HawkeTalk

Latest Episodes:

45. Griffin Johnson: Social Media Superstar and Partner at Animal Capital Jul 14, 2021

Show notes

Hey, Mom and Dad, I'm leaving behind my full-ride academic scholarship three semesters before graduation to move to a city you told me was a drug-infested cesspool. Wish me luck!

Who wants to have that conversation with their parents?

Tough call. The toughest Griffin Johnson ever had to make.

A social media superstar & partner at Animal Capital, Griffin lived something that resembled Animal House more than a capital firm before discovering how to marry his knack for social media with launching a business.

On this episode of HawkeTalk, Griffin tells the story of how he went from detasseling corn as an 11-year-old Midwestern kid to becoming the toast of social.

Listen in as Griffin and Erik chat about...

- Growing up in a small town

- Getting started on social media

- The much-ballyhooed move to Los Angeles

- How Griffin turned a social media presence into a capital firm

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

44. Brian Scudamore: 1-800-GOT-JUNK Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

He attended 14 schools in 10 years and has nothing to show for it but a kindergarten diploma.

Well... a kindergarten diploma and a half-a-billion dollar company with three brands and 5000 employees across all its franchises.

His dad's impressed. At least, he's impressed now.

But when Brian Scudamore, founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, announced he was leaving college to drive a junk truck, his father, a liver surgeon, didn't jump for joy.

On this episode of HawkeTalk, Brian discusses his journey from driving a beat-up pickup to becoming an entrepreneurial wizard.

Listen in as Brian and Erik chat about...

- Why school isn't all it's cracked up to be

- Starting a business from scratch

- Brian's big break

- What is making franchising sexy again

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

43. IN-Q: Poet, Artist, Author Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

When you're 20 and broke, it's cute. You're a renaissance artist and the girls understand. When you're 30 and broke, though, it's not cute anymore.

Sure you love to rhyme, to find your rhythm, and to breakdance at Bar Mitzvahs. But does any of that pay the mortgage?

Like your mom always said, "But sweetie, can you make a living as a poet?"

In this episode, poet and songwriter IN-Q tells his story of going platinum. His success emerged from growing up without his dad, learning to express his emotions in rhyme, and finding his way through the hard times.

Listen in as IN-Q and Erik chat about...

What made IN-Q fall in love with rhyme and rhythm at 9 years old
How his first public performance at 13 brought him to tears
Learning to make a living as a poet during tough times (or why you're always right where you're supposed to be)
Why "trust the river" is great advice for leading a successful life.

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

42. Ben Baller: Jewelry Icon Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

To be successful, you need drive.

And often, the best motivation comes from hard times.

Just ask today’s guest, the legendary Ben Baller, President at BBDTC and IF AND CO. From humble beginnings, he found the drive to succeed multiple times: whether it was finding success as a DJ or building a jewelry empire.

He joined me on the latest episode to talk about what it takes to go from broke to Ben Baller.

What we talked about:

How humble beginnings gave Ben the drive for success
Lessons from Hollywood on what not to do with success
Why slow and steady wins the race

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41. Matt Barnes: NBA Champion Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

The path to success is never a straight line. There are twists, turns, blind rises, steep climbs and falls that decorate the journey.

Matt Barnes, NBA Champion and Athlete-turned-Entrepreneur, is with us today, discussing his winding path to the success that he is today, and what’s yet to come.

What we talked about:

Matt’s sporting journey and how his choice of attitude set the course for his long-term success
Matt’s investment timing and what kinds of businesses he supports
Defining doping and where medicating with cannabis fits in on the spectrum

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

All The Smoke (Matt’s podcast)

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

40. Gareb Shamus: Superhero Expert and Comic Con Founder Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

In 1970s New York, the way to a boy's heart ran through a stack of baseball cards.

The Shamus family knew that. But Mr. and Mrs. Shamus didn't just buy their sons a pack of cards. They opened a full-fledged comic and card shop.

...And they unleashed a legend.

In this episode, Gareb Shamus talks about how he went from baseball card shark on his elementary playground to founding ACE Comic Con and Wizard Entertainment.

Listen in as Gareb and Erik chat about...

- How Gareb's parents opened a comic and card shop using the family's personal inventory

- Gareb's first magazine and how it's popularity proved to be its downfall

- What happened that finally got the money pouring in to Comic Cons

- The scoop on live, in-person events during COVID and afterward

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

39. Aaron Cohen: The Real-Life John Wick May 26, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Erik Huberman talks with Aaron Cohen, the real-life John Wick.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

38. Todd Herman: The Alter-Ego Effect May 19, 2021

Show notes

Growing up, he was always the youngest kid on the team, fighting for a place on the field. And now he has 18,000 hours under his belt working with the most elite athletes on the planet, helping them achieve their most ambitious goals.

How did a farm boy from Alberta Canada become a consultant for clients like Real Madrid, PGA, NBA, and top leaders in entrepreneurship?

In this episode of HawkeTalk, Erik catches up with Todd Herman, Co-Founder of upcoach.com and Author of The Alter Ego Effect, to talk about how he developed his career around helping elite performers become more resilient, creative, confident and courageous.

They also talked about:

- Why he wants more conflict in his life.

- What it was like apprenticing for Harvey Dorfman.

- Why he believes in changing identity over changing beliefs.

- What he’s creating next.For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

37. Michael Houlihan: Founder, Barefoot Wines May 12, 2021

Show notes

Beer is a working man's drink. Wine appeals to the posher classes, those gatherings of uptight people who (try to) speak French and show off their fancy footwear.

At least, that's how things used to be, before Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey.

Michael and Bonnie started their wine business by making friends in low places, as they like to say. They talked to forklift operators, supermarket stockers, and truck drivers.

And so the best selling wine brand in the U.S. was born — barefoot and wearing a deep blue collar.

In this episode, Michael Houlihan talks about getting your nose out of the air and your (bare) feet on the ground.

Listen in as Michael and Erik chat about...

- Turning consulting gigs into a wine biz

- Where the name Barefoot came from

- Navigating a complex supply chain

- The advent of worthy-cause marketing

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36. Clarence Greenwood: Bullet and a Target May 05, 2021

Show notes

You know those stories you hear about a band that writes a song, and it immediately skyrockets? Top of the charts, instant success, radio play, the whole nine yards. Sound familiar? Not for Clarence Greenwood.

Clarence, better known as Citizen Cope, has carved out a spot on the singer-songwriter charts, and even if you’ve never heard of him, he’s spent years grinding, shopping demos, getting cut from record deals, and even cold-calling record executives, all in pursuit of his dreams.

On this episode of Hawke Talk, Clarence and I talk all about:

His relationship with his great Aunt and Uncle, and how it shaped his career
How a teacher telling him his writing work was genius shifted the course of his life
Signing his first demo with Capitol records, and then getting cut from the label
Finally landing a deal with DreamWorks records that resulted in a Gold record

For more interviews like this one, subscribe to HawkeTalk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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