Guy Kawasaki: The Tech Evangelist Who Built Apple and Canva into Iconic Brands | E97

Guy Kawasaki’s journey from a lower-middle-class neighborhood in Hawaii to becoming a Silicon Valley icon is clear proof of grit and transformation. After working in the jewelry business, he pivoted to tech and joined Apple as Chief Evangelist. There, he played a key role in launching the Macintosh, shaping Apple’s brand, and transforming how technology is marketed. Today, Guy is a venture capitalist, startup advisor, and Chief Evangelist at Canva. In this episode, Guy shares his battle with hearing loss, why passion is overrated, his top sales strategies, and advice for scaling a business as an entrepreneur.

Guy Kawasaki is a marketing specialist, bestselling author, venture capitalist, and speaker. As the former Chief Evangelist for Apple, he played a pivotal role in launching the Macintosh and now serves as Chief Evangelist at Canva.

In this episode, Ilana and Guy will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction 

(02:11) From Humble Beginnings to Studying at Stanford

(06:24) Why Sales Is the Key to Business Success

(11:01) Knowing When to Pivot vs. Stick with Your Career

(17:26) Transitioning from Jewelry Business to Tech

(21:48) Key Lessons from Working with Steve Jobs

(24:38) How to Evangelize Great Ideas

(26:31) The Promotion That Led Guy to Quit Apple

(31:58) The Myth of “Finding Your Passion”

(38:26) Building Resilience After Hearing Loss

(43:15) Strategies to Scale Your Career and Business

(49:33) How to Truly Understand Customers’ Needs

Guy Kawasaki is a marketing specialist, bestselling author, venture capitalist, and speaker. As the former Chief Evangelist for Apple, he played a pivotal role in launching the Macintosh and now serves as Chief Evangelist at Canva. Despite experiencing hearing loss and receiving a cochlear implant, Guy’s passion for sharing ideas remains unwavering. He hosts the Remarkable People podcast and delivers over fifty keynote speeches annually for clients like Apple, Nike, Google, and Microsoft.

Connect with Guy:

Guy’s Website: guykawasaki.com 

Guy’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki

Resources Mentioned:

Guy’s Podcast,  Remarkable People: bit.ly/RemarkablePeoplePod 

Guy’s Book, Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Remarkable-Paths-Transform-Difference/dp/139424522X 

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