47: Marc Kramer – Serial Entrepreneurship

47: Entrepreneur and Podcast Host Marc Kramer

Daniel Giordano

SUMMARY:

In this episode of The All-In Podcast, serial entrepreneur Marc Kramer delivers a sampler platter of diverse startup experiences and insights. Daniel prompts details of the many hits and misses that make up Marc’s impressive portfolio, including more than 25 businesses, multiple books and a successful podcast The Best Business Minds. The one common mandate among all his ventures?

Get up, get going and don’t give up!

Marc takes Daniel on a tour of a host of businesses he has imagined, innovated, launched, grown, sold and in some instances wound down. There are no straight lines and no one gets out without some failure. The question is, says Marc, can you get up and keep on driving towards whatever goal? It’s helpful to remember that there were predecessors to Facebook (remember MySpace?) and Google (what ever happened to Excite and Alta Vista?). You never know when the timing for your particular vision will hit just right. Pets.com was one of the emblematic huge fails of the early dot.com era because it was just a bit ahead of its time. People didn’t understand the concept of ordering supplies online. Today? It would be a natural. So, Marc advises, keep the faith and keep on trying. Equip yourself with good research and a carefully considered plan.

Today Marc is not only growing a number of interesting startups (details of which he provides in the podcast), he is also a sought-after podcaster with a consulting company that takes entrepreneurs at all stages of maturation to the next level by providing guidance on everything from marketing and sales to innovation planning, loan acquisition and financial modeling. At heart also a philanthropist, what most inspires Marc’s boundless entrepreneurial drive is the desire to foster education and improved quality of life across society.

You can hear lots more about Marc’s experience and ideas via his podcast The Best Business Minds.

KEY TOPICS:

Starting Out: How Marc’s entrepreneurial journey took shape.
The rundown on Marc’s multiple ventures – a wide variety!
Did Marc have a homerun startup right out of the gate? (Short answer: No!)
Setbacks are also the gateway forward to new, better market opportunities.
Marc’s tip for prevailing? Don’t get overly attached. Keep a flexible mindset.
The key to entrepreneurial success: Keep on going!
Projects Marc is currently most excited about.
A bit about LinkedIn and other tools for growing your network and cultivating good karma!

Marc’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: Just DO it. There is no downside to trying – and lots of downside to never getting off the mark!

KEY QUOTES:

“Timing is everything in business.”
“Most people fail not because they failed to raise enough money or execute but just because the timing was off for them.”
“When you think about it, there’s nobody who has ever been first who has managed to stay around.”
“You spend all of your dollars educating the market, then you run out of dollars.”
“You have to be able to dust yourself and keep moving forward. You can’t go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a failure.’ ”
“Great entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs have failures, too.”
“You learn a different lesson about something every time … from each experience.”
“I wanted to make a lot of money to create entrepreneurship and support education.”
“LinkedIn is a great way to interact with people. I’ve made tons of people … who I’ve ended up business with or referring business to.”
“People talk about it but don’t do it. All you have to do
“The single biggest thing that you need to do is get up in the morning and try!”

About Marc Kramer

A serial entrepreneur who has started and run more than 25 ventures and written six books, Marc Kramer is president of Kramer Communications. He has been named an Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, plus Small Business Journalist of the Year by the Center City Proprietors Association of Philadelphia. He has a master’s degree in management from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from West Virginia University.

Contact Marc:

Website: www.kramercommunications.com
Email: marc@kramercommunications.com
@Facebook
@LinkedIn

About the All In Podcast Show:

The All-In Podcast Show presents top Entrepreneurs, Innovators and World Changers willing to share their breakthrough moments and how they are changing the world. Focused on being “All-In” on the four areas of life: faith, family, finances, and health, host Daniel Giordano invites mentors who exemplify balance and a commitment to building a bold life of excellence.

Previous Episodes: https://www.allinpodcast.com