Summary:

Welcome back to the Startup Junkies podcast!

On this special edition episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, host Jeff Amerine was joined first by Erin Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer and CoFounder of Gen Z, and her colleague, Bo Mo. Gen Z is using multiple strategies to transform the bottled water market. Next, Jeff talks with Calvin Smith, serial entrepreneur, businessman, and chairman of the Startup Junkie Foundation who learned from his mistakes and used those lessons to grow as an entrepreneur. Finally, Jeff chats with Ronnie Brewer, former Arkansas Razorback and NBA basketball player turned recruiting coordinator, about what it takes to be successful.

Throughout the episode, Jeff Amerine and these guests discuss what it takes to make it in the startup world, including disrupting the market, learning from your mistakes, and tapping into your full potential as an individual and a corporation.

Thanks for tuning in!

Shownotes:

(0:46) All about Gen Z

(1:17) The Genesis behind Gen Z

(4:01) Reception from Buyers

(4:45) What’s Next for Gen Z?

(8:09) Background on Calvin Smith 

(12:54) A Metaphor for Entrepreneurship: Little Failures Lead to Greater Success

(16:12) What We Need from the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs 

(19:11) Advice to Younger Self

(20:51) Ronnie Brewer, Hero of Basketball

(21:10) Thoughts on the Startup Crawl

(22:57) Excellence in Athletics Translates to Entrepreneurship 

(25:11) Accept Nothing Less than the Best

Links:

Jeff Amerine

Erin Campbell

Bo Mo

Calvin Smith

Ronnie Brewer

Quotes:

“...I think in this culture of fast fashion, fast this, fast that, we can slow down and enjoy things and enjoy the smile that these bottles bring. And it's so unique because not a lot of products these days really are doing that.” - Bo Mo, (6:04)

“...What we need is the next generation of people coming up…to give back selflessly, without expecting anything in return and saying, ‘Hey, if I give back to this community, we're all better for it. I’m better for it.’” - Calvin Smith, (17:42)

“...The constraints that you have on yourself [are]…only in your mind. If you let that go, anything is possible and you can achieve anything. And we’re a prime example with the Razorbacks. But again, we're just scratching the surface. And that's motivation to people in the entrepreneurial world, and you can do anything, but don’t just settle for scratching the surface - keep on grinding, keep on getting better.” - Ronnie Brewer, (26:05)