About the Misfit EntrepreneurWelcome to the Misfit Entrepreneur, the weekly podcast devoted to giving you access and actionable insight from the world's top entrepreneurs with a focus on their non-traditional methods for achieving success, their Misfit side.
My name is Dave M. Lukas, founder and host of the Misfit Entrepreneur, and I am honored that you have sought out this podcast and excited to be able to help you tap into your Inner Misfit and help you on your journey! Have you ever met or seen a successful entrepreneur and wondered, "What is their secret? What do they do differently?" Many times we hear the same answers, "Hard work - lots of it, good timing, thinking outside the proverbial box, etc." But, after building several multi-million dollar companies and being fortunate to work with top entrepreneurs all over the world, I've come to find there is something else. Something other than the hard work, the sacrifice, timing, and all of the other things you hear successful entrepreneurs say account for their success. |
Dave M. Lukas
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This special trait or special separator is what I call their Inner Misfit. This is their unique genius. The side that sets them apart from the crowd. And the one thing I have seen in working with thousands and thousands of other entrepreneurs through my life is that every one, I mean, every one, has one! Not just entrepreneurs. Whether you are an entrepreneur, business person, student, active athlete, stay at home mom; whatever...you have a genius side, a Misfit side.
And the Misfit Entrepreneur is there to help you unleash it! Every week we interview top entrepreneurs from around the world that have done things in a different way, that have really tapped their Inner Misfit, and explore their successes, failures, lessons learned, and at the end of the podcast they give you their Misfit 3. |
The Misfit 3 are the three takeaways that each guest gives you that you can act on RIGHT NOW and take advantage of in your life and career.
And to help you in making sure you have what you need to be successful, we provide a FREE weekly newsletter called the Misfit Minute that has specific resources from the week's "Misfit 3," and actionable tips and items from the world of Misfit Entrepreneurs.
And to help you in making sure you have what you need to be successful, we provide a FREE weekly newsletter called the Misfit Minute that has specific resources from the week's "Misfit 3," and actionable tips and items from the world of Misfit Entrepreneurs.
Click Here to Get the Misfit Minute!
Why? My Journey |
Here's a little background on how the Misfit Entrepreneur came to be, why I'm doing this now, and how I'm putting all of my resources into reaching the Misfit Entrepreneur's goal of helping millions find their Inner Misfit and more success in their lives.
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I've always been sort of a Misfit. I didn't fit into any real box. In high school, I was a star athlete, but I hung out with the musicians, the outcasts. and those that were a "little crazy." I got into some trouble, but just enough to teach me some lessons and help me in finding myself along the way. I went to college where I played football and got a couple degrees, but from the time I was a kid, I always had the entrepreneurial itch. I started my first enterprise when I was 5 years old and by the time I got to college, I had started numerous little businesses.
In college, I started a business in direct selling and had a lot of success, but everyone always thought it was just a way to make money while in school. So, when I graduated, much to everyone's surprise (except my parents), I didn't go get a job, but packed everything up in my car and moved to Columbus, OH to start a health and wellness business. I failed miserably. I knew how to sell, but I wasn't prepared to run a business, lead people, or build a team.
Broke, Down...but Not Out
In less than a year, I was broke. It was at that time that I got connected with a recruiter through a mutual acquaintance and was referred to a Fortune 500. Needless to say, during this period, I was a little dejected, didn't know where I was going, and certainly less than thrilled about getting a J.O.B., but I took the interview. It was one of the best decisions of my life. I found this company to be the perfect home for me to hone my skills and become a better entrepreneur. I know what you are thinking..."How can getting a job working for someone, make you a better entrepreneur?" I'll get to that in a second.
One thing I did know, in taking a job, is that If I was going to do so, it was going to be one that helped further my abilities and hone my skills. Having an outside sales position is the closest you can get to being an entrepreneur in working for someone. You are responsible for your success and success is making results happen. And the best part was, since this company sold services to small and mid-size business, I got to work with other entrepreneurs all day long. I was also fortunate to have great leadership that knew and understood who I was as an entrepreneur, and helped to foster it - letting me use my Misfit side to do things in very unorthodox ways. As a result, I achieved some of the highest levels in the company both as a sales person and eventually as a leader.
In college, I started a business in direct selling and had a lot of success, but everyone always thought it was just a way to make money while in school. So, when I graduated, much to everyone's surprise (except my parents), I didn't go get a job, but packed everything up in my car and moved to Columbus, OH to start a health and wellness business. I failed miserably. I knew how to sell, but I wasn't prepared to run a business, lead people, or build a team.
Broke, Down...but Not Out
In less than a year, I was broke. It was at that time that I got connected with a recruiter through a mutual acquaintance and was referred to a Fortune 500. Needless to say, during this period, I was a little dejected, didn't know where I was going, and certainly less than thrilled about getting a J.O.B., but I took the interview. It was one of the best decisions of my life. I found this company to be the perfect home for me to hone my skills and become a better entrepreneur. I know what you are thinking..."How can getting a job working for someone, make you a better entrepreneur?" I'll get to that in a second.
One thing I did know, in taking a job, is that If I was going to do so, it was going to be one that helped further my abilities and hone my skills. Having an outside sales position is the closest you can get to being an entrepreneur in working for someone. You are responsible for your success and success is making results happen. And the best part was, since this company sold services to small and mid-size business, I got to work with other entrepreneurs all day long. I was also fortunate to have great leadership that knew and understood who I was as an entrepreneur, and helped to foster it - letting me use my Misfit side to do things in very unorthodox ways. As a result, I achieved some of the highest levels in the company both as a sales person and eventually as a leader.
Celebrating Grasp's
INC 5000 with Erik
Embracing My Inner Misfit
When you get results, it gives you autonomy and because I got results, it freed me up to work on other interests and businesses that I aspired to. I started investing in real estate, made investments in other businesses, and started several other entities during this time, so it probably came as no surprise to my leadership, that when one of those entities, Grasp Technologies, really took off, I left to focus on it full time along with a few other ventures.
It was in building Grasp that I realized this special trait in people, the Inner Misfit. I first noticed it in my business partner and original founder of Grasp, Erik Mueller. He was your quintessential misfit in every way. That is probably what I liked most about him and why I invested and rounded up investors for the company in the first place.
As we assembled our team, none of the initial hires made sense. It was like I was the star athlete in High School again choosing to hang out with the outliers. None of our employees fit the typical mode for their roles. Programmers that never went to school and were self-taught. Leaders that had never been in positions of leadership and on and on. Somehow, we were able to pull together this rag-tag crew and create one of the most dominant technology companies in data and intelligence in the travel industry that continues to grow at over 50% per year even today. As I look back over the years, and consider what it was that helped us make it through all of the challenges, the times that we were razor thin margins away from going under; I keep coming back to the fact that it was our Inner Misfits that kept it going - that hustled, innovated in the moment, found ways or made ways...it is this genius that is in every single leader, employee, and person we interacted with that made it happen. and continues to do so. So, we've fostered the heck out of it!
Now it's time to foster yours....
When you get results, it gives you autonomy and because I got results, it freed me up to work on other interests and businesses that I aspired to. I started investing in real estate, made investments in other businesses, and started several other entities during this time, so it probably came as no surprise to my leadership, that when one of those entities, Grasp Technologies, really took off, I left to focus on it full time along with a few other ventures.
It was in building Grasp that I realized this special trait in people, the Inner Misfit. I first noticed it in my business partner and original founder of Grasp, Erik Mueller. He was your quintessential misfit in every way. That is probably what I liked most about him and why I invested and rounded up investors for the company in the first place.
As we assembled our team, none of the initial hires made sense. It was like I was the star athlete in High School again choosing to hang out with the outliers. None of our employees fit the typical mode for their roles. Programmers that never went to school and were self-taught. Leaders that had never been in positions of leadership and on and on. Somehow, we were able to pull together this rag-tag crew and create one of the most dominant technology companies in data and intelligence in the travel industry that continues to grow at over 50% per year even today. As I look back over the years, and consider what it was that helped us make it through all of the challenges, the times that we were razor thin margins away from going under; I keep coming back to the fact that it was our Inner Misfits that kept it going - that hustled, innovated in the moment, found ways or made ways...it is this genius that is in every single leader, employee, and person we interacted with that made it happen. and continues to do so. So, we've fostered the heck out of it!
Now it's time to foster yours....
Why Do a Podcast? Why Now?
Lifelong learning is the secret to success in anything. You will never know it all and just when you think you do, everything will change. You have to be relentless in your pursuit of knowledge and know that there are always people out there more learned and focused in certain areas than you. My thought has always been, "Why not seek them out and learn from them?" This used to be a lot harder. Ten years ago (yes, only 10 years!), when I was seeking out mentors and striving to learn what I did not know, I would have to travel to meet people, go to seminars, and network my butt off! But that has all changed with technology. Nowadays you can plug in and get great information from just about any mentor you are seeking right on your phone. And for me, Podcasts are the best medium. They are personal, intimate, allow you to hear and feel the emotion of the person, and give you great content. You can get a lot from books and I love reading them, but for taking things to the next level in your skills and learning, having a medium like a Podcast is the best way.
I've always wanted to do a show like this and had always "planned to." But just two years ago, something changed that triggered the events that led to the Misfit Entrepreneur. In February 2014, my wife and I traveled to China to meet and bring home our daughter, Hannah Jade. It was a surreal and humbling experience. Becoming a father is the greatest experience of my life. I am still learning and always will in this area. But as our daughter has grown with us and my wife and I have begun to teach and help her in her life journey, it occurred to me that there was so much to teach her and so many important things that I have probably forgotten over the years, that I needed a place where she could have this knowledge at her fingertips for life.
The Misfit Entrepreneur was a way for me to not only help other people on their journey, but to also have a place for my daughter to go to, long after I am gone, where she can learn from her daddy and all his Misfit friends some of the best lessons to make life more richer, fruitful, and exciting.
My sincere hope is that we can do the same for you. Here's to unleashing your Inner Misfit!
Lifelong learning is the secret to success in anything. You will never know it all and just when you think you do, everything will change. You have to be relentless in your pursuit of knowledge and know that there are always people out there more learned and focused in certain areas than you. My thought has always been, "Why not seek them out and learn from them?" This used to be a lot harder. Ten years ago (yes, only 10 years!), when I was seeking out mentors and striving to learn what I did not know, I would have to travel to meet people, go to seminars, and network my butt off! But that has all changed with technology. Nowadays you can plug in and get great information from just about any mentor you are seeking right on your phone. And for me, Podcasts are the best medium. They are personal, intimate, allow you to hear and feel the emotion of the person, and give you great content. You can get a lot from books and I love reading them, but for taking things to the next level in your skills and learning, having a medium like a Podcast is the best way.
I've always wanted to do a show like this and had always "planned to." But just two years ago, something changed that triggered the events that led to the Misfit Entrepreneur. In February 2014, my wife and I traveled to China to meet and bring home our daughter, Hannah Jade. It was a surreal and humbling experience. Becoming a father is the greatest experience of my life. I am still learning and always will in this area. But as our daughter has grown with us and my wife and I have begun to teach and help her in her life journey, it occurred to me that there was so much to teach her and so many important things that I have probably forgotten over the years, that I needed a place where she could have this knowledge at her fingertips for life.
The Misfit Entrepreneur was a way for me to not only help other people on their journey, but to also have a place for my daughter to go to, long after I am gone, where she can learn from her daddy and all his Misfit friends some of the best lessons to make life more richer, fruitful, and exciting.
My sincere hope is that we can do the same for you. Here's to unleashing your Inner Misfit!
