I Make a Living

Latest Episodes:

Jewel Burks Solomon- Black History Month- Masterclass Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Jewel Burks Solomon is an Atlanta-based entrepreneur who was recently named Head of Google for Startups in the US. Jewel is no stranger to startups and entrepreneurship; she launched Partpic, a visual recognition technology company in her mid-twenties, and had it sold to Amazon in 2016. She was also named on Forbe’s 30 under 30 list. Jewel is also managing partner at Collab Capital, an investment fund designed to connect black founders to the financial and social capital they need to build profitable businesses.

Jewel’s dream is transforming so many realities for new innovators in entrepreneurship, and we can’t wait to see what Google for Startups does under her leadership.

Here are a few big takeaways from Jewel’s story:

Don’t wait for people to believe in your idea and fund it - if you build it (and it’s good), they will come.
Be smart about networking - put your ideas in front of the right people and nurture relationships with them
Selling your company is not always the fantasy it’s made out to be, map out what your life would be like after you’re acquired and see if that’s what you really want
Surround yourself with other people who are doing the kind of work you want to be doing and who’ll inspire you to keep going
Most of all - don’t let your story, the place you live, or the color of your skin, define what’s possible for you

In honor of Black history month, we thank Jewel and the many black entrepreneurs who have paved the way for other innovators to be brilliant and brave.

Guest

Jewel Burks Solomon- https://www.inc.com/magazine/201904/yasmin-gagne/partpic-amazon-jewel-burks-solomon.html

A Passion Turned into a Business- Tony Muia - A Slice of Brooklyn Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

Since 2005, A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours has been showing people around Brooklyn.

The company was started by Tony Muia, a proud native Brooklynite who always loved showing people around his beloved hometown.

Tony slowly starting doing informal tours for those same folks when they came to visit NYC, driving them around in his car. Soon, their friends and families would visit NYC and ask Tony to do tours for them so he did them as a side hobby while still working his regular job.

In 2004 Tony decided to switch careers after watching NYC tourism increase. However, it mostly focused on Manhattan and Tony felt that Brooklyn had enough amazing foods, neighbourhoods, landmarks and movie locations that it needed its own tour. And that’s when he decided to launch A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour in 2005 with other tours that followed.

What started as a hobby turned into a family business and today he has 3 popular tours that run year round and have proudly introduced over 90,000 people to Brooklyn.

Some people say don’t make your passion your business, but you’re in a business that is inspired by your passion, you have to dive in with both feet.

Tony designed this business around his life, brought in the people who were closest to him and got them invested in his idea, and never looked back.

Here are the key takeaways from Tony’s Story:

Go to where your audience is - If you want to entice people come to Brooklyn, you might need to pick them up in Manhattan. Which figurative borough are your customers hanging out in right now? Get it?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions - your mentors and supporters can help steer you in the right direction.
Delegate, delegate, delegate - you don’t need to do it all!
Leverage press to grow your business
Make friends with your customers

That’s what’s kept Tony in business for 15 years.

Guest

Tony Muia and Ronnie from A Slice of Brooklyn -https://asliceofbrooklyn.com/

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the guests and production team and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of '2ndSite.INC dba FreshBooks, its employees or affiliates.'

Creative Collaborations- Ted and Angie from Poketo Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

This month, we're celebrating Valentine's Day by speaking to couples who inspire us by building strong partnerships - partners in life, partners in business, and partners in their community.

We sat down with Angie Myung and Ted Vadakan, a husband-and-wife team who have artfully mastered the feat of finding their tribe through their brand Poketo.

The name Poketo (pronounced "poh-keh-toe") stems from the mispronunciation of "pocket" by Angie's grandmother. It tied in perfectly with the first product ever created under Poketo: a series of artist wallets that fit right in your pocket—and Ted and Angie just loved the way it sounded.

Poketo has worked with brands and companies like Nike, MTV, Disney, Target, Nordstrom and MailChimp, museums like MOCA, the Guggenheim, the de Young, and SFMOMA, and has collaborated with over 200 international artists, creating exclusive products that reflect its philosophy of "Art for Your Every day."

Ted and Angie are a great example of two partners who set the tone for their business. Poketo is all about collaboration, community, and partnership - something that is ingrained in their personal lives and amazing love story.

They gave us a lot to keep in mind:

Find your community and keep them close
Play to the strengths of your partnership
Stop worrying so much about your business’ competition and instead, focus your energy on collaboration and staying ahead of the game

Guests

Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung from Poketo- https://www.poketo.com/

Resources

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs- https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Healthy Harmony: The Goulds Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

"I steal my kid's vitamins" isn't something that would normally lead to an a-ha moment, but the Goulds aren't your usual entrepreneurs. A couple for ten years, the Goulds are practiced business leaders who are part of the vanguard of the wellness industry: Gordon Gould crunches the numbers, and Courtney Nichol Gould focuses on the human side. Together, they're the power couple behind SmartyPants, the vitamin gummy brand launched in 2011 that now includes products for children, adults, and even pets.
The Goulds practice holistic wellness in their work and their home life: we talk to them about their exercise regimes, why they used a coach to launch their business (and to get on the same page about parenting), and how the lines of communication stay fresh when, as Gordon says, "there’s no leaving it at the office, because the office comes home with you a lot of the times." They also give us valuable info on the world of venture capital, where big visions can lead to big payoffs.
Guests:

Courtney Nichols and Gordon Gould- Smarty Pants

Resources:

INC Magazine on hiring a business coach- https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/8-convincing-reasons-you-should-hire-a-business-coach.html

Peter Shankman- Masterclass Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

In our special Masterclass episodes, we collect questions from real-life entrepreneurs at our live #imakealiving shows around the world, and ask our favourite experts to weigh in. From social media to scaling, from advertising to work-life balance, we get insights and guidance from folks in the know.

In our first Masterclass episode of the season, we are delighted to talk with Peter Shankman. He has been a vocal advocate for neurodiversity in the workplace, he is the founder of the journalism tool HARO, and is a successful writer, speaker, podcast host, and entrepreneur.
In our conversation, we cover a wide ground - not surprising, given that Shankman has leveraged his own ADHD into a better understanding of his complex body chemistry and physical needs. (He tells us how to write a book in 34 hours - it involves booking a flight to Tokyo!) He also answers questions from our #imadealiving live events about why authentic social media is best, why listening to your audience will help grow your business, and why you - yes, you - should charge more in 2020. We take our advice from a man who says that jumping out of a plane gets him into work mode, don't you?

Guest:

Peter Shankman- Website

The Art of the Pivot: Tina Essmaker Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

A pivot can be a powerful thing. Tina Essmaker started as a social worker with a side project, a Kickstarted magazine she founded with her husband. But when her marriage ended, she had to re-evaluate: stay with the magazine, or start something new? She decided to tap into her skills as a social worker and her connection to the creative community to re-launch as a creative coach. In this week's episode, Damona talks with Essmaker about how she transitioned from publishing into a self-created role where she helps creative workers identify and stick with their goals.
Essmaker offers concrete tips for people considering a shift from one path to another, and encourages listeners to consider the "emotional balance sheet" of their lives. (And Damona gets a gold star for her ability to describe her work concisely - would you get the same?) "It’s just a continual act of faith, that knowing what I’m doing is valuable and it’s needed, and then trusting that clients will come to me," says Essman, who now works as a coach, a speaker, and a writer.

Resources

To learn more about Tina and her services go to:
https://tinaessmaker.com

Word of Mouth Marketing- Article
https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing/

Nielsen Report
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2012/consumer-trust-in-online-social-and-mobile-advertising-grows/

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Pitch Your Business - Brant Pinvidic Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to Season 2 of the I Make a Living Podcast. We are excited to kick off 2020 with a brand new season and incredible conversations with some of the most influential and successful entrepreneurs in North America and the world.

As a television producer, Brant Pinvidic has pitched a lot. Like, a lot. In his 15 years in the entertainment industry, Pinvidic has had the chance to get his pitching practice down to a science. In his new book, The 3-Minute Rule, he lays out the basics of what makes a great pitch, and where folks fail. His challenge to readers is to get their pitches down to a crystal-clear three minutes, and on this week's episode, we get the inside scoop on how to nail that process.
"They don’t want to hear any of the fluff and pageantry. They just want to get to the point," Pinvidic says. He gives us some simple ground rules for pitching, including how to avoid too much promotional energy, how to separate opinions from facts, and how to come back from 99 rejections to nail that 100th pitch. His approach has allowed him to become a pitching guru outside the entertainment industry, and he now provides support to a broad range of businesses. "Simple is the new sexy," he says; sounds like three minutes in heaven to us.

Guest: Brant Pinvidic

Book: 3 Min Rule

References:

FreshBooks exclusive offer: www.freshbooks.com/imal

Damona Hoffman: www.damonahoffman.com

Tony Robbins Cold Plunge- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6YtmPo9pxg

Resources:

Transcript- https://www.freshbooks.com/podcast/pitch-your-business-brant-pinvidic

Season 2 Trailer Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

Season 2 of the I Make a Living Podcast launches on Monday, January 13th. Follow us as we continue to explore what it takes to be a business owner in today's world. Our host, Damona Hoffman, will take you on her journey as she sits down with some of North America's most interesting and successful entrepreneurs.

Success and Unique Businesses- Season Finale Jul 15, 2019

Show notes

The idea of success has many faces and iterations, most of us relate success to financial freedom or fame, but when you are an entrepreneur, success can mean much more than that. Who knew that waiting in line for hours on end could turn into full fledge operation, that someone could find joy in dressing up as Batman just to bring joy to tourists or that selling finger-painting art on Facebook for $50 could turn into a million dollar business or that anyone would pay for literally garbage picked up from the streets?

The entrepreneurs that we talk to on this episode have all something in common; their business ideas broke the paradigms of conventionalism and defied the odds of 'success'.

Robert Samuel from Same Ol' Line Dudes found inspiration while waiting in line for a new iPhone; Iris Scott had a dream of being a full-time artist, so she dropped everything and moved to Thailand where she could sell her art online while solely focusing on her craft. Justin Gignac felt challenged by a former colleague on the importance of packaging when selling any product. He took that challenge by literally selling 'nicely packed garbage' to people over 140 countries. We also talk to several NYC street performers, from subway musicians like Leonel Lorador to the very popular street troupes that stop pedestrians in Times Square to a journalist by trade but Batman impersonator by passion.

Throughout this season we have learned that being an entrepreneur is not an easy job, it can be an isolating and life-consuming journey for many, but we also met incredible people that have found a way to make it work. To achieve success, whatever success means to you, you must understand the ins and outs of being self-employed and the very particular sets of challenges that will arise when you are your boss.

We hope that throughout these episodes, we have left something valuable and meaningful to you by sharing the stories of real-life entrepreneurs who have figured out how to balance life and work, be a little more productive or dealt with very particular issues that many of you shared with us as we traveled the country with the live event.

Stay tuned as we gear up for a new season. We will be back soon with more stories, more inspiration, and useful tips from real-life entrepreneurs.

Happy Summer!

Guest Speakers (in order of appearance)

Robert Samuel- Same Ol Line Dudes (also Jeff and Jerry who waiting in line for us, thanks!)

Iris Scott- Finger-Paint Artist

Leonel Lorador- Subway Musician

Batman of the People- Instagram

Joshua Reyes- Times Square Acrobat Troupes

Justin Gignac- Working x Working & The Garbage Project

Failure- Sam Rosen- Michelle Horton Jul 01, 2019

Show notes

The statistics aren’t too friendly when it comes to the longevity of small businesses. Nearly 50% fail at the five year mark. But, how does knowing this statistic help you? Most people can talk about failure ethereally—hardships builds character, you can’t succeed without failing, you know, those kinds of phrases. But, when it comes to us, you, specifically failing, you don’t want to and often times we do everything in our power to avoid thinking about the possibility of it. But, accepting that failure, on some level, happens, that can actually be one of the best things you can do as an entrepreneur. If you know that failing is a part of the journey you can prepare yourself for it. It’s the unknown that makes even the consideration of failure unfathomable.

Sometimes our past failures haunt us and the fear of our future failures paralyzes us. These obstacles that get in the way of moving forward are in our head. This is the reason why metal health really is an important topic and is actually the bulk of this conversation. You have to acknowledge these obstacles are real in order to begin dismantling them and face your fears. Doing this requires vulnerability which brings this conversation full circle. And, in the words of Brene Brown “Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose”

Guest Speakers

Sam Rosen- Founder and Entrepreneur

Michelle Horton- Professional Therapist

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