Meet the Ballers – Mark Seremet & Sarah Hoffmann | Business Ballers

Mark Seremet is a Tech Entrepreneur, CEO and Marketing Leader with a knack for spotting big opportunities and turning them into major successes, including GLD and co-founding Take-Two Interactive Software - the publisher of Grand Theft Auto.

Sarah Hoffmann is a Chief Marketing Officer, “Founder Whisperer,” and entrepreneur who has built and scaled brands at iconic companies like Converse, Nike, Drybar, and GLD, and created her own multi-million dollar consulting firm.

Together, Mark and Sarah want to help you take control of your financial future with the knowledge you need to be a successful entrepreneur. The Business Ballers podcast dives into the highs and lows of starting and scaling your own business and introduces you to the critical concepts they teach in their online business course.

Get the “Start And Grow Your Successful Business” online course now! www.businessballers.com

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Mark Seremet co-founded Take-Two Interactive, the company behind Grand Theft Auto. He’s a tech entrepreneur and former CEO to GLD who knows how to spot a big opportunity, build it, and secure strong exits.

Sarah Hoffmann is a Chief Marketing Officer, CPA and “Founder Whisperer” who’s scaled brands with successful exits at iconic companies like Converse, Nike, Drybar, and GLD, and built her own multi-million dollar consulting firm.

Together, they host the Business Ballers Podcast - real talk on how to start, scale, and win in business. No fluff or BS. Just battle-tested strategies from two people who’ve done it.

🎓 Get the full “Start And Grow Your Successful Business” online course at www.businessballers.com

Transcript

Mark (00:01):

I think people are going to really learn a lot from what we're teaching and be able to accelerate their opportunity very quickly.

Sarah (00:09):

Not only are we teaching all that experience, we do it in a very specific way so that you don't get lost in all the tools and things out there that can also be overwhelming.

Mark (00:30):

Is your financial future or career progression currently in the strong grip of some bozo or are you living paycheck? The paycheck, or maybe you want to get a lot more out of your life? Sarah and I are here to show you how to make millions of dollars and have a lot of fun doing it. I'm Mark Seremet. I co-founded Take two, the publisher of Grant Theft Auto. That company is now worth over $30 billion. Most recently, I helped GLD go from startup stage to over $50 million in sales in just a few years.

Sarah (01:01):

And my name is Sarah Hoffmann. A reformed CPA turned CMO. My career spans 30 years of building brands that people love. I've helped drive and scale successful exits from Converse’s reinvention and sale to Nike to cult beauty stars, Dry Bar, all the way to starting my own million-dollar strategy business. So Mark and I met when we were working at GLD and building that brand. And through all of our battle tested stories, we realized we had all of this shared knowledge, seven decades of it in fact, that we could use to help people start, grow and sustain their businesses. And that's how Business Ballers was born. We're going to teach you everything you need to know to become a successful entrepreneur.

Mark (01:48):

Let's talk a little bit about what it's like to work for other companies. So Sarah, you mentioned that for example, you worked at Nike, you've worked at some rather large corporations, some smaller. How about, let's hear some horror stories. What's the worst story that you've encountered? The worst thing that you've encountered?

Sarah (02:05):

Let's see. Well, I have to say the worst one, it was this company I was working for. We had just completely shifted our whole business model, had to build a new e-commerce site, start up digital marketing from scratch, start shooting TV commercials remotely. Actually had really good success doing it, but the CEO, he literally was just a tyrant, would not be happy with anything. Always had to change it. What was next? And one day you won't even believe this, probably the only day and the whole day I worked there, I left my phone at home. I was in such a rush,

Mark (02:40):

Very unlike you,

Sarah (02:40):

And he was calling me and by the time I got to the office, he had locked me out of the office because I didn't return his calls. Can you believe that?

Mark (02:49):

Frankly, no. Getting locked out of the office like a child or something.

Sarah (02:55):

Yeah,

Mark (02:56):

Time out. We sold a company once and the person that they put in charge of us had never done a transaction before and they made the hundred day plan and it was just literally crazy. They wanted to change everything from HR accounting systems, implement all of this data that they had learned in diligence. So he is like on and on and on and on and constantly texting and calling me. And in fact, I had my elbow operated on and I said, please, nobody text me or call me after the surgery. Sure enough, these stressful text messages, no, it was super aggravating

Sarah (03:37):

Working for other companies. You don't get to pick your boss, you don't get to pick your team. You are working for people who are controlling all the variables. You don't really get to have much say in that financial wise, someone else is dictating what your increases are. They're probably stuck with cola, so there's limited growth there. And then who knows? The company might do terrible too, and then you just get let go one day and totally bounced on the street because an out well employee.

Mark (04:06):

Yeah, a hundred percent. And I think not only that, but I mean you obviously have the limitations of financial advancement and career advancement, which can be flipped by these rather loony people who knows who gets the raise, who gets it promoted. It's crazy. But I also think another factor is that these people can sometimes collide with your own morality. So you're somebody like me, I like to give back to the community. I like to help. I don't want to see this intense corporate greed. So it can also have that impact as well. So not only are you forced to have limitations financially and advancement in career, but you find yourself in an environment that you really don't like and you wish was just a little bit different.

Sarah (04:51):

Yeah, no, I completely agree. You could interview multiple times at a company and you never really know what it's going to be like until you get in there.

Mark (05:01):

Super good point. Yeah, yeah, the makeup, the lipstick's always on the pig at

Sarah (05:05):

First. Exactly,

Mark (05:06):

Exactly.

Sarah (05:08):

So enough about the negatives that shift gears and talk about the benefits of owning your own business. Let's

Mark (05:13):

Do it.

Sarah (05:13):

So I was reading an article recently that had some data that I thought was pretty interesting. Do you know how many millionaires make their money on their own versus inherit it?

Mark (05:24):

I don't. I have no idea.

Sarah (05:27):

So make a guess.

Mark (05:28):

Yeah, 50%.

Sarah (05:30):

So 90% of millionaires did not inherit their money, and that's a lot of those people. 88% did it through their own Business.

Mark (05:40):

This is the number one reason that you want to have your own business because the math is with you. The probability of getting rich is starting your own business.

Sarah (05:51):

So Mark, you've owned and founded a lot of businesses. What are some of the benefits?

Mark (05:57):

I mean, for me it's an extreme freedom of expression. So I think about it. I mean, if you will, it's a blank canvas and I have an opportunity to paint wherever I want. So the product can be, you can envision the product the way you want, the branding of the company, the way you intend to deal with employees and partners and how much you give back to the community. It's all in your control. You can use broad brush strokes, you can get out that fine tip brush and it just gives you so much freedom. I mean, even just, I get so excited even when we did the Business Ballers logo. Yes, things like that. It's so much fun to start it out and then once you get rolling and you get the momentum and you're making a lot of money, I mean it's intoxicating. You have the freedom and you're getting paid handsomely for the energy you put in. 

Sarah (06:50):

The freedom piece of it really resonates with me and my own business. I loved being able to be my own boss, set my own hours for the most part, pick the people I wanted to work with. I have to admit though, it was challenging at first going from a steady paycheck and being used to that, to eating what you kill, for lack of a better term. So I had to learn how to sell, but once I did that, it was great because essentially you can work as hard as little as you want based on how much money you want and how much fun you want to have in your life. What we're talking about also jives with the data too that says 76% of entrepreneurs are happy with their lives for all the things we are talking about.

Mark (07:36):

That number actually doesn't shock me.

Sarah (07:38):

Yeah,

Mark (07:38):

I would expect it to be at least that to be honest.

Sarah (07:42):

Obviously everything isn't rosy owning your own business too. I think it's safe to say in our minds, and this is what the Business Baller course teaches, is that owning your business far outweighs the limitations of working for another company, especially if you do it in a really intelligent way.

Mark (08:01):

If you've take a regimented approach. I 1000% agree with that statement.

Sarah (08:06):

You've founded a lot of businesses. Why is now a good time to start a business versus the past?

Mark (08:13):

Well, so to my mind, there has never ever been a better time to start a business than right now. There's been a complete sea shift from when I started 40 years ago to today. So people have access to literally all of the tools and information they need. They to get up from their computer and they can launch a business from their computer and many, many people are doing it. So for example, during COVID, there were over 4 million new businesses registered in the United States. So a lot of people did it. Of course some of those businesses went down, but many didn't. There are many successful people from that time. And then there's another factor that's super important. So yes, it's a little bit easier or a lot easier to get the information, to get the tools to build the business, but on top of that, everyone is buying online. So your ability to access a customer who's willing to pay online has gone up exponentially. So for example, right now in 2025, it's expected that 285 million people are going to purchase online in the United States. It's literally everybody except for the kids who they can't reach the keyboards.

(09:27):

So everyone's able to buy. And that collision between an ability to easily start test businesses and everyone willing to purchase online from any business now is a humongous opportunity.

Sarah (09:41):

Even though there are a ton of tools like you're talking about. That's why we also created the Business Ballers course. You can get lost in all of that. We will show you how do you look at market potential, how do you bet an idea? How do you build a plan? You need a plan. A plan from A to B that includes a budget, go to market strategies, and then down the road how you actually pitch it. So the course really helps you take this array of tools to make it easier, but help you get through that and figure out how to get the win.

Mark (10:14):

Exactly. Because tools are one thing, but then structuring and having a regimented approach to what you're doing to give yourself the best opportunity to be successful, that's also obviously critical.

Sarah (10:26):

Yeah, I know a lot of what you're talking about to hits home and knowing your story from an early age of how you ultimately became a successful entrepreneur. I think it'd be really interesting to share that with our audience.

Mark (10:41):

Yeah, for sure. I grew up in a lower middle-class family. My dad was an accountant; my mother was a secretary. My father passed away when he was like 48 years old. I was 14. We kind of went from being lower middle class to kind of broke. Initially. I actually wanted to be an eye surgeon from the time I was a little kid, but there was just no path forward for that for me financially. In fact, even the college, I had to go to a really small Catholic college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania called St. Vincent. Frankly, it was the only place we could afford. What happened was I was in school as in business and programming and I realized I just wasn't going to be happy like this. And I was also at the same time observing my dad's friend, his name is Marty Statler, and he had a par three golf course and a driving range, and he was an entrepreneur, and he lived a great life.

(11:41):

He'd worked really, really hard from the spring to the fall and winters, they would disappear. They would come to Florida and play golf or they would travel and it was a really nice lifestyle and I was enamored with that and I wanted to have that kind of freedom and flexibility that I saw. And so that really motivated me to start my first business when I was still actually in college. And then from there I was just wildly fortunate as well to be involved with take two as my next venture when I was only 27 or so years old, which was a booming success. So that's a little bit about my background. I know your story is also, it's very interesting one and one where you come up through the ranks too. So maybe share a little bit with the folks too. 

Sarah (12:30):

I grew up in a really small town, was lucky to have incredible parents, family around me who are very supportive. My dad was a nuclear engineer. My mom was a teacher and creative in the art. So grew up with a left brain, right brain, which I'm grateful for. I always had dreams of making it to New York City. You hear those stories. That was me way back then. I have to admit I didn't have the confidence, and I always took the safe route out of the gate. I became a CPA as I mentioned, because it was easy. I knew I could get a job and that was fine, but I wanted to be a CMO and I wanted to be in marketing. I love beauty, I love fashion, I love wellness. It wasn't until I really started working in companies, which no offense, I was working for all white guys.

(13:22):

I didn't have the courage. I often felt like I was accused of not suffering any fuels. I couldn't make any mistakes, things like that. And it wasn't until I made that leap to New York City, I surrounded myself with really good people and started to get the confidence. And it was little things like suddenly feeling like I could talk in meetings and sit around the table and work really hard and get to the brands that I was really passionate about until ultimately I got to that dream of being a CMO in places that really I was passionate about and products and brands. And that ultimately then allowed me to take my next leap to being my own boss and my own company.

Mark (14:05):

Factually, we both had unbelievable really success, especially from where we came. I think it's fair to say sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself and that having been said, people are going to learn from what we've done, but I think in total fairness, they're also going to learn a lot from the mistakes that we've made.

Sarah (14:26):

Definitely.

Mark (14:27):

So when I think about that, most specifically, my very first business that I started while I was in college, it was a bit of a cluster. So I think every possible mistake that could be made, I made it initial structure wasn't set up properly, had partners that I really didn't ever need, poor financial controls we were making. And a lot of times the decisions that we were taking about what to make was just somebody's favorite thing that they wanted to do in the office. And a lot of times we didn't consider the market aspect of those decisions. So there were just a lot of things, mistakes that I made, which I think people can really learn from.

Sarah (15:12):

Yeah, no, a lot of that more similar to my experience working with founders. I mean, just adding to that, working with people who basically hire their whole family to be their employees and both know how most dynamics are and then try adding that into work from every single position in the company. I also worked with another founder who was an awesome guy, but he just couldn't see his customers and everything had to be for him. So he became the for persona of the brand, everything he created, everything else all the way through people just hiring too fast, expanding too fast, getting way ahead of their skis because they didn't have a plan or they didn't have the right partners to support them through the process.

Mark (16:02):

A hundred percent been there on that one too. 

Sarah (16:06):

So I think it's safe to say our success is not a product of us being geniuses. We've made a lot of mistakes, but we've also done a lot of things well too. Aspects of all of that, like we've talked about, is what creates this wisdom and knowledge from all of our experiences to be able to create the business ballers course and help all of our audiences out there start up a business and make a lot of money.

Mark (16:33):

Yeah, a hundred percent. The thing is that realistically starting a business and becoming successful isn't a trivial matter.

(16:42):

So yes, there's information out there, there are tools out there, they've got to be utilized in the right way. And because we're online and obviously all the time in social media, I see so many ads. It is generally like some young guy standing in front of a Ferrari or whatever telling me if you have $30,000 or I could teach you this or how to get millions. And it's like it's so dubious at best. I mean the two of us, yeah, we can go over to the collection here and buy, both of us buy Ferrari of cash. But the issue is not that. It's not, we're standing in front of a Ferrari. Instead, we're standing in front of seven decades of experience.

Sarah (17:21):

We're going to help you put in the right structure for your business. Go find a lawyer, go find an accountant. Does your idea have market potential? And what is it if you don't even have an idea how to come up with one. And then very specific to around building a plan, we can't stress enough having a plan, put together a budget. What's the thing going to cost you? Can you do it? Do you need to go get investors right away? And then our bread and butter too, which is marketing and running e-commerce that are businesses that are super successful. What are all those efficient ways to go acquire customers? You're not wasting a lot of money. What are those metrics that you need to look at every day to make sure you're doing a good job, managing your e-commerce, all this package in a very tight course so that you can minimize as much as possible, derailing your opportunity.

Mark (18:17):

When you mentioned the e-commerce, that is definitely our best skillset in my opinion. And since almost everyone accesses customers online, it's an absolutely critical skill to have.

Sarah (18:32):

To learn about the business ballers course, go to businessballers.com, drop us your name and email, sign up for the course and let's get started building your financial future in life.

Mark (18:42):

You can do it. Let's get after it.