Ambition Today, Startup Stories with Kevin Siskar
Ambition Today is hosted by Kevin Siskar who has brought on some of the most exciting and resilient entrepreneurs from around the world, from scrappy founders to billionaire investors. In each episode, listeners go behind the curtain to witness the key moments when startup founders made the most impactful and risky decisions to grow their business. Get a glimpse into the journey through the arena of venture capital, building relationships, turning ideas into reality, and how real businesses don’t just get built, but even leave behind a lasting legacy. Brought to you by Finta, Automate Your Fundraising: www.TrustFinta.com
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How I Raised My Seed, Series A, & Series B
10/29/2024
How I Raised My Seed, Series A, & Series B
This episode of Ambition Today is supported by: In October 2024, Finta hosted a panel for LA Tech Week called “How I Raised - Seed, Series A, Series B.” Featuring founders exploringthe unique challenges and insights of securing capital at different stages of their company. Our incredible panel for this event consists of: David Kervin Proteus Space ($8M Raised) - Revolutionizing satellite design with AI-driven platforms, aiming to reduce the time and cost of deploying satellites through automation and cutting-edge technology. Gaurav Bhattacharya Jeeva ($16M Raised) - Harness AI-driven customer intelligence, helping companies optimize their customer experience and reduce churn through actionable insights. Scott Wayman Kangarootime ($37.5M Raised) - A leading innovator in the childcare management software industry, Kangarootime has risen to the forefront, providing vital solutions for daycares and preschools. Key Fundraising Insights From This Episode: 1. Getting Investor Buy-In: Confidence Over Convincing Founders emphasized that successful fundraising begins with confidence, not just pitching facts. Believing in your mission sets the tone for investor meetings, as confidence drives a stronger, more resonant narrative. 2. Parallel vs. Sequential Fundraising Processes Gaurav shared that sequential meetings can be a trap, leading to prolonged efforts. Instead, structuring outreach as a concentrated, parallel push creates urgency and FOMO among investors, leading to quicker commitments. 3. Navigating Round Dynamics with Clear Milestones For each funding stage, specific milestones are critical. Scott noted that Series B investors expect well-established product-market fit and sales efficiency, while Series A focuses on validating product intent. Seed rounds, by contrast, require strong founder conviction and a scrappy dedication. 4. Leveraging Warm Intros for Better Outcomes Cold outreach has a low conversion rate. David and Gaurav underscored the importance of warm intros, building relationships long before “the ask,” as connections formed early often convert to funding opportunities. 5. Pitfalls in Equity Structure and Term Negotiations Gaurav and Scott highlighted the importance of a clean cap table and an informed approach to term sheets, particularly for liquidation preferences and convertible notes, which can heavily dilute founder control if unchecked. 6. Evolving Pitch Focus: Metrics Over Mission at Later Stages With each funding stage, the pitch shifts. For Series B, Scott mentioned that metrics and market dynamics become critical to justify high-value funding rounds, moving beyond storytelling toward quantifiable business growth. 7. The Role of Timing and Market Trends Market trends, such as the rise of AI, can be powerful, but founders caution to present technology realistically. David shared that aligning milestones with tech waves and managing investor perceptions is essential for positioning within emerging sectors. 8. Finding the Balance in Deal Terms and Equity Retention David noted that while SAFE notes and convertible debt can expedite early funding, they can also lead to significant dilution. Founders should prioritize understanding term sheets and use cap table modeling tools like Carta to project long-term equity impacts. 9. Building and Utilizing Investor Relationships Over Time David emphasized the value of maintaining relationships with VCs who may not invest immediately. Regular updates and casual interactions allow investors to track your progress and feel more comfortable when it’s time to commit. 10. Strategic Use of Milestones to Drive Up Valuation Meeting critical operational or revenue milestones before the next round can significantly enhance valuation and interest. Scott’s journey highlighted that proving product-market fit and high sales efficiency before Series B can allow for strong, valuation-focused negotiations. 11. Positioning Within Tech Waves for Strategic Advantage Each wave of technology (e.g., AI, blockchain) offers a unique angle for storytelling and market positioning. Scott and Gaurav recommended founders lean into tech trends authentically, showcasing how the wave aligns with their product rather than simply following hype. Hosting this event was a blast! A massive thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen and a success. We can't wait to see you all at the next one! ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Fundraising Perspectives From 3 Sides Of The Table: An Investor, a Founder, and a Lawyer
06/17/2024
Fundraising Perspectives From 3 Sides Of The Table: An Investor, a Founder, and a Lawyer
During NY Tech Week 2024 we hosted a live panel discussion in midtown Manhattan on the state of fundraising in 2024. Delving deep into the nuances of fundraising from three different perspectives: an investor, a founder, and a lawyer. Hear from 3 different sides of the table when we gather an investor, founder, and a lawyer to discuss what fundraising venture capital in 2024. Our incredible panel for this event consists of: The Founder David Silverstein, is the CEO of Ned, a white label lending platform that makes it easy for lenders to effortlessly deploy capital. The Investor Rachel ten Brink, General Partner at Red Bike Capital, an early-stage VC fund based in New York, specializing in SaaS, Health & Wellness, and Fintech sectors in the U.S. With over 30 years of experience, including founding a Y Combinator-backed startup that reached $100M in revenue and managing $2B in assets. The Lawyer Jack Sousa, is the Partner & Co-Chair of the Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Practice Group at Wiggin. He is also a wiggin(x) Co-Founder and Partner. Jack focuses his practice on venture capital, startup and early-stage companies and their financing needs. Key Fundraising Insights From This Episode: How Should Founders Think About Fundraising David Silverstein kicked off the event emphasizes the importance of focus during a raise. Trying to shrink the amount of time you spend fundraising so you can get back to building the business. Highlighting the importance of relationship building in fundraising, while de-risking and hitting the right milestones to build trust with investors. Rachel ten Brink advises founders to start planning their next round of funding as soon as they close their current round. She emphasizes the need to reverse-engineer the process, understanding how far the current funds will take the company and what metrics need to be hit for the next raise. AI's Influence On Startups AI will fundamentally transform the venture capital landscape. Rachel notes that AI is not just a sector but a foundational technology that will touch every industry. David adds that while AI is important, it is crucial to solve fundamental business problems first. VC Investor Relations with LP's Rachel discusses the current trends in VC strategies and the importance of understanding the dynamics between VC funds and their LPs. She highlights the necessity for founders to be aware of the financial health and commitments of the VCs they are pitching to. Current Market Trends and Company Valuations The discussion centers around the importance of always being prepared to fundraise and understanding market dynamics. David stresses the situational nature of fundraising, advising founders to be ready to adapt to market conditions. Important Fundraising Legal Considerations Jack Sousa recommends involving a lawyer early in the fundraising process to navigate complex legal terms and agreements. He mentions the return of redemption provisions and full ratchet anti-dilution clauses as trends to watch. How Can Founder's Stand Out To Investors To stand out, David suggests focusing on demonstrating real customer traction and needs. Rachel emphasizes the importance of clear, concise pitch decks and consistent communication with investors. Strong Investor Communication Balancing warm introductions and cold outreach is crucial. David recommends building relationships with investors before needing to raise funds, while Rachel highlights the importance of thoughtful signaling and avoiding desperate outreach. Practical Tips for Founders Jack Sousa and Rachel discuss essential legal terms, noting the increasing prevalence of liquidation preferences and full ratchet anti-dilution clauses. They advise founders to keep their cap tables clean and to be aware of the long-term implications of their fundraising choices. Industry-Specific Insights Raising funds for deep tech ventures involves unique challenges compared to traditional SaaS startups. Rachel and David emphasize the importance of understanding sector-specific milestones and investor expectations. The End of Software...? The panel debates whether the software market has matured. Rachel argues that while the market is evolving, there is still significant upside potential for innovative software solutions, particularly those integrating AI. A massive thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen and a success. We can't wait to see you all at the next one! ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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How Lorenzo Thione Is Scaling Support For Diverse Founders With Gaingels
06/02/2022
How Lorenzo Thione Is Scaling Support For Diverse Founders With Gaingels
We sat down with one of the most influential people in tech, Lorenzo Thione, who shares his very inspiring journey and how that led him to be where he is today. Lorenzo grew up in Milan, Italy and had a technical background at an early age. He completed his studies at the University of Texas at Austin, from which he holds a M.S. in Computer Engineering. He is now the Managing Director of Gaingels, a leading LGBTQIA+/Allies investment syndicate and one of the largest and most active private investors in North America. He is also the co-founding Chairman of StartOut, Chairman of the Board at Social Edge, and previously co-founded Powerset, a natural-language search engine startup sold to Microsoft for $100 million in 2008. Lorenzo is named one of the most influential LGBT people in tech in 2014 and 2018 and his dedication in supporting and elevating leaders of the LGBTQ+ in the venture startup is amazing. As the Managing Producer at Sing Out, Louis! Productions, he is also a Tony-Award winner (Hadestown, The Inheritance). He produced and co-created the Broadway musical, Allegiance starring George Takei and Lea Salonga. He is currently working in a new original musical, Indigo, as well as The Elephant Whisperer. We covered a lot of ground in this episode, including: Topics Discussed: Where his passion comes from and how Lorenzo found entrepreneurship. Helping others to build a diverse company by providing more than just funding. The different companies that he had a part in building. His mark on Broadway. How your descent can make a difference in your future and your thinking. How the model of angel groups is evolving to syndicates and SPV’s. The role of a “Platform” strategy to help Gaingels portfolio companies. What does Lorenzo think about the future of Venture Capital. Quote of the Episode: “Strategic Value, what is all being brought to the table” The Greatest Piece of Advice: His mentor told him to, “ be obsessive, about how you can add value, to your own network and relationships” Links & show notes from this episode: Lorenzo Thione on Lorenzo Thione on Lorenzo Thione on ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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How Jordan Levy Left His Mark On The Venture Capital Industry
03/05/2022
How Jordan Levy Left His Mark On The Venture Capital Industry
In the fall we sat down with one of the godfathers of Venture Capital, Jordan Levy, who shares his very inspiring founder story and how that led to his career as an investor. Jordan co-founded Software Distribution Services which was acquired by Ingram Micro, before going on to be a Partner on the early-stage investing team at SoftBank Capital (SBNY) for 16 years. Jordan has served on the boards of BuzzFeed, TalkSpace, , ACV Auctions, and many others. Using his upbringing and religion to pay it forward (Tzedakah) to the community that he grew up in, in Buffalo, New York. Jordy also co-founded Z80 Labs, a startup incubator in Buffalo, and , an accelerator that hosts an annual startup competition, investing $5M per year in Buffalo, NY. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including: Topics Discussed: Building Software Distribution Services in the early days of venture capital. How to think about the private vs public markets. The intricacies of SPACs vs the IPO. Lessons learned from decades of investments. Betting on the first days of the internet and what has changed since. Investing through the dot com boom and bust. How ACV Auctions re-defined the auto market. The importance of investing in people over markets, trends, and other aspects of the business. Quote of the Episode: “You invest in the people and I will always believe that” and “if you don’t think someone can take this company to the promised land, then don’t invest in them.” The Greatest Piece of Advice: As his grandmother passed down to him, “never go to bed angry with your wife.” Links & show notes from this episode: Jordan Levy’s Jordan Levy on Jordan Levy on ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Scott Wayman's Plan for Kangarootime to Support the $648 Billion Care Economy
10/05/2021
Scott Wayman's Plan for Kangarootime to Support the $648 Billion Care Economy
Scott Wayman's shares his epically inspiring founder story. His passion for Kangarootime is next level and the company is currently focused on winning the childcare management software space for daycares and preschools. With plans to expand to the larger “care economy” which includes not only early education & childcare but also elder & senior care. A $648B TAM in the U.S. Alone according to . The Kangarootime team brilliantly positioned themselves throughout COVID19 as leaders in the space, by taking time to host educational sessions about how their customers can best adapt their centers, as well as quickly shipping new features such as contactless check-in/out, health checks, and more. I have personally watched Scott relentlessly grow this company from their early days at Founder Institute, through several investments from 43North, and was very excited to sit down with him for this episode. ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Creating Data-Driven Sales Leaders With Peter Kazanjy
11/13/2020
Creating Data-Driven Sales Leaders With Peter Kazanjy
Pete Kazanjy is Ambition Today’s new guest from Southern California. He is sitting in San Francisco, CA right now as we speak, enjoying Alamo Square. He is a serial founder and seasoned early stage Saas executive, advisor, and investor. Pete has cofounded many companies including TalentBin, Modern Sales, and Atrium. He is also an author of “Founding Sales”. He went to Stanford where he learned English and Philosophy. Pete is still going strong and has a lot to offer his clients, be sure to read his book “Founding Sales”, a Startup Sales Handbook. Topics Discussed: Branding and Design Go-to-Market and Marketing Strategies Product Development Hiring and On-Boarding Sales, Revenue, and Accounting Work-life balance End Game Quote of the Episode: “Three main rules: focus, focus, focus”. The Greatest Piece of Advice: Checkout the podcast’s back channel, where you can listen to exclusive audio clips containing the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: Connect with Peter on Connect with Peter on ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Jack Greco Builds A Unicorn Company In Buffalo
11/06/2020
Jack Greco Builds A Unicorn Company In Buffalo
From growing up on a dairy farm, to a successful entrepreneur with hundreds of employees, meet our next guest, Jack Greco. Greco co-founded ACV Auctions, an online auction dealer platform, which was last valued at $1.5B. He never thought that he would be the person to co-found Buffalo’s first unicorn startup in 2014. The great part is the story behind his success. He later reveals to Kevin that he has been fired from every job before he became a founder, and what kicked him in gear, was learning that he had a baby on the way. Every success story is different, and I think this is great for our audience to hear, and prove to you, never give up, or think that you are not worth something because you got fired! Pick your feet up and move on! As of 2018, Greco left ACV Auctions and is now an angel investor. To date, he has invested in over 50 companies and is trying his hardest to maintain a quality work-life balance for his son. Topics Discussed: A little background on Jack Greco Unicorn Start-Up Angel investing in 50 companies Working with others Covid effects on the world Work-life balance Mental Health Having a coach is so important Buffalo Bridge Quote of the Episode: “This [ACV Auctions] is a great learning experience, and it will shape who I am going to be as an investor, a mentor, executive, father, for the rest of my life.” - Jack Greco The Greatest Piece of Advice: Checkout the podcast’s back channel, where you can listen to exclusive audio clips containing the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: Connect with Jack on Connect with Jack on ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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News Roundtable: Future of American Cities and Working From Home
10/23/2020
News Roundtable: Future of American Cities and Working From Home
Kevin Siskar and Tim Shisler are at it again, discussing the current news in our world today. Each person brings one topic to the table and they talk about them both. Kevin’s Topic: The Future of American Cities. Kevin starts by discussing how he lived in NYC for a full decade and how he has seen the cost of living has increased significantly, but at the same time, the storefronts are leaving! This is due to the commercial investors also increasing their rent too much where small shops are no longer able to handle the cost. Kevin found a statistic: 50% of all restaurants in NYC are going to close due to COVID 19, currently being 12,000 being closed already. So many people think the city and other big cities are dying, but looking at the next few years, will the economy be able to come back? Tim’s Topic: Working from home, the rise of remote work! Tim talks about how it was hard to transition for him to remote work once COVID-19 forced a lot of our workforce to remote. It is a lot about having a plan and being diligent about time and how you carve it out. Routine is key. There is a fine line between work life and home life, the separation needs to be balanced. Should you be working at 8pm when you have a significant other? When working in an office, the commute is there to help you shift out of work mode, what do you do when you are working from home. This is also the time where it really shines on the people that really care about their work, vs. the people that were just working to have a job. This is a big topic right now, because working from home is definitely not for everyone. Tune in to hear what Tim and Kevin have to say about this week’s topics! ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Bringing Back Jeff Wald To Discuss The End Of Jobs
10/16/2020
Bringing Back Jeff Wald To Discuss The End Of Jobs
Our next guest is so amazing, we had to interview him a second time! He was on nearly 5 years ago on Episode 8! Jeff Wald is an entrepreneur who has started three technology companies, with his latest company, WorkMarket, being sold to ADP. Monday was officially his last day. He is a Board Member on the following boards: Steel Connect, Costar Technologies, TransfrVR, Peerless Systems, and Register.com. But the true reason we brought him on the podcast today was to talk about his book, “The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations”. Tune in to hear all about his book as well as statistics regarding the workforce in 2020: Topics Discussed: What is it like to sell a company? Remote working Social Squads The goal of the meeting Mechanization Electrification Computerization Abusing Powers Quote of the Episode: “Every time {we revolutionize} we ended up with more jobs, at a higher standard of living, with working fewer hours, that is definitively clear through history.” The Greatest Piece of Advice: Join the podcast’s backchannel, where members can and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: Jeff on Jeff on ========== Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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News Roundtable: R.I.P. to RBG and Facebook
10/07/2020
News Roundtable: R.I.P. to RBG and Facebook
In this new episode, Kevin Siskar and Tim Shisler discuss the current news in our world today. Each week, each person brings one topic to the table. This week Tim chose to talk about the sad passing of former Associate Judge, Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, 2020. She passed away after complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. And brought Facebook to the table. There are real issues with Facebook. Everything from the false advertising that Facebook is not taking responsibility for, mental health issues stemming from addiction to Facebook, and now election interference! On September, 3rd Facebook came out with their plan on tackling the Election campaigns on their platform. Tune in to hear what Tim and Kevin have to say about this week’s topics! ========== Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! Plus additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Join The Bandwagon With Harold Hughes
02/21/2020
Join The Bandwagon With Harold Hughes
Our next guest on the show, is the amazing Harold Hughes. He is the founder of , which helps companies discover the identity of their fans in order to increase attendance, offer personalized services, and increase revenue. Growing up, Harold made his first dollar selling AirHeads for cheaper than the school sold them at their cafeteria until he got caught! He went to Clemson University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics, before going back for his Masters's degree later. It was then, while he was taking his strategic management course that he realized it was a lot like being a fan at a sports event. Harold loved playing sports when he grew up, and he loved that it didn’t matter your families financial status was or where you lived, you just loved to play the game. That is where Bandwagon all started. Now Harold has expanded Bandwagon from just preventing ticket fraud for fans, too also being a fan identity and data analytics company. Tune in to hear more about Harold’s story and experiences going through the ups and downs of being a CEO. Quote of the Episode: “Service to others is the rent for your time on earth” Gauntlet: Listen in for Harold’s amazing tips from his experience growing his business: Branding/Design Go-to-Market Product Development Hiring Revenue and Accounting Fundraising The Greatest Piece of Advice: Join the podcast’s backchannel, where members can and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: ========== Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure online, cloud-based, operations center for your start-up. Quickly set up your company and you've got a blazing fast tool for raising capital and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Visit to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now! - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! ========== Follow: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: Follow Kevin Siskar on: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: Snapchat: Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy). ========== About: is a podcast about entrepreneurs, creators, investors, and builders who ambitiously changed the world. Each episode explores the hardships and heroism of everyday life to reveal the key moments which leave behind a lasting legacy. Creating value in the world is hard, but you are not alone. No matter where you are in the world Ambition Today, hosted by Kevin Siskar, is here to keep you company you as you create your own incredible story. Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, Casey Neistat, and Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman.
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Alexis Beechen Drops Some Knowledge From Building Her Wine Empire
01/29/2020
Alexis Beechen Drops Some Knowledge From Building Her Wine Empire
Imagine being on a cruise with friends and a good business idea comes to mind, then months later, your idea is now being distributed in Walmart’s around the world! Today’s guest, Alexis Beechen was enjoying her time partyin’ and thought, putting wine in a can would be much easier to casually drink. She got home and decided to research this idea and discovered that there would be a good market for it. She partnered with some amazing people and created her brand, The Drop, which is now at concert venues, small wine stores, and as of late last year, in Walmart’s all around. An entrepreneur by heart, Alexis made her first dollar selling her mom’s gently used clothes when she could barely drive. She grew up with much support from both her parents who were lawyers. Her dad, an entrepreneur himself, had his own firm, and her mom was the first person that talked to her about branding yourself and establishing trust with people. She went to Georgetown for Marketing and eventually landed a job with Havas where she maintained Dos Equis account. Although she loved her job with Havas, she decided to go back to Columbia for business school. During her schooling is when The Drop was born. Today, she is working on another business that she is passionate about, Hunterz.io which helps startups with connections they need to grow their business. Listen in to hear more in-depth about Alexis’ awesome story! Quote of the Episode: “You can only make as much money as the hours you build” Gauntlet:Listen in for the tips, tricks, and tools that Alexis used growing her business: Branding/Design - Fiverr Go-to-Market – Hunterz.io Product Development – feedback from customers Hiring - LinkedIn Revenue and Accounting - QuickBooks Fundraising - Carta The Greatest Piece of Advice: Join the podcast’s backchannel, where members can and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: ========== Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! Plus additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. ========== Follow: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: Follow Kevin Siskar on: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: Snapchat: Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy). ========== About: is a podcast about entrepreneurs, creators, investors, and builders who ambitiously changed the world. Each episode explores the hardships and heroism of everyday life to reveal the key moments which leave behind a lasting legacy. Creating value in the world is hard, but you are not alone. No matter where you are in the world Ambition Today, hosted by Kevin Siskar, is here to keep you company you as you create your own incredible story. Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, Casey Neistat, and Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman.
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Automating Indoor Agriculture with Dan Nelson's Grow Computer
12/11/2019
Automating Indoor Agriculture with Dan Nelson's Grow Computer
Packing for a nice relaxing vacation, you look around, and realize, you have these beautiful plants that you have worked so hard in growing, and you wonder, are they going to be thriving when you get home? Our amazing guest today, Dan Nelson thought just that as he prepared for his honeymoon a few years back. There has to be a better way than having dead plants when you get back from vacation! This is the event that gave him a new chapter in life. After countless hours of studying under his belt, he helped create Grow Computer as it is today! Dan didn’t always have the ambition to help automate agriculture, he grew up in Long Island where his father and grandfather instilled his great work ethic in him. He would help with the latest house project by wheelbarrowing supplies to them when needed. He had great hardworking role models and followed in their footsteps. Nelson graduated with a Masters Degree in accounting and an undergraduate in Economics at the University of Michigan. Before Grow Computer, he had many jobs, with one of his favorites being a virtual CFO because he has always loved helping people build better businesses. He even created a tool called Start of Economics 101. Tune in to this episode to hear more about Dan and his tips and experience in building his own company. Quote of the Episode: “If it [computer system] doesn’t talk to each other, it adds layers, complexity, transaction costs and stress and hassle, and reduces the efficiency in any business” Gauntlet:Listen in for the tips, tricks, and tools that Dan shares with us! Branding/Design Go-to-Market Product Development Hiring Revenue and Accounting Fundraising The Greatest Piece of Advice: Join the podcast’s backchannel, where members can and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: ========== Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure online, cloud-based, operations center for your start-up. Quickly set up your company and you've got a blazing fast tool for raising capital and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Visit to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now! - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! ========== Follow: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: Follow Kevin Siskar on: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: Snapchat: Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy). ========== About: is a podcast about entrepreneurs, creators, investors, and builders who ambitiously changed the world. Each episode explores the hardships and heroism of everyday life to reveal the key moments which leave behind a lasting legacy. Creating value in the world is hard, but you are not alone. No matter where you are in the world Ambition Today, hosted by Kevin Siskar, is here to keep you company you as you create your own incredible story. Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, Casey Neistat, and Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman.
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Taylor Jacobson Teaches Us Distraction-Free Productivity with Focusmate
11/27/2019
Taylor Jacobson Teaches Us Distraction-Free Productivity with Focusmate
After a summer break, we are back with a brand new season of Ambition Today! Season 3 brings with it some fresh new changes to the podcast, coming to you from our brand new podcast studio in the heart of New York City! We have some exciting guests coming up and I can’t wait to share all of the great conversations & new questions with you! I hope you enjoy Season 3, now on to the episode! Who struggles with procrastination? Did you know that studies show up to 95% of people struggle with procrastination! My guest today is Taylor Jacobson. He is the founder of Focusmate, the app that helps you focus and in return be more productive. In this episode, we discuss with Taylor what in his personal life lead him to the idea of needing a solution like Focusmate, as well as his personal take on a lot of procrastination issues. As Taylor developed Focusmate, he found three major aspects of being more productive. One, you perform better when you need to complete a task in the presence of someone else. Two, if you commit to another person that you are going to do something, it is highly likely that you will complete it. And three, you are likely to increase productivity if you reflect on your work afterward. You know that you are going to have to review the job that you did, so in the moment of work, your actual focus becomes stronger. Focusmate is now helping thousands of people with all of these aspects! Tune in to hear more about Taylor and his company, Focusmate! Quote of the Episode: “These are the people {Co-workers} that have my back to grow into my best self” Gauntlet:This is a new section of my podcast for season 3, where I will ask my guest a tip or tool that they recommend for their business in each of the following categories. Listen in to hear Taylor’s answers: Branding/Design Go-to-Market Product Development Hiring Revenue and Accounting Fundraising The Greatest Piece of Advice: Join the podcast’s backchannel, where members can and get the single greatest piece of advice our guests have ever learned! Links & show notes from this episode: ========== Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure online, cloud-based, operations center for your start-up. Quickly set up your company and you've got a blazing fast tool for raising capital and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Visit to download and keep any audiobook for free. Download your free book now! - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! ========== Follow: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: Follow Kevin Siskar on: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: Snapchat: Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy). ========== About: is a podcast about entrepreneurs, creators, investors, and builders who ambitiously changed the world. Each episode explores the hardships and heroism of everyday life to reveal the key moments which leave behind a lasting legacy. Creating value in the world is hard, but you are not alone. No matter where you are in the world Ambition Today, hosted by Kevin Siskar, is here to keep you company you as you create your own incredible story. Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, Casey Neistat, and Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman.
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Bryan Janeczko Is Helping Entrepreneurs Gro
05/13/2019
Bryan Janeczko Is Helping Entrepreneurs Gro
Bryan Janeczko was recently named one of the Top 23 LGBTQ people in Tech, along side other notable figures such as Tim Cook, Peter Thiel, and more. He has built a strong track record for building great businesses including: NuKitchen, a food preparation service that helped people eat healthier. NuKitchen was later sold to Nutrisystem and pioneered the market long before Blue Apron or Plated even existed. Now Bryan is the Founder of Gro, an on-demand startup academy. As part of the Loeb.NYC family, a venture studio in the heart of New York City, Bryan is helping founders at all stages. In a new partnership between Tony Robbins and Loeb, they have also launched Nunbelievable Foods, a baked goods company that turns their profits into feeding the homeless. Bryan grew up in Milwaukee, started a candy selling business in High School where he would at times bribe the teachers with a candy bar in order to sell more candy bars at the beginning of each class to his fellow classmates. It was such a popular business, that he started having distributors, which eventually had the principal pulling the plug on his first entrepreneurial experience. However, that didn’t stop his entrepreneurial spirit! After school, and a summer abroad in England, Bryan decided to make the big move to NY! He had a place to stay for one week and a credit card, and the rest is history! Tune in to hear more of Bryan’s story: • Learning resourcefulness early on. • His life changing trip to England • Starting and selling his company, NuKitchen • Co-founding Startout • His time as the Director of Founder Institute New York • Working with Loeb NYC • Founding Gro Academy • Working with Tony Robbins and Nunbelievable Foods Quote of the Episode: “Every founder brings their unique set of traits and many of us become entrepreneurs because we may not make it in more traditional jobs…” Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : What advice can you give an entrepreneur at the beginning stages of building their first business? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Links from this episode: ==========Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! Plus additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. ========== Follow: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: Follow Kevin Siskar on: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: Snapchat: ========== About: is a podcast about entrepreneurs, creators, investors, and builders who ambitiously changed the world. Each episode explores the hardships and heroism of everyday life to reveal the key moments which leave behind a lasting legacy. Creating value in the world is hard, but you are not alone. No matter where you are in the world Ambition Today, hosted by Kevin Siskar, is here to keep you company you as you create your own incredible story. Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, Casey Neistat, and Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Skip Hop's Michael Diamant Innovates Baby Products
04/08/2019
Skip Hop's Michael Diamant Innovates Baby Products
From being forced to layoff his whole staff, to selling his company for $140 million, our next guest, Michael Diamant, has great insight on how he became successful. Michael Diamant created a well-known brand with his wife, called Skip Hop, which was sold to Carter’s for $140 million. It all started with a diaper bag in 2003. Michael and his wife wanted a diaper bag that was fully functional, however, also appealed to a fashion savvy crowd. The company continued to grow for 15 more years creating several more innovative baby care products before they were bought by Carter’s. Now both Michael and his wife continue to work with Carter’s to help grow the brand Skip Hop. Before Michael created a very successful brand, he had a great career and started multiple companies. He has a background in advertising and was a happy employee at MTV. Tune in to find out more about how Michael became successful… Growing up The world of advertising Working at MTV, and the impact it had on Michael His first company – T3 Media How he was able to start iClips How it felt to have to lay off 35 employees His Skip Hop Journey Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : What advise would you have for other entrepreneurs who are trying to find product market fit? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Links from this episode: ========== Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! Plus additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Australia's Benjamin Chong Helps Startups Excel With Right Click Capital
03/25/2019
Australia's Benjamin Chong Helps Startups Excel With Right Click Capital
Today, my guest is a fellow Founder Institute Director, Benjamin Chong. Benjamin has been the director of Founder Institute in Australia since 2011 and is also well known as a partner at Right Click Capital. Right Click Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups. He is an active technology startup community member that has served as a mentor and guest speaker at many different entrepreneurial programs in Sydney, South East Asia, and the United States. Benjamin Chong grew up in Australia and says his life-changing entrepreneurial moment was when he was in a program called Young Achievement in High School where a few select students from multiple schools got together and created a business, they had to sell stock, and make it profitable, which was a success. He graduated from the University of South Wales and has been unstoppable. Listen in to learn more about Benjamin’s successes… Early years in Australia Young Achievement program in High School Working at PWC Co-founding iMega Directing Founder Institute since 2011 Is startup life different in Australia How important mental health is Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : What was it like to make the switch from Founder to Investor? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “Relationship in businesses are critical, it takes time to build relationships…” Links from this episode: ========== Ambition Today Is Proudly Independent & Supported By: - A secure, deal room platform for early-stage companies. Quickly set up your company and you’ve got a blazing fast tool for organizing your fundraise and securing your sensitive company information. House your pitch deck, secure your legal documents, organize your cap table, notify target investors, and close deals faster! Finta allows you to raise more, save time, and increase your efficiency. - Join the podcast’s backchannel for exclusive access to learn the single greatest piece of advice each guest has ever learned! Plus additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Visit Ambition Today on the Web: Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Michael Loeb's New Approach To Launching Billion Dollar Companies
03/11/2019
Michael Loeb's New Approach To Launching Billion Dollar Companies
Joining us today is Founder and CEO of Loeb Enterprises, Michael Loeb. Loeb Enterprises is an early stage venture investing company and an incubator for startups. Prior to Loeb Enterprises, Michael co-founded Synapse in 1992 with Jay Walker. Synapse then became the largest seller of consumer magazine subscriptions worldwide and now is a subsidiary of Time Warner. Along with Jay Walker, Michael assisted with the creation and early stage funding of Priceline. Although Michael was born in St. Louis, MO, he has been in New York since the age of one years old. He was your typical entrepreneur from early on, mowing lawns, having a lemonade stand, etc. However, it was not until he was fired from Time, Inc until he realized his entrepreneurial potential. Tune in to learn more of his story: Michael growing up Working at Time, Inc Why being fired can sometimes be important Creating Synapse Co-founded Priceline Selling his company for $800 million Creating Loeb Enterprises Helping founders Pros and Cons of being in NY as a founder Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : I have heard you say that you wish you had bet on yourself earlier in your life. How old were you when you quit Time Inc and how can people bet on themselves earlier in life? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “It is hard to be an entrepreneur in your 30’s, if you didn’t have a big win in your 20’s.” Links from this episode: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Brian McCullough How The Internet Happened & What Is Happening Today
02/21/2019
Brian McCullough How The Internet Happened & What Is Happening Today
Approaching two decades later, our guest, Brian McCullough’s company is still going strong. Brian is CEO of ResumeWriters.com which is the longest lasting company for this service, shout out to Brian. Not only is he a successful entrepreneur, he is also the Author of “How The Internet Happened.” In 2016, he became a Ted Talk Resident, and is also known for his podcasts: Internet History Podcast and Techmeme Ride Home, which is a News Aggregator that now gives you a daily dose of tech news. Brian grew up in Florida with no entrepreneurial background as his parents were both hard working teachers. Brian went to college to get a degree in Film, which he did, however, it was when he had to write his thesis to graduate, that he ended up becoming an entrepreneur instead. Tune in to hear more about Brian’s story: Life background Interviewing people for his book Internet History Podcast Techmeme Ride Home History of the internet Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : With regard to the venture capital industry whose job is to depict that future, what advice would you have for them based on the history of the internet? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “We live in the world where entrepreneurs are rock stars” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Follow Colors of Colleen: Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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50 Episodes Later, Ramphis Castro Returns To Talk About Investing In Hard-Tech & Life Science Startups
02/07/2019
50 Episodes Later, Ramphis Castro Returns To Talk About Investing In Hard-Tech & Life Science Startups
Reminiscing on my first podcast is my guest, Ramphis Castro. We sat down for my very first podcast in August of 2015 and he has watched it grow over the years. It was great to have him here with me again. Ramphis is a serial entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist that has impacted several companies across 40 countries. His quote sums him up very well, “I am a Computer Engineer and Lawyer by training, serial entrepreneur by experience, and grass-root ecosystem builder by conviction.” A Puerto Rican Native, Ramphis grew up by the beach with his dad, mom and three siblings. He is close to his family and had his mom instilling entrepreneurship in his mind from the beginning. The family always had little ways to make some extra spending money outside of their jobs, which taught Ramphis investing and ways to make money from a young age. He was fortunate enough to go to a school that taught English and went to an Engineering school for college. From there he was hired as a Microsoft, which was the hot company to work for at the time. He then started a consulting service company, had to learn from a few mistakes, and get back up. He has now owned several companies and has helped multiple companies by investing. Listen in to hear more about Ramphis and his path to success: World happenings from Episode 1 Life in Puerto Rico Early Entrepreneurial experiences Working for Microsoft Starting his own company Learning from bad experiences in owning a company Joining Kauffman Fellows Seeing different Ecosystems around the world NYCIC Venture Capital Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : Where is the future of Venture Capital is going? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “You don’t know what you don’t know” Links from this episode: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Follow Colors of Colleen: Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Understanding Your Habits To Become Indistractable, With Nir Eyal
01/24/2019
Understanding Your Habits To Become Indistractable, With Nir Eyal
Join the A-list backchannel to get "Single greatest piece of advice ever received": Author, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Investor, and Consultant, also known as our next guest, Nir Eyal. Well known for his blog, Nir & Far, Nir writes about “behavioral design” the intersection of psychology, technology and business. He helps companies with techniques to motivate and manipulate users. He has successfully founded and sold two businesses in the tech industry and now has his book “Hooked” on the market, with another book coming in September. Nir, originally born in Israel, moved to the US when he was just three years old and grew up in Orlando, FL. He received his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he has since then taught. He is also an active angel investor as he believes in putting his money where his mouth is and invests in habit forming products. Listen in to learn more about Nir: Growing up in Orlando How Nir knew he would become an entrepreneur Stanford Graduate School of Business Nir & Far – the meaning behind the name of his blog “Hooked” Types of Manipulation Creating Habit Forming products His new book Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “What are your thoughts on iPhone addiction? How do we protect ourselves from them?” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “It is not the best product that wins, it is the product that captures the monopoly of the mind.” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Follow Colors of Colleen: Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Byron Reese Believes Technology Will Bring About A New Golden Age Of Humanity
12/18/2018
Byron Reese Believes Technology Will Bring About A New Golden Age Of Humanity
Join the A-list backchannel to get "Single greatest piece of advice ever received": Fascinated about how things worked and technology from a young age, today’s guest, Byron Reese, makes you question, are you a machine? Today, he puts his fascination into good use as the CEO and publisher of Gigaom, an industry-leading technology research company. Bryon is also an award-winning public speaker and author of “The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.” Byron grew up in Austin, TX and became an entrepreneur at the young age of 12. He did not have entrepreneurship in his family background, but that wouldn’t stop Byron from becoming a great success today. As a futurist, a forward thinker, Byron helps you think about the good that artificial intelligence has to offer and where we are going in this age of technology. Listen in to hear more about Byron: Growing up Rice University Starting his first company with a can of spray paint Starting Knowingly Santa Mail Talking about Gigaom and AI Are you a machine? Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “450 businesses is a lot. How do you think about playing the long game vs a short one, when it comes to sticking with something for so long?” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “What are We in the end?” Links from this episode: Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Follow Colors of Colleen: Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Matt Mandell Is Automating Businesses So They Can Focus On Higher Priorities
11/19/2018
Matt Mandell Is Automating Businesses So They Can Focus On Higher Priorities
Join the A-list backchannel to get "Single greatest piece of advice ever received": Starting out young, today's guest, Matt Mandell, created his first company at the age of 12. Matt grew up with a supportive family full of entrepreneurs, so Matt was very comfortable with entrepreneurship from the start. He attended college in DC, where he spent the next several years developing multiple companies that were selective to college students. Matt is well known for his serial entrepreneurship and has spoken all across the nation teaching students how to become entrepreneurs themselves. He has been publicized multiple times, including New York Times, has helped start up multiple companies, and now is a managing partner with GAM Payments, a payment solution provider for mid-market companies. Interviewing Matt showed that there are different ways to look at being a leader that really make you think. Tune in to hear more: Growing up in an Entrepreneurial Family Creating his first business at the age of 12 College experiences in DC The many businesses Matt created while in College Mentoring at Founder Institute Automation and Efficiency Investing in companies instead of creating them Meaning and reasoning for GAM Payments Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “How do you realize when automation is necessary or when you should just do the small task yourself? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “If something goes wrong, it is my fault for not setting up the correct system and process for my team” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Follow Colors of Colleen: Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Dr. Dileep Rao Teaches Us How to Create Wealth and Keep It
10/29/2018
Dr. Dileep Rao Teaches Us How to Create Wealth and Keep It
Join the A-list backchannel to get "Single greatest piece of advice ever received": Entrepreneur, investor, public speaker and author are a few titles that Dr. Dileep Rao is known for. He came from India to America in 1973 for his education, and has been a success ever since. While obtaining his PhD, he started working for an Adventure Capital firm one summer that ended up changing his life. He since then has helped invest in hundreds of businesses, which includes four businesses he started himself. He is now a professor at the Florida International University and has been awarded numerous awards for teaching. Dr. Dileep Rao is now a nationally acclaimed author, writing “Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained”. He was able to study many successful entrepreneurs in his time, and he came up with 7 steps that all successful entrepreneurs seemed to follow. His book dives deep into his findings. Learn more about Dr. Dileep in this episode! · Coming to America for Education · Working for his first Adventure Capital Firm · Helping Fund hundreds of companies · His experience writing his book “Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained” · The 7 steps for Entrepreneurs · Where growth opportunities are at · What Dr. Dileep is doing today Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “Where do you see the future of venture capital going next?” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “Numbers help you monitor where you are going” Links from this episode: · · · · ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Greg Alterman is Making Life Simpler with Gender Neutral Everyday Products
10/15/2018
Greg Alterman is Making Life Simpler with Gender Neutral Everyday Products
Join the A-list backchannel to get "Single greatest piece of advice ever received": Today’s guest grew up with Entrepreneurial spirit surrounding him. All of the men in Greg Alterman’s family for generations owned and operated one of the largest grocery stores chains in the South since the early 1900’s. With all the entrepreneurial passion within him, he started his first successful shirt business while attending college at the University of Florida. Alternate Apparel successfully grew until he sold the company for $60 million dollars nearly 30 years later. In 2015 Greg suffered from a brain hemorrhage that would change his life forever. During his recovery, he noticed that vibrant colors and clutter really were bothersome to his sight which lead him to create his newest business endeavor, m/f people. Alterman wanted to company that didn’t market towards one sex or the other. m/f people focuses on sleek and simple designs for skin care products as well as apparel. Listen in to hear more of Greg’s amazing journey! Family Owned business that started on the side of the road in the early 1900’s Greg’s Entrepreneurial spirit from early on Going to college on a Golf Scholarship What Greg did to create income once his scholarship was no longer there Alternative Apparel Selling a company for $60 million dollars How Brain surgery changed his life His vision behind m/f people Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “How do you stick to the grind for so long?” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “Listen to your own gut instinct.” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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NASA's Parker Solar Probe Launch: A Historic Interview To Touch The Sun
10/02/2018
NASA's Parker Solar Probe Launch: A Historic Interview To Touch The Sun
Join the A-list backchannel to get "Single greatest piece of advice ever received": NASA made history on August 12, 2018, launching the Parker Solar Probe; their first ever mission to touch the sun. Luckily, I was to come down to Cape Canaveral to have a front row seat to the rocket launch! This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am proud to say I was able to witness with my own two eyes. While there, I had the opportunity and pleasure of interviewing Felipe Ruiz, who is the Deputy Lead Mechanical Engineer from John’s Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. He helped directly build the Parker Solar Probe and was kind enough to share his personal journey contributing to such an important advancement in human civilization. The Parker Solar Probe will use seven gravity assist Venus flybys over the next seven years to slowly shrink its orbit around the sun. This will bring the Parker Solar Probe as close as 3.83 million miles to the center of the sun. On the probe’s closest orbit, it will be seven times closer than any spacecraft before it. Eventually becoming the fastest human-made object in existence, at 430,000 mph relative to the sun. The spacecraft will transmit its first science observations in December. ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Alex Batdorf Is Teaching Female Entrepreneurs How To Get Shit Done
09/12/2018
Alex Batdorf Is Teaching Female Entrepreneurs How To Get Shit Done
Did you know that only 17% of all startups have a female founder? Well, we are lucky enough to have a female founder on our show today, Alex Batdorf. Alex is a business coach, co-founder of Zip Fit, a company that delivers a perfect fit denim for every body and now the creator of a YouTube series called Get Sh!t Done. This series focuses on helping female entrepreneurs maintain a balance between pursuing purpose and profit. Growing up in Seattle, Alex had a lot of family support; they always told her the sky was the limit. She was never that kid that knew she would be an entrepreneur, she just knew she wanted to impact the world. Moving to Chicago for her undergrad degree was a big culture shock for her, but taught her a lot. After getting her Sociology degree and seeing all the entrepreneurs from her classes she realized the potential she had to become the great entrepreneur she is today. Tune in for more! · Growing up in Seattle · Culture shock moving to Chicago · Her degree in Sociology · ZipFit · The Ins and Outs of finding Investors · Get Shit Done · Helping other Female Entrepreneurs Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “How do you know when it is time for a change, and when you recognize it, how do you push it forward?” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “You have to give yourself oxygen first… if you don’t have oxygen for yourself, nothing else can work.” Links from this episode: · · · · · · ========== This episode of Ambition Today is supported by: + Founder Institute New York: goo.gl/RGezjW + WeWork: goo.gl/hyzzuP + Toptal: goo.gl/OObfM9 + Audible: goo.gl/Urjq6k ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Mitch Wainer: Bringing an Infectious Energy to the Marketing World
08/14/2018
Mitch Wainer: Bringing an Infectious Energy to the Marketing World
We are exploring the marketing world on today’s episode, with our special guest, Mitch Wainer. He is the creative marketing leader with many accomplishments such as Co-Founding Digital Ocean and being the Chief Marketing Officer at Clubhouse, a project management platform for software teams that provide the perfect balance of simplicity and structure. Mitch is an active advisor and speaker on entrepreneurship and growth marketing to the startup community Mitch grew up with a great family support system, that he feels is an important part in his entrepreneurial success. He graduated with a degree in Marketing from Northeastern. Short after graduating college, he found himself sitting in board meetings with seasoned professionals, trying to convince them that Facebook and Social Media is the way of the future. Listen in to find out more about Mitch and his success High school and college years Family Support System Teaching himself how to build websites Mitch’s first start out of college Being a part of the Ask Jason podcast Co-founding Digital Ocean Mitch’s role at Clubhouse Marketing then compared to marketing now Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “Do you travel often, how important is travel for you, how do you balance time for those new experiences and get shit done as a founder?” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “The support system around you is a key ingredient to being successful” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Brian Pasalich Is Setting The Foundation For Financial Health And Wellbeing
08/01/2018
Brian Pasalich Is Setting The Foundation For Financial Health And Wellbeing
Growing up in an immigrant family, Brian Pasalich lived in Chicago, Croatia and even a small town in Montana all by the age of 13, which allowed him to have a deeper understanding of the different walks of life that people face. This combined with a passion for helping people led him to his career in financial planning. He is now the founder of Foundational, a consumer-mindset driven platform for financial health and wellbeing Since a young age, Brian’s passion has been helping others. In his career, he has been a volunteer EMT, a flight paramedic with the Army Reserve, serving on two SWAT teams, and a civilian flight paramedic for a trauma center. He majored in Microbiology at the University of Montana before finding his passion for helping people through financial planning and serving as a Mentor with Founder Institute. Listen in to find out about Brian’s unique experiences and how it has helped him help others: Being a SWAT flight paramedic Majoring in Microbiology at University of MT How his failing business was the best thing that happened to him Creating Foundational.co Being a part of MassMutual team Mentoring at Founder Institute New York Being on the board for Marriage Equality Staying active in the LGBT community How health and fitness is a major part of his life Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “Why does family matter, and how do you balance your personal life with your work life? The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “Name one goal you can accomplish without money” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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Matt Britton Is Changing The Face Of Consumer Intelligence For The Millennial Generation With Suzy
07/10/2018
Matt Britton Is Changing The Face Of Consumer Intelligence For The Millennial Generation With Suzy
As a serial entrepreneur, Matt Britton has successfully acquired and sold many companies at the perfect time. He is most known for his important role in creating MRY (Mr. Youth) and Suzy. MRY is a digital and social media marketing agency that helps companies market to the youth, which is tomorrow’s future leaders. His latest venture, Suzy, is a consumer intelligence platform which helps bring the voice of real consumers directly to brands. Now known as America’s leading expert on the Millennial Generation, Britton’s entrepreneurial spirit all started because of parties believe it or not. He ran 5 to 7 parties a week, and local businesses started to take notice. They would ask him to advertise their business during the parties, which led him to create his first business venue, Magma Group. This was just the beginning for Britton, listen to hear more of his great story: How Magma Group came about The meaning behind “Magma” Creating MRY, Mr. Youth How MRY got Microsoft as their customer How Suzy was developed His book, “Youth Nation” Being a serial entrepreneur Being an investor Ambition Today Question of the Day™ : “You have started several companies over the years, what is being a serial entrepreneur mean to you?.” The Single Greatest Piece of Advice: Members of the "A-list" can If you are not a member yet be sure to ! Quote Of The Episode: “Ninety-nine percent of decisions made in business have no data behind it” Links from this episode: ========== Visit Ambition Today on the Web: www.siskar.co/ambitiontoday Follow Kevin Siskar on Twitter: twitter.com/TheSiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Instagram: instagram.com/thesiskar Follow Kevin Siskar on Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.siskar Add Kevin Siskar on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/krsiskar Kevin Siskar brings you ambitious entrepreneurs inspired by Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Residual Income, Entrepreneur on Fire, NPR, HBR, TED Radio Hour, the StartUp podcast with Alex Blumberg by Gimlet Media, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, The Uncertain Hour, Bigger Pockets, Art of Charm, Dave Ramsey, Planet Money, Jocko Podcast, EntreLeadership, Zigler, APM Marketplace, This Week In Startups with Jason Calacanis, Mixergy, Seth Godin, Joe Rogan Experience, GaryVee, James Altucher, Monocle 24, How to Start a Startup, Crooked Media, and The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom, and Casey Neistat. Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS (apple.co/1NRRPzL), on Google Play Music (goo.gl/LmmciJ), or on Stitcher for Android (bit.ly/1Rn01dy).
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