129: Hustle Inspires Hustle, A Conversation on Entrepreneurship with Alex Quin

Show Notes

Since Alex was a little kid, he had an entrepreneurial mindset and was a master at arbitrage.  After graduating high school, he worked in food-service doing all the lowly tasks someone can do while he built his business.  His first business was car shows like you’d see in Fast and Furious.  They had initial success and had partners like Lamborghini and others.  The business blew up, but it was cash suck.  They could pay for the events, but not have much leftover.  It was the connections he made that would later help his business today.

He kept working in food-service, but also started driving as a chauffeur for the CEO of a major Advertising agency in Miami.  After learning some from the CEO, he quit his job and started his advertising business.

Now, they are a private agency that carries out its own projects and invests in others as a partner.

At 6 min mark, Alex explains what it means to “just keep going” and “sometimes it is just part of the cycle and process.”  Consistency is the most critical aspect of succeeding.

Was there a time where you hit bottom?  How did you claw your way back?

Yes!  At least 4 times!

Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster that never stops

There is always something happening that you have to work on, overcome, or work through.

Sometimes you are going to doubt ourselves and our biggest opponent is our mind.

You must learn to defeat your own negative thoughts and you can always make it through.

Advice on how to overcome?

It like a game.  Like sports.  The big game.

You start off on the team as 3rd stringer

You’ve got to practice and put your time in.

You’ve got to learn the little tricks and habits to make you better.

You’ve got to commit and then you work your way up.

No one is a “starter” in entrepreneurship out of the gate.

All business is training yourself.  It’s you that must be trained.

There is no such thing as a loss…there is only a lesson to learn.

At the 14 min mark, Alex explains “Hustle Inspires Hustle…”

Alex loves to infect people with good energy.

Doing what you do and doing so well that others gravitate to you and are inspired by you.  That is hustle inspiring hustle.

We all can inspire someone else in some way.  Every day, someone ca be looking up to you.

What have you learned about building a business through your experience?

If you are creative, at some point, you will have to choose between being a creative and business person.  It is very hard to do both.

Getting business is about the numbers.  If you reach out to enough people, you are going to see a return.  If you are not getting a return, you are not talking to enough people.

Pivoting requires time and strategy and is not something to just do.  You have to really think through what you want.

But, you have to be open minded and sometimes the things you want are not life has planned for you.

As long as you stay true to your values, you will be good.

How does someone pivot effectively and make it happen?

You have to know when to keep going and when to cut your losses.  Your gut will tell you.

You have to believe in yourself enough.

You can only control YOUR actions and must focus on those things you can control.

Sit down, make a plan, and then be obsessed with executing.

Entrepreneurship is not for those unsure of themselves and that don’t believe in themselves.

Can someone who doesn’t believe in themselves learn to do so? How?

You learn by the little victories you have.

Every day you will run into little adversities that give you a chance to overcome them.  Each time you overcome, you get stronger.

You have to go through the weeds to get to the flowers.

What your biggest success hacks?

Maintain awareness of world news at all times

Maintain awareness of what is happening in culture

Taking solid care of himself both mentally and physically

Remaining humble and slowing down when it is needed

Keep your mind open to learn new things.  We know very little at the end of the day.

Surround yourself with people that you can really trust and that you know will stick it out through very hard times.  It takes time to find them.