Building a Unicorn Business, One Percent at a Time

How important is it for entrepreneurs to embrace unpredictability, and what role does seeking help play in personal and business growth?

Glenn Harper and Julie Smith sit down with Blake Oliver, the mastermind behind Earmark CPE and host of The Accounting Podcast, to dive into his unique entrepreneurial journey.

From his unconventional childhood steeped in music to navigating the challenges of serial entrepreneurship, Blake shares how his ADHD and initial career in music shaped his path in the business world.

With insights on overcoming impostor syndrome, the importance of building a strong team, and focusing on creating value beyond financial gain, Blake's story is filled with lessons on persistence, adaptability, and visionary thinking.

We explore the intricacies of transforming ideas into successful ventures, the impact of financial stability on creativity, and Blake's ambitious vision for revolutionizing the continuing education market.

Empowering Moments

00:00 Introducing Blake Oliver, host of The Accounting Podcast.

05:06 Dad: Architect, urban planner, SimCity enthusiast.

07:06 Mom: homemaker, dietitian; Dad: business, complaints, influence.

11:28 Work service jobs; they change your perspective.

14:51 I chose math over pursuing music career.

17:11 Chose accounting for solid income, ROI credible.

20:29 Freelanced bookkeeping to pay for school expenses.

21:55 Early adopter bookkeeper gained business through certification.

25:20 Recruited as first product marketer at FlowCast.

28:28 Moved to Phoenix, drove around looking houses.

33:41 Learned SaaS metrics, realized value in subscription software.

37:45 Belief in product fueled by positive reviews.

41:24 Satisfaction follows purpose, not pursuit of fame.

44:28 Focus daily on practice, not immediate results.

46:22 ADHD: A superpower and a challenge.

49:22 Raising seed round for Earmark; pitching vision.

51:56 Practicing Bach's difficult E-flat major cello suite.

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Empowering Takeaways

Unicorn Potential in Market Shares

- **Blake Oliver** emphasizes that capturing even just a small fraction of a market—such as a tenth of a percent—can lead to developing a unicorn business.

Serial Entrepreneurship Driven by ADHD

- **Glenn Harper** and **Blake Oliver** discuss how the inherent qualities of ADHD, such as the constant pursuit of new ideas, often fuel a serial entrepreneur's journey.

Impostor Syndrome and Initial Business Lessons

- **Blake Oliver** shared his experience of impostor syndrome in his first business, eventually selling it to avoid failure, and learning from the chaos to make his subsequent ventures smoother.

Importance of a Strong Team and Process

- **Glenn Harper** and **Julie Smith** highlight the necessity of surrounding oneself with smarter individuals and having solid processes to bolster entrepreneurial success.

Customer Feedback as Validation

- **Blake Oliver** believes in the power of customer feedback to validate the quality of a product, as evidenced by over 500 positive app reviews for his niche app.

Financial Stability and Creative Freedom

- A stable financial background provides entrepreneurs with the freedom to focus on innovation and creativity, reducing stress and enhancing productivity.

Persistent Learning and Adaptation

- **Blake Oliver** uses his own experiences to illustrate that continuous improvement and persistence are key to overcoming initial failures and achieving success.

Personal Passion and Business Balance

- **Blake Oliver** balances his entrepreneurial duties with personal passions like playing the cello, underscoring the importance of not letting business consume personal life.

Systemized Business Operations for Quality

- Due to personal organizational challenges, **Blake Oliver** developed strong business systems to ensure high-quality work, which benefitted his firm and client satisfaction.

Parallel Journeys: Entrepreneurship and Podcasting

- The principles that drive successful entrepreneurship, such as focus on value and quality, are equally applicable to creating impactful and sustainable podcasts.

Running a business doesn’t have to run your life.

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