In Search Of Excellence

Latest Episodes:

Ben Johns: The Greatest Pickleball Player Of All Time | E83 Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! Our amazing guest is Ben Johns, the greatest pickleball player of all time. He has been the No.1 player in the world in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles for most of the last 3 years.
On the business side, Ben is a co-founder of Pickleball Getaways, a vacation travel company that arranges pickleball vacations to Mexico, Portugal, Croatia, and other sunny locations. He is also the co-founder of Pickleball 360, an online instructional video subscription service that gives lessons on how to become a better pickleball player.

00:00 Introduction

Who is Ben Johns?

01:59 Ben’s background

Supportive, inspiring parents and 6 siblings
Encouraged to follow their own passion

04:15 Homeschooling of 7 kids

Mom used online resources and textbooks
Kids worked at their own pace
Personal responsibility
Social aspects of homeschooling
They pursued their interests, and social stuff happened naturally

08:59 Sports Ben played as a kid

Played baseball, tennis, table tennis, golf
Very eye-hand oriented sports

10:32 Ben's college experience

Switched majors from Business to Material Science and Engineering
How Innovators Think course by Professor Mark Wellman
Advice to people who don’t know what they want to do
Expose yourself to different things, experiment, research

17:24 Developing and innovating a new pickleball racket

Genuinely interested in how to make paddles better
Being genuine creates an opportunity in almost any area

19:27 Optimism and fear of failure

Optimism is important, but also confidence and work ethics
Do your utmost and put 100% of your effort
If you fail, learn from it

22:56 Ben’s first business venture

Pickleball had the stigma of an old person's sport
Wanted to make it more exciting

24:04 What is pickleball?

A combination of tennis and ping-pong on a badminton-sized court
Very easy to learn and very easy to play

27:19 The professional pickleball

The history of pickleball associations
The TPA and APP
The merging of 2 leagues

32:25 The ownership and worth of pickleball teams

The worth of major pickleball teams
Teams are part of venture capital groups
Who are the owners?

35:44 How do teams make money?

A revenue model
The vision is to make it like an NBA NFL type of league
No major TV contract but a rapidly growing fan base
Pickleball has fanatically engaged fans - a golden nugget for any investor

40:39 Pickleball statistics

Its popularity is growing among different groups
It has a great social component

45:43 The start of Ben’s professional career

First professional tournament – US Open in 2016
Won the US Open in 2017
Making money and covering expenses

About Randall Kaplan: Randall Kaplan is a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, executive coach, co-founder of Akamai Technologies, founder and CEO of JUMP Investors, and host of In Search of Excellence. Through his Extreme Preparation™ methodology, he helps founders, executives, business owners, and ambitious professionals improve strategy, communication, decision-making, and execution.

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Brandi Love: The Impact Of OnlyFans On The Adult Entertainment Industry | E82 Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Part 2 of my amazing episode of In Search of Excellence with Brandi Love!
Brandi has starred in more than 800 movies and her videos have been streamed more than a billion times. She has been nominated for and won 12 adult industry awards and is the author of the book Getting Wild Sex from Your Conservative Woman. She is also the owner of Traffic Stop Media and a real estate business together with her husband that renovates distressed properties.
We discuss her strategies for success, making money and investing, the future of porn, and so much more.
02:53 Brandi’s great-grandfather Jesse Livermore

Brandi's savant great grandfather who was trading stocks at 14 years old

04:27 Finding a niche

Howard Stern show
Too old, too athletic, with a long face
The American Pie and the term MILF

08:49 The impact of Brandi’s job on her daughter

Brandi’s college fan base
Great relationship with her daughter

11:12 The reaction of their parents

It was a decision for her and her husband to make
Their parents tried to stop them and take away their child

17:15 The fallout from friends

A unique obstacle for adult entertainers
People don’t want the stigma
There are consequences to our choices

19:50 How much do people make in the porn industry?

Brandi is 50 and never earned more
7 major revenue streams

24:57 Earnings on online porn websites

For women, It’s possible to earn around $50.000/month
For men, around $20.000/month

27:02 How has Only Fans changed the games for porn actresses?

Only Fans is financially life-changing
A lot of talent left the industry for Only Fans

32:16 Money management

Delayed gratification and investing money
Buying a Ferrari

37:54 Thoughts on porn VR

Not her favorite because of the lack of interaction
Can see the advantages of VR

39:51 How is AI changing the porn industry?

Forever Voices
AI is always available to hang out with fans
Brandi trained her AI and the results were impressive

45:35 Mental health issues

Suicides in the porn industry
You have to be tough because of societal backlash

47:17 What are the elements of success?

Love what you do, be passionate, be authentic

47:39 The value of Extreme Preparation

Brandi’s husband is an exceptionally prepared human being
She extremely prepared for a contract with BMG

49:37 Faking in the porn industry

Faking means you chose the wrong career
Brandi can find something attractive in every man

52:21 Issues with sexually transmitted diseases

The industry standard is 14-day test
Never had a bad test in 20 years

54:18 Sex trafficking and Porn Hub

Harming a child is the most disgusting crime
Porn Hub is protected by the law (Netflix movie – Money Shot: The Porn Hub Story)

56:54 The importance of giving back

You can donate time or money

58:17 Fill in the blanks for excellence

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Brandi Love: Building A Career In Adult Entertainment | E81 Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Brandi Love, one of the most famous and successful adult film actresses of all time.
She has starred in more than 800 movies and her videos have been streamed more than a billion times. She has been nominated for and won 12 adult industry awards and is the author of the book Getting Wild Sex from Your Conservative Woman. She is also the owner of Traffic Stop Media and a real estate business together with her husband that renovates distressed properties.
We are talking about her childhood, college years, finding her soulmate, first employment, and getting into the adult business. Tune in to hear Brandi’s fascinating life story!
Time stamps:

09:13 Brandi Love’s background

Had supportive parents and a great childhood
Her first passion was ice skating
Athletics and fitness in college
Graduated with General Business degree

18:14 Meeting her soulmate

Met her husband during her first year at college
They became inseparable
Monogamous relationship and jealousy

20:39 Going into the corporate world

Managed a bagel store
Learned everything she didn’t learn at college
She was full of life and great with people

25:37 Cold calling and getting rejected

The only job that made her cry
Her husband helped her to understand how important that experience was

26:57 Working for Harley-Davidson

She was a tomboy and bought her first motorcycle at 17
Moving to North Carolina and getting a job at Harley-Davidson
She was the only female and no.1 sales person every month
Very motivated and passionate

32:47 Dealing with jealousy

Her husband was very successful and traveled a lot
One comment made her jealous and suspicious
There is no plan B advice

39:41 Starting a wine label company

Having a daughter and her husband having a heart attack
Decided to have their own company
Started a wine label company

45:23 What is porn?

The definition of pornography
The dividing line between porn and not porn
Nakedness on Instagram

51:25 Statistics about the porn industry

The global pornography industry brings $97 billion a year
46 million Americans regularly visit porn sites
People don’t talk about pornography

59:35 The transition from the wine to the adult business

Brandi and her husband got an offer to build their adult content website
Started their first company in the adult business
They already had an open marriage
At 18, won a bikini competition
Danced for a few years at a men's club

1:07:25 Approaching the adult industry as a business

Created a business plan
Built a website, took photos, and uploaded them
Learned a lot along the way, especially about marketing
Persistently wrote letters to Howard Stern
Got invited to Howard Stern’s show
Their business took off

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Joe Mansueto: "If It's Easy, It Would Already Be Done" | E80 Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the second part of our interview with the amazing Joe Mansueto.

Joe is the founder and former CEO of Morningstar, a financial services and investment research firm that is one of the most recognized companies in finance. It provides investment research and investment management services to many millions of people around the world.

If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check that one out first

00:55 The importance of parental support

Joe’s dad was buying saving bonds for his children for years
He gave the accumulated money to Joe to start his business
Joe made sure every dollar was spent wisely

05:07 Can parents give proper advice to children in today’s business environment?

You should listen to your own instincts
But also take into account your parents’ advice

09:06 The importance of cold calling

You learn about perseverance, handling rejection, processing, and not taking it personally
Cold calling is a very valuable skill to have

13:40 Bootstrapping and raising money

Entrepreneurs should not raise a lot of money if they can avoid it
Subscription model for Morningstar
The pressures of raising outside money

20:11 Becoming rich should not be your primary goal

Joe is more about independence, creativity, and autonomy
One of the byproducts is building wealth
His goal was to build a viable, enduring, independent company, that would survive for a very long time
You should want to make money, but not at all costs

23:42 Joe’s soccer investments

Wanted to diversify his investments
Loves soccer and it became his passion
Bought MLS team in Chicago

28:37 The importance of Extreme Preparation

Preparation is essential
Importance of understanding the client and his needs
If you can move the needle for a company, any company will hire you
Show the company how you can add value to it

33:26 Reaching out to successful people

Trust your gut and do something that no one else does
People are much more accessible than you think
Successful people want to help and give back

36:56 The responsibility of giving back

Giving back is important
Finding meaningful ways of giving back

39:20 The pressure of giving money and being generous

We shouldn’t judge others on their philanthropy
Joe signed a giving pledge to set a good example
Most wealthy people are trying to make the world a better place

42:56 Fill in the blanks to excellence

Joe's biggest lesson in life
Joe's number one professional goal
Joe's number one personal goal
The importance of family and spending time with your children
The one piece of advice that you would give your 21-year-old self is
Joe's biggest regret
And more...

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Joe Mansueto: Founder Of Morningstar And Self-Made Billionaire | E79 Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Morningstar has a market value of $10.6 billion and Joe earned his spot on the Forbes 400 with a reported net worth of $5.6 billion.
Joe also owns magazines Inc. and Fast Company, as well as two professional soccer teams – the Chicago Fire in the MLS and FC Lugano in UEFA League.

Time stamps:
02:11 Joe’s childhood

Had a lot of unstructured time
Liked to do various projects

06:33 Joe’s first entrepreneurial experience

Went to a ham fest with a friend
Bought Drake 2B receiver for $200

09:19 The Room 607

Studied at the University of Chicago
Lived in a new dorm with no place to buy soda or snacks

11:20 The magic of boldness

You grow by going beyond your comfort zone
Just give it a try and be willing to stand out

16:34 The Christmas tree business

Rented a truck, bought Christmas trees, and set up a shop
Learned that managing your inventory is the key to success
Broke even, but learned a lot

19:50 Should starting a company be fun?

It should be fun and you should enjoy it
Finding something you are passionate enough

21:04 How important is perseverance as part of the passion?

Left it and went into investing
Real entrepreneurs won’t give up until they find a solution

26:27 Funding an entrepreneur that failed

Joe would fund entrepreneurs that failed
Failure is a great lesson, not a black mark

28:07 A night manager at Arby’s

Wanted to start a concept of healthy fast food
Got a job of a night shift manager at Arby’s in Chicago
Found out he hated it

32:06 How important is customer satisfaction and customer service to our success?

Satisfying customers is extremely important
Learning to deal with people is highly valuable

34:18 How did Joe get excited about investing?

Book mention: John Train, The Money Masters
Started working in an investing company - Harris associates

38:47 The great revelation about the mutual fund industry

Had a lot of reports and other material
Realized that he had valuable data
Looked deeply at the mutual fund industry
It was a very obscure industry

49:27 How important is it to do research when starting a company?

Research + instincts + judgement
The data is out there and it is extremely important to research

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Tony Capuano: The Non-Negotiables In Business | E78 Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the second part of our interview with the incredible Tony Capuano, the President and CEO of Marriott International.
Tony is the President and CEO of Marriott International, the world's largest hospitality company with nearly 8,600 properties in 139 countries and over 31 brands, including JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels and Resorts, and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, among many others.
Marriott also has the travel industry's largest customer loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which has more than 186 million members! Tony sits on the board of directors of McDonald's Corporation and Save Venice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy, which since its founding in 1971, has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks.
00:45 Becoming the CEO of Marriott
- FILO (First In, Last Out)
- Control the factors that you can control
- Arne Sorensen died of pancreatic cancer
- Arne was a friend, mentor, humble, iconic leader
- Tony became the new CEO six days later
- Had to compartmentalize his grief and start working immediately
- Buying Starwood and a round-the-world tour
- Bill Marriott’s advice to Arne Sorensen
- Randall’s experience with Arnie
- Arnie knew how to listen and connect with people
11:00 The biggest 3 lessons Tony learned from COVID
- Core values and culture have never mattered more than in the pandemic
- The value of authentic and transparent communication
- The value of thoughtful stewardship of the company's financial position
- The resilience of travel and wise business plan
- Arnie’s pandemic video
16:22 Interaction with employees and customers
- Reads every email he gets
- A face-to-face business
18:04 The importance of Extreme reparation
- Prepares extremely for earnings calls
- Prepared for the audience with the Marriott board for 4 nights
22:12 The importance of giving back
- It’s critically important to give back
- Tony responded to every person who reached him out
23:52 Fill in the blanks to Excellence
- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
- Listen to the advice of your parents
- My number one professional goal is
- To give back
- My number one personal goal is
- To give back
- And more!

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Tony Capuano: CEO Of The World’s Largest Hospitality Company | E77 Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence. It’s a true pleasure to have Tony Capuano as our guest today! Tony is the President and CEO of Marriott International, the world's largest hospitality company with nearly 8,600 properties in 139 countries and over 31 brands, including JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels, and Resorts and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, among many others.
Marriott also has the travel industry's largest customer loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which has more than 186 million members! Tony sits on the board of directors of McDonald's Corporation and Save Venice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy, which since its founding in 1971, has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks.
01:56 Tony’s family, childhood and early years
- The importance of work ethic
- The impact of Tony’s father and grandfather
- His parents divorced, lived with his father
- Very self-sufficient from an early age
- Played lacrosse at school
- First job as a pot washer at Toby’s Dinner Theatre
- Fell in love with the hospitality business
- There are no bad jobs, everything can be a learning opportunity
09:39 Interns and the operating side of the business
- Tony’s experience with his interns
- A member of the Dean's Advisory Board at the Hospitality School at Cornell
- Students who have a passion for the operating side of the business
- Tony has a lot of optimism for the future of the industry
12:58 Job interviews after graduation
- Cornell School of Hotel Administration
- After 8 job interviews, got 7 offers and 1 rejection from Marriott
- The importance of humility
- Tony had deep admiration for the Marriott Company
- Joined them in 1995
16:24 Working in a consulting firm
- “A and B work” message from his boss that changed his perspective
- Your work impacts your team, customers, and investors
- Catchphrases from Bill Marriott and his father
- Success is never final
22:02 Joining Marriott during their hardships
- Worked under Kenneth Leventhal as a consultant
- Got to do significant international work
- But he had a burning desire to be inside the projects
- Was always impressed with Marriott’s intellect, integrity, and innovation
24:36 The importance of being in the right place at the right time
- Working until 10 pm
- Raised with a strong work ethic
- Carol Wagner and a trip to New York
- Working until the job was done

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Jason Belmonte: Tuning Out Haters And Tuning In To Supporters | E76 Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to part two of my amazing conversation with Jason Belmonte, the greatest bowler of all time. He has won a record number of 15 major championships and has been named PBA Player of the Year 7 times. He is also the second person in PBA history that has won the Super Slam, winning all 5 PBA major titles in the same year.
If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check it out first.
00:00 Dealing with the defeat in 2008
- At first, 60th of 63 contestants
- Jason thought he was better
- Watched what the best players in the world were doing
- Won the eighth event
03:48 Tim Mack and the first contract
- Tim was the best amateur player in the world
- Called his sponsor to see Jason
- Flew to Las Vegas for the tournament
- Signed the contract for Storm Bowling
08:06 The courage to ask for what you want
- You have to be OK to hear No
- Finding the best way to ask for something
- Show value and give them a reason not to say No
10:46 How to deal with hate and loneliness
- Cheating accusations affected his mental health
- Being constantly on a defense drained him
- The jealousy of his competitors
- Decided to focus on his supporters, not haters
- The small inner circle of family and friends
20:24 Dealing with people that envy your success
- His roommate wasn’t happy about his first win
- Becoming successful very young feels lonely
- The story of Norm Duke coming to his defense
36:13 Bowling with two hands
- Jason doesn’t know the science behind it
- Bowling with two hands became popular
39:17 The growth of the bowling industry
- The industry is a wild beast
- It has many opportunities to grow
- The sport needs the right people in the right places
42:43 The importance of mental preparation and confidence
- World Series comeback after 71 games
- Self-belief is a huge element in the recipe for success
- Understanding your own success
46:27 Throwing a ball outside of a NASCAR car
- Promoting the game in an unusual and funny way
- An incredible moment
50:25 The importance of Extreme Preparation
- An honest discussion with yourself about why you are not as good as you can be
- The goal is to figure out where you can improve and dedicate time to doing that
52:54 Fill in the blanks to excellence
- The biggest lesson I’ve learned
- Number one professional goal
- Number one personal goal
- And more...

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Jason Belmonte: From Outcast To Bowling Prodigy | E75 Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

My guest today is Jason Belmonte, the best bowler in the history of this sport. He has won a record number of 15 major championships and has been named PBA Player of the Year 7 times. He is also the second person in PBA history that has won the Super Slam, winning all 5 PBA major titles in the same year.
01:30 Off days during world tours
- It is brutally hard to compete
- Tournaments are exhausting for both mind and body
- Days off are mostly for sleep and relaxation
04:17 The first event outside of Australia
- At 16, he traveled to Malaysia on a mini tour
- Bowling conditions in Asia
- That was the catalyst for understanding
10:35 The preparation for tournaments
- Tries to leave Australia as late as he can
- Most people like to play in the middle part of the lane
- Bowling in a new tournament is a puzzle that you need to solve
- Japan bowling centers
17:36 Types of lane surfaces and bowling balls
- Synthetic lanes are made of tough plastic
- Bowling balls are very similar to golf balls
- Jason carries 20 balls on his tours
- Bowling balls weigh up to 16 pounds
- Materials and designs vary depending on the goal
26:32 Jason’s childhood
- His parents built the bowling center after he was born
- He started bowling at 18 months
- The ball was too heavy so he had his own way of bowling
- That difference gave him the advantage
31:16 Norm Duke and the Beast
- Norm Duke is one of Jason’s favorite bowlers
- Norm Duke’s ball was called the Beast
- Got the Beast from his parents
- Met Norm and competed against him
34:50 The culture of bowling
- The popularity of bowling shirts, shoes, and other apparel
- Breaking the stereotype of the burger-eating and beer-drinking bowler
39:02 Focusing on a bowling career
- As a kid, besides bowling, played rugby and cricket
- Realized he had to commit to one
- Quit his job at Blockbuster
- Dad fired him, his safety net was gone
45:07 What did Jason do with his first prize money
- The first thing he bought was a Nokia 5110
- Invested the money into his career
- Losing and not generating income
- Became incredibly analytical of his game

Coaching and Staying Connected:

Kelly Hansen: Foreigner And The Life Of A Rock Star | E74 Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence featuring Kelly Hansen, the lead singer of the legendary rock band Foreigner which has had five platinum records and sold more than 80 million albums. He was also the lead singer of the heavy metal band Hurricane, popular in the 80s.
03:46 The importance of being proactive
- Kelly was frustrated with where he was
- Realized he had to be proactive
- You have to handle criticism
- Believe in yourself enough that you can take the risk
- Keep moving forward
- Is fear our greatest motivator to success?
11:47 Sex, drugs & rock ’n’ roll
- Learned a huge lesson in Hurricane
- They became famous rock stars
- 6 months after the label went under, no one knew who they were
- What popularity projects to you is not reality
- You have to know who you are as a person
- Experienced some things of a rock star life
- Never did drugs
16:05 Playing in front of 50 000 people
- There are a lot of types of audiences
- You have to treat each kind differently
- Responsible for converting the audience
- How to keep your energy night after night?
- Show hours have to be the apex of the day
23:02 Priorities in life
- Re-prioritized his life
- Currently on the farewell tour
- Has other passions besides music
- Wants to spend time with his family
26:05 Popular songs vs. “bathroom” songs
- The band had 16 Top 30s
- Every single song did well
- Fortunate to be in a band with so many popular songs
28:28 The importance of Extreme Preparation for success
- Your 100% might be somebody else's 70%
- When you over-prepare, it's like muscle memory
- Bands in the 70s and 80s looked rebellious and unhappy
- 45 years later, not trying to prove how dark and cool they are
- Smiling is a huge part of that
34:15 The current state of the music business and where's it going?
- Talked with a famous rapper about his revenue stream
- Live is the only place you're making any money
- Everybody's stealing and no one’s paying
- A cynical view of what's going forward
- AI created content
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
40:44 Giving back to others
- Started working with Grammy Foundation
- To raise awareness about the lack of funding for school music programs
- Did a lot of work for the Shriners Hospital
- Helping parents pay bills for their sick children
42:18 Fill in the blank for excellence
- When I started my career, I wish I had known
- More about collaboration
- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
- You are insignificant
- And more

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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