Remix Series 07: SMOGcast

REMIX SERIES 03: SMOGCAST
Try this five times fast: Stephen talks fast with Brian from the SMOGcast podcast. Stephen talks fast with Brian from the SMOGcast podcast. Stephen falks fast with Brian from the SMOGpast podcast. Stephen palks past with Brian from the POGfast smogflask………. What was the phrase again?
With that excellent intro, we proudly bring you our last REMIX episode this season of the CULTUREgoodr podcast! Stephen and Brian Mineo discuss the importance of staying authentically yourself and how to dance with fear. We like to imagine it’s the tango and fear is looking fine in a fiery red dress. YOWZAH!!!!!!

Culture goodr podcast: REMIX Series 07 - SMOGcast
THE EPISODE IN A VERY SMALL NUTSHELL:
Growing up, Stephen was always serious about trying to be as authentic as possible. He still fell into the usual kid trap of just trying to fit in (Boooooooringgggg. Carl would have totally pecked him in the face until he stopped that silliness), but for the most part he went against the social norms. So it’s no surprise that by the time he was legally able to fill out paperwork to start a company of his own, he was no stranger to dancing with fear. Because you never truly get over it, you just get used to it and learn how to proceed with it.

There wasn’t really an itch to pursue entrepreneurship other than seeing his Dad do it and then trying it out himself. But one thing he does want to point out is that once you go entrepreneurship, you can’t go back. Truly. You become unemployable. No resume. Job interviews sound like, “I’m super great at problem solving and not listening to authority!” So you just have to keep starting companies. Pretty easy, right? In Stephen’s brand graveyard he has a wide variety of companies that didn’t make the cut. One was a mobile hair salon and barber shop where he would have a fleet of food trucks but for hair and lease them out. One was a subscription service but only for coconut oil. Another was a shower filter to fix the sh*ty water quality in LA and Nevada, but branded as a beauty product because bad h20 = bad hair day. And Stephen Lease DOES NOT have bad hair days.

A question that Stephen often gets is, “How did you know it would work?” Ummmmm he didn’t. First of all, he didn’t ask if he could, no one said he couldn’t. So he did it. Second, he followed the main entrepreneurship hack: What makes you unique? He didn’t ask for advice from other brands, because why would he listen to them when they’ve already carved out a piece of what he wanted?

Stephen suggests making a list of the top 20 competitors in the space you’re hoping to break into. Then list all the qualities to look at. Things like price point, messaging, content, audiences, materials, sourcing, etc. Rate all of those competitors on a scale from one to ten and you’ll begin to see where the gaps are. Fill that gap. Heyo. But actually, if it’s a quality that an audience genuinely wants, it’s what needs to be provided. And tada! You have a multimillion dollar company! Just like that!

We’ll end this REMIX recap with a quote from Stephen (it’s not a spoiler, you still have to listen to the episode) because it’s inspiring AF.

"When people become successful, they become more of who they are. If you’re an asshole, you’re a bigger asshole. If you’re someone who values authenticity, fun, and connection, you are more so and encourage others to do the same. It’s given me a platform and a place to share things that I feel are important.”

In short. Don’t be an a$$hole. K thanks bye.