The Playbook With David Meltzer

On this episode of #ThePlaybook, Kevin Jones, CEO of Blue Wire, shares insights on: [1:06] - How his experience working in radio helped to prepare him for the “audio revolution” [3:41] - Why finding the right niche for yourself is key to connecting with a podcast audience over time [10:06] - How to grow your audience when it seems like you’re stuck [16:56] - The future of content and how it might be changed by a pair of glasses

What is the difference or variance between an inventor, entrepreneur and innovator? Inventors are those who create new products. Entrepreneurs create companies around the products or ideas of others and are focused primarily on building shareholder value. Innovators are those who create new ideas or ways of doing things.An innovator is someone who takes action or makes a dream into reality. An entrepreneur is someone who monetizes innovation. Know that you don’t have to be the innovator to be a successful entrepreneur.Two Reasons Why Companies Fail:1. Entrepreneurs often forget the number one rule of entrepreneurship, which is to stay in business. Every day, each of these entrepreneurs should think about how to take care of themselves in order to guarantee that they’re in business the next day.2. Entrepreneurs don’t understand the difference between innovation and entrepreneurship. Great entrepreneurs don’t have to have a creative thought other than, “How do I monetize my ideas?” Or, “How do I monetize somebody else’s ideas?”Tweet me @davidmeltzer your favorite takeaway from today's episode and come ask me questions live every Friday at 11:00 am PST / 2:00 pm EST. Text me at (949) 298-2905 or email me at david@dmeltzer.com to join!Click here to follow the Road to Revenue playlist on Spotify

I was recently joined by comedian, Chris Distefano on Instagram Live. I had so much fun talking with Chris that I wanted to share the conversation with all of you. The two of us are going to discuss how studying history will help you predict the future, how Paul Revere was really just running a viral marketing campaign, and the reason why you shouldn't care what people think about you. Tweet me @davidmeltzer your favorite part of today's episode and let me know if you want more casual conversations like this for future episodes. Come ask me questions live every Friday during my Free Training, you can text me at (949) 298-2905 or email me at david@dmeltzer.com to join.

Rob MacLean, CEO and Cofounder of Points International, talks about how his team has been able to adapt to the remote working environment while staying efficient, as well as the “simple combination” of three traits he looks for when hiring someone.MacLean and host of #ThePlaybook, David Meltzer, share their thoughts on a range of subjects including the difference between building a business and building a company, how the younger generation’s values about flexibility differ, and why Points International encourages their team to make a social impact on the world. The pair also discuss the true size and scope of loyalty programs and the economics behind them.

Today's episode is from my new hit TV series, “2 Minute Drill.” It is the first "Pitch Only" show with four contestants competing for over $50,000 of cash and prizes. Joining me today are Eric Ly, Founder & CEO of Hub Founder and Rory Cutaia, the CEO of Verb Technologies. You’ll hear four pitches and feedback from the three of us, and in the end, Rory will determine who had the best pitch.You can watch 2 Minute Drill on Fridays at 8:30 pm PST on Bloomberg TV and you can watch at any time on Amazon Prime Video.Come ask me questions live every Friday at 11:00 am PST / 2:00 pm EST during my weekly Free Training. Text me at (949) 298-2905 or email me at david@dmeltzer.com to join!Click Here to Listen to the Previous Episodes of 2 Minute DrillClick Here to Watch 2 Minute Drill on Amazon Prime Video

On this episode of #ThePlaybook, Jay Bilas, College Basketball Analyst for ESPN, discusses: [1:00] - How his best memories tend to come from the most difficult situations he experiences [6:12] - Why there isn’t a level playing field in college sports and how it can be changed [15:00] - His research process for each NBA Draft (and how he prepares to be wrong) [18:43] - Why he doesn’t let emotions affect his analysis of sports

The last year has affected all of us, including my own team. Last March, I had to stand in front of a conference room full of my employees that I consider family, and convince them that this was going to be a huge opportunity.We were about to enter a time of accelerated change, and the only thing that we had to do as a group was to understand that we had control of our mindset, our heartset, and implement and execute our skills, knowledge, and desire on what was going well and what will go well in the future.We were going to make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun. We were going to spread happiness and utilize the four values of gratitude, forgiveness, accountability, and inspiration in doing so.Tweet me @davidmeltzer your biggest takeaway from today's episode and let me know if you want to hear more of these topical conversations. Come ask me questions live every Friday at 11:00 am PST / 2:00 pm EST. You can text me at (949) 298-2905 or email me at david@dmeltzer.com to join!.

On this episode of #ThePlaybook, Cliff Obrecht, Cofounder and COO of Canva, shares his thoughts on: [:51] - How his wife and cofounder was able to identify some of the shortcomings of the traditional way of doing graphic design [5:04] - Why it is important to view your free products as a marketing channel [7:28] - How not wanting to “work with d*ckheads” led to Canva being one of Australia’s top places to work [17:00] - The cofounders’ simple two-step plan for the future of Canva

“Yes” is typically easy to say and easy to hear in business. “No”... isn’t. Many of us struggle with hearing or saying “No” to other people, whether out of ego or a need to please others. But when we understand the times that “no” is most essential, we are better prepared to improve our business as well as our relationships with others.There are three ways to utilize “No”:1. Saying “No”I used to be a person who always said yes. People took advantage of that. Now that I've realized the strain it puts on me; I take a different approach. Before I decide to say no, I try to ask, “How?"By asking this question, we make people accountable for their part in receiving assistance from us, and we can still help meet their ego's needs for love, belonging, reputation, popularity, and self-esteem.Oftentimes, we get in our own way when it comes to connecting with others. We forget about gratitude, empathy, and accountability and instead limit our own potential. The biggest catalyst causing people to get in their own way is when they automatically respond to a question by saying no without thinking. Next time you are about to say no, consider asking “how?” instead and see what type of response you get. There may be solutions to a problem that you might not have thought of, or you could be able to settle on a middle ground that still provides some sort of help to the person who came to you.When someone is not willing to take part in the "how," that is when you get to say no. I believe that you are truly made by the people you say no to. Turning down an individual who rarely hears "no" can elevate your personal brand in their mind, and not in a negative way. You set yourself apart from the people who are scared to turn that person away, which can lead to even more business in the future.2. Hearing “No”For many of us, hearing no can be tough to handle. What I try and do is re-engineer the way that people think about getting a “No”.Think about it this way: What if I told you that you are 25 “No’s” away from getting what you want most? How excited would you be to get the first “No”? How about the 24th? Take the perspective that you are a finite amount of “No’s” away from getting to that “Yes”. We might not always know what that number is, we only know that we are one step closer.3. No, Negotiation, and “The Press”Most of us are familiar with grape stomping, the traditional way of making wine by crushing grapes barefoot in a wooden tub. Nowadays, winemakers use presses to extract the juice from newly harvested grapes. There are a few different types of presses, but essentially they all work the same way. Grapes are placed inside the press and some pressure is then added to get the juice out. When the flow of juice from the press slows or stops, more pressure is added. And yet more pressure is added again until, finally, no juice remains and all that you have left are spent skins, seeds, and maybe some stems.In a business sense, this is just a negotiation tool. If people you are negotiating with are willing to give, it is the natural flow and you shouldn’t be afraid to receive, and you shouldn’t be afraid to keep asking. Keep “pressing the grapes”; keep asking until they say “no” three times. Make sure that you have done everything you can to create the abundance that you’re looking for by asking as many open- and closed-ended questions as you can. The open-ended questions allow you to understand the other party’s perspective and their reasons and impacts, while the close-ended questions narrow down the other party’s initial responses. This helps to become more aligned with the capabilities you possess (if successful, this is the point where I habitually present the summary as a strategy to overly and effectively communicate).I'll send you a copy of my book and pay for shipping!Click here to follow the Road to Revenue playlist on Spotify

Today’s episode is from my appearance on The Kelly Cardenas Podcast. Kelly and I are going to discuss, the turning points that changed my life, the moments that make me pinch myself, and the best advice I would give to our children. Tweet me @davidmeltzer your favorite takeaway from today's episode and come ask me questions live every Friday at 11:00 am PST / 2:00 pm EST. Text me at (949) 298-2905 or email me at david@dmeltzer.com to join!I'll send you a copy of my book and pay for shipping!