What started as a bunch of nerds who got together in downtown LA to share projects they were working on has turned into a brand new genre of entertainment that fuses the physical and digital to create a new world of social amusement. Brent and his friends created an initial interactive high-tech game and installed it at local parties just for fun with no profit motive. After doing about eight parties, big brands began calling and asking if Brent and his colleagues could create an immersive technology experience for their parties.
Quickly, the vision expanded. While everybody knows the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), Brent is passionate about rebranding STEM learning to STEAM with the inclusion of art and creative. He is motivated by the power of group games and interactive media to bring people together in fun and meaningful ways. As a UCLA-trained engineer, he is a hands-on maker who uses rapid prototyping to turn vision into reality--and make money in the process.
Rick Stern, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award finalist builds a telecom company that lands on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America for 7 consecutive years--and counting.
He set a goal early in life to start a successful company, and now he's the CEO of a 7-time Inc. 5000 member. Yet he’ll proudly show you pictures of his wife and four kids before he’ll hand you a business card. Because it’s still all about winning one for the team.
Here's one of many takeaways from the podcast.
1. Reset your goals BEFORE you achieve them.
Most people are happy just to meet their goals. Rick and his business partner Ron Grason have always been very aggressive about what's next. "If we were able to walk a mile, we wanted to run three. When we ran two, we reset the goal to run 10. We've always stretched ourselves from a goal-setting perspective and continue to spread our wings for growth opportunities, whether it be sales, product, network, or something else," said Rick. Are you resetting your goals as you near the finish line?