Progress Protocol is a Must Read

Happy July 5th!

I hope you are slowly recovering from all the overeating you did this holiday weekend. If you're feeling a little more plump than usual, you're not alone. Don't you worry you'll burn it all off this week. I actually had the best three-day weekend and took some time off and even had an official housewarming party at my apartment with some of my best Miami friends.

This won't serve as this week's "newsletter" but I wanted to share a ridiculously fun interview I did with my friend Johnny Brown. He just launched an interview-style newsletter called?Progress Protocol . Each week he's interviewing some dope entrepreneurs and hitting them with some hard questions. Not the normal bullshit that you get on every other podcast.?

Here are two of my favorite questions from the interview that I think you'll enjoy.?

Mutual respect is at the foundation of any healthy relationship and network. What advice do you have for people who may not feel confident in the amount of respect they receive from others?

The age-old saying could not be more true: Respect is earned, not given.?You’re not shit until you’ve proven yourself and chalked up a few wins.?But how do you get there when money is tight and building a business is more crowded than ever? Instead of focusing on being a master at everything, just buckle down on doing 1 or 2 things better than anybody in your space.?

At CROSSNET, we emphasized marketing. We are world-class performance marketers and know how to use the power of the internet far better than every legacy sports brand. The old dogs like Wilson, Franklin, and EastPoint have done things a certain way since our parents were children. We were able to disrupt that and flip a traditionally stale industry into something fun and exciting. That has allowed us to cut through the noise and earn respect.

People also respect confidence. To build self-confidence, make a note of any and all wins. I promise you, they will add up. Momentum is so damn hard to stop, and it’s what has transcended CROSSNET into the behemoth it is today. One win leads to the next. One article feature leads to two more. One retailer to eight. Just keep going and leverage every win you have. “Hey INC Magazine, we should chat; we were just on Huffington Post! Hey Forbes, we should chat; we were just on INC Magazine!”

I’ve also found it very fundamental to humanize yourself and the brand. Everybody has a story to tell, and it's your job as the brand owner or marketer to tell that story. Why should people give a shit about you? Why should they care? Why should they give you their money when there are so many other places to spend it? The faster you convey this message, the quicker that momentum will build.

When people are in the early stages of success, they’re at their most vulnerable to the consequences of an inflated ego. What was the catalyst that allowed you to overcome the symptoms of ego and vanity when networking, and how can people see the signs of an overactive ego before they have to learn the hard way?

It’s funny; the best piece of advice I received this year came from going on a “networking date” with somebody I probably wouldn’t have put myself out there with back in the early days. He said, “Pick five people you want in your inner circle this year. Do anything and everything each month to progress the relationship. Make the follow-ups, make the extra calls/texts/intros. Don’t fall out of touch!”

This struck me in such a crazy way because I felt like I was doing exactly that. Jumping on a Zoom call with somebody for 20 minutes, bullshitting, and then never talking again. Maybe I get something small out of every call, but, at the surface, they are all very introductory calls. I never knew how to progress the conversation beyond, “Hey, I’m here if you need me!”

Our eCommerce and direct-to-consumer world is extremely small. It feels like everyone is just a text message away from a person who can be helpful. Entrepreneurship is lonely, scary, and tough. There are so many sleepless nights, times I’ve gone to bed legit shaking or crying because I thought the end was near, only just to figure it out a few days later. There’s only a small amount of people who can relate to that feeling of when you’ve put your own money, career, and future on the line.?

I make it a habit now to try to have 3-4 calls a month with founders who I either want to connect with or are in a position where I want to be. There are so many inspiring stories out there and people to learn from. I’d be stupid not to try to get some time on their calendar. On the reverse end, I also strive to do my best to give back to future entrepreneurs. The ones struggling, who desperately need a question answered. The “me” from three years ago who just needed some help. If I can pay it forward and help them, then I’m doing my job.?My goal now is to at least help one person a week.

I hope you enjoyed this!?If you did, take a second and subscribe to Progress Protocol?here . If you read my newsletter each week, I promise you'll love it!

See you later this week,

Chris?