Why You Need an Exit and an Entry Strategy
How'd it Happen?
On this episode of The How'd It Happen Podcast, Mike Malatesta shares his personal experience of selling two businesses and the lessons he learned. He emphasizes the need for not only an exit strategy, but also an entry strategy. This is important to think about before selling your business. Mike also talks about the resources available for exiting a business and the changes that come with selling a business, including relationships, importance, purpose, and goals.
Mike discusses the importance of operating your business as if it were for sale and the benefits it brings. He also delves into the best way to exit a business and the planning that needs to be done for your entry into a new world post-sale.
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Jonathan Cronstedt - Billion Dollar Bullseye, Kajabi, Wisdom & Personal Brands
How'd it Happen?
Ever wondered what it takes to build a multi-billion-dollar company from scratch? Settle in as Mike chats with Jonathan Cronstedt, better known as JCron. JCron is the force behind Kajabi, a company that has revolutionized the knowledge commerce industry. JCron unpacks his entrepreneurial journey, from the inception of the company, the trials and tribulations, the strategies that led to its success, to his life post-exit. He shares valuable insights on the significance of self-belief, the power of focus, and putting in the work before expecting results. He also shares his counter-intuitive belief on why people should come last in business.
While JCron was the President at Kajabi, the company grew 2153%, achieving a $2B valuation within five years. After his 20-plus years in executive leadership, operations, and strategy, JCron developed the Bullseye Formula - his proven method for scaling to exit. Using the Bullseye Formula, JCron invests in and advises a diverse portfolio of companies through The Cronstedt Company, where he is Chairman and CEO. JCron is dedicated to supporting and equipping the next generation of entrepreneurs. He believes entrepreneurship is the single greatest transformational force in our world, and it may just be the thing that saves it.
This conversation goes beyond entrepreneurship; it delves into the importance of meaning and purpose in life. JCron shares on how transformational books shaped his life, how the power of thoughts can create our realities, and the critical role of owning your audience in today's digital world.
Connect with Jonathan Cronstedt:
Website: significanlc.com
Twitter: @thejcron
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What’s in It for Them?
How'd it Happen?
In this episode of the How’d It Happen Podcast, Mike Malatesta shares the inspiring story of Joe Polish, a recovering addict turned marketing genius. Mike discusses four key takeaways from Joe's book, “What's In It for Them,” that can benefit leaders and entrepreneurs alike.
Despite a challenging start as a carpet cleaner with no money or experience, Joe's commitment to learning and connecting with others led him to become a successful entrepreneur and super-connector. Mike’s takeaways from this book will help listeners build valuable relationships and achieve success.
Mike delves into Joe’s unique approach to relationships and how he emphasizes the importance of helping others without expecting anything in return. Joe categorizes relationships as either ELF: easy, lucrative, and fun, or HALF: hard, annoying, lame, and frustrating.
Join Mike as he explores Joe' Polish’s journey of resilience and determination and his insight on how to build meaningful relationships beyond just networking.
Episode resources:
Book: What’s In It For Them by Joe Polish
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Paul Hutchinson – The Sound of Freedom from Child Sex Trafficking
How'd it Happen?
Join Mike for a profound conversation with his special guest, Paul Hutchinson, a true liberator of humanity. Known for leading over 70 undercover rescue missions, Paul shares his journey from aspiring brain surgeon to becoming the founder of the Child Liberation Foundation and Liberate Humanity. You will get a firsthand account of his daring infiltrations into trafficking networks, his work with retired US service personnel, and federal police in combating child trafficking.
Paul Hutchinson is an executive director of new 2023 movie The Sound of Freedom. The film highlights one of the largest child rescue missions in history with over 120 victims being liberated. Paul’s role in the rescue is played by the producer of the film. That rescue mission in Colombia set the course of Paul’s lifetime focus on helping to heal humanity.
Diving into the brutal realities of child trafficking, this episode takes you through the dark world of undercover missions and the horrifying realities of organ harvesting. Paul sheds light on the danger, hostility, and heartbreak that he and his team had to confront during their operations. Paul examines the crucial role of breaking the chain of abuse before it takes root and the potential impact it can have in curbing child trafficking.
Wrapping up the discussion, Paul focuses on healing and rehabilitation for survivors of child trafficking. He deliberates on the complex moral implications surrounding the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against children and the often disappointing response from the justice system. Learn more about the Child Liberation Foundation and the liberating wings project, aimed at providing healing modalities for trauma victims. Tune in to understand how you can play your part in this revolution against child trafficking.
Episode resources:
Check out the trailer for the movie The Sound of Freedom
Connect with Paul Hutchinson:
TikTok: @liberating.humanity
Facebook: Paul Hutchinson
Instagram: @liberating.humanity
LinkedIn: Paul Hutchinson
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Why Jay Leno Has More Meaning Than Money
How'd it Happen?
In this episode of the How’d It Happen Podcast, Mike shares nine reasons why Jay Leno has more meaning than money. From his humility to his hard work, Jay’s qualities are explored in depth. A lot of wealthy people and celebrities have the opposite where they have more money than meaning, and end up feeling very unfulfilled in their lives.
Join Mike as he delves into the topic and reflects on the importance of having more meaning in our lives.
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Kelly Richmond Pope - Fool Me Once: Learning From Fraudsters and Whistleblowers
How'd it Happen?
We all probably think that we know the difference between right and wrong and wouldn’t get caught up in something we aren’t supposed to be doing, but according to Kelly Richmond Pope, it can be a slippery slope. Some people get into legal trouble by starting small or by not speaking up when someone sneakily gets them involved. On this episode of the How’d It Happen Podcast, Mike and Kelly discuss the three categories of fraud perpetrators: intentional, accidental, and righteous.
Kelly wants to turn fraud upside down and allow people to see themselves in these unethical decisions. She wants to stop the language of "it's them, not me" and be more inclusive in understanding that it can be us. She explains that anyone can be talked into anything under the right circumstances and that we have a great ability to compartmentalize levels when it comes to what we will and won't do.
Dr. Kelly Richmond Pope is a nationally recognized expert in risk, forensic accounting, and white-collar crime research, and an award-winning educator, researcher, author, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her area of expertise lies in understanding and identifying financial fraud risk within financial statements, assessing corporate culture and compliance systems designed to confront internal control challenges. Pope's research on executive misconduct culminated in directing and producing the award-winning documentary, All the Queen's Horses which explores the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history. Pope’s TED Talk entitled "How Whistle-blowers Shape History” has been viewed over 1.6 million times.
In this episode, Mike and Kelly explore the trillion-dollar fraud industry. They discuss the power of persuasion and the importance of embracing internal whistleblowing. Learn how to recognize and prevent fraud and protect yourself from being a victim of fraud or getting involved in the wrong situation.
Key highlights:
- Fraud perpetrators: intentional, accidental, and righteous
- The problem with our culture encouraging people to mind their own business
- Different types of whistleblowers and their importance
- How to protect yourself from fraud and getting involved in unethical or illegal situations
Episode resources:
- Fool Me Once: A Fraud Experience
- Kelly’s book: Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories, and Secrets from the Trillion-Dollar Fraud Industry
Connect with Kelly Richmond Pope:
- Website: kellyrichmondpope.com
- Instagram: @kellyrpope
- LinkedIn: Kelly Richmond Pope, CPA
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The Best Gifts Humans Can Give
How'd it Happen?
Who doesn’t love receiving a gift from another person? It doesn’t have to be an actual physical gift in order to be special. In fact, the best gifts humans can give cannot be bought. In this solo episode, Mike talks about the best gifts that humans can give to one another.
He was inspired to do this by an American journalist and novelist named Oren Arnold. Mr. Arnold wrote a piece on the best gives to give, so Mike puts his own spin on it and shares why he agrees that these are the best gifts we can give to one another. There are certain intangible gifts that are incredibly special to those around us, and we can even give very powerful gifts to ourselves. Tune in for more!
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Hasard Lee – The Art of Clear Thinking
How'd it Happen?
As a high performer that may be running a business or calling the shots for a company, you have a lot of decisions to make. It is easy to get overwhelmed and experience decision fatigue, or struggle with indecisiveness, not knowing what is truly the best option. This episode is for you if you want to learn how to make quicker and better decisions in any area of your life. Hasard Lee is a former fighter pilot who has spent years making high stake split-second decisions and he wants to teach you how.
Hasard Lee has spent his career flying both the F-16 and F-35. In 2016, he was selected as the ‘Top Instructor Pilot of the Year’ for the Air Force’s largest F-16 Combat Wing. In 2017, he returned from Afghanistan where his squadron dropped the most ordnance since the war’s opening days. He has flown 82 combat missions and has 4 Air Medals. Hasard has the distinction of being the only fighter pilot to ever employ two different types of jets in combat on the same day. He is also a content creator with one of the largest defense channels on YouTube. Hasard’s first book, “The Art of Clear Thinking” was recently released, and it focuses on how to use fighter pilot decision-making in everyday life.
Hasard speaks on air combat, human performance, decision-making, mental toughness, and how to debrief. From reading his book, Mike had many takeaways, and couldn’t wait to get Hasard on the How’d It Happen Podcast. In this episode, Hasard shares his dream of becoming a fighter pilot since he was a kid and the rigorous training he went through to make that dream a reality.
Key highlights:
- Hasard’s first experience with a jet when he was 5
- The physical and mental challenges of flying the airforce’s fastest and most expensive jets
- Decision-making
- Mental toughness
- Debriefs
- The book-writing process
- The “Dream” sheet
Connect with Hasard Lee:
- Website: hasardlee.com | hasardx.com
- Instagram: @hasardlee
- Podcast: The Professionals Playbook
- YouTube: Hasard Lee
- Get Hasard’s book: The Art of Clear Thinking
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Kevin Gibbon - Priceless Insight on 10X Optimism
How'd it Happen?
Do you want to know what it takes to create something truly magical from absolutely nothing? Building a remarkable business from the ground up requires focusing on being better than what is already out there. But here is the key: you can’t just be slightly better than your competition. You need to go all in on being 10 times better than what is currently already being done. This is the mindset that Kevin Gibbon operates from and it has served him very well.
Sometimes the misplaced step offers the most profound and lasting insight. Innately entrepreneurial, Airhouse CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Gibbon got his start in tech developing software for major aerospace players like Boeing and Raytheon. After a few years, he set out to carve his own path, building Shyp, attracting $62.1M in funding, and landing on Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies list. Unfortunately, Shyp was a bright star that ultimately burned out, but Kevin walked away from the experience equipped with reams of priceless insight. At Airhouse, he’s applying that insight to revolutionize the way DTC e-commerce brands scale logistics.
In this episode of the How’d It Happen Podcast, Kevin is sharing how he stayed so optimistic and confident while his first business Shyp, was about to close down. He took the priceless lessons that he learned from building a running Shyp, to go on and build the very successful company, Airhouse, and has been introduced as the next Jeff Bezos. What Kevin learned is that many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things, such as building a great service or product, but where we need to focus is on our ideal customer. What do they need? How can we make their lives easier? Focus there, truly understand that problem, figure out how to solve it, and your chances of success will be much higher.
Key highlights:
- How Kevin got started in Tech
- Kevin’s thoughts on whether AI will replace creators
- How to use AI to your advantage as a creator
- The Uberfication of everything
- The magic of building something from nothing
Connect with Kevin Gibbon:
Website: airhouse.io
LinkedIn: Kevin Gibbon
Twitter: @kevingibbon
Instagram: @kevingibbon
Podcast: Second Time Founders
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10 Cool Things About You
How'd it Happen?
We all have cool things about ourselves, but how often do you take the time to list out the cool things about yourself? Chances are, it’s probably not very often, but after listening to a podcast with Dean Graziosi, Mike felt inspired to reflect on the cool things about himself. In Dean’s podcast episode, he talked about an exercise that he called “10 Cool Things About Me” and he listed them. It is really easy to forget what's cool about you because you might be focused on everything that's wrong with you, or wrong in your life or business. Mike encourages you to go in the opposite direction and take the time to sit down and list 10 (or more) cool things about yourself. We all have them!
In this solo episode, Mike reflects on the 10 cool things about himself and what he is proud of. This is a fun and insightful exercise because it allows us to see the positives in ourselves when things may not be feeling very positive around us. We all have unique traits, talents, and things that are important to us, and that is what makes all of us special, and very cool. You might be thinking that it feels braggy or self-centered to focus on what is great about you, but we all deserve to celebrate ourselves and appreciate the cool things about us. So what are 10 cool things about you? Write them down, and send us a message on Instagram @malatesta.mike and we’d love to hear about the greatness in you.
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David Lindsay - Snap, Nap, Tap, Clap, Recap!
How'd it Happen?
You might be thinking what do all these rhyming words mean together? Snap, nap, tap, clap, recap is a powerful 5-step system for improved vitality created by successful well-being expert David Lindsay. Each step serves an important purpose in building a strong mind and body and being present and resilient no matter what life throws at you.
David Lindsay has changed the lives of 10s of thousands of people throughout the world. He has been obsessed with changing how we view health and vitality by disrupting how we see the links between fitness and workplace productivity. David is a personal trainer, keynote speaker, author, award-winning coach, and all-around good guy.
David played Rugby League for many years, but suffered 2 knee reconstructions at an early age, cutting short his Rugby League Career. He put this setback behind him and went on to train as a Professional Arm Wrestler until an unfortunate accident occurred, which put the breaks on his dreams once again. He then went on to pursue martial Arts and received his Black Belt in Wing Chun, Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, train in Submission wrestling, and has had several MMA fights. In the last ten years, David has studied many successful teams and individual athletes, and they all in their own way, follow a similar structure to David’s "5 Step System Towards Improved Vitality in the Workplace". David has personally used this System many times to achieve results outsiders said were never possible. These 5 little hacks are easy to implement and keep established in the long term.
In this episode of the How’d It Happen Podcast, David Lindsay shares what it was like to experience not one, but two serious injuries as an athlete, and what he took away from each of those challenges. David’s competitive nature and drive for success have served him well as he aimed to look for lessons in all of the difficulties he faced. Tune in and learn how to apply Snap, Nap, Tap, Clap, Recap to increase your vitality and get closer to your goals.
Key highlights:
- David’s accidents, his wife’s motorcycle accident, and how they overcame each obstacle
- What is vitality?
- Why David wants to share his message with as many people as he can
- How can you take a crisis and turn it into an opportunity?
- 5 steps for improved vitality- snap, nap, tap, clap, recap
- Losing isn't losing, losing is learning
- How to have a business that doesn’t lose and only evolves
Connect with David Lindsay:
Website: davidlindsay.com.au
LinkedIn: David Lindsay
YouTube: David Lindsay
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My 12.5 Rules of Life
How'd it Happen?
Today’s solo episode of the How’d It Happen podcast was inspired by Jordan Peterson and his book, titled “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. After reading this book, Mike felt drawn to create his own 12 rules of life, and in this episode, he breaks down his 12.5 rules of life. Those rules are:
- Hold doors open, look people in the eye, say hello, and smile.
- Words matter.
- Surround yourself with people you like and who care about you.
- Progress, not perfection.
- Be a parent that your child wants to emulate and not one that they feel they need to emulate.
- We've all got problems, but remember yours before you expose or take advantage of others.
- Shiny objects might be horseshit.
- How does doing this hard thing make me better?
- All progress starts with the truth.
- Take the best away from every interaction and leave the rest behind
- Say what you mean to the best of your ability
- Have fun and be okay with it. Don't take yourself too seriously.
And here's a bonus, Mike’s 12.5 rule of life: pay attention to what's in front of you, and be kind to whatever that is, to the best of your ability.
Tune in as Mike breaks each of these down and explains why they are important to maximize the greatness in you.
Episode resources:
Book: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote for Life by Jordan Peterson
To Connect with Mike:
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Simon Severino - How to Live an Agile Life
How'd it Happen?
What exactly does it mean to live an “agile life?” Let’s start with the definition of “agile” which means “marked by ready ability to move with quick easy grace.” That sounds like something that all entrepreneurs strive to be. We want to be agile in the way that we can move quickly to meet our customers' demands and recognize when it’s time to shift directions or processes. Simon Severino is the author of the book “Strategy Sprints: 12 Ways to Accelerate Growth for an Agile Business” and he shares what he thinks the most important factors are to having an agile business and life in general.
Simon Severino is the author of "Strategy Sprints" and CEO of the consulting agency Strategysprints.com. He is also the creator of the Strategy Sprints Method, a TedX Speaker, and a coach of coaches. He has been in entrepreneurship for 19 years and executed hundreds of go-to-market strategies with B2B teams around the globe. Simon has helped thousands of entrepreneurs reach financial freedom and have a firm that runs without being dependent on them. Today, he shares his blueprints with business leaders. Simon helps business owners discover how to run their company more efficiently which results in sales that soar.
In this episode of the How’d It Happen Podcast, Simon emphasizes the importance of having great systems and processes in not only your business but also in life. He believes that goals are not the answer to success and that goals don’t actually help you. According to Simon, “You don’t rise to the levels of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” The present moment is all we have, and there is much out of our control, so the key is to focus only on what you can control and make sure there is a great system in place for that.
Key highlights:
- How Simon became an entrepreneur
- Why processes are more important than your goals
- What does it mean to have an “agile business”?
- Simon’s thoughts on Elon Musk and Tesla
- How Simon uses AI for his business
- Why our country relies on entrepreneurs to solve the problems we have
Episode resources:
Check out Truflation.com for current inflation rates
Connect with Simon Severino:
Check out Simon’s mastermind: strategysprints.com/jvc
LinkedIn: Simon Severino
Twitter: @simonseverino
Instagram: @strategysprints
YouTube: Simon Severino
Get Simon’s book: Strategy Sprints: 12 Ways to Accelerate Growth for an Agile Business
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Brett Johnson - How I Unbecame The FBI's Most Wanted Cyber Criminal: Part 2
How'd it Happen?
Brett Johnson is a former US most wanted cyber criminal turned good guy. The United States Secret Service called Brett “The Original Internet Godfather.” Brett’s fascinating story is one you don’t want to miss as you’ll hear about his role in refining modern financial cybercrime, being convicted of 39 felonies, escaping prison, and how he built the first organized cybercrime community. This community called “Shadow Crew” laid the way for modern cybercrime channels today.
Today, Brett is considered one of the leading authorities on cybercrime, identity theft, and cyber security. Brett takes his role seriously and works tirelessly to protect individuals and businesses from the type of person he used to be.
This episode is part 2 of 2 with Brett Johnson, so make sure to listen to part 1 first if you haven’t already. In part 2, Brett walks us through what happened to Shadow Crew, what led to his arrest and escape from prison, working with the secret service, how he landed back in prison, and the occurrences that finally made him take responsibility for where he ended up. Brett has completely turned his life around and is passionate about protecting people from the crimes he used to commit. Cybercrime occurs more often than we think, so knowing how to protect yourself is essential. Tune in for more.
Key highlights:
- Reasons why cyber crime usually involves multiple attackers
- Going to prison and escaping and then landing back in prison
- Things that make it easier for cybercriminals
- How Brett invented tax return identity fraud
- Was cybercrime an addiction for Brett?
- How CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) changed Brett’s life
- Why Brett speaks his mind on social media despite being an introvert
- Was Brett a leader in prison?
- What made Brett finally turn his life around?
Connect with Brett Johnson:
- Website: anglerphish.com
- LinkedIn: Brett Johnson
- Podcast: The Brett Johnson Show
- Cybercrime 101 Blog
To Connect with Mike:
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10 Ways to Have a Great Conversation: Part 2
How'd it Happen?
In this solo episode, Mike channels Celeste Headlee’s TED talk called “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation.” Mike puts his own spin on them by using his experience of releasing over 300 podcast episodes and interviewing many amazing people along the way. There are certain habits and questions that take a conversation to the next level by eliciting interesting topics and showing others that you are invested in what they have to say.
This episode is part 2 of 2, so make sure to check out part 1 first if you haven’t already. Being a great conversationalist is truly a skill, so although you may think you are already great at having conversations, the truth is that a lot of people don’t realize that they tend to make conversations about themselves. We may think we are very interesting, but there is an important balance to maintain in having a conversation that is a 2-way street.
Mike’s remaining 5 tips for having a great conversation are: Don't equate your experience with your guests, try not to repeat yourself, stay out of the weeds, listen, and be brief. With these tips, you are sure to find yourself having elevated conversations.
Episode resources:
Listen to Celeste’s Ted Talk: 10 Ways to Have A Better Conversation
To Connect with Mike:
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Brett Johnson - How I Unbecame The FBI's Most Wanted Cyber Criminal: Part 1
How'd it Happen?
Brett Johnson is a former US most wanted cyber criminal turned good guy. The United States Secret Service called Brett “The Original Internet Godfather.” Brett’s rollercoaster of a story is one you don’t want to miss as you’ll hear about his role in refining modern financial cybercrime, being convicted of 39 felonies, escaping prison, and how he built the first organized cyber crime community. This community called “Shadow Crew” laid the way for modern cybercrime channels today.
Brett was sentenced to 90 months in prison, but that isn’t where his story ended. After a life of crime, Brett finally took responsibility for where his life had ended up, and found redemption with the FBI. This was a chance to turn his life around and use his past for good, and so he took it. Today, Brett is considered one of the leading authorities on cyber crime, identity theft, and cyber security. Now, he works hard to protect others from the type of person he used to be.
This episode is part 1 of 2 with Brett Johnson, so make sure to tune in next week for the second half of this fascinating conversation. In part 1 you will hear what it's like to grow up with a mom that's a fraudster, how he learned to steal at age 10, and meeting the first decent person at age 16. Brett’s insight on what makes cybercrime easy for criminals, what cyber criminals look for, and why cyber crimes go unreported.
Key highlights:
- Brett’s childhood of abuse, and what he learned from his parents that influenced him throughout his life
- The first crime Brett ever committed as a child
- The Eastern Kentucky mentality
- How being a “social engineer” benefitted Brett as a criminal
- How Brett met the first decent human being in his life
- How Brett lost a full scholarship for acting
- How he got into internet crime
- The first lesson cyber criminals learn
- How trust is established online
- What predators look for online
- What needs to happen for cybercrime to be successful?
Connect with Brett Johnson:
Website: anglerphish.com
LinkedIn: Brett Johnson
Podcast: The Brett Johnson Show
To Connect with Mike:
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10 Ways to Have a Great Conversation: Part 1
How'd it Happen?
In this solo episode, Mike channels Celeste Headlee’s TED talk called “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation.” Mike puts his own spin on them by using his experience of releasing over 300 podcast episodes and interviewing many amazing people along the way. There are certain habits and questions that take a conversation to the next level by eliciting interesting topics and showing others that you are invested in what they have to say.
This episode is part 1 of 2, so you will hear Mike’s first 5 tips for having a great conversation. Those tips are: Don't multitask, don't pontificate, use open-ended questions, go with the flow, and understand that it’s okay to say you don't know something. Mike dives into each of these and why they are important to make a great conversation. Tune in next week for part 2, where Mike will cover his remaining 5 conversation tips.
Episode resources:
Listen to Celeste’s Ted Talk: 10 Ways to Have A Better Conversation
To Connect with Mike:
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Johnny Crowder - At 25, I Finally Felt Healthy Enough to be a Person
How'd it Happen?
All of us have been through challenges that no one else has been through, and those circumstances give you a license to speak to people that have been through challenges as well. It gives you an opportunity to help people while already having the credibility and experience to do so. Pain can be a gift if we allow it to, so today’s guest encourages us to turn our pain into purpose and use it to help others. Your pain gives you a license whether you use it or not, so might as well put it to use. Johnny Crowder has an amazingly inspirational story of doing just that,
Johnny Crowder is a resilience, well-being, and mental health expert. He is also a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist, and Founder and CEO of Cope Notes®. Johnny gives people practical self-care tools and mental health strategies that they can start using now to improve their emotional health and well-being. With infectious positivity, humor, and authenticity, this trauma survivor and Certified Recovery Peer Specialist shows audiences why opening up about mental health is the key to coping. Whether he’s discussing ordinary, everyday struggles or challenges like anxiety, depression, addiction, burnout, and compassion fatigue, Johnny confronts the myths that keep people stuck. As he explains in his 2020 TEDx Talk which has been viewed over one million times, good mental health is like physical health. Quick fixes and miracle cures don’t work. Johnny provides people with a toolkit of self-care and wellness techniques that rewire the brain for positivity over time.
In this episode of the How’d It Happen podcast, Johnny shares about growing up in an abusive household, the miracles that happened to get him help, bodybuilding and OCD, why he feels like a 5-year-old, and how the idea for his company, Cope Notes, got off the ground. Johnny is super likable, super relatable, and super inspirational.
Key highlights:
- Going from being unable to speak to others and make eye contact, to now speaking on stages and helping hundreds of thousands of people
- How Johnny started his business Cope Notes
- Johnny explains neuroplasticity and how people are malleable and have the ability to heal their mental health
- Why journaling builds emotional intelligence
Episode resources:
Try Cope Notes for free: copenotes.com/subscribe/#subscribe-form
Connect with Johnny Crowder:
Instagram: @johnnycrowderlovesyou
Website: johnnycrowder.com | copenotes.com
Facebook: Johnny Crowder
LinkedIn: Johnny Crowder
To Connect with Mike:
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Dennis Yu - On a Mission to Create 1 Million Jobs
How'd it Happen?
In the world of modern marketing, there are many things that can be analyzed and optimized for your business goals. Just following what you see someone else doing online might not work for you, so take it from a marketing expert and pay attention to your data and dive into what is working and what isn’t. Dennis Yu is committed to bringing marketing strategies to everyday businesses, especially the types that are not very skilled in marketing and need help the most. In this episode, Dennis and Mike discuss Dennis’ mission to create one million jobs for people around the world, and why he is so passionate about helping business owners optimize their marketing so they can be more easily found by their ideal customers.
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "Million Jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.
You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train young adults and business owners.
In this episode, Dennis shares how he plans to create 1 million jobs all over the world, how he is already well on that path, how he learned to be a servant leader, how having great processes in place will make you more money, and he walks us through a live analysis of the website of one of Mike’s company’s, and what needs improvement in order to get more eyes on it.
Key Highlights:
- Kaqun Oxygen Baths: What are they, and what are the benefits?
- Why the businesses Dennis helps have a low client loss rate
- Live analysis of a business website
Episode resources:
As a special offer to How'd it Happen listeners, Dennis offered to perform a FREE data analysis of your business website. Email stephanie@blitzmetrics.com with the Subject: "How'd it Happen Podcast Offer"
Connect with Dennis Yu:
Instagram: @dennis.yu
Website: dennis-yu.com | blitzmetrics.com
Facebook: Dennis Yu
LinkedIn: Dennis Yu
To Connect with Mike:
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4 Qualities of a Leader
How'd it Happen?
Leaders have a great deal of responsibility not only in just leading, instructing, and delegating, but also in setting the tone for their team and being an example for those that they are leading. Whether you’re leading a company, coaching a team, or even leading your family, there are 4 very important qualities of effective leaders.
This solo episode was inspired by a webinar by coach Nick Saban, who is the head football coach at the University of Alabama. He shared 4 qualities that he believes all leaders should have, and in this episode, Mike shares his thoughts on each of them. Those 4 qualities are: leaders are committed to doing things the right way, leaders set a good example, leaders are never late, and leaders take care of their responsibilities. Tune in to hear about each of these more in-depth, and let us know if you’d agree with each of these!
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Mike Millner - Putting Yourself on a Personality Diet
How'd it Happen?
As an entrepreneur, chances are you have gone on a personal development journey and aim to be the best version of yourself that you can be. In life, we strive to have harmony in the various aspects of our life such as personal relationships, business, fitness, and nutrition. A lot of people find themselves struggling in the fitness and nutrition realm because we have been taught to go about it in the wrong way. Cookie-cutter fitness programs that try to put us into a box simply do not work and leave us more frustrated than when we started. Each one of us is different and unique beings, so why do we buy into programs that are a one-size-fits-all? Mike Millner is here to explain why you need an approach that is tailored to you and your personality and focuses on the most important piece of the big picture: mindset.
Mike Millner is the founder of Peak Performance Optimization and has been a high-level nutrition coach for almost 10 years. He has an extensive understanding of the psychology and physiological needs of his clients that has led to thousands of success stories. Mike utilizes a personality-based approach with an emphasis on mindset to give his clients the tools they need to become the person they want to be. Through his struggles with weight, yo-yo diets, binging, and unhealthy relationships with food and exercise, Mike realized that relying on willpower simply does not work, because it is a finite resource. So what does work?
In this episode, Mike shares the darkest time in his life when he felt fed up with all the different diet and exercise programs that were not working for him, and how he helps his clients avoid the same mistakes he made. Mike is passionate about educating others on the fact that we do not have to work against ourselves in order to achieve success. He helps people bridge the gap between who they are now and their future selves in a way that feels authentic and aligned to them. Mike’s energy and passion is magnetic and you won’t want to miss this one.
Key Highlights:
- Mike's struggle with poor body image, and cycles of binging and restricting that led him to want to make a change
- What led Mike to leave his job and become an entrepreneur?
- The problem with most diet and nutrition programs
- The switch that helped Mike see sustainable change in his fitness
- Why don’t New Year's resolutions work?
Episode resources:
- Get Mike Millner’s book: The Personality Diet
- Take the Neurotype Personality Assessment
- Listen to Mike’s podcast: Mind Over Macros
Connect with Mike Millner:
- Instagram: @coach_mike_millner
- Website: neurotypetraining.com
- Facebook: Michael Millner
To Connect with Mike:
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10 Cool Things About You
How'd it Happen?
We all have cool things about ourselves, but how often do you take the time to list out the cool things about yourself? Chances are, it’s probably not very often, but after listening to a podcast with Dean Graziosi, Mike felt inspired to reflect on the cool things about himself. In Dean’s podcast episode, he talked about an exercise that he called “10 Cool Things About Me” and he listed them. It is really easy to forget what's cool about you because you might be focused on everything that's wrong with you, or wrong in your life or business. Mike encourages you to go in the opposite direction and take the time to sit down and list 10 (or more) cool things about yourself. We all have them!
In this solo episode, Mike reflects on the 10 cool things about himself and what he is proud of. This is a fun and insightful exercise because it allows us to see the positives in ourselves when things may not be feeling very positive around us. We all have unique traits, talents, and things that are important to us, and that is what makes all of us special, and very cool. You might be thinking that it feels braggy or self-centered to focus on what is great about you, but we all deserve to celebrate ourselves and appreciate the cool things about us. So what are 10 cool things about you? Write them down, and send Mike a message on Instagram @malatesta.mike. He'd we’d love to hear about the greatness in you.
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Tom Schwab - How to Profit as a Podcast Guest
How'd it Happen?
As the podcast world grows, more and more people realize the power of podcast guesting. While getting on other podcasts as a guest can be an incredibly valuable tool to grow your impact, you want to be podcast guesting and not just podcast guessing. This should be a strategic process in which you first evaluate your goals, and come up with a plan that makes the most sense for you. Some people start out by wanting to just get on the “biggest” podcasts possible, but that doesn’t always make the most sense. Today’s guest is here to explain how you can profit as a podcast guest by coming up with a plan that aligns with your goals.
Tom Schwab is an entrepreneur, engineer, US naval academy graduate, and expert in the art and science of podcast guesting. He is the founder of Interview Valet where he helps thought leaders get featured on leading podcasts that their ideal prospects are already listening to. Then he helps them to turn listeners into customers. Tom is also the author of “PODCAST GUEST PROFITS: Grow Your Business with a Targeted Interview Strategy.”
In this episode of the How’d it Happen podcast, Tom shares how he got the idea to start one of the first podcast guest booking services and why his company is unique compared to other agencies. In a world where AI is becoming more widely used in text sources, audio and video are becoming more and more impactful because people know they are really hearing from you. Podcasts are an incredible tool to build that “know, like, and trust” factor that people need to buy from you. The key to being a guest on podcasts is to know the importance of leading with value. Tom explains how to use your knowledge and expertise to provide value to other people’s audiences and turn them into customers.
Quote from the episode:
- “What’s the goal? What are you trying to do? Because we’ll have some people come to us and say they want to get on podcasts. Well, that’s not a goal. That’s a means to a goal. If that’s your goal, you’re going to get bored after about 5 or 10." - Tom Schwab
Key Highlights:
- Repurposing podcast content
- How one podcast episode can grow your impact significantly
- How Tom helps people get a clear strategy
- Tom’s advice on CTAs: keep it simple
Episode resources:
Get Tom’s book: interviewvalet.com/hih
Check out episode 214 with Jeffrey Madoff: The Power of Curiosity Fuel
Get Jeffrey Madoff’s book: Creative Careers
Connect with Tom Schwab:
Website: interviewvalet.com
Instagram: @iamtomschwab
Facebook: Tom Schwab
YouTube: Interview Valet
To Connect with Mike:
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10 Ways to Have a Great Conversation: Part 2
How'd it Happen?
In this solo episode, Mike channels Celeste Headlee’s TED talk called “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation.” Mike puts his own spin on them by using his experience of releasing over 300 podcast episodes and interviewing many amazing people along the way. There are certain habits and questions that take a conversation to the next level by eliciting interesting topics and showing others that you are invested in what they have to say.
This episode is part 2 of 2, so make sure to check out part 1 first if you haven’t already. Being a great conversationalist is truly a skill, so although you may think you are already great at having conversations, the truth is that a lot of people don’t realize that they tend to make conversations about themselves. We may think we are very interesting, but there is an important balance to maintain in having a conversation that is a 2-way street.
Mike’s remaining 5 tips for having a great conversation are: Don't equate your experience with your guests, try not to repeat yourself, stay out of the weeds, listen, and be brief. With these tips, you are sure to find yourself having elevated conversations.
Episode resources:
Listen to Celeste’s Ted Talk: 10 Ways to Have A Better Conversation
To Connect with Mike:
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Jason Feifer - I Can't Wait to do This a Second Time
How'd it Happen?
As entrepreneurs, we tend to think that the world is full of competition and that certain markets are too saturated for us to stand out in, but the truth is that although the world is full of people, that doesn’t mean it’s full of competition. Chances are, what you need to do to stand out from the crowd isn’t as challenging as you think it is. It just means you need to serve people’s needs and do it in a way that is better than most. Today’s guest explains why he quit his unfulfulling job to pursue freelance writing and landed an opportunity to write for the Washington Post with very little experience and zero connections.
Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, author of the book “Build For Tomorrow”, a startup advisor, and host of the podcasts Build For Tomorrow, and Problem Solvers. LinkedIn named him a “Top Voice in Entrepreneurship” for 2022.
In this episode, Jason and Mike discuss the topic of entitlement, why boundaries are not what they seem, and why Jason believes in the power of just getting someone on the phone. Jason shares his story of how it happened for him and his entrance into the entrepreneur world. Jason had an overwhelming feeling that there was a gap between the work he was doing and what he was capable of, so instead of staying stagnant and working at the level that someone else had placed him in, he bet on his ability and his hustle. Jason provides insight on how to pitch yourself even if you have no connections and very little experience.
Quote from the episode:
- “You think that the world is full of competition but it's not. The world is just full of people and a lot of those people are actually not great competition. All you need to do is just make sure that you are serving someone else’s needs and they will really like you for it.” - Jason Feifer
Key Highlights:
- Why Jason doesn’t set goals he can’t control
- How he got to write for the Washington Post with little experience and no connections
- How to pitch properly
- The meaning behind the phrase “I can't wait to do this a second time.”
Episode resources:
- Check out episode 198: Jeff Peterson, I Don’t Call Myself an Entrepreneur (#198)
Connect with Jason Feifer:
- Twitter: @heyfeifer
- Instagram: @heyfeifer
- Facebook: Jason Feifer
- LinkedIn: Jason Feifer
- Website: jasonfeifer.com
- Get Jason’s book: Build For Tomorrow
- Check out Jason’s podcasts: Build For Tomorrow and Problem Solvers
To Connect with Mike:
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Why You Need an Exit and an Entry Strategy
9:36
Jonathan Cronstedt - Billion Dollar Bullseye, Kajabi, Wisdom & Personal Brands
1:05:28
What’s in It for Them?
12:19
Paul Hutchinson – The Sound of Freedom from Child Sex Trafficking
1:07:52
Why Jay Leno Has More Meaning Than Money
11:42
Kelly Richmond Pope - Fool Me Once: Learning From Fraudsters and Whistleblowers
1:00:40
The Best Gifts Humans Can Give
3:56
Hasard Lee – The Art of Clear Thinking
1:01:34
Kevin Gibbon - Priceless Insight on 10X Optimism
58:29
10 Cool Things About You
12:08
David Lindsay - Snap, Nap, Tap, Clap, Recap!
55:23
My 12.5 Rules of Life
12:21
Simon Severino - How to Live an Agile Life
53:13
Brett Johnson - How I Unbecame The FBI's Most Wanted Cyber Criminal: Part 2
44:13
10 Ways to Have a Great Conversation: Part 2
9:44
Brett Johnson - How I Unbecame The FBI's Most Wanted Cyber Criminal: Part 1
52:02
10 Ways to Have a Great Conversation: Part 1
11:55
Johnny Crowder - At 25, I Finally Felt Healthy Enough to be a Person
54:43
Dennis Yu - On a Mission to Create 1 Million Jobs
58:25
4 Qualities of a Leader
9:31
Mike Millner - Putting Yourself on a Personality Diet
1:06:46
10 Cool Things About You
12:08
Tom Schwab - How to Profit as a Podcast Guest
1:03:03
10 Ways to Have a Great Conversation: Part 2
9:44
Jason Feifer - I Can't Wait to do This a Second Time
35:26