Episode description
Brian Lee is a rock-star serial entrepreneur and incredibly successful venture capitalist. He is also a great philanthropist dedicated to leaving and impact and giving back to the community.
He is a co-founder and ex-CEO of LegalZoom, a co-founder and ex-CEO of ShoeDazzle, a co-founder and ex-CEO of the Art of Sport, co-founder and current CEO of Arena Club, and co-founder of the incredibly successful venture capital firm, BAM ventures.
Brian Lee is also an amazing person, dear friend, and a mentor and I am very grateful for having him on In Search of Excellence!
(01:04) – Working with Celebrities (Kobe Bryant and Kim Kardashian)
- Learning about the power of influencers
(08:45) – The Importance of Passion
- Arena club: Passion not only about the mission, but also the service
- The idea was to digitize the physical and build a community
(14:43) – The Entrepreneurial Desire to Fix What is Broken
- Entrepreneurs are not happy with the status quo – change them
- Good preparation is extremely important to be successful (sometimes it doesn’t work, but that’s ok)
(17:40) – Extreme Preparation at LegalZoom
(54:15) – Advice to Students Who Want to Pursue Venture Capital
- Today we have all kinds of venture capital
- Use a unique approach if you do not have industry contacts (go to events and meet people, go to LinkedIn, find mutual contacts)
- Raising capital for LegalZoom (persistence is the key, you are literally begging for money) – you have to be that annoying person
(29:06) – What’s the Secret of Work-Life Balance?
- Working around 100 hours a week, no social life, things are different now
- Tip for organizing emails
(34:20) – The Most Important Elements of Success
- Work and work ethic, being empathetic and understanding people, having a good support network
- Everyone has a different path, and every company culture is different
(39:43) – Philanthropy and Giving Back to the Community
- Brian’s philanthropic work
- The importance of doing good and making an impact
Resources Mentioned:
LegalZoom
The Honest Company
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