As promised, this week we're diving deep into Brian Blum's entrepreneurial adventures. From his first entrepreneurship class, to launching his first product (you'll never guess what it was), to working for the San Antonio Spurs, to getting an investment from Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran after a successful pitch on Shark Tank - Brian explains how his passion for sports turned into a hunger for business, and the lessons he's learned throughout all his successes (and failures). From building your first sales funnel, to acquiring VC investments, there's a ton to learn in this one. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to rate and subscribe if you enjoyed.? SWEAT EQUITY HAT GIVEAWAY:We're giving away 20 Sweat Equity hats to the FIRST 20 LISTENERS to give the podcast a 5 star review on Apple AND Spotify.To enter, leave a review on Apple & Spotify, screenshot both, and send the pics on Instagram to Alex (@alexgarcia_atx), Brian (@brian_blum) OR send them in an email to podcast@marketingexamined.com. Winners will be announced soon, so stay tuned.(US based only, sorry to our fans overseas, we'll get you sorted out soon we promise.)Find the links to Apple & Spotify here: https://link.chtbl.com/sweat-equity-hat-giveaway--------------------WATCH THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:For full video versions, and short highlights of every episode, head tohttps://www.youtube.com/@marketingexamined?sub_confirmation=1NEWSLETTER:For growth playbooks, deep dives, and marketing case studies, get subscribed atwww.marketingexamined.comCHAPTERS:00:00 - Intro01:29 - From College Basketball to the San Antonio Spurs media team.10:11 - Brian's first business: Teeth whitening chewing gum.12:09 When and how to pivot your startup.15:32 - Brian's takeaways from his first startup.16:47 - The importance of unit economics and customer acquisition costs.18:30 - Brian's time as CMO of Grind.23:37 - Brian's company went on Shark Tank, and CLOSED.25:13 - The results of being featured on Shark Tank.28:01 - Some of Brian's biggest takeaways at Grind.31:12 - The secret to raising VC money.33:24 - Transitioning from Founder to Employee - Pros and Cons.38:33 - Pivoting back to Agency life at Rctfy.46:48 - Organic Content Masterclass with Brian