OTSS Podcast

Growing up in the Adirondack Mountains, Lauryn Menard always had a love of the outdoors. Eventually, the big city and her interest in fashion design called her south to New York City. However, she quickly grew tired of the fashion world and wanted to stop chasing trends and focus on solving bigger problems. That realization led Lauryn to switch to a career in industrial design and co-found PROWL Studio, an industrial design and research studio specializing in sustainable products, with clients including Herman Miller and BMW.Eventually, Lauryn would fuse her love of nature with industrial design by becoming a bio-designer and founding GOB. The company aims to replace the 40 billion polyurethane single-use earplugs thrown away every year with ones that are fully biodegradable and made from Mycelium, a natural, farm-grown material derived from mushrooms.On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, Lauryn shares insights from her unique entrepreneurial journey with host Dan Kahn. The in-depth discussion breaks down what it takes to launch a highly innovative business, how she plans to compete in a crowded space and what the musts are for modern brands to thrive. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Create a vision to anchor your brand before building it.* Always hire someone unbiased to check your products before launch.* Hire people to fill the gaps where you lack skill.* Building brand awareness is vital to compete in crowded markets.* Don’t always listen to advice from others.Create an Ethos FirstSome entrepreneurs start by creating products and figuring out how to sell them. Lauryn pulled back even further and wanted GOB to focus on what happens to products at the end of their life cycles. That foundational work helped guide the vision for biodegradable earplugs and pave the way for future GOB products.“A product, no matter if you are talking about a massive dump truck with a million moving parts or you are talking about an earplug, it is nothing but materials at the end of the day. Once something is no longer usable, it’s obsolete, and you don’t need it anymore. All that is left are materials,” said Lauryn. “So, what we came up with was basically to begin with the end, which became an ethos and is how we still work at GOB. It is this ethos and idea that when you start thinking about a product, you have to think about its end of life just as much as its form and function.”Hire a B.S. DetectorOne important step Lauryn took early in the creation of GOB was to hire someone to validate whether its earplugs were effective. This move was a crucial one, as some entrepreneurs can have a strong bias towards their own products or ideas. An outside set of expert and unbiased eyes taking a close look at GOB’s earplugs and validating their effectiveness gave Lauryn the confidence to move forward.“We brought on an audiologist in Berkley, which is near where our office is. He was our b.s. detector to figure out if this is actually working,” said Lauryn. “You can have your own biases when you have an idea, and you think it is working. Then you get to launch, and no one checked you. That is what we wanted to avoid.”Fill Those GapsWe have heard the importance of hiring the right people from OTSS guests before. However, Lauryn takes it a step further and notes that it is crucial to identify your weaknesses as a CEO. Then you can hire people to fill those “gaps” and assist you in the areas where you need the most help. Doing so does take an honest assessment of one’s abilities, though.“I think that what I have uncovered as a creative CEO is that it can be an advantage if you are willing and able to look at the things you are bad at and fill those gaps with people who are incredible at those things,” said Lauryn. “We have a COO who has helped scale consumer product companies before. He was at Quip, the toothbrush company, he was at Fable, the dog care company, and a few others. He fills my gaps perfectly. Obviously, I need to understand the P&L, I need to understand our budget and set those things, but it is more of a collaborative process.”Brand Awareness is KingIf you want to compete in a crowded space, you absolutely have to build brand awareness. For Lauryn, that means embracing a direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales model. That setup allows GOB to reach, interact and market directly to its customers, rather than going through a middleman or wholesalers.“I think if you want to be successful out in the world physically, at retail stores, venues, etc., these days, you have to have brand awareness, and that starts with DTC. We are scaling our DTC sales for that reason,” said Lauryn. “We want to spread, for lack of a better way to say it, like a virus. We want to be everywhere. Our products that we create basically have the added benefit of being relevant and ubiquitous in so many places.”Don’t Always Take AdviceHaving a mentor and the advice of others as an entrepreneur is huge. However, Lauryn notes that you must weigh that guidance and mentorship against your gut instincts. Ultimately, your instincts are usually correct, even if they go against the advice of others, when making tough decisions.“Listening to people’s advice as if it is the way things need to be, I think that tends to be a thing with female entrepreneurs. We tend to take advice to heart maybe more,” said Lauryn. “I’ve taken people’s advice on hiring people that I shouldn’t have hired. I wasn’t listening enough to my gut and the signals that were present. I was taking mentorship maybe a little too far, I would say. I have learned to always double-check myself with myself and sit back before making hard decisions.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Joe Molina built one of the most respected public relations agencies in the automotive world from the ground up. While serving in the U.S. Army and writing for his base’s newspaper, he somehow arranged for a concert with a then-up-and-coming band called Kiss. After the concert with the band that would rapidly become rock legends, Joe quickly realized that he no longer wanted to be a journalist but a publicist.Not one to ever sit around idly, Joe quickly put his plan into motion. One year after leaving the U.S. Army, he founded JMPR and steadily grew its client base. Over its 40-plus years, and through considerable hard work and persistence, the agency secured some of the biggest automotive brands among its client roster, including Rolls-Royce, Ducati, Lamborghini and many more. Eventually, Joe would sell the company before semi-retiring in Indiana.Among the many JMPR employees who got their start in public relations at the agency was “Only The Strong Survive” host Dan Kahn. On this episode of the podcast, Joe and Dan reflect on what it was like working together before becoming fierce competitors. The former president and founder of JMPR also explains what it took to build a successful company from scratch and run it for decades. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire insightful episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” and here are our top five takeaways:* Don’t just do what you love, do what you know.* Trickling down from the top is quicker than starting at the bottom.* You have to know when to let go.* It is okay to not always be number one.* Hire the right people and strive to retain them.Do What You Love (and What You Know)Joe attributes much of his early success to his passion for exotic cars. Combining what he loved and also had an in-depth knowledge of with a fearless attitude opened many doors early on. While there were definitely other agencies, few of them combined the automotive expertise and passion that Joe had.“It all grew from the fact that, as a kid, I just loved cars. I knew all the things about exotic cars, not just regular cars, although I knew that industry too. I knew everything, every fact, every this, that and the other,” said Joe. “I could talk to anyone about anything, and I knew just enough to where they would say he knows his stuff, so he must be connected somehow.”It is Easier to Trickle Down Than UpAnother key to JMPR’s success Joe cites was his relationship with publishing icon Robert E. Petersen. At the height of his empire, Petersen published nearly every major automotive magazine in the United States, along with other popular publications such as Guns & Ammo and Teen, and founded the Petersen Automotive Museum. Doing an excellent job for Petersen led him to recommend JMPR to his many contacts across multiple industries.“For 17 years, we represented the Petersen Automotive Museum. They only ever had two PR agencies; I was one, and you (Kahn Media) were the other. But he introduced me to everybody,” said Joe. “I represented MotorTrend, Hot Rod, Teen magazine, Guns & Ammo, all of his 40-some-odd titles and his events. Then his friends wanted to hire me, and I was dealing with the guys who owned the companies. It was like I started at the top, and it is easier to trickle down than trickle up.”Knowing When to Let GoSelling a business is a highly personal experience for any entrepreneur who has built their company from the ground up. The same was true for Joe, as he wrestled with the decision to finally sell JMPR. However, knowing when to let go of a company is just as critical of an entrepreneurial skill as knowing when to start one.“It’s a very personal thing of when to let go. I happened to be in my mid-60s and had a run for 43 years, 45 if you count some of the army years, and it was just time,” said Joe. “There is a time, if you are successful, or you think you are successful, or they tell you that you are successful, when you have to get off the stage and let other people on to perform. My time was over, everything was changing and I felt like an analog guy in a digital world.”Nobody Stays on Top Forever (and That’s Okay)For such a hard-charging and competitive individual as Joe, his perspective on staying ahead might be surprising to some, but it is shaped by decades of hard-fought experience. He notes that the desire to be number one in your industry is natural, but it ignores the cyclical nature of business. Staying on top also requires a lot of sacrifice that might not be worth it in the long run.“Nobody stays on top forever. There is a rhythm to these things, and if you want to stay up forever, you are going to have to give away your sanity, your family and everything else to keep up with it because you have to be completely obsessed and have very little emotional room for anybody else,” said Joe. “I realized I had my day in the sun, I made it, I was there for several years at the top of the list, and I had made a good living.”Always Hire Smart PeopleOne piece of advice that Joe gives is one that we hear regularly from guests on “Only The Strong Survive.” That tip for success is to always hire smart people and treat them with respect. The right employees can make all the difference between your brand being successful or an afterthought.“Always hire people who are smarter and know more than you and understand things that are changing quicker than you. Hold them with respect, and it is not just about paying them, it is about respecting them. You only got them for a little while,” says Joe. “The other thing we all learned is that everything has its time, and it’s a treadmill, and everyone is with you for a portion of their career. But try to find the bright ones, find the ones that can still work a room when there is a room to be worked, even if that is now a digital room.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

RJ de Vera has had an amazing career arc. Like many Southern California kids, he had childhood dreams of Ferraris and muscle cars. However, his automotive interests shifted to Japanese imports during his teenage years. Soon, RJ was traveling to Japan to check out car shows and find rare parts.His early expertise in the Japanese tuner car scene, before it gained widespread popularity, opened other doors. RJ was tapped to help with the launch of Super Street magazine and would serve as its editor-at-large. From there, he became an advisor for the first “Fast and Furious” movie, even playing the role of street racer Danny Yamato in the premier installment of the radically popular franchise.After his Hollywood debut, RJ helped build the Motegi wheel brand before heading marketing efforts at Meguiar’s. He now serves as the vice president of marketing for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).From selling auto parts out of his mother’s condo to leading marketing efforts at global brands, RJ has learned a lot from his journey. On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, he shares some of that wisdom with host Dan Kahn. Click on the icon above to watch the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* The platforms change, but people will always love modifying cars.* Working at a multinational company helps develop a bigger perspective.* The right timing involves envisioning your future self.* Adaptation is a constant need.* Ikigai is worth exploring for anyone seeking career direction and fulfillment.Modifying Cars Will Always Have a Universal AppealWhen the import craze first took off, many hot rodders and muscle car builders frowned upon it. However, for RJ, what he was doing wasn’t that different from what those hot rodders had done as kids. Yes, the platforms were different, but the love of modifying cars was the same. It is a cycle that RJ sees continuing even today.“The very first article I was blessed to be featured in was one by Mark Vaughn for Autoweek,” said RJ. “It was called ‘Passing the Flames,” and in it, he said that there is this group of young, rebellious kids modifying and messing around with their cars, much like everybody who came back from the war had done with their muscle cars. They were just doing it on a different platform and recreating the idea of ‘hot rodding’ but with a different platform. We didn’t know it, but it was just fun for us. There is something about customizing your car that appeals to a great group of people that continues to happen over and over.”A Global Perspective HelpsThe jump to work for Meguiar’s was a big one for RJ. Owned by 3M, the car care company was part of a large multinational corporation. While that can be a negative for some, it was positive for RJ, as it helped him develop a global perspective and the ability to look at the big picture.“It really cut my teeth on what it means to work for a global Fortune 100 multi-national company. I think it really helped me get to my role now by having this perspective that is way more global and way bigger,” said RJ. “I can think at a different level, and I would have never really had that before, because I had consulted for bigger companies, but I was never in the trenches.”Timing is EverythingThe right timing has played a critical role in RJ’s career. From being in on the launches of Super Street magazine and “Fast and Furious” to joining Meguiar’s and SEMA, RJ’s timing has been spot on. However, it hasn’t been random strokes of luck. Instead, making the right moves involves constantly envisioning what you want the future to be.“Being at Meguiar’s, I felt it was like time for a change. All roads in any big corporate company lead to its headquarters, and I just didn’t see myself in Minnesota, which is where 3M’s headquarters is,” said RJ. “I really wanted to stay in automotive, and a lot of the bigger roles were beyond Meguiar’s at the end of the day.”You Have to AdaptSEMA is the largest and most influential association for the automotive aftermarket, an industry undergoing significant changes. To keep its members ahead of these changes, SEMA has had to adapt and evolve as well. For RJ, changing as an association is just as important as evolving as a business. If neither adapts, they will all get left behind.“Change happens so much quicker than it did 30 years ago. I think that is something we (SEMA) are embracing more and more because we have to,” said RJ. “We have to change quicker, we have to evolve quicker. Sometimes we have to push some of our industry because there are people who don’t want to change. But for us to prolong this industry and continue to help our members and the businesses in it find success, we have to be that catalyst.”Get Your Ikigai OnIkigai is a compound of the two Japanese words “iki” and “kai,” which roughly translates to “a reason for living.” However, the concept of Ikigai builds on this translation by finding fulfillment through aligning one’s passion with their skills. For anyone looking to start their career, RJ notes that Ikigai is well worth exploring.“Everyone says to find your passion, but I think there is more to it than that. There is this philosophy called Ikigai. It comes out of Japan, and it is this idea that you merge your passion and your skill,” said RJ. “So, what do you love, what are you passionate about, what are you good at, what does the world need and what can you get paid for? My advice to people would be to find the center point of all of those things. If you love car culture, develop the right skill set in something that can help you make a living, which is hopefully something that this culture and world needs. I think that is where you find success.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

On this special episode of the “Only the Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn is joined by three experts in artificial intelligence. Seema Alexander is the CEO of Disruptive AI. Believing that the rise of AI is more impactful than the advent of the internet, she guides CEOs on how to integrate AI into their companies successfully. Daniel Manary is the co-founder of Manary.haus, a high-touch AI consultancy that collaborates with executives and product teams to design and deliver AI solutions that address real-world needs. Alex Maier is a 15-year seasoned marketing and product leader who has worked at industry-leading brands like Nike, onX Maps and now OnWater. He brings a marketer’s perspective on how to effectively utilize AI to enhance efficiency in daily workflows.The panel’s original discussion took place during Kahn Media’s Growth Garage, a webinar series designed to help marketers and brand leaders acquire new skills and stay ahead of emerging trends. The in-depth interview is a fascinating one, exploring the real-world impacts of AI on brands and how companies can effectively utilize it. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire episode of “Only The Strong Survive” to learn more about this critical subject, and here are our top five takeaways:* You need to educate yourself about AI before integrating it.* AI is progressing at an extremely rapid pace.* The more context you give AI, the better the result.* Humans still matter when it comes to authentic content.* Approach AI outputs with a healthy skepticism.Education is the Biggest ChallengeThere is considerable hype surrounding AI, with significant interest among brands. However, before any brand dives into AI, it needs to learn what it can and can’t do. Its capabilities are constantly evolving, and understanding them is crucial before integrating AI into workflows.“The key is education, education and education. People don’t know what they don’t know. They don’t know the power of this technology,” said Seema. “Education to me is number one, and just getting people to understand in layman’s terms what this technology can actually do. Then it will start to unlock on the automation side, where data plays a role for precision, personalization and innovation.”AI’s Progression is Measured in Days (Not Years)Many of us are used to relatively slow product refresh cycles. A new generation of a car model might be introduced every 4 or 5 years. Updated phones and computers typically appear annually. However, all of those are sluggish compared to AI, as its progression can be measured in days. For brands looking to utilize AI, it is essential to keep pace with its rapid advancements.“We as humans are so used to that if I get into a Toyota Rav4, three years later it is the same thing. You don’t expect progression to happen this quickly,” said Alex. “I think this is the first time in humanity when we have seen progression happen at such an accelerated pace that it is better than it was two weeks ago. That is something where people need a bit of a paradigm shift to think about these systems.”AI is Not GoogleOne mistake that brands and people can make is to view AI as a conventional search engine, where you input a question and receive an answer. While it can operate like that, the more context you give AI, the better the results. Feeding an AI that context might take time, but its output is always better.“We are so used to Googling something where you ask a question. The first time you see someone use ChatGPT or Grok or Gemini, they ask a question,” says Alex. “But what we are not used to doing is saying that this thing (AI) needs a tremendous amount of context. Without providing the context and educating this thing like it’s a five-year-old, which it is with aspirations to be a rocket scientist, you are not going to get great output.”Humans Still MatterThere is the perception that AI is good at everything, but that isn’t the case. Yes, it is highly adept at specific tasks, but AI does a poor job of emulating the passion, excitement and interest of a human being. If you want to produce authentic and engaging content for your brand, it is a task best left to an actual human.“I know multiple people that I have followed for 10 years who have outsourced their writing and thinking to AI. It is not full of em dashes, but it is that I have heard that thought before. The reason for that is because the whole field of artificial intelligence is based on the premise that the past predicts the future,” says Daniel. “When something is new and exciting, it naturally means it wasn’t predicted by the past. So if you want to keep the excitement of something you really find interesting, you still need to keep your hands on it.”Be Consistently Skeptical of AITime and time again, multiple companies have gotten into trouble using AI. Typically, this occurs when a brand blindly trusts the output of AI and uses it without verification. Instead, it is always important to be skeptical of what an AI is producing or telling you.“We hire some pretty awesome individuals, and we tell them, ‘Don’t let AI think for you’ when it comes to critical thinking. Pause for a moment when you have an output on something, or it’s giving you an answer or a response,” said Alex. “Be consistently skeptical of everything it does, no matter how nice it talks to you. Make sure you are real-world testing these things. Don’t just provide the outputs blindly like we all see on LinkedIn.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Maurice Merrick from the “Horsepower Heritage” Podcast on “Only The Strong Survive”Maurice Merrick has turned his passion for all things automotive into the popular “Horsepower Heritage” podcast. Many automotive podcasts focus on car reviews or the latest unveils. However, Maurice takes a different approach, diving into the people and stories behind the machines. The result is a fascinating and in-depth look at modern car culture, its history and the many people behind it.Maurice is the perfect guest for this special episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast made during Monterey Car Week. The week-long celebration of everything automotive has become one of the most prestigious automotive events worldwide, regularly drawing over 100,000 attendees to the beautiful Northern California peninsula. Maurice shares with host Dan Kahn his thoughts about Monterey Car Week, the current state of car culture in the U.S. and what it takes to be a successful podcaster.Click on the icon above to watch the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Monterey Car Week will continue to be popular.* The notion that young people aren’t into cars is false.* Automotive media and content are rapidly changing.* Podcasters should focus on their passions and quality.* The only way forward is through.Why Is Monterey Car Week so Popular?Monterey Car Week has become the premier destination for any automotive enthusiast. What once started as a one-day side show to the defunct Pebble Beach Road Races has now become multiple keystone events spread over a week that appeal to a broad audience. So why do people come from all over the world to attend Car Week? For Maurice, the answer is an easy one.“It might as well be a Beanie Babies convention because people love what they love. They congregate and they want to talk to others and compare notes and learn more about whatever their special interest is,” says Maurice. “I think most people come to Car Week because this is the highest concentration of amazing cars in the world at one time.”The Kids Are All RightMuch has been made about young people not being into cars. Supposedly, they would rather be browsing social media, hanging out with friends or online. Walk around anywhere during Monterey Car Week, and it is easy to see that notion isn’t true. Throngs of teenagers excitedly gather around exotics and hypercars to get a closer look at them. It is something that Maurice readily noticed and says bodes well for the future of car culture.“We hear a lot about young people not being interested in cars, and I don’t think it is true,” said Maurice. “I think the car hobby is alive and well with young people. They don’t necessarily go to Pebble Beach or The Quail. These are expensive events, but they are all having their own little gatherings all over the peninsula.”Automotive Media Has Completely ChangedFabled magazines like Road & Track and Car and Driver used to be the mainstays for automotive information. Then the internet happened, and everyone shifted to being online. Now, the websites that once usurped those magazines as the primary sources of automotive information have become “legacy media.” So, where do people go now for content? Maurice explains the shift in automotive media.“I think YouTube is now the place where people watch the most automotive content because it can be long form,” said Maurice. “Instagram also has a very healthy car culture tributary or galaxy in the universe of Instagram. So, I think those are the two main places people go to consume car content. In terms of podcasts, there are now so many car podcasts.”What Aspiring Podcasters Need to KnowApproximately 90% of podcasters never make it past their third episode. Of those that do, another 90% don’t survive past their 20th episode. Maurice has now made over 170 episodes of the “Horsepower Heritage” podcast, which is in its fifth year. What is his best advice for people who want to become podcasters? He has some essential tips.“I would say focus on quality and don’t try to chase a trend. If you are truly interested in a subject, make sure that passion is conveyed. It is infectious, and it will find an audience because, undoubtedly, there are others just like you who feel that same way about that subject,” said Maurice. “Invest in good equipment and invest in good audio quality. I hear so many podcasts where the audio quality just isn’t there. Most listeners will tune out in the first 30 seconds if the audio quality isn’t there.”Keep Pushing ForwardWith so many episodes under his belt, Maurice has been podcasting for a long time. That length of consistently turning out episode after episode could lead to burnout for anyone. However, for Maurice, the answer and the key to his success and longevity has always been to keep pushing forward.“You just have to sustain, you just have to keep pushing forward,” said Maurice. “Whenever I hit an obstacle or I feel like things aren’t going like they should, because for some reason there should be this expectation that the universe brings things to me, whenever I start feeling sorry for myself in a way, I say that the answer is always to work harder. It always seems to be the answer, and things work out.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Krishan Udvadia on “Only The Strong Survive”Krishan Udvadia is Kahn Media’s head of digital marketing with a unique background. Originally an electrical engineer, Krishan spent the early part of his career working in the defense and aerospace industries. Eventually, becoming bored with the mundaneness of testing electrical systems, he developed an interest in digital marketing along with a passion for Mitsubishi Evos. Like he did with all aspects of his Evo, Krishan rapidly learned the intricacies of digital marketing.Krishan brings a unique perspective and strategy to digital marketing that incorporates his engineering background. On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, he shares vital tips and what he has learned about making digital marketing campaigns perform with host Dan Kahn. It is a worthwhile discussion for anyone looking to tap into the power of digital marketing. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire podcast, and here are our top five takeaways:* The right creative plays a huge role in digital marketing.* AI is changing digital marketing.* Telling your brand’s story is a great way to stand out.* Digital marketers who know and are part of your industry are always more effective.* Bigger brands can often lose sight of who their customers are.Creative is KingThere are many aspects to a successful digital marketing campaign. However, some digital marketing agencies overlook creative and focus on targeting and picking the right platform. That is a huge mistake for Krishan as the right creative connects with customers and gets noticed in a sea of advertising.“Creative takes up the most amount of real estate on your screen. The text is only so big with a tiny headline, and the creative takes up the rest. I think creative is king because you are able to explain what you are selling through it,” said Krishan. “The reason creative is so important is that it is how you make your first impression of your brand, product or service. Creative needs to be number one and take the most amount of attention and effort.”Enthusiasts Make Better Digital Marketing CampaignsOne misconception about digital marketing is that it solely relies on proper targeting or choosing the right platforms to succeed. However, that is not entirely accurate, as digital marketing still has a psychological aspect. And the best people to understand your customers’ minds are digital marketers who are enthusiasts and also your customers.“It is a psychological thing. It might sound weird, but you really want to be in their brain, understanding how they think, what they are looking at and if there are certain callouts that certain people think are good versus bad,” said Krishan. “So having that knowledge already there is a huge head start or a jump start.”AI is Making an ImpactArtificial intelligence impacts every facet of marketing, and the digital realm is no exception. How it changes digital marketing is yet to be seen, as it is still evolving. However, there is no doubt that there will be changes that digital marketers will need to embrace and fully understand to keep crafting campaigns that deliver results.“AI, in general, is a huge unknown right now. I think everyone is trying to figure it out. It is a big unknown that is coming, and everyone is quickly trying to get in the know,” said Krishan. “Just understanding it now because it is going to be ever-evolving, and no one is going to fully understand it. It is just like the Instagram algorithm, where it will change every week.”Always Tell Your StoryStanding out in a digital marketing environment filled with nonstop product ads can be difficult. However, not every ad needs to be a promotion, discount code or new product launch. For Krishan, one of the best ways for brands to stand out and connect with their customers is to tell the story behind their brands.“I think explaining the company or the story behind the business is something that is newly coming out, and people are more excited about learning that,” said Krishan. “At the end of the day, everyone can see a metal bumper 1,000 times, but it’s the way a company explains their story or how they created themselves or wanted to create a product. I think that is the biggest key to putting yourself out there. It comes back to being more relatable to the consumer.”Big Brands Can Lose Sight of Their CustomersScaling up is great, and growth is an obvious goal of most companies. However, one of the biggest dangers is that as brands get larger, they can often lose sight of who their customers are. If you don’t understand who your customers are, it is almost impossible to market to them effectively.“I feel like some companies that become really big used to know who their audience was. However, as they have scaled up, and good for them that they have made money and been able to grow, I feel like they have lost touch with their core audience,” said Krishan. “That is where the marketing disconnect starts to happen. These big companies can forget how to pivot like a small company can.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Lance Gillies might be a familiar name to “Only The Strong Survive” regulars. In April of 2024, he joined host Dan Kahn to discuss EarthCruiser. Founded in 2008, EarthCruiser specialized in making long-range overland vehicles built on Mitsubishi and Isuzu truck chassis. Born from Lance’s love of off-road travel and exploration, the unique vehicles could be off-grid for months and fit in a shipping container, making them easy to ship worldwide. Unfortunately, shortly after his first appearance on the podcast, Lance was forced to close the doors of EarthCruiser.Now, EarthCruiser is back with a new focus and business model. In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Lance shares what he learned from having to cease operations of the business he founded and how he brought it back. The tough and transparent conversation about what happens when things don’t go according to plan and how to turn that around is a fascinating one for any entrepreneur. Click on the icon above to watch the entire podcast, and here are our top five takeaways:* Your supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link.* For manufacturers, location is absolutely critical when it comes time to scale.* A business failure takes an emotional toll on any entrepreneur.* Pivoting and seeing opportunities in challenges is a vital skill.* Never face your problems by yourself.Your Supply Chain Absolutely MattersBuilding vehicles for long-distance global overlanding is a very niche business. That also meant that EarthCruiser’s suppliers were very specialized. Once those smaller suppliers started to go out of business, it significantly impacted EarthCruiser’s ability to keep producing vehicles.“What started to happen around us was our small suppliers, that we had helped and they had helped us build our supply chain, were starting to close their businesses or dramatically reduce their ability to supply us,” said Lance. “So we had two colliding things happening where the RV market was doing its weird thing, but more than that, our ability to become more efficient was getting harder and harder because we had less choices of how we could produce things.”Your Location Matters TooLance is a big believer in small-town businesses and loves EarthCruiser’s base in Bend, Oregon. However, for a manufacturer, picking the right location is absolutely vital. While Bend is beautiful, its more remote location made it very difficult for EarthCruiser to access a large enough skilled workforce to scale its manufacturing.“Coming back to our original challenge, is that if we wanted to stay in Bend, could we have a sustainable business model in Bend doing what EarthCruiser did? The answer was no,” said Lance. “Maybe someone else could, but it was clearly beyond my level of capability. Could we have a sustainable model of production for EarthCruiser somewhere else? Yes, for sure.”Failure is Absolutely GuttingMost entrepreneurs put their hearts and souls into making their businesses succeed, and Lance was no exception. EarthCruiser was his lifelong passion, so he lived and breathed it. Having to close its doors was the hardest thing Lance had ever done, and it took an emotional toll.“As a business owner and as someone who started it, and you would feel this way too, it is not what you are but who you are. I don’t know how to explain it any better than that,” said Lance. “It does you damage when it fails because if you are truly passionate about it and this is really what you want to do, you are going to put everything you have plus more into it. When you are no longer that, it is really hard.”Seeing Opportunity in ChallengesOne of the most important traits of an entrepreneur is the ability to see opportunity in challenges and pivot accordingly. While Lance ran into problems scaling EarthCruiser, it was an engineering company at heart. His solution was to keep designing and creating the innovative products EarthCruiser is known for and then use other manufacturers to build them. A new version of EarthCruiser with a completely different business model was born from the old one.“We have partnered with some large fiberglass manufacturers who all they want is scale. They normally do a lot of stuff for automotive,” said Lance. “So they will produce the EarthCruiser shells for us, and we are partnering with small companies all over the U.S., actually, that will build them out for customers. We will change what we do from being a direct-to-consumer business model to being a business-to-business model, but we can bring to the party the heritage of EarthCruiser.”Talk to SomeoneAccording to Lance, one of the biggest mistakes he made when things were going south was not talking to anyone. Discussing the difficulties facing your business with others can bring in different outlooks and opinions. Just as importantly, even if other people don’t have answers, sharing your struggles makes you feel less alone in hard times.“Whether it is your partner, your gym buddies or whoever it is, talk to them. A terrible mistake that I made was not talking to anybody because I was dreadfully embarrassed,” said Lance. “That was a terrible mistake. It is easy to say it and harder to do it, but just find someone to talk to.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

On this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” host Dan Kahn and AI expert Stephanie Nivinskus discuss AI and its impact on businesses. Stephanie has spent the majority of her career as a marketer, leading campaigns for well-known brands like Quicksilver, the NFL and Starbucks. A best-selling author, she founded her own agency in 2009, helping brands with all aspects of marketing.The rise of ChatGPT just under three years ago completely changed Stephanie’s focus. She pivoted to embrace AI as a tool to make her agency faster and more efficient. Today, Stephanie does the same for other brands, working as an AI consultant to help companies integrate AI-powered marketing tools. On this special episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” she shares her experience of effectively integrating AI into brands and what to be aware of. Click on the icon above to watch the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Look for internal issues with your workflows before searching for an AI program.* Follow AI experts on social media to understand what actually works.* Humans still play a vital role with AI.* Be protective of your sensitive data with AI.* Always be transparent about how you integrate AI into your brand.Start With Your BottlenecksMany brands struggle to integrate AI effectively into their workflows. Others “jump on the bandwagon” to say they are using AI but aren’t really solving any internal problems. It might sound simplistic, but one of the best ways to use AI is to first determine where it can be the most helpful.“I think the best place to start is actually by identifying where your bottlenecks are. Just sitting down with your team and figuring out what the bottlenecks in our company are that are slowing us down the most, that are costing us the most money and that are taking too much manpower, but we really need them,” said Stephanie. “They are not dispensable and we really need them, but it is just too intensive. Once you identify some of those things, then it is looking at what AIs are out there that can help.”Shift Through the NoiseA wealth of AI-powered programs claim to supercharge your brand’s productivity and effectiveness. While some are helpful, others are not and just want to drain your bank account. Shifting through the “noise” of what AI programs are worth the investment for a brand can be confusing. However, social media can be a major help in determining which AIs provide value.“I am in a community with trusted experts, and we are talking about what is working and masterminding it on a daily basis. But for people who aren’t in something like that, I would say find people who are and follow them. I am on TikTok and share a lot on TikTok for free. I give away a lot of tips and tools that can really help someone, and it doesn’t cost anything,” said Stephanie. “There are a lot of leading names out there. I like to follow Matt Wolfe, and he actually has a database of AI tools that you can search and find a tool that might be a good fit for you.”You Still Need HumansBrands get into major trouble when they think AI can completely replace a human workforce. AI is far from perfect and still needs human oversight over anything it produces or tasks it completes. Completely trusting AI and not checking its “work” is a recipe for disaster.“It is so absolutely critical to have human supervision over all AI outputs. If I can warn your listeners of one thing, it is this. If you are copying and pasting what you are getting from any of these AI tools and you are not reading it, you are taking a huge risk,” says Stephanie. “I strongly urge you to stop doing it that way. It needs human oversight.”IP is a Major Issue with AIOne often overlooked issue with AI is intellectual property. Once you put information into an AI platform, it is an extremely grey area who now owns that data. Stephanie has some stern words of advice for anyone using AI with a brand’s IP.“With IP, anything that you give to AI is up for grabs. I don’t care if it promises you privacy. I don’t believe it, and I wouldn’t believe it for a second,” said Stephanie. “Use the tools. They are amazing, and I use AI all day, every day. However, I do not put sensitive information into it.”Be TransparentStephanie notes transparency is essential for brands using AI, especially those using it to enhance products or services. She discloses to all her clients that she uses AI to assist her agency and its employees. Most don’t mind as long as they know that fact up front and don’t feel deceived.“I absolutely disclose everything. I think transparency is critical at this stage with all of this because if you don’t have your client’s trust, you’re not going to have a client for very long, right? Absolutely, I disclose that I am using AI in all kinds of different ways,” said Stephanie. “I want to make sure that they understand I am using this technology and there are some inherent risks to it. My ideal client is okay with those risks, but not everyone is.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, Coast Products CEO David Brands joins host Dan Kahn to discuss being a third-generation family business owner. The innovative maker of flashlights, headlamps, work lamps, knives and other products, Coast Products was originally founded in 1919 as Coast Cutlery Company by David’s grandfather. Its first product was a specialized salmon filleting knife that the elder Brands sold to canneries and fishermen across the Northwest.Now, David is the third generation of the Brands family to run the privately held company. He has helped lead its transformation from a one-man operation selling knives out of the back of a car to a globally recognized brand. In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” David talks about the unique challenges faced in running a family business and what he learned from expanding Coast Products since leading the brand. Click on the icon above to watch the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Privately held family businesses have the advantage of long-term thinking.* Innovation should be central to any brand.* Long-term partnerships are just as important as long-term thinking.* Running a family business without a clear leader doesn’t work.* Failure is a natural part of entrepreneurship.Think Long TermAccording to David, one of the most significant advantages privately held family businesses have is their ability to think long term. There are no shareholders or investors demanding a rapid return on their investment. When the family business has been handed down through generations, the thinking naturally shifts to what is best for the brand in the long term. While there is less access to capital, there is also less focus on making a quick buck.“We have always run our company to be the leader in innovation, to have great relationships with our customers and obviously make money. The amount of money we make isn’t as important as doing things right,” said David. “That is a great luxury you have as a privately owned company that frankly, in this day and age, doesn’t exist in public companies or even in a lot of partnerships.”Never Stop InnovatingCoast Products was founded on innovation. In 1909, it introduced a salmon fillet knife with a spoon on the other end, combining two products into one. David notes that innovation should be central to any brand, as it allows you to expand product offerings and stay ahead of your competitors. That desire to innovate was critical for Coast Products during the advent of LED technology.“We sold the first LED flashlight ever in the United States. It had a ‘whopping’ 18 lumens of light and sold for $39.99,” said David. “Today, we make an LED flashlight that has 5,000 lumens of light, you can focus it, it has a digital readout on a screen to tell you how much battery life you have left, it’s rechargeable and sells for $39.99. So you can see how much the LED revolution really has taken hold. We were one of the first ones in it and have never stopped innovating and leading the way in this type of technology.”Build Long-Term PartnershipsDavid applies that same long-term thinking to all aspects of his business. Instead of constantly shifting suppliers to save a bit of money, he has forged lasting alliances with them. These solid partnerships have helped David and Coast survive multiple economic downturns with partners committed to Coast’s success.“We think it is a real advantage. Because we have such loyal and supportive partners and because we have good partnerships, for instance, that is why we have been able to survive the current business climate, when other companies have really had problems,” said David. “It has been challenging for everybody, but thank goodness we have such a tight-knit, close family atmosphere among all of our partners that we have been able to, knock on wood, manage it okay.”Running a Business by Committee Doesn’t WorkTypically, multiple members of the same family can be involved in running a business. This setup can make for some “interesting” dynamics where everyone wants to have input. It can also blur the line between siblings and bosses, creating even more friction. According to David, having one person ultimately in charge is the only way to avoid this chaos.“I know a company here in Portland that has something like 28 family members working in the company. That would be really hard. I think I would almost rather be a publicly owned company than that,” says David. “I think it is clear that it really helps to have at least one person clearly in charge. For better or worse, you've got to pick one person and say, ‘Okay, you make the final decision.’”If You’re Not Making Mistakes, You’re Not TryingEntrepreneurship comes with a certain amount of risk. Introducing new products, trying different strategies or expanding into unfamiliar markets can all backfire. However, David notes that uncertainty is all part of running a business. If you haven’t failed at something, it is probably because you are playing it too safe.“I once knew a guy who worked for my father who told me, ‘David, if you don’t make mistakes, you are not trying hard enough.’ I always took that to heart. Maybe I just did it to rationalize my mistakes at the time, but I really think that is correct,” said David. “If you never try something and it doesn’t work, then you are not trying enough new things. You are not thinking outside the box enough.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Mark Schaefer’s first experiences with marketing and sales were selling flower seeds, Christmas cards and whatever else he could when he was 10 years old. Growing up in a blue-collar family in a small town, it was the only way he could make money for new clothes. From those humble beginnings, Schaefer worked in global sales, PR and marketing positions after studying journalism in college.Eventually, he set out on his own to start Schaefer Marketing Solutions, with clients ranging from small startups to global brands like Adidas, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. Schaefer also created the well-read marketing blog {grow}, which led him to author 11 best-selling books, including “Audacious,” “KNOWN” and “The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever.” He is also the co-host and founder of the popular “The Marketing Companion” podcast.On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn leads an in-depth discussion with Schaefer about entrepreneurship and marketing. Schaefer’s deep insight and knowledge into both subjects make this episode well worth your time. Click on the icon above to give it a watch, and here are our top five takeaways from the interview:* Being bland might be safe, but it doesn’t pay off in marketing.* To form a connection with your customers, you have to know them.* Building a community is just as crucial as building products.* Your personal brand matters.* Asking for help can be the difference between success and failure.You Can’t Be BoringBoring is always a safe bet for marketing. Your legal department will love it, and boredom never causes social media teams any heartburn. However, another guarantee of boredom is that it will never make your brand stand out in a sea of bland marketing. If you want to make waves, you sometimes need to toss a rather large rock into the pond.“One of the things that I talk about in my new book is this scaffolding, this infrastructure we have in our industry that keeps boring in place. It keeps competent in place instead of audacious and instead of creative,” said Schaefer. “It is easy to be average because that is what gets approved by the legal department. It is easy to be average because boring has been institutionalized in most industries.”Marketing is About Knowing Your AudienceMost people think marketing revolves around creating the right ad. While the right creative is essential, knowing your audience is equally important. To connect with someone, you must know their values, beliefs and needs. Discovering those often takes lots of research and knowledge.“Marketing is not about the creative, it's about the research. An audacious campaign that set the marketing world on fire was the Nike campaign with the quarterback Colin Kaepernick. They lost $4 billion of market value in 24 hours or something like that. People were burning Nike products in the streets, but they increased their market capitalization in 10 days. The difference was that Nike had the data, they had the numbers,” said Schaefer. “They knew that demographic, and they knew to be welcomed on that island, they needed to earn trust.”Build a CommunityBrands can be hyper-fixated on the next great product or idea. However, building community is just as crucial for a company as its products. Developing a community creates a connection with your customers that keeps them constantly returning to your brand instead of your competition.“As human beings, we don’t just want community; we need community because it helps form our identities. No matter what happens in this world, if a brand can create a community, it is the ultimate emotional connection,” said Schaefer. “People don’t just love your soft drink or your cosmetics; they love each other in a community, and they will literally belong to a brand.”Build Your Brand, TooBuilding a personal brand is important whether you are a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or just starting in the business world. However, many people don’t know how to go about it. For Schaefer, one of the best ways to build your brand is to identify the problems you are the best at solving.“You have to be clear about where you fit in the world. What is the problem that is keeping people up at night with your customers or with your company? What is special about you that can help people solve that problem in a unique way? It takes some work to really think about that,” said Schaefer. “But you will be rewarded if you spend some time thinking about that, because once you can finish the sentence ‘Only I…', your entire personal branding and marketing plan unveils itself.”Ask For HelpAll entrepreneurs need to be highly confident in themselves. However, that self-assuredness shouldn’t be misplaced, and it doesn’t mean you know everything. Schaefer learned the hard way that asking for help is okay and can be the difference between success and failure.“I had a pretty big business failure. It was a software I developed with some other people. We put together this big team, and I invested a lot of my own resources and money into it. It worked, but the reason it failed was because I was a terrible salesperson,” said Schaefer. “The B2B sales process just wore me down, and I thought that there were 25 other things I would rather be doing than this. The mistake I made was that I knew I was out of my area of expertise, and I didn’t bring in the right people to help.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Jason Swenk’s story is remarkable. After he built a website for fun, friends began to ask him to build theirs. He then started to make a living constructing websites for businesses. That small venture eventually became a highly successful digital agency with over 100 employees and major clients like Lotus Cars, AT&T, Hitachi and more.That climb from the bottom to the top is fascinating enough, but it isn’t the end of Swenk’s saga. Eventually, he grew tired of the agency of life and sold his successful business. However, he quickly got bored with retirement and began to help friends with their agencies. He then spun that into another company, advising agencies on how to grow and scale faster. Swenk also hosts the “Smart Agency Masterclass Podcast,” a highly popular podcast focused on marketing agencies.In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Swenk sits down with host Dan Kahn to discuss what he learned building both of his businesses from the ground up. The in-depth discussions and lessons don’t just apply to agencies, but are valuable to any entrepreneur leading their own brand. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Hire the right people.* Be a specialist instead of a generalist.* Failing to adapt or change your brand can be its downfall.* Ensure your core values match with anyone you do business with.* Focus on what you do best and delete the rest.Hire People Who Can Manage ThemselvesSwenk initially hit a wall with his agency because he really didn’t like being a project manager. Plus, with so many projects that had to run through him, he eventually became a bottleneck. His solution was to hire people who can manage themselves and, just as importantly, let them do exactly that.“I am the worst manager in the world. I can’t manage anyone. My brain thinks very differently, and your brain probably thinks very differently than people you have to manage,” said Swenk. “So, what I started to realize was, and I could see this in the team, was that I need to hire the people who can manage themselves. And I need to hire people who are better managers than me to manage the people that do need to be managed at the lower level.”Be a SpecialistMany think offering a wide range of products or services is the best way to make their business work. However, for Swenk, the opposite is true. Specializing in something is a better path to success as it allows for a better focus on your mission, customers and competition.“On the podcast, I am always interviewing specialists. We are always talking about how you have to be a specialist so you can really drill down on the problem, you can really refine your offer, and you can get more streamlined and more profitable. You are really eliminating your competition (by being a specialist), and that is one of the key parts,” said Swenk. “That is why you see in Agency Mastery, 90% of them are all specialized agencies.”Adapt or DieIt is definitely a weird time for any business or agency, with the rise of AI causing multiple concerns about the future. However, brands have experienced many transitory periods in the past. The key is to adapt and be open to new realities and technologies, as refusing to change can be a death sentence for your brand.“When I started the agency, websites and the internet were the big new things. I remember there was a big distinction between a traditional agency, like they weren’t even called traditional agencies, they were just called marketing agencies. They were doing traditional things, like outdoor, TV and print, and that is all they were doing,” said Swenk. “The ones that really kind of died on the vine were the ones that didn’t want to change.”Align Your Core ValuesKnowing your brand's core values is extremely important. However, according to Swenk, aligning your core values with the values of your vendors, suppliers, partners, customers or anyone else you do business with is just as important. Skipping that step can result in conflict, misunderstandings and misalignments that can harm your brand.“I realize that anyone that I want to work with as a client, and I think everyone should do this as well with a client, member or however your business is set up, is to ask what are their core values? My core values are being resourceful, having fun, sharing what works and what doesn’t, and that is the core values we look for when we bring on clients,” said Swenk. “When we talk to people, we first ask, ‘Can we help this person?’ and then, ‘Do we want to help them?’ We then ask about their core values.”Focus on What You’re Great AtBrands can often get bogged down with too many irons in the fire. Whether it is trying to branch out into new markets or find different revenue streams, it can all detract from doing what the business is actually good at. For Swenk, the key to being successful is focusing on what you are best at.“Too many businesses are trying to do too many things and doing things that they are not really good at. Think about when Steve Jobs came back to Apple. What did he do? He eliminated all the crap and focused on the things they are great at,” said Swenk. “I will only release and do things that I know we can do great. If I say it is just good enough, no, it is crap. Really, it is figuring out what you can become the world’s best at.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Jim and Mike Ring are an amazing success story from the heart of America. The youngest of seven kids, the brothers grew up in the small town of Plain, Wisconsin, with a population of just over 600 people. From an early age, the duo was highly interested in cars, tinkering with anything with an engine way before either could legally drive. After graduating from high school and working in construction, Jim bought an old car dealership in Spring Green, Wisconsin, to turn into a paint and body shop. Mike would join Jim at the business after a stint in the U.S. Navy.That small-town collision repair shop eventually morphed into Ringbrothers, a leader in the construction of high-end and extremely bespoke custom cars. Its legendary creations, like Enyo, Tusk, Strode and others, are rolling award-winning showcases of the incredible talent of Mike, Jim and the Ringbrothers team. The thousands of hours of craftsmanship, innovation, and meticulous build quality of each Ringbrothers' creation have transformed a small-town shop into a globally recognized brand and leader in the custom car space.Bootstrapping their way from a humble to an iconic brand taught the brothers a lot about building a business. On this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, Mike and Jim Ring discuss with host Dan Kahn what it took to become one of the premier custom car builders in the world. It is a must-watch episode for anyone wanting to develop their brand or into cars. Click on the icon above to give it a watch, and here are our top five takeaways:* Respect is a huge part of building any brand.* Using your own products often is key to success.* Hire the right people and learn from them.* The drive for constant improvement is something you must possess.* Believing in yourself early can lead to great things.Treat Everyone with RespectTreating customers and everyone with respect is a strong part of how Mike and Jim built Ringbrothers and continue to operate it. That solid advice might sound like common sense, but it is surprising how often it is forgotten. Even as their brand grew into a global phenomenon, they remained humble and treated people with the same respect as when they first opened.“Growing up in a town with just over 600 people, it is just mind-boggling to me the people we have met over a car,” said Jim. “If there is any advice for anybody else, and I made this mistake early, it is that you have to treat everybody with respect. It is very important that you always do what you say you are going to do. Sometimes that becomes really hard.”Develop and Use Your Own ProductsBeyond custom car construction, Ringbrothers sells high-quality billet and carbon-fiber parts via its e-commerce platform. A key to the success of those products is that they are developed, built and used all in-house. This allows for deep product knowledge and constant improvement that copying someone else’s product or overseas manufacturing could never offer.“A lot of our products were developed over the years on different builds we’ve done. One thing about our products is that we use them and know how they work. I really feel we give good customer service because of that,” said Mike. “We are not just making something out of billet or copying somebody else’s product and putting it out there. We use our products every day.”Always Make it BetterWhat shows in every radical Ringbrothers build is the constant push for improvement. The drive to always make something better isn’t just part of the vehicle builds, but also the business. Without that drive from within, brands can often stagnate and fall to competitors.“You know you are never satisfied. You never think that, oh, we nailed it. We have never looked at one (a vehicle build) and thought that it’s the end-all,” said Mike. “I think that is what keeps you young and wanting to do the next one. It is to just make it better. “Learn From Your EmployeesWhile the vehicles Ringbrothers builds might be old-school, the technology used to create them is extremely modern. CAD/CAM, 3D printing and high-tech machinery all play roles in their creation. Mike and Jim admit to not being “techy,” but the key was to hire the right people who understand the technology and learn from them.“Mike and I are blessed to have younger guys who understand that stuff, who want to come here and be a part of this, and want to build cars and parts,” said Jim. “The technology is not coming from Mike and me. It is coming from the people we have here that we have been blessed to have work with us. It is crazy. A month ago, we just bought two new 3D printers because we wore our other ones out.”Believe in YourselfBeing an entrepreneur is always a tricky balance between taking risks and being cautious. For Mike, reflecting on how far Ringbrothers has come, one mistake was not believing in themselves earlier. While he is completely happy with their tremendous success, that early confidence could have led to things happening quicker.“For me, it is probably not believing in ourselves, so we didn’t invest faster or go bigger earlier. Not for monetary reasons, but just to think that we didn’t have the confidence and to look back and ask why we didn’t have confidence in ourselves then,” said Mike. “You always wonder what if. I am proud of what we did, but if I look back, I would have said that I wish we had just blown it up (earlier).” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

TLG Auto’s Marco Gerace on “Only The Strong Survive”Air-cooled Porsches have always been a huge part of Marco Gerace’s life. His father founded TLG Auto in 1978, originally a small service shop with a single bay. With a fondness and deep knowledge of Porsches, his dad quickly specialized in working on the German marque. Eventually, TLG Auto morphed into a specialty business restoring vintage Porsches.After a brief career in journalism, Marco joined the family business in 2003. Working alongside his father, Marco learned everything he could about Porsches and TLG Auto before taking over after his dad’s passing in 2016. As a second-generation business owner, Marco brings a unique insight into what it takes to keep a family business thriving.In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Marco shares his experiences in successfully running a small family business with host Dan Kahn. His lessons and knowledge are essential for leaders of brands of any size. Click on the icon above to watch the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Transitioning from the first generation to the second in a family business can be difficult.* You need to have difficult conversations while you can.* Family businesses sometimes need a push.* Finding the right size for your business is critical.* Finding the right employees who aren’t only there for money is just as important.Passing the Torch is HardMarco learned the hard way that passing the torch from the first generation to the second of a family business can be extremely difficult. If both parties aren’t on the same page, it can cause a lot of conflict. That was definitely the case for Marco and his dad, until they figured out they both wanted the same thing. Open and honest communication about what they both wanted for the future would have greatly minimized that friction.“What ended up happening was I was in my 20s and on the rise. He was in his 50s and 60s and on the decline. Not like in health, but eventually, yes. It was more that I wanted more of the business and he wanted less, but we didn’t know how to pass the torch,” said Marco. “There was no discussion of next steps. It was assumed I would take over, but we never got into discussing it. So as I was doing more in the shop, he felt less important and like he was being pushed out.”Have Hard Discussions Sooner than LaterMarco’s father passed away way too early in his life. While both shared the same vision of the future after that initial conflict, there was no concrete plan. Marco was left to figure out a lot of the business on his own and do a lot of “on-the-job” learning. He learned that you need to have the difficult discussions about transitions in a family business sooner rather than later.“The transition was never actually set up, so when he passed, it was sort of a rug pull for me. I was left scrambling to prop the business up and learn the things I hadn’t learned about the cars, the business and being an entrepreneur with no guidance,” said Marco. “That is kind of the nature of things, though. You just don’t know (when someone will pass away). It prompts you to have the hard talks sooner. If I learned anything from it, it is to have those really hard discussions much sooner in life than later.”You Have to PushFamily businesses can get stuck in a proverbial rut, with the younger generation wanting to respect their elders. However, that can lead to a reduction in market share as times change, but founders stick to their traditional ways of doing business. Marco knew he had to push the company forward as social media and online platforms became more prevalent. Even though marketing and anything online wasn’t his dad’s “thing,” the eldest Gerace still respected the results and let Marco try new things.“He didn’t understand it. My dad was a Luddite, but didn’t know what that was,” said Marco. “He didn’t understand how I did what I was doing or how the internet or networking worked, but he saw the results in the numbers.”Find the Right Size for Your BusinessMany entrepreneurs, including Marco, struggle with finding the right size for their business. While nonstop growth is always attractive, it can come with its own challenges and doesn’t always increase net profits. Overexpanding at the wrong time can also sink a business. The key is to find a size for your business that you are happy with and can maintain.“This is something I think about and struggle with regularly. My business has been on the precipice of expansion or contraction for about a decade,” said Marco. “I have enough work that if I added three people, we could crush it, but do I really want that kind of business? Or do I want to contract the business a little bit, have a wait list and do the best work on the best cars? Maybe I make a little less money, but I still do okay and take care of my people. I have this choice to make, and what is the better long-term goal? I don’t know.”And Find the Right PeopleWith a high-end clientele and extremely pricey vehicles, Marco needs highly skilled mechanics and employees. While paying a premium could attract that workforce, there is a downside to that scenario. For his business to prosper, he doesn’t want people there just for the money, but who love what they do and have a long-term outlook.“If you pay enough, you can have the best. The problem is that you want to attract people who want to work on the cars, have the knowledge and love of the Porsche product line, and aren’t just chasing the money. The people who are chasing the money will always chase the money,” said Marco. “Sometimes you can sit where you are at, do the best work you can do and then reap the dividends down the road. Don’t look at the short-term, but look at the big picture and the long-term. If you put into the business what you want to get out of it, everybody wins.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Jeff O’Neill’s life has always revolved around great wines and ideas. In 1980, he joined the family wine business that his grandfather had initially started. With the winery in bad financial shape before his onboarding, it wasn’t long before the bank took it over. However, Jeff was able to repurchase its assets and continue operations with the help of private equity investors. In 2004, he sold the original family business and created his own with O’Neill Vintners and Distillers. As its CEO and founder, Jeff helped guide it to become one of Central California's largest vintners and distillers.Another of Jeff’s passions is vintage racecars, which started with childhood trips to TransAm races at Sonoma Raceway with his father. Jeff combined his two favorite vintages into one and created Velocity Invitational, a luxury motorsports festival that blends fine food and wine with rare racecars, hypercars and supercars. The unique and highly anticipated event is held at the same raceway where his love for racing first began.In this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, Jeff shares his knowledge on building brands and experiential events with host Dan Kahn. It is a must-listen for anyone looking to start their own company or create an event. Click on the icon to watch the entire episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Branding is everything, regardless of the business you are in.* Talk to your customers and not at them.* Authenticity is key to building brands.* You have to appeal to more than just core customers.* Perfection can be the enemy of innovation.Building Brands Has Completely ChangedBrand value has always been extremely important in the wine business, as consumers tend to gravitate towards wineries they know and like. However, how that brand value is built has completely changed over the years. Now, there are more customer touchpoints than ever, and each needs careful consideration.“Today, it (brand building) is in a different place than it was 30 years ago. You used to just get it (the wine) on the floor and make sure someone had to run into it with their shopping cart,” said Jeff. “Today, you have to have social media, Instagram and TikTok. So, you are really trying to touch consumers in a lot more places than you used to. But everyone has that same challenge.”Be Inclusive and not ExclusiveDrinking wine can be a needlessly complicated experience with a plethora of rules. While this might give the experience a sense of exclusivity, it doesn’t help build a larger customer base. If you want to expand your business, you have to connect with your consumers in the right way and be more inclusive than exclusive.“As an industry, I think we need to take the blame. We have made drinking wine a little too complicated for a lot of people,” said Jeff. “We have created, I think, a mess from the consumer point of view. What we want to do is to turn it all into exploration. There are really no bad decisions out there, right? Drink white wine with a steak if you want to drink white wine. But we have created all these rules…we have to change the way we talk to the consumer and make it more fun and entertaining.”Authenticity is EverythingToday, the story behind a brand is just as important as the product itself. However, that story has to be authentic to have an impact. For O’neill Vintners and Distillers, talking about its sustainability and regenerative farming efforts, which are central to its values, has been vital to helping build its brands.“Authenticity is key. Telling these great stories, why we are here and the background is the most important thing we can do today. It is critical to the success of the brands. It doesn’t matter if it is our brand or Patagonia,” said Jeff. “Authenticity and real stories matter, but I do remind everyone that the kid who wants authenticity and sustainability wants it in five minutes. I am not 100% sure you can say you love authenticity and sustainability, but, by the way, I got to have that bag of Doritos delivered by Amazon in eight minutes.”Reaching the Next RingVelocity Invitational could have been a “hardcore” motorsports event solely appealing to enthusiasts. However, that wasn’t interesting to Jeff and would have greatly limited its appeal and success. For any brand or event to be successful, it is crucial to figure out how to reach the next concentric ring beyond your core customers.“The whole idea is how to make a day out of it (Velocity Invitational) and make it really fun and entertaining. If you want to learn a ton about the cars, we have docents. But otherwise, come and enjoy the day, enjoy the food and tour the cars. See everything from 1908 to what the future looks like,” said Jeff. “It is always about how we entertain and take care of, I will call it families, but it is really wives, girlfriends and people who are kind of interested, but they are not subscribing to a motorsport magazine and reading it cover to cover.”You Will Never Win if Everything Must be 100%Perfection can sometimes stifle innovation. New ideas aren’t always fully thought out, but that is okay. For Jeff, coming up with a concept that might need some work is better than shelving it because it is not 100% complete.“They (his team) like to deliver everything to me with a perfect bow on it and 100% done. My point is, you will never win if you think you have to get everything done 100%,” said Jeff. “You get it to 98% and go, or 90% and go, because usually, if it is a great idea, it is something new and something innovative. You don’t need it to be 100%.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Ami Kassar wears many hats as a columnist for 21 Hats, a former advisor to the White House, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, and the author of “The Growth Dilemma.” He is also the founder and CEO of MultiFunding LLC, a consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs find smart and strategic funding to help grow and finance their businesses. Founded to give counsel to businesses on finding the best loan options transparently, MultiFunding has secured over $1 billion in loans.With over two decades of experience in business finance and an entrepreneur himself, Kassar is an expert in both areas. In this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, he shares his expertise in securing funding for entrepreneurs and running a business with host Dan Kahn. It is a must-listen for anyone wanting to know how to use leverage responsibly, structure debt the right way and fund growth without losing their soul or shirt. Click on the icon above to check out the entire fascinating episode, and here are our five top takeaways:* Loans won’t solve structural or organizational problems with your business.* Very few entrepreneurs come from a financial background.* It is okay to grow your brand at your own pace.* Bookkeeping and accounting are tedious but the cornerstones of successful brands.* Keep calm and carry on in turbulent times.Covid Changed EverythingThe pandemic was a life-altering period for many, including businesses. While the massive injection of small-business loans saved countless entrepreneurs, it also acted as a double-edged sword for others. Instead of creating leaner and more efficient business models, some relied on those loans to get by. Those same loans are now coming due as costs and tariffs rise, leading many businesses to go under.“Money flooded the market and balance sheets. Then you didn’t have to pay it back for two or three years. It gave everyone this false sense of security, like it was party time. When you put too much money into a company like that, you often cause more harm than good. Many people just thought they wouldn’t have to pay it back, or didn’t understand the conditions about what the money was intended for,” said Kassar. “I really think, particularly with that last influx of idle money, it is going to cause a lot of harm for decades.”Most Brand Leaders Aren’t Good at FinanceMost small businesses are started by someone with an idea about a product or service. Very few of those “idea people” have backgrounds in finance or accounting. However, if you want your business to survive and thrive, you need to get a handle on its finances. Not paying attention to or understanding the financial details of your company doesn’t give you the flexibility required to survive ups and downs.“Most small businesses are not good at their financials or cash management, especially in turbulent times. I have a picture I use when I do talks and lectures of an offensive and defensive player ready to beat each other up in a football game. I say that this is how you need to think about your balance sheet,” said Kassar. “A good team is set up for flexibility because as you run your business, there could be unexpected opportunities that pop up and unexpected crises that pop up. You want to be ideally situated for both.”Grow at Your Own PaceMany entrepreneurs and CEOs are absolutely obsessed with growing a company as fast as possible. However, that growth almost always comes with more risk. For Kassar, it is crucial to figure out your own personal tolerance for risk before taking a lot of it on. Otherwise, you might grow a brand but have plenty of sleepless nights and stress-filled days.“I don’t think we talk about this enough, but we all have different risk tolerances. There is no right or wrong. I think you should understand where your risk tolerance is and be okay with it. That could impact the decisions about how big you want to grow your business and how fast and how much risk you want to take on,” said Kassar. “I would much rather see people grow their business at the pace they want to. I always say nothing is more important than a good night’s sleep.”Stay on Top of Your GameTangibles like a product or service often get the most attention from anyone starting a business from scratch. Entrepreneurs usually obsess over the details of whatever they offer, hoping it will connect with consumers. While that obsession is important, Kassar's top advice for anyone starting a business is to stay on top of their finances. Accounting and bookkeeping might be boring, but they are the cornerstones of successful businesses.“Stay on top of it (your finances) and stay healthy. Absolutely invest in good bookkeeping and accounting, and have regular reporting. Stay totally in charge of your game,” said Kassar. “I do think it is important and healthy to check in regularly on your bookkeeping and accounting. Like everything else in life, bookkeeping and accounting might serve you at one level, but you need to upgrade them to get to the next level.”Keep Your Head DownIt is not exactly shocking to say that we live in extremely challenging times. Tariffs, layoffs, wild stock market gyrations, recession fears and other economic indicators that are flashing red are all causing lots of anxiety. While Kassar doesn’t possess a crystal ball or have any special insight into what is going on, he notes that the best way forward for any entrepreneur is to keep calm and carry on.“There is a lot of uncertainty and confusion out there. It is quite fascinating to me because we have been really busy (as a business) since the election. There is a lot of activity and a lot of people borrowing and growing and looking towards the future, which I take to be a good sign. However, there are a lot of fundamentals out there that are making people nervous, and I don’t blame them,” said Kassar. “I always say I just keep my head down and try to keep working and moving, but there is a lot of confusion out there.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Julie McQueen’s journey to the head of CarbonTV started behind the camera. Initially, she documented others' outdoor adventures as a camerawoman and producer before transitioning to a show host. All of those roles were natural fits for someone with a strong love for the outdoors and who is a passionate conservation advocate. As her expertise in digital media quickly grew, Julie became the president and CEO of the outdoor-focused CarbonTV streaming platform.Taking the helm of the popular outdoor enthusiast streaming service right before the pandemic and guiding it through a constantly changing media environment brought many challenges. However, through all of them, Julie continues to expand CarbonTV and grow its audience. In this episode of the “Only the Strong Survive” podcast, she shares with host Dan Kahn the valuable insight she has learned in her leadership position. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire fascinating episode, and here are our top five takeaways:* Being first in a space comes with many advantages.* You always have to keep adapting to consumer preferences.* Finding the right niche and owning it is key to success.* Always surround yourself with the right people.* Don’t be afraid to trust your gut.Be a First MoverWhile outdoor-focused television channels exist, CarbonTV is the first digital streaming platform covering hunting, fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation. Being first definitely comes with the advantages of being able to “own the space.” However, it doesn’t 100% guarantee success, as you still have to manage growth properly.“Being so early in the game definitely gave us a lot of benefits. We have remained the largest over the years, but it takes a lot of dedication and a really smart team to keep that growth and keep it sustainable,” said Julie. “We are not growing at a pace that we can’t keep up with, but we are constantly evolving and growing in smart ways.”Always Keep AdaptingHow people consume media has completely changed as the dominance of network television has faded and streaming services have dramatically risen in popularity. However, even within the streaming space, consumer preferences keep shifting. Monitoring and adapting to those changes have been vital to CarbonTV’s success.“It has really shifted over the years. Back in the day, it was all on devices like handhelds, and we were seeing shorter retention times on those. If someone is watching on an iPhone, for example, I can assume they will watch for 12 to 20 minutes,” said Julie. “As we have moved into different distribution platforms, Roku, for example, is a huge one for us. More people watch us on Roku than anywhere else. Our retention on Roku hovers around 1.5 hours per session, which is huge.”Find Your NicheOperating within a specific niche might seem like a limiting factor for advertising, but it has been a boon for CarbonTV. Brands that want to advertise to outdoor enthusiasts can speak directly to them on CarbonTV instead of taking their chances with more generalized audiences elsewhere. While those niche audiences might be smaller, they are also more loyal.“They (ads on CarbonTV) are highly trackable and perform well because we have such an endemic audience. We have a loyal audience. This is going to sound a bit crazy, but they don’t have a lot of options,” said Julie. “We have them captive in some ways, which is great for the brands because they know when they run ads on Carbon, they have people seeing and engaging with those ads who are their core customers.”Surround Yourself with the Right PeopleAs a female CEO, Julie is definitely among a minority in the largely male-dominated outdoor industry. However, for her, it hasn’t been a negative experience that has somehow limited her growth or career options. According to Julie, it is more about the people you surround yourself with and following the path blazed by others.“It is not like the old days, when people told you to be quiet because you were a girl and didn’t know what you were doing. I think those days are long gone,” said Julie. “There have been so many amazing and brilliant women before me who have really paved the path and opened up all those doors. As long as you navigate it the right way and keep the right people around you, I think that being a minority can be a really big blessing.”Trust Your Gut and Act FastOne hard lesson Julie has learned over the years is to trust your gut instincts, as they are usually right. Just as important is acting quickly on those instincts to make rapid decisions. Ignoring your instincts or taking too long to make hard decisions can lead to the demise of your brand.“Seeing something in the company that, in my gut, I knew needed to change and not acting on it fast enough was a mistake,” said Julie. “I think as a leader, you have to make hard decisions. That is a big part of the reason why companies fail in those first five years. It is a lot of hard decisions, a series of them every day, repeatedly. If you are not good at having hard conversations, moving quickly on them and getting them out of the way, everything else starts to falter.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Natalie and John Radzwilla of Hook & Barrel Magazine on “Only The Strong Survive”Natalie and John Radzwilla have a fascinating story of entrepreneurship. Initially, the couple owned a boutique public relations firm in the outdoor space. After having difficulty finding any media to connect with their more lifestyle-oriented clients, they decided to become the media. In a time when most were strongly retreating from magazines and any print mediums, the couple decided to go all in and launch their own magazine.The first edition of Hook & Barrel Magazine came out in July 2018. Unlike most outdoor media at the time, its content was more lifestyle-focused instead of technical or a heavy emphasis on reviews. However, that differentiation was no guarantee of success.Bootstrapping Hook & Barrel Magazine from its first print issue to its current status of a small multi-media empire has been quite the journey. In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Natale and John Radzwilla discussed what they learned along the way about entrepreneurship and making a magazine thrive in a digital era. Click on the icon above to listen to the entire episode. Here are our top five takeaways:* There will always be naysayers regardless of what you do.* Burying your head in the sand never works.* Being relentless is a huge part of brand building.* Artificial intelligence has its limitations.* Success requires paying attention to every detail.People Will Think You’re CrazyMost people told Natalie and John they were crazy for wanting to launch a magazine with their own money. Those naysayers had a point in an era when multiple publishing companies were going out of business. However, Natalie and John believed in their vision and stuck to it. Seven years later, they have proved that they have found an underserved niche and have a viable business model.“In the beginning, everybody thought we were crazy. At the time, both of us were 33 years old, and what 33-year-olds back in 2018 were deciding to start an outdoor lifestyle print magazine? That was our tangible product and what we were coming out of the gates with. It didn’t start from a website or from a blog or from an Instagram or Facebook page,” said Natalie. “A lot of people at the beginning were very discouraging and saying we were crazy and would never see a dime.”You Can’t Ignore TrainsWhen John and Natalie launched Hook & Barrel Magazine, many publishing companies were going under. The vast majority held onto their print properties too tightly and tried to ignore the “freight train” of people shifting online. John and Natalie knew they wanted a magazine but also needed a website and online presence to back it up. Ignoring consumer preferences like others had was not a viable path forward.“The internet was coming, and it is amazing what happens when people ignore the train. They want to pretend it is not coming, and that is how you get rolled over,” says John. “The magazine itself is the one tangible thing we have because we didn’t want to become only a blog or a vlog or whatever. We wanted to have a tangible product, but at the end of the day, I always knew what the evolution was going to be. It’s going to be a multi-faceted media company.”You Have to be RelentlessLarger companies have the luxury of a built-in consumer base and lots of resources when they launch a sub-brand or new product. Hook & Barrel Magazine had none of those and had to be built as a brand completely from scratch. Pulling that off takes a lot of determination, strength and absolute relentlessness. Without all of those traits, successfully launching a magazine in a decentralized media landscape would be impossible.“You have to find a unique niche, like my old CEO said, then dominate that space, battle-harden yourself, and then just be absolutely relentless and ruthless when it comes to growing your brand until those seeds take root,” said John. “At that point, you start nurturing it. Until that thing actually sprouts, you just have to buckle down and be ready for it.”The Impact of AIArtificial intelligence is a huge talking point in the publishing world, as some magazines have ditched their writers for AI-generated content to maximize their profits. Hook & Barrel Magazine has integrated AI into its website to help suggest articles, but both John and Natalie say there is a limit to its use. Neither has the desire to adopt AI completely and solely rely on it.“It is one thing to adopt something new and integrate it into what you are already doing. It is another thing to change everything and fully adopt it 100% and change your whole business model,” says Natalie. “Actual writers were the original influencers, and they are always going to be. We would never replace our content with something AI-generated.”Success is in the DetailsGrit, determination and a bold vision are all important components of entrepreneurial success. However, one element that doesn’t often get discussed is paying attention to the details. Going over all aspects of your business with a “fine-tooth comb” will show any red flags and areas you need to improve. Glossing over the details is a surefire way to encounter surprises that might ultimately end your business.“For me, what I have had to learn is that success is in the details. Of course, you need that vision of the big picture and the gumption to go after it,” said Natalie. “But at the end of the day, when you are bootstrapping something or just starting out, and this isn’t just a one-month process as your start-up process is truly your first five years, so in your first five years if you don’t pay tremendous attention to the details of everything, yes it is very tedious and time consuming, but if you don’t do that it is the quickest way to fail.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Tim Parkhurst's love for the U.S. Marine Corps started early in life. After some difficulties in public school, he was enrolled in a private military high school that mirrored the Corps. The experience was life-changing, as Parkhurst knew he wanted to be a Marine from that point forward. Upon graduating, he quickly enlisted and became part of the elite Marine Corps Scout Snipers. He would go on to serve for 25 years in the Marines, with deployments across four conflicts.Upon his retirement from the Corp, Parkhurst became involved in an all-volunteer Marine sniper association. However, he wanted to help preserve the Scout Snipers' 105-year-long history, honor its important legacy and build a memorial to its fallen members in Quantico, Virginia. Knowing that the mission would be beyond the bandwidth of volunteers, Parkhurst founded the Marine Scout Sniper Heritage Foundation. Consisting of a full-time staff, it is entirely dedicated to achieving those goals.In this episode of the “Only The Strong Survive Podcast,” Parkhurst shares the lessons he learned from his service as a Scout Sniper. He also discusses with host Dan Kahn the need for the Marine Scout Sniper Heritage Foundation and other non-profit veteran-focused organizations like it. Click on the icon above to watch the entire interview, and here are our top takeaways:* Mission-driven people always need something to focus on.* The transition from military to civilian life is challenging for most veterans.* Small teams also need to contribute to larger organizations.* Keeping calm under pressure is a valuable skill for anyone.Mission-Driven People Need Mission-Driven OrganizationsThere is no doubt that the U.S. Marine Corps is a mission-driven organization with equally driven members. Upon initially leaving the Marines, Parkhurst entered a darker period in his life without a mission to channel his energy on. That lost feeling and lack of focus led to Parkhurst re-enlisting in the Marines five years later. As he got closer to his final retirement, he knew he needed to still be part of a mission-driven organization. Fulfilling that need led him to become involved in non-profits and ultimately founding the Marine Scout Sniper Heritage Foundation.“I was on a deployment in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, about three or four years before I retired, and it occurred to me that it is all about the mission. We are so mission-focused and driven in the military, and if I don’t have some kind of mission that means something to me when I get out, I am just going to flounder. That is really what happened to me the first time around,” said Parkhurst. “So I started thinking to myself that I would be proactive this time and find some type of non-profit or organization that I can give my time and effort to that seems worthy, adds value to the world, makes me feel better about myself and makes me feel like I am contributing.”Becoming a Civilian is ToughOne of the reasons Parkhurst founded his non-profit is that he knew from first-hand experience how tough the transition to civilian life can be. Beyond the loss of a mission, there are a whole host of other issues that veterans often have to deal with after leaving the service. By honoring the legacy of the Scout Snipers, Parkhurst hopes that he can give former Marines a sense of being part of something much larger and find other veterans to confide in with their problems about switching to a civilian role.“It is a problem that is never going to be completely mitigated. It will always be there. So no matter how much you prepare somebody who’s getting ready to separate ahead of time, they’re going to have the problem. A lot of it is determined by that individual's own personal disposition, their past history with mental health issues, stability and things like that. Quite frankly, a lot of guys come into the military with a lot of baggage already from their childhood,” says Parkhurst. “We are just a microcosm of society, so the military deals with that just like everybody in the civilian world.”Going “Solo” Has Its DrawbacksMarine Corps Scout Snipers are unique because they operate independently in a two-man team with minimal supervision. That ability to broadly execute missions on their own contrasts with the more rigid and traditional military command structures soldiers often deal with. However, just like in business, continually operating on your own or in micro teams has drawbacks and can make being part of the “bigger picture” more difficult.“You get overlooked when it comes to larger picture things. When you are just off training on your own, you are just training individual skills, but what about skills in support of a company, which is maybe 150 men, or skills in support of a battalion, which is a thousand guys?” says Parkhurst. “Different-sized operations require different skill sets and different techniques. If you don’t practice them, you can’t get good at them.”Equanimity is a VirtueAny sniper is rigorously taught the importance of equanimity. Marine Corps Scout Snipers are put into highly stressful situations, so the ability to remain calm and make composed decisions is vital. While business leaders aren’t deciding the perfect time to take a shot with a sniper rifle, their ability to keep calm is just as important. Being rash with decisions and not thinking them through can be fatal to a sniper but also the downfall of a business.“When I went through sniper school, the big catchword was equanimity. Equanimity is essentially the ability to keep your cool under pressure, not make rash decisions and think things through. Don’t think too long, be decisive and make a decision, but always think,” says Parkhurst. “You have to think about equanimity and practice it to get good at it. Just having that word in my head and knowing that it is there and something that I should strive for has helped me in those times when it mattered to actually be able to do that just enough to be somewhat successful.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Some entrepreneurs who started their own businesses can envy those who run their families’ companies. After all, many of these multi-generational leaders didn’t have to go through the often painful process of starting a brand from scratch. While that may be true, running a family business comes with a whole other set of unique challenges. And keeping that business going for generations also requires a lot of skill and knowledge.On this special episode of the “Only The Strong Survive” podcast, host Dan Kahn discusses the intricacies and difficulties of making multi-generational businesses thrive with three great guests, including Malco Automotive Products’ Seth Glauberman. Malco, an automotive detailing products company, was founded in 1953 by Seth’s grandfather. Also part of the discussion is David Borla from Borla Exhaust, a well-known aftermarket exhaust manufacturer that was created by David’s parents in 1978. Adding her expertise is Melanie Hellwig White of Hellwig Suspension Products, a helper spring and sway bar brand that Melanie’s great-grandfather and grandfather started in 1946.Click on the icon above to watch the latest episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” as all three leaders share their experiences on what it takes to keep a family business going. Here are our top five takeaways from the episode:* You can’t be forced into a family business and be successful.* Multi-generational family businesses are legacies and not just brands.* There is a lot of pressure associated with that legacy.* Change in a family business can be challenging but necessary.* Being part of a multi-generational brand creates a long-term outlook.Running the Family Business Has to be a ChoiceOne interesting trait Melanie, David and Seth all share is that none of them were pressured to join the family business. They were free to choose their own paths and didn’t immediately join their family’s brands. That freedom resulted in their desire to be part of their respective companies rather than it feeling like a requirement. Wanting the next generation to continue your business might be strong, but it needs to be their choice for the business to be successful.“I think what my parents did an excellent job at was there was no pressure. We kept things, and we still do, very separate,” says Melanie. “It is hard because there is so much passion in a family business. In some ways, I think I was a little discouraged (from joining the business). Maybe not discouraged but not encouraged. It was very neutral on whether or not my family wanted the next generation to get involved.”It’s Not Just a Business, It’s a LegacyOne key difference between running a family business and starting your own is that you are part of something much larger. Melanie, David and Seth’s brands all stretch back over decades. The businesses have always been part of the trio’s lives, even as children way before their official start dates. That long-term involvement creates a different viewpoint and the realization that their family companies are legacies, not just brands.“I used to come in (as a kid) and put clamps together,” says David. “I have had the opportunity, and I am sure it is like that for Melanie and Seth, too, to have seen the business even when I wasn’t involved in it. That is a really important perspective I think that we have as the next generation. Yes, there is this official time period that we have been working here, but we witnessed much more than that. For me, and you guys, I am sure it is always part of my thinking, no matter what I am doing, that I am a part of something a lot bigger, and that goes back a lot further than me.”That Legacy Brings Pressure, TooBeing part of something larger than yourself and a legacy is a rewarding experience. However, there is also a lot of pressure that comes with it as well. Carrying on that legacy can land heavily on the shoulders of the leaders of multi-generational family businesses. There is also a strong desire to do right by those who came before you and make your family proud.“This (business) was a passion project of my great-grandfather. I come into work every day, and I sit at my great grandfather's desk. There is a part where it is so integrated into everything here. I am incredibly lucky to have this awesome brand and this legacy,” says Melanie. “There is a lot of pressure with this legacy, though, and, I won’t lie, it has kept me up at night because I want to do well, and I want to make my grandpa proud.”You Can’t Get Stuck in the PastWith long and rich histories of brands that go back decades, there can be a lot of traditional ways of doing business that develop. While those traditions and relationships are essential to a brand’s legacy, you can’t remain firmly entrenched in the past, either. Multi-generational family businesses need to be as nimble and adaptable as upstarts to survive in a constantly changing business environment.“Our company has probably reinvented itself five times. We started by doing cleaning chemicals that were sold to dairy distributors on the janitorial side. You don’t get milk dropped off at your house now, so that’s gone,” says Seth. “We were always a specialty chemical manufacturer at our core focused on meeting the needs of our customers. But if you look at our business, there are three of four times when it really changed. My dad always talks about the paradigm shift, how things change and how you have to adapt to it. The reason we are still around is because we kept adapting versus staying in one spot.”A Long History Creates a Long-Term OutlookAnother unique aspect of being part of a multi-generational family-run business is that it naturally creates a long-term vision. While some companies obsess over the next quarter’s profits and maximizing shareholder values, Seth, Melanie and David have a different outlook. Being part of their respective businesses since childhood gives them a deep understanding of playing the “long game” and knowing that short-term gain can come at the expense of overall company health.“There is just this intuitive feel and knowledge that you have, especially as a family having built this thing from nothing. That knowledge and experience transfer from one generation to another. It is knowing what the right thing is to do and knowing when it is the right time to take a little bit less profit in order to invest in the long-term health of the business,” says David. “The other thing is a lot of these PE guys are looking to flip the businesses every two or three years. They don’t care what is going to happen in seven or eight years to the business. Whereas we don’t necessarily have that mindset, so we can play the long game.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com

Operational excellence and process improvements are significant parts of Mario Iannantuono’s life. After getting an engineering degree, he worked as a process engineer for an OEM. That first role created interest and excitement in the manufacturing process and how to improve it. After leaving the OEM side, Mario switched roles to working for Tier 1 OEM suppliers. Eventually, he became a global manager and worked for other well-known world-class companies such as Danaher. Through all his roles, Mario gained extensive experience in improving manufacturing and making it more efficient.Eventually, Mario retired but quickly discovered a life of golf and leisure wasn’t for him. Along with a couple of business associates, he formed Quantum Leap Partners, a consulting group that brings operational and process improvement expertise to smaller and mid-size businesses. Mario also acts as an interim COO for BluePrint Engines, a leading manufacturer of high-performance crate engines. In this episode of “Only The Strong Survive,” Mario discusses with host Dan Kahn why process improvement matters to businesses of any size and what he has learned from a career dedicated to it. Here are our top five takeaways from Dan and Mario’s discussion:* Process and efficiency improvement can help companies of any size.* Measuring the correct data is essential.* KPIs are useless if everyone doesn’t understand them.* Getting to the root of the problem involves going beyond data.* Outside help is often needed to keep scaling.Process Improvement is for EveryoneOperational efficiency and process improvement were once thought to only matter to large-scale manufacturers like OEMs. However, Mario notes that smaller and mid-size companies can benefit from it, too. After all, the margins are often smaller for companies of this size, and anything you can do to squeak out more revenue is a plus. Improving processes and being more efficient can also give an edge over competitors that aren’t paying as much attention to it.“We (Quantum Leap Partners) try to stay away from big companies because they have a lot of people like us who can go in there and fix these things. We really think that the small and mid-sized companies are the ones who are starving for this kind of work and this kind of leadership and expertise,” said Mario. “Because they are smaller, they don’t have the resources, and what we do is go in there and show them what they have to do to be competitive.”Measurable Data is EverythingCreating key performance indicators (KPIs) is central to process improvement and efficiency. However, those KPIs need to really focus on what matters to the company and zero in on problem areas to help rectify them. Creating a bunch of easy wins and “green across the board” KPIs won’t help solve any problems. Gathering the right data is more important than the amount of data.“What we did (at BluePrint) was focus on what mattered. When we looked at our KPIs, we had green and red. The message that I give everybody is that red is not bad. Red tells us what we need to work on. That’s all red does,” said Mario. “We went through the process of focusing on the red and eliminating those issues. As we started getting some wins, the team got very excited, and it just cascaded from there.”Translate KPIs Into the Right LanguageKPIs often come from the top levels of management and can be financial in nature, such as growing sales by a certain percentage. One mistake Mario sometimes sees companies make is not translating those KPIs into data points that are easily understood by those doing the work. Financials might be great for management but not for workers on the assembly line. To be effective, those KPIs need to be translated into their “language.”“You are not going to share financials with folks on the shop floor because that is not the world they live in, right? Typically, if you go over a lot of financial information, they really just get lost,” said Mario. “On the shop floor, the world they live in is pieces and production. So, what I have always done is to take the financial data and translate it into languages that the people on the shop floor understand. Like what’s the goal for pieces? What’s the expected number of rejects that are okay, and what’s not okay? You need to put it into their format to make sure they understand it.”Getting To the Root of the ProblemThe right data is excellent for showing where the trouble spots are within your organization. However, even the best data doesn’t necessarily show what is causing those issues. To get to the root of those problems, you must dive deeper and go beyond simply gathering data.“The data tells us where the issue is, and we dig very deeply into it. Then, we use a process called the ‘Five Whys,’” said Mario. “It is a problem-solving technique that a lot of the Toyotas of the world use, and it primarily says that if you ask a question five times, you’ll eventually get to the root cause of the problem. The last thing we want to do is just put a Band-Aid on an issue and then move away from it without it being resolved.”Breaking Through the WallMost companies cannot infinitely scale up and grow unabated, and this is especially true of smaller, founder-led companies. Eventually, you hit a wall that you just can’t seem to get past. Mario notes that often, the only way to get past that wall is to seek help from outside experts. Pushing past it on your own can be a long, frustrating and costly process.“Most of their (smaller businesses) systems that are put into place are kind of homegrown systems, and they tend to outgrow them. They know that once they start getting some scale, their organization can’t really absorb all of this stuff with the homegrown systems they have,” said Mario. “So there comes a point where you have to go outside to companies like mine to show you how to get there.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.otsspodcast.com