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163. He made $750 million, but it almost killed him… ft. Mike Lazerow

Jul 10, 2025

Guest

Mike Lazerow

Mike Lazerow, founder of Buddy Media and author of *Shoveling Sht: A Love Story*, shares his rollercoaster journey of building a billion-dollar company. He discusses the toll of rapid growth on health and relationships, revealing how burnout nearly cost him his life. Mike offers insights on balancing entrepreneurship with personal well-being, the early days of social media, and his innovative Go Gauge framework for investing in startups. With stories of overcoming anxiety and fostering community, he advocates for a holistic approach to success.

01:42:23

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ANECDOTE

Near-Death From Startup Strain

Mike Lazerow nearly died from health issues caused by the strain of building Buddy Media.
He had heart surgery and realized balance between work and health was crucial.

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ADVICE

Listening Builds Leadership Trust

Listen more and talk less to be an effective leader.
Transparency and trust are essential to gain respect and run a successful team.

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ADVICE

Handle Tough Talks Directly

Have hard conversations directly: be clear and empathetic.
Use simple scripts and avoid sugarcoating to help deliver tough news respectfully.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Balancing Entrepreneurship with Health

03:31 • 14min

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Navigating the Entrepreneurial Landscape

17:24 • 28min

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Parenting, Entrepreneurship, and Market Dynamics

45:02 • 11min

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Navigating Branding and Business Pivots

55:52 • 6min

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Navigating Growth in the Food Industry

01:01:30 • 11min

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The Importance of Complementary Roles in Entrepreneurship

01:12:25 • 4min

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Cultivating Community in Entrepreneurship

01:16:02 • 22min

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Overcoming Fear: The Power of Transformative Moments

01:37:42 • 5min

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Unreasonable Hospitality

The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Will Guidara

In 'Unreasonable Hospitality,' Will Guidara shares his experiences as the General Manager of Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad, highlighting the importance of hospitality in any business. The book emphasizes that simply offering a great product is not enough; organizations must also focus on creating authentic connections and memorable experiences for both customers and employees. Guidara provides practical advice on setting expectations, managing teams, and adapting to unexpected situations, all while maintaining a commitment to hospitality that goes beyond mere service. His approach is applicable across various industries, not just limited to restaurants and luxury businesses.

Shoveling Shit

A Story About Entrepreneurs, Relationships and Doing Whatever It Takes to Win

Kass Lazerow

Mike Lazerow

The 10 Minute Personal Brand Kickstart (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/personalbrandkickstart

What’s up, Rock Nation! Today we sit down with Mike Lazerow, the founder of Buddy Media, a billion-dollar startup he sold to Salesforce, and the author of Shoveling Sht: A Love Story, one of the realest takes on entrepreneurship you’ll ever read.

In this episode, Mike unpacks the hidden cost of success - from nearly dying after scaling too fast, to rebuilding his identity after stepping away from a company worth hundreds of millions. We go deep on why founders burn out, how to avoid it, and the mindset shift that saved his life.

We also talk about selling to Salesforce, the early days of Facebook and Instagram, building with Gary Vee, investing in Liquid Death, and his 6-part Go Gauge framework for picking winning startups.

If you’re building something big, or thinking about it, this conversation is your warning and your roadmap.

Check out Mike here here:

https://www.instagram.com/kassandmike/

https://www.youtube.com/@UCgLzz0yep6lUaE5i62zMXTw

https://shovelingshit.com/

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

1:21 - The cost of building a $745 million company

4:24 - prioritizing health

6:58 - Mike’s biggest tradeoffs

7:30 - Mike’s relationship with his father

9:41 - Getting out of your own way

12:46 - The most important trait of a good leader

13:26 - How to fire someone

17:23 - The fuel that drove Mike early on

21:06 - Early days of facebook

23:36 - The common trait of ultra successful entrepreneurs

27:42 - The process of making a book

30:45 - Shoveling sh*t in Central Park

33:00 - The biggest life lesson from Marc Benioff

37:46 - Processing selling Buddy Media for $745 million

40:02 - The challenges of working with your wife

41:50 - Venture Capital is broken

42:36 - Why pizzeria are great business

44:59 - You can’t fire your own kids

46:36 - Go Gauge - 6 steps to determine if Mike invests

49:31 - Not investing in Uber

52:27 - Everyone is born an entrepreneur

53:31 - Investing in Liquid Death

57:06 - Pivoting the revenue model 4 times for Buddy Media

59:44 - Not every business can become a $100 million business

1:01:07 - Pizza business roleplay

1:03:16 - People don’t know how to market

1:04:36 - What founders get wrong with scaling

1:08:00 - Going all in on social media

1:11:17 - How Kass and Mike push each other

1:12:17 - Finding the right business partner

1:14:08 - What makes Kass (Mike’s wife) an amazing entrepreneur

1:18:32 - Tips for becoming a better manager

1:20:10 - Hiring A Players

1:22:16 - How to keep employees motivated

1:24:46 - How to divide equity of a business

1:27:04 - Meeting and working with Gary Vee

1:30:12 - Mike was college roommates with Seth Myers

1:34:04 - Reminiscing on the journey

1:37:36 - Advice to 18 year old self

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