RE3EL STANCE

Pangea Day…a time for the world to unite around ideas, inspiration, music and film. We are proud between REBEL & dt to be hosting a viewing in San Diego.  However, for me, I’m 2/3 of the way across the country in Chicago on the 22nd floor of a firm very literally building the future…architecture firm OWP/P.

As my wife and I were leaving to head to OWP/P to take part in Pangea, I got a call asking “oh, what is that?”  So, what is Pangea Day…well, it’s tough to say really.  Pangea Day is individual and communal; it’s personal and collective; it’s mine and it’s ours.  So, what is Pangea Day?  Well, the only way I can answer is to tell you what Pangea Day is to me. 

I’m a husband, a father, a brother, a son and a friend.  I’m an entrepreneur, a social entrepreneur, an intellectual and a free spirit.  I’m a soccer player, a surfer, a music lover, a traveler and a reader.  I’m compassionate and passionate, loving and loved, curious and inspired.  I know a lot and I know a little.  So, to me Pangea Day is all that and none of that.   

The world is small, sometimes too much so, and sometimes not enough so.  But, today the world is just the right size and we are united to keep it that way.  So, what is Pangea Day?  It’s the day that everybody, regardless of background is an entrepreneur. 

Here we have a planet full of people all looking for a better world and a better life.  Here we have rooms full of people inspired to do something different when they wake up tomorrow after being united through film and stories.  Here we have all the talent and energy and ideas we need.  And, the uniting factor is entrepreneurship.  We have opportunities to make each corner of the world a better place and entrepreneurship is all about taking advantage of opportunities.

So, today I’m no different than anybody else.  Today, it’s not the differences that define me but the similarities.  We all have entrepreneurship inside of us.  We all know how to make the world a better place - it just takes the passion, energy and creativity to unite.  So, what is Pangea Day - well, it’s a simple idea to unite us through stories and sharing….and, most importantly…entrepreneurship. 

Tony Hsieh has made some money…lots and lots of it in fact. He has built Zappos.com into a powerhouse with over $1 Billion in sales. He sold his first company for $265 million to Microsoft (at age 24). He was an investor in Ask Jeeves, Mongo Music and others that had very nice acquisitions. And, he works in a cubicle.

Yep, Hsieh works in a cubicle rather than a fancy corner office. He drives a Mazda rather than a Maserati. He wears jeans rather than Armani. And, he keeps his focus on business rather than flashing his wealth.

That’s all fine and good but what do we that aren’t worth a few hundred million dollars learn from him?? a lot…

Zappos.com will do a billion dollars in revenue this year. That’s a lot of shoes. The company has been around since 2000 and had a simple idea to sell shoes online. Some of the challenges to this model include:

• A couple years later people were slinging drinks reminiscing of the days of the internet…lots of companies folded
• In 2000 the company was only doing about $1.6 in revenues so there was little pointing to think that it would become an empire and would survive any kind of a crash
• “It’s tough to buy shoes online because you can’t try them on”…isn’t it??
• There have been multiple opportunities to sell out
• There have been even more temptations to sell everything under the sun and go after the Amazon model

But, Hsieh has made this all look like silly putty. The company grew through the downturn of the web. The company grew through the upturn of the web. The company will continue to grow through our current downturn in the economy. This is all because Hsieh has discipline and there are some juicy tidbits we can learn from that:

• Live within your means…as a company and as a person: Okay, so Hsieh takes that a bit to the extreme, but live within your means and you will be able to survive some of the rough patches.
• Understand your value and then have the discipline to focus on that: Zappos.com is a “customer service” company rather than a “shoe store”. You can send as many shoes back as you want with free return shipping - that’s insane but if you are trying to deliver a great customer experience, it’s necessary.
• Don’t get too big for your britches: Have the discipline to never forget that your team is the most important path to success…have the disciplines in place to make sure that you spend time with them, grow them and help them to succeed.
• Be organized: yes, we all think that an entrepreneur is a crazy misfit with a piled up desk and wrinkled clothes that is moving so fast that he/she can’t bother with the little things. But, great creativity takes creates discipline and organization. Just ask Hsieh.
• Stick to goals: Set goals and stick to them. Don’t let them waver or let people slide…it’s good for the company and it’s good for those individuals within it.

Tony Hsieh leaves big footprints wherever he goes but he has the discipline to make sure that every step is a good one.

A few years ago Jeff Bezos was flying around Texas looking for a big ol’ ranch…not too uncommon for somebody with big bucks and needing something away from all the attention or Wall Street hassle. But, something strange did happen on that trip and it’s a fitting way to introduce Mr. Amazon. His helicopter crashed. Yep, a billionaire owner of one of the web’s most famous companies was brought down to earth…literally. The helicopter hit a wind, lost control and crashed into the side of a cedar tree. The chopper was destroyed and Bezos was hospitalized. So, his life flashed before his eyes, right?! And, he spent the next six months in deep reflection about “what’s the meaning of all of this??”, right?! Well, it turns out that no…in the hospital he simply said, “All I could think about was this is a silly way to die” and got back to work.

Bezos has dealt with many flights and crashes over the years. He was a press darling and instant billionaire when he launched Amazon. He then was a goat of Wall Street when “he couldn’t figure out how to make money”. His company’s stock rose to $100 almost instantly and then crashed to $6 even faster. And, when the bubble burst, the internet and internet business crumbled around him.

Many of the companies around Amazon.com back in 2001 have fallen away. Many hit the panic button and walked away. I even remember the stories of the time of all of the people that had gone on the internet joy ride that were now slinging burgers at the local fast food joint. But, Bezos kept his laser focus and his general sense of complete optimism. And, along the way he has proved his mettle as a chameleon.

But, how did he do it and how can you learn from his ability to be a chameleon?

Keep your head about you: Your business will have good days and bad and up years and down. You’ll be the hero some days and the goat on others. Believe in your direction, yourself and your business and keep level headed.

Be optimistic: Bezos believed in the internet when others headed for the exits. Optimism is critical and one of the easiest business tools to come by.

Laugh: Bezos is famous for his laugh. He laughs in tough meetings and easy ones. He laughs in the halls of the office and in interviews. It certainly isn’t the only reason that he was able to stay on track with the two points above, but is one of the most important ones.

Listen to the market: Amazon has changed a lot over the years based on what the market needed and wanted. The company was able to do so because Bezos stayed close to the action and the people the company served.

Don’t listen to the market too much: Sometimes adjusting your business too much to what the customers ask for can be dangerous. So, be picky and keep your head about you.

Use the latest technologies: Amazon is famous for leveraging the latest technologies to improve its services and efficiencies. With limited resources, leveraging technologies should be seen as an investment rather than a cost.

Create the newest technologies: Don’t just sit back and wait for new technologies to be created. Creating technologies these days can be cheap and can lead you to entirely new markets. Amazon is no longer just a book store, but also is a fulfillment company, a logistics provider and a data center for businesses big and small.

Grow: Learn about yourself, your team and your business every day….it’s the only way you’ll know when to change and when to stay the course.

And, finally, don’t forget that in business your business must adapt or die…there is just no way around it.

A few years ago I sat in a small classroom in Boston awe-struck for nearly two straight hours. I’ve heard a lot of great entrepreneurs talk. I’ve watched a lot of great entrepreneurs in action and have read the stories of exponentially more. But, few have truly made the impact on my life and entrepreneurial philosophy like Yvon Chouinard. As a web entrepreneur, my life is a daily adventure…the industry simply changes so quickly. But, no matter your industry and no matter your business, if you don’t love adventure you better close up shop and walk away. Continue reading

Powering through the thirteen keys to entrepreneurial success, I figure you are probably getting a bit tired of hearing from me….so grab your milk duds, your popcorn and your comfy chair and have a look at a little 3-minute diddy from one of our favorite places…The Ted Conference: