Shownotes
Peter Shankman
Bio
The New York Times has called Peter Shankman "a rockstar who knows everything about social media and then some." He is a 6x best selling author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on customer service and the new and emerging customer and neurodiverse economy. He is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about the customer experience, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.)
In addition to his passion for helping people and companies find success, some of Peter's highlights also include:
• Founder of HARO - Help A Reporter Out, which became the standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources prior to being acquired three years after launch
• Faster than Normal - The Internet's #1 podcast on ADHD, focusing on the superpowers and gifts of having a "faster than normal brain”
• The ShankMinds Breakthrough Network, which is an elite, online mastermind of thought leaders, business experts, and change makers
Finally, Peter is a father, a 2x ironman triathlete, a class B licensed skydiver, and an avid Peloton rider. He's based in NYC with his ten year old daughter and three year old dog, both of whom refuse him access to the couch.
Intro
Peter Shankman, today's distinguished guest, elucidates the transformative potential of perceived weaknesses in entrepreneurship. He asserts that one's greatest impediments can, in fact, be reimagined as formidable assets, a notion he exemplifies through his own experience with ADHD, which he regards as his entrepreneurial superpower. Shankman, renowned for founding Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and his current venture, Source of Sources, emphasizes the necessity of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals while candidly advocating for personal agency in shaping one's environment. In our conversation, we delve into his compelling philosophy that prioritizes service over self-interest, elucidating how such an approach can yield profound success in business. This episode serves as an invigorating exploration for those seeking fresh perspectives on entrepreneurship, particularly for those who feel marginalized or out of place in the conventional business milieu.
Conversation
Peter Shankman, an esteemed entrepreneur and the founder of Help a Reporter Out (Haro), discusses the transformative power of perceived weaknesses in the realm of entrepreneurship. Throughout the dialogue, Shankman illustrates how his ADHD, once labeled as a disadvantage, has become a potent asset in his professional journey. He shares profound insights on the importance of cultivating a supportive environment and the necessity of adapting one’s surroundings to foster personal growth. By emphasizing the adage, 'If you can't change the people around you, change the people around you,' Shankman advocates for a proactive approach to overcoming obstacles and achieving success. This theme resonates as he elaborates on his current venture, Source of Sources, which prioritizes genuine connections between journalists and sources, thereby revolutionizing the landscape of media relations.
In addition to personal anecdotes and professional endeavors, Shankman delves into the philosophy of service as the cornerstone of successful entrepreneurship. He posits that the underutilized phrase, 'How can I help you?' is pivotal in establishing meaningful relationships that drive mutual benefit. His commitment to helping others is evident in the structure of his business model, which places value on service before profit—a refreshing perspective in today’s profit-driven ecosystem. Shankman’s narrative serves as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those who may feel marginalized or out of place in traditional business settings.
The episode culminates in Shankman's reflections on the exhilarating freedom found in extreme sports, particularly skydiving, which he uses as a metaphor for embracing life’s challenges. With candid honesty, he articulates that in moments of extreme risk, one can find unparalleled clarity and focus, a sentiment that resonates with those navigating the tumultuous waters of startup life. This discussion not only illuminates the path to entrepreneurial success but also encourages listeners to embrace their unique traits as potential superpowers, paving the way for innovation and personal fulfillment.
Takeaways
- The notion of leveraging perceived weaknesses as strengths is essential in entrepreneurship, as exemplified by Peter's success with ADHD.
- Surrounding oneself with supportive individuals, rather than complainers, is crucial for personal and professional growth in any startup environment.
- Adopting a service-first mentality, encapsulated in the phrase 'how can I help you?', transforms business relationships and fosters success.
- The metaphorical chains that bind us often exist only in our minds; changing our circumstances is always within our power if we choose to act.
- Extreme sports can serve as a powerful means to channel focus and creativity, enhancing productivity in one’s professional endeavors.
- The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with failures, which are invaluable learning experiences that pave the way to eventual success.
- Who Says You Can't Startup online program for startup founders
- Home - Source of Sources - SOS: By Peter Shankman
- Peter Shankman - Source of Sources | LinkedIn
- Jothy's TEDx talk - On why those with disabilities tend to overachieve
- Our YouTube channel
- Designing Successful Startups — Jothy Rosenberg | Author | Speaker | Podcaster - Site with all podcasts
- Tech Startup Toolkit book
- Please leave us a review
Transcripts
Please meet today's guest, Peter Shankman.
Speaker B:I think the best advice I was ever given is twofold.
Speaker B:The first part is, if you can't change the people around you, change the people around you.
Speaker B:I've lived by that for years.
Speaker B:And the second one is just as simple.
Speaker B:If you don't like where you are, move.
Speaker B:Because you're not a tree.
Speaker B:So many people sit and complain when the chains that hold them are metaphorical at best.
Speaker A:What if your biggest perceived weakness could actually be your greatest entrepreneurial superpower?
Speaker A:Today's guest, Peter Shankman, proved that point brilliantly.
Speaker A:Peter is the founder of Harrow Help a Reporter out, which he built and sold in just three years.
Speaker A:But here's the twist.
Speaker A:He credits his ADHD as the secret weapon behind all his entrepreneurial success.
Speaker A:From founding the world's first online newsroom at AOL to launching his current venture, Source of sources with 40,000 members, Peter has turned what teachers once called disruptive behavior into a multi million dollar advantage.
Speaker A:In this episode, you'll discover how Peter uses extreme sports like skydiving to fuel his focus.
Speaker A:Why he believes the most underutilized phrase in business is how can I help you?
Speaker A:And his counterintuitive approach to building successful companies by helping others first.
Speaker A:Plus, he shares two powerful pieces of wisdom that could completely change how you think about your startup journey.
Speaker A:If you've ever felt like an outsider in the business world, or if you're looking for a fresh perspective on entrepreneurship that puts service before self interest, this conversation will energize and inspire you.
Speaker A:Let's dive in and hello, Peter.
Speaker A:Welcome to the show.
Speaker B:Good to be here.
Speaker B:Thanks for having me.
Speaker A:Yes, glad to have you.
Speaker A:I always like to start with a simple question, which is where are you originally from and where do you live now?
Speaker B:I was born and raised and I still live in New York City.
Speaker B:So I am.
Speaker B:I am what they call a borough bred, because we are.
Speaker B:We were born and raised in one of the five boroughs.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:But then you went to bu.
Speaker B:I did.
Speaker B:I did.
Speaker B:I left New York, went to Boston four years, had a blast there, wound up in Virginia working for America Online in the.
Speaker B:In the mid-90s, back when AOL sort of was the Internet.
Speaker B:I helped found the newsroom there and after about two and a half, three years, I came back to New York.
Speaker B:I realized it was really hard to leave the city, and so I've been here ever since.
Speaker A:So I'm in Boston.
Speaker A:That's why I was.
Speaker B:Oh yeah, I'm still a fan.
Speaker B:I'm still I'm on, I'm on the, the Dean's, the Dean's Advisory Council.
Speaker B:Have been for many, many years.
Speaker B:I go up there at least twice a year for BU events and I'm up there all the time speaking as well.
Speaker B:It's one of my favorite cities.
Speaker B:Love Boston.
Speaker A:Let me know next time you're in town and we'll grab a cup of coffee or a beer depending on the time of day.
Speaker B:Love it.
Speaker A:I used to be one of the people that you know, subscribed to Haro.
Speaker A:Do you pronounce it Harrow or Haro?
Speaker B:Harrow.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Which you founded and then sold three years later.
Speaker A:And then I guess they didn't get you to sign a non compete.
Speaker B:Well, I had one for a couple of years but you know this was, I sold it over 15 years ago and I just didn't like what was happening to it and eventually they wound up shutting it down and I said I could do this better.
Speaker B:And so about a year and a half ago I launched something called Source of Sources and we are now at about 40,000 members.
Speaker B:And the difference is that we care about the members.
Speaker B:You know we, we pride ourselves most of the of the free sort of list outlets now the majority of or not the majority but a decent portion of the subscribers are link firms like in the Philippines or in Thailand who basically just spam every reporter with the hopes they'll get their clients a backlink and we don't allow that.
Speaker B:So we actually block entire countries from using our service.
Speaker B:We are very much aware that reporters time is incredibly valuable and they don't have a lot of it.
Speaker B:So when they use us we give them what they want.
Speaker A:I actually had a few good interactions on Haro and Haro sorry and, and then it's sort of, I don't know, it's just sort of for me it just sort of stopped.
Speaker B:Well that's me because when I, when I sold it they kind of stopped caring.
Speaker B:I think a couple of years after when my, when my NBA ran out or my, my knuckle Pete ran out and I wasn't there anymore, I feel like they just sort of used it as nothing more than an on ramp.
Speaker B:Oh get their email and then we can start selling you know, our services as bocus or Whoever, you know, SiIon and I said there's just gotta be a better way to do this.
Speaker B:You know, I want to be able to, to give journalists and sources what it was when I was running.
Speaker A:Tell me that that's sort of an idealistic view.
Speaker A:I Would like to hear that.
Speaker B:Well, the premise is, is that I've always lived my life by one very simple rule in that you can get everything you want and more simply by offering help.
Speaker B:Very few people.
Speaker B:We live in a society from, I'd say from our leaders on down, that's very much about what can I get for me, how can I use you to benefit me?
Speaker B:And I've always been of the belief, and it's proven out over and over again that the more I help other people, the more I actually wind up doing better.
Speaker B:Haro was designed to help my fellow journalists and my fellow sources.
Speaker B:It was never designed to generate revenue, and it started generating a lot of revenue because it was a valuable service that helped people.
Speaker B:And so I've just always been a believer in that and that the premise that how can I help you are the five most underutilized words in English language.
Speaker B:I mean, I speak on customer experience all the time.
Speaker B:And the whole concept is that the bar is so incredibly low that I don't need customers to be amaz.
Speaker B:I don't need companies to be amazing at customer experience.
Speaker B:I need them to suck slightly less than everyone else.
Speaker A:I, I think that, I think the reason I joined when I did was that I care about journalism and I care about accuracy.
Speaker A:And so I felt like, well, maybe by spending, you know, a few minutes per.
Speaker A:Per interaction, I could do a little tiny part in helping journalists have the right information and be more accurate.
Speaker B:I mean, I was a journalist to begin with.
Speaker B:I started my career as a journalist.
Speaker B:So, you know.
Speaker A:Oh, well, that explains a lot actually.
Speaker A:Right there matters.
Speaker B:The newsroom at AOL was, was journalism.
Speaker B:We were the first online newsroom in the world.
Speaker A:Okay, so now your business model is interesting.
Speaker A:You don't charge anyone anything.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker A:You spend what you say is a few minutes a day.
Speaker A:You probably spend a little bit more than a few minutes, but maybe it's, maybe it's an hour or two, couple hours.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:Okay, so you don't make any money on that.
Speaker A:So you're, you're just, you're.
Speaker A:That's okay.
Speaker A:You're living on something else.
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker B:No, actually, actually at the, at the top of every single source of sources, email is a small text ad.
Speaker B:And that text ad actually supports the company and generates revenue.
Speaker A:Ah, okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:It's not, it's not in anyone's interest to charge sources or journalists.
Speaker B:No one's going to pay for that.
Speaker B:Yeah, right.
Speaker B:And you know it.
Speaker B:But if you sign up to a service that can get you into the media and it's free.
Speaker B:Why wouldn't you?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So, so if you understand the value of getting in the media.
Speaker B:So for that, you know, we, we have an open rate around 70%.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Which is 78, 79 sometimes.
Speaker B:Which is obscene.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:No one has that.
Speaker B:And so because of that our ads are seen by many, many people.
Speaker B:And that is something that advertisers think is worth paying for.
Speaker A:Good.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:That's a, that's a good model.
Speaker A:I mean I don't encourage, when I, when I'm advising startups, I don't encourage them to try to try to make money on ads because almost no one can given Facebook and, and Google sort of flooding the market.
Speaker B:Of course.
Speaker B:But these are not, you know, Facebook and Google Ads.
Speaker B:These are ads that appear on a very specific outlet in a very specific format.
Speaker B:You know, and, and because they are appearing where people you know, look, the day you don't open the SOS email is the day the Wall Street Journal USA Today is doing a story on your industry and you miss it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So the fact that you have to open the email creates a much stronger need to open it and read those ads.
Speaker A:Have you ever used one of the, have you ever used the, the just search on the Internet and get a, you know, a cooking a recipe that you want to use.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And you have to deal with the fact that she's telling the whole story about how her great grandmother came to America.
Speaker A:Yeah, I hate that that part is, is slightly annoying.
Speaker A:Hopefully they have a jump to recipe.
Speaker A:But what is, is so annoying is that in the middle of your list of ingredients or whatnot, ads keep popping up.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:And, and there, and I never am going to look at an ad while I'm trying to cook.
Speaker B:Well, that's the whole point.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:But you know, it takes you, if it takes you two and a half seconds to scroll through an ad on, I mean literally it's a three line text ad in every single email.
Speaker B:So if it takes you two and a half seconds to scroll through that, you very well might read it.
Speaker A:So over the years, what other startups have you created?
Speaker A:You, you obviously were an entrepreneur fairly early on.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I ran a public.
Speaker B:My first company was a public relations firm and I launched that in 98 right at the beginning of the dot com boom.
Speaker B:It was a dot com public relations firm that handled all Internet companies ranging from Napster to Juno to like really the granddaddies of the Internet.
Speaker B:And that was a lot of fun.
Speaker B:Did that also wound up with A created a God.
Speaker B:I never talked about this.
Speaker B:I created a company that allowed you to choose your seatmate before you got on your flight.
Speaker A:Whoa, that would be nice.
Speaker B:It was a lot of fun and it worked.
Speaker B:It worked for a while.
Speaker B:I think I was too early in the game.
Speaker B:Had I done it like 10 years later, I'd done it now, I simply would have back ended into Expedia or Facebook through an API and it would have made a ton of sense.
Speaker B:It was much harder to do it back then because it all had to be done manually.
Speaker B:So that didn't work.
Speaker B:But I still.
Speaker B:It was acquired by a, by a private equity firm.
Speaker B:But you know what else am I done?
Speaker B:I currently run got two companies I run source of sources but I also co founded a company called Mental Capital where we.
Speaker B:It's a consulting firm that helps companies attract, hire and retain neurodiverse employees while helping to create neuro inclusive workspaces.
Speaker B:I am ADHD and I believe that it is actually my secret weapon.
Speaker B:And I have been.
Speaker B:My ADHD has actually been responsible for all of the success I've had over the past, over my professional life.
Speaker B:You know, as a kid it was a lot harder to.
Speaker B:I didn't have fun growing up.
Speaker B:It was, it was tough, right?
Speaker B:It was constantly you're being disruptive, sit down, you disrupting the class, things like that.
Speaker B:And so it was very hard to reconcile.
Speaker B:When I started having success, I never believed it was real or I always believed that it was a fluke because I've been told that I was broken by every single teacher I had so many times in my life that there was no possible way I could actually be doing something that people wanted or that was good.
Speaker B:And so as I started to understand the benefits of my, of my.
Speaker B:Of this, what was called this disability, it turned out to be an incredible advantage and I wound up writing a book on it called Faster than Normal and Faster than Normal became sort of like the ADHD Bible.
Speaker B:I think it's been, it's like fifth printing now or something like that and it's doing exceptionally well.
Speaker B:And so the, the still like eight, nine years after it came out.
Speaker B:And so the concept there is that neurodiversity is a gift and can benefit companies if they understand it and allow for it.
Speaker A:Yeah, I've just, I've been building an online course for startup founders and I've been working on the whole section on culture and building a diverse workforce which is going to be your secret weapon I say to having more innovation and I specifically Talk about neurodiversity in there.
Speaker A:I was going to say that I also have a, I have a son who's got a ADHD.
Speaker A:But because he's, he's just turned 50 because of that, you know, time frame when he was a kid.
Speaker A:Yeah, it was not diagnosed.
Speaker B:Yeah, same thing.
Speaker A:He was just, he was just a bad kid.
Speaker B:Yeah, I'm 50 and growing up, it was, it was, it wasn't.
Speaker B:You have adhd, it's sit down, you disrupting the class disease.
Speaker A:And, and, and because he was never diagnosed as a kid, you know, nowadays everyone seems to be diagnosed with it and getting put on Adderall, which is also not a good idea for so many people to be getting that they're probably not all diagnosed correctly.
Speaker B:Well, I think there's.
Speaker B:Look, I'm not anti med, but I also, I just don't believe it should be the first line of defense.
Speaker B:I believe that you can, you know, if you put a kid on, on, on Ritalin, on Adderall when they are 5 years old simply because they're acting like you know, they're five and then they don't, they, they stay on that medication until they're 25 and kicked off their parents insurance.
Speaker B:Well, now you have a kid who never learned, an adult who never learned any coping mechanisms, any behavioral mechanisms to handle his adhd.
Speaker B:Now he's off the insurance and he has no idea what to do.
Speaker B:So I'm not against medication, but I believe it has to be part, it has to be one arrow in the quiver of working on your neurodiversity.
Speaker A:Hi.
Speaker A:The podcast you are listening to is a companion to my recent book tech startup Toolkit, how to Launch Strong and Exit Big.
Speaker A:This is the book I wish I'd had.
Speaker A:As I was founding and running eight startups over 35 years, I tell the unvarnished truth about what went right and especially about what went wrong.
Speaker A:You could get it from all the usual booksellers.
Speaker A:I hope you like it.
Speaker A:It's a true labor of love.
Speaker A:Now back to the show.
Speaker A:So, so you have a podcast too about people's fast brains that you, um, that you.
Speaker A:And it, it, it's.
Speaker A:There's a, I see a parallel between what you talk about there and I did a TED talk on the.
Speaker A:The reason that people with a physical disability overachieve is because they have to, they have to fight back.
Speaker A:And I talk about three, three traits that people with a physical disability have.
Speaker A:And I think you might see parallels.
Speaker A:So the three traits are insecurity and Then second one is exceptionalism, and the third one is discipline.
Speaker A:And insecurity is something that comes naturally when you have a disability.
Speaker A:I only have one leg.
Speaker A:When I get up in the middle of the night to have to go to the bathroom, I have to find crutches.
Speaker A:Right there's never forgetting that.
Speaker A:And then exceptionalism is it.
Speaker A:It's actually a fairly small bar to achieve at first, which is, you know, success at something starts to feel like a real win.
Speaker A:And then you get, you get excited about that and you keep wanting a little bit more and a little bit more, and pretty soon you've had, you know, tremendous success.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the third is discipline, which of course, because you have to try so hard and work so hard, you get very disciplined and, and so through that.
Speaker A:When I lost my leg at 16 and A.
Speaker A:And, and then the same cancer took my lung, one of my lungs at 19, and at that time I was told I had zero chance of survival.
Speaker A:That's a third disability.
Speaker A:There's the physical, there's the lung, and there's the mental.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:Anyway, so I, I don't have adhd, but I had to learn to live fast because I, I thought I was chasing death.
Speaker A:I'm interested in your, in your, your podcast.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, we've had over like 400 episodes now and, and everyone there has a, you know, has some sort of neurodiverse world that they're in.
Speaker B:And we've also had some people who are not nervous, but who work with them or who are doctors or, you know, but we've had mayors, we've had famous Grammy Award winning rock bands.
Speaker B:We've had, you know, celebrities, CEOs, the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Lines, you know, tons and tons of people who believe and understand that their neurodiversity is a benefit, not a curse.
Speaker B:And so it's really about understanding that and understanding what your, your special gifts are, and not hiding them, but rather embracing.
Speaker A:It's obvious from reading a little bit about you that you love skydiving.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And I'm sure it's a big thrill and I'm sure you feel a lot of freedom and, and liberation up there.
Speaker A:What, what do you love about it?
Speaker B:It's the most free you'll ever be in your life.
Speaker B:Because it's, it's one of those.
Speaker B:When I exit the plane, I have two choices, and I only have two choices.
Speaker B:I can live or I can die.
Speaker B:You will never in your life be as free as you are when you only have two choices.
Speaker A:And Usually you want to live.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:Right now, I'm sitting here in my.
Speaker B:In my apartment overlooking Manhattan.
Speaker B:I can stare out the window.
Speaker B:I can go play with my dog.
Speaker B:I can go play with my daughter.
Speaker B:I can go make something to eat.
Speaker B:I can take a phone call.
Speaker B:I can look at the Internet.
Speaker B:I could.
Speaker B:I could talk to you.
Speaker B:There are a billion things I could do.
Speaker B:When you exit the plane, you can't go back into the plane.
Speaker B:You know, you can't pause and start over.
Speaker B:You're either going to open your parachute or you're not going to.
Speaker B:And there is literally no level of freedom I've ever experienced that is more freeing than that.
Speaker B:And so for me, I mean, of course, that doesn't even take into account the dopamine rush and the adrenaline rush, the serotonin rush I'm getting, which then allow me to focus.
Speaker B:I'll take my rig, I'll go do a jump.
Speaker B:I'll throw my gear in the corner of the hangar, pull out my laptop, and type 10,000 words in half an hour, right?
Speaker B:Because I'm so flush with all those chemicals that people who are neurodiverse don't create all the time.
Speaker B:So, you know, it's.
Speaker B:It's all about finding ways to create your.
Speaker B:Find your happy place, whatever that place is.
Speaker A:So when I.
Speaker A:When one of the.
Speaker A:I made a promise to myself that I.
Speaker A:There were only a couple things I wouldn't do once I'd lost a leg.
Speaker A:I would not jump out of airplanes, and I would not jump high when I'm skiing because the risk of, you know, end up ending up in a wheelchair or too high.
Speaker A:So instead I.
Speaker A:I go for speed, actually.
Speaker A:So that for me, the happy place is I became such a good skier on one ski, which wasn't easy.
Speaker A:Sure, that, you know, I've been clocked at going 51 miles an hour on one ski.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:And, and, and it's not just shushing down the hill.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's, you know, doing.
Speaker A:It's also being, you know, graceful and smooth.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:And so for me, what.
Speaker A:What has.
Speaker A:What happened was it was about conquering, skiing and conquering, you know, other things.
Speaker A:I'm about to go out to San Francisco to do my 30th swim from Alcatraz back to San Francisco.
Speaker B:I've done that.
Speaker B:That's a lot of fun.
Speaker A:When did you do it?
Speaker B: ape Malatra triathlon back in: Speaker A:Oh, okay.
Speaker A:So I just do the swim.
Speaker A:It's the same organization in viral sports and, And So I've been doing it every year that they've, they've held it.
Speaker A:This will be kind of a big milestone.
Speaker A:I'm hoping to get on the podium this year.
Speaker B:Awesome.
Speaker A:I'm oldest in my age group.
Speaker A:I'm the top of the age group, so that's the.
Speaker A:Yeah, the bad place to be.
Speaker B:I'll be on a podium once I'm.
Speaker B:Once I'm in my 80s.
Speaker B:Question about it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:All you have to do is outlive them, right?
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you, let's see, you also do.
Speaker A:Are you still doing marathons and Ironmans?
Speaker B:Not as much anymore.
Speaker B:I mean, I really destroyed my legs.
Speaker B:20 years of distance running as a fat ass will do that to you.
Speaker B:So I, I'm mostly swimming and cycling now.
Speaker A:And you, you have a peloton?
Speaker B:I do on it every morning.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I love mine.
Speaker A:I don't like to do the classes anymore.
Speaker A:I've.
Speaker A:I've been just doing the scenic rides and my own workout.
Speaker B:It's funnily enough, I actually don't, I don't, I don't use.
Speaker B:I, I put on like a two hour class, but then I turn on a movie and I don't really listen to the instructors anymore.
Speaker B: hen I first joined it back in: Speaker B:I was a really OG there.
Speaker B:And I love, you know, we used to go out for beers with the instructors.
Speaker B:They were awesome people.
Speaker B:People.
Speaker B:It's really become a corporation now, which I get that happens.
Speaker B:But, you know, that made it a lot less sort of fun.
Speaker B:And the instructors now, they're lovely people.
Speaker B:I was at the London studios a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker B:I met them.
Speaker B:Very nice.
Speaker B:But mostly, most of the time I'm on it to follow my metrics and I use my metrics there.
Speaker B:And other than that, I just, I don't, I don't really care what class I do.
Speaker B:I just find the two hour ride and go some.
Speaker A:Sometimes it seems a little bit too pat to say that, you know, hey, to do all this, to do all the startups and the other, you know, the podcast, everything that you've, you've done, it takes grit.
Speaker A:And I, you know, I've done 78 episodes of this podcast.
Speaker A:I've got my book, which is, you know, Tech Startup Toolkit, that's for startup founders and as I mentioned to you, a new online course for them.
Speaker A:But it's true.
Speaker A:Everyone I talk to really has a lot of grit.
Speaker A:Now you've already told us, you know, sort of your views on how ADHD is a superpower for you, Is there anything else that has sort of given you the grit to, to do all of what you've done?
Speaker B:The stuff I do excites me.
Speaker B:I haven't really, like most people with neurodiversity, I have a really hard time doing stuff that's boring to me.
Speaker B:You know, I'd never be like a good accountant or anything like that.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So the things that I enjoy doing are the things I'm really good at.
Speaker B:And, and when you're really good at them and you enjoy doing them, you continue to do them and you want to get better at them.
Speaker B:So I think it's a constant goal to improve and to get better and to do things better and to figure out better ways to do things, you know, and it's just, it's just a repeating cycle.
Speaker B:Right at the end of the day, if I can't tell whether or not I've had fun or I'm working, that to me is a good day.
Speaker A:I'm with you.
Speaker A:People think, oh, why aren't you retired?
Speaker A:And, and, and, or I'll come upstairs and my wife will say, so are you done working for the day?
Speaker A:And it's like, well, it's not really working.
Speaker A:I'm exactly.
Speaker A:I, I love talking to people on the podcast building this online course has been the most fun.
Speaker A:Let me just describe to you what.
Speaker B:What platform are you using?
Speaker A:It's on, it's, it's you sitting on teachables.
Speaker A:Teachable.
Speaker B:I've used them.
Speaker A:Teachable.
Speaker B:I'm on Kajabi now.
Speaker A:But, and, and, and what I'm using to create the lessons is prezi video, which allows me to be on one side and I put the graphics or text on the other side.
Speaker A:What I'm doing is so the, I published this book with publisher called Manning and like any.
Speaker A:And it's my sixth book.
Speaker A:But like any book, they, with a publisher, they say, okay, this book cannot exceed 250 pages.
Speaker A:Okay, that's the number they gave me.
Speaker A:And that felt, that ended up feeling like quite a constraint.
Speaker A:It's 31 chapters which are all topics of.
Speaker A:Because I've done nine startups and I've had two exits over a hundred million.
Speaker A:And then the others were like serious learning experiences.
Speaker A:Sometimes, you know, I hit the wall and there were no skid marks on some of these startups.
Speaker A:And I think people learn better, in fact from me being honest about my mistakes than, you know, bragging about the accomplishment.
Speaker B:I'll never Hire someone who hasn't failed.
Speaker B:I've failed more times than I can count.
Speaker B:But that's the beauty of it, you know, if you, if you, if you aren't failing, then you're not trying hard enough.
Speaker A:That's kind of an American phenomenon, you know.
Speaker B:Well, it's American phenomenon because in a lot of other parts of the world there's something called Tall Poppy syndrome, which is the concept that the tallest vines or the tallest weeds tend to get chopped down.
Speaker B:So people don't want to step out and do great things or try to be amazing or whatever.
Speaker B:It's a very real thing.
Speaker B:And so the premise of, you know, it is American.
Speaker B:But, you know, on the flip side, we've also, we also welcome that, that level of success.
Speaker B:Other countries aren't so bold when it comes to that, which, you know, pluses and minuses.
Speaker A:I guess so, so what I'm trying to do with the, with the, with this course is take the, the same concept as the book, which is to be honest, and, but, but now I've removed the constraint and the.
Speaker A:So it's, it's 60 video lessons and they're, each one has downloadable resources.
Speaker A:So they'll have, I'll have this, you know, really tight clean term sheet that somebody can download and they can use or, you know, here's a set of Excel spreadsheets that'll help you keep track of all your finances when you're first going, which of course you can't really do with a, with a printed book.
Speaker A:And, and so they're getting a lot more material.
Speaker A:It's almost like a 750 page color book with, you know, and, and plus I offer mentoring when they, they, they, you know, if they want it.
Speaker A:So I'm, I'm just having the best time building that.
Speaker A:Just so much fun.
Speaker A:People that are listening to this are startup founders, wannabe founders that are considering it.
Speaker A:They want to understand what they're getting into.
Speaker A:Do you have any sort of words of wisdom?
Speaker A:This is a kind of an open question.
Speaker A:Do you have any words of wisdom for these kinds of folks?
Speaker B:I think the best advice I was ever given is twofold.
Speaker B:The first part is if you can't change the people around you, change the people around you.
Speaker B:And I've lived by that for years.
Speaker B:And the second one is just as simple.
Speaker B:If you don't like where you are, move because you're not a tree.
Speaker B:So many people sit and complain when the chains that hold them are metaphorical at best.
Speaker B:It was a great line from the Eagles So many people could see the stars but still not see the light.
Speaker B:You know, I've been surrounded by people who, who, who enjoy complaining and oh, this is terrible.
Speaker B:And I'm working so hard and I'm constantly have to work and I never get a break and that, well, okay, you're in a very specific industry and you could probably get another job if you wanted to.
Speaker B:Or do you like the complaining?
Speaker B:You know, so, so it's, it's one of those things.
Speaker A:Those are good.
Speaker A:Those are good short little pieces of wisdom.
Speaker A:I like the first one the best.
Speaker A:Yeah, you gotta stop and think about it because you.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:I think you emphasize, emphasize a different segment of the phrase and it's clear.
Speaker A:Peter, you're definitely, you're fast and you're fast.
Speaker A:So we got, we, we.
Speaker A:But I think we have a great episode and I'm, I'm very happy with it.
Speaker A:I hope you are.
Speaker B:No question.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And here's today's startup founder toolkit.
Speaker A:Toolkit number one.
Speaker A:Your disability might be your superpower.
Speaker A:Stop trying to fix what makes you different.
Speaker A:Leverage it instead.
Speaker A:Peter's adhd, which teachers call disruptive, became his entrepreneurial edge.
Speaker A:Whether you're neurodiverse, have a physical challenge, or just feel like you don't fit in the typical founder mold, ask yourself, how can this difference give me an advantage others don't have?
Speaker A:Toolkit number two, help first, profit second.
Speaker A:Peter built million dollar companies using five simple words, how can I help you?
Speaker A:Instead of asking, what can I get from this relationship, flip the script.
Speaker A:Design your startup around solving real problems for real people.
Speaker A:Revenue follows value, not the other way around.
Speaker A:Toolkit number three, change your circle or change your location.
Speaker A:Here's Peter's game changing advice.
Speaker A:If you can't change the people around you, change the people around you.
Speaker A:Surround yourself with supporters, not complainers.
Speaker A:And remember, if you don't like where you are, move.
Speaker A:You're not a tree.
Speaker A:Your startup success depends on who's in your corner and whether you're in the right environment to thrive.
Speaker A:That's our episode with Peter.
Speaker A:Until next time, keep designing your success.
Speaker A:The show notes contain useful resources and links.
Speaker A:Please follow and rate us@podchaser.com designing successful startups.
Speaker A:Also, please share and like us on your social media channels.
Speaker A:This is Jyothi Rosenberg saying TTFN Tata for now.
