Successful Dropout

To kick of this new season of Successful Dropout I was able to get our longtime business partners and best friends on the show (missing my sister Chelann though!) to talk about the pros and cons of partnership. We've been partners with Landon and Kennedy Wilkinson for over five years now, and friends for even longer. Together we have grown multiple six figure businesses and we don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

Throughout our partnership and friendship we've have many ups and downs and we've learned a lot. In this episode we break down the last five years of business partnership experience into some key actionable steps that you can take to decide if getting a business partner is right for you, and if so, how to do it in the best way possible!

Here are some of the things we talk about:

• About our business partnership, how long we have been partners, what we have accomplished, where we are headed.
• Why having a business partner is great and why it's not so great. When is it ideal, when is it not ideal?
• How do you choose the right business partner?
• How do you mitigate the risk of partnership?
• How do you keep the partnership healthy?
• What do you do when things start to get ugly?
• And More!

• NUYU Juice Bar and Renu Hot Yoga are two of the businesses we have partners with

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Episode 100 marks the end of a season, and the beginning of a new one. Kylon talks about the history of Successful Dropout, and his vision for the future of this community.

He also shares about his experience with Ayahuasca in the mountains of Costa Rica.

This episode is about change, and new beginnings.

• What is Ayahuasca?

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

It was a pleasure to sit down with Zachary Babcock on his new show, Underdog Empowerment and talk about my entrepreneurial journey, the school system, and the Successful Dropout community.

If you are having second thoughts about school, this is for you!

• Underdog Empowerment Podcast

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Rob had everything lined to succeed in college...a healthy scholarship, a spot on the baseball team and more. But he decided to opt-out on the last possible day and take life into his own hands. At the time all he had going for him was 5k in inventory which quickly turned into 250k sales in 13 months through selling on Amazon.

This episode is special because Rob used to be a listener of Successful Dropout, and he's now worked his way up to becoming a guest! It's so amazing to be apart of a community and movement that is inspiring people to step off the conveyor belt and build the best version of their lives. Rob and I talk about his journey, and then go deep into the process of Amazon FBA. If you want a great platform to start building your first business on, Amazon FBA might be for you!

• Connect with Rob on Facebook!
• Jungle Scout
• Helium 10
• Viral Launch

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Sivana is an ambitious and outspoken 20-year-old who believes the reason most young people aren't achieving what they want is that they are unclear on who they want to become, undisciplined, and have a lack of support in education outside of the current system. From an early age, she has had her hand in different endeavors, including a successful fashion resale business, to a failed PR business. As a college dropout, Sivana has traveled from a suitcase for 14 months forging relationships and working with Forbes CEO's, NYT bestselling authors, and online influencers. She is now on a mission to leave an impact through new forms of education, digital marketing, and influence. Sivana is passionate about speaking to high school students, reading way too many books (if that's even a thing), and watching reruns of Survivor.

Sivana is very much a kindred spirit and the epitome of a Successful Dropout with her approach to life and work. From her struggle to know herself, to her commitment to get 1% better everyday and her "RAD" system of reflect, align, do...Sivana has thrown herself into the self-directed life. We haven't heard the last of her!

Some of the things we talk about

• Making money in high school
• Success versus accomplishment
• Struggling with who you are and what you should do with your life
• A system for figuring out who you, what you want to do, and how you're going to get there
• On purpose and passion
• On people judging you for dropping/opting out of the status quo
• Turn stress into an adventure
• Always asking "what's great about this?"
• The power of committing to being 1% better everyday!
• When is quitting something good...and when is quitting something bad?
• The importance of never losing momentum
• Advice for people who are thinking of dropping out of college
• Advice for people who are already on their entrepreneurial journey

Reflect - Take the time to get to know yourself, what you want to do, be and have.

Align - Place yourself in the right situations with the right people that are headed where you want to go.

Do - Take massive action! Take the first step!

• Sivana's website
• Connect with Sivana on Instagram!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Jeremiah is the Cofounder and CEO of SimpleTiger, a boutique digital marketing agency specializing in SEO for entrepreneurs. The SEO industry is plagued by smoke and mirrors, blackhat techniques, and a lack of transparency, and Jeremiah wants to change that for good. For 11 years, Jeremiah has helped companies like Segment.com, Shopify, NBC, MTV, E*Trade, LG, and Sports Illustrated see significant gains in their search results, organic traffic, and revenue.

Jeremiah's story is a fascinating journey that illustrates the importance of introspection and understanding yourself to the fullest. If you have self-knowledge, a world of opportunity opens up for you that would not be available without it. Truly, it's hard to overstate the importance of this.

Some of the things we talk about

• Poor grades in school and what that means
• Understanding your unique learning style
• The importance of self awareness
• Just in time learning
• Tips for SEO and getting your site more exposure on Google
• Building an SEO agency
• Benefits of working remotely
• The future of work
• Parting advice for students

• SimpleTiger - Jeremiah's website
• SimpleTiger FREE SEO guide
• Take the DISC self-assessment test! Know yourself better.
• Moz Beginner's Guide to SEO
• DistilledU

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

This week I decided to sit down with my wife and sister and answer some questions from the SD community.

Between the three of us we all run six figure businesses, manage employees and staff, run podcasts and communities, two of us dropped out of school, we've been broke, had business partners, worked with spouses, siblings and friends building businesses, we've failed, we've succeeded, we've switched, pivoted, or quit things...you name it.

We got a great response and you guys asked some fantastic questions that we do our best to answer here.

We don't have it all figured out, but we can speak from a lot of experience and the fact that we are STILL in the process of figuring it out.

Here are some of the things we talk about:

• Benefits of a brick and mortar business versus an online business
• Business plans
• Business partners
• Raising money to start your business
• How to start a brick and mortar business with a family and busy schedule
• Being business partners with family and friends
• How to be a great podcast guest/what to look for in podcast guests
• Important financial knowledge to learn and keep in mind when starting a business
• Business and taxes - what to do?
• How do you build a business or endeavor that attracts people/customers?
• The importance of culture, customer service, and your product

• Chelann's podcast (Entrepreneur Before 25)
• Te's website
• NUYU Juice Bar
• Renu Hot Yoga
• LivePlan.com - for business plans!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Create a free account in the forum and introduce yourself!
• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Brodie is a public speaker and serial entrepreneur. Brodie currently owns and operates a number of businesses including a commercial real estate brokerage, a telecom marketing agency, and a high-risk payment processing company.

Brodie currently travels the country with his wife hannah speaking and attending a number of events on the topics of addiction, personal development, fear, motivation, and entrepreneurship. Brodie uses his past experiences with his battle against drugs and alcohol to inspire and empower others to overcome their afflictions.

Some of the things we talked about:

• Brodie's journey dealing with alcohol and drug addiction
• Getting himself together, become a real estate agent
• Relapse!
• How do you get to know yourself? How do you go about understanding who you are?
• The important of meditation and it's real purpose
• Starting a telecom company
• Dealing with fear
• Underlying rage and how it can be useful
• Why hardship and failure is essential
• Brodie gives advice to his 18 year old self
• Recommended books
• More!

• Brodie's website
• Brodie's Instagram - follow him!
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Headspace app - a MUST for meditating!
• As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
• Think and Grow Rich
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Caspar believes in challenging conventional thinking on how leaders and teams become truly effective and create extraordinary results. Caspar has 30 years' experience in building teams to make things happen. Starting as an entrepreneur at the age of 14, he has built and led teams in global corporations, start-up businesses, struggling businesses and high growth businesses. He built a team on a trophy-winning world racing yacht. But his toughest challenge by far was building his family team to sail around the world: with his wife and three children aged 9, 7 and 2. Along the way he has built multiple successful ventures from scratch and sold one for a 7 figure sum whilst sailing the Pacific Ocean. This was one of the most fascinating interviews I think I've ever done. Caspar literally blew my mind and compelled me to set new standards for myself, my family, and my businesses. This guy took his family on a two year long sailing trip and at the same time built three successful 7 figure businesses and sold one of them. I don't care who you are or where you are in life right now, this episode will have something for you...not to mention it will be very entertaining.

Some of the things we talked about:

• Caspar's hair
• Distruption
• Early days and stepping out from the corporate world
• Intention, vision casting and goal setting
• How to build great teams and self-running businesses
• Throwing school textbooks into the ocean
• Stranded 500 miles off the coast with no power
• Watching a movie projected on a sail in the middle of the ocean
• Advice for students and young entrepreneurs
• More!

• Caspar's website - definitely worth checking out!
• Where the Magic Happens by Caspar Craven

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!

Greg and Jeff are doing some amazing things to create social change in developing countries through the power of entrepreneurship. It was amazing to have them on the show and hear about their upcoming program, Career X and how YOU as a member of Successful Dropout can get involved.

If you are interested in entrepreneurship, looking for an adventure, and want to challenge yourself...how better to do it than going to Guatemala to build a business??

The adventure is 2.5 weeks long and you'll experience all the steps of launching a business: design thinking and prototyping, marketing, content creation, supply chain strategy, customer experience and more. You'll also be working with Jeff and Greg who have been building impactful businesses for over 15 years!

The first Guatemala program runs May 24 - June 10 so hurry and check it out here! This is your chance to gain unforgettable and invaluable entrepreneurial experience + have a crazy adventure you'll always remember.

Greg Van Kirk is an Ashoka Lemelson Fellow, Ashoka Globalizer and was recently recognized as Schwab Foundation "Social Entrepreneur of the Year for 2012 (Latin America)" at the World Economic Forum. He is the co-founder of Career X and The New Development Solutions Group. This includes Community Empowerment Solutions, Social Entrepreneur Corps and Ultimiya Social Innovation Consulting. Greg's signature social innovation was the creation of the award winning MicroConsignment Model. He has served as a consultant for organizations such as Levi Strauss Foundation, USAID, Chemonics, VisionSpring, Soros Foundation, Church World Service, Inter American Development Bank, Water For People, Solutions Journalism Network and Fundacion Paraguaya in the US, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. Greg began working in rural small business development as a Guatemala Peace Corps volunteer in 2001. Prior to the Peace Corps, Greg worked in investment banking in San Francisco and New York for five years. Two deals he led at UBS during this time won "Deal of the Year" honors from Structured Finance International magazine. Greg is a graduate of Miami University where he recently received the"Bishop Medal" . Greg lives with his family in New York City.

Jeff leads Your Project X, a social venture dedicated to helping people (re)discover their purpose to build careers they'll love. He has more than 18 years experience as an entrepreneur, consultant, professor and changemaker. He is the founder of five social ventures, including IBM's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consulting practice. In 2011, he developed the curriculum for the first MBA in Sustainability on the East Coast, at Bard College, where he was the Leadership professor. He was also two-time Chairman of the Carnegie New Leaders at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.

• Career X - go check it out!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremelyhelpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

• Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
• Join our private Facebook Group!
• Follow @successfuldropout on Instagram!