Brevity Code w/ Ryan Heuser Ryan Heuser

Before going pre-med and joining the ‘real world’ Mike Marriner and a couple buddies decided to go explore the U.S. in a bright green, beater of an RV and approach thought leaders, business owners big and small, from Howard Schultz (Starbucks) to Manny the Lobsterman and ask them pointed questions about their personal career journey. With no film school experience in interviewing or editing, they successfully compiled their amazing learnings and put out their content for the world to see. Nearly 20 years later he’s still doing it! We’ll hear Mike’s opinion on a variety of topics related to education, career paths and the challenges facing next generation of workers. We’ll touch on Mike’s key to success, early lessons in humility and what life is like post the sale of Roadtrip Nation of which he is still very much active. That and so much more on the Brevity Code.

Steele Platt is the Founder and visionary behind the well known ‘Yard House’. Yard House is well known for it’s 250 beers on tap, elevated, fusion bar food and great classic rock playlists. On this episode of the Brevity Code we’ll hear how Steele, who at one point in his career declared bankruptcy and came roaring back with a success story that is beyond anything he could have ever projected in his business plan. We’ll retrace Steele’s history in the bar, club and restaurant business and see how it all rolls up into his biggest and greatest endeavor. Yet, it was the small details that set him apart from his competition. Listen in to find out how Steele eventually sold the Yard House for a cool $585 Million.

Greg Weisman is a lawyer who’s area of expertise casts a wide net of business and transactional matters, including trademark/copyright protection and enforcement, intellectual property licensing and corporate. His area is unique in that he deals with mostly lifestyle brands, the entertainment community, high profile musicians, athletes, actors, models and now influencers. Greg helps advise his clients in areas connected with their branding, endorsement and outside business dealings.

Greg and I spend some time focused on his area of expertise. We work our way through some of the various legal scenarios entrepreneurs often find themselves in, as well Greg shares his perspective on how best to approach using legal and when it’s most appropriate.

10:00 - Greg’s role being a lawyer: 

20:00 - Entrepreneur tips for starting out / how much to spend on lawyers / brand protections

30:00 - Greg discusses exit strategy

38:40 - Common mistakes we make when starting a business 

39:55 - Trademarks / IP

51:00 - Strategic partner pitfalls 

Dorian Willes was shot 21 times at point blank range by two police officers and somehow lived. For the record, 50 cent was only shot a mere 9! We’ll hear how, high on meth Dorian managed to evade police for hours as he found himself trapped inside an apartment complex, determined not to get caught. We’ll relive that day in graphic detail. Dorian explains how he was left for dead and in a coma for months. He spent a year in the hospital where he eventually becomes an amputee. Also, as a result of his gunshot wounds he has very limited use of his left arm. But there’s more to Dorian’s story than him surviving against all odds. Turns out Dorian is also a phenom athlete who earns a spot on the U.S. National Paralympic skeleton team and finishes 4th in the World Championships! Dorian Willes is a motivational speaker who travels the world sharing his story and warning our youth about the dangers of drugs and addiction. Grab some tissue and get ready to be rocked to your core! Grab some tissue and get ready to be rocked to your core!

Travis Brasher CEO of Travis Mathew retraces his journey and shares some of his most memorable insights into launching one of the most successful golf lifestyle apparel brands ever.  On this episode of the Brevity Code Travis and I talk about the sleeping giant of a business that lifestyle golf apparel was waiting to become. We talk about how Travis Mathew was ultimately successful by applying a fresh design and marketing perspective to an old establishment such as golf. We’ll hear how a few key players fell into place and how a little luck and a lot of great business intuition turned the golf industry on it’s head. It wasn’t always pretty. Travis also shares some of the missteps and hard learned lessons learned along the way. We talk about the fortunate signing of Bubba Watson and what that meant for the brand after his Masters win. Brasher talks about the eventual sale to Callaway (for $125M) and what the brand has in store for its ever growing base of fans! Lastly, Travis shares a funny story about getting soundly beaten in a tournament by a very young and small, Tiger Woods. That and so much more on the Brevity Code!

Kevin Beiksa is many things, a 13 year veteran of the NHL, a proven defenseman, sometimes a bit of an enforcer (my words, not his) and of course, loving father. On this episode of the Brevity Code Podcast Kevin and I dive into his newest athletic endeavor (Spartan racing!) Somewhat on a whim, Kevin decides to race and takes 6th place overall…Turns out he had stopped several times to “Chat with race volunteers to learn about the obstacles and get them right”… Lookout Spartan competitors! Beyond that we discuss Kevin’s dedication to outworking everyone around him and how that mindset eventually won him a slot in the NHL. We discuss some of his training methods, we talk about his many possible future career opportunities and yes, of course we talked about fighting. I couldn’t help myself and he was kind enough to indulge me.