Episode 51: Best Selling Author to Business Owner with Julien Smith

<p>In today’s episode, Jeff begins a series of shows exploring people who have created businesses based on their skills. In this show, Jeff interviews Julien:</p> <p> </p> <p>Julien and Jeff discuss:</p> <ol><li style="font-weight:400;">He took a non-traditional route; book deal first then business owner</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">He was good at "trying" new things from a young age</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Started one of the first podcast in the world that ended up on Sirius Satellite radio</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Then wrote an Ebook with a co-author at 29 that was a New York times best seller in book form</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The book lead to speaking gigs and book deals; ironically he had never run a business</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">He had a tech idea that he raised money (150 Million) for.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Learning as he was going on how to be a CEO of the tech business</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">After a couple years he started another business that serves coaches</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Today Julien raises venture capital with ideas, builds a team around that idea and then </li> </ol><p>goes out into the market and executes on the plan.</p> <ol><li style="font-weight:400;">Advice for business owners: Pick your battles so you don't burn out</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Helping solo businesses is what he cares about</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Advice: To have a book sell well, you have to own a channel that has your own tribe of people</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Want to be a CEO: Just pitch the idea</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Advice: Business owners need to confront reality; dream vs reality</li> </ol><p> </p> <p>Fast Five Questions:</p> <ol><li style="font-weight:400;">If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? “Set up 10, 15, 20 conversations with people and ask them about what's going on today. It's not about his idea but the