Podcasts about Gyft

All Gas, No Brakes: Kalea & Jace Bring the Heat Sibling Stars Making Waves in Youth Baseball and Softball All Gas, No Brakes sets the stage for a high-octane episode featuring Kalea and Jace Winston—siblings who are proving that talent, work ethic, and leadership can all run in the family. Hosted by Coach Aaron with co-hosts Banana Jake and Lily Scott, the energy never dips as these two rising stars talk about their journey through elite travel ball, their goals, and their business acumen. From Kalea's MVP-winning softball season to Jace's 15 home runs in 2024—including a 350-foot bomb—these two athletes are bringing the heat and then some. Yet, it’s not just about home runs and highlights. Listeners get to hear what drives them, how they push each other, and why they launched The Winston Vibe, a glove and merch company designed for ballplayers like them. Winston Vibe: The Glove Brand Born from Ambition The Winstons didn't just want to wear the best gear—they wanted to make it. With support from their parents and a relentless entrepreneurial spirit, they created The Winston Vibe, a brand delivering affordable, customizable gloves for players who want more control over their equipment. As Jace puts it: “We wanted cheaper and more customizable gloves—so we just made our own business.” Their passion for quality gear and their deep baseball and softball IQ make this venture more than just a side hustle—it’s a statement. Bringing the Heat On and Off the Field Kalea shares her passion for slapping and her ability to track rise balls with precision, revealing insights into what it takes to be a dynamic leadoff hitter. Meanwhile, Jace, a switch-hitter who's more comfortable from the right side, reflects on being invited to SelectFest, playing for Team Zilla, and even launching bombs off elite pitching. The episode dives into training habits, pregame rituals, and how the two keep each other sharp. Their competition fuels their growth—especially when it comes to who's faster. Rising Leaders with College Dreams and Big Goals Though young, Kalea and Jace already think like leaders. Kalea's goals extend to playing for Duke and potentially studying athletic training. Jace, too, eyes Duke and talks about finding a balance between performance and academics. Their walk-up songs say it all—“Here I Go” by Mystikal and “They Just Don't Know” by Gyft, each one capturing the energy they bring to the field. Baseball, Softball, and the Winston Mentality This episode showcases more than impressive stats. It's about grit, vision, and heart. With Lily Scott and Banana Jake joining the conversation, it's also packed with fun debates, great questions, and unforgettable quotes. The sibling dynamic is authentic and uplifting—a reminder that greatness grows where hard work and family support collide. Related Links Learn more about SelectFest: Perfect Game SelectFest Explore another youth baseball journey: Big Baller, Bigger Dreams and Bright Future Follow The SLIDE Podcast! Please email us with any questions or feedback. Help us grow by leaving a 5-star review and a question—we'll answer it on the show! You might even get the chance to co-host an episode. Email: TheSlidePodcastShow@gmail.com Website: www.theslidepodcastshow.com All Links: https://linktr.ee/theslidepodcastshow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theslidepodcastshow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSlidePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theslidepodcastshow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theslidepodcastshow?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theslidepodcast X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/theslidepodAll Gas, No Brakes: Kalea & Jace Bring the Heat as they share MVP honors, power-hitting, glove branding, and their sibling-driven journey in sports.

Introduction Welcome to Distilling Venture Capital.  I am your host, Bill Griesinger; Distilling VC is a visionary podcast that provides an insightful and informed view of the key trends affecting the VC and tech startup world.  It is your podcast for Fintech, Decentralized Finance, Blockchain and Smart Contracts, Digital Banking and all the frontier technologies that are changing the financial landscape globally.  Episode Introduction: Welcome back everyone.  We have a fantastic program for you today.  I am excited about today´s conversation because I have the pleasure of welcoming to the podcast Jonathan Hung; Jonathan is a successful and accomplished angel investor based in Los Angeles.  He is considered one of the most active angel investors in Southern California.  In addition, he serves as Co-Managing Partner at Unicorn Venture Partners and Senior Venture Partner and Head of Due Diligence at Expert Dojo.  We´ll get into that and a lot more.  Jonathan, thank you for making the time to be on the podcast today;   So, before we dig into the meat of your work as an angel investor and venture partner, we typically begin by having you provide your background and details about your journey, more broadly, that led you into technology and angel investing…   In addition to providing venture capital funding and advisory support, Jonathan also provides business mentorship based on his experience running U.S. and China offices as the President of United Overseas Textile Corporation.  Jonathan was also a Managing Member for his family office fund, J Heart Ventures, which made investments in start-up companies such as Gyft, ChowNow, Miso Robotics, Clover Health, Bitmain, etc.     He also leverages various degrees from the University of Southern California, London School of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Topic Areas Covered with Jonathan Your investing history in So. Cal and types of sectors, companies you look for; Jonathan and his team target investments in US companies that have global market potential with a focus on long-term growth expansion to East Asian markets. I´d like to highlight some of the Blog topics you cover on your website with respect to: Covered liquidity runway (cash) and monthly cash burn rate Gross Margins Monthly Recurring Revenue Operating Income/Net Income Web 3.0 and its role in future of startups; touching on blockchain, smart contracts, DeFi etc.  10 key metrics you look for in evaluating prospective investment Alternative funding strategies SPACs and SPVs;  Distinguish between the two.  Also, particularly since SPACs were all the rage in 2020-2021 but as a sector haven´t done well as public companies Your views on Leadership and Successful team building Other areas you would like to cover;   Closing Remarks: Jonathan, thank you very much for joining me today on the program…   Jonathan, how can those who are interested in learning more about you and your practice in So. California get in touch?   Contact Information Website:  jonathanhung.com Social Media (if applicable):   Or, Linkedin: Jonathan Hung   Thank you for joining me for this edition of DVC.  I hope you found today's discussion with Jonathan Hung interesting and it gave you some additional insights into the state of angel investing in So. California and beyond.     Stay tuned for my next Episode of DVC…thank you.

“Getting rich shouldn't be a goal - it's a byproduct of making good decisions” Vinny Lingham is the original founder of Gyft & Civic, seed investor in Solana & Filecoin, and CEO of the new venture Waitroom. He's witnessed the crypto space evolve and shares what ingredients make projects successful in the long term! In these dark days in the crypto market, we highlight the role of community in determining the health and viability of projects. We also cover the recent Luna crash, volatility in the market, and governmental overreach. Listen in for a TRUE EXPERT'S opinion and advice for creating sustainable wealth! Highlights: [03:25] Stories from the old, wild days of Bitcoin. [06:02] What does Vinny think about the most recent volatility and the Luna crash? [10:17] Why governmental overreach is crypto's main threat.  [14:19] Are global projects doomed to fail? Are local projects better? [18:53] Is the crypto space shifting towards a content creator / influencer model? [25:18] Why community is key to long term success. [30:02] Are we living in systems designed for different times? [34:28] What is cryptography and fractal geometry model mapping? See video on YouTube for what we are talking about here! [41:20] How to persevere through this dark time in crypto. Connect with The Oto Gomes Crypto Show: Instagram || https://www.instagram.com/otogomes/ (@otogomes) YouTube || https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgYwCRh5BnYwf318pIi_gQ (The Oto Gomes Crypto Show) FREE TRAINING || https://otogomes.live/free-training (Get your wealth journey started in this 90 minute training!) Course || https://otogomes.live/crypto-made-easy/ (Crypto Made Easy - Learn the fundamentals of crypto!!) Website || https://otogomes.live/ (OtoGomes.Live - Sign up Crypto Wealth Coaching and find all the links!)  Twitter || https://twitter.com/otogomes (@otogomes) TikTok || https://www.tiktok.com/@otogomes (@otogomes) Connect with Vinny Lingham: Twitter || https://twitter.com/VinnyLingham (@VinnyLingham)

Vinny Lingham is a prolific entrepreneur who has built businesses spanning the globe and across various verticals including website builders, a gift card company and a decentralised identity verification platform on the blockchain.He is also an active investor, shark on shark tank South Africa, a dragon on Dragon's Den South Africa and an author.Vinny and I sit down to discuss his business Gyft which was dreamed up, built and sold in less than three years for more than $50m.We talk about Gyft paying $50 fees on $5 transactions and how introducing bitcoin payments pulled the company out from the depths of despair. Hold on to your headphones because this is a fast-paced episode!

Vinny is a serial entrepreneur and technology investor originally from South Africa. He has led several successful investments across the crypto industry from Filecoin to Solana. Vinny co-founded and is now Chairman of the Board at Civic, a blockchain-based identity protection and management system. He is also a general partner at Multicoin Capital and Newtown Partners. Vinny previously founded the digital gift card platform, Gyft, which was acquired by First Data Corporation in 2014. He was a Shark on Shark Tank South Africa, a Dragon on Dragon's Den South Africa, and an Angel in National Geographic's Undercover Angel. Follow him on Twitter @VinnyLingham. [2:18] - How Vinny's interest in the internet sparked him to become a serial entrepreneur [6:58] - Differences between starting a company inside and outside the US [12:50] - Crypto-friendly jurisdictions [15:01] - Comparing the early 2000's internet boom to today's crypto market [18:12] - Vinny's discovery of Bitcoin and thoughts on smart contract competition [21:04] - Spotting industry-defining talent and "species changers" [26:16] - The global emergence of talent and a more productive talent pool [30:18] - The metaverse [33:21] - The trend from centralization to decentralization over time [34:57] - NFTs and ambiguity --- Support the show by checking out my sponsors: Join Levels and get personalized insights to learn about your metabolic health. Go to https://levels.link/jake. --- https://homeofjake.com

OG Flow of Preachas in tha Hood on Sky Blue Radio Track List 12/19/21 Christmas Show: "We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Original Mix","Parrmann" "Glory Glory (feat. Bookie the Baby)","KJ-52, Spechouse" "Neverending Christmas","Peabod" "Xmas in the stiX","Nobigdyl." "A Special Christmas (feat. Scootie Wop)","Nu Tone" "Fireplace (feat. Kingsman JË, TC Boyd The Artist & BRM aka Brandon R Music)","BrodieDaVinci" "Grinch","Street Hymns, Baang" "Season to Be Great","B-Shock" "n' Texas","Street Hymns, Ty Dillon" "Tell You Why","The Cross Movement, Da' T.R.U.T.H." "The Gift Rap (f. MVP)","G-LIFE/Street Certified Crew" "Home Alone","Swaizy" "What A Time","116 feat. WHATUPRG, SVRCINA" "Bars of Holly","Free Daps" "Lil Drummer Boi","Shama Mrema, drû" "Get Out My Way","KJ-52, Spechouse" "Long as I Got You (feat. Terence Sykes)","Terence Sykes" "Momma's Stove","James Gardin" "Christmas Time (feat. the Gyft)","Humble Tip" "The First Noel - DJ Heavenbound Remix","tobyMac, Owl City" "Martinelli's (feat. Andy Mineo)","Wordsplayed, Andy Mineo" "8. He's The Reason feat. Tha Original Flow","Illustrate" "Ugly Sweater","Phil J." "Clear Sight Christmas (feat. V. Rose & Young Noah)","Flame, V. Rose, Young Noah" "As a Kid","K-Drama" "Party Party (feat. Ric Black) (Christmas Mix)","Canton Jones feat. Ric Black" "Bars with the Bells (feat. Mike Teezy)","Rare of Breed" "Hidden in Christ","Flame" "What Am I Supposed to Get My Dad?","Free Daps" "All I Want","KJ-52, Spechouse" "Wisemen","The Cross Movement" "Jingle Bells Trap Beat","Preston Arnold" "All I Want For Christmas Is You","PJ Morton, Stokley" "Go Tell","Flame, Dee-1, George.Rose" "G-Life Christmas (f. MVP, Imagery, & Illustrate)","G-LIFE/Street Certified Crew" "The Gift","Rare of Breed" "Go to Bed","KJ-52, Spechouse"

Its another BIG RECORD FRIDAY! Does the team succeed? Who take the thrown Ben or Alex Mac??? ....Ashleyh is the "GYFT "

My guest today is my friend, Vinny Lingham, prolific venture capitalist, serial entrepreneur and thought leader. Vinny is currently a GP at Multicoin Capital and Newton Partners. He was a seed investor in Solana and Filecoin Vinny was one of Co-Founder & CEO at Civic Technology. He is also a GP at Multicoin Capital He was the founder and CEO of Gyft. He is also the founder of Yola.com, a web development and hosting company that enables users without prior programming knowledge to develop websites. Vinny is the recipient of numerous awards, including Top Young ICT Entrepreneur in Africa (2006) and was also a finalist for Men's Health Best Man (2009) and ICT Personality of the Year in South Africa (2008). He also previously founded Clicks2Customers, which also won the Top Technology Company award in South Africa in 2006. In our discussion we cover exceptionalism and investing fundamentals, why DAO's will eat the world, the cultural significance of NFTs and the Digital Renaissance, and much more. We begin our conversation by discussing the early days of Bitcoin and marvel at how much things have in such a short amount of time. We discuss why Crypto is such a unique industry and the evolution from a nascent industry to global asset class. We continue our discussion of technological revolution and investing by discussing Vinny's unique approach to investing and how that is informed by his understanding of the world. We discuss the importance of the individual and how one person can have an asymmetric impact on society. This insight has driven Vinny to change his investing strategy from betting on the idea to betting on the person. We discuss how this mindset guided Vinny's decision to invest in Solana and Filecoin at the Seed stage. We continue our conversation by discussing what makes a person exceptional and why Vinny calls these people "species changers." We go on to discuss examples of species changers from history like Einstein, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos. We finish our discussion on game changers by discussing the importance of perseverance and grit. One of the main talking points throughout our conversation is the emergence of the metaverse in the consciousness of the general public. We discuss the metaverse, how it is all encompassing, why traditional tech companies are beginning to pivot toward the metaverse, and much more. Our conversation flows to the discussion on DAOs. We discuss the impact DAO's will have on disrupting traditional finance and Wall St, empower community building, and enhance the digital experience to heights unknown. We move from DAO's to NFTs where Vinny explains why we are still in the early days of NFTs and their importance and implications on broader society. He continues his discussion on NFTs by elaborating on his broader vision for the future of NFTs and how he believes the market dynamics. We continue our discussion by talking about how we are living through the beginning of a Digital Renaissance. We finish our discussion on NFTs by discussing the future use cases of NFTs and the integration with AR and VR. We finish our conversation by discussing the bull case for Solana, the developer battle between Solana and Ethereum, and the joy of building new technology. Please enjoy my conversation with my friend Vinny Lingham. -- Ledn provides financial products to help you unlock the power of digital assets. With a secure and easy-to-use platform, it's the simplest way to earn interest, borrow, and trade your BTC and USDC. For maximum accountability, Ledn offers Proof of Reserves attestations to give you peace of mind while you make the most of your Bitcoin. Untold Stories listeners can receive $50 in free BTC when you create a new loan. More info at https://untoldstories.link/LEDN -- This podcast is powered by Blockworks. For exclusive content and events that provide insights into the crypto and blockchain space, visit them at https://blockworks.co

This week, we sit down with Kevin Gould as we continue our Forbes 30 under 30 series. He is an entrepreneur, talent manager, brand builder, and active angel investor based in Los Angeles. Gould is the CEO of Kombo Ventures which operates as a holding company to its core operating divisions: talent management, a strategic creative agency, and brand Incubation. He is the co-founder of three direct to consumer brands, all of which have raised no outside capital: Insert Name Here, a hair extension and products brand launched in October of 2018 with co-founders Sharon Pak and Jordynn Wynn, previously the first two employees at Colourpop Cosmetics and ranked by Tribe Dynamics as one of the leading hair brands on social media. Wakeheart, a fragrance and scent brand aimed at Gen Z and young millennials, launched in July of 2019 and co-founded with the Dolan Twins, two of the largest digital influencers in the world with over 20 million followers on social media. Glamnetic, a magnetic eyeliner and lash brand launched in July 2019 and co-founded with Ann McFerran, a former artist and entrepreneur. Gould is an active angel investor and advisor in a number of innovative startups; Clutter, Gyft (acquired by First Data), Compology, DraftKings, The Hunt (acquired by Pinterest), Whistle (acquired by Mars), Step, Rinse, Jukin Media, Brandable, Stem, Pocketwatch, Cargomatic, Beautycon, and many others. Named to Variety magazine's 2019 Dealmakers Impact List, honoring top dealmakers in the entertainment industry, Gould regularly speaks on panels and at events on new media, influencer marketing, and the convergence of technology, entertainment, and consumer brand building. Follow Kevin on Instagram here ▶ https://www.instagram.com/keving/?hl=en Learn more about Insert Name Here ▶ https://www.instagram.com/insertnamehere/?hl=en Learn more about Wakeheart ▶ https://www.instagram.com/wakeheart/?hl=en Learn more about Glamnetic ▶ https://www.instagram.com/glamnetic/?hl=en Subscribe to this page here ▶ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqUr​... Follow Redirected on Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/theredirect...

CJ MacDonald is the Founder & CEO of Step. CJ grew up in Bay area and always had the entrepreneurial itch. Whether it was his paper route or baseball card shop, he was always hustling and realized he loved building things, a characteristic that would serve him well throughout his career. After playing competitive hockey on the east coast during boarding school and college, he was ready to enter the business world and immediately gravitated towards startups. He spent time in the early stages at a couple of startups before founding Gyft, a digital solution for gift cards that he sold to First Data Corporation in 2014. After a few years at First Data and thinking about what could be next, he realized there was a major gap in the market for banking products that were designed for kids and families in the digital age. That was the initial spark for Step.Today at Step, CJ and his team are revolutionizing banking and financial literacy for the next generation. Step was built specifically for teenagers so anyone 13 years and older is eligible to enroll. When a new user signs up (with proper parent approvals), they'll receive access to a free FDIC insured bank account and Visa spending card. Step's goal is to become the first step in the financial journey and not only provide easier access to send & receive money, but also educate the next generation on the fundamentals of personal finance. After a closed beta with rave reviews from early users, Step launched publicly a few weeks ago with support and endorsement from TikTok stars Charli D'Amelio, Addison Rae and several others. Safe to say they are off to a fast start.Tune in to hear CJ's story!EPISODE TOPICS: (2:32) Step snapshot today(5:51) Background and founding story(14:26) Gen Z demographic(20:40) Product evolution and features(27:59) Customer acquisition and marketing(41:04) Future of financial services industry(45:06) Hiring(49:44) Investor lessons(53:43) CJ's wellness stack(1:02:32) CJ's startup manifesto(1:05:37) CJ's founder nominationStep - step.comFollow CJ (@cjmacdonald) on Instagram // Twitter // LinkedInFollow Step (@stepmobile // @step) on Instagram // TwitterCJ's learning and resource recommendations The Founder - www.thefounderpod.com Follow The Founder (@founderpodcast) on Instagram // LinkedIn // TwitterDon't have time to listen to the full episode? Read the 5-minute version here

In today's episode, Ines Gonzales Del Mazo sits down with Vinny Lingham, CEO of Civic. Civic is a personal identity protection and management service that allows banks, financial institutions, and other merchants to confirm the usage of social security numbers with the true owner of that number before creating new accounts. Vinny is a South African Internet entrepreneur who is the co-founder & CEO of Civic. He was previously the founder and CEO of Gyft (acquired by First Data Corporation in 2014 for over $50m) & Yola, Inc. He is also the co-founder of SiliconCape, an NGO based in South Africa that aims to turn Cape Town into a technology hub. Vinny was named one of the Top 500 CEOs in the world by Richtopia in 2015.

In this episode Stephan and Dillon talk with Lorenzo Devers from Terpene Cream/GyftLyfe. Topics include: cannabis as medicine, having a personal Wizard, and a new exciting business centered around wellness/cannabis. WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/eAHqO-EQAuoMore IDL Podcast: https://itsducklinlit.buzzsprout.com/https://instagram.com/itsduckinlit?igshid=14bzr253q4rwiTerpenecreamhive.com *Keep out of reach from children. For adults 21 years or older.

Vinny Lingham a South African Internet entrepreneur and Shark Tank Investor who is the co-founder & CEO of Civic - an identity protection and management startup. He was also previously the founder and CEO of Gyft (acquired by First Data Corporation in 2014 for over $50m) & Yola, Inc. He is also the co-founder of SiliconCape, an NGO based in South Africa that aims to turn Cape Town into a technology hub. Listen in as Matt and Vinny discuss the current state of Bitcoin and the Blockchain Market.

TeenWyze Is a social media platform that young people between 16yrs and 24yrs can use to make bookings to access sexual reproductive Health services from clinics at a free charge.for more information fellow the link https://web.facebook.com/teenwyze/

In this episode Vinny Lingham gives an outline of how Bitcoin could collapse the world economy and be banned forever. As the founder of Gyft, he shares how allowing gift card purchases using Bitcoin gave him deep metrics and insights into the usage and movements of Bitcoin. Charlie and Vinny discuss how Vinny’s creation of Civic Coin affects privacy and what’s the difference between privacy and anonymity. Vinny shares his critical points on entrepreneurship grit and how to be successful over the competition. Lastly, Vinny gives his prediction for Bitcoin in 2020 and beyond. --- BitPay gives you the tools to live life on crypto. Whether you want to send crypto to friends, use crypto to buy video games or computer parts, or turn crypto into gift cards for more than 100 mainstream brands, the BitPay app has you covered. You can hold your own private keys in a secure wallet while accessing the best of crypto commerce. Get started at bitpay.com/wallet. --- Bitpanda is a fintech based in Vienna, Austria founded in 2014 by Eric Demuth, Paul Klanschek and Christian Trummer. The company is a firm believer in the innovative power of cryptocurrencies, digitised assets and blockchain technology. Bitpanda’s mission is to tear down the barriers to investing and bring traditional financial products to the 21st century. Today, Bitpanda has more than 1 million users and 120 team members. With a PSD2 payment service provider license, state-of-the-art security and streamlined user experience, Bitpanda has grown into a popular trading platform for newbies and experts alike. Users can currently trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, gold and over 20 other digital assets. --- If you enjoyed this conversation, share it with your colleagues & friends, rate, review, and subscribe.This podcast is presented by BlockWorks Group. For exclusive content and events that provide insights into the crypto and blockchain space, visit them at: https://www.blockworksgroup.io

In this episode Vinny Lingham gives an outline of how Bitcoin could collapse the world economy and be banned forever. As the founder of Gyft, he shares how allowing gift card purchases using Bitcoin gave him deep metrics and insights into the usage and movements of Bitcoin. Charlie and Vinny discuss how Vinny’s creation of Civic Coin affects privacy and what’s the difference between privacy and anonymity. Vinny shares his critical points on entrepreneurship grit and how to be successful over the competition. Lastly, Vinny gives his prediction for Bitcoin in 2020 and beyond. --- BitPay gives you the tools to live life on crypto. Whether you want to send crypto to friends, use crypto to buy video games or computer parts, or turn crypto into gift cards for more than 100 mainstream brands, the BitPay app has you covered. You can hold your own private keys in a secure wallet while accessing the best of crypto commerce. Get started at bitpay.com/wallet. --- Bitpanda is a fintech based in Vienna, Austria founded in 2014 by Eric Demuth, Paul Klanschek and Christian Trummer. The company is a firm believer in the innovative power of cryptocurrencies, digitised assets and blockchain technology. Bitpanda’s mission is to tear down the barriers to investing and bring traditional financial products to the 21st century. Today, Bitpanda has more than 1 million users and 120 team members. With a PSD2 payment service provider license, state-of-the-art security and streamlined user experience, Bitpanda has grown into a popular trading platform for newbies and experts alike. Users can currently trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, gold and over 20 other digital assets. --- If you enjoyed this conversation, share it with your colleagues & friends, rate, review, and subscribe.This podcast is presented by BlockWorks Group. For exclusive content and events that provide insights into the crypto and blockchain space, visit them at: https://www.blockworksgroup.io

Gary Benitt has been an entrepreneur for almost two decades, founding teams in the B2B and consumer spaces. Most recently, he spent 3 years as COO of Desk.com after his company, Assistly, was acquired in 2011 by Salesforce.com. Gary has been an active investor in early stage companies since 2011, with over 20 investments including Classy, Getaround, Gusto, Gyft and Stitch Labs. Show Notes: - Why did Gary become a Venture Capitalist? - Where did Gary Benitt get his business experience? - How did he get involved in Social Leverage and meet Howard Lindzon? - How do you maintain business relationships with partners? - What should you look for before investing in a business? - Why do investors get worried when Salesforce acquires a business? - What's it like working with Howard Lindzon? - Why did Social Leverage invest in Manscaped? - What makes Kustomer.com work so well? - How big does a company get before it has it's own ecosystem of companies? - How to pitch your company to Social Leverage? Don't forget to "like" and subscribe to get notifications every time a new episode is released! Connect with Gary Benitt on Twitter: @garybenitt https://twitter.com/garybenitt On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybenitt/ Connect with Howard Lindzon on Twitter: @howardlindzon https://twitter.com/howardlindzon Follow along on Howard's Blog: http://howardlindzon.com/

The winter is real. Low hanging fruit is we talk about the price and what that means for the community, but more importantly we evaluate what it means for developers and the interest as a whole. In addition, Vinny Lingham the OG internet entrepreneur who is the co-founder & CEO of Civic - an identity protection and management startup - joins us in the studio. He was also previously the founder and CEO of Gyft & Yola, Inc. and of course we chat about his bearish attitude on ETH, the correct way to do an ICO, and more!

“Your heart knows about your career the same way that it does about a relationship…the houses of success and failure sit right next to each other.” - Kayce Brown In this episode, we share our recent conversation with business strategist and innovator, Kayce Brown. Kayce predicts trends and seizes opportunity. She’s hard to put into a box. She is creative, impactful, and disruptive. Following over a decade in the film industry, her unique blend of talent and expertise sit at the cross-section of tech, pop culture, social good, and entertainment. Kayce’s deep knowledge and experience within these industries have allowed her to make connections and strategically partner with global brands, influencers, nonprofits, and media. (Kayce has worked with everyone from Uber to the NFL, from Bird scooters to GYFT, a recently launched digital pregnancy companion.) In this conversation, we get a peek into Kayce’s mindset, and she shares some invaluable advice for all of us in the process. Other Mentions: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success / Connect with Kayce: LinkedIn / Joy: movement + exercise Hustle: LinkedIn / AngelList

A pleasure to have one of the O.G.'s of bitcoin on the show. Many of you are familiar with Vinny. He is well known for his success as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. He is a successful investor, a media figure on shows like Shark Tank and Dragon's Den, and a partner in the largest cryptocurrency hedge fund. At one point, 5% of all bitcoin transactions were made via his company Gyft. Today, he serves as the CEO of Civic, a decentralized identity ecosystem built on Ethereum. Vinny sheds light on his day-to-day and his outlook for cryptocurrencies: What is a typical day in the life of Vinny? How does he divide his time? How should we interpret the consequences of the scaling debate? What does the Bitcoin Foundation do in 2018? Why should people care about decentralized identity? When is the best time to lead a startup?

I should just name this podcast "I Have Questions" because there is a lot of shit I'm unsure about in life. There's two questions in here for you to answer...one at the beginning & one at the end. For me, it's been a week full of new & different experiences...expos, festivals, health coaches, fitness talks, financial reviews, and 2nd dates. And it's full of decisions I can't make. Music by: Gyft "They Just Don't Know" Subscribe in iTunes! Snap/Gram: @AmyMCR Tweet: @theAmyMCR

I was fortunate enough to chat with Vinny Lingham of Civic, one of the leading cryptocurrencies in the identity space. If you don’t know who Vinny is, here’s a quick bio: Entrepreneur. Dragon. Angel. Shark. Vinny Lingham is a 4-time successful startup founder & CEO. His latest venture, Civic just sold $33 million tokens during its June 2017 token sale event. He was previously the founder and CEO of Gyft & Yola, Inc. that sold to First Data Corporation in 2014.  Vinny has appeared as one of the investors, or “dragons”, on South Africa’s Dragons’ Den reality TV series, he The post A Conversation With Vinny Lingham of Civic – Podcast Exclusive appeared first on Coin Mastery - How To Trade Crypto.

Before you panic Yes, it is best to be concerned about your data. Between all of our smart devices and services that connect our data over the web. It seems like it is only a matter of time before we have our identity stolen. However, panic is never a plan. We need to understand how the latest breach effects us and what we need to do to protect ourselves better. My biggest concern with the Equifax Breach  Equifax is one of the three credit reporting agencies in the United States. This breach exposes the name, address, birthday, and Social Security number of 143 million people. 209 thousand people had their credit card information lost. And 182 thousand lost documents by Equifax according to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. The first thing you need to do is go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and see if you or your children have been affected. What to do now? Chances are you or someone in your family have been exposed.  Here are the quick steps you need to do if you are part of the 143 million. Ways to protect yourself Check your credit reports for free on www.annualcreditreport.com Place a Fraud Alert or credit freeze on Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion File your tax return ASAP Signup for a service like Credit Karma The market leader is LifeLock Or what we use ID Shield which is like LifeLock with extra SSN protection Or better yet higher a service that will help resolve problems if you are compromised Protect your passwords and track all the sites you have bad or duplicate passwords with LastPass. Always use VPNs when you are not in a secured network. Try NordVPN 24 other reasons to protect yourself Since 2016 there have been 25 major data breaches with at least 900 Million records lost. And out of those numbers, there have been many companies who do not know or did not state how many records have been lost. There could have also been other breaches that have not been publicly released. In these days of an interconnected world, you should consider the best ways to protect yourself and assume that at some point you or a family member will have their identity stolen. Please consider a service like Identity Shield as a way to protect yourself. Equifax  2017 Taringa 2017 Grozio Chirurgija 2017 Erie County Medical Center 2017 Friend Finder Networks 2016 Commission on Elections 2016 Weebly 2016 Taobao 2016 21st Century Oncology 2016 KM.RU 2016 Nival Networks 2016 Verizon Communications 2016 Apple Health Medicaid 2016 University of California, Berkeley 2016 University of Central Florida 2016 Central Coast Credit Union 2016 Cox Communications 2016 Department of Homeland Security 2016 Democratic National Committee 2016 Inuvik hospital 2016 EyeWire 2016 Gyft 2016 Ofcom 2016 Rosen Hotels 2016 TaxSlayer.com 2016 Other Sources Get An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp01a-notice The Equifax Data Breach: What to Do When Information Is Lost or Exposed Best Identity-Theft Protection 2017 NOTE: This post contains affiliate links Links ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Visit Show notes ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.smallbizlife.com/blog/episode-105-dealing-with-the-equifax-breach   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Mentions links ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-cp01a-notice https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/equifax-data-breach-what-do https://www.identitytheft.gov/Info-Lost-or-Stolen https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-identity-theft-protection,review-2083.html https://nordvpn.com/free-trial/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_data_breaches https://www.equifax.com/personal/?/               http://www.experian.com/ https://www.transunion.com/ https://www.creditkarma.com/auth/logon/ https://www.lifelock.com/ https://www.idshield.com/            ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Rate and Review us in iTunes ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/small-biz-life/id1039595496 Small Biz HQ   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Like our Facebook Page ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.facebook.com/smallbizlifepodcast/   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Join our Facebook Group ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://www.facebook.com/groups/SmallBizLife/     ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Twitter  ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://twitter.com/JefferyWIngram https://twitter.com/KristinLIngram https://twitter.com/SBLPodcast   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Affiliate Mentions links ))))))))))))))))))))))))) https://lastpass.com/enterprise_trial.php?esrc=smallbizlife

The Civic CEO and cofounder explains how his upbringing in South Africa and his experience at former company Gyft led him to launch a startup focused on identity. It was also at Gyft that he realized how enthusiastic the bitcoin and cryptocurrency crowd is and how a business could harness that enthusiasm to grow its user base. We discuss why the ICO craze has only just gotten started and how cultural differences could make the scams and speculation worse than in previous bubbles. Plus, Lingham explains what risks in bitcoin investors aren't pricing in and why he believes the odds of a split in bitcoin are currently greater than 50%. Don't forget to take the Unchained podcast survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/unchained Civic: https://www.civic.com/ Show notes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/30/bitcoin-oracle-vinny-lingham-on-why-bitcoin-is-overpriced/ More on ICOs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/16/icos-why-people-are-investing-in-this-380-million-phenomenon/#ff1983411a18 The risks of a split in Bitcoin: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/03/21/is-this-massive-power-struggle-about-to-blow-up-bitcoin/#5c5658677325

The Civic CEO and cofounder explains how his upbringing in South Africa and his experience at former company Gyft led him to launch a startup focused on identity. It was also at Gyft that he realized how enthusiastic the bitcoin and cryptocurrency crowd is and how a business could harness that enthusiasm to grow its user base. We discuss why the ICO craze has only just gotten started and how cultural differences could make the scams and speculation worse than in previous bubbles. Plus, Lingham explains what risks in bitcoin investors aren't pricing in and why he believes the odds of a split in bitcoin are currently greater than 50%. Don't forget to take the Unchained podcast survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/unchained Civic: https://www.civic.com/ Show notes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/30/bitcoin-oracle-vinny-lingham-on-why-bitcoin-is-overpriced/ More on ICOs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/16/icos-why-people-are-investing-in-this-380-million-phenomenon/#ff1983411a18 The risks of a split in Bitcoin: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/03/21/is-this-massive-power-struggle-about-to-blow-up-bitcoin/#5c5658677325

Tonight we Talk with Vinny Lingham. Vinny is a South African Internet entrepreneur who is the co-founder & CEO of Civic - an identity protection and management startup. He was also previously the founder and CEO of Gyft & Yola, Inc Vinnny also dives into the ETF and bitcoin price predictions.

It's something many people face: You've got a great career –one you worked hard to get – and while you love what you do, you can't help but feel there's something missing. This was the case for Ben Reichert, a former European liaison officer turned founder and CEO of Game CoLab and professor at the University of Advancing Technology. Hear how Ben left the comforts of a steady job to level up and pursue a passion in gaming. Show references: Game CoLab University of Advancing Technology  Next week I'm in the lab with Anna Mason, Director of Investments for Rise of the Rest. We talk about taking massive action to make big things happen. Be sure to tune! Until then, have prosperous week! Music in this episode: "They Just Don't Know" by Gyft.

Today I have a family friend on the show, a good friend and college buddy of my brother, Todd. Arteen Arabshahi is here. He recently made Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for 2016 in the Venture Capital category. Arteen is just one of those guys where you just know he’s on to accomplishing big things. In 2013, Arteen joined as #2 at Karlin Ventures, an LA-based early stage fund with investments such as Gyft, Cirrosecure, Laurel & Wolf and others. Before investing in enterprise software and marketplaces he spearheded the launch of Build in LA, an online community for digital entrepreneurs and innovators. Outside of his work with startups, Arteen sits on the board of TEDxVenice Beach and he's an active supporter of To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), a non-profit raising awareness and support for mental health. He also teaches at General Assembly and The Unique CAMP. Arteen is a natural people person. I’ve known him for many years now. It’s something that all of us identify in him. He’s an extrovert, so how does he harness that to then build and advance in his career? How does Arteen make decisions when it comes to the next steps in his career? He doesn’t really listen to a lot of people. He talks about his strategy. Plus, how does this So Money Millennial manage his money? What are some of the investments that haven’t done so well for him and how is he trying to make the most of his paycheck? For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

We've likely all felt it at some point in our lives…the discontent and stress that can come from not doing something you feel excited, energized and passionate about. You feel like you're working against the grain. Trying to force something that isn't quite you. That was the case for Jenny Hill. She was working in PR and marketing, had a safe, secure income, but couldn't help feeling she was doing something she was quite meant to do. So she quit her job, enrolled in a farm program and moved across the country. That led her to something unexpected and she's now a widely collected fine art artist and founder of J.Hill Artisan Felt. In this episode she shares what it took to reach the decision to leave her job, how she combated self doubt, and the importance of going all in on anything you do. Biz Hack: Top 5 Biz Hacks for Entrepreneurs: This post on Entrepreneur.com lists five biz hacks "you've never heard of" but will be game changers. Next week I'm in the lab with Jennifer Boonlorn. She is the founder of Soul Carrier. And this podcast is along a similar theme - we talk trusting your inner calling and building a business out of it. Be sure to tune! Until then, have prosperous week! Intro music in this episode: "They Just Don't Know" by Gyft. Outro music in this episode: "Magnolias" by Tapper. If you dig this podcast, why not leave a quick review or rating in iTunes?  

The entrepreneurial path is inevitably paved with unexpected roadblocks and bumps, but it's also filled with opportunity should you choose to see it. That's exactly what Russ Perry, founder of Design Pickle chose to do. In this episode I talk with Russ about his entrepreneurial journey, which spans 10 years, how he overcame some tough decisions, such as shuttering his nine-year-old design and branding agency, and how he sort of reinvented himself and built a new business model that's kicking butt. Check out Russ's workshop EXPAND2016. It's on December 2, 2015...perfect timing for getting you set to do great things in 2016. Biz Hack: This one is not so much a tool, but a great read on productivity: "10 Lessons I Learned from a Year of Productivity Experiments". The author spent 12 months conducting various productivity experiments on himself and came up with the top 10 that suited him best. One key take away: Productivity isn't about how much you produce, it's how much you accomplish. For this week's Biz Hack and past episodes, head over to SuccessLab.fm. Next week I'm in the Lab with Jess Ostroff, founder of Don't Panic Management. We talk about how to build culture in a virtual agency, particularly when your team is divided by state lines. Jess is one of my favorite people in the world – and I only have two – I'm kidding, but this is a great episode so Be sure to tune! Until then, have prosperous week! Intro music in this episode: "They Just Don't Know" by Gyft. Outro music in this episode: "Magnolias" by Tapper.

Businesses with the alleged potential to become the next Google are plentiful in Bitcoin-land, but finding actual commercial success is a lot harder. The best example of a commercial success is gift card company Gyft that became known as the first place to give access to a wide range of merchants for bitcoin holders and later achieved the largest exit so far in the crypto space in an acquisition by payments company First Data. Gyft CTO joined us to talk about how he got involved in FinTech, what makes gift cards so interesting and how recently Gyft has been trying to reinvent gift cards by using the power of the blockchain. Topics covered in this episode: Giyom’s early involvement in FinTech in the early 2000s His previous projects Bernal Bucks and Credibles that explored gift cards and alternative currencies Why gift cards are a great place for financial innovation The mechanics of gift cards today and why their security is broken How Gyft Block can improve the security of gift cards using the blockchain Why Gyft moved their gift cards off the Bitcoin blockchain onto private blockchains Giyom’s view on the utility of Bitcoin and private blockchains Episode links: Giyom's blog Gyft’s Giyom Lebleu: Following Linux ‘The Most Likely Path for Bitcoin’ [CoinJournal] Future of Money Interview. Part I. On Credibles and owning digital currencies issued by brands you love Gyft Payments giant First Data acquires Gyft in an effort to bring digital gift cards to the masses [Pando] Gift Block Bernal Bucks Credibles This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain and Sébastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/104

Most entrepreneurs are accustomed to wearing many hats and juggling a near-endless supply of priorities, requests and fire drills. At times this pressure can become almost unbearable. So at what point do you stop trying to do it all and either eliminate the unnecessary or outsource it? And how do you know what is unnecessary? Ed Borromeo, partner and COO at Tallwave, routinely works with startup founders and innovators on helping them bring their products to market. Prior to that he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, so he's no stranger to the stress and responsibility that can come with being in a leadership position. Over the years he has developed a system for identifying and focusing on the most effective priorities and drowning out the rest of the noise. For entrepreneurs it's essential to define those top priorities that will actually move the needle then determine who the best person is to tackle that priority. “When you're trying to get your product to market, there's inevitably, this tremendous pressure to produce and get ahead,” Ed said. “Sometimes we can buckle under the weight of the many top priorities. It's a challenge, but what I practice is taking it a month to a quarter at a time, and determine the outcomes that matter the most for that timeframe.” Of course the long-term vision and goal is important, but you have to break it down to get to the most important thing you need to be doing right now to get your business to that end goal. Start big, then get narrow. “I highly recommend keeping this list to three to five things that will really move the needle towards accomplishing those outcomes,” he said. “From there, it's a daily gut check. Everything we're doing should be benefitting those three main things. If they're not, you have to question whether their necessary activities.” One way Ed forces himself to distill his weekly priorities or goals down to one or two things is by writing them on a three-by three sticky note, which he keeps in his pocket all week to serve as a daily reminder. Every time he goes for his keys or wallet, he feels the sticky note - keeping the goal literally at his fingertips. If he hasn't yet accomplished the goal, it motivates him to devote more attention to it. But once he has, that sticky note becomes a little validation for what he accomplished that week. Finding Priority Numero Uno How do you distill your priorities down? Ed says, it starts with complete clarity to what success looks like. “If you have that understanding, you're better able to sort through the noise,” he said. “I can't stress enough how important it is to have clarity on the outcome and understanding of the business.” He recommends spending 10 minutes each day planning and organizing your priorities to get to the one thing that will get you closer to your outcome. Once you've identified it, it may be time to think about whether to outsource or keep it in house. For that, Ed has a few methods for gauging which is the best route to take. 1. Pipeline - sometimes instead of assuming overhead you might outsource or find a good, capable partner. “I always recommend you crawl before you walk. Find ways to outsource, and then you're also networking and developing good business deals. It also allows you to understand how critical that function is to your business before you commit to that overhead right away.” 2. Understand your core competencies - “If it's core to your business you probably want to insource and keep it in house.” Outsource functions that are not core to your biz. 3. Timing - how long does this function exist? Is it short or long term. That will also help you determine. Finding a Quality Support Now that you've determined you have a function you need to outsource, the next (and often most challenging step) is to find quality talent to outsource to. Ed has a couple of suggestions, starting with asking to see their work. It may see rudimentary, but many people overlook this step. Simply asking for samples and/or references can help you quickly weed out any candidates who may not be the best fit. Another key component is understanding how they communicate. “How well do they communicate? Communication is a huge factor,” Ed said. “I've learned that the endeavors that have gone very well were a function of a capable, organized and great communicator.” Ed also said he has found success hiring contractors any time they take a vested interest in the business and ask questions about the outcomes you're trying to achieve. Try to find critical thinkers who will ask questions and presents strategies for helping achieve the outcome. Make sure they are prepared to be flexible enough to adjust along with you. Bottomline, find your one thing right now that will either make every other task easier, or better yet, unnecessary. Book referenced in this podcast: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. Biz Hack: Clear is an app that organizes tasks, reminders and to-do lists. It allows you to input multiple types of lists whether for personal or business and can sync across all iOS and OS X devices. The goal of the app is help you become more productive. Clear is $4.99 for the iOs app and $9.99 for the Mac app. Next week I'm in the Lab with Ryan Hermansky, co-founder of Talk 2 Legends, a cool new app that just launched in the app store that essentially allows fans to schedule times to talk to their favorite pro athletes. We talk about how he took this idea from concept to reality, and how he did it all while juggling a full time job. Be sure to tune in. Until then, have a prosperous week. Music in this episode: "They Just Don't Know" by Gyft. If you dig this podcast, why not leave a quick review or rating in iTunes?  

Greg Hickman is a mobile marketing consultant, podcaster, speaker and coach who last year decided to leave the steady routine and steady income of a 9 to 5 to start his entrepreneurial journey. Last December he started publicly tracking his journey towards reaching $20k in income per month. He is very candid about his journey and admits it hasn't always been easy. Greg was balancing a full-time job while trying to build up his business in the off hours. When he finally decided to make the calculated leap into full-time entrepreneurship he was thrilled to be able to finally dedicate a full day's work to his business. He was waking up earlier, excited about the day, saving time not having to commute into an office, and could finally dedicate those 8 hours previously spent on someone else's business actually working on his own. Time to crush it…right? Well that wasn't quite the case. For Greg, like many of us, when we have the extra time on our hands we tend to leap all over the place - from one project to another - never quite finishing any. It's easy to lose focus or not have any to begin with. The Superman effect also can come into play. Somehow, and this this true for me, when I know I have a full day to tackle anything, my to-do list tends to become a mile long. Greg knew this wasn't working for him, so he took action. He attended Chris Ducker's Tropical Think Tank Conference and took home a few productivity tips. One thing he did was implement a daily routine and the concept of the Zero-Based Calendar, a concept his friend and fellow blogger Bryan Harris introduced him to. It's based on Dave Ramsey's Zero-Based Budget in which all money in your budget is accounted for. In this case, every hour in the day is accounted for - even if it's rest time or reading time, it's on the calendar. This was working for Greg, but he still found he was trying to divide his time between too many projects. What came next was something we've talked about a lot on this podcast and one of my favorite books…”The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller. From that book Greg set out to identify his most important thing and trim out the rest. This got him into full productivity mode. He was crushing it, but soon discovered the entrepreneurial journey can become an emotional roller coast. Many entrepreneurs go through feelings of self doubt, and that's what he was battling. Someone recommended Hal Elrod's “The Miracle Morning.” He read the book, implemented the strategies and said it changed his life. Hal's Miracle Morning consists of six elements, all buttoned up into one nice, snackable acronym: S.A.V.E.R.S. S = Silence A = Affirmations V= Visualization E = Exercise R = Reading S = Scribing/journaling Beyond implementing “The Miracle Morning” routine, one other key thing Greg did was declare his goal publicly, and he's been tracking it since. Quote of the Week: “Never mistake activity for achievement.” ~ John Wooden This week's Biz Hack: Read The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and/or Essentialism by Greg McKeown. The ONE Thing is all about finding that one important daily thing that's going to propel you towards your larger, long-term goals and cutting out the rest. Essentialism is somewhat similar. It challenges the assumptions many of us have of “I have to do everything” and trying to do it all, and replaces it with the idea of pursuing “the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.” The book focuses on regaining control of your choices about where you spend your time and energy, and more importantly, not allowing others to simply choose for you. Thank you to Greg Hickman for sharing his journey so candidly and how he has worked to overcome the very common obstacles that often accompany entrepreneurship. Next week I'm in the lab with Tanner Lawley, a former finance major, turned bodyguard, turned artpreneur. He opens up about a battle with drug addiction, how he overcame it and how he has built up his fine art business and has become an internationally known fine art artist. Be sure to tune in. Until then, have a prosperous week. Music in this episode: "They Just Don't Know" by Gyft.

That was Jay Feitlinger, a serial entrepreneur and CEO and Founder of StringCan Interactive, a digital marketing agency in Phoenix. In this episode I talk to Jay about some of his biggest successes, failures, lessons learned, and how he takes calculated risks to take his business to the next level. A common thread throughout Jay's entrepreneurial journey was having to contend with skeptics…people who thought his ideas or the direction he was taking was crazy and wouldn't work. Jay often plowed forward anyways, but not without the right amount of due diligence first and building a solid foundation. Jay went from corporate America to entrepreneurship, first launching a pet grooming franchise, but quickly learned it was not his passion. Following the pet grooming stint, he got into a few other businesses launching a publishing business focused on real estate, but timing was not on his side. The launch happened to coincide with the crash of the real estate market, and though he was passionate about the industry, a successful business requires more than just passion alone. But what came next, Jay considers one of his bigger wins. “I was doing a lot of consulting for some larger retail organizations, and this was when social media started getting really popular,” Jay said. “I started recommending my retail clients get involved there, and ended up launching a business called Site Tab. We were one of the first social commerce applications for business launched.” He sold that company and used the funds to fast track his next business….his current business StringCan Interactive, which he launched in 2010. “That's really the main focus of my energy today where I'm leveraging all of my backgrounding marketing and sales and trying to disrupt the whole digital marketing landscape,” he said. Beyond the hiring, what were some of the other challenges Jay faced in the early days of StringCan? “One challenge was that no one heard of our company, there are more than 800 agencies in Arizona alone, but also my main service offering was one that was one that was very uncommon to sell,” he said. “The good news is that also differentiated us.” Calculated Risk and Reward Over the years Jay has grown StringCan significantly, working with major brands, and even expanding the company into the European market. But during these periods of massive growth, how did he know the risk would pay off? It goes back to due diligence and building a solid foundation. Jay and his team went out there and did a trial, got positive feedback, met with other agencies out there and closed the largest European cruise company. Once they worked with that company and validated the idea, set up a different entity and have been building up operations in Paris over the course of the last year. But it wasn't easy, they had to acclimate to the way business was done there, but they took the time to do that. “You really want to vet and validate your expansion strategies before you invest a ton of money and time,” he said. “Just because you believe this idea is going to be a goldmine, almost like the Midas touch, that isn't always the case.” Taking the time to validate this idea of expanding into an international market enabled Jay and his team to build something they are proud of. That isn't to say they didn't have their skeptics… “When I launched it I got a lot more negative feedback from people thinking I'm absolutely crazy,” he said. “But we figured out what the gaps were there and we knew we had a solid solution to solve it.” Finding Balance Running a business of scale, and now an international office, requires a lot of work and achieving balance can be a challenge. Jay said finding balance has been a work in progress over the years, but one strategy he implements is finding his MIT (most important thing) each morning and tackling it before anything else. “You find yourself as an entrepreneur…all you're seeing is opportunity out there,” he said. “My first few businesses…I pull all-nighters all the time. It can be very hard to stay focused. But I”m only going to be of value to my team and my clients if I'm healthy and focused on the right things. So I decided to build this thing personally, called MITs…most important things.” The idea of tackling your most important thing or your ONE thing has been around for some time. In fact there's a famous quote by Mark Twain that says, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” And William James, who has been called the father of American psychology, noted there's nothing as fatiguing as an uncompleted task. Fast forward several decades and we have books like “Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy and “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller - all based around the notion that if you do your most difficult task…the one you're most likely to procrastinate on, doing so will give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. Not doing it can crush your productivity. So follow Jay's advice, set your more important thing and tackle first thing in the morning. It's one of the best ways to kickstart your energy and momentum for the rest of the day. Connect: Jay Feitlinger StringCan Interactive Twitter Google+ Biz Hack: I recently started using Sanebox and fell in love with it. It basically works on top of your email account to help prioritize important emails and summarize the rest. It enables one-click unsubscribes, response tracking - notifying you when an email you sent hasn't been replied to so you can follow up, you can also snooze non-urgent emails, and filter out any unimportant emails. It works across all devices and platforms, basically fitting in seamlessly with everything you're currently doing, but helps you get to inbox zero! Quote of the Week: “The man who goes the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-think boat never gets far from the shore. ~ Dale Carnegie Thank you to Jay Feitlinger for sharing his challenges, successes and lessons learned. To connect with Jay or StringCan find them on any social network…and they're easily found on all of them…they are an interactive marketing company after all. Or head to successlab.fm for the link. The music in this podcast is “Float” by The Lab Rats and “They Just Don't Know” by Gyft. And for those of you keeping track this was episode 41. Now get out there and eat that frog!

Welcome to episode 11 of The Bitcoin Game, I'm Rob Mitchell. It's great to live in a big city such as Los Angeles because of the opportunity to network with people doing amazing things in the Bitcoin space. While Paul Puey founded Airbitz from San Diego, he still has managed to attend enough Los Angeles Bitcoin meetups that he seems like a local. In January of this year, Airbitz was selected by Plug and Play to take part in their Startup Camp Accelerator in Silicon Valley. Paul still had no problem trekking back to another Los Angeles Bitcoin Meetup, this time to present a compelling view of Bitcoin's place in the future of mobile payments. Paul also talks about the Airbitz mobile wallet, an app for Android and iOS that is aimed squarely at making Bitcoin as easy to use for mobile payments as possible. MAGIC WORD Listen for the magic word, and submit it to your LetsTalkBitcoin.com account to claim a share of this week's distribution of LTBcoin. If you haven't set up an account yet, what are you waiting for? The magic word must be submitted by 8am (8:00 Pacific Time / GMT-8:00) on March 8. SHOW LINKS Presentation Slide Show (slick, requires Adobe Flash or special app to view) https://prezi.com/nyeeozca95pw/how-bitcoin-will-revolutionize-mobile-payments-la Presentation Slide Show (simple Flickr gallery of slides) https://www.flickr.com/photos/btckeychain/sets/72157648781096203 AirBitz https://airbitz.co Gyft https://www.gyft.com eGifter https://www.egifter.com Fold App https://foldapp.com Purse https://purse.io Plug and Play http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com Perhaps the first well-attended Los Angeles Bitcoin Meetup http://spelunk.in/2013/06/07/los-angeles-bitcoin-meetup-2 **UPDATE:** Paul referred to a presentation about Lightning Network (a payment channel technology) given at the San Francisco Bitcoin Devs Meetup. The name of the presentation he referred to is "Scaling Bitcoin to Billions of Transactions Per Day" and it can be seen here: https://youtu.be/8zVzw912wPo SPONSOR Bitcoin Keychains by Bkeychain http://bkeychain.com MUSIC All music in this episode was created by me, or with friends and family. Ganesh Painting Company is the name of one of the jam bands I feature live recordings of regularly. Some of the musicians you're hearing in the band are Mike Coleman, Rick Marshal, and Mark Denham. Feel free to contact me if you want more info about any music you hear on the podcast. Thanks for listening! STAY IN TOUCH https://Twitter.com/TheBTCGame http://TheBitcoinGame.com Email me at Rob at TheBitcoinGame.com New podcast artwork created from an illustration by Rock Barcellos. Tip This Post: 1K88ugYHh4CnapHQMFQsMTghkMh26FnB3

Anthem Blanchard of the Anthem vault discuss the hacking scam on Bitcoin. Bubba and Anthem talk about Ron and Mrs. Paul visiting his conference. How his father worked in the financial world. Anthem states that he doesnt favor central banks he prefers a decentralized currency. Discuss the audit of the Fed by the congress. What happens if the Central banks fail? How do we keep security if the troops cant get paid? What happens if all of the central banks fail? Bitcoin (electronic currency) will be the solution.How does Bitcoin clear trades? What happens if we have no clearing corporation? The network clears the trade and the computers will clear the trade. What happens when the bitcoin exchanges get hacked? We are in the preliminary market space and when the industry matures things will work their way out. What is your take on the Winklevoss twins? Good idea for having an ETF. Anthem states that Gold thru Hayek will allow the ability own Gold in small amounts for universal payments.Anthem states that with the global Hayek it will allow for the instant transformation of payments in any country, he cites Gyft.com as an example as an internet company that accepts gold. The longer we have government intervention in markets unproductive capital will be bailed out. The QEs are nothing more than a legalized Ponzi schemes that are racing each other to the bottom currency to increase exports. Anthem feels that unless you move to a new form of global payment the powder keg will continue to grow until the big default hits. Why will the markets benefit if we have no centralized clearing. Because decentralized clearing minimizes the chance of a massive failure. Jackson tried to decentralize the currency and it resulted in a collapse of the economy. Anthem feels that technology will mitigate much of the problems that happened in the 1830s. In todays society technology allows for the transfer of funds instantaneously if you have an electronic currency.

$20 Billion in gift cards go unused every year ladies! Can you believe that? That means there is $20 billion in un used cash laying around that people have forgotten about or just too lazy to use! This is unacceptable! On this week’s show, I talk with CJ MacDonald about this awesomely convenient app called Gyft. Gyft lets you … Read more about this episode...