His site, www.aliscarlett-author.com, helps young individuals who struggle with the achievement of their goals.
Ali has also made appearances on MSN (Microsoft News), Entrepreneur Magazine, and other popular business sites.
You can connect with Ali on Instagram @iamaliscarlett and on LinkedIn at Ali Scarlett.
- CEO Hack: Book- Ultimate Power
- CEO Nugget: Work hard
- CEO Defined: Opportunity
Website: https://aliscarlett-author.com/
http://thecleverconnector.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamaliscarlett/
LinkedIn: Ali Scarlett
Book: https://amzn.to/3pmhvvi
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Transcription
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00:22 – Intro
Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without being ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I Am CEO podcast.
00:49 – Gresham Harkless
Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Ali Scarlet of Aliscarlet-author.com. Ali, it's great to have you on the show.
01:00 – Ali Scarlett
Thanks. I'm happy to be here, Gresham.
01:02 – Gresham Harkless
Super excited to have you on as well. And before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Ali so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. And Ali is an entrepreneur, the number one best-selling author of The Clever Connector, an avid researcher of the art of networking based in Maryland. His site, a lie scarlet-author.com, helps young individuals who struggle with the achievement of their goals. Ali has been and made appearances on MSN, Entrepreneur Magazine, and other popular business sites. You can connect with him at Ali you connect with Ali at Instagram on Instagram at I am Ali Scarlet and on LinkedIn at Ali Scarlet. Ali, it's great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?
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01:43 – Ali Scarlett
Of course. Always.
01:45 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Well, let's do it then. So to kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more about how you got started, and enrich your book.
01:54 – Ali Scarlett
Well, we're talking about back in twenty-twenty. And we all know what happened twenty twenty. Things got crazy. Yes. At twenty-twenty, I have all my goals planned out on this long Google Doc. It's very extensive. And I had everything planned out for what I was going to do for twenty-twenty back in two thousand nineteen. And then when we got into twenty-twenty and COVID hit, everything got mixed up. Everything changed. And so I had to find a way, much like a lot of entrepreneurs and likely a lot of the CEOs listening to this right now, I had to adapt and adjust to the change in circumstances and the changes in the situation.
So what ended up happening was I would wake up each morning and I would turn on the news, and I would see the death count going up. And I would start to get inside my head, Gresham. I would start to think to myself, what would happen if I were to go tomorrow? What would I be leaving behind exactly? And I wanted to leave something behind that would continue making an impact well after I was gone. I wanted to leave behind a legacy that could help people and do for others what no one did for me, provide the information that I needed to achieve my goals back when I was alone and in pain and unsure of how to go through life.
And that was when the book manuscript was born. I started working. Of course, we were in quarantine. A lot of my friends were busy binge-watching Netflix. Netflix was rolling out shows like crazy. And I used my time to write a book. And I was in that position in life where a lot of people were expecting me to have all this free time, and expecting me to have nothing to do because they didn't have anything to do. They couldn't understand why I was saying no to certain things, and why I was prioritizing my work at a time when a lot of people were no longer working. And I kept my head down. I kept working. I got this book finished, and this book went on to become a number one national bestseller, and I'm grateful for that. We touched a lot of lives.
04:18 – Gresham Harkless
Yeah. Absolutely. I appreciate you so much for sharing that and going to the depths because I think it's like you were in my mind, and I imagine a lot of people that are listening too about what's happening during this moment when everything and through twenty-twenty, took hold and where are things going. But I remember listening to, like, this motivational video on repeat, and a lot of it said that during this time, this is a time for you to take advantage of this opportunity.
Don't look at it as something that's on the negative completely, I guess. But look at it as an opportunity to maybe write a book to reach your goal to do it in so many different ways. So I love to hear, like, these are some of the major fruits that have come out of what is a very confusing, transformational, and definitely, impactful time. So it's great to hear that you've been able to get that book and reach so much success.
05:10 – Ali Scarlett
Thank you for saying that. And I one hundred percent agree. I think that more than the opportunity that happened in the abundance of time that was dropped on our laps during the quarantine, I don't think that because the quarantine is over the opportunity has dried up. I think the days that we have today and tomorrow and from this point forward can still be opportunities we can use to better ourselves, especially since we're in a position where a lot of people are still recovering from the hit that was COVID.
And so we were ignoring some opportunities amid COVID. And now a lot of us are ignoring some opportunities after COVID because we're still trying to figure out how to adjust to this new normal. And so the people who can keep their head on straight and to focus forward and keep their head up, I truly believe those are the people who are gonna make the biggest change, not only in their lives and their businesses and their families but in the world.
06:07 – Gresham Harkless
Absolutely. And I appreciate you sharing that because I think so many times we can get caught in this, mindset of opportunity being lost. We understand that it may not be the same opportunity that it was in twenty-twenty, but there is still an opportunity here because there are still pieces being put into place and understanding what the new norm was gonna look like. But I love that you stay true to understanding like this is the mission, this is the vision that I have, and just adjusting and how you're doing that. So I truly appreciate you sharing that. And I wanted to drill down a little bit more, a little bit more about the book and all the awesome things that you've been able to create. Could you take us through a little bit more on that and how that serves clients you work with?
06:48 – Ali Scarlett
Sure. So in terms of how it serves the clients I work with, my company is called Authentic Entrepreneurship. And what we do is apply business networking to businesses to help my clients see exponential business growth. And that is how that ties into my book, The Clever Connector, a book about how to network. And so when people go through the book, they go through chapter by chapter. I have action steps laid out at the end of these chapters on how to become a networker who can connect with almost anybody. And this framework, the strategies that I lay out inside of this book helps people, not only in their professional lives, but after things got so disrupted socially for people. It helps them in their social life as well.
07:42 – Gresham Harkless
Absolutely. And so, I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And it could be for yourself or the business or a combination of both. But what do you feel kinda sets you apart and makes you unique?
07:51 – Ali Scarlett
Well, at Authentic Entrepreneurship, we developed a unique and proven social authority accelerator that when people come to work with us, connects them with their target market in a way that boosts their exposure, their impressions, and their authority in the marketplace. And together, we work with you to help you achieve the business growth that will give you more money, time, and lifestyle. And I haven't seen anybody else with a social authority accelerator more than that. One that leverages the key principles that we teach.
08:29 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to, switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?
08:42 – Ali Scarlett
Well, it's a book. And I always enjoy recommending this book. So much so that I put it as a read more offer at the end of my book in case people wanted more to read after finishing my book. So when I was younger, when I was about sixteen years old, I had gotten into a lot of self-development literature. I had gone through something in life that was traumatic and pushed me to a point in life where I didn't wanna continue. I didn't wanna go on. And I made a decision that I was going to continue forward, or I was gonna throw in the towel. That was a very pivotal moment in my life where I needed to figure out what I could do to make my life one that I'm happy to live. That was the place I was in life where I had lost everything. I wasn't happy, and I was at the bottom of the barrel.
So I started looking into self-development literature, and I came across all these YouTube videos talking about the billionaire morning routine. And you click on these videos, no billionaire cited, and, of course, you implement the billionaire morning routine, which does nothing for your income. A lot of the self-development literature out there sometimes is absolute total heart just garbage. Just garbage. And so I know what it's like when you are doing your absolute best as an entrepreneur to grow. So that you can grow with your business, and be the person who can lead your business in a way where it doesn't fall because you stopped growing. And my best resource that I've come across is what you call the CEO hack, I believe you said Gresham.
10:27 – Gresham Harkless
Correct.
10:27 – Ali Scarlett
Is a book called Ultimate Power by Lucio Bufelmano. This book completely changed my life. I wasn't expecting to get as much value as I did from the book because the title, Ultimate Power, can mean so many different things. But when I got in, it tore apart my confidence and rebuilt my self-esteem. It took my habits apart and showed me how to rebuild my habits in a way where I had become a healthier person with a clearer mind and a focused gaze when I was getting into my work. It completely tore me apart and rebuilt me back up again. This is a book that I recommend to anybody who is looking to become the kind of person who can take their business to the next level.
11:13 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And so I want to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something you mentioned in your book or something if you hacked into a time machine, you would tell your younger business self.
11:26 – Ali Scarlett
The CEO nugget that I heard left and right when I was growing up trying to become an entrepreneur was to work hard. That was the that was the entire nugget. And I heard this across anywhere you could imagine. YouTube. Some YouTubers actually would walk around the city with their camera looking for sports cars and supercars and expensive cars, and then hanging by the cars looking for the owner to ask them what they do and what piece of advice they would give. All of them said, as a piece of advice, as their CEO nugget, work hard.
12:04 – Gresham Harkless
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Ali, I truly appreciate that. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So, Ali, what does being a CEO mean to you?
12:17 – Ali Scarlett
Well, I think we talked about this a little bit already before. But my definition of what a CEO is and what it means to me is opportunity. I've said this before, but I had a mentor of mine ask me, Ali, how will your life be measured after you die? Now, Gresham, I want you to try and answer this. What do you think the answer was?
12:45 – Gresham Harkless
How you answered it?
12:47 – Ali Scarlett
No. What do you think the answer is? How do you think your life will be measured after you die?
12:52 – Gresham Harkless
By the legacy and the things that you do, I think a lot of it comes back to what you talked about at the beginning of, like, how people will remember you and what you did and the impact that you had on their lives.
13:03 – Ali Scarlett
Right. The answer that he said is your legacy, you will be remembered by the size of the problems that you solve. He said that's how your life will be measured after you die. And then I had to stay and take a step back. Because if we are to look at the different categories of occupations, there are the entrepreneurs, the people who build businesses. Of course, we could do solopreneurs. We could say freelancers. We could say all of the occupations and lines of work that there are.
In my opinion, I believe that people who have their hands in entrepreneurship are going to solve some of the greatest problems in the world. We can look at billionaires and how billionaires are entrepreneurs in their own way. I believe according to the Forbes list, over sixty to eighty percent of the billionaires on the Forbes list are investors. And even in simply being an investor, entrepreneurship bucket, helping to create something that provides so much value to the world, it solves a major problem. And that's what opportunity is. That's all that opportunity is creating situations where people can be better than before they started.
14:26 – Gresham Harkless
Ali, I truly appreciate that definition, and I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best people can get a hold of you, find out about your book, and all the awesome things that you're working on.
14:42 – Ali Scarlett
Yes. One thing I'd like to say is I gotta check out some of the other episodes on your podcast because I wanna see what some of the other people here had to say about what being a CEO means to them. I think that's a very interesting question. Another thing I wanted to say is if any of you are listening and are interested, you can head over to cleverconnector.com and get a free sample of the book to get an idea if you like it before you buy it. Completely up to you. And a final note, please, don't listen to podcast episodes for only solely entertainment value. Of course, we love Gresham. We have fun over here. At the same time, you're also here because, hopefully, you wanna make sure that you reach your goals. And to reach your goals what I believe. You gotta be a learner. You gotta absorb and apply it.
15:43 – Gresham Harkless
Ali. I truly appreciate that. We will have the links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow up with you. But, yes, it's exciting to hear those different perspectives. I love your definition as well too. But I love the fact that you reminded us of how important learning is and to take that action on top of that, but also course correct when necessary.
Because I think so many times we forget that it's not just hard work. It's also the learning and adjusting that's needed so many times to be and get to where we wanna be. So thank you so much for that reminder. Thank you so much for all the awesome work that you're doing and the time you took today, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the
16:22 – Outro
Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.
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