Launch Youniversity

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

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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

072: How to Launch and Grow Your Startup with Emma Pitts of PullSpark

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How to Launch and Grow Your Startup with Emma Pitts of Pullspark
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
072: How to Launch and Grow Your Startup with Emma Pitts of PullSpark
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Summary:

Launching takes courage. Maintaining the launch takes wisdom. Emma Pitts, CEO of Pullspark, is joining us on the podcast today to talk about both. From making bold asks to vulnerability and building a team, we hope this podcast is both encouraging and inspiring for all first-time launchers.

Welcome to Episode 72 of The Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

PullSpark

PullSpark on Instagram

Emma Pitts on Twitter

The Small Business Bible by Steven D. Strauss

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmul

The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

Three Takeaways:

1. Be bold in your ask.

There’s a lot of opportunity in the world if we have the courage to ask for it. Emma has had to step out of her fears and ask friends and business acquaintances, “Who can you connect me with in the next 30 days to help me grow my business?” Don’t be afraid to put a deadline on your request, either! People love being a connection point; when you respectfully ask the right person at the right time, chances are they’ll be happy to help you.

2. You need at least one person who’s been there before.

It’s not uncommon to hear “it takes a village” or “find your tribe” when listening to startup advice. But that can be intimidating for first-time business owners. Where do you even find the village? What if you’re a tribe of one? It’s okay. Emma tells us to just focus on finding one person who’s been there before, someone you can call and ask, “Do I need to file this paperwork?”

3. You can build your own safety net.

If Pullspark lost all clients today, they would still be fully funded for 6 to 7 months. This is because Emma follows Dave Ramsey’s plan of having an emergency fund. When most startup founders think of having large safety nets, they think it means having investors. But you can be your own investor. Make wise decisions; give your extra profit to the business; and with each passing month, you’ll be further along in your savings goals.

045: Courage, Vision and Listening to Your Inner Voice with Garrett Gravesen and Kevin Scott of ADDO

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SUMMARY:

If you’re waiting for permission to make or do something (like launching that passion project, pushing back on the status quo at work or even chasing that dream you can’t shake from your mind) then this episode is for you. And we don’t say that lightly.

Kevin Scott and Garrett Gravesen of ADDO join Shane for a candid and inspiring conversation about listening to your inner voice, staying clear on vision and what ten seconds of insane courage could look like. It’s an episode you absolutely do not want to miss.

Welcome to The Launch Youniversity Podcast.

LINKS + RESOURCES:

ADDO.is

Read More About Kevin and Garrett

Chick-fil-A Leader Academy

8 Essential Exchanges: What You Have to Give Up to Go Up by Kevin Scott

The Lepers’ Lessons: Five Questions, Two Perspectives, and the Pursuit of Purpose by Kevin Scott

Dooley: My 40 Years at Georgia by Coach Vince Dooley

THREE TAKEAWAYS:

1. 10 seconds of insane courage can change everything

Garrett and Kevin challenged us in the best way when they said that all it takes to get closer to where you want to be is ten seconds of insane courage. Ten seconds to quiet fear and speak up when you have something to say. Ten seconds to decide which road you’re going to go down. Ten seconds to get past all the mental barriers you’ve made for yourself. If you gave yourself ten seconds to speak a dream or idea into the world without fear, what would you say?

2. The voice inside of you will eventually get quieter (or, louder)

If there’s a voice inside of you telling you to take that chance, try that project, research a career change… don’t push it away. The more you push that voice away and don’t answer its call, the quieter it will get. Don’t wait for permission to do something about the dream or idea you have. And here’s some good news: When you answer the voice, it’ll get louder.

3. Life is too short to do business with people you wouldn’t want to do life with

When you listen to Kevin and Garrett talk about ADDO and the business partners ADDO works with, it’s clear that they not only love what they do, but they love who they get to work with. Life can be challenging and unexpected and surrounding yourself with good people, that you care for even outside of work, is essential for long-term happiness.

013: Vision and Generosity with Plywood People’s Jeff Shinabarger Pt. 1

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Summary:

This week, Launch Youniversity is honored to be joined by Jeff Shinabarger. Jeff is a social entrepreneur, leader, and author at Plywood People. Plywood is a non-profit in Atlanta that leads a community of over 200 start ups doing good. In this episode, Jeff shares his wisdom on how to launch start ups. We hope this conversation inspires you, challenges, you, and brings you closer to launching your ideas.

Welcome to episode 13 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Three Takeaways:

1. Take time to celebrate your wins. The Launch phase is tricky. On one hand, your so happy to have launched. And on the other, you feel like your workload in maintaining your launch just increased. It’s not healthy for your season of launch to move into a season of never ending busyness. After you have a big launch, take a vacation or take a few days off. Allow yourself to celebrate and take a mental breather. You’ll come back with a fresh perspective.

2. Having passion doesn’t mean you have a business. You need a plan. It’s important to understand the difference between a hobby, a project and a business. Hobbies bring you happiness, but may not always be something you can quit your day job for. A project is something that makes you happy and may make you money, but it has an end date. A business or organization is when you can afford to pay yourself with your product revenue.

3. Being an entrepreneur can be an interesting and lonely place. Jeff talks about the idea of the conference room table. Next time you’re by yourself near a conference table, take a seat at the head of the table. Now, imagine you’re the President of the United States and you’re in the situation room during a high-tense moment. Who are the people you want filling those chairs at your table? These are people who believe in you enough to tell you “no,” but also want the most success for you. Start inviting those people to speak into your life.