Listen to “#598 How to Make Your City an Entrepreneurial Hotspot” on Spreaker.
On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1, starting at 0:00: It used to be that entrepreneurs would need to move out to Silicon Valley to start their companies, but that’s simply not the case anymore. Startup activity is humming in Atlanta, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City, Nashville, Indianapolis, and more. What does it take for a city to become a thriving entrepreneurial hotspot? Here to help is Brad Feld, a prominent leader in the startup community and an expert on building entrepreneurial ecosystems.
SEGMENT 2, starting at 19:15: Two events are coming together right now that are forcing every company to reassess their marketing: COVID19 and the Black Lives Matters movement. How is this going to change how companies approach talking to customers? Here to explain is Andre Filip, the CEO and Founder of E-L-A, a global creative advertising agency headquartered in Los Angeles.
SEGMENT 3, starting at 35:45: What do addicts and leaders have in common? Michael Brody-Waite, award-winning entrepreneur and author of “Great Leaders Live Like Drug Addicts” is here to share the tools he learned in his 12-step rehab program that helped him become a successful business leader.
Sponsored by HR Direct and Nextiva
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Brad Feld is a leader in the startup community. He has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, he founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars. The second edition of his book “STARTUP COMMUNITIES: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City” originated Feld’s now-famous “Boulder Thesis” about how his hometown of Boulder, Colorado quickly accelerated into a world-class ecosystem for entrepreneurs, shaping a now-classic framework for building communities of entrepreneurs who feed off each other’s talent, creativity, and support.
1:00 – How Brad got started in the startup community and how it led to his now-famous Boulder-Thesis.
3:30 – Where to start in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in your city.
6:00 – Why it takes 20 years to build a thriving entrepreneurial hotspot.
7:45 – How can communities support entrepreneurs, especially now when businesses are hurting?
11:00 – Take an entrepreneurial approach to building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in your city.
13:30 – Disruptive innovation happens in times like this.
Segment 2: Andre Filip is the CEO and Founder of E-L-A, a global creative advertising agency headquartered in Los Angeles. He has played an integral role in expanding the agency’s global presence for leading brands including TikTok, Disney, Easterseals, PepsiCo, Thermador and Western Digital.
19:15 – What effect has COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement had on how people market their businesses?
21:30 – How should business approach taking a stand on social justice issues?
24:15 – Why are some brands changing their entire image right now?
26:30 – How do brands decide what they’re going to say and not say?
29:00 – How should national brands handle their messaging when there are so many different state and local policies and restrictions?
31:45 – How is the pandemic changing brand messaging?
Segment 3: Michael Brody-Waite is an award-winning CEO, tech-startup entrepreneur and recovering drug addict. He credits his success to the tools he learned in the 12-step program, and now teaches others how to lead his Mask-Free Program. His first book is called, “Great Leaders Live Like Drug Addicts”.
35:45 – Tell us about your journey from drug addict to award-winning CEO.
38:30 – What did you learn in rehab that gave you the tools to be successful in business?
39:15 – Why do great leaders live like drug addicts?
40:45 – How authenticity drives concrete business outcomes.
42:15 – What’s the first step to becoming a more authentic person? What if the leader isn’t ready to change?
44:30 – The 3-steps that will help you better lead your small business.
47:30 – How is the lack of control during COVID-19 actually a healthy experience for a small business leader?
50:00 – Advice for people who are struggling with addiction.
