Donald Trump Told Kelly Perdew “You’re Hired” (West Point Grad-Turned Venture Capitalist)

TECHNICAL NOTE: Every now and then my microphone needs to be “reset” and I did not realize this until AFTER the interview. The good news is Kelly Perdew came through just fine but I have this weird, deep, sluggish sound. I assure you I was not drinking too much cough syrup! If you listen at 1.5x or 2x (as I do for most podcasts) you won’t notice anything. But in a way, it’s kind of funny…as long as it’s not your microphone messing up!!

Here are the notes from the call:

Avoid getting in debt so you can make clear-headed decisions.

Kelly Perdew saw the example his father set for him as an entrepreneurial land developer but he didn’t think about becoming an entrepreneur until later. He believes in “optionality” – keeping doors and options open.

How do you define risk? How do you decide what to pursue?

The 2000 dot com bubble and the 2008 financial bubble should make you aware of the fact there is no security even in a big company.

As an entrepreneur you can see the end of the road and your clients are your bosses even when you’re the owner.

He leveraged his business school studies to apply the courses to his actual business.

He worked 20 hours a week while he got his business degree and as a California resident he was able to attend college affordably.

He came up with a good title for his book and that made his publisher happy. “TAKE COMMAND: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump.”

In the Cash Flow Quadrant he is a fan of cash-flow that comes in while you sleep and he invests in startups that he likes and that he can help with the leverage of his contacts.

Hear from another competitor on Donald Trump’s, “The Apprentice,” Marshawn Evans

The Entrepreneurial Spirit is the backbone of America.

As an angel investor Kelly Perdew says don’t be greedy. Get the right partner and the money you need to grow quickly rather than fight over every nickel and dime.

Make decisions and follow through with them with a plan. Your people need to know you have a strategy to attack a market. Your clients need to know you have a plan.

Any plan you create will be wrong but the fact you have a plan and can adjust from that starting plan.

A napkin to a financial plan to a Power Point that shows you know what you’re doing can all work. You need to be able to communicate effectively.

The successful have a command of the specifics with an end in mind.

You need your own personal plan. Are you creating a lifestyle business? What’s your exit?

The happiness piece is critical.

Social media is just another medium.

We call it social commerce. It’s about behavior and influence. We are selling goods directly on Facebook. It’s not all about just getting Likes.

Facebook over the last two years describe themselves as a direct marketing channel.

You need to understand who to leverage media and spin it to your favor.

Think big. If you’re going to raise $500,000 go raise $5,000,000, it’s probably easier. Step back and step back and step back again and ask how can you build something big.

Most of the successful people I know have horrible learning experiences in their past.

Success and failures – treat the impostors the same.

Family motivates him and he is inspired by his projects.

We want to be surprised and inspired by the people on our teams.

Clients are clients and fire drills happen.

Don’t give up. Be passionate. Have a plan.

Hear from another competitor on Donald Trump’s, “The Apprentice,” Jennifer Murphy

Links Mentioned

• Connect with Kelly Perdew on LinkedIn.

• Connect with Kelly Perdew on his site.

Tools To Thrive

• Make Your Marketing Magnetic: This is where it all began for me. You can attract qualified, eager buyers like clockwork when you master the concepts in this valuable program.

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