active CEO Podcast Adam Hudson (Reliable Education) – Future Of Amazon Entrepreneurship

active CEO Podcast #42 Adam Hudson Future of Amazon Entrepreneurship

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Adam Hudson about coping with losing millions of dollars; the future of Amazon entrepreneurship; the purpose of Reliable Education; and innovation at the heart of entrepreneurship. We also delve into leaning into entrepreneurship, timing being an important part of your success, identifying a visual gap in the market, knowing when to fire yourself and the importance of masterminds to his success.

Adam Hudson – Podcast Interview Brief

Adam Hudson is a tenacious, focused and courageous serial entrepreneur who has ridden the highs and lows of business success. He has built several multi-million dollar companies in Australia and the USA, including co-founding Reliable Education and Zonguru.

Considered an Amazon Thought Leader, he authored the book “Primed” in 2017. With Amazon catalysing a massive disruption in the retail industry, he simplifies a hyper-logical yet counterintuitive approach to successfully launching consumer brands on the platform.

Our guest has featured on credible media platforms including the Brian Tracy Show, Sky Business News, USA Today, Inc.com and The Wall Street Journal.

He is considered a man of resilience, authenticity, has a huge smile and a genuine desire to make a difference.

Adam talks about:

  • Having a desire to create things and chart his journey.
  • “If you don’t like it, then you can get your own place and create your own rules”.
  • Doing a Tony Robbins seminar and getting to the root of what your drive is.
  • The biggest secret to his success is persistence and working hard.
  • Failing more than he has succeeded.
  • His desire to have agency over his life and not work for anyone.
  • The future of Amazon entrepreneurship.
  • Innovation will reveal the pain that is not obvious.
  • Why he developed Reliable Education and the reason why they interview everyone.
  • Differentiate and stand out from the lack of innovation.
  • Sell things where there is demand, people are already buying and people really care about.
  • Does this business stack with someone else doing every piece all the way through.
  • Young entrepreneurs don’t value their time & they become a prisoner of their own making.
  • Sponsoring villages in Indonesia to pay for eye surgery for the 4 million people that are blind.
  • Right from the start, my mission is to fire myself from every company.
  • Being aware of his own mental health and focusing on self care around food and sleep.

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Time on Business – Most CEO’s get lost “in the business” rather than spending time “on the business”. You will find it invaluable to find one to two times per week for a half day to spend time on your business. You need to block out your calendar and make a decision and a commitment to clear weekly time for strategic thinking and direction. This thinking, reflecting and creating time should be effectively used to drive growth and develop the future of the business.

Tweets

“You can only get so much from a book and the rest you have to learn from the school of hard knocks.” Adam Hudson talks about experience, on the active CEO Podcast.

“I fired up under the pressure, I said alright this is it, what are you made of , lets do this.” Adam Hudson’s response to losing everything in 2008, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Reliable Education www.reliable.education
Zonguru www.zonguru.com
Adam Hudson Instagram
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Primed: Your Guide to Building an Amazing Business on Amazon – Adam Hudson
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast #39 Adriana Cecere The BackPocket CEO

Adriana Cecere – Consulting Australia

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Adriana Cecere from Consulting Australia about being a teenage entrepreneur, creating scalable businesses, transitioning to being a sort after business consultant and coach, and delivering high performance as a CEO. We also learn about the backstory behind being called ‘The BackPocket CEO’, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller with ‘Simple Strategies to Success’, Steve Brossman’s influence on her as a mentor and co-author of ‘Game Changers’, being The Buttery Private ambassador, and her new project with Michaela Gee.

Adriana Cecere

Adriana Cecere is an incredible serial entrepreneur, #1 Amazon Best Selling author, and a sort after business consultant and coach. Known as The BackPocket CEO, she opened her first business at the age of 17 and has gone on to own and sell more than ten businesses.

Adriana co-authored the book, Game Changers in 2017, and recently wrote the book Simple Strategies to Success. In December 2017, she was recognised by New Yorks Consulting Magazine, with an accolade as a Global Leader, for Excellence in Innovation in Consulting.

Over the last few years Adriana has grown her business, Consulting Australia, to one of the leading management consulting firms in Sydney, Australia. She is an ambassador for The Buttery Foundation who provide successful mental health and substance misuse treatment programs. 

Adriana talks about:

  • Being 13, sitting under a bay leaf tree, & setting the goal of owning a business by 18 years of age.
  • Starting her first business, Voo Doo Hair Ink at the age of seventeen.
  • Co-writing her first book, Game Changers, with mentor Steve Brossman.
  • Getting good people around her that knew what they were so she
    could grow the business.
  • Having no formal education or training when she first started her entrepreneurial journey.
  • Designed a place, buying land, project managing and building a shop in Italy, at the age of 22.
  • Freedom of owning a business, working with great people, & seeing something grow.
  • Transitioning from owning your own business to coaching people to run their businesses.
  • Learning from many people who have turned adversity into successful ventures.
  • Her approach to determining business needs and requirements.
  • Partnering with Michaela Gee to support young females to grow their leadership skills.
  • Writing #1 Amazon Best Seller, ‘Simple Strategies to Success’.
  • The secret to success in establishing a business from day one that can be easily scaled.
  • Incorporating online programs into her business strategy.
  • Having a healthy mindset, training in the morning, walking in fresh air and eating healthy.
  • The challenge for senior leaders to balance pressure versus releasing the pressure.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Own Your Own Influence – Being your own greatest influencer is important so that you have the habits and routines in place to ensure that you can keep delivering what you need to, so everyone else can perform really well. You have to be able to influence yourself, be confident, and ensure that you are in control of what you do every single day.

Tweets

“Where is the business at, what does the clients need, what’s the environment doing and what do I want to do with the business.” Adriana Cecere discussing how she chooses a business opportunity, on the active CEO Podcast.

“We are supposed to be getting smarter, but there are so many people with mental health programs” Talking about the scale of mental health problems with Adriana Cecere, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Adriana Cecere LinkedIn
Adriana Cecere Facebook
Adriana Cecere www.adrianacecere.com.au
Consulting Australia www.consultingaustralia.com.au
The Buttery www.buttery.org.au
The Buttery Private www.butteryprivate.org.au
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Simple Strategies Success Business – Adriana Cecere

Game Changers – Adriana Cecere & Steve Brosnan
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast Chris McCormack (Super League Triathlon) – Transforming The Business of Triathlon

active CEO Podcast #38 Chris McCormack Transforming The Business of Triathlon

Chris McCormack – 4x World Triathlon Champion / Co-Founder Super League Triathlon

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with four-time World Triathlon Champion, Chris McCormack about ceo performance; growing up in Sydney; lessons learnt in triathlon and business; balancing patience with commercial decisions; winning on a world stage; and transitioning from sportsperson to businessperson. We also delve into what makes a high performance CEO; thinking anything is possible; and his successful team approach that has led to IRONMAN Hawaii World Championship titles as well as leading MaccaX, MaccaNow, Thanyapura, Bahrain Endurance 13, Super League Triathlon and MINC Group.

Chris McCormack

Chris McCormack is a four-time world triathlon champion, successful entrepreneur and one of the smartest brains in the sport industry. Born in Cronulla, Sydney, Australia, Chris graduated from the University of New South Wales, Australia, with a Bachelors degree in Economics.

With a win rate of greater than 76%, he has won more than 250 triathlon events around the globe, since 1993 when he switched from running to triathlon. Chris won the coveted Hawaii Ironman World Championships in 2007 and 2010, as well as the 1997 ITU World Triathlon Champs and 2012 ITU World Long Distance Triathlon Championships.

Alongside his phenomenal sporting career, he has also led some of the world’s most exciting sport projects including Thanyapura, Bahrain Endurance 13 and most recently co-founded the game-changing Super League Triathlon. Macca, as he is more commonly known, is a pioneer in the sports industry, with a New York best-selling book “I’m Here to Win’.

The MaccaNow Foundation was established, in honor of his mother Theresa McCormack, to help the fight against Breast Cancer. As an entrepreneur he established MaccaX, an integrative platform to give athletes of all abilities the chance to learn from the world’s best, and also MINC Group where he consults on world-leading integrative projects.

Chris talks about:

  • Why his father was so determined that his three boys got the start in life that he didn’t have.
  • Getting into triathlon with Sean Maroney, while on a University of NSW run scholarship.
  • Quitting his professional triathlete dream to finish university and get a job at Bankers Trust.
  • Wanting to pursue a dream in seeing the world and through the eyes of a triathlete.
  • Naivety, freedom of belief and the non-pollution of focusing on what is possible.
  • Living the golden era of triathlon by chance, by birth year and by falling into the sport.
  • Idolising Rob De Castella, Mark Occhilupo, Steve Moneghetti and Sebastian Coe as a child.
  • The influence that successful businessmen, Tony Pritzker and Chris Parker had on his career.
  • Being let down by his triathlon friends who didn’t believe in Super League Triathlon
  • The transition from athlete to businessmen.
  • Surrounding himself with a team of specialists Mark Allen and Stuart O’Grady.
  • Applying the team approach at Thanyapura, with the Royal Family of Bahrain and Super
  • His Ironman triathlon rivalries, with Norman Stadler and Craig Alexander.
  • Confidence is important in business, but you realise you are not the champion in the room.
  • You have to pick your fights, as business is strategy more than competitiveness.
  • Why athletes struggle with managing energy in business because they always had triggers.
  • A high performing CEO is an amazing communicator, therapist and vision creator.
  • The courage to identify with his daughter and say that I am very proud of what you do and I think you are remarkable and how can I be a part of that.
  • Why isn’t life fair?
  • His dad, Michael Gilliam, Susan Kraeftner & Andrew Murphy having influence on his life
  • Creating the MaccaNow Foundation in memory of his mother who had breast cancer.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Leaders Are Teachers – It’s important that we continue to evolve both ourselves, from a learning point of view, and those around us. The best leaders continue to teach as it not only is good stewardship, but it also challenges them to learn more. Never let the music die inside of you.

Tweets

“People may think that it’s a stupid idea, but I think I am going to do it anyway. Someone’s got to do it. If it is a stupid idea, who cares, as there’s no punishment for it. You don’t get whipped and go to jail for the rest of your life. I don’t know why you wouldn’t make that step, why you wouldn’t try.” Chris McCormack isn’t afraid of giving something a try, on the active CEO Podcast.

“In any start-up the work ethic is out of this world, however the flexibility is exciting. Some people can exist in a start-up and some can’t. I thrive in them and love them. I love the dynamic nature, flexibility and the decisions that you can make that can take you from left to right in an instant, the downs, the highs and I think that comes from sport.” The beauty of start-ups with Chris McCormack, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Chris McCormack www.macca.com
Chris McCormack LinkedIn
Chris McCormack Instagram
MX Endurance (MaccaX) www.mxendurance.com
Super League Triathlon www.superleaguetriathlon.com
Bahrain Endurance 13 www.bahrainendurance13.com
Ironman www.ironman.com
ITU www.triathlon.org.au
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

I’m Here to Win – Chris McCormack
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast Garry Mills (Garry Mills Peak Performance) – Yes Prime Minister

active CEO Podcast #33 Garry Mills Yes Prime Minister

Garry Mills – CEO Garry Mills Peak Performance

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Garry Mills about lessons from the police force; being a Bodyguard for former Australian Prime Minister John Howard; and being a mental health advocate with Beyond Blue and Blokepedia. We also talk about learning to live and cope with depression; living a playboy lifestyle; staying in the moment; setting social media parameters; the importance of situation and self-awareness; and helping people improve their lives.

Garry Mills is a resilient, determined and trusted freelance entrepreneur, facilitator, Keynote Speaker and Trainer. He is a former bodyguard for the Australian Prime Minister and other dignitaries, an executive level Australian Public Servant and former police officer. Making a difference in other people’s lives is his passion and has recently joined Blokepedia as a Director and continues to be an ambassador for Beyond Blue.

As a devoted father he loves the challenge of being an Ironman triathlete. He is an entrepreneur with Garry Mills Peak Performance, as well as a very talented TV actor and corporate video/podcast presenter and has spent time on the radio. In 2017, he became famous for finishing second with Team Australia in the Photonis Ultimate Forces Challenge, an international outdoor sports and survival competition & reality TV show.

Garry talks about:

  • Dreaming of being a fighter pilot and police officer as a child.
  • Working in the wool industry as a Jackaroo, before joining the Victorian Police in 1996.
  • Fears around presentations and speaking with lots of eyeballs looking at you.
  •  “I am” rather than “I want to be”
  • Enjoying the moment when on the start line of a triathlon.
  • Being reactive as a policeman, versus being proactive in the background as a bodyguard.
  • Your communication goes to a whole new level as a bodyguard for the Prime Minister
  • Leaders need to be adaptable and flexible, because of the rate of change.
  • Living someone else’s life as a bodyguard.
  • Learning to know when you can relax and when you can be on.
  • During the 2,000’s his mental health started to deteriorate and work becoming his only focus.
  • Hitting rock bottom in 2012 and the decision to seek help for his depression.
  • Being present in the moment. Not worrying about what happened yesterday and what is going to happen tomorrow.
  • Working with Josh Cornby, who started Blokepedia in 2017.
  • “Conversations that matter”
  • Breaking down barriers and providing a safe and open place for men to be honest about how they are feeling and supporting their mates.
  • There is so much serious stuff in the world and laughter is the best medicine.
  • Being part of the Photonis Ultimate Forces Challenge with his wife in Bali.
  • Eating a bowl of silkworms in the food markets.
  • His wife Nicole having the greatest influence on his life.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Energy Management – Most CEO’s and Leaders spend time focusing on managing their time rather than managing their energy. If you focus on managing time you will tend to create overload and over time you will run out of energy. You have to manage your energy and productive down time as it will allow you to maintain a higher threshold of performance over a longer period of time.

Tweets

“Having a close network of friends, who all look after each other. We will all reach out. You don’t have to have gone through it to help somebody.” Being there for friends who have depression with Garry Mills, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Why cant we just make happy films?” Garry Mills has one question he would like to solve, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Garry Mills LinkedIn
Garry Mills Peak Performance www.garrymillscoach.com
Garry Mills YouTube
Blokepedia www.blokepedia.com
Blokepedia Facebook
Blokepedia LinkedIn
Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au
Beyond Blue Facebook
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast #29 Brent Clayton Richest Kid In The Playground

Brent Clayton – Firefighter, CEO Fire Recruitment Australia & Authority Marketing Machine

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Brent Clayton about being a serial entrepreneur; turning adversity into opportunity; the determination to become a firefighter; and balancing democratic and autocratic leadership.

We also delve into learning discipline from the military; understanding the intricacies of a job; what it takes to be a firefighter; and the backstory of his businesses Fire Recruitment Australia and Authority Marketing Machine.

Background

Brent Clayton is an active firefighter, author, coach, mentor and serial entrepreneur. He is a top Aussie bloke who has a passion for serving the community, helping people realise their dream of serving their country, and is in training to be on the front cover of the Australian Firefighters calendar in 2020.

A man of true resilience, who overcame failure to rise up and live his dream of being a firefighter. He turned the harsh lessons learnt of failing to meet his goals into being a highly successful entrepreneur with his company, Fire Recruitment Australia, a coaching and training platform for would-be firefighters.

He currently works as a senior station officer in Australia as well as running his own businesses. Before becoming a firefighter he was a prison guard and worked in the military prior to that.

Not one to sit still, he has just launched a new business called Authority Marketing Machine, and was once a star on Channel Ten’s, It’s a Knockout TV Game Show.

Brent talks about:

  • Commencing his entrepreneurial journey as a child delivering newspapers.
  • Being the richest kid in the playground.
  • Dreams of being a helicopter pilot.
  • The importance of learning about a job and its intricacies.
  • Incorporate serving your community or nation into the education system.
  • Dealing with conflict resolution as a prison guard.
  • Coping with being denied before being accepted into the fire service.
  • Monetizing the recruitment process and skills required to be a firefighter or policeman, by writing a book.
  • The five components of the recruitment process.
  • What the key characteristics are to being a firefighter.
  • Understanding what risks there are, how you can rectify the situation and what resources are required.
  • Your mind is clear to start looking for the anomalies.
  • Having a very structured routine around fitness, meditation and nutrition.
  • Routines make you free, because you don’t have to think about anything.
  • It’s only risky if you don’t know what you are doing.
  • Democratic versus autocratic leadership
  • What makes coaching and mentoring fulfilling?
  • The background behind the Authority Marketing Machine
  • The fitness routine of the firefighter.
  • Booking a flight in a fighter jet with a mate.
  • Solving the smartphone epidemic

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Small Incremental Efforts – To be successful you need to make small and consistent incremental efforts each day. Something as simple as 5min walk today and 6min tomorrow, or halving the amount of butter on your toast.

Tweets

“If there is one thing you do, don’t get caught around the smoko table whinging, go do something constructive”. The best advice Brent Clayton received, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Understanding that the idea of something is not always enough to get what you want.” A lesson in growing up, with Brent Clayton, on the active CEO Podcast.

“When the alarm goes off, you get up. It’s not a conversation with yourself about whether you are going to get up.” Discussing discipline with Brent Clayton, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Fire Recruitment Australia www.firerecruitmentaustralia.com.au
Fire Recruitment Australia Facebook
Fire Recruitment Australia Podcast
Brent Clayton www.brentclayton.com
Brent Clayton LinkedIn
Brent Clayton Youtube
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Fire Service Recruitment – The Process to Success Link
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole Link

Pauline Nguyen (Red Lantern) – Rise of the Phoenix

active CEO Podcast #27 Pauline Nguyen Rise Like a Phoenix

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Pauline Nguyen about her leadership style; the importance of employees acting like owners; thriving in economic adversity; developing a high performing team; staff retention; connectedness with the customer; the importance of entrepreneurship; and being unshakeable in business and in life. We also delve into about the effect of parenthood; becoming an award-winning author; shining as a keynote speaker; finding happiness in the pursuit; why she connects with the Phoenix; and the relevance of Why does the Buddha sit on a Lotus flower.

Background

Pauline Nguyen is an award winning author, inspirational speaker, spiritual entrepreneur and businesswomen who has harnessed energy from extreme adversity to live a successful life and career.

Born in Vietnam, she escaped Communist rule at the end of the Vietnam War by boat with her family. They were taken into a Thai refugee camp before being accepted into Australia, where they settled in Cabramatta, Sydney.

She started working in hospitality at her family restaurant from the age of seven. In 2002 she co-founded the world’s most-awarded Vietnamese restaurant, Red Lantern, with her partner Mark Jensen, who is a phenomenal Chef, Ready Steady Cook TV host and Master Chef Australia guest Chef, and her brother Luke Nguyen who is celebrity TV chef, MasterChef Vietnam judge and author.

Known for captivating audiences, through her aura and energy, she studied a BA Communications from the University of Technology Sydney. She won the 2008 Newcomer Writer of the Year for he award winning book ‘Secrets of the Red Lantern’ and the 2012 Telstra Business Award for Medium Business.

This gifted writer and compelling speaker has a sense for adventure, is eager to learn and is excited for new challenges. She recently launched her new book, ‘The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur’. O

Pauline talks about:

  • Escaping Vietnam as a 3 year old.
  • Having a ferocious work-ethic built-in from a very young age.
  • The choice to give meaning to her suffering and reframing her story.
  • Establishing Red Lantern 17 years a go, with her brother Luke, after waiting at Sydney’s best restaurants under some incredible Sommeliers.
  • Living 5 years in Paris and London, working in film post-production.
  • Leading by example, through inspiration, working in the big picture, surrounding herself with people who live in the detail and without micro-managing.
  • The secret behind having only 10% staff turnover and the average length of employment being 6-10 years.
  • In business and in life it is impossible to please everyone.
  • Changing the business model in the middle of the financial crisis, and the effect that had on their current and future customers.
  • The universe rewards the unreasonably determined.
  • The surprise of winning debut writer of the year.
  • Writing the Secrets of the Red Lantern for her daughter.
  • The launch of her new book, “The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur.
  • To be spiritual is to be in sprit, to be inspired and to talk your absolute truth.
  • How can we be stress less, and lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
  • Getting out in nature as much as possible.
  • Never understating the power of the nature’s medicine and incorporating business walking meetings.

Active CEO Wellness Tip                                                       

Every Day is a New Day – We need to continually fuel our mind and body. Routines can become very boring and unhealthy if we continue to do the same thing day after day. We need try something new every day to make life more exciting. Start small like taking a different route to work, starting the day with a drink of water, taking staff out for a walking meeting, more vegetables over the food we eat or set a new goal like climbing a mountain. The benefits of attempting new things and really valuable and make life more exciting. It brings you out of your comfort zone, it’s great for our brain and mental strength, it event makes you more confident and courageous, and it provide a sense of accomplishment.

Tweets

“Doing everything we can to stay in alignment every day. To stay in alignment with joy, with inner peace and with inspiration. That’s what spirituality is about. It’s top be inspired. To be in spirit. ” Pauline Nguyen explains one of the Spiritual Entrepreneur strategies, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Happiness in the pursuit, not the pursuit of happiness.” Talking about spirituality with Pauline Nguyen on the active CEO Podcast.

“You can’t make a difference if you are going to be like everyone else.” Pauline Nguyen talks about success of the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Pauline Nguyen www.paulinenguyen.com.au
Red Lantern www.redlantern.com.auh
Pauline Nguyen Instagram
Pauline Nguyen Facebook
Pauline Nguyen LinkedIn
Red lantern Article by Craig Johns
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur – Pauline Nguyen
Secrets of the Red Lantern – Pauline Nguyen
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole