Launch Youniversity

Turning Good Intentions into Reality in Your Career, Business and Life

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109: The Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship with Kevin Peak of Strategic Treasurer and CaJa Popcorn

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The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
109: The Highs and Lows of Entrepreneurship with Kevin Peak of Strategic Treasurer and CaJa Popcorn
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Summary:

All of us are trying to launch something, whether it’s inside a business or outside of one, a startup, or a side hustle. And with any launch, there is usually a gap of where you are and your ultimate destination (with a lot of stops, detours, and unexpectedness in between). Along the way, you’ll encounter points where you have to make critical decisions for your business or idea, and sometimes, you might feel a bit out of your element. This is why we do this podcast — we seek to link you with resources and shared experiences of others to help you where you are right now.

That’s why we were happy to sit down with Kevin Peak for today’s interview — Kevin has been where you are. For nearly six years, Kevin owned and operated CaJa Popcorn, a wholesale and retail popcorn company that specializes in artisanal flavors such as pimento cheese, spicy BBQ, and sea salt caramel. Then, he decided to return to his first love as a treasury consultant, selling his successful business and starting over from scratch. In today’s episode, you’ll hear the highs and lows of being solopreneur, when he knew it was time to sell the business, and the skills he’s acquired along the way.

Welcome to episode 109 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

CaJa Popcorn

Strategic Treasurer

ATDC: Technology Business Incubator

BizBuySell

Three Takeaways:

  • Spend time with people who are doing interesting things. You might want to launch something new, but you’re not quite sure what it will be. That’s OK! We encourage you to hang out with people who are doing cool, creative things (and not necessarily in the exact industry you’ll be launching in). Get some inspiration, perspective, and new relationships — all these things will guarantee a great launch later.
  • Brace yourself for challenges. Launches are almost always met with challenges. Be prepared for them and keep reminding yourself: the tension won’t last always.
  • Find others to help in your areas of weakness. There will come a time during your launch when you’ll be confused about what your next steps should be. Lean on your existing relationships (or make new ones) to help you navigate those areas where you lack adequate knowledge.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

107: 7 Greatest Character Threats of a Leader with Carey Nieuwhof

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The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
107: 7 Greatest Character Threats of a Leader with Carey Nieuwhof
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Summary:

Companies invest time and money into growing a team member’s competency. However, most organizations will not invest in building your character. Most would argue, character is more important (and harder to improve) than competency.

Whether you are a team member at an organization or have your own startup, you must invest the time and work hard on your character. So, what are the biggest character threats and how do you improve?

Today, host Kevin Jennings is joined by Carey Nieuwhof — author, pastor, and speaker. Carey shares his personal experience towards self-improvement and about the 7 character challenges that no one expects, yet everyone experiences.

Welcome to episode 107 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Carey Nieuwhof Website

Didn’t See It Coming Book

Didn’t See It Coming Burnout Quiz

Didn’t See It Coming Cynicism Quiz

Three Takeaways:

1. Cynicism Roots Itself in Knowledge

Think back to when you were a child, or imagine a child you know. Children have this amazing ability to see the joy in everything. Why is it that all kids seem to be so optimistic? They lack life experience and knowledge. When we gain more knowledge, we begin to think we know everything. We shoot holes in plans, look at the negative, and predict how something in our life will turn out. When nothing satisfies, it leads to burnout.

2. Burnout is an Epidemic

Burnout has become an epidemic in our world today. People are discontent with their job, with their financial status, and the list can go on. When you simply live out the day-to-day functions but don’t experience joy, you have hit burnout. If this is your reality, it’s time to find a new normal. Like Carey shares in the podcast, you should live in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Look at the 5 areas of your life (spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, financial) and see how you can become more optimistic in each area.

3. Leadership is Inherently Lonely

You can easily fall into loneliness when you are leading a team or launching a business. However, isolation is a tool of the enemy. You cannot stay isolated. Read more about startups failing due to isolation. Connect with leaders or peers you admire, and lean on other people for questions or advice. Sometimes you even need to disconnect to reconnect. Put down your phone, ipad, or tv remote and spend quality time with the people in your life.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

 

106: How to Go From Good Intentions to Reality with Blake Canterbury of Purposity

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The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
106: How to Go From Good Intentions to Reality with Blake Canterbury of Purposity
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Summary:

The path to launching is often riddled with failed attempts and disappointments, and sometimes those new to launching start to lose heart when they’re met with obstacles at every turn. But don’t get too discouraged just yet: Sometimes the obstacles you face are an indicator you’re on the right path.

When Blake Canterbury came up with the idea for Purposity, he didn’t set out to save the world. Two years ago, he started helping kids in Georgia’s Forsyth County schools with whatever needs a school’s homeless liaison saw among students, from providing new shoes to new clothes. Then, more schools got involved, which ultimately led to the creation of Purposity, an app that makes generosity easy to do by linking users to needs in their local communities. To date, the app has more than 25,000 users and 10,000 transactions of giving in communities across the country. In today’s episode, Blake shares his thought process behind taking what originally started as a personal intention to a national philanthropic reality.

Welcome to episode 106 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

Purposity

096: Scott Harrison of charity: water Finds Purpose, Success Through His Non-Profit

Three Takeaways:

  • Start your launch with a real problem. Look around you — what are the needs of your community? Whatever your answer to this question is, your product or idea should align with this need. When you address needs — and not just your desire to see an idea through — your idea is on the right path.
  • Some investors won’t invest in your idea until you’ve failed. There will be obstacles every step of the way of your launch — this is to be expected. But take heart: Your next failed step might be what you need to get an investor to buy into your idea. Investors want to see trial and error, growth, and projected outcomes.
  • Inspiration + education = action. Whether you want to inspire behavior change among your team or your potential customers, you need to first inspire and educate them through your well-communicated mission.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

 

Why StartUps Fail in Isolation

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We’ve all heard about billion dollar corporations that got started in a garage: Two Stanford graduates rented a garage as they developed a little internet search engine known as Google; Walt Disney’s first film was born in his uncle’s garage; Amazon was developed as an online bookstore right in the creator’s garage in Washington.

Although these stories are inspiring and encouraging, they are often the exception and only part of the story. The exception because most startups fail when built in isolation, and part of the story because the connections made after the ideation phase aren’t glamorous details in the story. [Read more…] about Why StartUps Fail in Isolation

104: How to Fail Well and Fail Fast with Dan Duncan of Oust Lab

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The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
104: How to Fail Well and Fail Fast with Dan Duncan of Oust Lab
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Summary:

In theory, launchers know they will fail — nothing is ever perfectly successful the first go ‘round. And while most of us know that to be true, we still struggle when the inevitable happens, often leaving us shaken and wondering if we were cut out to launch in the first place.

Meet Dan Duncan, creative director and co-founder of Oust, an Atlanta-based creative studio that helps startups get their footing, whether through creativity or investment. Dan says the key for any entrepreneur or intrapreneur’s success? Failing fast and failing well. Join us on today’s episode to learn what it means to fail successfully, why perfectionism is the enemy to success, and the tools you need to be confident in your idea or product.

Welcome to episode 104 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Oust Brand + Film Studio

Simon Sinek’s WHY discovery workshop

091: Creating the Culture You Want

Red Antler

069: When Passion and Heart Lead the Way: Dana Spinola of fab’rik

The 5 Elements of the Launch Loop

Elevator Pitch

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Personal Brand Assessment

Four Takeaways:

1. Avoid the pitfall of appearing successful.
The quickest way to fail? Focus more on looking like a success story instead of operating from a place of creative efficiency. The most logical path to success is having a product or service that meets a need and one you’re willing to change should the need arise. Don’t let your image and pride get in the way of the big picture.

2. Be confident.
No one else will believe in your idea unless you do. People will doubt your idea and ask questions — that’s their job. It’s your job to answer those questions with boldness and belief that you’re doing what you’re meant to do. If your idea is good, after a while, others will buy into it, too.

3. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Failure isn’t optional in launching. The key is to fail fast. Remember: Your first version will likely not be your last version, so create the first version, get feedback, create version two and repeat as often as necessary.

4. Surround yourself with peers six to 12 months ahead of you.
It’s easy to feel comfortable around a group of people who are in the same stage you’re in, but Dan encourages launchers to surround themselves with people who are just one step ahead — people who have been exactly where you are and have made it through. They can offer sound advice and the encouragement you need to persevere through the rough times.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

103: What We Can Learn About Launching from Filmmaker Matt Chastain of Limesoda Films

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The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
103: What We Can Learn About Launching from Filmmaker Matt Chastain of Limesoda Films
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Summary:

Making ideas and dreams a reality can feel like art or science, depending on your perspective. However, over time, we at Launch Youniversity have come to realize the act of bringing your vision to light is a lot like building a muscle — it takes repetition, trial and error, and a whole lot of concentrated effort. No story illustrates this idea better than Matt Chastain’s. A writer and director at Limesoda Films, Matt has refined his launching muscle over decades of other ideas and jobs that seemed unrelated to creating and releasing his full-length feature film, Small Group: The Movie. While today’s episode will give you a peek behind the scenes into what it takes to bring a film to life, you’ll also learn key principles about how to successfully approach your next launch.

Welcome to episode 103 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Small Group: The Movie

Small Group: The Movie trailer

The 5 Elements of the Launch Loop

Validate: The Fourth Step in the Launch Sequence

Four Takeaways:

1. Use the skills you have.
Like Matt, you may have spent years in another industry. Despite spending years working in marketing, Matt was able to leverage his past work experiences and relationships to make Small Group: The Movie. Your last few jobs may be totally unrelated from your current passion — that’s OK. There is always an idea or principle you can apply to your current reality.

2. Your first draft will likely be your worst draft.
Nothing is ever perfect at the beginning, and the same goes for your idea and launch. Make a draft, tear it to pieces, get feedback, and try again. You may have to do this a few times before your idea is ready to launch.

3. Discover your emotional driver.
In the thick of the work, sometimes it’s difficult to remember what all of this is for. Keep the big picture at the forefront of your mind — this will drive you to continue to persevere when the development phase is taxing.

4. Connection over self expression.
This may be your dream, but the whole point of it is to better serve other people. Don’t lose sight of that — your ultimate goal is to create a solution, not stay in one spot honoring your gift.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!