Wonder Podcast: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Change the World

Tanya Chernova is a voice of inspiration, empowering people worldwide as a celebrated speaker, author, mentor and business expert.

Tanya has traveled over 50 countries as a sought after educator to some of the world’s largest brands such as L’Oréal Professionnel, Polyconcept, Cisco, Henessy, and NASA. Tanya transforms companies and people with the mindset and skill set to succeed.

Timestamped Show Notes:

01:04 Neuroscience and leadership--leadership helps both leaders and managers understand what's at the core of an employee's behavior.

02:06 Limiting subconscious beliefs are actually creating the perception of a reality that the economy is not open for either their product or their price point and they talk themselves out of a sale. Not Consciously, but subconsciously.

03:08 What's important for leaders today is to get into the subconscious minds of their individual employees to find out what is it that could be sabotaging their success and productivity in any area of the organization.

04:03 A specific line of questioning that we go into an order to break apart what that perception of reality is for the speaker so they can start to realize that based on their perception of what they're going through they themselves are actually creating the block and then, and then how to overcome it.

04:55 How leaders can control their own subconscious mind. So if you're a leader thinking, OK, where do I need to make the breakthroughs? In my leadership style? Start to investigate in your subconscious mind what could be driving those results because you're ultimately created them.

05:53 10 city tour with EO of India and Bangladesh and Nepal and Dubai -- no matter which country I presented to the results were pretty much the same in the belief survey. Certain questions came up recurrently for these entrepreneurs. So either I constantly doubt or question myself and mistrust my judgement.

06:44 Not trusting people with the important things -- it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

07:59 New paradigm to see conflict as something positive.

08:54 How do you figure out your mindset or first discovering it or being aware of it, what are the steps?

09:39 What happens when you have your subconscious beliefs is that you're so clear that that's the way reality is, that it actually creates blind spots in your periphery and you don't really see where you can trust or where you can make more money or where the opportunities lie.

10:27 What results would I create if this is how I thought?

11:12 Try taking action based on this new thinking.

12:49 Two psychological responses to “I’m not enough”.

14:34 Right. So that's another factor of it. What are the other ways these subconscious beliefs, the sabotage our life, our, I am not enough to tell you that it's not just, I'm not enough. It's we always perceive it in three ways. I am not a knife, you know, you are not enough. Like you're the peop the people who are in your life that you were looking at. And also life is not enough. So for example, you know, I know for me, I definitely grew up on that one and if I feel like I'm not happy with the way things are or that I'm not happy with myself in that moment because something triggers me and I feel like, you know, it's not enough where I'm doing or how things are going. And I look at my spouse and I think, yeah, you're not enough either and I look at my child and I think you should be doing better to, you know, and then, and then so we project that, you know, that psychological projection and then we think also does not enough.  

16:43 If you're a person who feels like I'm all alone or I don't trust or I'm not worthy, you're going to create teams like that.

19:52 Seven self-sabotaging beliefs and creating an app for that purpose, due to launch sometime in the summer of 2018.

20:49 First of all identify the limitations in your thinking and start realizing, and this is not positive thinking, I want people to know it's actually productive thinking.

21:32 Take everything that you think and turn it around, the subconscious test has turnaround statements. Create them as and record them. It's important that we record them into a phone or a device to hear our own voice because the sound of our own voice almost casts a spell upon ourselves.

22:27 Saying no to opportunities inadvertently on a daily basis when our subconscious mind is locking in possibilities.

23:30 The defining moment which created this thought in the first place -- “I just can't ask for the money or what I want.”

Resources:
Tanya Chernova's Site
EO Network

Hindi Jain is the founder of a casual weekend wear and yoga pants company with a mission to inspire others with the mantra, "No Titles. No Borders. World Citizens." The young designer started a henna line when she was only 10 years old and has worked for top quality designers like Ralph Lauren and BCBG Max Azria. Hindi Jain prides herself on using quality materials and has learned the value of spreading positivity worldwide.

Timestamped Notes: 

• 00:00:58 --> 00:01:01
  Kalika: How did you get the Entrepreneur bug?
  
  Hindi: My father was a serial entrepreneur and he
  had a series of businesses so I had my first business when I was ten years old.He really encouraged me to take that to the furthest extent.
• 00:01:23 --> 00:01:28
  Kalika: So is it easier because you come from an entrepreneur
  family to be an entrepreneur?
  
  Hindi: Originally when I first started my career I gravitated towards corporate America because
  I saw all of all the hurdles that come with entrepreneurship.
• 00:02:03 --> 00:02:08
  Kalika: So do you have any advice for any women entrepreneurs that are just starting out?
  
  Hindi: Seek female mentors. I think that there's a lot of value in learning from other women who gone and started their own business. I think women face a lot of different obstacles than men.
• 00:03:09 --> 00:03:13
  Kalika: So what's the best advice you've gotten from
  a female mentor?
  
  Hindi: I guess seeking out other female mentors and to keep in mind that whoever you choose to be your business partner almost becomes like your life partner.
• 00:03:46 --> 00:03:53
  Hindi: Maintaining our integrity as a women in business.
  sometimes it takes it takes a little longer but you absolutely can and It'll help you out in the long run.
• 00:03:59 --> 00:04:00
  Kalika: Tell me more about that.
  
  Hindi: For example I remember I was interviewing
  with a fashion recruiting company and
  The Recruiter and I saw each other at a
  bar and he trie to like put his hand up my dress
  at the bar and I was shocked.
  I was like what are you doing that's absurd
  don't do that and he was like well if you
  want a job you got to do what you gotta do.
• 00:04:54 --> 00:04:59
  Kalika: Do you think that that's why it's easier
  to surround yourself the other female founders?
  
  Hindi: I think there's a different level of respect
  it’s a kind of sisterhood that you
  form. Which is really special.
• 00:07:39 --> 00:07:45
  Kalika: Can you share any tips on marketing, social media that you've learned along the way?
  
  Hindi: I would say that a lot of planning goes into that and when you're gonna run a campaign online you have to do all of your work in advance. It's not like it just happens once you launch. You can do things to plan your posts so that you don't have to be have the pressure of creating content every day. Set your calendar. Maybe one day you're gonna focus on social media and plan all of your posts and then it kind of runs itself so that you can focus on the other things.
• 00:09:38 --> 00:09:40
  Kalika: How did you get your first customer?
  
  Hindi: Well I mean I guess technically my first customer
  was from my Kickstarter campaign through social media. I developed video
  content and explained my idea with my rants. Also,
  Facebook ads and it kind of grew from there — I think people
  really connected to the message that I was sending out.
• 00:11:16 --> 00:11:21
  Kalika: What do you think attributes to your success?
  
  Hindi: Perseverance and being able to deal with the setbacks.
  Realize that it's a setback but that doesn't mean it's the end.
• 00:11:42 --> 00:11:44
  Kalika: What's your productivity secret?
  
  Hindi: I like to do things in small spurts so
  I'll wake up and do a little bit of work in bed.
  Then get ready for the day and then I'll do
  a couple hours of work and it'll take a little
  break - I kind of work throughout the
  day and feel like I work until one or two AM
• 00:12:25 --> 00:12:28
  Kalika: Sort of like the Pomodoro?
  
  Hindi: Yeah, yes yes yes but it's more
  than eight minutes I guess you'd say I do it in three to four hours segments.
   
• 00:12:43 --> 00:12:45
  Kalika: Do you work on the weekends?
  Hindi: Yeah, I feel like everyday is a Monday. I enjoy it.

Key Points:

1. Understand that entrepreneurship has obstacles that the corporate world doesn't and you have to determine if that's the right choice for you before you start.

2. Seeking mentors, especially as a women, can be empowering both for the sake of knowledge but also because of the community.

3. Key takeaways from launching a brand and tips for running a Kickstarter campaign.

Resources:
Hindi Jain's Site
EO Network

Cal Fussman is a New York Times bestselling author, writer-at-large for Esquire Magazine, keynote speaker, interviewing consultant, entrepreneur, and podcaster. Today on the EO Podcast, Cal reflects on the origins of his own curiosity and retells key lessons from interviews he has hosted with celebrities. Tune-in to learn how to ask the right questions, what you can do to really listen, and why these skills are key to being a successful entrepreneur.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:17 – Cal is a master storyteller and prolific journalist who elevates leaders by teaching them how to ask the right questions
• 00:34 – Cal’s Esquire column for the past 20 years: “What I’ve Learned”
• 00:44 – He has interviewed Mikhail Gorbachev, Muhammad Ali, Richard Branson, Robert De Niro, and many more
• 01:20 – Cal’s background
• 01:22 – When JFK was assassinated, Cal was 7 years old and curious about  Lyndon B. Johnson’s thoughts and feelings about becoming president
• 03:58 – He wrote President Johnson a letter and sent it to the White House
• 04:26 – 5-6 months later, in May of 1964, Cal got a response
• 05:13 – He became fascinated with Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay); around the same time he won heavyweight champion of the world
• 05:52 – Something new seemed to always happen; Cal had questions about Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Martin Luther King Jr., the voyage to the moon, etc.
• 06:30 – The 60s were an era of questions; even Cal’s teenage years were full of questions around the events at the time
• 07:00 – Cal knew he’d live a life of asking questions
• 07:04 – Asking the right questions
• 08:05 – Curiosity will fuel your questions; if you’re not curious, the question won’t help you
• 08:43 – Cal’s interview with Kobe Bryant
• 08:45 - Cal’s first question to Kobe Bryant: To someone who lived to win, how will it feel to simply sit and wait for the votes to come in for the Academy Award nomination?
• 09:45 – Kobe’s response was surprising; it all came from curiosity
• 10:05 – Cal heard about a party concept where you show up as yourself 5 years from now; he asked Kobe who he’d be 5 years from now and he said “curious”
• 11:00 – Kobe is curious and respects curiosity; he’s gotten into storytelling to reach young people
• 12:05 – Cal’s “win” is connecting with someone; when he and Kobe spoke, they connected in their curiosity
• 12:34 – Similarities among the athletes that Cal has interviewed: Ali and Kobe, Kobe and Serena
• 12:45 – Muhammad Ali’s childhood story about dodging rocks in the same way he later dodged punches
• 13:44 – Kobe Bryant’s childhood story about throwing rocks at a telephone pole as he rode his bike similarly to how he threw up a shot in a basketball game
• 14:52 – When Kobe was 4, he did karate against someone of a higher belt; he became aware that fear came from his imagination and practiced fearlessness
• 16:15 –Serena secretly registered herself and played in a tournament and won; both sisters got to the finals and won 1st and 2nd and Venus gave Serena her gold
• 18:40 – In both cases, there were athletes that understood something about themselves from an early age and went for it
• 18:55 – Is it a belief in themselves that separates them from the rest?
• 19:05 – Kobe believes he would’ve figured it out soon, but having the situation allowed him to process the lesson about his imagination creating fear
• 19:30 – Kobe still had fear but was aware of it; the theme of Kobe’s interview was awareness of fear and curiosity
• 19:57 – Screening potential candidates for a company
• 20:12 – Companies have problems screening candidates; when Cal works with companies he always asks how they’re screening
• 20:48 – Communication is 10% what you say, 30% tone of voice, and 60% body language; in phone screening you’re only getting 40%
• 21:05 – Skype screenings allow for 100% communication and closer proximity to the interviewee
• 22:06 – Interviewing strategy is key to bring in the candidates you want; interviewees should get screened by lower-level management before being interviewed by leadership
• 23:20 – Story about women being unfairly judged in the symphony; tests showed that if the violinists couldn’t be seen, women were more likely to be chosen
• 24:20 – Nonverbal communication
• 24:37 – Cal discussed this with Kobe; when he was young, he went to Italy and needed to rely on nonverbal communication
• 24:53 – Cal learned how to interview when he traveled the world; he realized that words weren’t as important as what was underneath the words
• 25:17 – He learned to read faces and body language; it was like playing charades
• 26:05 – Cal is a believer in putting yourself in situations where you must communicate with new people and get outside your comfort zone; Serenflipity card game example
• 28:10 – Practicing this leads to better understanding in body language
• 28:27 – Catching someone in a lie: Story of a woman covering her throat
• 29:15 – Jose Navarro’s book “What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People”
• 30:27 – Storytelling: Focusing on sections of a story that received approval when you told the story before
• 31:00 – The essence of the story stays the same, but sometimes sections are taken from other places
• 31:20 – How to become a better listener and observer: The Ice Cream Test
• 31:25 Walk up to someone you don’t know but can be comfortable with and ask, “Where’s the best ice cream?”
• 32:23 – Ask, “Why is it the best?”
• 33:00 – Ask follow up questions based upon their answers; listen so you can continue asking questions and learning about that person
• 34:00 – They’ll appreciate being listened to and you’ll exercise your listening and question-asking skills
• 35:00 – Generals get more out of interrogations when they ask the right questions
• 35:27 – Most people don’t listen, they’re thinking about what to say next
• 35:50 – Put yourself in situations to ask questions, truly listen, and learn the “whys”
• 36:05 – Before an interview, Cal researches the interviewee and writes down 100-200 questions
• 36:40 – This can be done for hiring interviews, too; research the applicant online and write down 25 questions
• 37:15 – Cal doesn’t bring the questions into the interview with him; he walks around with the questions and absorbs them beforehand
• 38:00 – Depending on the interviewee’s response, if you listen, you’ll be able to easily pull a question from your mind
• 38:25 – Genuine curiosity will turn an interview into a conversation
• 38:34 – Weird questions Cal has asked
• 38:53 – He asked John Kenneth Galbraith how much he pays for a pair of socks and he replied, “I’ve learned never to answer a foolish question.”
• 39:45 – Afterwards, he sent Cal a thank you letter and recommended that he interview Robert McNamara, someone else in the Kennedy administration
• 40:08 – His question made John stop and wonder; interesting questions make your interview memorable to the interviewee
• 40:56 – Cal’s next steps
• 41:00 – Cal’s podcast – Big Questions
• 41:13 – Cal’s entrepreneurial journey
• 41:17 – He never wanted to be an entrepreneur and was raised comfortably because his father worked for IBM
• 42:41 – He and his family were safe, secure, and lived in a middle-class neighborhood filled with kids
• 43:45 – He never had to think entrepreneurially; he delivered newspapers as a kid just so he could see the news first
• 45:29 – Newspapers and magazines are very different now than they were when he was a kid; now entrepreneurs are in podcasting
• 46:04 – Cal has realized that when you’re an entrepreneur you have to think about who’s sponsoring and what they think about the partnership
• 46:49 – Cal now gives talks and seminars about listening; he speaks to salespeople who know it’s better to listen but lose sight of that when they pitch
• 47:41 – He follows salespeople to study whether there are faster ways to sell by asking the right questions
• 48:08 – Someone suggested that he sell one of his speeches so he knows how to sell to salespeople; it was a big moment when he realized that it’s no different than interviewing
• 49:00 – Cal’s father on him being an entrepreneur
• 49:06 – His father had his doubts when Cal bought a “Rolex” for $20
• 51:09 – He went to the pawn shop and got $12 for it

Key Points:

1. Genuine curiosity will turn an interview into a conversation.
2. Put yourself in situations to ask questions, truly listen, and learn from people.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask interesting or “weird” questions; they’ll make you stand out and make your interview memorable. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• Cal’s Website
• Card game - Serenflipity
• Jose Navarro’s book – “What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People”
• Cal’s Podcast – Big Questions

Violet Lim is a mother, entrepreneur, and modern-day matchmaker. Today on the EO Podcast, Violet discusses her dating services, why single female entrepreneurs struggle to find a match, and how she juggles her businesses and her own personal life. Tune-in to learn why Violet’s desk is on the opposite side of the office from her husband’s, how she sets up monthly “dates” of her own, and how she’s already making an impact on the next generation (hint: babies!).

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:23 – Violet’s Entrepreneurial Journey
• 00:35 – She is an only child, her parents were small business owners who told her to go to school and get a good job
• 01:00 – She went to school for law, HR, and was a management associate at a bank in Singapore
• 01:20 – She noticed her colleagues were all single, but her friends were all getting married and had met their other half in school
• 02:05 – She came across the idea of lunch dating, no one was doing that in Asia or offering a dating service for people like her busy colleagues
• 03:10 – She wanted to help people and has always been active in community service work
• 03:24 – She never was a matchmaker, but her friends always called her for advice/support
• 04:05 – Breaking the news to her parents
• 04:22 – She had to tell her parents that she was going to quit her job and start her own company; they were shocked and believed she was cursing her next generations
• 05:35 – They wanted Jaime, her husband, to do it first and see if it works out; she convinced them to give their blessing for her to go in 100%
• 07:00 – Telling her colleagues and friends about her decision to begin a dating service
• 07:45 – People thought she was crazy; when she quit it felt surreal but then natural
• 08:30 – She likes to dabble in everything, and as an entrepreneur she can
• 09:02 – Entrepreneurship is about solving problems; her service is about dating more efficiently
• 09:35 – They are innovating, developing, doing R&D; they’ve gone online, they have a mobile app, and academy to help people become their best selves
• 10:13 – Finding the right one is about being the right one
• 11:00 – People don’t want to accept where they are and who they want
• 12:00 – Her friend that doesn’t fully love someone but doesn’t want to take the risk; it isn’t settling, but there is no connection
• 13:00 – Mismatching, incompatibility, and ticking boxes that don’t matter
• 14:01 – Violet’s first sale: Working on the business, not in it
• 14:20 – They hired a salesperson, came up with a script, shared it, and it started with a friend of a friend; it was $550 for 15 dates in 2004, before Tinder and other online sites
• 15:10 – Lunch Actually service is personalized; client comes to the office for an interview to determine matches and select package to purchase
• 16:25 – They review biases, personality and attractiveness
• 17:00 – She predicts thousands of marriages have met through Lunch Actually
• 17:20 – Lunch Click app
• 17:37 – People don’t chat on the app; dating is an offline activity
• 18:00 – Chatting on the app makes the chances of meeting lower; people can ask multiple choice questions that are more probing on the app then propose a date
• 19:20 – Dates are usually proposed by the girl; they can choose venue, timing, and other options
• 20:11 – She’s kept in touch with Lunch Actually families babies
• 20:20 – The business is very emotional; they see sides of people you don’t normally see
• 20:50 – She finds the business fulfilling
• 21:18 – Violet’s advice for single female entrepreneurs
• 21:30 – Women entrepreneurs find men to be intimidated by their success and sometimes find it difficult to find someone at the same level
• 22:04 – Put time aside for dating, even if you are busy
• 22:30 – “You’re going on a date, not a debate:” Find someone you can rely on and respect
• 23:17 – Some women are fine with being the beta, but need a man that is enough of an alpha
• 23:50 – Strong women who seem alpha are beta and want to find an alpha, but tend to attract betas because of their outward role as an alpha
• 24:40 – Working with her husband Jamie
• 24:45 – It works because they have distinct roles, strengths, and weaknesses; they complement each other, she is extroverted and he is introverted
• 25:10 – She is Influence Dominant and he is Dominant Conscientious based on their personality test
• 26:14 – They sit opposite ends of the office, have common values, and are best friends; they have arguments sometimes but always put the business first and don’t get personal
• 27:45 – How she juggles family and business; Violet loves being a mom
• 28:00 – She got married at 25 and had her first child at 26; she believes everything can be hand-in-hand so she focuses on family and business simultaneously
• 29:00 – People struggle to find balance because they think they have to do everything at the same time; Violet balances her days of the week
• 29:30 – She spends time with her family on the weekends and has one, one-on-one date a month with each child
• 30:18 – They go shopping, go for a walk, have tea, talk, and do whatever they’d like; she also has started to do trips with them
• 31:30 – Violet’s habits
• 31:44 – She has quiet time in the morning, works with a coach to clarify her personal mission
• 32:40 – She asks herself what she has done to achieve her personal mission
• 32:46 – Violet’s personal mission: To be remembered for impacting billions of relationships through her life and work, and to inspire, to care, and to honor God in all she does
• 33:10 – She reflects on everything in the past week and everything coming up to ensure it is aligned with her mission

 Key Points:

1. Finding the right “one” is about being the right “one.”
2. Create a business that fuels you and makes you feel fulfilled; create a personal mission and align everything you do with it.
3. Even if you’re busy, make time for dating.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• Personalized Dating Service – Lunch Actually
• Dating App – Lunch Click

Brad Feld, early stage investor and entrepreneur, co-founded Foundry group, Techstars, Mobius Venture Capital, and Intensity Ventures. Today on the Wonder podcast, Brad discusses how to execute your business better, how to properly raise money, and why radical self-inquiry is critical if you truly want to be successful. Tune-in to learn how Brad’s businesses are supporting women in IT, why hiring a “culture fit” is actually a bad idea, and how he is breaking the stigma around mental health issues.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:52 – In his book “Startup Opportunities” he discusses the difference between a startup and a small business; what’s the difference?
• 01:07 – The definition of entrepreneurship in government and the discussion of “mainstream business” and “startups”
• 01:50 – 2 categories: local business and startups (high-growth entrepreneurial businesses with an aspiration to grow very large and aren’t geographically bound)
• 03:04 – “Know When to Quit Your Day Job”
• 03:15 – Sean, his coauthor, had a book that talked about 100 or so characteristics of successful companies
• 03:30 – There are lots of good books on entrepreneurship, but the challenge with those is that people don’t know if the actual idea is any good
• 04:10 – “Startup Opportunities” is a book that says the execution is what’s important and gives advice on what to think about to increase your chances of starting a good business
• 04:36 – Brad’s biggest takeaway from the book is the notion that your idea needs to be 10x better than the existing ideas; not just incrementally better
• 04:50 – Local businesses are different, as they are geographically-based and don’t have to be 10x better
• 05:08 – It gets you out of incrementalist thinking
• 05:20 – How can people execute better?
• 05:26 – Founders can surround themselves with people who have been successful; build a mentor network of people who will put energy into what you are doing
• 05:45 – Mentorship doesn’t have to be hierarchal; mentors can be successful peers, too
• 06:06 – Its difficult to be a solo founder; most successful businesses have multiple founders or people that were there and instrumental at the beginning
• 06:56 – Don’t do it all yourself; get others to help you execute better
• 07:14 – Radical self-inquiry: Constantly try to learn more about yourself as you develop your practical skills
• 08:19 – Brad’s experience with radical self-inquiry
• 08:24 – Brad was president of a company for 7 years; he didn’t like the job and reflected on it after they sold the business and he had a staff role with the company that acquired them
• 08:56 – He was an angel investor and an active VC; it made him realize that he didn’t like being a CEO and that he couldn’t do both effectively
• 09:38 – Another example of radical self-inquiry was the decision to move based upon where they wanted to live instead of moving based on work
• 10:50 – Boston was never home; they wanted to choose a place, not be forced into a place
• 11:30 – Techstars has accelerator programs and activity all over the world and Foundry Group is based out of Boulder; it all came out of his own sense of self and importance
• 12:00 – What are the realities of capital raising that entrepreneurs need to understand and accept to be successful at it?
• 12:10 – Do or do not, there is no “try”
• 12:27 – Envision that you’ll be successful, but accept that you may not be successful
• 12:40 – Understand what you’re raising, why, and from whom; define your own next level
• 13:50 – Focus on investors that are appropriate based on your amount and your “why”
• 14:23 – View your fundraising as a key milestone; use the money to build something useful and don’t put too much weight on just the fact that you raised the money
• 14:56 – Brad’s latest investment: Looking Glass Factory
• 15:10 – They make a 3D holographic image display that you can interact with spatially; HoloPlayer One and SuperPepper (experimental) are a couple of their products
• 16:11 – Computer-human interaction creates an immersion collaboration experience
• 17:12 – Why do women entrepreneurs only get 2-3% of the funding, and how can that change?
• 17:18 – Brad’s been a part of the National Center for Women Information Technology for a long time where the discussion has been prevalent
• 17:29 – The alliance tried to get more women and girls in IT; there weren’t visible heroes for women in IT to look up to
• 18:10 – They found women that worked in IT and had successful businesses to interview and showcase
• 18:22 – Misogyny and bias (conscious and unconscious) create a power dynamic between men and women that inhibits the growth of women
• 19:00 – Men tend to select men; the venture business tends to be an apprenticeship business
• 19:38 – Brad hopes that we are in a societal shift that eliminates the frame of reference around power to have a gender link
• 19:53 – He read Susan Brownmiller’s Book “Against our Will” to understand the objectification of women in war and sports; he feels like we are going through a shift
• 20:40 – He’s hoping the Trump presidency has caused a tipping point, but it is still a long-term process
• 21:34 – Does the Foundry Group or Techstars have an effort to improve the odds for women needing investors?
• 21:36 – Techstars has a number of female managing directors, an aggressive diversity and inclusion initiative, and is working towards changing the behavior around all sorts of things so there isn’t gender conflict
• 22:38 – The Techstars Foundation’s mission is to improve diversity in entrepreneurship; this goes beyond gender to include people that are incarcerated
• 23:38 – Foundry as a firm didn’t have the goal to grow, the partners that are there have been there since the beginning and the pool of female VC’s is small
• 24:44 – With Foundry they focus on other things like advocacy activities and support of female GPs
• 25:10 – They constantly look for opportunities to invest in women; women in their portfolio has grown over the years
• 26:03 – They are taking action to participate and behave in a way that is consistent and supportive
• 25:25 – He is learning and wants to increase his understanding of the issues
• 27:30 – Brad’s thoughts on business-led apprenticeships
• 27:50 – The notion of apprenticeships is powerful; you want people to learn and grow despite whether you’d actually hire them
• 28:03 – The phrase “culture fit:” Hiring for “culture fit” is wrong, you should hire for “culture add”
• 28:20 – Find people that subscribe to your cultural norms but extend it with new thoughts, ideas, and perspectives; cultural fits decreases diversity characteristics
• 29:08 – Ask what you can invest in that will add to your experience and perspective instead of simply reinforce it; this can be at any level in your business that you see fit
• 29:52 – Example: Return Path company that he invested in
• 30:05 – The CTO’s wife had been out of the workforce for 10-15 years and when she tried to return, it was very difficult due to the “resume gap”
• 30:40 – Things in the workforce had changed so much as well (skills, technology, etc)
• 31:00 – Return Ships program: An internship program where they get back into the workforce, get paid, have a role, and hopefully get hired after the program
• 31:30 – Path Forward nonprofit does “Return Ships” and is doing well
• 32:00 – Change your culture by bringing in a different kind of person; they can add a new dimension to your organization and change the way it functions
• 32:24 – Brad’s view on the importance of community and the role of the entrepreneur in their community
• 33:46 – In EO from early 90s to late 90s, community wasn’t a category
• 34:00 – Entrepreneurs often feel too maxed out to invest time in their community
• 34:20 – Some entrepreneurs don’t have a frame of reference to understand what would give them joy in this context: His book coming out that discusses this is called “Give First”
• 34:55 – When you give first you don’t know what you are going to get back; get a bunch of people to give first so they can get back a significant amount
• 35:27 – Most successful communities of people have the giving characteristic; entrepreneurs can more clearly define the benefit to themselves
• 36:04 – Example: An entrepreneurial friend said he didn’t have time to give first and his biggest problem in business was that he couldn’t find any iOS developers
• 36:35 – He suggested a monthly iOS development meet-up where he could serve pizza, drinks, and beer to his iOS guy and his friends and connections
• 37:03 – After a year, he was doing well, was giving back to the community, the meet-up was successful and had grown, and his company was known as the one doing “cool iOS stuff”
• 27:30 – He didn’t know this would happen on day one, but it definitely benefited the business and community
• 37:46 – Most entrepreneurs spend 20-40% wasting their time; figure out how to spend 10% of your time doing something in the community
• 38:50 – The contribution to your community shouldn’t take away from you, it should feed your soul and give you joy
• 39:35 – Are there ways that people give that isn’t “correct”?
• 39:55 – On a personal level, Brad believes in Adam’s take in his book “Give and Take”: The people in life that are givers are happier and more successful
• 40:20 – If you are giving out of obligation rather than through radical self-inquiry, it won’t work for you or your success
• 41:25 – External reasons and justifications are not good or sustainable reasons; success in the absence of joy is pointless
• 42:31 – What is Brad’s view on depression?
• 42:37 – He talks openly about it because he believes it should be destigmatized
• 42:44 – Most entrepreneurs that he’s worked with have depression, anxiety, or simply low mental health
• 43:10 – The challenges of human society are nontrivial; he has clinical obsessive compulsive disorder and was very ashamed of it when he was diagnosed
• 43:45 – The shame is unhealthy and a societal norm that has been created; people have trouble accepting it and realizing that they can be successful and still manage these issues
• 44:25 – For Brad, he destigmatizes it by being open about it and discussing it with other entrepreneurs and their teenagers
• 45:18 – He helps entrepreneur parents understand their children
• 45:40 – This goes back to diversity; he can’t speak for women or people of color, but he can speak about his own diversities like his OCD and Jewish background
• 46:30 – He tries to learn, teach, and get rid of stigma and bias how he can
• 47:31 – Brad has had one suicidal ideation that he wrote about in his book “Startup Life”
• 47:40 – He and his wife made a rule that he would always tell her if he had suicidal thoughts
• 48:00 – The one time he had that thought, he told her and felt supported and safe
• 48:25 – His great-grandfather committed suicide during the Great Depression; he was an entrepreneur
• 49:00 – Processing this information helped him understand his own psychology, identify with it, and soften the relationship with it
• 49:58 – Speaking openly about mental health is important during the journey; EO groups have helped create the space for support in that realm
• 52:15 – He started the Boston and Colorado EO chapters; he was also very active in YEO

Key Points:

1. Surround yourself with people who have been successful; work directly with others to help you execute better, and always participate in “radical self-inquiry.”
2. When trying to raise capital, understand what you’re raising, why, and from whom; you must define your own next level.
3. Contribute to your community in a way that feeds your soul and gives you joy.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• Susan Brownmiller’s book - “Against our Will”
• Adam Grant’s book – “Give and Take”
• Brad’s book – “Startup Life”

Bradley Raider is a teacher, award-winning filmmaker, and entrepreneur who is fascinated by consciousness expansion. Today on the EO Podcast, Bradley discusses the importance of meditation for entrepreneurs to improve their creativity, productivity, and stress-levels. Tune-in to learn how Bradley discovered meditation, worked as an apprentice and began to teach – all while still having the time to release his film “Kensho at the Bedfellow.”

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:30 – Why is meditation important for entrepreneurs?
• 00:40 – It helps improve creativity and adaptability, which reduces stress, increases productivity, and allows you to be a calm and efficient leader
• 01:10 – Bradley practices Vedic meditation, which he has been doing for 11 years and teaching for 5
• 01:35 – He taught 40 people how to meditate at the EO Alchemy event
• 01:46 – Why should someone make meditation a habit?
• 01:50 – For the health benefits: normalization of sleeping patterns, reduction of heart disease risk, lower blood pressure, and mood
• 02:15 – Stress can exacerbate (if not cause) illness; meditation helps settle everything down so deep stress can unwind from the system
• 03:00 – Meditation reduces stress boosts immunity and is anti-aging
• 03:10 – The word “mindfulness”
• 03:11 – The general word has become a “catch-all”
• 03:18 – “Mindfulness meditation” is specific and, in ways, opposite of Vedic meditation; Vedic meditation doesn’t require focus, or effort because it is considered a self-transcending technique
• 03:55 – In Vedic meditation, you are recommended to sit in a chair with your back supported and there is no breathing or pose instructions
• 04:35 – Vedic meditation is counterintuitive to what people think meditation is
• 04:46 – Why 2x/day?
• 04:46 – It is the minimal, optimal prescription; the least amount of times for the maximum benefit
• 05:10 – 20 minutes twice a day is the recommended amount
• 05:25 – How to start your day with meditation; before you do anything in the AM, meditate to prime the body for progress and dynamic action
• 05:56 – For the second session, settle down and saturate yourself in creativity and esoteric ideas; reinvigorate and recognize, re-enlighten and refresh
• 07:02 – Why is everyone fighting against meditation?
• 07:20 – Bradley thinks the exact opposite; he believes that more people are drawn to yoga than ever before
• 07:32 – 11 years ago it was still a bit unusual, now it is common
• 08:08 – What if someone believes they don’t have time to meditate?
• 08:24 – There is an efficiency increase when you meditate, so you are more productive and therefore create the time to meditate that you didn’t know you had
• 08:55 – Top leaders in the world meditate, if they have time, so do you!
• 09:30 – How Bradley got into meditation
• 09:38 – He was in LA, 29, and going through an existential crisis; his therapist suggested meditation and ignored this advice until a friend took him to a lecture about meditation
• 10:30 – He learned the next day in a four-session course; he learned what was possible and continued meditating from then forward
• 10:50 – His energy, sleeping, relationships, creativity, stress level, and happiness improved
• 11:15 –He was a filmmaker and actor, and ran a feeder company on the side; 5 years into it he was able to work beneath his teacher as an apprentice
• 11:40 – For two years he organized courses and lectures; he realized that he should teach
• 12:10 – The formal teacher training ended with a 3-month retreat in Bali; he was certified in 2012 and in 2013 he taught meditation while working on his film’s release
• 13:04 – Bradley’s film “Kensho at the Bedfellow”
• 13:10 – “Kensho” is a Zen-Buddhist term that means awakening
• 13:18 – “Bedfellow” is a fictional hotel in Tribeca; the film is an existential drama about a man looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places
• 13:33 – Bradley’s been working on the film for a long time; on a micro-budget they shot for 25 days in NYC in 2013, and another 4 days in Los Angeles that spring
• 14:05 – He had kids, animals, and special effects; so many people and locations were required to produce the film
• 14:15 – The film explores consciousness-expansion, fulfillment, life purpose
• 14:30 – They started playing in film festivals last year; the film won a couple best feature film awards around the country
• 14:39 – The film was screened at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York and will launch on iTunes soon
• 15:42 – How to find out more about the film and meditation
• 15:49 – Bradley’s company: MDT8
• 16:06 – The film’s website
• 16:30 – If you are looking for a meditation teacher, there is a large network of teachers all over the world 

Key Points:

1. Meditation is important for entrepreneurs because it increases creativity and adaptability while decreasing stress and illness.
2. Everyone has time to meditate; it increases productivity so you are more efficient with your time.
3. Vedic meditation is different from other types of meditation; 20 minutes 2 times a day is the minimal, optimal prescription.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• Bradley’s Company – MDT8
• Brandley’s Film Website– “Kensho at the Bedfellow” and on iTunes

You can listen to our other podcasts and more episodes of EO Wonder here!

Devin Alexander, Media Personality, Multi-time New York Times Bestselling Author, Restaurateur, Healthy Comfort Food Chef, Weight Loss Expert, and Chef of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” is passionate about making women feel good. Today on the EO Podcast, Devin discusses her journey to entrepreneurship and overall health. Tune-in to learn how Devin put herself on the scene with persistence, research, and a bit of “stalkiness,” despite the challenges she faced personally and with others. Find out how Devin can now, with a smile, truly say that she’s “fantastic.”

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:40 – Devin’s Entrepreneurial Journey: She set out to make women feel great
• 00:49 – When she was 15 she weighed 200 pounds and was bullied in school; she wrote poems and knew that there was something better in store for her
• 01:15 – She didn’t get into school for theater, which is what she wanted; she started reading cookbooks and trying to lose weight by cutting just 100 calories a day
• 02:24 – She lost 25-35 pounds in the first year and never planned to be a chef, but through transforming her cooking and losing the weight, she transformed her mindset
• 02:50 – Devin feel that she still doesn’t have willpower, but by cooking in better ways she doesn’t need it
• 03:06 – She graduated from Smith College and got an apprenticeship with the Television Academy in LA
• 03:53 – She volunteered to cook at charity events and celebrities figured out that she could make people’s favorites much better
• 04:20 – She went to culinary school thinking she’d eventually go back to screenwriting
• 04:50 – She wound up owning a catering business and “ghostcooking,” where she’d cook and the client would take the credit
• 05:28 – She learned that this would be great for dates
• 05:56 – She went through a premature mid-life crisis at 27; she was too thin and her food issues came to a head and she didn’t feel good
• 06:20 – She wound up in Overeaters Anonymous and realized that catering was not her passion; she is an entrepreneur with a love for cooking
• 06:57 – She took a job in the media world (Muscle and Fitness Magazine) so she could understand it
• 07:20 – This catapulted her career, she learned the media side and made demo reels with her friend that made it look like Devin was the host of a cooking video series called “A Slice of Devin”
• 08:31 – She went to NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) every year, learned the guest list, interned, and sought to meet the right people
• 09:14 – She sat in the lobby of Weller Grossman Productions because she knew that one of the principals was really nice
• 09:27 – She felt that she had a chance to convince him to put her on the show “Smart Solutions” on the Home & Gardens Network and it worked
• 09:40 – This was her first ever national TV spot (her first TV appearance)
• 09:54 – She went to NATPE every year; Devin and Karen Kripalani found a Craigs List ad looking for people that didn’t go to their high school prom for a TV pilot for Bravo
• 10:30 – She went in for an interview, she knew the company did shows on Food Network
• 11:00 – Her dad was in the hospital at the time, she was working at Muscle and Fitness Magazine, and she got a callback asking her to be on the show and attend a prom in Glendale
• 11:13 – They offered to send her to her high school’s prom, realized she could cook well, and were able to get her a pilot offer on Food Network
• 11:35 – After that (and some “stalk-y” things she did on her own) she was getting TV bookings; after her first book was done, her book got publicity she met the producers of Biggest Loser
• 12:15 – She turned down a pilot offer on Food Network but it wasn’t the right fit; she was attached to 13 different shows before she got her first show on Discovery Health and Fit TV
• 13:00 – She stalked the Food Network’s production companies and continued being persistent until someone making the decisions changed their mind
• 13:25 – How does someone transform their mindset out of a negative state?
• 13:39 – Devin has a sister who had always loved to work out
• 14:10 – It wasn’t until she was at a Biggest Loser resort, she was getting paid to be there, and she was taken on a 2.5 hour hike, that she realized that she loved it
• 14:20 – Devin wished she could always get paid to work out; she doesn’t like the time it takes to work out
• 14:55 – She used to think working out was a waste of time; the only thing she could think of was when she was going to be done
• 15:10 – Now Devin plays tennis with a group and they also have parties together; she realized that she was being hypocritical by telling people to pursue their dreams while not pursuing her own to become a mom and find a guy
• 16:10 – She’s in the process of fostering a baby; her heart is attached to foster children and she might have a baby this year
• 17:00 – She has a few big projects coming up; she had a good run and was on top of the healthy movement for a long time
• 17:10 – She had restaurants on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line thinking it would make her long-term income, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought
• 17:44 – It took her out of the TV world and she was in a car accident that caused a TBI that took 1 year to fully rehabilitate
• 18:00 – She’s back and getting involved with a start-up, a TV deal is pending, and a couple other things are in the works
• 18:18 – She feels like she’s back and going in the right direction; she just got back from an event in Loretto, Mexico at a spa “Celebrity Chef Pastry Week”
• 18:36 – She decided that she is going to pursue love; she wants to be “in love” with every aspect of her life and this has inspired her entrepreneurial journey, confidence, and journey to have a child
• 19:15 – Many people have reached out to support and love her in the journey to have her child
• 19:57 – Many doctors and dieticians are in a hurry to give blanket diet instructions; those statements like “never eat red meat,” or “get enough sleep and cut out stress,” aren’t so simple
• 22:22 – She takes the calorie-counting out of her diet and recognizes the things she loves and what needs to be eaten in moderation (meat and fried foods)
• 23:10 – She usually doesn’t eat so many vegetables when she eats out because they are sopped in oil; she’d rather skip those and eat a little chocolate and plain tomatoes in her room later
• 23:40 – When she travels she gets a room with a fridge and gets her healthy snacks at a grocery store
• 24:27 – She knows herself; if she’s tired she craves food, so if she has to pick between sleep and working out, she’d rather sleep
• 24:45 – There’s no amount of working out to combat the amount of food she’d eat when she’s exhausted trying to get energy
• 25:05 – These are the things she knows about her body that she helps clients learn about themselves to find success
• 25:16 – Tips for entrepreneurs: Operate with passion
• 25:56 – She knows that she has a message and knows that she can help people and this excites her and keeps her going; she truly wants women to feel good
• 26:10 – Dave Kerpen, author of “The Art of People” and Mark Moses have really affected her with their EO talks
• 26:50 – She learned that anytime someone asks you how you are you should be fantastic
• 27:11 – The next time she was in Trader Joe’s, she was totally in her head and remembered to say she was “fantastic”
• 27:50 – The bagger and checker were surprised and asked her why so she told them about the seminar and realized that she is, in fact, doing fantastically
• 28:55 – We all have the same struggles and challenges as entrepreneurs, but at the end of the day, it is pretty fantastic
• 29:16 – Get centered on what is good for you in your life, diet, and business

 Key Points:

1. Be persistent when pursuing your goals; don’t stop until you get a “yes” and don’t quit because of other’s negativity.
2. Operate with passion; this will keep your work exciting, impactful, and mission-driven.
3. Be centered, balanced, and fantastic...because you truly are.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• “The Art of People” – book by Dave Kerpen
• Devin’s Official Website
• Devin’s Books

Sasha discusses the nature of branding, there are seven different rules that you can do to try and win in this new era. In this episode Kalika and Sasha discuss these rules in detail, discussing everything from being an advocate for a company to an emphasizer for a companies brand.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 0:05: Kalika introduces Sasha to today's episode
• 2:00: How to win in the new era
• 2:30: Rule 1: Assume Nothing
  • Give yourself the permission to not know all the answers, and therefore explore with curiosity.
• 3:00: Rule 2: Empathize
  • Your audience is key to your success.
• 3:25: Rule 3: Advocate: Become an endorser, a believer, a supporter...
  • Rule 4: Build Relationships
• 6:00: Rule 5: Curate
  • The world is filled with too many choices. Help your audience understand by simplifying what you’re offering.
• 6:45: Rule 6: Teach
  • Don’t try to sell your audience anything, teach them something relevant to their needs instead.
• 7:50: Rule 7: Care
  • Use your high-valued professional skills to help a philanthropic cause of your choice. 

3 Key Points:

1. Curate to simplify and offer your services and solutions in a way that is easy for someone to buy or for a reseller to sell.

2. Invest in relationships.

3. Employees must be taught to know, that what they are doing, results in the end goal... "...working for the greater good..." 

Resources:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• EO EMP Event
• Sasha's Keynote at Google Argentina

Brian Brault is Chief Executive Officer of PURE Solutions NA and EO Global Chairman. Under Brian’s leadership, EO’s Executive Education and global learning offerings have strengthened significantly, becoming a major cornerstone of EO’s membership growth efforts.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 0:05: Kalika introduces Brian to today's episode.
• 0:30: The World Needs More Entrepreneurs
  • 0:48: Everyone Has a Little Entrepreunarial Spirit in them.
• 1:20: What is EOs viewpoint on the future of women entrepreneurs?
  • 1:52: EO needs to be welcoming to women, not to just market themselves to women.
• 2:50: How can women overcome the issues that men may not face? 
  • "...it is incredibly important to have women on the team to share their viewpoint..."
• 4:18: Live through the experiences that other entrepreneurs have lived.
  • 4:40: EO is the perfect place to build community.
• 4:50: Vulnerability. To have love returned, you must step out and become vulnerable.
  • 5:58: Many people share the same feelings, by opening up, you get to live through other peoples experiences.
• 6:40: Tips and Tactics for being an Entrepreneur
  
  • 6:45: Be Vulnerable
  • 7:15: Bringing people together to learn shows leadership
  • 7:50: Great Leaders Don't Create Followers, They Create More Leaders.

3 Key Points:

1. Great Leaders Don't Create Followers, They Create More Leaders.
2. Vulnerability. To have love returned, you must step out and become vulnerable.
3. When you create a group of people you care about; a group of humans with lives, hopes, and dreams, your team connect from the heart.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
• EO EMP Event