Trendsetters with Jesse Kay

Colin Campbell is Gary Vaynerchuk's personal writer; he produces an article in collaboration with Gary five days a week and runs Gary’s Monday newsletter. Together, Colin and Gary have grown their page from #10 to #1 on Medium, garnering over 70 million views on that page in just three months.

Beyond his work at VaynerMedia, Colin also started Life of Thought, a publication celebrating knowledge by discussing the importance of philosophy, education, and ideas.

I know a lot of young entrepreneurs, myself included, follow Gary V closely – this conversation offers some incredible insight into how Colin started working at VaynerMedia, what it’s like to work with Gary, and what the experience has taught him about being a better entrepreneur.

Resources:

Follow Life of Thought: Medium | Instagram | Twitter |

Read even more of Colin’s work at medium.com/@garyvee

Production & Development for the 20 Under 20s Podcast by Podcast Masters

Ben Zettler is an experienced social media expert and entrepreneur specializing in brand growth, lead generation, and sales. He oversees social strategy for Steiner Sports, the leading producer of authentic hand-signed collectibles, and is the owner and founder of Brooktide Sunglasses. In addition, Ben provides digital media consulting services to brands and public figures.

We discuss how he got into digital marketing, how you can get an online business off the ground (without quitting your day job), and generating leads online.

Resources:

Learn more at https://benzettler.com/ (BenZettler.com)

Connect with Ben: Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Steiner Sports

Brooktide Sunglasses

Mikey Taylor is a professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and real estate investor.

Mikey started skating, like most kids do, when he was a teenager and his friends were doing it – but it really connected with him. He worked with the one kid on his street who owned a camera and started filming tapes (on VHS) so that he could find sponsors and make it a job.

His first attempt, around the age of 16, took six months... and no one called him back.

So Mikey tried again and tried harder, and this time he got a shoe, clothing, and skate sponsor – and, as it turns out, this determination is the same thing that makes Mikey a great entrepreneur today. He doesn’t take failure as a no, but instead a reason to try even harder.

“Failure doesn’t mean the end. Failure is just part of the process for you to get where you want to go. Once I learned that… and started looking at failure as an everyday occurrence, I really started having more success in things other than skateboarding.”

Now Mikey is working on two new ventures: an online learning platform and a real estate investment and development company. Over the next 10 years, his vision is to grow those businesses so that he can make an even greater impact – and, ultimately, leverage that impact to change the foster system.

Resources:

Stay tuned to AvniIntelligence.com

Connect with Mikey: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Jason Feifer is the Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine and the host of two podcasts: Pessimists Archive, about the history of unfounded fears of innovation, and Problem Solvers, about how entrepreneurs solve unexpected problems in their business.

We discuss how Jason worked his way up to EIC, why Gen Z should learn diverse skills to adapt in today’s unpredictable economy, and the universal experience of entrepreneurs.

Great tips from Jason:

“You need to think about what you’re learning, not just how impressive or how cool a job is.” As long as you’re learning, you’re doing great. When there’s nothing else to learn, it’s time to move on.

Seek our diverse experiences so that you can learn diverse skills; Freelance, volunteer, and work with a variety people so that you can learn many skills, in different fields. “We’re not in a predictable economy right now.”

If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you have to be a self-starter. “A lot of people have dreams and aspirations, but they don’t actually get the car out on the road and start driving it… You have to earn attention, and you have to be so great that people want to talk about you.”

Ambition is great, but you also have to keep at whatever you set your mind to! Finding success – especially online – is a marathon, not a sprint. “The people who are resilient and really do hustle and stay with it and keep pounding on that door – those people get through. That counts for a lot.”

Everyone in any form of business is in the customer service business – all the time!

Resources:

Learn more at https://www.jasonfeifer.com/ (JasonFeifer.com)

Connect with Jason: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Listen: Pessimists Archive

Listen: Problem Solvers

Read: “What the Stars of Impractical Jokers Can Teach You About Teamwork and Risk”

Today’s guest is inspiring for anyone who feels like there’s not enough time to get things done.

Trevor Booker is a Power Forward for the Philadelphia 76ers (previously the Brooklyn Nets) in the NBA, but that’s not all – he’s also a Founding Partner of JB Fitzgerald Venture Capital and a serial entrepreneur. On top of all that, he’s a husband and a father of four.

So don’t be afraid to dream big, and dare to do a lot – it IS possible, and there is definitely enough time in the day if Trevor manages to get all of that done.

Resources:

Check out JB Fitzgerald Venture Capital: jbfitzgerald.com

Josh Levin is the Founder of Empowered Electric, a commercial electric company that specializes in high-end projects like restaurants, theaters, and other large spaces. Josh is taking an unconventional approach to building a company in an old school industry, and he’s seen tremendous success over the past three years.

Josh had a rough childhood, and he grew up being told that he would fail due to his circumstances.

But, early on, Josh had his first taste of being an entrepreneur – and he was hooked on the empowering freedom that it offered. Although he often had to work twice as hard as someone else to get the same results, he developed grit and discipline that are now invaluable as a business owner.

Josh later had an opportunity to apprentice with an electrician, and this was hugely impactful – unlike college, where you pay to learn, apprenticeships and internships will pay you to learn a skill. He worked harder than anybody else, and it paid off.

“Have a great attitude and work your ass off, and you will get noticed.”

Josh stayed with that company for 10 years before founding his Empowered Electric, but he realized that he had to make more money if he wanted to make a bigger impact and empower other people who grew up being told they would fail – and that’s why he named his company Empower.

Resources:

Learn more about Empowered Electric: empoweredkc.com

Connect with Josh: Instagram | Twitter

Production & Development for the 20 Under 20s Podcast by Podcast Masters

John Ruhlin is the Founder & CEO of the Ruhlin Group, a gift strategy and logistics company, and the bestselling author of Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention.

John’s Ah-Ha Moment

As a kid, John’s life changed when he started working for Cutco – not because he was selling great knives, but because he knew a very generous businessman and they worked out a gift-giving deal.

They started sending gift boxes that included both pocket knives and kitchen knives to the CEOs of multimillion dollar companies. When John asked why they were sending kitchenware to high-powered CEOs, he was told, “If you take care of the entire family, everything else in business seems to take care of itself.”

By the time John got to college, he was the best salesman in the history of Cutco (and found a new niche).

“Nobody was teaching business leaders how to leverage gratitude as a competitive advantage in business.” –John Ruhlin

If you want to start giving better gifts and leveraging gratitude in your life, check out The Top 10 Worst Gifts to Avoid Giving at giftologybook.com/jesse.

Resources:

Download The Top 10 Worst Gifts to Avoid Giving: giftologybook.com/jesse

Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention

Right out of school, AJ Vaynerchuk and his brother Gary co-founded VaynerMedia. Together, they grew that business from two people to over 600. Now AJ is following his passion for sports with a new venture, VaynerSports.

We talk about transitioning from one company to the other, and why you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) wait to be an entrepreneur – you can do it in high school, and it’s never been easier than it is today.

Resources:

Learn more at http://www.vaynersports.com/ (VaynerSports.com)

Connect with AJ on Twitter

Gary Vaynerchuk tells us how Gen Z can hustle harder and sooner than ever before, thanks to the increased connectivity of the digital age.

Resources:

GaryVaynerchuk.com

Connect with Gary V: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Production & Development for the 20 Under 20s Podcast by Podcast Masters

Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, international speaker, business innovator, social media personality, and one of the best sales trainers in the world.

Grant doesn’t see Generation Z as kids – he sees us as Giants ready to conquer the world, and he has some great advice to help you, as he says, “Go get that money, man!”

Resources:

Connect with Grant: GrantCardone.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Read Grant’s books:

The 10X Rule

The Closer’s Survival Guide

The Millionaire Booklet

Production & Development for the 20 Under 20s Podcast by Podcast Masters