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Maverick Impact – 1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

The 411 on Maverick Impact

Being part of the Maverick Family, you pretty quickly learn that IMPACT is a huge motivator behind so much of what we do as an organization. We are called ‘Maverick1000’ because we believe that a small group of 1,000 extraordinary individuals & leaders can truly change the world. Together we are able to catalyze resources, capital and mentorship to use entrepreneurial thinking and business as the ultimate lever to make a difference.

Mavericks choose a “cause partner”–usually a non-profit or start-up. One day of each 3X event is dedicated to Impact. That’s when our members are exposed to the work that the chosen cause partner does through a presentation and a pretty awesome activity, highlighting the work they do. Creating Impact through cause partners is such a core part of the Maverick values that 10% of membership dues goes directly into the Maverick Impact Fund.

The cause partner chosen for the San Diego 3X Retreat is Crisis Response International (CRI). CRI is a disaster relief organization that is able to integrate with local, state, and federal response efforts when needed. CRI resources, trains and mobilizes volunteers, churches and other organizations to respond to disasters and compassion initiatives around the world. To learn more, visit http://criout.com/.

 

 

Behind the Scenes – Maverick Impact Advisory Board

What you might not realize is how much goes on behind the scenes to make sure that we’re not only choosing cause partners wisely, but that we’re also being good stewards over the Maverick Impact Fund.  First, we have an Impact Advisory Board. Currently volunteering their time on that board is Boyd Smith, Shelby Larson, Rachael Burgeson and Craig Handley. Lisa is the Team Green member that most commonly works with them, and, as always, Yanik and Sophia are heavily involved.

The primary objective of the Board is to not only choose worthy partners, but also to make important decisions about how to best use the Impact Fund. The length of time, the amount of resources and the value of the funds expended on a cause partner vary depending on the needs of the cause partner and the value of the partnership. The Board believes in teaching cause partners to fish rather than just giving them the fish. The Board makes tough calls about when to end partnerships based on a variety of circumstances and details provided by the Maverick Champion–a Maverick member who has volunteered to be the primary liaison with the cause partner. Every cause partner, regardless of the length of time that we work with them, walks away in a much better place than they were when we met them thanks to you.

Boyd Smith: Shelby Larson: Rachael Berguson: Craig Handley:

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Make a Difference

We are so grateful for the warm and generous hearts of the Maverick family. You have already made a HUGE difference in the lives of others through the Maverick Impact Program. The Impact Board is still smoothing out the different processes and procedures related to onboarding a new cause partner through the entire engagement. This is a living process that is only getting better over time. We are working on putting together a means to keep members updated, as was widely requested at the Dallas 3X. In the meantime, we welcome your questions and input at all times.

The big take away that we want to pass on to you is that our focus on Impact is not one-sided. We care as much about the impact our decisions, as a Board, has on you as we do about how much it has on the cause partners that we are working with. We strive at all times to choose partners that are worthy of your great generosity of time, talents and donations. Thank you for making it possible for us to touch and change lives for the better. You really are the green pill.

Maverick High Five – 1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

Congratulations!

Congratulations to SmartCEO Future 50 2016 winner, Gary Nealon – Maverick #74!

Gary Nealon
President, RTA Cabinet Store
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
gary@rtacabinetstore.com

 

 

 

 

 

The Future 50 Awards program is the largest and most anticipated SmartCEO awards program of the year. This program recognizes 50 of the region’s fastest growing, mid-sized companies. These companies represent the future of the region’s economy and embody the entrepreneurial spirit critical for leadership and success. The winners are chosen based on a three-year average of employee and revenue growth. Winners are profiled in SmartCEO magazine and celebrated at a black-tie optional awards gala.

A SOCIAL APPROACH TO GROWTH

When RTA Cabinet Store president Gary Nealon founded his company in 2006, he had no idea it would grow into the business it is today. Kitchen remodeling is a stressful endeavor for any homeowner, and Nealon wanted to make the buying process as simple as possible to eliminate confusion. By offering the highest-quality product at the most affordable price, Nealon brings his vision of empowering homeowners to fruition. RTA’s initial hurdle was to educate customers about the difference between its product and those offered at big box stores. Social media became the company’s key weapon, and remains so today. “Nobody believed that consumers would buy an entire kitchen online without physically walking into a showroom first, but we definitely proved that theory wrong,” says Nealon.

RTA started on social media, and social media is what keeps it growing today. Through social platforms, RTA has grown its brand and connected with important outreach vehicles like HGTV and DIY Network. Partnerships like these have allowed RTA to leverage its buyers list and tap into other companies’ buyers lists, and share marketing resources. “In our case, partnerships have allowed us to grow horizontally into other related niches, while at the same time growing vertically in our own niche,” says Nealon.

Congratulations to Reggie Chandra – Maverick #248!

Reggie Chandra
Founder/President/CEO of Rhythm Engineering
Lenexa, Kansas
reggie.chandra@rhythmtraffic.com

Big congrats to Reggie Chandra and his team at Rhythm Engineering for creating and installing a signal controller that automatically collects data and seamlessly creates optimized signal timing plans. “It is a‪ gamechanger‬, ‪disruptive‬ and does not exist anywhere in the world.”

Innovation. Passion. Both are at the core of who we are. We are committed to leading the way with groundbreaking traffic management solutions that empower traffic professionals to get loved ones to their destinations faster and safer.

Dr. Reggie Chandra, P.E., P.T.O.E. is the traffic engineer-entrepreneur who invented InSync. His rare combination of education and experience put him in a unique position: he was rooted enough to be a traffic industry insider familiar with the tools and challenges of the trade, yet visionary enough to move beyond accepted methodologies. Dr. Chandra imagined a better, more intelligent way of managing traffic. More importantly, he brought that idea to life. Having spent a large portion of his career as a public traffic engineer focused on optimizing and synchronizing signals, Dr. Chandra grew frustrated with the tools available for him to perform his job. He knew the technology had fallen decades behind, yielding crowded roadways, smog, and wasted time and fuel. He also knew traffic engineers alone didn’t have the answers. In 2005, he set out to find a solution entrepreneurially by assembling a team of computer scientists and mathematicians uninhibited by traffic engineers’ preconceived limitations. They developed a vehicle-counting camera that laid the groundwork for what Chandra had envisioned since the 1990s. In February of 2008, the team flipped the switch on an artificially-intelligent, digital system that optimizes signals to automatically adapt to traffic conditions in real time. As a result, he revolutionized the traffic industry.

Since its launch, InSync has become one of the top selling adaptive traffic control systems in the United States. More U.S. traffic agencies select InSync than any other adaptive traffic control system, making it the fastest growing such system in U.S. history. As of January 2014, InSync is the solution of choice for more than 1,000 intersections in 25 states.

Coming Up in 2016 – 1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

2016 will be jam packed with Maverick adventures. Add the following dates to your calendars!

 

 

 

 

3X Multiplier Retreats

• May 19 – 21, 2016: Seattle, Washington
• October 19 – 21, 2016: Location TBD

 

Family Entrepreneurship Learning Event

• December 28, – January 1, 2016: Location TBD

M3 Summit

• December 1 – 3, 2016: Location TBD

 

EPIC Experiences

• March 8 – 13, 2016: Cuba
• June 17 – 23, 2016: Blackout Trip
• September 11 – 19, 2016: South Africa

IMPACT Experiences

• April 3 – 9, 2016: Necker Island Experience
• April 6, 2016: Necker Island Beach Party
• June 1 – 4, 2016: Impact Haiti

Camp Maverick

• August 18 – 20, 2016: Connecticut
  

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT’perience Event

• May 2016:  Dates & Location TBD

 

IMPACT Experiences

• June 1 – 4, 2016: Impact Haiti

 

Camp Maverick

• August 18 – 20, 2016: Connecticut

 

M3 Summit

• December 1 – 3, 2016: Location TBD

 

For more information or if you have any questions about upcoming events, you can always reach us at events@maverick1000.com.

 

We hope to see you soon!

Welcome New Maverick Members-1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

We’ve had 18 new Mavericks join us since September 2015! They’re conscientious change-makers, writers, educators, risk takers, and adventurers. Read on to learn more about them…

 

 

Andy Beedle – #128
Founder of abeedle.com
andybeedle@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time, Andy was a university professor with an interest in cognitive science. Now, after co-founding four successful companies in fields ranging from technology to fitness, he helps clients in multiple industries increase their bottom line revenue and grow their prospect pools.

During his academic career, he published research in the Journal for Neuroscience Research, The American Philosophical Quarterly, and the Journal of Philosophical Psychology (among others). He also delivered conference papers and various invited lectures.

Since starting abeedle.com, Andy has contributed to the marketing field with presentations at national conferences ranging from NACAC to the National Small College Enrollment Conference as well as industry sponsored symposia and engagements with individual Colleges and Universities. In addition to speaking and writing on enrollment management and the growth of the Internet, he has been interviewed by numerous publications including the Atlantic Monthly, Inside Higher Ed, the Lawlor Review, the Admissions Marketing Report, and U.S. News and World Report. His work has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Advertising Age, and USA Today.

 

DavidPaul Doyle – #270
Founder & CEO of NatureWise, Co-founder of Voice For Love
davidpaul@naturewise.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

NatureWise is a natural supplement company committed to helping people live longer, healthier lives. Voice For Love is a leading nonprofit, nondenominational spiritual organization and global community of people who join together in celebration to give and receive love, communication, inspiration, learning and support for being the presence of love in the world.

DavidPaul has ridden his motorcycle three separate times from Colorado to California in less than 24 hours without stopping, going 145 mph through the dessert for hours. He enjoys discussions on Meditation, quieting the mind, hearing one’s inner voice.

 

Garrett Gunderson – #271
Entrepreneur, Author
garrett.gunderson@wealthfactory.com

 

 

 

 

 

As a lifelong entrepreneur and a NY Times best-selling author, you may have seen Garrett on CNBC, Fox News or ABC.

His book, Killing Sacred Cows, debunks dozens of common myths about money and investing. Gunderson has dedicated his life to educate and serve hard-working, honest business owners. The INC 500 even named his firm to their prestigious list. His company, Wealth Factory, helps entrepreneurs navigate personal finances and investing.

First they help entrepreneurs find spendable cash without having to work harder. Then they show them invest for cash flow according to their own strengths. It’s all about minimizing risk and building in guarantees.

This gives entrepreneurs clarity, peace of mind and financial confidence.

 

Melinda Wittstock – #272
Founder & CEO of Verifeed
melinda@verifeed.com

 

 

 

 

If only you knew what your analytics weren’t telling you! Verifeed helps businesses accelerate their growth _ we find customers you didn’t know you had, predict trends and discover opportunities you wish you knew about much earlier.

Our algorithms and analysts parse millions of social conversations to discover what people most want or need. In real time and over time, we come to understand what excites, frustrates and motivates consumers and who is influencing opinions and outcomes.  It’s sophisticated business intelligence with powerful marketing and revenue generating applications. Know the difference!

Melinda once led 50 students into an impromptu occupation of the McGill University admin building to protest the college’s investments in Apartheid South Africa, and did not leave until divestment was on the Board of Governors meeting agenda. (McGill became the first college in North America to divest). She also used to be a competitive figure skater and an award-winning print journalist and TV news anchor.

 

Kirsty Verity – #273
Entrepreneur, Traveller
kirstyverity40@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

After spending over 15 years in corporate marketing, Kirsty created a multimillion dollar e-commerce business in 18 months – she now grows her business while indulging in her passion of traveling the world and meeting awesome people who help her on her journey.

 

Vishaal Gupta – #274
Executive Vice President of Park Square Homes
vgupta@parksquarehomes.com

 

 

 

 

 

In 1984, Braham Aggarwal and his son-in-law Suresh Gupta started Park Square Homes to meet the growing demand for quality housing in Central Florida. Their innovative designs, superior construction and commitment to homeowner satisfaction helped their small, family owned operation become one of the largest and most respected independent residential development and homebuilding companies in Central Florida.

Today, Park Square Homes is still family owned and operated by three generations of passionate homebuilders: Chairman Braham Aggarwal, with his son-in-law, Suresh Gupta as CEO of Park Square Enterprises, and his son, Vishaal Gupta as Executive Vice President of Park Square Homes. With family at the heart of their company, they understand the importance of family more than most. And it shows in their homes.

 

Tom Maduri – #275
Interactive Experience Executive Consultant
tommaduri@gmail.com

 

 

 

Tom has over 15 years experience covering progressive roles. Executive Leadership in Technology, Marketing, Operations, and Electronic Commerce & P/L across the Financial, Communications, Publishing, large scale IT implementation and Entertainment industries.

He has been involved in corporate restructurings, turnarounds, project/company recoveries and organization change programs. Since 2001, Thomas has delivered well over $300 million worth of projects for companies, from many award winning implementations to organizational adoption of Agile to deploying ‘game changing’ technologies.

Tom is a recognized IT-revolutionist blending the world of web 2.0 with practical business sense. His services have been sought after by leading organizations throughout North America for omni-channel customer experience management.

 

Sheevaun Moran – #276
Founder and Creator of the Energetic Solutions, Inc. Success Systems
energeticsolutions@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Sheevaun Moran is the founder and creator of the Energetic Solutions, Inc.® Success Systems. Devoted to teaching the world’s entrepreneurs, CEO’s and leaders authentic and audacious ancient Energetic Success Principles with practical step-by-step ‘How-To’s’, to fulfill their legacy and income desire.

Sheevaun has helped over 15,000 people to achieve their dream, trained tens of thousands to have clarity, simplicity and profits. Sheevaun says, “We work to align the energy and heart of the leader for the success of the team.”

 

Drew Levich – Maverick #277
Founder of Dammit Dolls
drewlevich@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

While working a full time 9-5 job, Drew risked it all and started Dammit Dolls out of the back of his Prius. With a bit of humility, street smarts and determination, Drew built his business into a multi-million dollar, multi-line and multi-national product line. He sold it this past year, but is working as an independent brand, product strategy and marketing consultant.

Drew also wanted to give back, so he launched DammitCancer, which donates profits to a children’s cancer charity in California.

Currently, he is working on redeveloping an old warehouse building into a creative offices in Downtown San Diego. In his spare time, Drew flies a Cesena, tries to cook and puts off the gym until tomorrow.

Re Perez – Maverick #278
Founder & CEO of BRANDING FOR THE PEOPLE
hello@brandingforthepeople.com

 

 

 

Re Perez is a Brand Strategist, Creative Visionary, and the CEO of BRANDING FOR THE PEOPLE, a branding agency that helps emerging entrepreneurs and established small businesses achieve rapid growth through the power of Fortune 500 branding best practices.

Re’s background includes senior-level consulting positions at Interbrand, Siegel+Gale, Reputation Institute and TMP Worldwide and has worked on Fortune 500 branding projects including Abbott, GE Money, Intel, Lilly, Nielsen Company, Novo Nordisk, Motorola, TD Ameritrade, and Xerox. In the entrepreneurial space, he has been instrumental in branding several key players across a diverse set of industries. His clients often credit him for doubling, tripling and quadrupling their revenues.

Re holds a degree in Organizational Behavior and Communications from New York University.

Chris Plough – Maverick #279
Founder of Mavenwire, CEO of Oznog Holdings, Adventurer, Entrepreneur, Storyteller
chris@oznog.com

 

 

 

 

Hi I’m Chris – an explorer and storyteller who wants to bring humanity closer together.

My accomplishments are eclectic — I have… Performed naked on stage in front of hundreds and won awards for theatre lighting and set designs; designed the technical architecture for Oracle Transportation Management; founded MavenWire and helped it grow into a global, 8-figure company; driven an ambulance 10,000 miles from the UK to Mongolia; ridden a motorcycle through Siberia in temperatures below -40 degrees and into the Arctic Circle; binge-watched Firefly many, many times.

Oh – and I love great conversations. Tell me your story.

 

Tim Reynolds – Maverick #280
President at HealthCARE Express
Treynoldsmd@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Tim Reynolds, MD is a Board Certified Emergency Medicine doctor.

He served as Medical Director of a busy trauma center before starting his medical practice business in 2006. He’s also an owner of multiple businesses including HealthCARE Express, which has medical clinics in four states, as well as WOWZA billing company, which bills and contracts for medical clinics. He’s the Founder of Medical Practice Success, which teaches doctors the business side of their business through online teaching and live conference. Tim has had success in Real Estate investments and most recently TOTHA, the newest venture teaching workout and health strategies to those over 40. Bottom line is, he loves building businesses and helping others with theirs.

Tim is an author and sought after speaker.

Some interesting facts about Tim:

• A former Green Beret and served 17 years in the military
• Hobbies include flying his plane, scuba diving, and body building

Tim and his wife Pam love to travel and have been to many countries on six continents, looking forward to Antarctica in March 2016.

Tim and Pam enjoy their five amazing children and live on a 320 acre ranch in East Texas.

Pam Reynolds – Maverick #281
Chief Leadership Officer at HealthCARE Express
preynolds0401@gmail.com

 

 

 

Pamela Reynolds is mom to 5 amazing kids and married to her knight in shining armor. She was raised on a small family farm in ND and learned how to drive in her dad’s grain truck. She has a bachelor’s in education, an associate’s in nursing and is currently working on her master’s in organizational leadership. She is the Chief Leadership Officer of HealthCARE Express, an organization that serves communities through urgent care in four states. She absolutely loves what others would call “her job”. She know she’s blessed beyond measure to be in love with her career.

Pam and her family travel, a lot! Antarctica will be their last continent (They’ll be there in March 2016). Travel is the thing that has made Pam grow, experience the richness of life, and love with reckless abandon. She loves photography, SCUBA diving, and her kitchen.

 

Dan Brenner – Maverick #283
Chief Executive Officer at InstaNatural
Dan@instanatural.com

 

 

 

 

Dan is a high energy, principle based leader with a strong track record of success of advancing established global brands, working with R&D and Marketing leadership at top Consumer Product Companies. Prior to joining InstaNatural as its CEO, Dan was a Partner at SPRIM, a global consulting firm which specializes in human health and personal care verticals.  At SPRIM, Dan led client engagements focusing on business strategy, breakthrough innovation, technology identification, new product development, and marketing to target consumers and Health Care Professionals. Dan also brings a strong M&A due diligence, scouting, and deal-making background as a previously licensed Investment Banker, leveraging his FINRA Series 7, 66, 9, & 10 licenses from his prior experience at Charles Schwab.

Dan came to InstaNatural to leverage his product innovation, personal care, and strategic leadership capabilities to grow InstaNatural into a world class brand.  Dan is also an active University of Central Florida alumnus, holding both an undergrad and MBA from the UCF College of Business.

 

Kyle Morrison – Maverick #284
Co-Founder of Zenwise Health
Kmorrison86@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle Morrison is the Co-Founder of Zenwise Health, a company dedicated to producing and selling the highest quality health supplements.

After graduating from the Florida State University College of Business, he worked in Information Security at a large Healthcare Provider. Between work and his hobbies for extreme fitness like CrossFit and mud runs, he was struck with a curious idea. He wanted to find a way to combine his three passions: technology, business, and fitness.

In 2014, he successfully found a way to do just that, and co-founded Zenwise Health. Using his expertise of technology and the Amazon sales channel, he pushed Zenwise Health to the top of the market in record time, overtaking some of the most popular health supplement categories.

By 2015, he saw that Zenwise Health had scaled over 30 different products. Since then, he has generated exclusive deals with ingredient suppliers, which will be a major differentiating factor between Zenwise Health and their competitors going into the future.

In only a year and a half, Zenwise Health has grown into a multi-million dollar business that continues to expand and thrive throughout the Amazon sales channel while focusing on additional opportunities outside of it.

Kyle is grateful for the opportunities to work alongside such amazing people both in his business and his industry. As he works to grow Zenwise Health, he’s excited for the chance to continue to follow his curiosity and work with other business ideas related to his passions.

 

 Aditya (AJ) Patel – Maverick #282
Founder and Chairman, InstaNatural
apatel790@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aditya Patel has been a serial entrepreneur his entire life. He successfully started and sold a web-hosting company he launched at the age of 14, to multiple web-based businesses that he leveraged to put himself through school as he pursued his degree in Finance from the University of Florida. After his undergraduate studies, he worked in Corporate America for two years as both an accountant and as a website project manager, helping create websites for the hospitality industry. Within those two years, AJ’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for skin care convalesced into the launch of InstaNatural in his free time, while still working his corporate job during the day.  After months of moonlighting as a Founder of a budding skin-care brand, AJ quit his job to pursue his passion as the Founder of InstaNatural full time.  InstaNatural has now grown to one of the largest online skin care companies in the US. AJ attributes the company’s achievements to his previous business experience, including learnings from failures along his path. He now spends his time managing the company as Executive Chairman, while also pursuing other ventures where he acts as a passive investor.

 

Brandon Slater – Maverick #286
Founder and President at Trinnium Holdings
bslater@trinnium.com

 

 

 

After graduating from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, and later receiving his Master’s degree in Public Policy from USC; Brandon Slater started his career in the commercial real estate industry working for Fortune 500 company  CB Richard Ellis (CBRE).  Over the next 12 years, he worked in various  capacities from raw commercial land development to Senior Real Estate Manager for company client Starbucks Coffee, where he negotiated hundreds of leases across the US and Canada.  After 12 years with CBRE, he left in 2014 to pursue his dream of being an entrepreneur.

From mid-2014 through the present time Brandon has started four ecommerce companies, and has been enlisted as a JV partner on two more.  In August of 2015 he sold his first company which experienced explosive growth and was only 18 months old, and is now working toward his next potential company exit.

Brandon’s ecommerce expertise is in physical product retail brand developments, and he does especially well building brands with high sales velocity on Amazon.com, but has also started expanding his product lines into other ecommerce platforms and into brick and mortar stores.  Brandon is married and has four boys ranging from newborn to 12 years old.

 

Karen Waksman – Maverick #285
Founder/CEO of Retail MBA
karen@retailmba.com

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Waksman, Founder and CEO of Retail MBA (Retail MBA), is a Manufacturer’s Rep turned Author, Speaker and Consultant. She has sold millions of consumer products to the world’s largest retailers now dedicates her time to teaching entrepreneurs how to market and sell their products to major retailers, online retailers, catalogs and small retailers, too! Absolutely no sales experience or existing buyer relationships required.

Karen Waksman has taught tens of 1000’s of product entrepreneurs and companies across the globe on the subject of selling to retailers.   Her goal is to empower and inspire companies to transform their businesses by providing them all of the necessary information they need in order to become chain store vendors.

Yanik’s Maverick Musings – 1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

Living a Legendary Legacy

It feels like the end of 2015 was a bit of a whirlwind.

Between M3 Summit in Buenos Aires and then the Family Freedom event over New Year’s – this has been a nice time to reset a bit. I hope you were with us in Argentina where the topic of conversation was all about Passion!

It was really incredible to see so many Mavericks engaged and re-exploring what got them excited as kids and thinking about ways of incorporating that into their business. I truly believe entrepreneurs are artists and we use our business as our canvas. Unfortunately, I had to leave Argentina early for one last goodbye to my uncle Jakob (Sophia’s father).

I woke up on day 2 of the Summit and knew I had to leave. He had been getting worse and just had the deep feeling that if I didn’t go at that point I wouldn’t see him again.  I barely made it out of Buenos Aires on time to make my flight. The traffic took me 2.5 hrs to get there, and I was one of the last people to somehow make it on my flight. Only seat available was the last row that didn’t recline. It didn’t matter. I was extremely grateful I made it.

After a 9+ hour flight I went straight to the hospice without expectation if I’d see Jakob, if he’d be coherent or not. Just to be there with him. My brother, Adam, arrived a few hours after me and we both had a chance to tell him how much he meant to us. I knew he could hear us and that’s all that mattered. He was definitely a Maverick and when he passed on at 88 years old, he had truly lived 4 or 5 lives. I was honored to deliver his eulogy. I got a lot of my material from an interview we did 3 years back.

On his 85th birthday a few of the kids cornered him for a 90-minute interview. I’m so happy we had that recording to hear some of his remarkable story. He told us about fleeing Odessa during WWII as a young boy. There were two ships taking people out and the first one was bombed by the Nazis and nearly everyone onboard perished. He picked the right boat.

Upon arriving in a totally new city, his mom fell ill and was sent to an unknown hospital. He was alone with a random host family. And in another amazing divine moment a family friend spotted Jakob on the street and took him in. They recovered his mom and reunited with his father. The war was still raging on and Jakob would be required to serve on the front line as he was turning 18. They found the right person and created a new birth certificate stating he was 16. (Actually to this day his official paperwork has his age at 86.)

A few years later Jakob met a girl from Moscow and within 5 days they moved back to the capital city. It was there he had to figure out his own path. With his partners, he figured out a way to have the official paperwork say his company made scarves when really they took the wool and sold it out the backdoor as more expensive sweaters. He was a true Underground millionaire on the black market.

Jakob was a natural entrepreneur and the Soviet Union was not so interested in that kind of activity. Eventually, he was found out and sentenced to death.

Yes death.

He went to jail in Siberia for 7 long years until he was able to figure a way out. At 47 he immigrated to the DC area in 1973. My Aunt told me that he was the first Soviet Jew here. Jakob started over with nothing and actually lived with a host family sharing a bedroom with a teenager. I think this is a perfect illustration of how strong the immigrant ‘do anything’ mentality is. I’m 42 and not sure I could imagine sharing a bedroom with a teenager in a foreign country.

It wasn’t long before Jakob used his business skills here and thrived in the U.S. Along with my father, my uncle was one of my major entrepreneurial role models closest to me. I would see him operating gas stations, repair shops, restaurants and other ventures.

But it wasn’t just the business side, he was one of the most generous individuals always wanting those around him to be taken care of. In fact, he might have got a bit more than he bargained for with my Aunt and Mom since they were identical twins. It was a package deal. Jakob never hesitated to open up his house to my mom as she recovered from chemo during her battles against cancer. There’s one famous story in our family of going to Atlantic City with the twins and coming home late. He starts taking off his clothes and crawling into bed. Instead of my Aunt it was my Mom. He jumped out blushing. As I said a package deal but not that kind. 😉

Jakob always had stories and jokes for everyone he met. And he was an incredible chef. He loved making food for everyone and to get the ingredients he wanted he’d go so far as sneak a fish down his pants on a flight to Atlantic City.

Was Jakob perfect? No, definitely not. Like all of us he was imperfectly perfect. I was so happy to see family members at the funeral that I hadn’t seen for years come back together to honor him and forgive each other. It was also amazing to see several Maverick members there to support Sophia and our family. We didn’t tell anyone but they somehow found out. In Russian Jakob means Yaakov or shortened to Yan. My name means little Yan, actually. I was named for my maternal and paternal grandfathers, but I’m also very proud to share a name with my uncle.

My father just turned 75 a few days ago, and I want to ensure I capture his legacy, too.

I implore you to add this to your ‘must do’ list, interviewing a family member to truly capture their story. You don’t need anything fancy – your existing computer will do. And if you have no idea what to ask, there are some good questions here on this page: http://legacyproject.org/guides/lifeintquestions.pdf

I promise it’s something you’ll cherish and appreciate.

 

 

I’ve now done two of these interviews and I started thinking of them as ‘Legendary Legacies’. Another was with Maverick member, Jordan Guernsey, and still one of my favorite interviews. www.YanikSilver.com/lightinside

 

 

 

I believe we are meant to live Legendary Legacies. You’re a Maverick aren’t you?

A perfect illustration is David Bowie as he just passed away, too. Here was someone who absolutely created his own mythology. He continually re-invented himself and simply followed his own path.

But you don’t have to die to live your own legendary legacy. Imagine you are your own hero in this narrative that you get to write. I think we can truly create an epic hero’s journey but being aware of what gives you lasting joy and happiness.

This is what I illustrated in my journal awhile back as a guideline:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In fact, my most important self-growth has been about working on being present in the little moments that matter. This year on New Year’s Eve I took an inventory of those precious moments instead of the “BIG” accomplishments I might have listed (or needed) before to feel like I accomplished something worthwhile.

Here are a few from my journal entry:

•  The contentment and closure from saying goodbye to Jakob and following my intuition to leave Argentina early.
• The contentment of having a daily mediation practice.
• The self-love of keeping to 1x/week sugar and 2-3x/week of drinking.
• The full expression of releasing Evolved Enterprise book with my illustrations.
• The pure joy of table sliding on Necker (Ha! You might have to watch the video on Maverick1000.com/necker to see what I mean. Also there are a handful of spots if you want to come or know an exceptional entrepreneurs who should be here.)
• Being raised in the air by Craig at the end of Camp Maverick (thanks buddy!)
• Zack telling Zoe to be grateful.
• Zoe selling her artwork.
• Moments of open-mouthed awe with synchronicities and magic.
• Doing yoga while watching wild animals off my deck in Kenya.

And this applies to New Year’s resolutions, too.

I’ve personally stopped setting them as I discovered the essence of what brings me joy or happiness is much more important. I talk about this in the Evolved Enterprise book a bit more. But the gist is you can get to the real essence or ‘why’ behind a goal not the actual ‘thing’.

For instance, in my journal several years back I was writing out my ideal day for my 40^th birthday. And one of the specifics I had written down was that I was driving a blue Fisker Karma.

40 arrived and I wasn’t driving one. In fact, I had even sold my Aston Martin at this point and wasn’t interested in buying another exotic car. Instead of driving a specific car, I would rather figure out what the feeling behind the car I want is. To me, it’s about having joy and satisfaction from driving it and something that reflects a bit of my fun-loving spirit. (Interestingly enough, I probably wouldn’t even want a Fisker now with all the issues they had.)

The dollar amount I wrote in my journal was $2M in profits coming in from various business ventures per year. Nope, wasn’t there either.

But what’s the real essence behind that? To me, it’s the freedom to work on what you want, with whom you please, and on what gets you excited!

Actually, I don’t need two mil a year to have that, and you wouldn’t either. I already have the essence of that goal. It’s just about creating freedom from passive income or designing your business to support your most important contributions.

I had also jotted down other specific goals too, including giving away $5,000,000 to cause partners. Sometimes those goals that still match up your deep passion and purpose are coming. It’s just not the right time. But like a train coming down the tracks…you know it’s coming. In this instance, I didn’t hit the $5M in charity contributions, but with Maverick are at $2.5M+ and even more when you factor in the ripple effect through other members. Once again, the essence is there.

Allowing Something Better

One interesting goal I had written down was that by the age of 39, I would go into space on Virgin Galactic. Well…that timing is not of my own doing. It’s still happening, and I can continue to savor the anticipation.

Coincidentally, Virgin Galactic threw a party for 400+ future astronauts exactly on my 40^th birthday. They hosted a big “Behind the Hangar Doors” event in Mojave right on September 25, so that’s why I was even in the Los Angeles area in the first place.

Richard Branson had factored into my journal entry about my 40^th. Here’s what I wrote:

“In a few weeks the family is going to Necker Island again with Maverick members and Richard. It’s become a yearly tradition since 2011, when they first came. I was just reminded of the trip because Richard sent over a wonderful surprise gift for my birthday.”

 

 

 

 

I have been truly blessed to do an annual Maverick trip to Necker each year with Richard hosting—and it has become a family tradition.

 

 

 

Actually, Richard did send me over a surprise birthday gift by way of a personal video that was pretty funny. But even better, I spent time with him on my birthday for the Virgin Galactic event and again roughly a week later when I was invited to a safari in South Africa to support his foundation. Amazing!

All of this is something I couldn’t have pictured happening in this way or scripted it out any better. That’s why having the essence of what you want works. It gives you the flexibility of not being attached to how you think something will appear. I’m always in awe of the surprising new paths opening up or meeting the right person or being handed the right book that allows your “goals” to unfold in extraordinary and wonderful ways.

 

All the best,

 

 

Yanik Silver

Best Ways to Get the Most Out of Travel in 2016 – 1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

Between busy schedules and crossing off items from life lists, Mavericks travel all over the world. Check out some top travel tips, tricks and hacks from Maverick #100, William Lee.

• United Airline’s Mileage Plus program: I’ve been a United Airlines 1k member for several years now and learned a lot out of it.  As a 1k flyer, I get 6 global upgrade passes and 6 regional upgrade passes on top of status upgrades.
• Booking airfare using miles allows you to cancel the fare without penalty.  If you need to change airline ticket itinerary, you often have to pay a change fee which is about $200-$400.
• United Airlines and Delta have a 12k minimum spend limit called ‘PQD’ that a flyer must earn in addition to the 100k miles flown to get the airline’s top tier status.  (United Airlines actually have another tiered service called Global Services which is invite only for their really top VIPs).
• To get around this rule, Paul Sinclair (Maverick #220)–who is a bit of a hacker when it comes to United Airlines–taught me to use a mailing address outside the USA.  Boom, PQD lifted.  That man is genius.
• ​As usual Silver and Gold members don’t really get much benefit but it helps to build history with an airline if future travels works out.  ​You can apply for a United Mileage Plus credit card which you get priority boarding and lounge access (Explorer vs. Club cards) for an annual fee.  The cards let you accrue miles faster but are not qualifying miles for status.
• Once on Platinum/1K status, it is wise to buy a minimum ‘W’ class airfare (which costs slightly more than basic fare classes).  The airlines (esp United) prioritizes business class upgrades by the amount of spend as one of there criteria for complimentary upgrade selection.  This increases your chance of beating out people like myself who pay the lowest fare on the airline.

• With regards to choosing an economy plus seating, know that standby passengers (I’ve been a standby companion for 2 years on United so I know the tricks here, too) often get to fill in the seats from head-of-plane to back-of-plane; so knowing that, check the flight for number of standby passengers and plan accordingly.
• If you fly economy plus or economy and must have your elbow room, you can book 2 seats.  First seat booked in your own name and second seat as an unnamed flyer.  For this to work without paying for the extra seat is to use your miles to book the second seat.  Once you board, you call United and cancel that ticket.  More often than not, the seat is unassigned but according to the airplane manifesto, there are no open seats available.
• Flying business class is one thing, flying First Class is where you meet the interesting people.  On United, is it almost always the same seat in both classes, first class having a larger TV screen and better meal options.

• If using mobile boarding passes, always snap a screenshot of the boarding pass bar/QR code.  There may be a time when you either lose internet or have app-technical difficulties.  You won’t usually have problems at the gate, but it’s when you are at security screening that would be a hassle to return back to the check-in counter.
• Global Entry and TSA Pre are great options to consider for convenience. The beauty of TSA Pre is that at major airports I am aware of, TSA Pre passengers often get very lenient screening process (shoes, light jackets and laptops remain on) and walk through the old metal detectors as opposed to the radiation bearing scatter ray machines.
• When I have no choice to walk through the body scanner machines, I ask for a ‘pat down’, which in TSA lingo is a ‘male opt out.’  I spend about 8 minutes to get a pat down, and I avoid the radiation from the machines.  I am aware, however, of the radiation one gets while flying at 30k but can’t dodge that.  I can dodge the scatter ray machines, however.

• If you plan to travel with lots of stuff, get a luggage scale.  This will save you on baggage fees big time.
• I adore Eagle Creek ‘no matter what’ duffle bags. They roll up a little more girth than an umbrella and has rollerblade wheels at one end.  I bring this empty with me when I think I will need to lug stuff back from my travels.
• Before United Airlines rolled out the ‘flappy ear​’ headrests, the Travelrest Ultimate Travel Pillow was my go-to pillow. ​LOVE it.  I barely use it anymore since the flappy ears work like a charm.
•  The Bose QC20 and QC20i headphones noise cancelling technology is hands down the industry best.  Problem with the big over the ear versions is that you can’t sleep on the plane with it when your head rolls from side to side and add the flappy ear headrests into the picture and it’s a failure waiting to happen.

• There are two global data plans in the USA worth getting if you travel abroad often.  TMobile is the cheapest and easiest.  They throttle you (from LTE to 3G or Edge depending on the country) if you use too much data so keep an eye on your data usage and turn off cell data and GPS (location services) for apps that run in the background or apps you don’t need abroad.
• The other one is a Verizon business plan that if you can get your hands on, rocks.  I know friends who are grandfathered into the old unlimited global data plan and it rocks.  $80/month just for data.
• If you are in a country for an extended time, it is best to get a local sim.  It’s way cheaper and the data may actually work faster.  Make sure you unlock your phones.  I buy my iPhone outright but if you are with a carrier long enough, they trust you enough to unlock your sim port.  It only takes a phone call.

• For foreign country travel, always have a return ticket even if you do not know when you are leaving the country abroad.  It’s a red flag at immigration/customs/passport control.  You can buy a fully refundable ticket for this reason; just don’t forget to cancel it once you settle into the country.
• Don’t just lock your zippers together.  TSA/airport employees have been known and caught stealing from checked baggage.  Practice smart packing to minimize dishonest five finger employees.  Know that a TSA lock can always be breached as with any lock but it is often safer to have a locked bag than an unlocked one.  The trick is to understand that even if you have a lock on your bag, it doesn’t make it safe.  The thief simply punctures the zipper with something as simple as a pen.  They swipe your swag and slide the zipper head to seal back the breached zipper.  Some luggage manufacturers are aware of this and thus include ‘puncture resistant’ zippers.  One way to dissuade this is to lock your zipper heads together AND onto a fixed part of your luggage (such as a handle).  This way a thief knows if he/she punctures your zipper, he/she can’t close it back.
• Anil Gupta (Maverick #214) posted about JetSmarter.  It’s a cool concept.  For 12k/year:
  • Fly private jets on empty leg flights.  Book a whole jet and bring your friends.
  • Reserve a seat on one of the weekly shuttles:  NYC>MIA, NYC>FLL, LA>SF, NYC>Hamptons, etc.
  • Membership gives you access to USA, Europe and parts of Middle East.
  • They signed on high-end luxury jets (CitationX’s, Challengers) where you can book up to 3 seats as part of your membership.
  • They are working on coast-to-coast flights.
  • Prices go up each year; I paid $8k as a recent member last year.
• Services worth mentioning:
  • Trippy.com (​I only used Trippy.com and hear good things about the other services.​)
  • http://flightfox.com/
  • skiplagged.com
    

Mavericks in the Spotlight – 1st Quarter 2016 Newsletter

Every newsletter we will shine a bright green light on some of our awesome members! Check out three Mavericks below who are having a profound impact in their respective fields. We love our Mavs!

Munear Kouzbari – Maverick #266
Entrepreneur, COO at Longhorn Advisors
makouzbari@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Munear Kouzbari serves as COO of Longhorn Advisors. His considerable health care experience includes being Director of Business Development and Operations for multi specialty ambulatory surgery center companies and developing, syndicating, financing, building, equipping, opening and serving as the President of numerous ancillary health care entities. He has also conducted the due diligence for acquisition of multiple surgery centers. He has been responsible for leadership, strategic direction, management and corporate development activities including syndication, project management, facility design, construction, pre-opening program development and post-opening operations.

Munear is a rising entrepreneur in the healthcare space focused on delivering superior products along with Joint Venture opportunities to physicians. He currently owns and operates a national pharmacy and laboratory provider along with Medical Device Distributor and Manufacturer of a Spinal Implants.

1)    What is your greatest superpower? What is your unique skill/talent that separates you from others in business, personal life, etc.?

My sincere compassion with others. I put the other party–whether a client or employee–first, which builds trust and a strong working relationship. I live this through my personal relationships as well.

2)    Do you have any passion projects? Is there anything that you are working on that you wake up excited to do?  Anything you’re working on that may be different from your day-to-day business?

Continuing to build the additional service lines of my lab and expanding nationally is a huge focus for me. We are currently expanding into three additional lines where we have previously focused on one. It’s a big addition so is taking all my time, but I absolutely love it!

3)    What do you need help with?  What areas are you looking for growth/development?  If there was one thing you wish you were better at, what would it be?  How can other Mavericks help you?

Logistics and IT system Reese efficiencies.

4)    What is one cool thing on your life list that you haven’t yet accomplished?

Skiing! I have yet to go skiing/snowboarding so hope to be able to do that soon.

 

DavidPaul Doyle – Maverick #270
Founder & CEO of NatureWise, Co-founder of Voice For Love
davidpaul@naturewise.com

 

 

 

 

 

NatureWise is a natural supplement company committed to helping people live longer, healthier lives. Voice For Love is a leading nonprofit, nondenominational spiritual organization and global community of people who join together in
celebration to give and receive love, communication, inspiration, learning and support for being the presence of love in the world.

DavidPaul has ridden his motorcycle three separate times from Colorado to California in less than 24 hours without stopping, going 145 mph through the dessert for hours. He enjoys discussions on Meditation, quieting the mind, hearing one’s inner voice.

1)    What is your greatest superpower? What is your unique skill/talent that separates you from others in business, personal life, etc.?

My superpower is mental/emotional processing. I’m committed to living and working with a healed mind.

 

2)    Do you have any passion projects? Is there anything that you are working on that you wake up excited to do? Anything you’re working on that may be different from your day-to-day business? 

I’m passionate about our new NatureWise beverage, which is a sugar-free, calorie-free, all-natural, true-functional sparkling beverage that’s going to raise the bar in retail to a whole new level.

 

3)    What do you need help with?  What areas are you looking for growth/development?  If there was one thing you wish you were better at, what would it be?  How can other Mavericks help you?  

I need help in managing cash flow and growth.

 

4)    What is one cool thing on your life list that you haven’t yet accomplished? 

Living from a state and reality of true freedom.

Sheevaun Moran – #276
Founder and Creator of the Energetic Solutions, Inc. Success Systems
energeticsolutions@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Sheevaun Moran is the founder and creator of the Energetic Solutions, Inc.® Success Systems. Devoted to teaching the world’s entrepreneurs, CEO’s and leaders authentic and audacious ancient Energetic Success Principles with practical step-by-step ‘How-To’s’, to fulfill their legacy and income desire.Sheevaun has helped over 15,000 people to achieve their dream, trained tens of thousands to have clarity, simplicity and profits. Sheevaun says, “We work to align the energy and heart of the leader for the success of the team.”

YanikEd-020911 With Ed Okeefe and Yanik Silver

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