Miami Hustle Series

Wondering how to get people to buy-in to your ideas (business or otherwise)? I sat down with Joel Brown, Co-Founder of DocuVital and covered how he went from not knowing powerpoint to winning three pitch competitions in a row.  We covered how he got the idea for his startup after being stuck with mounds of paperwork when his dad passed away.  We also covered using strategic partners to get initial traction and validation for your startup, even before you have investors. Joel is a great example of why you don’t need a tech background to launch a startup and we can all learn a lot from his hustle.  Highlights   Entrepreneur story 2:30 - How he inherited entrepreneurship from his dad 3:15 - How he got the idea for DocuVital following the pain of his father’s loss 4:15 - How they decided to launch DocuVital after missing out on a $350K life insurance policy 5:00 - Why launching a startup isn’t about just building something and expecting customers to show up 7:00 - Advice he’d give to someone thinking of doing the

Wondering when it makes sense to quit your 9-5 and pursue that entrepreneurial idea?  I sat down with Adam Garfield, the founder of the mobile app SpeedeTab, to learn how he has achieved traction with tons of customers right here in South Florida.   We met up at one of his clients, Panther Coffee, and covered how he got the idea for SpeedeTab while being frustrated waiting in line to get drinks at a bar.  We talked about getting featured on reality TV and why he pivoted his business from his initial idea.   Adam is hustling day in and day out to launch his startup right here in South Florida and has major traction at tons of shops that you certainly know by name. Most importantly, he's an example of why starting small and getting things right in a single geography beats going big right out of the gate. Entrepreneur Story 3:15 - How he decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship 5:00 - What his friends and family thought of his venture 5:15 - What the naysayers say and how that drives him 6:45 - How he put

Ever wondered why everyone in Miami seems to be a real estate agent?  Olivier Grinda of Miami startup Home 61 is a four-time start up founder (and angel investor) who is bringing his track record of success to up-end Miami’s real estate market.  His tech-enabled brokers are outperforming the market average by 7x and his company was listed as the fastest-growing brokerage in Miami during part of 2015.   We had a great chat covering: -What Olivier learned from founding three previous startups - two which were acquired and one which failed -What he’s learned being an angel investor in over 40 companies and why the first $200K is the most important part of the fundraising journey -How Home61 can be a great option for anyone looking to grow their income in a unique startup environment.   Highlights Entrepreneurial journey 2:45 - His previous three startups, two which were acquired and one which failed 4:15 - The biggest lesson he’s learned from his previous startups   Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs 5:00 - His tak

Ever wonder what the connection between being an entrepreneur and a defense attorney might be?  Me neither . . . until I sat down with Sara Yousuf, co-founder of Miami’s iconic Sweat Records. We covered how her roots as a child of immigrants shaped her entrepreneurial journey and led to the launch of Sweat Records, Emerge Miami, and Engage Miami.  We explored her biggest lessons from launching those ventures and even made the connection into what entrepreneurs can learn from a day in the life of a criminal defense attorney. You can listen to Sara turn the tables on me about launching this Podcast - what else would you expect from an attorney? Sara has her footprint in multiple parts of our Miami community and we can all learn a lot from her hustle . . . plus her thoughts on Miami’s rising startup scene having been witness to it over the past 10 years.    Highlights   Entrepreneurial start 2:15 - Lessons she learned from her entrepreneurial parents 3:30 - Her first entrepreneurial endeavor, selling stuff in a

Wondering how you can get your feet wet in Miami’s rising startup scene without having to quit your job or launch a startup?  I sat down with Jennifer Lannon who leads business development at Building.co and has a host of other exciting projects in the works.  We covered some great topics whether you’re already immersed in our tech scene . . . or in a 9-5 job and wondering what role you can play in Miami’s bright future: - How Jenny got into the startup scene despite coming from a traditional background - How the women-focused accelerator she once worked for evaluated founders and helped them get funded - Exciting opportunities in the “digital health” space here in Miami - How you can get involved in Miami's startup ecosystem  without having to launch a startup of your own.   Highlights:  How she got into tech 2:30 - Deciding that being a doctor wasn’t for her 4:45 - Landing an internship at a top health care innovator 5:45 - Getting a job at a top female-focused accelerator 7:45 - How they evaluated female f

Wondering whether you should focus on creating a profitable business or getting investors? I sat down with Nathan Heber, Founder & CEO of Boatyard, a mobile app that delivers “happiness on demand” to boat owners by linking them with boat services like fuel delivery, washing, and maintenance.  The company launched in 2014, has catapulted in growth since late last year, and was named Top Product 2015 by Boating Industry magazine. Nathan is  one of the leaders in our Miami & South Florida tech ecosystem and has valuable lessons whether you’re in a full time job and thinking of doing your own thing or already working in or leading a startup of your own, including: - how his team stood by his side when the company was in trouble and he wasn’t sure if he could make payroll - why getting to profitability almost always beats getting Venture Capital funding (and why he pitched to Venture Capitalists early on even though he knew he’d get rejected) - why you should spend your money on experiences instead of thin

Wondering how to get that courage to finally get your business idea off the ground? I sat down with Steve Aitken and Jose Manuel Rivera of Miami startup Jarly to talk about how they got the idea for their business, their current traction, and what it’s like to launch a hyper-local business in Miami.  These guys are bringing happiness to Miami, one delivery at at time with fresh, artisan-baked goods from local bakers. We had a great chat covering: - How they got the idea for Jarly while living in San Francisco and pivoted their business based on early feedback. - Insights they’ve gained by making deliveries themselves and how its shaping the evolution of their service. - Why they’ve chosen Miami to launch their startup and how they hold each other accountable while being roommates AND officemates.   Getting started 1:30 - Where they got the idea for Jarly 3:15 - How they started with one model in S.F. and quickly pivoted 5:00 - What gave Steve the confidence to leave his regular job and make the jump   The Bus

How would you like to be personally mentored by Ralph Lauren? I sat down with Silvia & Jorge Camps and talked about the launch of their Miami-based startup, StowSimple - a great concept that acts like a spare closet on demand.  They pick up all your unused stuff, store it at their modern storage center, and return it on demand when you need it.  They already have big traction from Miami folks living in hi-rise apartments, snowbirds, and frequent back-and-forth Miami travelers, including Dylan Lauren (daughter of Ralph). We had a great chat and talked about how Silvia got the idea for StowSimple after a breakup with a boyfriend.  Jorge talked about a key lesson he learned during his leadership roles at The Container Store and how he’s using it to bring joy to their Miami customers.  Not only is StowSimple a great business idea that I’m sure all of us can see ourselves using, but there are some excellent entrepreneurial lessons for anyone launching or growing a startup or business of their own - especially

Wondering how you can capitalize on an opportunity right in Miami's backyard?  I interviewed Nick Cardoza and learned how he took his experience in the yacht industry to create a solution that solved a problem for two parties - boaters looking to rent a yacht and a premium yacht company with idle capacity.  Big lessons here for Miami startups on the principle of leverage - no need to start from scratch in building an audience when you can get traction partnering with an established company with global reach. We covered some topics relevant whether you’re in a 9-5 and thinking of doing your own thing or already working for or leading a startup of your own, including: - how taking a job no one else wanted led to him becoming known as Miami’s “boat guy" - how an insane email chain of 30 messages led to the idea for YachtLife - why he decided to focus on a niche market instead of pursuing the entire boating industry - his approach to networking, hanging with ultra-wealthy individuals, and why he’s excited about t

Ever feel like you might not have what it takes to make that leap and get started with your idea?  In this episode I sit down with Richard Lavina, Co-Founder of Taxfyle, a mobile app that matches people needing their taxes done with affordable CPAs.  Taxfyle has already raised over $1M in seed funding and launched on the App Store earlier this year with a series of #1 Best New App rankings. Entrepreneur story 2:05 - Perspective he gained in big corporations that apply to being a startup founder 3:00 - How he got the idea for Taxfyle 5:00 - How he ultimately got the guts to “go for it" 6:05 - Support of friends & family The Business 9:00 - How Taxfyle generates revenue 9:45 - Where he’s spending most of his time 12:45 - How he’d describe his ideal customer (14:50 - Tim’s ask for guests you’d like to see on MHS) Hot seat questions 15:35 - What’s preventing another startup from doing the same thing? 18:20 - What he’d do if there was no VC funding 20:15 - What he’d do if VCs passed on funding his next investm

Ever wished you could spend less time on social media and more time with educational and inspiring content that will propel you toward your goals?  Pat Corbett is the founder of PropelU, a digital app that seamlessly brings personal and professional development content into your daily life.  He’s been an entrepreneur for many years and has some quality lessons to share both as an entrepreneur and as someone steeped in the personal development industry. Entrepreneur story 2:00 - His first entrepreneurial endeavors starting with silk-screening shirts in high school 3:15 - How his family felt about his early entrepreneurial stints 4:20 - How one of his early businesses taught him the importance of leverage in scaling something PropelU origins 6:20 - How he noticed a gap in people’s intentions toward self-improvement and actual practice towards it 9:30 - Why feeding the mind with educational and inspiring content is so important 11:00 - How PropelU helps keep people on track with their personal development Busine

Ever had a great idea that you thought just had to be brought to life?  Learn how Ed Boland took a problem he saw as a parent and turned it into a startup that's been validated with a successful Kickstarter campaign AND real customers. Ed is the Co-Founder, alongside his wife, of Whimzy Entertainment, a brand focused on bringing joy, creativity, and learning to children in a way that reinforces positives values.  The company’s first brand is the HeroBoy line of toys and comic books - now, these are physical products, their brands have potential to be scaled into technology products as well.  They recently launched a successful campaign on Kickstarter and were selected as one of 10 startups to join Venture Hive’s recent accelerator class. We covered a lot of ground Including - how he went from finance & venture capital to launching a startup by tackling a problem that he faced as a parent. What it takes to launch a successful Kickstarter campaign and how to use that as validation for your idea What he obse

Wondering how you can take a niche skill and turn it into a business?  You might think making leather bags isn’t about tech, but . . .  Tiffany is the founder of Heist, an artisan provider of handmade leather bags and jewelry, made right here in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. We covered how Tiffany taught herself to code so she could make an initial website and how she learned the ins and outs of selling on Etsy. How she’s handling the challenge of getting traffic to her website and how to price her products premium in a world of cheap competitors. How she’s thinking about the challenge of growing from a one-woman show to a scalable business. We covered a broad list of business challenges applicable whether you’re in a 9-5 and thinking of doing your own thing or already working for or leading a startup of your own.   Her path to being an entrepreneur 1:45 - How Heist came to be and her gradual process of becoming an entrepreneur 5:15 - Times when she thought maybe it wasn’t a good idea 6:00 - Advice to s

Wondering if your business idea will be any good? Let’s say you’re in a 9-5 job and you have a business idea, or you’re about to launch a startup, or you’re just a small business looking to try something new.  One of the questions you probably have is, “is my idea going to be any good?”  Are people going to buy what a I want or am I going to crash and burn?   The purpose of this process is to make sure that you DO have a great idea - that before you spend valuable time, money, and sweat into creating something, you’ve made sure that it’s something people actually want.  Now, you don’t HAVE to go through this process - most people don’t, which is one of the many reasons why most startups and people launching businesses fail.  Namely, they create something that people don’t actually want.  Instead, they created something that they think people want.   So we want to do just a little bit of upfront work to make sure our idea is good.  This Stage 3 is a crucial one.   Be sure to check out the downloadable workshee

Wondering how you can get coverage for your startup in major publications, even on a limited budget? I sat down with David Barkoe, co-founder of Carve Communications, a PR firm specializing in serving startups right here in Miami to hear about his story as an entrepreneur and give practical advice on what startups and side hustles can do to get PR coverage and grow their business. Key topics: Why going out on his own was his only choice when he realized he couldn’t bare the thought of doing another job interview What to make sure to do when bringing on a co-founder and how he now has “two wives” - his real wife and work wife and how they’ve become good friends through their entrepreneurial journey. The four questions every startup needs to ask themselves and why, if you are a startup, you don’t need to be paying $10-$15/K per month for PR, and his top tips for how you can get going without hiring a firm and spending money. David is committed to putting Miami on the global startup map with Carve’s PR expertise

Ready to move onto the next stage of coming up with a great idea?   In episode 15 (Idea Generation) we came up with a series of business ideas that existed at the magic intersection of Passion - Expertise - Market Opportunity.   In this exercise we are going to look more closely at a few criteria to determine whether your best ideas are worth diving into further.     Doing this exercise could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how much time you have for it and how crisp your idea is.   None of these steps are complicated, and they aren’t critical - they are just meant to save time and heartache down the road by making one of the most common mistakes that business of all sizes make: creating a product or service that they think people should want . . . instead of something they actually want.   Instead, we want to do just a little bit of upfront assessment before diving in more deeply.   To do so, we are going to do 3 exercises:   1) Market Assessment - using two approaches: from the top

Brad has seen everything when it comes to business, both as an entrepreneur and as a consultant to businesses.  This is a must-listen episode for business owners of all types and those thinking of their own startup or side hustle. We went into the story of his start as an entrepreneur where he launched a surfboard business with his brother and how he had to fire himself from one of his first jobs but why it became one of the best business lesson he ever learned We covered the importance of having a “why” in what you do and the difference between working IN your business and ON your business. Some big lessons and deep wisdom here from Brad - I learned a lot myself and he is truly a one of a kind guy doing great work right here in Miami. Getting started  2:00 - His early childhood entrepreneurial story 3:00 - His first entrepreneurial experiences after graduating UM 4:15 - Biggest differences between 9-5 experience and being an entrepreneur 6:10 - How Alpha Current came to be Top lessons in Business 7:40 - Comm

Struggling with how to find a profitable business idea?   One of the hardest things about getting started on the entrepreneur or the side hustle path is coming up with a good idea.  I’m going to do my best to give you a system for doing just that, so you can get on your way and stop feeling stuck about what to do next.  Existing startups or small business can also benefit from this approach because it is systematic and is almost guaranteed to help you come up with new ideas. First off, let me say that if your goal is solely to get funded, or to get featured in TechCrunch - then what I talk about in this episode (and in my Podcast and in website in general is not for you) - it is intended for people (and companies) who want to come up with a great idea for creating something of value in the world, something that helps people.  I’m not saying that VC money or publicity doesn’t have its place, but often there is too much emphasis on these things and too little emphasis on doing the hard work that leads to those

How do you keep going when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong does? I met with Mary Wolff of Tap.tl, a company here in Miami making touch-screen, see-through TVs.  Yes, you heard that right - see-through TVs that are also touch-screen.  We covered some great topics including how having a law degree has helped her with her startup, how she has gone through the startup wringer and is still alive and kicking, despite having partners stealing money from the company How their business changed when they went from focusing on big-company customers to a niche segment of the market willing to pay a premium for their product. We also talked about what it’s like being a woman leading a startup and the pros and cons of running a startup in Miami. Mary is a go-getter and is doing big things in the Miami ecosystem, including starting a blog called thesilicontropic.com.

Do you ever feel like there isn’t enough time in the day?  Like you just wish you could get it all done but then it seems like more stuff piles up? It think it’s a new normal to feel this way.  I also think there’s a way out. I believe there’s hope because we all know what it feels like to have a productive day - one where we accomplished a lot or made significant progress on something that mattered. So here’s what I’m going to do: 1) Explain the “DNA” underlying a system that I believe can help you to achieve more in less time and with less stress 2) Give actionable tips you can implement immediately, today, to make that elusive feeling of accomplishment more common in your life 3) Get even more tactical by showing how you can start so small you don’t even notice a difference in your life (I include worksheets on my website that you can download to help with each part of the system - they are available on my Resources section).