from the health benefits of practicing yoga to why reading will make you a better person. She also talks about how to get over your fears of public speaking, how meditation will make you a better entrepreneur, and how you can use the Pivot Method to succeed in business and improve your personal life.

In this episode with Jenny Blake, you’ll learn:

— Why you should be listening to the Pivot Podcast

— How realizing that courage is hard will help you succeed

— How to use your job as training for entrepreneurship

— How to conquer a fear of public speaking

— Exercises you can do to calm your nerves and clear your mind

— How meditating will make you a better entrepreneur

— Why you should be doing yoga

— How to be more successful by taking care of your mental and physical health

— How to use the Pivot Method to improve your personal life

— How to successfully pivot in business and life

— How to succeed in your career by embracing pivots

— Why reading will make you a better person

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Michael Sacca is a modern renaissance businessman who inspires tens of thousands of entrepreneurs each week with his podcast Rocketship.fm and has climbed the ranks to become the President of a multi-million dollar business that supports companies and creators across 30 countries.

He’s leveraged his experience in a wide array of roles—like coder, podcaster, web design consultant, product developer and sales lead—to grow his skillset as an entrepreneur, leading to several successful business ventures and, eventually, a leadership role at someone else’s company.

He recently became the President of Crew, a business that matches freelance web designers and coders with companies in need of their services. His ambition, leadership skills and experience as a jack-of-all-trades wowed his superiors and fueled his rise through the ranks after starting there as a partnership manager.

Meanwhile, he continues to run Brandisty, a web platform for storing and distributing brand assets, and Rocketship.fm, a podcast for entrepreneurs that reaches tens of thousands of listeners twice a week.

Michael has a truly impressive toolbox of talents, but he’s very down-to-earth and honest about the sometimes haphazard nature of his career progression, which has at times been motivated simply by the need to make a buck.

In our interview, he also opens up about his teenage years buying and selling Smashing Pumpkins concert tapes online, how he’s managed to change his mindset as he moved from role to role, the stresses and challenges of becoming a leader, and how nobody in business has all the answers all the time.

Michael is very active around the internet, and there are lots of different ways you can continue to follow his story. For starters, you can tune into Rocketship.fm to get exclusive insights from his interviews with the brightest minds in tech and entrepreneurship.

You can also find him on Twitter @michaelsacca, follow his posts on everything that has to do with freelancing on the Crew blog, or read up on his latest adventures and musings over on Medium.

In this episode with Michael Sacca, you’ll learn:

— How trading concert tapes online prepared him for entrepreneurship

— How to start a business as a web design consultant

— Why necessity can be a good motivator for your career

— Why you should quit your business if it’s making you miserable

— How to decide to end one business venture and embark on another

— How to transition from being your own boss to being someone else’s employee

— How Crew helps freelancers and project owners work with each other

— How to land a leadership position where you work

— The stresses that come with leadership roles

— How to lead and inspire a distributed team

— Why you don’t have to be perfect to be an entrepreneur

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Derek Andersen was a bit of a world traveller growing up, as his family split their time between several countries in Europe and their home in Tampa, Florida. He kept traveling as an adult, jetting all around the globe to build startup communities and connect with entrepreneurs, wherever they were.

These communities are part of Startup Grind, an organization that nurtures startup ecosystems through events, media and partnerships with organizations like Google for Entrepreneurs. Andersen founded Startup Grind in 2010 with one location in Silicon Valley. Today, it’s active in nearly 100 countries around the world, including over 200 cities.

Over the years, Startup Grind has helped millions of entrepreneurs find mentorship, connect to partners and hires, pursue funding, and reach new users. Although Andersen is now settled in Redwood City, CA, it’s pretty obvious that his influence reaches far beyond the borders of California.

In our interview, Derek talked with me about the beginnings of Startup Grind, how he gets the most out of every interaction at a conference, and why VC funding isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. He’s met a ton of famous business people over the years, and he also opened up about his favorite interviews and the fact that even tech giants are people, too.

Startup Grind has a ton of exciting stuff going on these days, including the rollout of their new event-hosting software (discussed in detail in this episode) and their 2017 Global Conference later this month. The conference includes an exhibition of 125 startups, and you can visit StartupGrind.com/startup if you want to apply to showcase your company!

Derek is a friendly, welcoming guy who’s happy to help you with your entrepreneurial journey if he can. You can find him on Twitter @derekjandersen, or you can shoot an email to [email protected] if you’d like to get in touch.

In this episode with Derek Andersen, you’ll learn:

— How to work with people at big companies

— What’s going on in Silicon Valley right now

— How Startup Grind got started

— Why the best startups usually begin as side projects

— Why big names in tech are people like you and me

— How to get the most out of a conference or event

— Why he got into the events industry

— Why you might NOT want to accept VC funding

— All about Startup Grind’s new event-hosting software

— What to expect at Startup Grind’s upcoming global conference

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Paul Singh is embracing the changing nature of the venture capital—or VC—game.

Formerly a partner at 500 Startups, an international VC seed fund and startup accelerator, Singh noticed that high-growth tech companies were starting to pop up all across the U.S. If he wanted to invest in the very best startups in the country, then waiting for founders to fly out to Silicon Valley and come to him wasn’t the best method anymore.

Singh decided he had to go to them.

He founded Results Junkies with his wife and started road-tripping across the country in a pickup truck and custom Airstream trailer, hosting events for entrepreneurs, meeting investors and visiting incubators and coworking spaces.

Last year, he stopped in 42 cities and met with 20,000 entrepreneurs and 1,200 early stage startups, seeking out the very best talent to invest in. And he’s doing it even bigger this year.

I’m so grateful Paul took some time to chat with me about the lessons he learned working in his hometown of Ashburn, Virginia as well as San Francisco, the role he believes venture capitalists should play in improving cities and towns across the nation, and what drives him to keep achieving better things (it’s fear!).

He also has insightful advice for anyone looking to build a company or create a startup community outside of the big coastal cities. The good news for entrepreneurs outside of Silicon Valley is that technology really is a great equalizer.

Keep an eye on ResultsJunkies.com for more of Paul’s thoughts on starting up outside the Valley and to follow the progress of his traveling VC firm. If you want to get in touch, you can find him on Twitter @paulsingh and on Facebook.

In this episode with Paul Singh, you’ll learn:

— Why it's so important to be able to sell yourself (and how to do it)

— What the most powerful motivating force is for Paul, and how he uses it

— His plans for Results Junkies in 2017

— How technology gives you freedom to do what you want

— How company building and community building are related

— Ways to spread a business idea outside of the Valley

Please enjoy this episode with Paul Singh!

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Jay Baer is a social media expert, consultant, thought leader, keynote speaker, podcaster, startup investor, and NY Times bestselling author of five books. He’s the most retweeted person in the world among digital marketers, which makes him practically a celebrity in that industry.

Baer is best known for founding Convince & Convert, a conversion rate optimization (or CRO) blog turned consulting firm focusing on social media marketing and customer service. He and his team work with some of the best brands in the world, including Adidas, Allstate, Cisco, Oracle, and even the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the C&C blog continues to be ranked among the very best content marketing blogs on the web, and their Social Pros podcast has been named one of the best podcasts for entrepreneurs in 2017.

Last year, Baer published his fifth book, Hug Your Haters. It’s all about how critical it is to listen to feedback from your customers—especially the ones who hate you. This is the first modern book on customer service, and it’s essential reading for anyone who cares about their business.

Jay sat down with me at the Convince & Convert headquarters in Bloomington, IN to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, the importance of networking, how to tackle customer service in the age of Yelp reviews, and so much more...

In this episode with Jay Baer, you’ll learn:

— How to handle disgruntled and dishonest customers

— Why your business network is your most important asset (and how you can develop a world-class network like Jay)

— How to approach customer service in the digital age

— The psychology behind customer service

— The importance of loving your haters

Jay is an Amazing storyteller, so you’re in for a treat. Please enjoy this interview with Jay Baer.

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Rodney Williams is the Founder and CEO of LISNR, one of the most disruptive companies in the IoT space and the world of mobile connectivity. You can find Rodney on Twitter (@rodneybwilliams) on twitter and his company at LISNR.com.

LISNR was launched in 2012 around the core premise that sound can do more. More specifically, using sound to connect more people and devices in ways that had never existed before.

LISNR has grown into the world’s most advanced ultrasonic technology. Their team has created an ultrasonic or inaudible technology; a communication protocol that sends data over audio. They use ultrasonic audio called Smart Tones™ to transmit information. They’ve accomplished functionality that engineers and innovators said was impossible.

LISNR is seriously one of the most disruptive companies in the IoT (or internet of things) space. They’ve raised nearly $15M in capital and have won awards such as a Gold Lion @ Cannes for Most Innovative Mobile Technology and CNBC’s Disruptor 50.

And he’s done all of this headquartered out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Yes, he’s a fellow midwestern entrepreneur, so we were like kindred spirits from the first second of this interview.

Rodney is an innovative strategic thinker who is obsessed with the ways technology will improve our everyday life. He has 4 degrees but most notably two masters, one of which is an M.B.A. from Howard University.

And he’s got a cool story, because he spent 4 years at Procter & Gamble as a brand manager and is most noted for being the first marketer there to co-write digital patents.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

— How Rodney broke free from cubicle nation and started his own company

— Some creative and unique approaches to problem solving

— And some very insightful perspectives on marketing

Plus so, so much more.

In my conversation with Rodney, he shares his greatest lessons in marketing, hustle, and building technology that has the potential to disrupt massive industries. You’ll hear about what one tech entrepreneur learned throughout his business education, starting with his childhood startup, his 4 degrees (including two masters), and real-life experience at working at one of the world’s largest companies.

Rodney is a fun guy to talk to, which makes him just as fun to listen to. So, please enjoy this interview with Rodney Williams…

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Mike Dillard is a serial entrepreneur who is creating a new technology that you’ll be able to put in your house and will supply all of the organic produce that you would want on a monthly basis. In order to bring his idea to life, Dillard teamed up with some entrepreneurial heavy hitters including Peter Diamandis, who is the founder of X Prize and Singularity University. And Dillard’s entrepreneurial path prepared him to make a big impact with this audacious venture.

Mike started first business over a decade ago in an unexpected industry — network marketing. That company turned into a multiple-eight-figure business as Mike mastered the art of internet marketing. He was young and did what a lot of young entrepreneurs do after an early success—he blew a bunch of money.

That’s what prompted Mike to dive into the world of finance and investing. He started a business in that world, and did $3 million in revenue in first 7 days. He did eight figures in the first year, and served over 50,000 customers in the first 3 years.

In this interview, Mike shares some insights and experiences that can help you make an incredible impact in the lives of others. We’ll talk about how he made his first millions in business during his twenties only to lose it all and fall into a depression. Mike’s comeback story is inspiring, but also includes actionable strategies to manage your psychology, leverage your strengths, and seize opportunity.

In 2015, Mike launched company with the sole purpose to generate the funds to fuel his innovative ag-tech business that aims to completely disrupt the food and agriculture industry.

That company he started in 2015 is SelfMadeMan, which has become the #1 Self-Help podcast on itunes. It has an enormous community that brings mentors into your world who can help you build a life of excellence in business, relationships, health, finance, and legacy. He’s interviewed people like Daymond John, Chris Sacca, and Chase Jarvis.

In this interview, Mike shares how he built his platform and how it’s enabled him to bring on business partners like Peter Diamandis, founder of X-prize and Singularity University who has teamed up with Dillard on his new ag-tech company.

In this conversation we talk about that new venture, as well as all of the ups and downs that led him to up to this pivotal moment.

Follow Mike (@mike_dillard) on twitter and at www.MikeDillard.com. He’s got an amazing community there, so I suggest joining his email list.

I’m so grateful for Mike’s transparency and humility in sharing the stories in this interview. And I’m so inspired by his mindset and execution that has helped him excel.

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Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes

Kara Nortman is the co-founder of Seedling and partner at Upfront Ventures. In this interview she recounts her evolution as a creative child from an adventurous family, to her role as a partner in the largest and most tenured venture capital fund in Los Angeles.

Armed with an AB in Politics and an MBA from Stanford, Kara Nortman found herself the only person from business school attending a C++ class when she interned at Microsoft more than a decade ago. Before that, she delved deep into esoteric stuff, sailing across uncharted waters (talk DSL and IP switches) just to make her job as telecoms industry analyst at Morgan Stanley more fulfilling and meaningful.

To Kara, so much lies beyond our comfort zones. For her, true entrepreneurs need to “dig past their limitations” to make the impossible possible. But for this to happen, entrepreneurs must have resilience, self-awareness, and passion for what they do.

Join Kara as she walks us through her formative years, from family trips that gave her a broader perspective, to her role as a VC evaluating the business viability of startups. Find out what makes a good pitch, and which traits differentiate successful entrepreneurs from those who won’t make the cut.

In this episode you’ll learn:

— How Kara’s upbringing influenced her evolution as a top-tier entrepreneur.

— The important role love of learning and discovery plays in achieving entrepreneurial success.

— The importance of finding mentors even at the point where you can mentor budding entrepreneurs and leaders yourself.

— Why being passionate also matters in the art of investing.

— Which entrepreneurial traits venture capitalists commonly look for.

— Why entrepreneurs should also conduct due diligence on the particular investors they are pitching to as much as the other way around.

— The factors making Los Angeles a highly attractive venue for innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth.

Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co

This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you.

DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup.

So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you.

We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes