Aaron: Hello guys this is Aaron Darko from Millionaire at 24 as you know already and I’ve got a very special guest today I met in May at Bernadette’s event more leads, more clients, more sales and he goes by the name of Lewis Howes. Lewis Howes is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur and creates great products provides lots of value for people and he is an expert in Linked In. He’s the foremost expert on the Internet in online marketing and also speaks at events about sports branding that’s one of his major passions teaching people how to get a job in sports by adding value to themselves and also about webinars he is very big on webinars he has his own products and he’s got high ticket products that he sells on webinars and he does very well and Lewis are you there man?

Lewis: What’s up Aaron.

Aaron: Nothing much man just hustlin’. So Lewis how did you start your entrepreneur journey?

Lewis: Yeah guess it all started back in late 2007 I started playing professional football in the United States and ended up getting injured, I broke my wrist in a football game at the end of the season I had to have surgery on it and ended up taking a bone out of my hip putting it into my wrist and I had been a full arm cast for the six months so during that time I basically lost my job I couldn’t play football anymore so was getting paid to play because I wasn’t playing I couldn’t get some of the type of job because I was in this big full arm cast and had staples in my hip for six weeks so I couldn’t walk for a while so basically I tried to figure out what I was going to do in my life I retired from football because I had to take a year off for the rehab afterwards. So I needed to figure out a way to make money on my own, and I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else I am extremely passionate about playing football and I loved what I was doing and I just didn’t want to build someone else’s empire by working for them so I spent a year just like hustling on Linked in. I literally spent 6 to 8 hours a day for that first six months while I was in a cast spending that time building relationships with individuals on Linked In to trying to build up my own network on their get some groups and from that I started a couple of different websites and just offered value to the people that I was connecting with on Linked In from those websites creating different articles tips and strategies and advice that I learned over the years and I started dive deep into social media at the same time I was just connecting on all these different sites Facebook Twitter YouTube I had all the time in the world’s so I was just learning a lot about all of them and I started dive into online marketing. So I wrote a book about Linked In first and through 20 events around the country in 2009 all based around linked in and promoting them, the Linked In only. And by doing that I came out with different products I’m pretty much coming out with a product almost every month now it seems like I’ve got a webinar product I’ve got a network course I’ve got two different Linked In books now and some video training courses and a social media course. I’m just doing more and more as the opportunities arise and as people need my services a try to create a product around that to I guess avoid save myself the time of doing one-on-one consulting and just sell to the masses I guess for that market. This kind of a bald over the years of what I have been doing for the past 2 years doing more speaking more events more products and here and today.

Aaron: Wow so basically you just went on Linked in and started connecting with what sportspeople or business people? Which type of people were you connecting with?

Lewis: I originally thought I was going to go back and play because of letter have my quick recovery however the longer I had on my cast I realized that that wasn’t the case so I originally started to connect with different people in the sports industry and so I now have the largest sports network online I believe in the world with 20,000 sports executives so it’s the largest on Linked In I don’t know if there are any of the networks that that are larger different groups that are larger out there right now to start just connecting with people one by one then I created different groups for these individuals so they could connect and share ideas and share resources and that the started her own so I was just building up these different niches and networks on Linked In because in all the time and I was connecting with everyone one-on-one sets can have started.

Aaron: Cool, so about the speaking the speaking involved from writing the book or did it evolve before that?

Lewis: Yeah it was all from I guess writing the book because I was getting speaking days before but it was because I was out there hustling and basically doing them for free I joined a group called Toastmasters International which is all over the world pretty much write a couple months after I had the surgery because I have a lot of free time so I what can I do to better myself and grow professionally and I thought speaking class be a great thing to do so I joined Toastmasters and then I just started speaking locally to different clubs like 20 people or 30 people networking groups or never maybe and by doing the magistrate develop my own speaking style and began to feel more comfortable in front of an audience. Once the book came and then I started to charge people. I started charging them a smaller fee because I wasn’t sure I was doing but then over time and I am just charging more and more now and it just has grown since then.

Aaron: Right so for people who just want to learn how to public speak to recommend Toastmasters as a starting platform?

Lewis: Yes hands down I think it is 70 bucks a year or something it’s you go once a week or once every two weeks and is practicing from an audience of individuals who are in the same position so they are all really supportive and helpful and give you great feedback so it’s a great place to learn.

Aaron: Absolutely, and what about the mindset, do you get a lot of coaching from the people there about what might be said about being successful.

Lewis: From Toastmasters it kind of depends on the club there’s lots of different groups you can go to so I found one of some the top speakers in my area who are out there and making money speaking and things like that and so I kind of learn from them as I went out just pick their brains but that’s pretty much what you get Toastmasters.

Aaron: Cool so I want to ask you because I received unsuccessful might three years literally from 07 from when you had that injury to now and most people find it hard to get successful that quick so what do you think the problem is with most people when they try to make it in whatever they do?

Lewis: don’t think they want it bad enough I really I went from being extremely passionate to all my days weeks and months only mattered about one thing and that was playing professional football that was all I cared about something I focused on. I trained all the time I was practicing mentally physically is going over plays I was going to practice I was going the extra on my own all I did was that and I think people that people do want success that want to be a huge speaker that one agribusiness or the one of Greek or that they don’t put in the work that’s necessary and important time in G. you don’t do everything that you need to do. For me was 2008 I didn’t have any money I was living literally off three credit cards on my sisters couch because I do not place live because of the no job so after my cast off I literally spent the next year traveling around on Greyhound buses and the cheapest flight I could find to all these different conferences and events in social media and my marketing the niche I want to be in now I spend all my time traveling connecting with people face-to-face so I connected some online and I was like I need to meet these major players and influencers in the real world just become friends with them and see how I can add value and help them learn. I was sleeping off couches wherever I went just eating peanut butter sandwiches everywhere when I was I just dedicated myself I took the necessary steps to be successful I guess and I’m still a long way away from where I want to be but again, guess a long way in a short my time because I was just willing to do whatever it takes other people don’t have that mindset some do but I think a lot of people who want to get that success are just not willing to put in the time and energy is kind of the main difference.

Aaron: Absolutely totally, totally agree. I mean the networking is what it’s all about especially in business because you need to have a relationship with someone before you can actually enter into business with them and one of the best ways to do that is events. Because how we met at the Bernadette’s event exactly.

Lewis: Yep.

Aaron: So yeah I was going to say what has been your most embarrassing moment since you’ve come online because I remember you said something about it at Bernadette event but I can’t remember what it was exactly what it was and I think that it would be very interesting if you shared with us.

Lewis: I can’t remember exact was said then that the first thing that comes to mind for an embarrassing moment was actually when I wrote about linked in all the time and had applicable books about Linked In and kind of what I’m known for originally starting a had within like the first year my account got suspended on Linked In so wasn’t able to login for a couple days and it was kind of embarrassing for me because I was teaching people how to use Linked In and why was so important and valuable and why ever need to be on there but then I couldn’t actually get on their and I realized that it was actually misunderstanding as why my account suspended it wasn’t deleted just got turned off so I couldn’t login in I decided to contact consumer support and get that off figured out but that was kind of an embarrassing moment for me and I guess in the members who moment was when you know a lot of time zone be able to afford food when I traveled to these events I didn’t have the money to really do anything to get a hotel I was basically going there and I would get free press passes somehow so I would get into the events are free but a lot of the time the time I want to go out later and party with individuals at the end of the night because that is kind of where the business is done my mind. Yeah definitely. I wanted to go out but people would want to go to dinner to like these expensive restaurants and I couldn’t afford it and so I wanted to go and sit next to these individuals because we were talking during the day but it’s just like I would have to tell people that I’d love to come but I can’t afford it right now. And I was embarrassing to me you know saying that I can’t afford to have dinner with you.

Aaron: Yeah.

Lewis: It was just so embarrassing. And having some of the guys actually were like that’s ridiculous come on and I will pay for you. It’s embarrassing for me to have someone have to pay for me because I couldn’t afford it.

Aaron: Yeah.

Lewis: And I let them do it because I wanted to and I was like appreciative at the time but the same time it was just tough for me to take I visualized that I can’t afford this and it’s really lame you know this $50 meal is too much for me right now.

Aaron: Yeah absolutely and I think that looking from the outside in I think that’s contributed to your success as well the speed of it because of your putting yourself in that environment all the time, you want to make more money so you can actually socialize those guys.

Lewis: Yeah it’s really all it was about it was just like eat the next day that was all it was about in the beginning.

Aaron: Yeah definitely so most people ask me how do I are stay laser focused like keep on churning out content for my site. So I am going to ask you the same thing how do you stay laser focused?

Lewis: A lot of times I’m not as focused as I should and probably more focused than 99% of the people but I get distracted because I’m working on a number of projects at the same time but I guess for me staying focused is I’m so hungry to get to the next level I don’t think like there will ever be enough of me I’ve got a big whiteboard on my wall you know and I have got a number that I want to hit each month so have got this thermometer of like how much sales I’m doing. If I don’t hit my numbers I get really pissed off at myself. So I’m just constantly reminded that I’m not there so I have to stay hungry and keep fighting and getting stuff done everyday so I can reach my goals each one so it’s kind of what I do is just. I’m just I hate being mediocre at anything. Yeah. And I want to be the best in the world at anything I touch so for me, I am not going to be happy, I’m happy but I’m not going to be satisfied until I reach my goals. Yeah, who instilled that mindset you or is it just something that you learnt from playing sports? You know it’s probably a combination of a lot of things probably just like my childhood growing up having an older brother who is 11 years older than me is always kind of been the spotlight he is known as the number one jazz violinist in the world. My father has been extremely successful through the years it’s just been like I was going to be the best and I guess there was one crucial moment in my childhood which kind of made me so determined through the rest my childhood it was when I was in third grade and I got picked dead last for recess four a dodgeball game it was our entire class I got picked dead last after girls. That was the moment really for me and this was like when I was 6 feet tall when I was extremely tall and goofy and just out of place growing up didn’t have any friends so when that happened I was just like this is bull crap and I was so depressed I was like a child taking things so to the next level from then on out I just went to the gym literally every day afterwards I didn’t lift weights but I play basketball play baseball all that long I said I was never going to picked last for anything and it’s that kind of that mentality that took me through middle school, high school, and college of trying to be the best athlete I could be having that mindset just kind of transitioned into the business world of and want to be the same thing I never wanted be in last place I wanted to be in first place in everything I do so kind where at.

Aaron: I think my experience with sport is like that thing you need to have the business is to be competitive so it’s like that thing Simon Cowell said “if you’re not competitive in business then you shouldn’t be in business,” Simple as that.

Lewis: Exactly.

Aaron: Let’s talk a little about your sports network.com because I heard that’s one of the biggest blogs you love him a lot. So what is the main focus of that site?

Lewis: Right now Sports Network Reviews is kind of like masher bull.com for the sports industry. And it’s I’ve got a number of authors around 15 different authors who are experts in various different topics of the sports industry whether it be sports marketing or sports and social media, sports ticket, sales sports sponsorships. There writing articles on a daily basis with different best practices tips tricks on how to utilize these different niches within the sports business world so that kind of my main site right there for that but I also have a paid membership site called The Sports Executives Association which has more advanced training and seminar coaching and live events members only forum wide Q&A calls to the different training and education for people who read the blog but also want to become part of a bigger community and a more exclusive community would be The Sports Executives Association. That kind of two things working hand-in-hand.

Aaron: Are your speaking gigs are they mostly to do the sports network.com site or are they into that marketing bases well?

Lewis: They’re kind of all over and it’s weird I get a lot of sports management programs at universities that want to bring me in to speak about personal branding and sports networking and things like that sports industry that I’m speaking on sports and social media lot but I’m also speak about Linked In and general social media for business probably most of the time announcer do more talking webinar marketing because it’s something I’ve been doing lots of it kind of ranges on different topics which is nice like to keep fresh.

Aaron: Absolutely. And you have any tips for people who want to get sponsored by a company for example let’s say they were loads of Nike clothing and then one could sponsored by Nike is there any way they can do that?

Lewis: Basically you have to be a freak athlete can have a huge brand already to get sponsored by someone like Nike and by doing that you’d have to have an agent or sponsorship company to do that for you experts out for an individual to it on their own.

Aaron: Right got it in for people on the cool that know me they know that I’m not really for a job but in sports like there are some jobs that are really interesting or really fun to do so you have any tips for people on how to get a job in sports?

Lewis: What talk about with people who are just coming out of college you really want develop a personal brand that stands apart from all of your other peers she won’t be known as an expert in one thing or have one main focus if you’re big into sports marketing for anyone to create a certain if I want to create your own blog on sports marketing start developing content that differentiates you from the rest of your peers because not many people are doing that specific topic nor did it take the initiative to do something on their own there all waiting for someone else to tell them what to do so by doing that you create your own personal brand if you have your site around your niche around your passion for the sports industry and that’s an asset an extra piece of basically your resume that you should use to not only give individuals or employers when you’re trying to give an interview but it’s something a lot of people do to just get people to find them and often jobs that them having to even ask for it. So for me I get offered jobs all the time just because I’ve got kind of a presence out there that put my name out there and I know other bloggers who that get that as well but more opportunities because they have more experience of doing things on their own online and if you really get noticed that is a great way to get noticed and actually have employers come to you for to hire you as opposed to you trying to find a job so that’s kind of what I focus on.

Aaron: Yeah and for those people who are thinking that it’s going to cost me a lot of money like a blog doesn’t cost anything really cost like 10 bucks a month for hosting and that’s about it domain name and all.

Lewis: And if you want a free blog you can actually go to one of my sites which is a product on launching your week it’s called free WordPress site.com and we’ll set up a free blog for you takes less than an hour and do it very easy.

Aaron: Sweet so people have no excuse now not to get the job they wanted the sports they’re going to learn from you learn from the best that those of you. Exactly.

Lewis: That’s the fastest way to any sort of success you speak about how to attract more fans on twitter for sports team’s. Now is there a massive market for that to straight off the bat just a general question? Yet there is right now just because a lot of sports teams are trying to dive more into social media they’re learning about more than figuring out more and some of the sports teams have hundreds of thousands of fans are followers on twitter and Facebook now so we read a lot of articles about how to view just because the hot topic and we want people to come back to the site and give them good content.

Aaron: Cool and so you know how you do your webinars how is that going and what is a webinar first of all?

Lewis: A webinar from the far one of the best things ever because the webinars basically a seminar or event is just online season watch someone’s presentation you can watch their show slideshow and you can hear them talk you can see them with a video all from the comfort of your home or your office computer see you don’t have to go anywhere to watch someone give a talk to the speech and it allows me to tap into basically a larger audience and a worldwide audience of people that couldn’t make a live event but saving time for the travel and expense of the flight and things like that it’s a powerful I guess resource and tool does lots of different webinar platforms other use gotowebinar.com for mine but it just allows me to share my expertise give good value and then pitch a product of the end for people who want more advanced training.

Aaron: Cool so when the questions that a lot of people have is do I have to have a product in order to do a webinar?

Lewis: No, I did webinar week ago out of product and sold a product and then created the product on the fly so basically sold them something I said you’re going to get this, this, and this it wasn’t actually created yet and the following week which was this week I delivered the product live training via a webinar again and they recorded so they have access to those trainings forever now but all I did was pitch a product on the free webinar at the end and sold at and from there we delivered it a week later so very easy to do.

Aaron: Nice and another question is you know webinars you have to have a big list in order to get people on the webinar because people are going to listen to you unless you’ve got a list some people might say.

Lewis: You can partner with other people who do have listened then they can become your affiliate and to give them 50% of the commission from the sales at the end not something we do a lot but it’s also wise to build your list as well and creating content on blogs and getting involved in social media this is how I built my list.

Aaron: Sweet I think that rounds it up then, have any last tips for anyone who wants to get started online or who is currently online and wants to explode their business?

Lewis: I guess my last tips are that if you really want to be successful online or in anything really is that you just need to have a complete focused passion for what it is you want achieve and just do whatever it takes day in and day out to sacrifice a lot of the other things in order for you to become one the best experts at that passion, at the topic and just go after it and don’t be afraid to fail.

Aaron: Absolutely thank you Lewis and where can everyone get more information about you?

Lewis: You can go to my main site LewisHowes.com and they can link up to me from my other sites or my social media profiles from there.

Aaron: Sweet thanks Lewis take it easy.

Lewis: Thanks man.

Leave me a comment to let me know how this has helped you and what you would like to see more of on the blog.

Thanks

Your Friend

Aaron