Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Tony Hawk didn't.

The skateboarding icon had several downtimes in his career including having a daily $5 Taco Bell allowance when things were really bad.

But, he kept at it.

As a result of his perseverance and vision, he found success when skateboarding became popular again which later led to his life-changing video game series that generated over a billion dollars.

During this episode, you'll learn...

• Tony's 3 proven tips for business success

• What prevented him from quitting during his darkest days

• The importance of embracing adversity to achieve your goals

To learn more about Tony and his clothing line, visit http://www.tonyhawk.com/.

To find out about his foundation, visit http://tonyhawkfoundation.org/.

To check out his skateboard company, click https://www.birdhouseskateboards.com/

How many fans do you have?

Do they consistently read and comment on your content, buy your products and follow you religiously when you post something new?

If you can secure at least 1000 of the above type of fans, your life will be pretty good financially.

To explain the theory further, read the classic essay from Wired Magazine's Executive Founding Editor, Kevin Kelly at the bottom of the show notes.

Our guest today, New York Times best-selling author, Chris Guillebeau, has implemented some of Kelly's principles in developing his own highly engaged fan community.

Chris' books, such as The Art of Non-Conformity, The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit & Born For This, have helped many across the globe which contributed to his popularity and continue to grow his number of raving admirers.

During this episode, you'll learn...

• Why creating free, useful and consistent content is a great way to build a fan base organically

• The importance of having a stretch goal that others admire and want to support can lead to more followers

• Why you should listen to your audience to build products and services that make their lives better

To find out more about Chris, visit http://chrisguillebeau.com/.

To read more about his book, Born For This, click http://tinyurl.com/q6cakb6

To check out Kevin Kelly's 1000 True Fans essay, view http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

You want a book deal.

Most thought leaders do.

For many, having a traditionally published book can skyrocket their brand which can lead to more speaking engagements, clients, media appearances and notoriety.

The thing is, getting a book deal is HARD.

It's like winning a lottery if you make it happen on your own.

But, today's guest, Wendy Keller, who is a literary agent and owner of  Keller Media based in Marina del Rey, California,  has some proven suggestions as to how you can change your fortune.

It all comes down to building a winning platform.

What is that?

Well, it's an ability to sell books because of who you are and/or who you can reach.

Basically, if you have a large, engaged following of people who love who you are, what you do and what you provide, a publisher is more likely to take a look at you because of your potential of selling more books to more people.

Wendy has 27 years experience in the publishing industry and the world contains more than 4.6 million copies of Keller Media clients' books, so she knows what she's talking about.

During this episode, you'll learn...

• Why it's important to first figure out what your strengths are before building your platform

• Why the book is not your destination, but a marketing tool

• Why you must listen to your audience and give them what they want

• And an example of how you can leverage a highly profile thought leader to elevate your brand exposure

To find out more about Wendy, visit http://www.kellermedia.com/about-wendy-keller/ (http://www.kellermedia.com/).

To read more about her book, *Ultimate Guide To Platform Building*, click **http://tinyurl.com/gtpglmq.**

To discover your platform building  personality type, take action here -

http://www.kellermedia.com/bizquiz/

John Lee Dumas.

He is a giant in the podcasting industry due to his highly successful, Entrepreneur On Fire daily podcast that consistently has over 1.5 million listens every month.

He's the perfect example of creating a profitable niche by finding a void in the marketplace and filling it.

During his 9-to-5 working days, he loved listening to podcasts, especially ones featuring inspiring stories of entrepreneurs, but wasn't happy there weren't any daily podcasts.

So, he created the solution with his E on Fire show.

During this episode, you'll learn John's special recipe to discovering niche and making it profitable including..

• The importance of taking the time to evaluate what excites you and what your ideal life is BEFORE taking your first step

• Why it's vital to create and deliver free, valuable and consistent content to your audience

• Why you MUST ask your audience what their challenges are and actually listen to them so you can create solutions for them

To find out more about John, visit here  - http://www.eofire.com/about/.

To listen to Entrepreneur On Fire podcast episodes, check this out - http://www.eofire.com/podcast/

Technology.

In today's world, with smart phones, laptops and other devices consuming our attention, it's surprising there are entrepreneurs out there who aren't taking advantage of social media.

For those who don't understand its impact and are fearful of using it for marketing their business, our guest today is here to help.

David A. Cox is the founder of Tech Talk America which offers live and pre-recorded classes about all things Apple as well as other technologies.

The Tech Talk America YouTube page has over 362,800 subscribers for a reason.

Its online classes are valuable to many across the globe.

During this episode, you'll learn...

• Why building trust through your relevant and useful social media content can help strengthen your bond with potential prospects

• Why it's important to bust through your social media fears by having the courage to deeply understand it

• The importance of staying in touch and tracking your social media and website audience who are engaging with your content

To find out more about David and his free Tech Talk America (TTA) online videos, visit TechTalkAmerica.com (http://techtalkamerica.com/) and the TTA YouTube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/user/TechTalkAmerica.

David is coming out with a new masterclass about how to conquer YouTube and make a living from it. For our listeners, if you enter the promo code, “THINK,” when you buy, you'll receive 10 percent off.

The masterclass will be available on TechTalkAmerica.com, so keep an eye out for it.

Shark Tank.

With its 8th season underway, the hugely successful ABC reality TV show has made some entrepreneurs' dreams come true and broken a few of their hearts as well.

Multi-millionaire real estate mogul & business expert, Barbara Corcoran is one of the members of that esteemed Shark Tank panel.

She shares with us her recipe for identifying what type of entrepreneur she would invest in.

During this episode, you'll learn...

• Why you don't need to have a high IQ to be successful in Barbara's eyes

• The importance of character and why blaming others will get your picture flipped upside down in her office

• Why Barbara appreciates grit and those who are able to slug it out over the long haul

Don't forget to watch new episodes of Shark Tank, Friday nights only on ABC.

Visit the official Shark Tank website, here - http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank

Find out more about Barbara at http://www.barbaracorcoran.com/

Success Leaves Clues Segment

Adele Spraggon clients call her a miracle worker.

Whether she is working with women entrepreneurs or couples in relationship Adele is able to create unimaginable results in a remarkably short period of time.

The problem. He business was stuck.

Adele's business was near failure. She had tried it all, spent a fortune and was on the verge of quitting.  

In this "Success Leaves Clues" segment, Adele shares how she figured out the business side of her gift and turned her income right side up.

To learn more about Adele: http://www.adelespraggon.com/

To learn how you can create similar results in your business: https://ecircleacademy.com/toronto 

Richard Robbins was scared.

This acclaimed real estate coach, trainer and author of Deliver the Unexpected & Six Other New Truths For Business Success once had an intense fear of public speaking.

If he succumbed to it, he would have never achieved his lofty goals.

Today, his company has coached over 10,000 people and his success continues to grow.

During this episode, you’ll learn... 

• How having a compelling future focus can help in powering you past your fears

• The importance of taking stock of what skills you currently need in order to move you towards your goals

• Why it’s important to do small yet consistent activities to help you not get overwhelmed on your success journey

To find out more about Richard, you can visit any of the below websites.

His Website - http://www.richardrobbins.com/
His Book - https://www.amazon.ca/Deliver-Unexpected-Truths-Business-Success/dp/1118402316

Marni Wasserman has always loved food and maintaining great health.

The Toronto nutritionist and culinary strategist would soon discover a passion for plant-based cooking which ultimately led her to teaching others online and in-person through her Food Studio & Lifestyle Shop.

The narrowing of her niche didn’t happen overnight and it involved a lot of bumps along the way.

However, today, she’s the author of two Dummies books, her cooking classes are taking off, her speaking engagements are increasing and her passion has touched the lives of many who are seeking a healthier way of eating.

During this episode, you’ll learn... 

• The importance of being your authentic self in the content you share with the world which can ultimately lead to great income opportunities

• Why you should focus on building your audience before launching your business

• And why it’s not necessary to have your niche and plan figured out right away to achieve success

To find out more about Marni, you can visit any of the below websites.

Official Website - https://www.marniwasserman.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/mwfoodstudio

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marnisfoodstudio

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mwfoodstudio/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/MarniWasserman

Food.

It brings families together.

In the case of Angela Lawrence, it does more than that.

For her and her lovable mom, Fay, food has led to a thriving online business.

Not just any food, but Jamaican food.

Enter Cook Like A Jamaican.com.

It’s a website that feature’s Fay’s Jamaican recipes and cooking videos for the world to enjoy.

Originally, this site was actually Angela’s test site for another website she was working on.

But, soon after Cook Like A Jamaican.com launched, its success was too hard to ignore.

In this episode, you’ll learn...

• How following your passion can help you spot opportunities that you didn’t expect

• Why it’s important to listen to your fans to create products and experiences they will pay for over and over again

• Why being authentically you and supplying content people enjoy will inevitably attract money your way

• How vital it is to not wait to launch your thought leadership but to go out and just do it then evolve, learn from your mistakes and improve

As a special gift to our listeners, Angela has kindly offered to give a 30% discount off a Gold Membership when you visit http://cooklikeajamaican.com/ which gives you access to secret recipes and videos. Just use the coupon code “Podcast.”

You can also find out more about Cook Like A Jamaican at the following websites:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/CookLikeAJamaican

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cooklikeajamaican/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CookLikeAJamaican/

Seth Godin requires no introduction.

The multiple New York Times Best-Selling author is an iconic thought leader in the areas of business, marketing and standing out in the marketplace.

We live in an age where it is assumed when powerhouse influencers (like Oprah) recommend certain thought leaders, it can provide them shortcuts to success.

According to Seth, sometimes it can, but there’s not enough staying power. 

He mentions how companies like Airbnb became widely successful without the stamp of approval from a high profile guru to make the journey easier and rewards last longer.

So, if you’re waiting for that free ride, you could be doing so for awhile.

During this fascinating interview rich with great ideas and tips, you’ll learn...

• Seth’s two proven tactics to get your message out while solidifying your thought leadership and convert prospect interactions into sales

• The importance of paying attention to your prospect’s narrative to find out how you can truly serve her

• And how more bad ideas lead to good ideas and why that’s crucial for your business success

To find out more about Seth, visit below:

Seth's Official Website

Upcoming Book - What Does It Sound Like When You Change Your Mind

Recent Book - What To Do When It’s Your Turn

Seth's Podcast

Buy One of Seth's Many Books