April 13, 2024
822: ACTION SATURDAY w/ Topher Deutschman (build your tribe!)
Have you ever wondered how the most successful entrepreneurs build momentum and keep it? This episode, featuring the insightful Topher Deutschman, unpacks the secret ingredient behind entrepreneurial success: a robust and supportive inner circle. Topher, returning after his memorable insights in episode 819, doesn't just tell us why we need such a circle; he breaks down the composition of his own, distinguishing between 'the heart'—the emotional backbone—and 'the advocates'—the cheerleaders for our business ventures. He expertly intertwines tales of family, friendships, and the legacies left by predecessors to illustrate how each plays a critical role in shaping our business decisions and fostering our growth.
ABOUT TOPHER
Topher Deutschman is a quintessential entrepreneur whose journey in business began in the innocence of childhood with a simple lemonade stand. But this was no ordinary stand; young Topher's entrepreneurial spirit led him to transform it into a neighborhood bodega, offering a diverse range of products from cookies to CDs and electronics—turning a childhood pastime into a bustling local business.
As Topher grew, this knack for commerce followed him to college, where he initiated an e-commerce venture, partly in pursuit of funds for collegiate leisure but undoubtedly also as an expression of his innate business acumen. With a story that feels like it's just unfolding and a lifetime of entrepreneurship already under his belt, Topher remains eager to explore new opportunities and continues to appreciate platforms that support entrepreneurs. His early endeavors laid the groundwork for what promises to be a long and vibrant narrative of innovation and enterprise.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Chapters
00:00 - Building Your Inner Circle for Success
07:58 - Entrepreneur Building Relationships Action Plan
Transcript
WEBVTT
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Hey, what is up?
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Wantrepreneurs and entrepreneurs all over the world, it's Brian LoFermento here, host of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast, and this is an Action Saturday episode that I am so excited to pass the baton to a guest that you all know and love already because you heard him in this Monday's episode, which was episode 819.
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And his name is Topher Deutschman.
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Now Topher absolutely rocked this Monday's episode and he is giving you an Action Saturday that somehow we have not given enough attention to here on this show In 800-some-odd episodes.
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I'm so excited that Topher's the one to bring you today's action because Topher is an experienced owner, leader and strategist.
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He's a lifelong entrepreneur that's launched, bought, built, managed and sold businesses everything from his first lemonade stand, a college side hustle e-commerce business, two restaurants, a wine and spirits distribution company and now Jombine, which is a recruiting platform that, as you all heard on Monday, is legitimately sparking a revolution in the hiring space, and I don't say that in the way that we throw that word around quite loosely within the world of business and entrepreneurship, but I so deeply respect and admire everything that Topher is doing with his company, jombine.
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They are changing the game.
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You heard all about it on Monday, so definitely check out episode 819 if you missed it.
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Otherwise, today's Action Saturday Take it away, topher.
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Thanks, brian.
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It's great to be back on the show.
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When you asked me about contributing to this Action Saturday, the first thought that jumped to mind was the value of an inner circle, the people that we lean into when growing our companies and for ourselves personally, from a mind, body and soul perspective.
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The inner circle is not what you might think, though.
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I mean it's so much more than just a group of partners, colleagues, employees, vendors and the people that you rely on in your company.
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I mean, at John Vine, I can't live without those people, right, those employees, those partners to build, guide, grow and lead.
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I mean that's a given.
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You've got to surround yourself with those incredible people.
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But when I talk about an inner circle, I look at things a little deeper.
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We need to find people to put in our corner, people to help to give us advice, hold us accountable, to spurn ideas and help challenge ourselves, help challenge our own status quo.
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But here's the thing it's a really hard proposition to do.
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I mean one of the biggest mistakes I made early on in my efforts to put this group together was expecting that I'd have this like formal group of elder-like individuals who would be there every time I needed it right, or like the Mr Miyagi type.
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That was just this true one-on-one mentor that was constantly feeding into me.
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This is pretty silly, though I mean.
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At least I don't think we can expect that out of people, or at least I don't think that's the right fit for me, I mean, especially if you want to form a truly diverse and talented group.
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Instead, though, let's take a different lens into this group, one that leans on different kinds of groups and people, meaning including those you've never even met or those you may only talk to once or twice a year.
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Meaning including those you've never even met or those you may only talk to once or twice a year, and even those who are no longer alive.
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All right, so here's what I mean.
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I actually have three separate groups that I can group into and kind of lean on.
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The first group, I call them the heart.
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These are like my people people, right, the people that I rely on pretty much every day, my wife, for instance.
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My wife is a rock for me.
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I mean, we don't really talk like the nuts and bolts of business, but she knows me better than anyone, and I depend on her strength and vision.
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I mean my kids they don't just make me smile.
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I mean they put everything into perspective and so often they give me some of my best inspiration.
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Look, if you've got kids, involve them in your business.
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I promise they'll open your mind to things you would have never thought of.
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And then my parents right, my mom.
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She's such a big hearted soul who supports me no matter what.
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My sister, another brilliant leader who gives such great advice.
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My father-in-law, who I go to at least once a month for some big question.
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My brothers-in-laws, my sisters-in-laws, even my cousins, nephews and nieces.
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I mean there's such a different level of care and discernment that you can get from your family.
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And then there's the close friends.
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I mean there's too many to name, but I would not be where I am today without them.
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My first client, for instance at John Bynum, was a friend, some of my most valued advisors.
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Friends, I mean there isn't a week that doesn't go by where I haven't leaned and learned from a friend for that support.
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I mean truly friends from high school, college neighbors, sports, from church and even on the sideline at our kids games.
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And even those who've passed.
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I mean I go to their wisdom bank weekly.
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My dad was the most brilliant businessman and I think so often about what he would have done in a specific situation.
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My mother-in-law had such amazingly gentle wisdom that I lean on so often.
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My brother, who is as driven as anyone you've ever met, and I learned so much about how leading with a big heart makes a difference.
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So I go to these people every single day in my head and in their theories and their approaches to how I approach business.
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These are truly.
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These are my people.
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People it's a different level of support, love and care.
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And probably the most important group in the inner circle, the second group.
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These are the advocates the kind and giving people who want to help you because they love business or maybe they love your vision or just the entrepreneur community in general.
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I love this group.
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You don't lean into this group as often as your people people, but when you do, they are so dang valuable.
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Maybe it's even just a couple of times a year, but these are the folks that you get to spend an hour plus with digging into the nitty gritty.
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I mean for me, they include industry pros, startup Kings, incredibly bright and driven leaders.
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It's the people that I admire and have specifically reached out to for help and yes, like it's a formal ask.
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You know I'm asking can I lean into you on my journey?
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I mean they're connected, they love to share, they give more than they receive and they get it.
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They don't necessarily need to get you, but they get that.
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Entrepreneurship is freaking hard and they wouldn't have succeeded themselves without their own advocates.
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I mean this is going to be a really big group too.
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I mean I have at least 50, probably even closer to 100.
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And I tap into this group often.
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I actually challenge myself.
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I should probably be tapping into them even more often, considering how valuable and profound and guiding their support is.
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Lastly, there's the group you'll probably never meet and maybe the group you hadn't even thought about trying to tap into.
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It's what I call the icons.
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For me, this is a collection of writers, scholars and spiritual philosophers.
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I have a handful of writers, for instance, that I've read nearly all of their works and I listened to all their interviews, podcasts, articles, et cetera.
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I mean Brene Brown, seth Godin, ryan Holiday, rob Bell, simon Sinek and others.
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And even for things like mindset and pushing myself, I go to specific people, like for David Goggins, or for purpose, I go to Napoleon Hill, spiritual perspective, campbell Watts, frankel Peterson.
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When I'm struggling, I lean into Psalms and find solace in David's intense poetry.
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When I need faith it's the gospels of Jesus.
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There's also those who I don't follow as deeply but lean into for certain topics, like I've got people who I've curated specifically for just marketing strategies or sales and fatherhood and habits.
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I've come to trust them and use their wisdom weekly.
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I feel like I know these icons so well, like I know their theories, approach and mindset.
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I hear them when I think I can ask them questions and I imagine their answers.
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So I don't know them, but I know them right.
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And I don't copy and paste either.
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But these icons, they influence so much of what I do, so much of what I create and how I attack key decisions, and if you really dig into my work you'll see them shining throughout in so many ways.
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So here's my charge to the entrepreneur audience Build your groups, prioritize it, prioritize them and make it a point to cultivate these groups and relationships.
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Like a garden, you'll need to plant seeds by asking people for help.
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You'll need to water the garden through communications and regular outreach.
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You'll tend to the garden through gratitude and maybe even helping them back, or maybe even helping them first.
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You'll want to prune the garden, in other words, kick people out and certainly harvest it by taking their advice to heart.
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So don't do this alone.
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Get help and lean on others.
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Lean on your circle.
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Do you need somebody to start with in your inner circle?
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Reach out to me.
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I'm always up for making new connections.
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My email is Topher T-O-P-H-E-R at JohnBinecom J-O-M-B-I-N-Ecom.
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You can check out our company as well, johnbine at JohnBinecom, backslash entrepreneur for this community, or find me on LinkedIn by searching for Topher Deutschman.
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So that's your Action Saturday.
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Thanks everybody.
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