How To Think With Dan Henry The Ultimate Guide To Networking Through Podcasting With Sebastian Rusk
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Are you considering starting a podcast?
Maybe you’ve been putting it off because of your busy schedule…
Maybe you’re unsure of the next steps to take…
The idea of starting your podcast may feel overwhelming, and you might be wondering just how much a podcast could benefit you and your business…
Your podcast can be the ultimate networking and sales tool for your business when you learn this simple but effective strategy that will allow you to grow your business and attract more clients even without a large following.
If you have been putting off starting your podcast, this is for you!
In this episode, I talk with Sebastian Rusk about how he learned to use his podcast as the ultimate networking and sales tool! Sebastian shares his unique podcasting strategy that will allow you to learn how to use your podcast to create solid relationships, expand your business network, grow your business by attracting clients through your podcast, and so much more!
In this episode, Sebastian and I cover:
- How To Create Revenue With A Small Podcast
- How To Build Your Business Through Your Podcast
- Why Networking Can Create Opportunity
- Who Should Be Interviewed On Your Podcast
- How To Gain Clients Through Your Podcast
- Why Your Podcast Is The Ultimate Sales And Networking Tool
- What Is The Biggest Lesson You Can Learn From Gary V
If you got value from what you heard here, please be sure to subscribe and rate this podcast! Bonus points for you if you write a review! ;)
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— TRANSCRIPT —
Dan Henry: (00:00)
Hey, everybody, Dan Henry here. And in today's episode of the, How To Think podcast, we sat down with Sebastian Rusk, who is the founder of the Podcast Launch Lab, and also his podcast, the Beyond The Story podcast and this interview, it went for over two hours and it was really awesome because not only did Sebastian share a very unique podcasting strategy that allows you to really grow a business network. It's like the ultimate networking tool, even if you aren't an influencer, and even if you don't have a lot of people listening to your podcasts, very unique, you gotta hear this. But he also told some amazing stories like how he was able to land a gig speaking and seeing an insanely big event and conference when they didn't even know who he was. And as well as how he was able to spend an hour with Gary V what he learned from that hour, sitting down with Gary V and how he was able to actually reach out and get ahold of Gary V and just a lot of other amazing golden nuggets on how to network, how to get in front of people and just everything in between.
Dan Henry: (01:12)
You're really going to love it. And don't forget if you'd like to check out our app, How To Think, which gives you your daily dose of wisdom and helps you with your mindset. You go to HowToThink.Com and check that out. Without further ado, let's get into the episode.
Dan Henry: (01:32)
Sebastian, thanks for coming on, man.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:33)
Always a pleasure, Dan, great to be here. I
Dan Henry: (01:36)
I expected you to wear a bow tie.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:38)
The bow tie's been retired.
Dan Henry: (01:40)
I thought you loved bowties?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:41)
The bow tie has been retired.
Dan Henry: (01:43)
I thought that was your thing?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:43)
It's grossly uncomfortable to rock constantly. And I, a lot of my speaking engagements or MC stuff, people ask for it to be included in my agreement. That's that's how much of a thing it's become. And I gotta tell 'em that I've resorted to the Mark Zuckerberg, route of dressing every day. It's one less thing I want to think of.
Dan Henry: (02:02)
But, your voice is, it's like dark chocolate. Has anyone ever told you that, like I'm jealous of your voice?
Sebastian Rusk: (02:10)
I've been told I have a great face for radio.
Dan Henry: (02:16)
Phenomenal, and you're a standup comedian. I forgot about that.
Sebastian Rusk: (02:19)
I did you know, I don't think I told you, I have not been doing it when I think, oh, I just started doing it last time I had you on the show a couple months back. But dude, I wrestled with that for like five years. I'm like, I've been writing material. I can get on stage in front of 10,000 people and rock. I mean, I did traffic and conversions for like four years for how many people, no problem, like, that's my playground. Ask me to get in front of 50 people in a bar on a Tuesday at night at 10 o'clock and tell 'em jokes, terrified.
Dan Henry: (02:47)
Really?
Sebastian Rusk: (02:48)
So I started hitting up local comics cuz the Miami comedy scene pretty pretty it's it's a growing scene and I hit up one of the comics and I said do you do this full time?
Sebastian Rusk: (02:57)
She goes, no, I'm a speech therapist. That's my big girl job. And I said, how'd you start doing this? She goes, I went to an improv class and then my group of graduating people from the class we all put some skin in the game and said, let's go to an open mic. And if you go, you don't have to pay, but if you don't go, you have to pay. So we all went and I was hooked immediately and I said, great. I mean, you're funny. You're obviously doing a great job of it. And she goes, I go, how long ago is that? She about a year and a half ago. I go, let me ask you a question. Here's where I'm at. I'm terrified had her on the podcast. So we had a conversation about this and I said, I'm terrified about this. And she goes, let me explain something to you.
Sebastian Rusk: (03:28)
The fear is never going away, but every time I get up there and I do a set and I push through the fear, it completely invigorates me with life and I'm ready to go do it again. And then the next time I get up, I'm equally terrified again. And I said, interesting. She said, it's an art and it's a matter of what you want to do. So finally I finally mustered up enough guts through her encouragement and I just thought, I'm gonna go do it. So I hit up my buddy, Manny, who started Miami comedy. He had added me on Facebook and I got him on the podcast and I'm telling him all this and he's dude, what, what do you mean scared of com? Like I I've been following you for a couple years. I mean, I've seen your stuff. Like you're a natural when it comes to comedy, I'm sure.
Sebastian Rusk: (04:07)
Why don't you just come out to the mic and, and come out to a mic and give it a shot. So I did that and it was terrifying and it, there was a networking event going on at the bar where the show was going on and those people did not care that there was an event going on. So it was really noisy. So I say the right of passage normally in comedy is getting laughs in Miami. It's getting people to shut up long enough so you can make them laugh. So I finally went back I'm really blessed to have some really funny friends that are, that are terrified of comedy would never do it, but they wanna live vicariously through me. So we just do some incredible writing sessions through phone calls, like calling a buddy, but he's really funny.
Sebastian Rusk: (04:48)
And you're like, let's unpack this for a minute and start to navigate through. So wrote my first set. And I thought I was doing an open mic and I showed up. He's like, no, you're in the showcase. You're third up. I'm like, what? So he kind of hooked me up a little bit and yeah, from so far so good. But and then I got in my head a little bit in November, I did a show and he came up to me after and he said I was with two really, really good comics that got up and just crushed 10 minutes of Crowdwork like nothing, 10 minutes is an eternity in the comedy world. And he said to me you need tighten up the punchlines a little bit. And I go, what does that mean? Which joke he goes, I don't know.
Sebastian Rusk: (05:25)
You'll figure it out. But rule of thumb is six to eight laughs per minute. And I'm like, I'm sorry, come again. And he's like six to eight laughs per minute. So did you record your set? I go, yeah, he goes, cool, go home, listen to it. Every time you hear a laugh, make a little check mark on a piece of paper and that's how you're gonna wanna. Cause it was tough for me to segue from storyteller, speaker, podcaster to just, you know, joke after joke, after joke plus crowd work. How you guys doing? Yeah, you guys married. Are you related? How's what's going on here, you know, to be able to navigate through that and then hang tough, you know, know heckler's the whole nine, so.
Dan Henry: (05:58)
Wow man. That's so scientific six to eight laughs per minute. And to be able to like go in and break it down like that. I, wow. That's I feel like comedy, you know, we watch these great comics and they're a lot more scientific than we think. We probably have this idea. They just get on stage and they just like that, but they work on it, you know, like anything else.
Sebastian Rusk: (06:15)
Abolutely. And it's open mic, it's part of the craft. I mean, you'll still have, you know, the best of the best going and hitting, you know, The Laugh Factory or somewhere in, you know, the large, especially in New York and LA will go and work out, you know, material and see, you know, what works and what doesn't. I mean, even social audio, I do a room every Friday. That's got 75,000 people in the group. That's called Hot On The Mic, on Clubhouse. So every Friday at 3:05 there's 300 people in a room that you can go in and really work out material. Now you better hope people unmute and laugh. Otherwise you're cause I opened up last night.
Dan Henry: (06:47)
Oh that must be so awkward to not get a laugh.
Sebastian Rusk: (06:50)
Oh my goodness. Oh, I did. I jumped in. I'm like, oh, here we are again, comedy on Clubhouse, very comparable to talking to yourself.
Dan Henry: (06:56)
Wow.
Sebastian Rusk: (06:57)
Like almost identical to that. So, but people can, you know, they tip you and stuff like that. So it's a different again, a hobby. What, what can I, I said, okay, so what are we doing with comedy Sebastian? Is there a, is there a result other than an egos stroke? And I said, yeah, there is, I'm gonna take whatever I'm learning with standup, which is on the fly, which is quick, which is easy when it's not expected and I'm gonna bring it back to the stage and I'm gonna bring it back to the podcasting mic, and you know, which does help that process. It helps these kind of conversations. So still terrifying.
Dan Henry: (07:30)
Well, hey, I think everything worth doing that is rewarding is terrifying. I mean, if it's not terrifying, it's probably not very rewarding. So and that's what, you know, that's one of the reasons I wanted to bring you on here today because you have a very unique sort of unorthodox strategy that, or podcast strategy. And I wouldn't even call it a podcast strategy. I would almost call it a getting client strategy. It just happens to be with a podcast. You know, David Shands?
Sebastian Rusk: (08:00)
I don't.
Dan Henry: (08:01)
So he has a huge podcast. I was on it like a month or two ago and or a couple months ago, and then we had him on here and he's just got like a huge following. I think the podcast is social, oh yeah, Social Proof Podcast. And then he has like this whole, you know, he has like membership site and all this stuff.
Dan Henry: (08:21)
And he had a, we brought him on and you know, his model is to basically, you know, sell ads. Like it's a more traditional model, like sell ads. He mentions his membership site. And then what he does is when people come on the podcast, if they have a product, he will basically get an affiliate link or like a referral link. And they'll talk about their product. He'll mention to go check out the product. And then if somebody buys, he gets it cut. So that's like his three ways to monetize the podcast. But your way, I find fascinating because you know, when you have a traditional way to monetize a podcast and it's more like ads and things like that, you have to have a large audience.
Sebastian Rusk: (09:06)
Huge.
Dan Henry: (09:07)
Huge, right. But you've found out a way to start a podcast that is small or just not that huge, doesn't have to be huge and get a lot of revenue from it. And so I'd love to talk about that. And you, you help podcasters not only start their podcast, you have a podcast agency, which I think is awesome, but it's a very specific strategy. Can you go into what that strategy is and why it's a lot different than why somebody would even start a podcast for the most part?
Sebastian Rusk: (09:40)
I think a lot of people are confused on why they should start a podcast in the first place. A lot of people that come to me say, I, I wanna start a podcast and people are starting to educate themselves and understand that, Hey, maybe there are some strategies, a lot of people, I wanna get my story out. I wanna share value. I wanna, whatever the case may be. And I always invite them to consider what's possible with being able to structure a strategy that allows you to do everything you want to do. Talk about everything, you know, about your area of expertise, providing value to the world, getting clear on your, why, all that stuff. But then what does it look like to get very granular with the conversations that you're having and identifying people that can buy something from you eventually, you're not leading with that, but that is the end result.
Sebastian Rusk: (10:25)
How can I, so for example, if I'm a sales trainer and I start a podcast and I want to find new clients. Well I'm going to invite every prospect, that's on my hit list on the podcast. So I can tell their story, have a conversation with them and ask 'em what their biggest challenges are with sales, very common topic. Once I've been able to pour, once you're able to pour into that person's life through that conversation, by the time it's done, it was like, Hey Dan, you, you mentioned something specific about sales on there. And I would love to have another conversation with you. If that's something I can do, I would absolutely love your help with that. Let's for sure. Can we get 'em on the calendar for next week? Okay, great. And that happens a lot. So I end every conversation with, so when you start a podcast and I think I may have done that the first time I had you on the show too.
Sebastian Rusk: (11:08)
And you were like, actually it's in the works. And most people say I wanna start a podcast or I've already got one, or I don't wanna do it. Those are really the only three I on there. And if they want to do it and they're active on social, they understand the value of bringing somebody in to expedite that process that can help 'em put together a strategy, like being able to monetize it through the guests that they're having. It makes it just that much easier. But yeah, it's I've lived it for 12 years. Being an inconsistent podcast until 2016, starting in the show, stopping the show, recording an episode whenever I needed to meet somebody, but I've been able to build my brand in relationships with people in my industry, because I've been able to invite 'em on the podcast.
Dan Henry: (11:54)
Can I re-articulate that to you and see if I got it right? So basically what you're saying is most people start a podcast so that they can talk and the listeners listen to the podcast. And then buy your stuff, what you're saying is it's more backwards. It's you start a podcast, you still have listeners, but you're bringing people on who have the potential to buy from you. And by doing the show with them, that is your sales tool. Not that you expect every single person you bring on your podcast to buy something from you, but a large enough of a chunk of them do to give you a sustainable business. Would you say that is like the strategy?
Sebastian Rusk: (12:32)
Absolutely.
Dan Henry: (12:33)
Now you mentioned something a minute ago and I just wanna clarify, are you helping them live on the show or are you just using the show as rapport and then setting up a time to help them later and that ends up being your sales pitch?
Sebastian Rusk: (12:45)
Yeah. We're just doing rapport. It's all about them. You're not gonna, you're more inclined to have an opportunity created out of that conversation if you make it all about them. And you're serving them through means of just getting to know them, just through a very casual conversation like we're having right now and then at the end saying, Hey, Dan, I really appreciate your time. And I probably said that to you. Hey, listen, I appreciate your time. Thanks for being on the show. If there's anything I can do to serve you in the podcasting space, that's my game. It's my life's work. It's all that I do every day, so if you need help in that area, let me know. I absolutely 100% do, how do we set up a call? So
Dan Henry: (13:20)
I see, I see. So, so you're not actually cuz the one component there that I wanted to identify was are you giving them advice on the actual show?
Sebastian Rusk: (13:29)
No.
Dan Henry: (13:30)
Okay. Cause that could, I mean, I guess it could be done.
Sebastian Rusk: (13:34)
It'd be too salesy.
Dan Henry: (13:35)
Well, you don't wanna, I wouldn't think you'd wanna bring someone on your show and then like teach them or dictate to them or whatever. You'd want to talk about them.
Sebastian Rusk: (13:45)
Sure.
Dan Henry: (13:45)
And let them shine.
Sebastian Rusk: (13:47)
Correct.
Dan Henry: (13:47)
Okay. That's that's the distinction. Cause I know a lot of people like
Sebastian Rusk: (13:50)
A podcast about podcasting, I've thought about that and they do exist out there. It's just not something I get excited about. I'm like, let's get, I love conversations and storytelling. It can happen, which happens to be in the form of a podcast.
Dan Henry: (14:03)
So it's funny that you mentioned this because I had this weird strategy and it wasn't even something that I created. It just happened naturally. And I was like, huh, that worked. So in our consulting business, we would have, you know, we have multiple tiers where we charge this much and then for more help there a mastermind, we charge this much and you know, and a lot of people would buy our core program and they'd have success with it. So I used to do student or client interviews where I'd hop on and I'd do an interview with them and I'd let 'em share their story and their wins. And then of course we'd use that recording in marketing and ads and things like that. But I would always at the, after the end well I chit chat a little bit at the beginning, but after the end of the show or the just, it wasn't a show, it was just an interview that we used.
Dan Henry: (14:51)
But after that, I would just chat with them for 15 or 20 minutes. And I'm not kidding you. They would buy, let's say they bought a $10,000 package from us or a $10,000 program. They would get results with it, come on. And then I'd chat with them. I would say maybe 70% of the time, just chatting with them and giving them some one-on-one time and giving them some help. They would upgrade to my $55,000 package, my $55,000 program just from having a little one-on-one time with me. And then they go, well, that's really, you know, they saw how much just having that more personal, you know, time would help. And then I even had somebody upgrade a a hundred thousand dollars package and it just shows that personal connection, you know, and they go, well, Hey, you know, can you help me more?
Dan Henry: (15:42)
Like, do you have, like, what, like, could we talk about this more? And then you just get in the conversation, next thing you know, they're signing up for whatever personal coaching or an event or a mastermind some sort of higher package or whatever it is. Right. So I noticed that I never made like a consistent, it was just something I randomly did. And then I stopped doing the interviews and I had some staff do 'em, but you know, it, it seems like if I would've made that like a real thing that could have produced a lot of extra revenue.
Sebastian Rusk: (16:10)
Well, yeah. People want access and they want face time and they also want value. And also, and then they're like, well, if I got this for this, just this conversation, like what else is available?
Dan Henry: (16:20)
So that's what I would that, and that's something that I would repeat back to them. Sometimes they would say, wow, this was, and I would wait. I would see if they said anything, you know, if they said, wow, this was amazing. I said, well, if that 15 minutes did that much, imagine if you got to talk to me every, whatever month or X or this or whatever it was. And they would be like, yeah. Then they would sign up. I'm semi-retired now. So I don't do that anymore. I just like to do my little.
Sebastian Rusk: (16:45)
Semi-retired. I love that.
Dan Henry: (16:46)
I, yeah. I stopped selling currently I stop selling our my mastermind because I'm trying to focus on my new company, the app. And to me, that's like a potential billion dollar play. And I gotta really focus on that.
Dan Henry: (17:00)
And I, you know, I've done the events and I've done the meetings and all that for years. I'd love to say that this is my end doing it. I still have my personal coaching, but I feel like as with anything you say, well, I'm done, you take a break for a year or two, and then you get the itch. But you never know. I, one thing I never try to do is decide what I'm gonna do, because me now, you now, is a completely different person than you in two years, three years, five years. It's like literally a different human being. So why sit there and try to like...
Sebastian Rusk: (17:32)
Predict the future.
Dan Henry: (17:33)
Right? You can't, you know, cuz it's not the same person. So I just let, let it happen.
Sebastian Rusk: (17:39)
Your post a couple weeks ago has still had me thinking to this day. So
Dan Henry: (17:42)
Oh the, yeah.
Sebastian Rusk: (17:43)
Yeah. That was, I mean that had my wheels spinning because I'm on the complete opposite side. Right? I'm on the, I'm on the come up, if you will. Right. I'm still trying to get to whatever that mountain is. Right. Of the, of impact that's been my mission. But that was definitely some food for thought. Cuz there was so long I was like, I just want to be rich. And somebody asked me one day, like why? And I couldn't answer that question. And then it's taken as long as it's taken for me to become who I need to be. But also considering, you know, just this deep desire to want, to impact people in whatever capacity, back of an Uber, on an airplane, in business, on a stage, in a book, whatever it might be, being able to share my unique gift with them, whatever they're able to extract as the gift and leave them different. I mean, and I think that that is that that's gotta be some of the recipe to a life fulfilled. You know what I mean? Because yeah, I definitely don't wanna get to a fact, well, I did it. Now what? You know?
Dan Henry: (18:42)
Well, I think for me the biggest one of the biggest lessons I learned in life was the value of the word, No. You know, when you tried to be rich, you try to build wealth, right? Why do you wanna build wealth? You probably want to build wealth so that you can do something, right? You have a, some sort of hobby. Nobody just wants to be rich. I mean, if you do great, but it's usually because you don't wanna work or you don't wanna work for somebody else because you'd rather be doing X. Whether that's playing guitar, whether that's going snowboarding or writing an album or doing art or whatever, there's something you want to do that wealth affords you the time to do. But when you start building wealth, like decent wealth, not like, you know, I'm talking about like multiple millions, you know?
Dan Henry: (19:26)
You realize that what you have to do to get there. It changes you and the time it takes and then the responsibility, you know. Imagine that you don't have any employees. And you're like, I want to do this amazing thing. I want to be rich. And then you actually become rich. And you realize that along the way, you had to give jobs to these people to help you do that. And now you have a responsibility to them. They have families to feed. They have, and now you're like, oh, I want to go skiing for two months. It's like, but you can't cuz you have to steer the ship. And so you have this like journey where you realize that, and this is not in every situation. I mean, if you win the lottery or you come out, whatever, I mean...
Sebastian Rusk: (20:06)
That doesn't end well though. Have you seen that show? It doesn't end well.
Dan Henry: (20:09)
I have not seen that show.
Sebastian Rusk: (20:12)
Yeah. It's disaster. They end up losing it cuz that, I mean, that's the case in point of how really life works though,
Dan Henry: (20:16)
But it's funny how life works because it's a hero's journey. Like you, like you ever notice how the protagonist sets off for a goal. They go through a journey, they experience this thing. And then that experience changes them. And the end of the hero's journey is the transformation where they don't want that thing anymore. Or they want, they went through this life lesson that realized they want something else and it changed their perspective. So that's what happens a lot is you become successful for a reason, but then in order to get successful, that reason changes. And then you sometimes can get lost. Or for some people, they figure it out. Or for some people, they just pick something else. Or for some people, the very few, they actually still get that thing, you know, but out, you know, out of a hundred people that build wealth, 99 or a hundred are not gonna all what they want.
Dan Henry: (21:07)
They're gonna go through a journey that creates a completely different life than they expected. And sometimes that's hard to deal with. Sometimes it's harder to deal with than when you are on the come up when you can't pay your bills. You know, I remember when I could barely pay my electric and how many problems I had. I had like a few, I had eat, shelter, electric. Now I have everybody else's eat, shelter, electric. I have legal, I have this, I have that. I have like, and, you know, if you think about it, it's like they say more money, more problems. That is like super, super, super true. And if you're trying to build wealth to avoid problems, you probably shouldn't build wealth.
Sebastian Rusk: (21:46)
Yeah. That's great advice, that really is great advice. And I've interviewed, I've had friends and people that have, you know, and it's the common denominator was like, Sebastian, it is not about the money. It's about the journey of life of getting to where it is that you want to go. Cuz once you get there, then it is 100% now what. You know, and I look at guys like Gary V, very practical guy got more money than he'll ever be able to spend ever. But a very, very...
Dan Henry: (22:17)
Until he buys the Jets. He hasn't bought the Jets yet. Not quite enough money.
Sebastian Rusk: (22:21)
Well, my question is, Gary, are they, are the Jets for sale?
Dan Henry: (22:24)
Right? Like do
Sebastian Rusk: (22:26)
Well, he's gonna go in with some ridiculous over, over balling offer that, you know, there's, I'm confident it's gonna happen. He's too deeply passionate about it. But outside of that, it's not like flashy this and flashy that he's a family guy, like practical. But like has completely mastered like the money, success game type of deal and still all in. I think.
Dan Henry: (22:50)
But he couldn't get a sponsorship from Gillette.
Sebastian Rusk: (22:54)
What's that?
Dan Henry: (22:55)
He definitely couldn't get a sponsorship from Gillette.
Sebastian Rusk: (22:57)
Is that cause he doesn't shave.
Dan Henry: (23:01)
No, he doesn't. See, I need to take comedy lessons from you.
Sebastian Rusk: (23:05)
He doesn't really. I thought that's where we were going. I was like, Gillette. I'm like, no, that's where the Patriots, he hates the Patriots. I'm like that. I wasn't sure which direction we were going there. But I, it always leaves me curious on like, why a guy, he does practice what he preaches. He is who he says that he is. And I've been blessed to experience the human side of him and see that aspect. A very, very in tune, a very, very present, a very humble individual, which people are like, there's nowhere, that's it. And that is dude. He is like right there, man. Most of the time. If you're getting mobbed on the side of a stage, you're probably not gonna get that, you know, that much attention there. But...
Dan Henry: (23:45)
He seems like the type of guy that you would think would be kind of a jerk in person, but then when you meet him, he's like the nicest guy. Like...
Sebastian Rusk: (23:54)
You get nice across. Yeah. You get nice. Yeah. You get nice across the board. I started tracking him down in the wine, Wine Library days. Somebody tipped me off to him in 2010, like this guy's on YouTube. He talks about wine. You gotta look 'em up. I was so broke. I couldn't afford the audio book. And my friend...
Dan Henry: (24:08)
Could you imagine that? To go from talking about wine on YouTube...
Sebastian Rusk: (24:11)
No. Could you imagine being a stock boy in your dad's liquor store that was doing 3 million a year and going in there and being a stock boy and becoming a manager. And then be like, I'm gonna go sell wine on the internet when everyone told you that you're crazy, and are gonna take the marketing budget instead of the news paper, we're gonna put it into internet ads and turn it into an $80 million business, you know, in a seven year period, which was just nuts. And then he just left it to his dad and him and his brother AJ went and rented a conference room and in an existing startup in New York. And that's where Vayner Media began with their first like three employees and him and AJ were two of them. So literally bill that thing from cause a lot of was like, oh, you sold the liquor.
Sebastian Rusk: (24:48)
You know, you had the, you know, your dad's business and nobody handed him anything. He calls it, the immigrants advantage, right? Because he came to this country as an immigrant, didn't speak English and lived in a studio apartment with five people. And then to be able to turn it in to, I mean, what else could it be for other than impact? Legacy? He's big on legacy too. I mean, he's definitely leaving that behind, but could you imagine you had thousand employees now for Vayner Media? Could you, wow. It's just, I had his chief heart officer on a couple months back and her only job is to care for the employees. She's like staff care officer. I'm there to get to know employees and just care for them and their needs and their life and everything.
Dan Henry: (25:34)
Is that like a final form HR person? Like.
Sebastian Rusk: (25:38)
I think so.
Dan Henry: (25:39)
Just ultra...
Sebastian Rusk: (25:40)
Chief, CHO. Chief Heart Officer,
Dan Henry: (25:42)
Chief Heart Officer.
Sebastian Rusk: (25:43)
Been on his a team since 2016 started as a rep.
Dan Henry: (25:50)
And like clearly, like, you know, some corporations might laugh at that, but like it clearly works for them. You know, it's like, it's progressive. It's a very new type of way to approach things. You know, most of the time corporations they're like, you know, whatever.
Sebastian Rusk: (26:03)
That's a changin though. I mean, we look at the way that life has evolved 100%. In fact, my sister just took a job, went to work for her best friend that she went to college with and they own a large agency in five different locations based outta New York. And she originally started as like head of HR and immediately was moved to like that same space of like, you're here to like, just care for the overall umbrella with a compliment to HR. But nobody's excited to go meet with HR.
Dan Henry: (26:33)
Right, right. You, you know, what's funny about Vayner Media. This was like a couple years ago. I thought, you know, I was all like, ah, I'm successful. I should hire Vayner Media. I had this like little moment of egotistical, like, and I'm thinking that I can afford them and like, oh, I should check it out. You know? So I go on their website and the strategy's great by the way, because he goes out there and creates this huge social media following. Then he has these big companies that hire 'em for social media marketing. But I'm thinking, you know, it's gonna be somethin like 10 grand a month or something, you know? And then I go and I fill out, it's like 120 grand a month. I'm like, all right, I'm out.
Sebastian Rusk: (27:09)
Well, he's started, he didn't wanna just get into the agency world. He wanted to disrupt the agency world. As you know, and that is, you talk about high ticket. Like there's a line around the door again. Well, they've completely disrupted the agency world as you know it. I mean, they dominate the space with you see what they did with Budweiser and with Dwayne Wade's retirement and like all these Super Bowl. And like, they are like the premier go-to agency when it comes to large brands and budgets, but mainly they broke the mold saying, Hey, your traditional way of banner ads and newsletter sponsorships are gone. You need to be dumping money into Facebook ads and to Instagram, into TikTok and Snapchat, et cetera. So
Dan Henry: (27:51)
Isn't that amazing that he has social media content out there, at least his initial content. Now it seems a little more refined and more...
Sebastian Rusk: (28:00)
Now it's V friends.
Dan Henry: (28:01)
Yeah. Yeah. Which I own one. Yeah.I got in on that. I had to get in on that. But the fact that, especially in the beginning, his content was like really geared towards like 18 year old males that played video games all day and wouldn't get outta bed. And he's attracting these, they're not buying anything from him, maybe his book, but he's attracting these major companies. And I was just, my mind was blown by that. You know, I was just, it was just incredible. How, cuz what is that old saying? Like you, you put out stuff that attracts your ideal customer, but that's not what happened there. I mean his, the content he put out was not for people at Coca-Cola or something, but he just demonstrated such skill and such, you know, tenacity in that world. And he did so good with it that he got the attention of these companies. Even though at first, I don't think that content was it wasn't made for them.
Sebastian Rusk: (29:00)
No, not at all. Oh, he had to do a lot of selling early on. It was not, you know, he went to Pepsi Cola and Campbell Soup and Kleenex were some of his first, the New Jersey hockey team. They were one of the first, but he went out and actually did the actual pitching and selling the dream of, I know that 25% of your budget goes here now, I'm gonna need 15% of it to go to social media. And so to really change that conversation, and then he would get a client to get a result, get a client, get a result. And that's how that reputation was built. His personal brand is just something that helps support that whole process and him as an actual personality and an author and him as Gary, but I'll never forget one of the first things he ever taught me 10 years ago was that, and that's why I decided to start my personal brand and say, I wanna speak.
Sebastian Rusk: (29:46)
I wanna be on stage, I'll write books. I think it's my responsibility for people that can't hire me or aren't a fit I can provide value to those people. And he said, you know, Sebastian, your personal brand in perpetuity is your reputation. And it will always be your reputation. We're archiving our lives and it's the new scrapbook and photo books for our kids and for generations to come for them to look back and to be able to turn on YouTube and say, you know, this is your grand. My daughter will be able to say, this is your grandfather. This is my dad. You know, he used to wear bow ties. Can you believe that? Versus, you know, look at the old, you know, Polaroids in a photo album. So him teaching that aspect and then living it, I think has been, cuz he is his legacy, legacy, legacy. What are we leaving behind? And what footprints are we leaving behind through the impact that we're making? I think he's just found that real niche with, with personal branding, you know, and with his content, his teams are up to 25. Now that's just team Gary. That's just that's...
Dan Henry: (30:45)
And do you find it fascinating that his personal brand, I mean, think about it this way, right? He attracts these huge corporations and I'm sure they look at what he's done with his personal brand. They take that into account. They take that into account as a...
Sebastian Rusk: (31:00)
Well, they look at it and go he's got, I mean, his following is, is significant in and of itself. It's probably exceeding well over 10 million combined with just Facebook and Instagram and Twitter alone, so.
Dan Henry: (31:11)
But if you think about it, what is, I just had a conversation today with a consultant who we were talking about approaching the B2B space and selling to corporations. And she's like, you know, Dan, you know, you're gonna have to wear a suit and you're gonna have to not use...
Sebastian Rusk: (31:26)
Alright, scratch that.
Dan Henry: (31:28)
Yeah. Well, I mean, if it's a product that I'm not like personally a part of then whatever, you know, but she was just saying like, you know, you can't use profanity, you can't do this. And it is, that is a normal thing in the corporate world.
Sebastian Rusk: (31:40)
He changed all that.
Dan Henry: (31:41)
And that's the thing he's sitting there up in an F-bomb every two seconds and fricking these huge companies were hiring him. And that blew my mind.
Sebastian Rusk: (31:48)
It was a big challenge though. And it still is to this day, but he's to a point where his fee's up to like 250 for per keynote now. So he's extremely selective. Yeah. Per
Dan Henry: (31:59)
250 to rain F-bombs.
Sebastian Rusk: (32:03)
Like, like, like you wouldn't believe. And what's even crazier is that he left his agency that he was with like his first, when, when he was with CSS, who books, everybody in LA, Oprah, if you're anybody and you're speaking and doing speaking engagements, you're with CSS. And he was with them for a long time. And when he had first started, like, they didn't know what do with them. Cause you got like Oprah, Obama, you got like, and then you got Gary. And they're like, we really didn't know what to do with him. And I was able to I was able to get his old speaking agent on the podcast. Who's now his partner for Vayner Speakers. And they started Vayner Speakers for the same idea. Gary's like, Hey, I wanna disrupt the speaking industry as we know it, like this whole agency thing.
Sebastian Rusk: (32:43)
And this whole, like there's a better way. And his time, his agents time was done there and his contract was up. So they started Vayner Speakers to essentially manage Gary's, you know, speaking business as you know it. But that's been the F-bombs have been little bit of a challenge for it, but I would venture to believe that this day and age he's like,
Dan Henry: (33:03)
He's like, whatever...
Sebastian Rusk: (33:04)
It's 250 and I'm gonna say whatever I want. Cool. Like, that's just the way it is. I can't, like I can't...
Dan Henry: (33:11)
Talk about a dream job. Talk about a dream job
Sebastian Rusk: (33:12)
No slides, no prepping, no nothing. I mean, the guy just, he just gets up and just spits and
Dan Henry: (33:17)
Believe it or not. I about Brandon, what you say about when's the last time I did a, a speech for somebody where I had slides, it's gotta be at least three or four years, right?
Brandon: (33:30)
Yeah. I would say three.
Dan Henry: (33:32)
Yeah. So I, there was a point where I completely gave up slides.
Sebastian Rusk: (33:35)
Such a pain, they're such a hassle.
Dan Henry: (33:37)
And I just went with either nothing or whiteboard. And I remember I started going to these events and speaking, and they'd be like, where's your slides? We need your slides. Oh my God. We need your slides. And I'm like, I don't have any slides. And like, well, what are you gonna talk about? I'm like, I don't know, like, I'll get up there and figure it out. Right? And then there was other times where I would be not just speaking, but I'd be selling from stage, you know?
Dan Henry: (33:59)
And I remember one time I went to this event, it was a smaller event, but they had the organization, the main person was selling a package. Right. And I came on at the end to basically come in and say to all the people that didn't buy, give some content and be like, here's why you should buy this. And I didn't know anything about the product probably. I mean, I knew the product was good cause I knew the person, but I didn't know, like the specific, you know, deliverables of it at all. And I literally in the middle of my speech was like, and what else do they get? And I had no prep. And all I did was I went in and I started like talking to people and hearing what they thought, what they wanted to hear.
Dan Henry: (34:45)
And I just made it up off the top of my head and I sold four X, 400% more in that little made up speech than they had sold before I got there. And I started thinking about this, right. And I started thinking about guys like Gary V. And I started thinking about a lot of people that just fly off the top of their head. And I thought, what if the secret to being a great speaker is, or even a great salesperson or whatever, orator is not that you come up with this amazing speech it's that you build assets in your library, that allow you at any point to grab from those as assets as you need them and just deploy them. And that's when it completely changed how I thought about speaking and ever, I mean, since then I've done a million dollars from stage, like I think a couple times. And I've had days where I've done like 500, 800 and it was just, I literally bullet point it out and I just talk. And I just use the assets and I think that can apply to YouTube videos. It can apply to...
Sebastian Rusk: (35:48)
Comedy.
Dan Henry: (35:49)
Comedy. See, there you go. Yeah.
Sebastian Rusk: (35:51)
Yeah. It really does.
Dan Henry: (35:52)
Podcast, you know? So it's just an incredible how
Sebastian Rusk: (35:55)
It's, it's communicating in what genre are you communicating in? But being able to have exactly how much can you bank up here as far as information? Usually there's not a conversation that there's not an answer that I don't have when it comes to the podcasting game. Except for how do I make a million bucks on my podcast? I think just keep podcasting.
Dan Henry: (36:15)
Do you get that a lot? Do you get people that ask you that a lot?
Sebastian Rusk: (36:17)
Yeah, well people reach out and they're like, I have a podcast, but it's not growing. Can you help me explode my podcast? I'm like, can we talk about what exploding means? I don't. I mean, is, are we talking about grenades here or are we talking...
Dan Henry: (36:26)
And it's about the per, like, why are you starting a podcast? You're either starting it what to get famous, to make money, to get clients? And that's why I love your sort of strategy is it's almost as if you don't need a huge fan base for your podcast, other than an enough to make someone...
Sebastian Rusk: (36:43)
You need your fan base.
Dan Henry: (36:44)
Right. Right. But you're getting, so let me ask you a question. So when you sign, when you help people with a podcast and you do this like sort of reverse strategy where you're interviewing people, and then you're connecting with them, you're building out your network. And whether that turns into a sale for you, or that just turns out into some sort of deal that leads to business, that is like your ultimate networking tool. How is this, how is this working for? I know it's working extremely well for you, but how's it working for other people?
Sebastian Rusk: (37:11)
I try to teach it as much as possible when it's a fit. Sometimes it's like, listen, we just want to have a content component. And a, like for example, we launched a show last year for a employee benefits company in Louisville, Kentucky. And they said, we have no desire in monetizing this show at all. All we want to do is we are the premier provider for employee benefits to every manufacturer in Kentucky. And there's a lot of cool stuff being manufactured in Kentucky. I'm like, it's not bourbon? He's like, no, it's not just bourbon and thoroughbreds. There's a lot of cool stuff. So we want to have a podcast, having conversations with our clients, telling the stories of the stuff they create right here in Kentucky in our own backyard, it's called Built In The Bluegrass. So their strategy is just to massage their clients, existing clients, and also become the go-to source for the manufacturer's association.
Sebastian Rusk: (38:01)
That they're a big part of. And they're seen as the go-to source for employee benefits. This greases the deal even more. And then by default, more business comes in, but that's not their strategy. They could care less about sales. They're just doing it as a formality. And also as a piece of content, that's a great strategy too. And they've got a very, very successful business doing it. So monitizing a podcast isn't that big of a deal. But if you're a solopreneur, you're an entrepreneur. You're just getting your business started. You're writing a book, you're launching whatever you're launching. You should be starting a podcast to launch whatever that may be. Well, why would I do that Sebastian? Well, number one, you're able to educate people about what you're about to do, educate, motivate, differentiate about your product, your launch, your book, whatever it might be.
Sebastian Rusk: (38:43)
Number one, number two, the people that you need to bring with you along the way you're having conversations with by default, because it's a podcast. That's what the, that's what the format's designed to be able to do. So I think it, a lot of different components work together. As far as that strategy is concerned, but I try to teach it as much as possible. If you were just getting started, Dan, I'd say, Dan, start a podcast and start interviewing people about their biggest challenges for creating a course or getting new clients and solve their problems online. And if they really liked what you had to say on the interview, say, Hey, I'd love to hop on and have another conversation with you. And you'll find that you ever be able to convert a lot of those people into paying clients or like your buddy's strategy, or like you were on the show a couple weeks ago. That's a great strategy too.
Dan Henry: (39:23)
So you're saying that so again, that, that goes back to my question from before. You're saying that when they come on the show, you're not helping them. You're letting them shine. You're letting them help, but they have a problem that you can solve. So let me get, can I put you on the spot?
Sebastian Rusk: (39:42)
Absolutely.
Dan Henry: (39:43)
All right. Let's say you're a graphic designer and you want more graphic design clients, or you're a web design. You want more web design clients, you start a podcast and you bring guests on and you want to, you want a certain amount of those guests, hopefully to either establish a networking connection with, or hire you for graphic design, web design work. Walk me through that. Like literally like a movie, walk me through that.
Sebastian Rusk: (40:04)
So I just had a digital, actually what would be closest to that is had a digital agency just signed up with us last week. And he it's a new agency. He's like my main focus right now is clients. I said, of course. So what would it look like and what do you primarily focus on SEO, PPC local local online marketing for businesses. I said, great. What would it look like for you to make a hit list of 50 of your ideal prospect, your ideal clients, and schedule them for the podcast and tell their story, talk about their business, make it about them, and then have a part of that convers say, what are some of the biggest challenges you've found with being able to market your business locally, specifically online with SEO and PPC and things of that nature.
Sebastian Rusk: (40:45)
And he goes, I never even th and I really think that he ended up signing up and joining us because I was able to have that conversation with him and open up another area. In fact, we were mastermind when we had this conversation and we were in a breakout session and we were going around the room, talking about goals for 2022. And he stood up. He goes, my number one goal for 2022 is starting a podcast and they go, great. What are you starting a podcast for? He goes, cause I wanna have conversations with business owners where I can tell their story, get to know them, build rapport, solve their problems and convert 'em into agency clients. And everyone kind of looked around in the room and that was a conversation we had had to, and he's very laid back guy, polar opposite of my personality. So for him to stand up and like belt that out over like a lunch conversation from that, I knew that that's a strategy that definitely more people need to be taking serious. And I need to be talking even more about. I've been living it and then by default starting to teach it. But I definitely have not been like leading with it as far as marketing, why you'd wanna work with us.
Dan Henry: (41:44)
So yeah, so that's the thing, man. I mean, when we talked before this and you kind of explained your model, you know, I understand that, that you help people start a podcast, but when you said that, I was like, now that is an interesting strategy. I would make that everything I would make that it, that would be it. Like, I wouldn't even do anything else like that right there is, it's an amazing strategy. And it reminded me back when I did those success interviews, I'm like, that could be like a scalable strategy.
Sebastian Rusk: (42:10)
And it works anywhere. If you're, if you sell cars, start interviewing local businesses in the area where you sell cars and providing value for those businesses and getting to know those people, guess what those business owners do, they drive cars. And the next time they need a car, who are they gonna call? They're gonna remember Sebastian calling and having a conversation and get 'em on that really cool podcast. I ain't never been on a podcast before. A lot of people never even experienced something like this.
Dan Henry: (42:32)
So you just gave me an amazing idea, right? What if you were a realtor and you sold high end real estate and you started a podcast and the podcast was about, I don't know, country club living. And you bring people on who live at high end country club houses, or they live on golf courses. Cause you know, generally homes on golf courses cost more or yacht club living or living on the water. Like in Florida, you can't find a house that's on the water, at least right now that's under a million dollars unless you live in on a creek, you know? And so, and so imagine if you started a, if you were a realtor and you started a podcast called living on the water and you just reach out to people who live on the water and you, we have this podcast called living on the water, we want you to come on and we want you to share what it's like to live on the water and the challenges and this and that. Because other people who don't live on the water, maybe they want to consider it. And they listen to this podcast. And next thing you know, you have a connection with them and the next time they want to sell their house or buy another house, who are they gonna call? Is that how you would do it?
Sebastian Rusk: (43:35)
That's exactly how it's done. That's exactly how it's been, because it's about the core of its relationship building and it's rapport building and it's, there's a likability factor there too. People like you and I've got a personality that I've been told that people like, they resonate with me. I'm not for everybody, but a majority of people I have conversations with I'm able to resonate.
Dan Henry: (43:54)
I think you're raspy, comedian, I used to smoke for a while, but I quit voice.
Sebastian Rusk: (43:59)
I'm glad that I did. I did. I was
Dan Henry: (44:01)
Just enough to give you that light rasp.
Sebastian Rusk: (44:04)
Actually, I don't know. Yeah. It may, it may have been, it may very well have been.
Dan Henry: (44:08)
Oh, was I on point with that?
Sebastian Rusk: (44:09)
Yeah, it was. I'm glad. Well, before I was, I quit smoking cigarettes a long, long time ago when it was when everyone was quitting, you know, smoking was not cool anymore, but now I look at it. I'm like, I could not imagine being a smoker now with...
Dan Henry: (44:22)
I don't even think that's I, well, I mean it's cause I live in St. Pete. It's a very healthy city. I haven't seen somebody smoke in ages. I didn't even...
Sebastian Rusk: (44:29)
Well, if you do, you're like...
Dan Henry: (44:30)
Yeah, you're this. You're like, yeah, this horrible person, which I mean,
Sebastian Rusk: (44:35)
People still smoke?
Dan Henry: (44:37)
Yeah. It's like, do they still make you?
Sebastian Rusk: (44:38)
Proven, you know, surgeon general right on the side of the pack, like proven, like there's plenty of shit that can kill you. Like this is...
Dan Henry: (44:44)
I have not, I have not seen a smoke. I have not met or interacted with a smoker in so long. And I was just wondering if it just is outta style, you know?
Sebastian Rusk: (44:51)
I think it, I think they really, when I lived in California for 10 years and that out there was, you know, they're trying to change the world out there, but that was very extreme. Like nobody smoked, you can't smoke on the beaches. You can't smoke within 20 feet of a building.
Dan Henry: (45:04)
Think more people smoke marijuana now than they do cigarettes.
Sebastian Rusk: (45:07)
Well, I think, yeah. I think so. I mean, that's a conversation too. It was like, well, I mean, is it better? Is one thing better than the other? Well, I guess,
Dan Henry: (45:14)
Well, I think if you smoked weed at the same interval and frequency of a cigarette, you wouldn't be able to move. So it's probably.
Sebastian Rusk: (45:22)
Well, Snoop Dogg makes it happen. You know, Snoop Doggs' able to function.
Dan Henry: (45:24)
That's him.
Sebastian Rusk: (45:25)
Tommy Chong's going strong.
Dan Henry: (45:26)
That's a completely different thing.
Sebastian Rusk: (45:28)
Tommy Chong just posted something on Twitter the other day. It might have been Instagram. And he is like, you guys wanted to know what I did with all that money I made on the NFT. And he made a couch out of big, huge bags of weed.
Dan Henry: (45:39)
His investment advisors probably havin a heart attack.
Sebastian Rusk: (45:43)
Yeah he's still going. Yeah, exactly. He's still going at it.
Dan Henry: (45:47)
Did you pay taxes on it first?
Sebastian Rusk: (45:49)
Right? Oh, wow. Yeah, that's a whole, that's a whole nother crazy thing.
Dan Henry: (45:52)
So was I on point on the whole, like realtor, start of the podcast and all that? Wow. That's an amazing strategy.
Sebastian Rusk: (45:59)
I mean, that could be anything, you know, you're an MMA fighter? Start interviewing fight promoters that you wanna build relationships with and talk about how they created their fight promotion business.
Dan Henry: (46:08)
You hear that, Brandon? Did you, did you, did you catch that?
Sebastian Rusk: (46:10)
That was for you, Brandon.
Brandon: (46:11)
Yeah, I caught it. Thank you. Thank you.
Dan Henry: (46:12)
That's good, man. That's crazy good. Wow. There's so many applications to this, like, oh man, like, I'm just thinking like you could be an actress and this would work. You could be an insurance person and this could work. You could be a speaker and this, oh my gosh. A speaker.
Sebastian Rusk: (46:30)
That's exactly what I do for, I mean, a majority, if I want to get a gigg or I'm looking to get an event or I want to get on that stage somehow some way, let's get you on the podcast talk about the event. Hey, do you need more speakers? Do you need an MC? Nobody wants to do that job. And I can assure you I'm the best in the game. Really? I never even thought about that. I'm normally the MC do you enjoy that work? No, you don't. It's miserable. First guy there last one to leave. Terrible. I got more energy than the Energizer bunny. I'd love to have, have a conversation about what's possible. I don't do a lot of MC work anymore. Cause it's way too much work.
Dan Henry: (46:57)
I was literally just about to ask you if you wanted to MC my next event that I probably will never have, but if I do have it...
Sebastian Rusk: (47:05)
Well, listen, it's friends call, stuff happens. Absolutely. There's there's a few occasions.
Dan Henry: (47:10)
You have that like...
Sebastian Rusk: (47:11)
Dude, it's the most natural. It's the, it is the most natural thing I've ever been able to experience. And I start, I spent a lot of time going, Hey, look at me over here because I figured right after I met Gary, I was hooked on speaking. I'm like, I gotta do more of this. I absolutely love it. I've got similar energy to this guy and nobody wants to pay speakers and it's extremely saturated, but I thought, Hmm. I was at an event in Tampa. In 2013 it was a social media event. And I was there just as a blogger, just some there to create content. And this is before the influencer wave even existed. It was event called Social Fresh, still happens actually. And my buddy Jason Keith started, it's been a great, great model. He brings in large brands, Jet Blue, Hershey Chocolate of their social team as the speakers and then social media managers and agencies and marketing teams come attend the event and they learn about what big strategies and what Jet Blue's doing behind the scenes with social and how it works.
Sebastian Rusk: (48:09)
So great model. And he asked me for feedback about the event. And I said, the event was great, but by the first, by lunch, on the first day, I wanted to punch myself in the face due to the lack of energy. There just was no music. There was no, social media people aren't like the most exciting people. Like you've gotta, people come to an event for an exper and they also want to leave with that lasting impression. And he's like, so what is your suggestion? And I had not done any MC work short of like Ronald McDonald foundation auction and like Chamber of Commerce stuff. But I saw it and I felt it and I knew it and I'm like, well, I wear bow ties and I've got more energy than the Energizer bunny. Why don't you let me MC and he's a complete introvert.
Sebastian Rusk: (48:51)
So he was kind of like looking at me, like had 10 heads and boogers for a couple minutes. And then he called me back a few months later and he said you know what, we're gonna give you a shot at our San Diego event. Can't pay you. I said, not a problem. Just put me up and get me there and, and feed me, just make sure it doesn't cost me any money, but that allowed me to kick open doors. I met Mari Smith and Mike Stelsner was Social Media Examiner and, Brian Solis and all these guys that were, you know, significant people in the digital space early on when no one knew who they were, but I'm like, I've been watching and looking up to them. So I was able to build rapport with them based on connecting with them in the green room, because I was the MC that was cool.
Sebastian Rusk: (49:30)
And then eventually, I got paid a little bit there and then they changed the model and they were like, we're gonna go with a guy, girl combo and more of a host versus an MC. And that was totally cool. It wrote its course. But I was constantly seeking out new events and I'm scrolling through. I was looking on Twitter everywhere there's an event going on, I was sending out an email. Subject line, MC with a bow tie to rock your stage? Hey, what's happening, Dan? My name's Sebastian Rusk. I rock bow ties in stages, I see you got an upcoming event coming up. I'd absolutely love to be there. I bring an interesting component to your event that leaves the lasting impression for your attendees. I keep the event on time. I cut time. I add time.
Sebastian Rusk: (50:07)
I entertain sometimes I'm funny and I'd love to see if there's an opportunity there. So I was doing this prospecting constantly. But I found that if you don't know me, it's tough to get booked. Even though you've watched my reel and you've said, well, the guy's got chops, he can obviously do it. One day I'm on Twitter and I see an ad for an event called Traffic And Conversions Summit. It's it's 2015 and I'm like digital marketer. I never heard of them before, but let's follow them and I'll send them a quick tweet. Well, then Twitter recommends that you follow other people that are associated and they're like, well, you should follow a guy named Ryan Dice. And I was like, okay, cool, CEO and founder, we'll start at the top, work our way down sales 101 baby. So I hit Ryan up, no clue who Ryan is.
Sebastian Rusk: (50:46)
And, and I go, Hey, do you need somebody to rock your stage for Traffic And Conversions? And he replies right back and goes, actually we do your timing. Couldn't be better. I'm gonna DM you my number, let's hop on a call in the morning. And I'm like, okay, cool. So he called me on the way to taking his kids to the school the next morning. And he said, you know, Traffic And Conversions is growing. It's the largest marketing event out there. I nothing about digital marketer at all, other than, you know, digital marketing. I know there's a world out there. And he said, I am, I've been, I'm the face of the brand and of the event, but we're growing. It used to be one stage. Now it's two stages, three stages. Like I'm running all over the place.
Sebastian Rusk: (51:22)
We brought an MC in last year. He was terrible. I really don't want to do the MC part more. I want to do what I do best, which is get in, share my knowledge and that's it like [inaudible] So he goes, yeah, let let's do it. How much is it? He goes, how much is this gonna cost me? I had been building rapport and we had one mutual friend that I had met at Social Fresh. So return on the investment on that relationship there. And he said you know, if good enough for Tim good enough for me. And I said excellent. He goes, so what's this gonna cost me? And I thought, oh, this is game time. So I said...
Dan Henry: (51:57)
Didn't think about that did you?
Sebastian Rusk: (51:58)
I said, I'd booked here and there. It was like 1500 bucks there, a thousand bucks there.
Sebastian Rusk: (52:01)
I go with complete certainty and confidence, I go, it's 2,500 bucks a day, plus travel and expenses, and he goes, okay, cool. Send over your invoice. We'll get you paid in the morning. Get you looped in with the team, get everything situated and get you on production calls. I really, really appreciate you reaching out, dude. You are a total, this is, you saved the day. And I hung up the phone. I called my buddy. I was like, yeah, I just talked to this Ryan Dice guy. What do you mean you just talked to this Ryan Dice guy? Like, yeah, he called me, he was taking his kids to school and he booked me to MC he has this event, Traffic And Conversions, and my buddies a marketer. And he's like, wait a second, dude. He's like, what rock have you been living underneath?
Sebastian Rusk: (52:33)
Like, this is like the first of all, nobody gets on that stage. Like, how did you pull that off? I'm like, it might be the bow tie. So that really, that really helped me. You know, I learned a lot about the world of people that don't need you, like, they need an MC, but they don't need Sebastian Rusk. And I, there was a lot of lessons to be learned through that process and a lot of you know, and I've always been the, you know, hyper, you know, type of where it's been like, okay, let's, let's bring it. But I learned a lot there. And the biggest takeaway that I had, I did that show for four years. And the biggest takeaway that I had a was that these guys don't need me. They don't, they got 2 million bucks plus into the show.
Sebastian Rusk: (53:15)
Every time they go and do it, they make, God knows how much being able to, they don't need Sebastian and his bow tie, it's an added benefit, but my thought process going into it was like, I have made it ladies and gentlemen, I am the one that's on the stage. And I, that was not the case. I had a couple talking tos through that process. I came out one day and put my slide on with like a QR code to like connect with me on all my socials. And they were like, what did you just do? Like first day of the event, I'm like, I'm Sebastian Rusk, follow me. So that, that didn't go over too, you know, too well initially. I learned a lot through that process. I was still able to deliver the job as they grew. They added more stages, more MCs, and I kind of got lost in the mix. I'm a main stage guy, maybe ego. I don't know what it is, but if it,
Dan Henry: (54:04)
But the fact that you learned, like the fact that you, you got there and that taught you a sales and networking tactic and probably expanded your mind to where you could use that to, to do a lot more. I mean, you sound great. I bet when they heard your chocolate goodness of your voice, they were like, well, I gotta have this guy.
Sebastian Rusk: (54:22)
Well, there's three partners. There's, you know, or four partners. There's Ryan, there's Richard, Perry and Roland Fraser. So there was a lot of people to
Dan Henry: (54:31)
How many people were at that event when you spoke?
Sebastian Rusk: (54:34)
The first year was 5,000. By the time I was done 10. Wow. And now they've moved to the convention center and they've since sold the event off. Ryan and Roland are still involved with it, digital worker, still very much involved with it, but there's another outfit that now owns it. And it's still a large event. In fact, I was back last year. Their, VIP sponsor is an agency that I've been in conversation with. And they're like, didn't you MC this gig for four years? Like, can we bring you with us for the week to make introductions? And I'm like, is this real life? So I was back at TAC, not MC-ing, making the same amount of money to introduce people to my friends. I was like, this is this real life? So but a lot of life learning through that whole process. And.
Dan Henry: (55:19)
I have never been.
Sebastian Rusk: (55:19)
A lot of great connections. Yeah. It's it's great. It, I think is really like the go-to source in, you know, as far as like, you know, I've been to like, you know, the ClickFunnel type events, and it seems like a whole different world.
Dan Henry: (55:31)
I'm used to that and where it's like real energized and fun. And there's just these, it's just like, almost like you're a kid. You know, and then I, some of the other events I've been told that they're very corporate and they're, and I'm just like, ah, I don't want to go.
Sebastian Rusk: (55:47)
These are just the thing about it is, is like you can get to the sessions every day, as long as you can stay out of the parties. Like the...
Dan Henry: (55:54)
Oh, they have parties over there?
Sebastian Rusk: (55:55)
I mean, it's just parties. I mean, well, it's traditional, it's, it's really tradition to have the Dave Gonzales does the internet marketing party the night before.
Dan Henry: (56:02)
I spoke at, I spoke at one of his. He's good dude. He's
Sebastian Rusk: (56:05)
He's a good dude. He's a good, dude. And these are all people I was able to buid relationships, I didn't know who these people were. Like, I had no idea.
Dan Henry: (56:09)
They have that in California, right? Or San Diego?
Sebastian Rusk: (56:12)
Yeah. San Diego.
Dan Henry: (56:13)
Yeah. That's just a long flight.
Sebastian Rusk: (56:15)
It is. It is. I mean, again, you would wait and if you're there to build relationships, hang out. If you're speaking or whatever it might be, then...
Dan Henry: (56:23)
I don't think they'd have me speak there. I'm a little too rough around the edges, especially now that they sold it to whoever they sold it to.
Sebastian Rusk: (56:29)
Yeah. I don't know. I don't know who and I don't even, I, gosh, I haven't talked to those guys, and Roland Fraser's probably the only one I'm still in contact with. I Perry Belcher every now and then.
Dan Henry: (56:38)
Man, I love Perry. I talk to Perry all the time and he just cracks me up, man.
Sebastian Rusk: (56:41)
Yeah. He's a hoot man.
Dan Henry: (56:43)
Has he ever told you any of his old stories?
Sebastian Rusk: (56:45)
Yeah, we have had a few late drinking nights during TAC.
Dan Henry: (56:49)
I can't, I wouldn't feel right about repeating virtually any of them.
Sebastian Rusk: (56:52)
Yeah. no, don't.
Dan Henry: (56:53)
They're just wild, you know, they're completely wild. But yeah. So, so let me, let me ask you, this strategy that you have for getting people, clients through the podcast, networking and I love how
Sebastian Rusk: (57:12)
I've been strict with that strategy now. So for example, like, I'll give you an example. Victoria Kennedy, her team hits me up constantly with her clients. One of them podcasts, one PA and I reply back, do they have a podcast? Are they active on social? Do they have a following of at least 10,000? And do they have, is there an many remote interests in certain podcasts?
Dan Henry: (57:29)
What are the requirements like? When would you not interview somebody?
Sebastian Rusk: (57:33)
Well, never. I, if it's a fit and I wanna have a conversation, I wanna meet them. We're gonna have the conversation. Every, I just have to...
Dan Henry: (57:37)
But I'm saying, if you wanna meet them, what's the requirements to, if you want meet them?
Sebastian Rusk: (57:41)
Then they don't have a podcast.
Dan Henry: (57:43)
They don't have a podcast.Because your offer, your agency, it helps them create, and manage a podcast.
Sebastian Rusk: (57:51)
Now, secondary, if they do have a podcast, but they're not happy with their production company, the ongoing production, I may be able to get 'em I don't really market that as a podcast production service cuz it's lower ticket.
Dan Henry: (58:04)
Your bread and butter is getting them to start with.
Sebastian Rusk: (58:07)
Correct. And then the ongoing, sometimes there is a fact where if you call me and you were like, Hey, my podcast, people flew the coop and I need somebody who knows what they're doing. And we also do micro content as part of the production. So you get a produced episode and then you get a micro video, similar to what you do with the show here or an audiogram delivered as part of that as well as access to me on an ongoing basis. So it's kind of a unique deal. So I will offer that to some guests. If they already have a podcast, if you need any help with micro content, you wanna be you, you want to be in my sandbox and get all these things accomplished that you're already doing. Plus a few other ones, you know, let me know. But usually it's, they don't have a podcast. They have an interest in starting one, they're down to be on the podcast and they're active on social. So active somewhere online you've, whatever your platform is.
Dan Henry: (58:51)
They have a decent audience, maybe not a huge audience, but a decent audience, which shows you that they they've been doing something for a while. I imagine they have a product. Okay. And they don't have a podcast, but they could be open to it. And so the, before I have a brain fart here and forget what I was saying, these are very good. These are very good requirements. So, I'm just processing it. So cuz it's great. So when you do that, like you ever heard of the whole Wolf Of Wall Street, sell me this pen line. You know when Jordan Belford says, sell me this pen, you know the answer to that, right? It's how long have you been in the market for a pen? Because if they say, I don't want a pen, then you move on to the next person.
Dan Henry: (59:34)
I'll tell you, I'll tell you a quick story. So I used to work for Direct TV and we would go to the Tampa Bay Home Show and we'd go to these convention centers and they'd rent a booth and we would, me and three or four other reps would stand at this booth and people would walk by and our goal was to talk to them and get them to sign up for Direct TV.
Sebastian Rusk: (59:55)
I'm visualizing you at a trade show at a booth selling Direct TV.
Dan Henry: (59:59)
It was like in, this was me in my early twenties. So I stand there and I've always been a fan of poker where the first hour, you don't really play any hands. You just observe what everyone's doing. And so I'm sitting there and I'm watching these reps and we got like, it was something like a hundred dollars per sale or something like that.
Dan Henry: (01:00:18)
And so, or no, it was $50 per sale was $50 per sale. So the reps would talk to these people and they would talk to 'em for an hour trying to convince them to sign up. And sometimes they would, sometimes they wouldn't. So I'm thinking to myself, okay, there's eight hours in a day. You're gonna take an hour for lunch. You're probably gonna take another hour for fidling around. So that's six hours. That means if you take an hour to talk to each customer, even if you have a perfect closing ratio, right. You're only gonna make six sales, but likely you're gonna make three. Which means the most you're gonna make today is $150. And I'm like, why am I here on a Saturday working for this company to make $150. So I'm like, there's gotta be a better way to do this. So as I'm watching, I I start noticing and things.
Dan Henry: (01:01:03)
So I, and my, my manager was getting really angry with me. He's like, when are you gonna talk to somebody? You know? And so I'm like, all right, I better start talking to em. So I had this crazy idea and I didn't know if it was gonna work. So I stand out in the aisle and I have a piece of paper in my hand, which is the signup sheet. And as people were walking by, cause I'm thinking this company has a lot of branding. They have a lot of information out there. Right. And so they're walking down and I just started saying, Hey, did you forget to sign up for Direct TV? Hey, did you forget to sign up for Direct TV? And what happened was most of the time people would say, what are you? What, no, what are you talking? And I, okay, bye.
Dan Henry: (01:01:36)
Like, bye. You know? But then every 5, 6, 8, 15 people, which only took a couple of minutes to go through somebody would say, how did you know that I was supposed to sign up last week? And then the kids and then da, da, da. I said, I got paperwork right here. We'll just finish it up. And they go, okay. And they signed up and then next, did you forget to sign up for Direct TV? Did you forget to sign? What, what are you talking about? And oh yeah, I had an appointment, but I canceled it because this happened. And my wife's been on me to do it. Cuz there was like 10,000 people there. I'm thinking out of 10,000 people...
Sebastian Rusk: (01:02:11)
How many people forgot to sign up for Direct TV.
Dan Henry: (01:02:14)
Right. And so I sold like 20 people that day and all I did, I didn't sell anyone. All I did was have people fill out the paperwork. Paperwork only took five minutes. So I'm like cranking 'em out. And the other reps are looking over like what are you? What is happening an my manager was like, what is going on here? And I ended up breaking the record for the most deals at that time sold at a trade show. They took me to Atlanta, Georgia. I got to meet the vice president of DirecTV at this whole thing. They flew me out there. And I, it was just this dumb idea I had. You know? And it reminded me when I saw the movie Wolf Of Wall Street, it reminded me about sell this pen. The truth that if the person doesn't have a need for your product, you should waste zero time trying to convince them to buy your product.
Dan Henry: (01:03:05)
You move on to somebody that needs your product. End of story. And it just seeing that, like, I'd love to say I saw the movie and then I implemented it, but it was like backwards. But it just, it I've always stuck with like, if you don't have the problem, don't waste time marketing to, or networking or approaching that person. And so that's why I asked, you know, with you and this strategy, like you go out and you find people that have this problem. So that's, that's my next question. How do you find people that have an audience and need a podcast? Like how do you go out and find that?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:03:38)
They're all over the place. If you just go on LinkedIn, you go on what LinkedIn, you go on Instagram, you go on TikTok. I've, I've converted people from TikTok. I've been able to say, Hey, listen, I love your content. You're totally crushing it. They normally have, you know, they're a social media influencer that has actually built a brand. They're a coach. They do something within that space. And it's always a, Hey, so when you starting a podcast? Same thing as when start a podcast. Yeah. When you start. So when you start a podcast,
Dan Henry: (01:04:02)
When did you forget to sign up for DirecTV?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:04:04)
Yeah. Did you forget to start a podcast? Right? Did you actually, I didn't like it's on the list.
Dan Henry: (01:04:09)
When is that podcast of yours launching?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:04:10)
Right! Well, we've got plans. It's just, it's just, I have so much going on and I understand there's so much going on, but guess what? There's not gonna be less going on next week. And the only thing I'm not making more of time. Right. So the best time you start podcast yesterday.
Dan Henry: (01:04:23)
And you, you have basically a done for you agency where you, with the exception of doing the actual content, correct? You do everything else. Correct.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:04:28)
So all you gotta do is what I tell you to do. And then get the episodes recorded all the, all of the work and then upload it once it's done somebody on your team and we teach how to make sure that whole process, you know, gets handled. But the I, our ideal avatar you will for, for using marketing terminology is someone that is wants to start a podcast, understands the value of hiring an expert to expedite the process that has a proven system to get 'em to the finish line. And, and doesn't bat an eye at an investment of it. And just knows that an investment with this person is going to get me that much faster or to where I wanna be versus trying to figure, cause you can start a podcast on your own. I mean, read my book, go to my YouTube channel and do exactly what it says.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:05:09)
And you can start a podcast this weekend, if you really, if you really wanted to, most people don't want to go through what I've outlined is about 13 different steps in the podcast launch process of logistics. But my real gift is, are my crazy ideas and being able to come in and go, so what about this? And I really didn't think about it and stretching people a little bit and being able to get 'em out of their own comfort zone. Cause some people put the blinders on. They're like, this is what, you know, it's like the same thing with offers. This is what my offer is and that, well, what about this? I mean, what's possible looking at it from, and walking people through that process, but also helping 'em create, you know, the brand, the cover art. I mean a lot of stuff comes to life through that process. The cover art, the logo for the podcast is the hardest part of the process. That takes us the most time. That's the back and forth. But at the same time, I also say, there's a point in time. We're gonna need to make decisions. We're not gonna play this design game forever. We can get creative, but we can also sit here until kingdom come talking about changing that little thing to that little thing.
Dan Henry: (01:06:12)
What's been your biggest, like sticking point in growing this agency and growing this all offer?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:06:18)
I think the fact that podcasting is over two decades old and it's just now gaining popularity. It gained a little bit of steam back in 2008 when the serial podcast came out, that True Crime podcast. And then the case ended up getting overturned because of the podcast and that guy got outta prison and that it gained a little bit of steam. If you're a true crime guy.
Dan Henry: (01:06:37)
I have not watched that. I don't even know that story.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:06:40)
Yeah. It's called Serial, like serial killer. And it came out in 2008 and the entire podcast launched and unpacked the story of a serial killer's case and turned come to find out that the guy really didn't actually do it and ended up overturning the case or something like that. Something drastic happened as a product of it.
Dan Henry: (01:06:55)
That's like the that show on Netflix that came out the Tiger King. Like he like the dude on there was like...
Sebastian Rusk: (01:07:02)
Wasn't that around here somewhere?
Dan Henry: (01:07:03)
Yeah. Dude is 30 minutes away.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:07:04)
I thought so.
Dan Henry: (01:07:05)
It's literally right here!
Sebastian Rusk: (01:07:06)
Like Venice, right?
Dan Henry: (01:07:06)
Yeah. Like I forget, but I mean, I'm watching this show and everybody's like, this is insane. I'm like, dude, this is where I live. People are like this everywhere. Like this is normal. Like I see these people at Walmart at 11 PM Every time. I mean, I haven't been to Walmart 11 PM in a while.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:07:22)
I was about to ask you what the, what the hell you're doing at Walmart at 11
Dan Henry: (01:07:24)
Back in the day I would be at Walmart at 11:00 PM and literally like, everybody was a tiger king. I mean, that's normal. And, and so...
Sebastian Rusk: (01:07:31)
In pajamas.
Dan Henry: (01:07:32)
Oh yeah. Oh dude, Florida, Florida and pajamas. Like everybody goes out in pajamas. I don't understand, you know, but the fact that things from that show caused him to go to prison. Like if you're on a documentary, why would you sit there and talk about your plans to kill someone? Like what I mean, I, oh, wait a minute, Florida.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:07:58)
Correct. We can blame Florida.
Dan Henry: (01:08:00)
I'm a Florida native. So I can say that. I'm allowed to, I got the card, I got the card. Anybody else you can't say that.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:08:07)
You got the Florida cred to be able to doit. Yeah. You know, I, I always say that, you know, stupid should hurt, bad. Could you imagine if it did? I mean, the world would be a little bit more of an interesting place, I think. But
Dan Henry: (01:08:19)
So, so, so in terms, so that's like the general though, industry outlook, but like for you specifically, what's been your, what's been the hardest thing for you to get more clients, to get twice as many clients for this as you do now?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:08:32)
I think it's, I think it's as with anything that podcasting isn't new, but with, with people understanding the reason behind it, like when I walk a car dealership through, or car or somebody who sells cars, a sales manager, why do we wanna start a podcast for his personal brand or whatever it might be. He had never heard of that idea before, until we had that actual conversation. I listened to podcast. I like sports podcast. I've heard of podcast. I never thought I'd be utilizing it for, for what I'm doing. And I think as people start to see what other people start doing with podcasts, their wheels start to spin. And you know, the downside of that, there's a lot of, I wanna start a motivational and entrepreneur podcast.
Dan Henry: (01:09:14)
You gotta work backwards. Right? So, so, so what I'm hearing is that you, or what it sounds like you're saying is that the sicking point is explaining to people how it can help them and sort of removing that idea that they may already have implanted in their head.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:09:32)
Correct. Or they don't have an idea. I said, would I just,
Dan Henry: (01:09:35)
hey don't see how having a podcast could. Cause you know, you think, oh, start a podcast. You're think, oh, a bunch of people gotta listen to it. I can have thousands and thousands of downloads.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:09:41)
Yeah. What if nobody listens? That's the number one. What if nobody listens? I said, what if you never start recording? And we can do this all day of what ifs, but like what, here's what I invite people to consider for a minute and try this on for size. What does it look like to put the blinders on for the next 16 to 24 months, head down and just go all in with your podcast and make it the number one piece of content that you create for your brand. In fact, my most recent talk is titled how starting a podcast can solve all of your social media content problems. And I firmly believe that start a podcast. You got a video component, you got an audio component. The audio component can be chopped up into audiograms. The video component can be chopped up into micro content.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:10:22)
You've got graphic assets. We're talking like a minimum seven to 10 pieces of content per episode. Well, what does that do? It promotes the podcast. It helps you create more content. You're able to achieve your goals of being able to at least get content out there. That's the number one majority of brands have. We just don't have time. Or we just had, you know, I had my cousin doing it for a while and he went off to college. There there's a various amounts of reasons. Why brands are not going all in with content and I firmly, but there's plenty of brands that, that do get it have followed Gary's blueprint of being able to create content and multiple pieces of content on a daily bases, be consistent with that content and then count all your chickens. After a significant amount of time, we've been doing this for a year and a half. We've been doing this for 24 months. And that's what I tell everybody. Put the blinders on, give yourself 18 to 24 months podcasting before you give yourself permission to throw the towel in. Cuz I know for a fact...
Dan Henry: (01:11:16)
Well, you know how people are these days? Sure. 18 to 24 months. But let me ask you a question. If you do this, I mean, how quickly can you, how quickly on average do people gain a client from starting this process?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:11:29)
It depends. I never give 'em those numbers cause I'd be lying to 'em but I say I well,
Dan Henry: (01:11:34)
In your experience and what you've seen, have you ever seen somebody in the first say five episodes, land a client?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:11:40)
Absolutely. If you're, if you're, if you're going into this thing saying I'm interviewing people that I, that are my prospects that are in my demographic, that probably need what I have to offer. I mean, it's a numbers game that, that the numbers of eventually start to.
Dan Henry: (01:11:54)
What per, so let me ask you this out of all the people that come to you for that specific reason, meaning they agree with your premise. They are saying to themselves, I agree with what Sebastian said. I need to start a podcast. So that X, Y, Z, they agree with that premise. Do they find success a lot faster than the people that come, that don't agree with that premise or they come to you for a different reason to have their podcast?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:12:21)
I think that's, yeah, because there's a couple different reasons. Some people want to step into that content that host that I've never done this before.
Dan Henry: (01:12:30)
But the ones that come for that reason that follow that line of logic. They get results way faster than the others.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:12:36)
100%, because they're intentional with saying the conversations that we're having the interview, my interview strategy is to get to know somebody build a relationship and rapport. And if I provide value through that conversation, and there's an opportunity to say, Hey, you mentioned during our conversation X, Y, and Z, that's, that's our, that's our mojo. That's exactly what we do. Let's have a conversation about it. They're more inclined to, to, to wanna do it. And
Dan Henry: (01:13:01)
What percentage of your clients only care about that premise?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:13:06)
I say it's 50, 50.
Dan Henry: (01:13:08)
So half your clients care about a premise that always gets them results. And the other half care about a premise
Sebastian Rusk: (01:13:14)
Of just being in the content game and the relationship.
Dan Henry: (01:13:17)
It doesn't necessarily get them immediate results?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:13:19)
No, because even if they're not, even if they say I wanna start a podcast to just create content and to build relationships that that has a monetary aspect too. Cause eventually those relationships can be turned into something monetary.
Dan Henry: (01:13:32)
But what I'm saying is the other half more consistently sees an immediate result. Sure. Because they've gone all in on your, your ideology around this.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:13:43)
Yes. And it can also blow up too. I mean, you can have something where it, you got something that just explodes and then you're able to get into a podcast network and monetize it. And the whole traditional route too, which I, I'm not a fan of that.
Dan Henry: (01:13:55)
Imagine if you only worked with people that agreed with that premise and wanted to do it that way and that way only.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:14:02)
I I'm getting I'm tightening the reins more and more around that. I, I do wanna make sure people are clear that we're not gonna just start it for whatever reason you think you should go and start it. There's going to be a shared common. You have to sell me on why you wanna start a podcast. I'm not here just because you have a budget and you can afford to hire me. That does nothing for me at all, knowing that you share a vision and that I share your vision, cuz if I can get excited about it, a lot of people probably can probably get it about it is my thought process. Cause there's a lot of dumb ideas out there. I, I say, I say constantly to on a daily basis that I talk more people out of starting a podcast than I do starting a podcast.
Dan Henry: (01:14:40)
So I I'll give you an example, cuz this has reminded me of something I went through. So, you know, I charge currently I hate saying what I charge cuz then by the time somebody hears it, maybe..
Sebastian Rusk: (01:14:51)
Are you bragging Dan?
Dan Henry: (01:14:53)
No. Well it's just, it changes, you know? So like people, like I heard you say on this show one time, da, da, da, but I charge a six figure price for one on one consulting currently. Right. And I'm very picky about who I work with for one very specific reason. It's because I don't wanna work with anybody that won't get that back super fast. Cuz you know, dude, I used to deliver pizza, charging somebody a hundred thousand dollars. The first time I did it, I was like, you know, like this is a lot of money, you know? And I really wanted to deliver like I really like, can you imagine that I don't know what the most you've ever charged is, but imagine charging somebody six figures.
Dan Henry: (01:15:29)
Like I don't worry you the, I don't worry about if they're gonna buy, I worry about what happens when they buy. You know, because now you really gotta deliver and I didn't come out of the gate with a, with a six figure offer. And so what I thought about was all right, let me look back on my career and let me like really analyze what has worked and what good decisions and bad decisions I make. The last thing I ever want to do is charge somebody that much money and they don't get a result. They don't get it back. So I thought about it. I was like, everybody that has ever come to me that has sold something cheap. Right? They sold something like a thousand books, 500 bucks, a couple grand, and they've got a ton of results, but never as quickly as somebody who I've convinced to charge 10, 20, 50,000, right? Like higher ticket prices. Because for them, you know, imagine if I charged you a hundred grand and I teach you how to land $50,000 clients, how many do you have to land to completely get your investment back? Two. Right? So for me that's super easy. I'm like, oh my God, I only gotta get 'em two clients. And then everything after that's gravy. But if you say to me, help me sell this $500 product. I'm like, man, I mean, I gotta dude like...
Sebastian Rusk: (01:16:45)
How many units gotta move? Right.
Dan Henry: (01:16:46)
I mean you just gotta move. And not that I've, I mean, I've helped people do that, but it's like this much work compared to finding clients that pay a lot more, this much work. And I really know how to do that. So I made a decision. I will never, I never would take on that level of client that didn't agree with the premise. They didn't agree. I should be charging high ticket. I should be charging a lot of money and finding people who are willing to pay a lot of money to solve their problem, cuz I'm just setting myself up for a headache. And so I never took on anybody that, you know, that did not agree with that premise. And as a result, I've never had somebody not get their investment back super quick. And it wasn't the fact that I'm really good at what I do.
Dan Henry: (01:17:32)
I mean, I'd like to think that I am, but it was more about the strategy and the decision making of only working with clients that fit into a mold that are great for you. Great for them. You know, they're gonna get an amazing result and you know it's gonna be smooth sailing. It's when you compromise that you cause your self problems in my opinion. Sure. Because I have compromised in my career and every time I have compromised, it's been a nightmare. But when I say this is the way we do it, this is our premise. This is our strategy. You either agree with it or you don't. And if you don't great, good luck to you. But, if you do, this is how we're gonna do it moving forward. And we're not accepting anybody else. That's when things have really worked out.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:18:14)
And that, you know, I, I try to, it's, it's a slippery slope between those two conversations because I don't want people to get obsessed with going, I'm making this investment so that I can get this back because of podcasting. Cuz people can go down that rabbit hole too. The versus focusing on the work at hand, let's build this thing. Let's create the relationships let's get consistent and really, really good at this. And then start swinging for the fences and figuring out how we can fill in the gaps.
Dan Henry: (01:18:43)
Well maybe they don't make sale, but maybe they get a connection that leads to some sort of...
Sebastian Rusk: (01:18:47)
That is that in and of itself is, is even, I would say is even more rewarding. It's been in my experience for people to say, can you believe I was able to get so and so on the show, this is incredible. Like this is great. And if I asked them, is that better than closing a deal? They would probably say yes. And for me that's a win cuz I like the other side of the fence too, which is, I can't believe I closed a client so quick. Excellent. You know?
Dan Henry: (01:19:12)
So you like make podcasting the ultimate networking and sales tool.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:19:17)
Is the new, it is your new business card. It is your new networking event. It's your new conference. It is your new ability to get out there and connect with people. What we were born to do as part of the human experiences, connect and build relationships with people. We're now living in a space where those relationships can now be scaled into building a business, a brand, contributing to the bottom line and up starting a podcast, creating content, following your passion about what your thing is and having conversations around it can in turn, grow your business and change your life. I 100% believe that. And it, it, when I say your life, there's a huge component of personal development. I mean, I spend a majority of time pulling the, talking the kitty out of the tree, as far as being in their own head, I'm gonna sound like crap. I'm gonna look like crap. What if nobody listens? What if, what if nobody buys, what if going down this whole, you know, instead of just staying focused on what's important.
Dan Henry: (01:20:10)
How many times have you seen a football team they're doing terrible. And then at the halftime, the coach or the quarterback does a speech and then they come back. It's not like they learn any new football skills in that 20 minutes. You know, they just got motivated. And so I think that, you know, it's important and for you to motivate your clients and, help them with their head space. Because without that, without learning how to think about things, you're not gonna be able to execute things. Not that I'm dropping my show name.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:20:40)
Like I say, I see what you did there. Itis. I talk about it. I say that a lot, that may be the title of the next book podcast is a lot life, a lot like life, because it really is. I go through a lot of my similar conversations about life in some of these coaching sessions and about, you know, things, just life in general. I don't know a lot about I know a little bit about you know, a little bit and that's been my experience thus far just with life. But as far as becoming who I need to be as a human being, becoming fully accountable for my life, I don't blame anybody for anything that happened it's all my fault. I always say that constantly too. Remember, it's all your fault and it always is. And
Dan Henry: (01:21:21)
Have you ever read the book Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willick and Leif Babin. Oh dude, you'd love that book. Okay. It's all about basically saying everything's your fault and, and taking ownership of everything, even if it isn't your fault. And I know that sounds crazy. But that's like, it's like the ultimate leadership skill, you know, but you should read the book because in a vacuum, what I just said is probably could be misconstrued a thousand different ways.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:21:45)
You know, it's a matter life is a majority of life is showing up 100%, right? Getting in the car, driving three and a half hours for podcast and just showing up, right. Not with, with the one intention. I had one intention of coming here today to have a conversation and to get to know you better because we've been building a relationship over the past couple of years and you've done some incredible stuff with your career so far. And I can learn a ton from that. And hopefully you get something from me too. But the idea is to just constantly invest into relationships and like the example that I gave of this most recent show that I'm hosting, which I never, in a million years thought I would be getting paid to host a show. That's like a large media outlet calling me going, do you wanna be our podcast host, will pay to do it. And I can. And I do this zero planning. I mean, I look at a bio, I look at a link, I look at a name and let's dive in how complicated could it possibly, but it's my get me being able to leverage my gift for that. But those are all relationships of, I look back when that initial introduction was made and I'll never forget Gary going. I'm so glad you guys met. You guys totally need to connect. And I'm like, why?
Dan Henry: (01:22:50)
And how did you meet Gary V?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:22:52)
I hunted him down like the DA looking for child support. He was...
Dan Henry: (01:23:01)
Oh my gosh. That's great.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:23:03)
These were early days. So this is a great story.
Dan Henry: (01:23:05)
You're gonna make me wanna hire you for a, for like a private party comedy if you're not careful.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:23:09)
Yeah. I'm gonna be, I saw the picture from the Halloween party. I can do the, I can do the whole yeah. Is there a stage around?
Dan Henry: (01:23:16)
I mean, I can have a stage brought in or whatever you want brought in.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:23:21)
Absolutely. Private parties bought mitzvah. I'm I'm totally kidding. So it was 2012. His first book came out in 2010. I think Crush It came out. Second book was Thank You, Economy. Well, I found out about him right in the very beginning. I was trying to figure out my life.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:23:38)
I had lost everything I had no money, had a bus pass. I had a skateboard and I was, that was about it. I read crush. It antennas went up. He gives us an email address out everywhere, always has still does. And I emailed him, but I quickly learned a good hack, which is number one, if somebody you want to get in front of is going to be in your town offer to pick him up at the airport, take him to the hotel, be their transportation, find out, you know, to, and from the airport. That's, that's one hack. I didn't do that with Gary, but the other one was get to know their, their team. So at the time he had a very, very small team. It was him, his brother, AJ. And he had a guy by the name of Phil Toronto was his assistant.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:24:13)
So I started to follow Phil on Twitter. And I quickly found out that Gary's next book. He was doing a book tour and one of those book tour stops was going to be in Miami. So I hit Phil up and I had Phil's email address. I think I guessed it. I was like, well, it's Gary at Vayner Media. It's probably Phil Vayner Media. So I emailed Phil and I, I did, I, I talked to him back and forth. And he is like his PA like his assistant at the time he runs Gary's hedge investment fund now of like, I it's like 65 million. They having that fund now. And he's like the head of it, wild story. But at the time was a, his assistant. And I started to build some rapport with him and I had sent an email and I said, Hey, Gary's gonna be in literally in my neighborhood.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:24:54)
For the Thank You Economy, Miami book stop, can we do an interview? And I didn't hear back. And I heard back like a week later and I'm thinking it's gonna be like flip cam in the hallway type deal. And he calls back and he said, yeah, we can it meet Gary there at six, the book signings at seven. I said, not a problem. So a day after that, I'm like, well, I have to figure out I need to go get like a flip cam, like tripod, like this wasn't like iPhone 4k days. This was, you know, we were just getting outta flip phones. And the day before that I had a video production company call me and they go, Hey, Sebastian, my company was called Bocial buzz TV. And I was running around town in a bow tie and social buzz, this and yada, yada yada.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:25:33)
And they said, we've been seeing some of your events and content. We like your stuff. We'd love to work with you. And I was like, great, what are you doing Tuesday night? And they're like, actually, we're available. And I said, good I have a book signing for a guy by the name of Gary Vaynerchuck? They're like who? And I'm like, it doesn't matter. It at Books And Books in Coral Gables. He goes, oh, we just did Russell Simmons book signing there last month. And I was like, as luck would have it. Well, I'll see you guys Tuesday night. And I'll never forget. Gary just walks up the street by himself. And nobody really knows who he is. There's some social media people there, but it's not like mob scene at all. And he walks up. He's like, what's up, man? It's so good to meet you dude.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:26:09)
And we go into, it's a pretty sizable, you know, old school bookstore, but we went into the side where the book signing wasn't and we set up, like they had full set up cameras, lights, microphone was the worst interview I've ever done. It was terrible back then. Terrible. And I was just so like energetic and it was, it was too much, but we, we got it done, but I was able to spend an hour with Gary while we're setting up and we're doing an interview and like the whole nine and was able to ask questions. And I said, you know, we I've done 10 videos so far this year for Social Buzz. He's like 10, like I did a hundred rid by like the end of like the first month, like get to work, like that's terrible. And so I got the clip still from back in the day.
Dan Henry: (01:26:49)
That guy blood is made of cocaine.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:26:53)
It was it was, it was a crazy experience, but that's how I, that's how I that's the first time that I did meet him. And then after that as I started to do MC work I would be the MC for the event and he's the keynote speaker. So we'd see each other. And oddly enough, there was like a time that every event that I would see him in the green room, he was the keynote. I was the MC and he was on his way to Miami. So crazy. It happened at Traffic and Conversions one year too. And that was, that was a crazy experience too cause I walked in the green room and he was sitting with Dice. Like that's part of the deal. Like that's part of the keynote is like, yeah, hang with the partners.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:27:25)
You hang with the sponsors. Like that's part of like this whole thing. Like I get up and walk in the green room and like he tells Dice, hold on a second, like gets over, greets me, gives me a hug. And they're like, who? That's our MC like I know they think I'm just like the hired MC guy, you know, but which I was.
Dan Henry: (01:27:40)
Did that make up for the QR code?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:27:43)
No, that probably I, that contributed to maybe, you know, my, what would end up being my fate with, with digital marketer, which was, you know, the, we grew out of each other all good. Still a great relationship there. But I, that was another lesson too. I was like, ah, I don't know if I should have done. Like, I still, the video's great. Like we did like a, we were in the elevator and I was asking him about like his notifications.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:28:09)
I'm like, how do you handle your phone? He goes, I turn, 'em all off. He's like, look at my Snapchat, 35,000 views, like per snap at the time that he was going and doing. But it was really cool to run into him. And that was when, like, even my family was like, oh, I, I didn't, I knew you had interviewed him, but I didn like, you know, him know him cuz we got done. And I said, Hey, good to see you. And he, he like tapped me on the shoulder. He goes really good to see you too brother. And so my, even my, I think my sister texted me. She's like, so you like know him, know him, and this is right. This was 2016 I think. So people were starting to, he was becoming more and more popular. I mean the guy's a phenomenon now, like a total celebrity and inaccessible.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:28:46)
Like it's tough to, I haven't seen him in a few years now nor even talked to him. It's tough to, to there's so many people get out. He's become the go-to source for social media for like the world. So we're talking rappers, athletes. I mean the stories that he shared of like people just hitting him up and being like, what should I do with my brand is just crazy. It's like, he's had, he's like I have rappers. And like people Jay-Z, like what? So it's, it's cool. Who's, who's become as a personality, but also for the world, like it really like that go. I want to become that for the podcasting world because I see what podcasting has done for my life. I see the impact that it has on business and I see the impact that it has on life and then the ability to turn it into a business. And then I'm able to leverage my personal brand that I've been working so diligently on for the past 10 years of just that on-air personality. I used to say, I would be the, like the Ryan Seacrest of the branding and business type of world where celebrity endorsements and things of that nature. No, you got Sebastian Rus talking about your brand, your product, hosting your podcast, whatever it may be. And that's now starting to take...
Dan Henry: (01:29:52)
Maybe you can be the Sebastian Rusk.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:29:54)
Oh, that's. Well, I stopped saying I exactly in the very beginning I used to go, I'm gonna be the next Ryan Seacrest. And somebody said, Hey, why don't you become the next Sebastian Rusk and I never ever said the next Ryan Seacrest ever again.
Dan Henry: (01:30:05)
So I'm gonna ask you one more question and then we'll, we'll let people know where they can check out your podcast and all that jazz. What is the biggest lesson you learned from spending an hour hanging out with Gary V?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:30:19)
Make time for people and stay humble.
Dan Henry: (01:30:23)
Yeah. So in an hour with Gary V
Sebastian Rusk: (01:30:26)
I've seen him turn down, security, get completely mobbed, inundated selfies. He did an event in 2018. That was the last time I saw him. That's when I met Jordan with Grit Daily, when I just inked that deal to host their show in 2018. But I'll never forget that there was the no media at the event. He did it at Dolphin Stadium and cause he's partners with Steve Ross. Cause I was like, you're a Jets fan. Why are we at Dolphin Stadium? But Steve Ross who owns the dolphins, his business partner was one of the original investors in Vayner Media way early on when Gary was trying to figure out what his next move was. So he had access to this. So he rented it out and did an event called Agent 2021. I connected with him and he connected me with his event girl.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:31:05)
And I, he said, Hey, he I've known Sebastian a long time. He's a good friend of mine. He wants to come cover the event. If you guys are bringing media in, there was like no media. There, there were a few people tech companies and news outlets, but I walked in and it was just him and his event girl. So we got, got an opportunity to catch up again, same experience, humble, present, making time. How's everything. How's Kayla, how's your daughter. How, how are your kids doing? They're growing up this whole, like this, this, this real. And we walked all the way down to the field cuz he opened it up with his keynote and we had this conversation and caught up for 10, 15 minutes and it was just him and I, and I didn't even put two and two together and asked, who's introducing you and we go up.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:31:44)
And he's like, Hey man, I'll he goes, I'm gonna go do my thing. I'll catch you upstairs this afternoon. I'm like, all right, cool. And I walk out and we're on the football field. That's where the stage was. And I hear the AV guy go, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, the CEO and founder of Vayner Media, Gary Vander, Chuck. And I'm like, Ugh, what a missed opportunity. So I'm roaming around at taking, you know, I've never seen so many videographers in my entire life at this event. Like you've created monsters, Gary and I'm walking by and just getting like a quick clip. And I don't know if he caught like my, I cut his attention or what, whatever was when he was on stage. But his, his premise was for all of you agents, real estate agents, insurance agents, you guys are not doing enough.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:32:26)
When it comes to the content game, you can be doing way more for guys like Sebastian and points me out in the middle of the event on here. When I say he got done with his talk and I got mobbed was crazy, bro. But wow, I learned that it's his humility. He's not too proud to do anything. And people completely misread that. And he makes, he told me that early on Sebastian, doesn't matter where this road takes you and where you end up going and how big and famous and rich you get. I don't care. I don't give three rips, dude. You always make time for people always and remain, present, actually care about them. And if you can't do that, then you need to really rethink this thing. And I think that's what a lot of creators and influencers and you know, I think people are tired of the guru and tired of the influencer because what we've experienced over the past 10 years of you don't really know who's what or what's what, but what happens when you get to meet the person behind the Instagram account and in real life and have that experience, are they leaving you different?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:33:23)
Did you have an experience because of that? And I know that's a long winded answer, but remaining humble and, and making time for people is so important with discretion. Of course, you know, you can't, you know, you've only so many hours in, in a day that you can be and you can't be everything to everybody.
Dan Henry: (01:33:38)
But in an hour with Gary V you could have talked about anything you could have talked about...
Sebastian Rusk: (01:33:44)
The interview was about social media mainly, but you're talking about my experience that I took from him. It's always present and it's always like there. And just man, I remember you from, yeah, I'll never forget him responding back to the Agent 2021 and looping me in with his team. He goes, I known this guy a long time, take good care of him. I, and I thought, wow, Gary V telling his team, he's known little Sebastian Rusk a long time to take good care of.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:34:08)
And they did. They took impeccable care and oddly enough, his, his sister was there that day. His mother was there. I met the whole Vayner clan oddly enough, which was which was really cool. But that's probably my biggest takeaway. And then, you know, the association did yield a lot of business. I mean, that being able to, I still have the picture to this day on my Facebook cover as being able to edify myself of, and I don't do it to brag. I do it because this is a product of carefully cultivated relationships. And for showing up, I've never asked Gary for a thing, ever, other than can I interview you? Can I make it all about you? Can I talk about you et cetera. And I've tried to like, get, you know, there's no calling in favors or anything.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:34:49)
He has a rule. I just, I don't share anything. I don't, I don't do any favors cuz I'd have to do it for everybody. Mm. And I thought, Hmm, that's another one I'll put in my, another feather in my cap that I'll keep close, which is you can't be everything to everybody, but you can definitely serve people and you can over deliver in any capacity. And I try to do that. I try to pour into people in any capacity, sometimes it turns into business. Sometimes it, you know, I wear these shirts everywhere. So people are like podcasts suck. I love podcasts. What's your podcast all about the new ones have a QR code. So if I'm on an airplane or somewhere
Dan Henry: (01:35:22)
You love QR codes, don't you?
Sebastian Rusk: (01:35:24)
Well, yeah, because, Oh yeah. Yeah. Because ladies and gentlemen, very, very funny comedian coming up, internet marketer, extraordanair comedian Dan no. Well they scan, it goes right to my right to my calendar, right to a sales page. Get, 'em get, dare I say, get 'em in the, get 'em in the sequence of getting in touch with you. There we go. We didn't, we didn't use the F word.
Dan Henry: (01:35:43)
It's, you know, it's, it's interesting that you mentioned the humility and the make time for people because, you know, I, I grew up in my career in the whole like direct response, internet marketing, influencer guru thing, and, and all these gurus, they, while they teach you like how to be this person, and one of the things I remember that I always kind of, and I've done it and it sucks. And I hate myself when I have done it. But you know, the thing I've always struggled with was one of the pillars of being a guru or of selling access is that you have to limit your access. Right. Because if you limit your access, it becomes more valuable. And if you just give everybody access, it becomes less value. And they they've taught that for decades. And, you know, when I learned that I kind of understood it, but at this same time, it sort of it went against kind of like what I, what I believe, because you know, when I'm at events and stuff like that, I like to talk to everybody.
Dan Henry: (01:36:48)
And I like to respond to people on social media. And I know that a lot of amazing influencers that are coming out now, they say it respond to everybody. I remember seeing Trent Shelton live and he said, you know, take an hour a day and go on your social media and just respond to people. And just you, not your team say hi, you know, and I remember hearing that and I remember hearing things like what you're talking about with Gary V and, you know, just one day I started responding more to people and I got outta my head of that whole like, oh, you need to remove access to yourself and restrict access. And this makes you more valuable. And, you know, the thing was, it didn't hurt my business. It didn't make me any less,
Sebastian Rusk: (01:37:29)
Maybe even helped it.
Dan Henry: (01:37:30)
I, yeah, there was multiple times where just me responding to somebody like, you know, I just really appreciate you responding personally.
Dan Henry: (01:37:37)
I, and what I use, I send voice messages. Cause you know, if you respond, you say, Hey, thanks, man. Yeah. I think I sent you a voice message on Instagram. Sure. But if you just respond with a text, people are like, oh, that's probably his team. I've had people say that, oh, this is probably, this is probably your assistant or something. And I'm like, nah, it's me dude. And they're like, no, it's not. And I'm like, I send a picture, you know? And then I thought one day, like what if I responded with voice? And so I just started responding and saying, Hey, you know, let you know, thank you so much, da, da, da, da. But I learned something about that. If you send somebody a voice message, they send voice messages back and then you gotta listen to 'em. Right, right.
Dan Henry: (01:38:11)
And then they send generally send you like 10. And so what I do, so what, well, here's what I learned when I send a voice message. I'll say, Hey, listen, I don't get on here much. And I definitely don't listen to like voice messages cuz you know, everything's just so crazy. But I wanted to take a minute to send you a voice message and let you know that I really appreciate it. Da, da, da. And I send that over. Yeah. So I set that expectation that know I pop in here and there and not dude, I don't have anywhere near the social following that, that some of these guys have, but even still with the small amount that I do, it
Sebastian Rusk: (01:38:43)
Makes a huge, huge difference.
Dan Henry: (01:38:44)
Yeah. Yeah. And so I started adopting that and I, I think it works better than this traditional like restrict access to yourself.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:38:51)
Well, nobody, I just like I, to my point earlier, I think we're all sick of the guru, right. And of the, of the influencer and trying to figure it, you know, it all out. I think that we're moving into this creator economy where it's extremely powerful and it's gonna be extremely powerful for individuals and for people starting businesses and following their dreams and doing their thing or whatever it may be. But at the same time, you know, that's my concern with this whole, that averse thing. It's like, do we need less human, like less interaction, like less real life. I, I don't know that that is the solution. I think a good combination of the two, that's a completely different episode, but
Dan Henry: (01:39:28)
An episode where we talk about how the intentionally made life suck so bad in order to sell an alternative,
Sebastian Rusk: (01:39:34)
We're not buying JPEGs of apes for quarter mill.
Dan Henry: (01:39:38)
Yeah. I'm guilty of that.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:39:40)
Do you own an ape?
Dan Henry: (01:39:41)
No, but I got it in Neo Tokyo. I got into, I own a punk.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:39:44)
You did tell me about that.
Dan Henry: (01:39:45)
Yeah, I, I did. I think I spent 250.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:39:48)
You were my motivation to start an NFT collection. So I am officially, haven't announced it yet. And we'll talk about it later. It's top secret. But I'm trying to figure out, you know, what utility, in what purpose.
Dan Henry: (01:39:59)
That's the hardest part. The hardest part is to figure out what your utility is. Alex Becker did great. Dude, I got in on that, that
Sebastian Rusk: (01:40:05)
Guy's like, I mean, I, I can't even keep up.
Dan Henry: (01:40:07)
Like I get like 16 bites a day and they just stack and, and they were up to $260 per bite at one point. You know, now, right now everything's down. Cuz
Sebastian Rusk: (01:40:16)
He just launched his second phase two or like right. I started following him right after.
Dan Henry: (01:40:19)
Yeah. It's like, and he, everything with the game. And like I started, when I, when I first started thinking about it, I was like, oh, it'll just be like, I have the art done for mine, but I'm, I'm taking my time on the utility. But you know, I thought about it and I was like, where's this all going? It's going in games. People love games. So I thought about developing, you know, a game and all that, but I'm, I'm staying focused. That's the thing, man, this, this new stuff out here, it can really distract you because we can sit here all day long and talk about like NFTs and this, and I'm an investor. I've believe it or not. I had, I want do a YouTube video on this. I but do you know, I sold my yacht to buy NFTs.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:41:01)
Well, it was, I, it wasn't public information, but you did tell me about it.
Dan Henry: (01:41:03)
Yeah. So what, so I did, I mentioned on your podcast.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:41:07)
Oh, but you told me it was a royal pain in the is the main reason that you sold it. But it was a great investment opportunity too.
Dan Henry: (01:41:13)
I'll just real quick. Okay. I'll just real quick. Tell this story. So I bought the yacht, it was 2 million. I learned that you could create a business out of it by making it a yacht charter business. And if it's a business, there's all these tax benefits. And essentially you could kind of get the yacht for free if you structure the deal. Right. But then of course there's the maintenance, you know, and the crew and the crew. Right. And when we did it, it worked out, I was more than breaking even. And I started doing these consulting gigs on the boat, I was charging 20 grand a day to just hang out with me on the yacht. And I give you business advice. We were booking two to three of them a week. And so my yacht crew was like, dude, you paying for everything. Like we're making a profit. This is nuts. You know? And I'm like, you know, it's just a different way to do it. Right. Well then COVID hit, the pandemic hit and all of a sudden everything changed. And all of a sudden this yacht that was doing well, that I like thought I, I was all like, yeah, I made, I made, everybody says a boat is a hole in the water. You throw of money. I figured out how to make it profit. And then life is just like, guess what dude, pandemic.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:42:19)
I thought you bought it because of the pandemic.
Dan Henry: (01:42:21)
It was right before the pandemic. But we had booked stuff out and all that. And well, I didn't, well, see, you didn't know it was gonna be that bad then. Right. Right. You like, oh, there's this thing. But you didn't know it was gonna be what it is.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:42:32)
I think you told me the first time you were on my show, you're like, we're almost done with this. We're almost out of it. Like they were doing a, yeah. They were doing a parade in in downtown Korea or something. Remember that the first time you did the show.
Dan Henry: (01:42:41)
Right, right. Yeah. And so I didn't think so when we bought it, like, or I thought that would be over in a couple months and a lot of people did cuz we bought it right before that. And so and when I say we, I say that because I, I literally created a company to buy the yacht.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:42:59)
Myself, my yacht broker. Yeah.
Dan Henry: (01:43:01)
My, you know, but I, they say we is more polite to say, but sure. The point is, is that when I did that, this horrible thing happened in the world and what was working no longer worked. And now it was a hole in the money was a hole in the water that you throw money into. Right. Because at that point I couldn't book out the charters. I couldn't book out. And then there was all this stuff and things became more complicated in the yacht world. And so the expenses went up and materials. Nobody wanted to work. Right. Nobody wanted work. And so now I'm like, man, this thing is like, now it, now it really is a drain on me. So I saw all I invested in multiple NFTs that started paying me a ton of money and you know, I'm thinking, okay, hold on a second. Real Estate's crazy. Right now it's super expensive. Materials are super expensive. The yacht thing is, is killing me. So I was like, you know what, I'll sell my yacht and I'll buy, I'll use the money that I put into my yacht to buy NFTs. I sell the yacht. I invest in multiple NFTs. And just one of them made me everything. It like completely covered all my losses and just got me whole on the whole shenanigan, all the shenanigans, everything
Sebastian Rusk: (01:44:14)
On this episode of below deck St. Pete dude, Dan gets richer.
Dan Henry: (01:44:20)
That show, I watched that show before I bought the boat and I was like, this is complete Hollywood, whatever. Yeah. And then after
Sebastian Rusk: (01:44:27)
Captain Lee's a dick though. He totally is. Yeah.
Dan Henry: (01:44:30)
But it's true. Like it's not that dramaticized sure it really isn't. And I learned that a year after owning the boat, I was like, I, well
Sebastian Rusk: (01:44:37)
Think about what you're, you know, people that, you know, free spirits, don't like being in any one place at one time, you know, we're on the water, it's gotta, you know, you're, you probably have some sort of demographic..
Dan Henry: (01:44:48)
Oh, theres so much alcohol involved in an industry where you have this enormous expensive piece of equipment that is floating in salt water. And it's like, right. Super nerve wracking when you're the owner. And you're just like, ah, you know, but that's, that's my story.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:45:03)
Did you get to enjoy it though? Did you go on any trips or didn't take it down to The Bahamas or something?
Dan Henry: (01:45:06)
Yeah. I took it on multiple trips, but you know what, here's the beautiful part. I can rent a yacht that I don't have to worry about maintenance that I don't have to worry about it breaking, go enjoy myself. And by the time I get back, the fricking NFT that I invested in it'll pay for it. And hopefully that remains the case. And I don't sound like an year from now.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:45:26)
I think it worked in this, this scenario,
Dan Henry: (01:45:29)
But I mean, the point I was trying to make here is that the world moves so quickly and you can go from what is working to what isn't working like that. And you have to be able to shift with a decision. Right. And, and people thought people thought I was crazy for spending that much money on a yacht. And I I'm assuming people were gonna think I'm even crazier for selling that and then investing in pictures of, you know, apes and, you know, but it paid off. Right. And so that's, I just wanted to share that because I just thought it was a crazy story of how it's so important to be able to pivot when you need to pivot.
Sebastian Rusk: (01:46:11)
Yeah. 100%. It's a decision though. You know, you can, we, we, we all have that unique gift every single day to make that decision of, you know, I'm not happy. Cool. That's, that's probably a product of, of you've decided not to be happy. So making that decision and taking massive action, not always easy to take action, you know, mental health and depression are a real thing. Unfortunately they, part of life, it's tough to get motivated sometimes. And I embrace that, but eventually, no, one's gonna come knock on your door and get you outta bed and say, today's the day we're gonna make decisions. Okay. We gotta snap out of it. That's a, it's an evolving process.
Dan Henry: (01:46:42)
I'm not gonna lie. It, things take, take balls in this life. And I remember when I bought my first house that I was like, so nervous. I remember writing my first IRS check. So nervous. I remember buying that boat so nervous. I remember dude, the first time I spent a quarter of a million dollars on a picture of a fricking dude with like a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and like a nose ring and pixelated, you know, it's a crypto punk. I was like, what am I doing right now? This is insane. You know, and I'm, I'm about to press the button. And I'm like, I'm about to spend a quarter million dollars on a pixelated picture of this like punk dude or whatever, you know? And it was just amazing to me, like the fact that I was able to press the button and people do that every day. And the world is just changing so fast. It's insane. It really is. I wanna know where, so the name of your, your podcast is the
Sebastian Rusk: (01:47:41)
Is Beyond The Story. Yeah. That's my main podcast. We started, speaking of NFTs, just started an NFT podcast on Twitter. I gotta deal with Twitter on contract with them to host to Twitter space a couple of times a week. There it's their version of clubhouse. So I launched NFT Sucks if you don't understand them. So I interview creators and projects and it's somewhat self-serving in addition to achieving the, the goal of, of, of the deal I have with Twitter. But the main podcast, my, my bridge builder relationship builder is, is Beyond The Story, BeyondTheStoryPodcast.Com and the agency's Podcast Launch Lab. So PodcastLaunchLab.Com and yeah. Helping folks make their podcasting dreams a reality, or at least talking them out of it. One, one way or another. So,
Dan Henry: (01:48:24)
Well, I think anybody that listened to this episode, I think if they're interested to check you out, they're going to, because I'm, I'm impressed by just that unique strategy that you have created around podcast, you know, and, and the fact that you have a product and a service to help back that up and make it a reality for
Sebastian Rusk: (01:48:42)
People. Absolutely. I'm podcast launch guy on Instagram, it's the best, best place to find me. So if you have questions, I, I just like you, I respond to almost everybody to the best of my ability. I'm here to serve. I'm here to, to help you better understand what you don't know that you don't know about the world of podcasting really what's possible there. So hit me up and we'll have a conversation and you, you may very well be sharing your, oh my gosh. I can't believe a podcast did this for my life story. So, and that's what I'm in this game for. Thanks. I really appreciate your time, dude.
Dan Henry: (01:49:11)
Yes. Thank you so much. Awesome