Outlier On Air | Founders, Disruptors, & Mavens

“Technology doesn’t create new behaviors, what it does is it facilitates and accelerates behaviors people already have.”

“Technology changes fast, and people change slowly.”

“The only reason we succeeded, is because no one took us seriously.” - Peter Horan

About: Peter Horan – Founder of Horan MediaTech Advisors

Peter C. Horan is an entrepreneur with a history of building successful media and internet businesses. He has played a role in five major revolutions in media and technology including: home video games; personal computers; cell phones; Windows computing; and the internet.

Overview: Throughout this interview, Peter walks us through his entrepreneurial journey and how he became involved in the tech world. He discusses the ups and downs of technology, what is valued today, and how he learned to spot potential even when it seemed dim.

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Peter Horan

 

Highlights:

History: Back when Peter got involved in technology, it was very risky to do so because of the unknown. In the early days, Peter was selling kit computers and at the time the general population was uninterested in personal computers, but he was determined to see all of these technological innovations through. Peter was never afraid to ask questions. Throughout the interview, Peter walks us through all the changes that he was apart of over the years. He explains how he was able to grow and how the knowledge of technology has become widespread.

Definition of Disruptive Technology

Changing Environments: Since technology is rapidly evolving, we must learn to adapt and change with it. Peter says that people have a hard time envisioning what a new type of technology is going to do for them. He explains that when something new is coming to the market, that it must be presented in a way that people can relate to. They must show how technology is going to help them accomplish that thing in a much simpler way.

What Peter Looks For in Technology: How something is accomplished, from daily tasks, to others finding information with that technology. Peter states that in the last 10 years a lot of value in technology has been created from what used to be the fact section in the newspapers. For example, finding out what’s playing at the movie theaters, looking for a house, buying/selling a car- all of which made a lot of money in the newspapers. There must be value in what each new piece of technology offers.

How to Work a Niche Business: Starting a niche business can be tough, there are a lot of ups and downs involved with doing so. Peter uses Starbucks as a good example of starting something niche. Starbucks did more then just sell coffee, they sold an environment where people could sit down, talk, listen to music, and eventually added food to their menus. Every couple of years, they come up with something else to add to their business for their consumers. Peter explains that whenever you’re starting something new, especially niche, you need to know your consumers. You need to know what you can do to add to your business every couple of years to engage those loyal customers.

What Peter Does Now: Peter sits on the board of directors of several companies, and also advises tech companies on how to excel. He is also an avid blogger where he shares thoughts and insights, and educational information for his followers.

Advice for Tech Entrepreneurs: Let’s not learn all the wrong lessons from the history of Silicon Valley. For Peter, he started in the tech industry because it was fun and interesting, and so he could change the world even though it seemed like a dodgy career at the time. He says often times for tech entrepreneurs, the future is always number 8 on the list of top priorities- be willing to be part of that future even when it’s not obvious. The why, the how, and the what next is what’s valuable to people.

Take Away: Peter is an excellent example of believing in something small. He has been apart of the tech world since the 1970’s and has grown immensely with it. He teaches us that as entrepreneurs, the future needs to be top on our priority list.

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Connect With Peter:

Website | @PeterCHoran

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Direct download: Peter_Horan.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 10:41pm MDT

"The most rewarding experience that I've had is the chance to know some of the young people when they started in their first year working for us [DDD], and to see them through the 4 years of work, and to have them go on to better things." - Michael Chertok

About: Michael Chertok- Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of Digital Divide Data

Overview: Michael shares his experiences with DDD, which is a technology company that focuses on providing high quality services to companies large and small. He discusses with us the benefits of having employees in developing countries and how DDD is helping these young people become better educated and self reliant.

Highlights:

Background: Michael's drive started when he was in college. He was struggling to figure out how to pay for college, and over the summer, he got a job doing back office work for a medical supply company. It was tedious work, but it was his first job in an office that taught him great communication skills with his co-workers, and managers. When the opportunity came to do work in Cambodia, he saw the need to help and eventually DDD evolved.

What is DDD: Digital Divide Data provides a set of outsource business services to all sorts of businesses from small startups to Fortune 500 companies. They mainly focus on content conversion, digitization, and research services. For example, if your company has a data base of client prospects with multiple errors, DDD can go in and clean things up. DDD strives to provide a very high quality service to their customers. In 2001, DDD started with 40 young employees in Cambodia, and now has 1,200 people working for them around the world. DDD's current earned revenue is $5.5 Million.

Labor Force: Currently, DDD has a workforce in Kenya that will provide services all over the world. They are able to help these young people attend college, and typically these employees can work for DDD for about 4 years. They require their employees to be high school graduates. DDD's goal is to provide a stepping stone for these young employees to attain a higher level income and eventually be able to support a family. Many times, these employees go on to be involved in other tech companies, in non-profits, become teachers, and even work in government.

DDD's Mission Statement: Provide an opportunity for young people, particularly from very low-income families in developing countries.

Type of Business: Hybrid organization- U.S. Non-profit that owns a set of for-profit organizations.

Michael's Role: He is there to support DDD with marketing and financing. Most of the partners are based in San Francisco, which is why Michael is there, but the majority of the work for DDD happens overseas.

Technology Providers: DDD has partnered with Cisco systems and Microsoft to provide reliable technology for their employees overseas.

Most Rewarding Experience Working at DDD: Seeing these young, employees growing exponentially from start to finish. And to see these people become leaders in their own countries.

Challenges: Michael states that one of their greatest struggles at DDD is the need to balance their goal of serving their clients and providing opportunities for their young employees. DDD focuses a lot on providing a high quality product and educating those that work for them.

Advice for a Company Wanting to Give Back: One of the things DDD offers is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to be able to leverage their resources to help them grow their businesses. Right now, they offer a back office to help these entrepreneurs have quality infrastructure. Michael suggests that by giving a part of your resources to help others is a great way to give back.

Take Away: Although there is a lot of back and forth about work done overseas, we learn that when it is done right, it can be a great opportunity for families in developing countries, and a helpful resource for clients here in America.

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Connect With Michael:

Website | Facebook | Google+ | Youtube | @DigDivData

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Direct download: Mike.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 10:59pm MDT

 “There are no losers in innovation.” -Kym McNicholas

About: Kym McNicholas - Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Overview: Kym is a feisty go-getter and long-time broadcaster. She has worked as a journalist for Forbes and PandoDaily. Currently, Kym is involved as the Executive Director for the Extreme Tech Challenge.

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Kym McNicholas | Melinda Yeaman

 

Highlights:

Kym’s Background: Kym has quite the resume, from professional water skier, to executive director of the Extreme Tech Challenge, Kym takes the cake on diversity. She graduated with a Communication Studies degree from Sacramento State University. Kym grew with a love of sports, and originally went to school for sports, but got a taste of broadcasting and ended up heading towards that direction. Throughout her life, she has been involved in many different types of broadcasting positions.

What is the Extreme Tech Challenge: Kym has been involved with many entrepreneurs and has worked with Richard Branson on the Extreme Tech Challenge. To learn more about what the Tech Challenge is and all those who have contributed, you can find it HERE.

Bucket list: Watch to find out what's on Kym’s bucket list. Hint: It includes Richard Branson

Struggles: Kym shares an experience where she drove out of her way to a TV station that asked her to come out, and upon arrival was denied in a big way. She’s also had other experiences that have attacked her personally. Kym has learned to have thick skin and to not let what people say get inside of her head. Through her trials, Kym has learned that everything always works out the way it is supposed to.

Advice for Entrepreneurs: Just do. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Don’t go to media too soon, because they often times rip apart your ideas. Don’t rely upon the media to promote your business. If your business can’t stand on its own, then it’s not a good business. Create a community, get on TV, and pay for advertising. Look for people who are going to offer positive criticism. You don’t have to get investment, you can bootstrap! You don’t always have to go the conventional route to be successful.

Take Away: Kym is an inspiring individual who hasn't let negativity drag her down. She teaches us that with will power, and a strong determination you can do and become whatever you want.

Connect With Kym:

Website | @kymbee

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Category:Business -- posted at: 12:08am MDT

“For me, the health benefits of doing training, vs not doing training have been tremendous, both in terms of confidence and how I carry myself. If I could get half of that to people who train with us, I think it’s a successful business.” – AJ Shewki

“Working for someone is nice, but creating something from scratch can be a roller coaster, but at the same time it is very exciting.” - Yorgos Stavropoulos

About: AJ Shewki, Yorgos Stavropoulos, and Bjorn Wanbo - Co-Founders of FYTNS.

Overview: FYTNS is currently a locally based company in San Francisco. The goal at FYTNS is to connect people to great personal training. It’s also a platform for personal trainers to find a pool of clients who are looking for trainers. FYTNS allows trainers to become their own entrepreneurs where they don’t work for "the man" at the gym who takes a large percentage of their revenue. With FYTNS, these trainers get to structure their own workouts, and create their own schedules.

FytnsApp Entrepreneur Interview
FYTNS

 

Highlights:

What is FYTNS: A platform for personal trainers. Specifically, AJ & Yorgos are testing their platform in San Francisco because they feel that if they can get a startup off the ground in the bay area, then they will be able to take it anywhere.

Monetization: Currently: FYTNS simply takes a percentage of what clients pay to their personal trainers through the platform. Eventually, they’d like to have a monthly subscription fee that clients can pay to be involved in a variety of sports as well.

Funding: Private funding has been provided to FYTNS through close friends and family.

Background: Yorgos is originally from Greece and came straight to San Francisco where he met AJ. He enjoys the open community in America. AJ was born in a refugee camp in Sweden and later moved to the UK to work on his Bachelors degree. He then came to San Francisco to work on his Masters degree. For AJ & Yorgos, immigration has proved to be a major challenge in their quest to become entrepreneurs in America, but they're not giving up.

Advice for International Entrepreneurs in the US: If you’re not pushing the business forward, no one else will. As an entrepreneur, you are the only one accountable. So, make sure that you are constantly pushing your company forward.

Take Away: Although there have been challenges for AJ & Yorgos along the way, they are very passionate about fitness as a lifestyle. Their platform, Fytns, is here to help personal trainers become better entrepreneurs, and for those seeking a great personal trainer, to find the right match.

Connect With FYTNS:

Website | @FYTNS | Facebook

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Category:Business -- posted at: 9:25pm MDT

“The best part about my job is bringing ideas to reality, and being able to see that manifestation.” - Kalin Kelly

About: Kalin Kelly- “Founders Broker”- Founder of The Connector Habit

Overview: Kalin Kelly is a talented young woman with a strong background in sales, communication, startups, and real estate. She shares the relationship between landlord brokers and what the commercial real estate is willing to give them. Kalin explains the troubles behind real estate in San Francisco and how having a “founders broker” can help so many young companies. Ergo- The Connector Habit.

Highlights:

Kalin’s Experience: She graduated from Berkley College and became a part of two startup companies that have given her the knowledge to know what founders actually need to begin. In her second startup, she became a marketing director, but later became interested in really changing the commercial real estate world. She realized there really is a disconnect and wanted to help solve the problem.

How It Works: Kalin’s job is to help tenants find the right space, negotiate a flexible lease, and make sure her clients are not going to be taken advantage of by the landlord.

Why You Need Kalin’s Help: Not only to not be taken advantage of, but to be educated on the market and to manage your expectations. She works with founders, non-profits, and more. She is determined to help her tenants find what fits their specific needs.

Cost: There is no cost to her clients. Her fee is actually paid for by the landlord.

Future Goal: Kalin has a passion for connecting, and is currently working on connecting people very humanly, in a disconnected social world. She is still working on the platform, so stay tuned for more information on that.

Guidelines for Entrepreneurs Choosing a Space: Start early! Focus on your team, don’t focus on your space- grow your idea. Be aware of the environment you’re looking to be a part of. Call a tenant rep.

Take Away: Choose to have a tenant rep, or a "founders broker" like Kalin, when searching for the perfect space for yourself, or company. There is more out there than what a landlord broker might be advertising. Kalin can help you find what best fits your needs, especially in a hard area like San Francisco.

Direct download: Kalin_Kelly.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 10:27pm MDT

"I've essentially bootstrapped my entire racing career to date...It was the most 101 in Business I've ever had...The whole struggle financially, and having to put my business hat on at a young age is what has made me so passionate about entrepreneurship." Collete Davis

About:  Collete Davis - Racecar Driver, Co-Founder of TechDrive, & CEO of Collete Davis Racing

Overview: Young female Indy race car driver, Collete Davis, wows us with her amazing accomplishments, entrepreneurial skills, and involvement with co-founding TechDrive. She shares the ups and downs of competing in a highly dominated male sport and how TechDrive came about.

Highlights:

Getting Started: By the age of 12 years old, Collete Davis was professionaly go-cart racing. By the age of 16, she started college to become a mechanical engineer. Although she was outnumbered in her classes and career, she didn’t let being the only girl make her nervous or shy away from her dreams. She is currently pursuing Indy racing and aspires to win the Indy 500.

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Collete Davis | Melinda Yeaman

 

Struggles: For Collete, racing has been an uphill battle. It was hard to find sponsors or financial backers to get behind a female racer. Collete bootstrapped her entire career from the age of 15 to raise the funds needed to race. At a young age, she had sell her potential to investors which has taught, motivated, and driven her to form a company around her racing experience.

Collete Davis | picture via colletedavis.com
Collete Davis | picture via colletedavis.com

What is TechDrive: The brand around TechDrive is starting as a new source to focus on everything from green to mobile startups, companies like Tesla, and focusing on the innovation in racing. The short pitch for TechDrive is: More techy, talkier, 2.0. Collete is currently working on a new initiative with Richard Branson- be sure to stay tuned.

Collete's Goals: In racing: winning the Indy 500. In business: providing easy access for startups to go mainstream.

 

For her consumers: Collete wants her consumers to know that TechDrive is a place where you can find niche content on all things travel. She also feels the importance to provide more and more content for consumers to be educated about going green.

Take Away: Collete teaches us that regardless of your age or gender, it's possible to pursue your dreams in entrepreneurship and create something more through your struggles. She is a great example of persevering to accomplish your goals.

Connect With Collete Davis: 

Website | Facebook | @ColleteDavis | @TechDriveCo 

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Category:Business -- posted at: 10:40pm MDT

“We are disrupting the negative behaviors and dynamics that aren’t conducive to a healthy relationship. – Matthew Arrington

About Forte Strong:  Co-Founders: Matthew Arrington, and Brook Price. St. George, Utah.

Overview: Forte Strong is a powerful startup company helping young male adults ages 18-26 overcome their failure to launch. They work with an average of 8-15 students on a 6 month basis to help break bad habits, teach them social and practical skills, boost confidence, and lead them to the path that will bring them success in the real world. They are driven by their pure desire to help build the next generation of strong men.

Highlights:

Why the need for Forte Strong: Failure to launch is a growing problem that consequently is affecting men more than women. Matt and Brook are determined to help build this next generation of strong men.

Reasons for Failure to Launch: Social anxieties, technology, parenting styles

Details of Forte Strong: It is a 6 month program for male students ages 18-26. They provide guidance and structure while teaching their students social and practical life skills. A typical day at Forte Strong includes: a series of assessments, learning more about their student one-on-one. Forte Strong provides their students with therapists, coaches, and mentors for all aspects of their life. Students come from all over the world to create better lives for themselves.

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Ever Gonzalez | Brook Price | Matthew Arrington

Hiring process at Forte Strong: Hiring the right coaches is key at Forte Strong. They need people who are driven, empathetic, who can see the type of help that somebody needs; not what the world wants, or the expectation, but what somebody really needs. They need employees who are team players and are invested in their students.

Why Brook and Matt chose to work together: Brook has a resume of experience working with young adults, and Matt has great business experience that give them a good balance in creating a successful company. With their forces combined, they felt very strongly that they could do some good in the world with Forte Strong.

How they overcome disagreements: Transparency. Despite their differences, they focus on honesty and accept that they will make mistakes along the way and use it as a teaching moment for both the students and parents. They trust one another. “We’re trying to emulate what it means to be a real person. For us not to make mistakes is not realistic. But what we can do is use it (our mistakes) as a teaching moment.” They don’t allow their disagreements to get in the way of their real goals.

Profit: Matt and Brooke discuss the ups and downs of striving to become a profitable company. For 2015, they are possibly considering the non-profit route to help as many families as they possibly can. They are also working towards getting insurance companies to help pay for students’ tuition. By the end of 2015, if they do become a non-profit, and are accepting insurance, it should increase their revenue by about 450%.

Goal for Growth: Forte Strong would like to get to the point where they have a large number in St. George, but not too large that they lose the quality of their service. Once they can maintain the right level of students here, they want to open other programs around the country.

Advice for those thinking about a startup: Have a savings. It’s going to be a risk. Don’t do it alone. Understand where your weaknesses are and find someone who will help you fill in the gaps. Educate yourself as much as possible, read as many books as you can, and talk to as many experts as you can to have a base level of knowledge that will give you the platform to move forward. And don’t be afraid.

Take Away: Forte Strong is a much needed company determined to help change the future generation of men by giving them the tools to overcome their failure to launch.

“What’s the path you want to take? Let’s help you get there.” – Brook Price

Connect With Forte Strong:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Youtube

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Category:Business -- posted at: 11:07pm MDT

Blankspaces is a brand of coworking offices in Los Angeles. Since 2008, they have cultivated a community of entrepreneurs and freelancers who share office space to collaborate. From private offices to a communal WorkBar, they have flexible plans for a variety of sizes for any workstyles. Blankspaces also has a variety of meeting room spaces that can be arranged to fit different events needs. 

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Category:Business -- posted at: 2:18pm MDT

Don't be afraid, you will fail and it's okay, keep plugging away." - David Kressel

David Kressel - Founder/VP at NotaryCam

NotaryCam has completely redefined the notarization process, providing the highest level of security possible, including positive verification as to the originality and integrity of the document to be notarized and absolute assurance the signer and notary are who they say they are. To prevent fraud before it occurs, we visually record the signing session and a personal information questionnaire must be completed by the signer.

Connect With Professor David:

Website | Facebook | @Kressel | @NotaryCam

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Category:Business -- posted at: 9:39am MDT

"Hire slow but fire fast." - Jeremy Dann

Jeremy Dann, Professor of Entrepreneurship at USC Marshall, Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

Professor Jeremy Dann discusses the top three issues entrepreneurs struggle with. Find out what they are. Professor Dann's work has focused primarily on new product development, creative marketing strategies and effective organizational practices for encouraging innovation.

Highlights:

  • Company Entrepreneurship
  • Business Plans
  • Team Selection
  • Virtual Teams
  • Ivory Tower

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Ever Gonzalez | Melinda Yeaman | Professor Jeremy Dann

Connect With Professor Dann:

Website

If you enjoy Outlier On Air, please Subscribe & Review on iTunes or Stitcher

Direct download: Jeremy_Dann.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 3:48pm MDT