Brian Atlas is the president and COO of Dyrdek Machine. Dyrdek Machine is a venture studio passionate about building brands and consumer media. Rob Dyrdek, who’s the founder and CEO, and Brian, met at only 20 years old and built Street League Skateboarding together which he ran for about a decade. Brian is totally passionate about skateboarding and entrepreneurship.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Brian’s hunger for knowledge is unmatched. This has increased over time as he tries to find out more about evolving as a person. In college, he realized if he applied himself to a goal to learn and evolve or progress as a person, the effort equaled to performance and he quickly started seeing results. His career also increased the habit of reading, having mentors, and finding resources.
STAYING COMMITTED TO A VISION
If you believe the world needs something or you could do something in a better way or you have what it takes, there's an energy that fuels you towards an action. Before starting Street League Skateboarding, they believed skating contests weren’t being done right and they had a thirst to change how things worked. They doubted themselves at first when building the brand, but this was an indication that there was more work to be done.
FINDING YOUR STRENGTHS
In college, Brian started a business which earned him numerous awards. One of the rewards he was given was for students that pushed their business furthest along by execution. It was at this time that he realized he’s a great executor. He sees a task to the very end by taking it and figuring out the problems that needs to be solved and putting it into action. Brian and Rob’s strengths really merge well together because Rob is passionate and has creative vision.
Even though Brian is undeniably good at networking, he doesn't see himself as a networker. He’s passionate about creating genuine relationships with people and the term networking, according to him, doesn't seem to fit well with that.
BUSINESS BLOCKS AND LESSONS
Nothing teaches you how to run a company like running a company. In the first 5 years of business, Brian made a lot of mistakes mostly around communication. He never communicated to his employees his expectations around performance, never created a dialogue around feedback, or just communicating the company’s vision. His main lesson now is obviously being on top of communication as a manager.
He’s also come to the understanding that meditation and getting enough sleep helps with having a successful business. Earlier on, he always looked stressed and to some extent angry, and people were scared to talk to him. But as time went by, he understood the importance of having some good rest and a clear mind.
CAREER OFF YOUR PASSION
Brian was lucky early on in his life to be presented with opportunities to hone his passion for skateboarding. It's important to know what your goals are, having faith, and executing them. Not everything will be handed to you on a silver platter and so it’s also paramount that you put in the work.
WORKING WITH CELEBRITIES
Having the right energy and being natural, definitely draws people. This is easier said than done but being self-aware and having an honest appraisal and an honest look at yourself is the first step. It's hard and it takes time and effort but your energy improves with time. Ask yourself questions like are you being honest with yourself, are you aware of your weaknesses, what do you want to improve in your life? If you have this honest dialogue with yourself, your self-development will massively improve, and you can therefore work with anyone, celebrity or not.
GOAL SETTING 2018.
Brian has a 5-year life plan that he breaks down into categories. These categories include finance, career, and social. Every morning before he starts his business, he looks at his personal to-do list because he believes his personal life comes first to everything else.
He constantly checks to make sure his actions align with his goals. This influences his personal budget, his financial management, auditing at the beginning of each yea. He’s got no one to keep him accountable, though, but his focus and zeal keeps him grounded.
HOW TO KNOW YOUR PASSION
In your journey when trying to figure out your purpose and where you should be heading, if you're in tune with your intuition you get signals. Be aware of what your body, mind, and energy is around and be sure there's no mistakes in your journey. Your intuition always whispers and never yells so you have to pay attention to that smaller voice. Brian knew what his passion was because he gets the best feeling when he helps other people.
LINKS MENTIONED
Instagram: @Brian_Atlas
Twitter: @Brian_Atlas
Website: Dyrdekmachine.com
Oprah and Gary Zukav interview
