Strong leaders can have the weight of the world on their shoulders, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Mike Smerklo is an experienced entrepreneur, investor, and business leader driven by the desire to turn ideas into reality. Having bought and scaled a small business into a publicly-traded company worth nearly a billion dollars, he has a deep understanding of the hard work, dedication, and grit that truly powers successful entrepreneurship. Mike shares the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial journey, and why he decided to write a book to help other entrepreneurs get over their fear and doubt about themselves, and the type of company they’re trying to build.
Key Takeaways:
[2:25] Mike talks about his book and why the proceeds are going to charity!
[3:35] Mike really struggled with imposter syndrome throughout his career.
[5:45] Entrepreneurship books fall into two camps: Tactical advice or rags to riches stories that make you feel kind of bad.
[8:35] Throughout Mike’s career, he was plagued with negative self-talk and inner voices. He didn’t have a lot of good role models growing up, and his book wanted to highlight ways to get over that voice of “not being enough.”
[11:50] Self-awareness might be the most important attribute for an entrepreneur.
[14:15] How do you know if a leader has self-awareness?
[16:00] All successful business owners ask for help. There is no shame in that!
[21:25] How can leaders be more authentic?
[23:50] It’s okay to not have all the answers for your team.
[28:15] Your entrepreneurial journey doesn’t get easier, it gets different.
[32:50] As a board member, how does Mike coach his leaders to rally their people and move in the right direction?
[37:00] Struggling with a particular task? Go find someone who has done it recently. Get good people around you.
[39:00] The biggest thing an entrepreneur can do is to stay focused.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Email Todd: [email protected]
Mr. Monkey and Me: A Real Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs, by Mike Smerklo
