Our guests today are Cody Newton and Dr. Doug Cleveland. Cody Newton is a serial entrepreneur, having started or been involved in over 20 companies, including professional sports, franchising, direct sales, and the energy markets. He is dedicated to democratizing renewables, carbon credits, and recycling for home and business owners in his latest project with Carbon X Solutions. Dr. Douglas Cleveland is a trained Anesthesiologist from the University of Chicago with a Medical Economics Certificate from the Harvard Business School. Doug is also an entrepreneur with expertise in process and operational efficiencies and shares Cody’s passion for the energy and renewables space and the impact it can have on the environment. I found this story fascinating, as two entrepreneurs with vastly different backgrounds saw the same problem and figured out a way to complement each other with their diverse approaches to business. They built a team and tackled a problem many experts said was impossible. This conversation will highlight the complexities and challenges of starting a new venture when everyone around you says it can’t be done. If there is one thing I have learned from all these interviews, it is that entrepreneurs almost always have to defy the odds and many naysayers along the way to launch a product or service that is new, innovative, and world-changing.

Learn more at www.CarbonXSolutions.com

Show Notes:

3:00 - Doug begins by sharing how he entered his entrepreneurial journey. He shares how he started out in med school to become an anesthesiologist and started practicing anesthesiology but became restless to do more and learn more.

6:00 - Doug shares his background, where he got his various degrees, and where he completed his professional training.

7:00 - Cody shares his background of growing up in a small farm town, embarking on getting a degree from Kansas State and pivoting to become an entrepreneur. 

13:00 - Doug discusses breadth vs. depth in the medical field and how that translates to his entrepreneurial journey.

Quote: “Riches are in niches.” 

16:00 - Doug and Cody share some “key lessons” they learned early in their careers that would be valuable to young people starting out in their careers to help speed up their entrepreneurial journey. They share the 

26:00 - Cody and Doug share how they discovered carbon credits and why they were led to participate in this “green movement” to help the environment, as well as businesses and homeowners participating in this movement.

31:00 - Cody discusses the posture of his heart toward smaller and medium-sized businesses when involving them in this industry. He shares his goal to make this attainable for small and medium-sized companies to utilize this business opportunity. 

Quote: “We can expand this green revolution faster as we make it more accessible.”

40:00 - Cody shares the story of how he found himself in the right spot at the right time to make a partnership and how this reflects the entrepreneurial experience of living intentionally in everyday life. 

Quote: “If you always plant seeds, the harvest will come over time.”

“If you’re passionate about something, the worst thing you can do is keep it inside.”

42:00 - Doug chimes in and shares his story when meeting Cody and beginning their partnership.

48:00 - Cody and Doug discuss the struggles and obstacles they have faced and had to overcome throughout their journey. They share what they have learned from that process.

54:00 - Bob asks how they balanced seeking counsel and guidance while pursuing their goals when they may have been advised not to.

Quote: “The experts don’t always have the same vision that you do… take what they say with a grain of salt.”

59:00 - Doug and Cody share what they foresee the next 3-5 years to look like for this industry and talk about what they hope to accomplish in these future opportunities. 

1:07:00 - Bob asks Doug and Cody to share their favorite books

“Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown, “The Obstacle Is The Way” by Ryan Holiday, “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius, “Intentional Living” by John C. Maxwell, “Seize The Day” by Danny Cox, “Elon Musk” by Walter Isaacson, “Carbon Trade” by James Prosper, “The Captain Class” by Sam Walker, and “The Bomber Mafia” by Malcolm Gladwell

1:15:00 - Bob asks Doug and Cody what words of encouragement they would give to a class of MBA students amidst the complexity of our current marketplace and what they would share to inspire them in their careers.