IAM2180 – Understanding the Entrepreneurial Journey and the Human Aspect of the Business

Gresham Harkless Teaser 00:00

So I started to put sports highlights and things like that. And then my mom would read certain things like the soap, the soap operas and stuff like that. They had the digest of those. So I would put little tidbits of those. So I started to compile a lot of different things and try to attract more people to the newspaper.

But the, I think the kicker was. I also sold the subscriptions to like my family members.

Intro 00:21

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. And I wanted to share with you one of the episodes that I was a guest on for someone else's podcast. I always talk about how important it is to build a media company.

One of the next best things you could do is be on somebody else's media company. So I had the pleasure of being a guest on this podcast, and I wanted to share a little snippet with you because it would help support the Eight business pillars. We've really been trying to focus on with a lot more of our content, a lot more of the solo episodes that I'm doing.

So make sure of course, that you subscribe to our podcast, but of course you take some time out, check out the show notes and subscribe to the podcast that I've been featured on as well, too, and get to learn about some of those eight business pillars and how you can continue to leverage and build that up.

So you can go from builder to architect to a course at rockstar and luminary. So this is Gresh signing out. I hope you enjoyed this I AM CEO Special Episode.

Gresham Harkless 01:13

I was trying to understand, okay, this is something that is a little bit unusual, something that I was really excited to do, and I'm not sure why. But that became like my North Star for who I was.

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So fast forward a lot of years when I was thinking of like, how do I do the things that I do? I was like, I, all I know is I love talking with people. I love interviewing people. I love sharing stories, capturing, doing all the creative things.

So that's really what laid that foundation of a lot of the things that I'm doing now is I call it my first media company be able to share about my grandma, but that was like that foundational piece that kind of led me to a lot of things I'm doing now.

That's pretty cool. Was that your own idea then? Is it? I don't, I don't remember like my mom kept all of them. So I did it for about two years. So I have them all digitally and I was going through them and I was like, how did I, think about all these things?

But of course my mom and as she should takes all the credit. So I will give all credits to her and my dad for everything.

Jon Emery 02:06

You enjoy making this and collecting the stories of your family and everything. So, did your father express how he felt about it?Did he enjoy that as well? And or even more than that?

Gresham Harkless 02:16

Yeah. It's funny enough. So years later, my dad was still like overseas. And I think you hear about stuff, not directly, but you hear about it in a roundabout way. Somebody, All in our house and was talking with my mom and was like telling her all these things that were going on in the family.

This, I call him my uncle Darren but he was saying all these things like, and my mom's like, how does he know all this stuff and come to find out my dad was sharing. The newspaper with everybody he was over there with.

So as much as he got the, I'm sure he enjoyed the oatmeal cream pies and the honey buns and all those things, but just hearing that about him sharing that a lot of times you say actions, speak louder than words, and that really touched me still touches me now of him.

Just thinking something of what I created and to be able to share that about so, it just ends up being more fuel, but being able to have a way to, have that connection and that opportunity, like really, he really at home.

Jon Emery 03:07

That's cool. Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome how it became like full circle, you know I mean you get you got to hear the same stuff that you created from somebody else.

Exactly so what happened after that? So, that, that kind of got me started. Then what?

Gresham Harkless 03:19

Yeah, I think that when I mentioned about being undecided I went back and I saw that story and I say, you know what? I really like writing, that was my thing. At that time it was not the golden age of journalism.

But I don't know how that's going to pan out. So I decided to focus on English. Just like writing and telling stories. So, got through my undergrad at Howard. And then I thought that I might want to go to law school.

So I wasn't sure, took the LSAT, got a lot of rejection letters. I didn't score well. And then I ended up going to get my master's and actually sports industry management. So I said, if I want to go to law school, maybe I'll be coming to a sports agent or something like that, but I'm not really sure, but.

I went through that program, realized I really didn't want to do that. And so I said I know that I want to start a business. And I'd started some things before I was in college but I was like, I want to do that. And so I was like, at the end of the day, I know the most important part that you can do is to be in sales.

So I tried to look out every sales job I could to just talk with people, get myself a little bit out of my comfort zone, understand how to communicate and present things. So it was really, around that time that, I started to take those positions. So. I had a job that I didn't feel was really in my space or the thing that I should do.

So I left that job, but I left that job and I decided I wanted to do more freelance writing because I was like, that's more of my calling and thing that I love to do. So I was gung ho on I'm going to do freelance writing. I'm going to make this work. And about 45 days after I left my job, I tore my Achilles tendon.

And when I tore my Achilles tendon, I was, luckily at home. So that helped out a lot and have a lot of overhead and bills to pay and, just some student loans and things like that, but it wasn't substantial. But I was really down in the dumps because. I was, hellbent on chasing my dreams and doing the thing that was called to do and just all those things you hear and read and see, and it didn't go the way that I wanted it to go.

So, I found myself not completely with a torn Achilles, but torn enough to where I was in, in bed for about I want to say three to six months or so it took from starting to walk again, starting to learn how to walk again, being, stuck in a bed, not able to get around. And it was really like a difficult time.

So, for me, like even just mentally, because again, you try something, you always think that you can do it. And then when, what does Mike Tyson say? Everybody has plans. You get punched in the face and I got punched in the face or in the Achilles really hard. And it really changed, a lot of things for me.

But. Honestly, a lot of what I started with CEO Blog Nation happened there because I couldn't get around to do the freelance writing that I did before. I had to do everything on the computer. So I started to use a tool called Harrow, help a reporter out where I would find out from entrepreneurs and business owners.

Why they started their business advice. They would have for other CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners. And I started to compile like all these things, but the only reason that happened, honestly, is because I tore my Achilles and as painful as it was, I think it ended up putting me in a better place that planted the seeds for everything that I've been doing.

Jon Emery 06:16

Yeah, that's awesome. And I was going to bring that up too. So it's like a blessing or opportunity in disguise, right? So, and you could have just sat there, just be like I'm done and give up. But then you just. What'd you do, pick up the computer one day and just started doing your thing, and just took off?

Gresham Harkless 06:31

Yeah, absolutely. That was what it is. I'm a big believer in God and I feel I'm hardheaded enough that God had to take out my Achilles tendons for me to be able to stop and just pay attention and do that. Because I feel like I'm so, hardheaded sometimes for the good, sometimes not so good that I wouldn't have stopped doing what I was doing had I not been in that spot.

Jon Emery 06:52

Yeah. So how long were you starting to do all this computer work and stuff and then got to like where you are today?

Gresham Harkless 06:58

Yeah. So it took me probably about three or four years, honestly. So I bounced around after I got back on my ones and twos. I ended up finding a job or I work actually a little bit in the sports industry, actually ran sports camps all across Northern Virginia.

And I would teach the two to five-year-olds. How to throw footballs and things like that. So super exciting, absolute favorite job that I've ever had. In terms of doing that, I would walk in with a big inflatable, Mr. football, and the kids would be all excited and I would teach them like different skills and things like that.

So I had that job, but I didn't feel like that job was stable. So I went and I took another job that was like an outside sales job for a company that really wasn't stable either. So I said, this isn't the right space either. So I went back to the outside sales, the sports company that I was working with.

And about three or four weeks later, I got laid off. So I was right. And again, I found myself in that spot. But at that time, I think that was like that pivotal spot where my mindset switched a lot. And I knew that if I could at any point, I would try to work for myself cause I didn't want to be put in that position again.

So I did take another job after that. I found another job. There was another outside sales job. I didn't think that was stable either. Honestly, this was like in 2009, so everything was just chaotic. 2009 to probably about 2011, 2012 or so, where it was just kind of chaos. Every manager I had left.

Within a week of me getting there. And it wasn't me it was just like at that time. And so I took that outside sales job and I knew that I wasn't going to stay there. So I started to do a lot of the website stuff. Then my honest way that I would get in the door, cause I was selling advertising was to talk about people's website and honestly, I didn't even realize it was of any value to me.

It was just a way to get in the door. But I called somebody that was in a networking group. His name's Mike Moss. And Mike Moss said, Hey, I'll come here and, come and talk with me. So I talked with him, told him, all about his website and said, Hey, do you want to buy some advertising? He said, no, but I'll work with you here on this SEO stuff.

And he introduced me to a networking group and that's really where everything came in. And it gave me a lot of confidence. I had a lot of people like Pam Tripp and people that saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself or saw the value in it. And it was only because of that there, I'm talking to you now.

Okay. And yeah, that's what kind of led me to, to those things that I was doing now. So it's probably about three, four years, but it feels like the longest three or four years of my life.

Jon Emery 09:26

And so I get this a lot from some people I talk to, they tell me like, look, if I was to tell you this four years ago that I would be doing this.

I wouldn't even have thought about it. And it sounds like that's what you're telling me. Yes, exactly. Going back to the kids and stuff, it sounded like you really enjoyed that. You didn't really dive too much into it, but would that be something you would consider doing something again, not make it like a job, but maybe a volunteer position or whatever?

Gresham Harkless 09:49

No question. It's funny enough. So when I first started my digital marketing business, I really had a lot of things that I was doing. So, I was laid off from that position. But that was like a franchise and that franchise wasn't in the area. So I still had some relationships with some of the schools that I taught with.

So while I was building my digital marketing business, I also taught at three or four of the schools. And then I also got my master's. So I found out I could be an adjunct professor. So I was also an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College for a year and a half or so.

Okay. And I was like on a leadership for my networking group. So I chuckled all those different things at the same time. But it, I was at a point where I was literally like burning out every Thursday, I was exhausted and I told him, I asked myself what is going to be that foundational thing I can lean on, not to say that this is going to be the only thing that I do, but it could be foundational enough.

And honestly, I leaned on that digital marketing because I felt like if I can get this up and going, that it would give me the opportunity to go back and teach the kids. It would give me the opportunity to, do all these different things. But I wanted to build something that I felt was it could be used any time any place, any industry.

And I felt like that was that if I chose any other routes. Who knows where I would have been, but I felt like that was something that I wanted to lean on so that it can open up more opportunities exactly what you're speaking about.

Jon Emery 11:13

That's awesome. So I would imagine if you're not there yet, you're pursuing it.

You're going to get there. But so the SEO that, that was new, you never really studied that and said, if this is what I want to do, somebody just threw it in front of you and said, go this path.

And it sounded like you just opened up your mind your eyes and just learn, okay, let's see if this works and if this is for me. So, what was that like for you? Because I know you you shared. How it came about, but like, how'd you dive into it then and actually become real serious?

Gresham Harkless 11:42

Yeah. I think the big thing is what is a you can see further by standing on the shoulders of giants. So. I'm really big as much as I went to Howard and Georgetown I say, I got my doctorate, in Google and my doctorate in YouTube too, so just learning a lot from hearing things.

And reading things. And at that time it was a lot older. They were talking to me like 10 10 years or so ago of, just learning as much as you can. And I think that was something that I think was really beneficial to me is like having sites and I'd built sites with my mom has a embroidery business.

So I'd build sites. I'd been around it, but again, I didn't see it as any value. I just said, Oh I like tinkering with things. I like technology. So let me try this out. And it was only by starting to understand and starting to see that it's a value, that's when the doors opened up to really like to start to study, start to understand, start to test those things out.

But again, it wouldn't have happened. If I was I guess back in myself, it was other people that say, Hey, you need, you should be doing this full time. I remember talking to Pam Tripp, who I met through she had a yearbook site and I met her through, I think a referral from somebody else. And every time I would get nervous about nervous talking to her, cause she was like, are you doing this full time?

I'm like, no, not yet. I'm working on it. You need to be doing this. She would be like my accountability partner without me even knowing. And it was one of my favorite clients.

Jon Emery 13:04

Hey who's Pam Tripp then? And she just. Is she a big name or something? I, cause I don't know.

Gresham Harkless 13:09

No. She's just a really good name.

Jon Emery 13:11

Okay. All right. Sticking social media or something like that. No. That's cool. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what you need. You need those people to support you and be behind your backing. And you're, I'm sure you still have those moments are like, ah, man, I don't know if I'm going to do this or, you're doing a new project or whatever.

And you just have one of those days. And I find it for myself, you come to that pivotal point where you're like, you just got to go a little bit further and it's right there. It's right before you hit that point. You're like, yeah, so is there something you're working on that?

You probably are hitting that point.

Gresham Harkless 13:44

Yeah. I feel like I hit that point a lot with so. What I started to do was marry the CB nation with the blue 16. And basically like when I did the podcast and things like that, a lot of that was to hopefully drive more digital marketing clients and customers.

But I took a pause because I had 1600 episodes at the beginning of last year, and I wanted to really set some time to figure out what my next step was going to be with the blog and the podcast and all of those things. And that's something where. I it's something that's been around, that I've been working on for a while, but from a monetization standpoint, it's something that it's a new muscle.

Like it's do you know how to even work this out? It's something that's, you have to approach it with a different mindset, but also have to be your own hype person as well, too, while you're going through the process, because it's not necessarily as streamlined as the digital marketing was where people were knocking on the door to saying, this is what we need is something that's a little requires a lot more creativity in terms of figuring out I want to like build it, how I want to make it into, something that's, that's valuable for people that at the same time can be a legitimate business.

So I've came to this phrase like content-based chamber because of a lot of the content that we've created, but it's something that's new. It's not as, I won't say easy, but it's more creative and it's not the same business model as like the digital marketing. So it's something that I'm knocking my head and struggling through those things.

But. I appreciate you sharing all that because the, we, us going through this, because I think it reminds you of the journey. If you don't remember the journey, you don't remember the hard things that, that you didn't think you could do that you did. And sometimes you need that to know that you can, you had to get through those barriers.

Jon Emery 15:22

Yeah. And 1600 episodes is a lot, right? It is a little bit. Unfortunately, fortunately you stopped, but. Have you thought about repurposing the old ones you have just to keep on going?

Gresham Harkless 15:32

Yeah, so this past year I did repurpose some, so I repurposed some, so I took some time, I just, I call it like a siesta, to be able to focus on what I want to do next.

So I repurposed episodes all last year, and I am doing recordings now as we speak. But I wanted to have more direction on what my next step was going to be. Cause I think I'm very much somebody like, very habit oriented and can do things over and over again once I get it down to a system.

So, I think one of the big things, one of the lessons I learned that came up consistently during the podcast. Was a lot of people in order to go to a next level, you have to pause and that's one of the hardest things to do, especially if you get in a flow when you're going and you're going. And so I forced myself to pause for that year.

I'm not that I wasn't purposing or publishing episodes. It's just they weren't new episodes, so it gave me some space to really figure out, test out some things, try some things. But now it gives me a little bit more, I think, direction on where I want to go.

Outro 16:26

Hello. This is Gresh again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO podcast.

Just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to laser focus on these eight pillars to show you as a builder how you can leverage these eight pillars. Eight pillars and really level up there. So it helps you level up your business and organization. So hope you enjoyed this episode and definitely please check out the show notes.

So you can learn more about the pillar, learn more about the person that I guessed it on their episode. And of course, learn more, a little bit more about us as well, too. This is grass signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

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