Mark Cuban on "How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It"

One of my readers, Jeff Rivera, Editor-in-Chief of The Gatekeepers Post, recently contacted me about posting an interview with Mark Cuban.  Mark Cuban is well known for being the owner of  the Dallas Mavericks.  He recently wrote an e-book called, How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It.  Mark is an inspiration to all hopeful entrepeneurs, and his book, as well as his blog offer up some really great advice on what it takes to be a successful, thriving business owner.

I know that this post is a bit out of type for me, but I keep hearing my friends, as well as my readers, talking about how badly they want to start their own business, but that they don't know where to start, or that they're too afraid of failure.  Hopefully, Jeff Rivera's interview with Mark Cuban will inspire you- and remind you that the American dream is achievable with a lot of hard work, a lot of personal sacrifice, and the right kind of business savvy.

Here is Jeff's interview with Mark:

One part in your book I loved and my heart sank at is when your fiance lost your $7500 ring. What's your advice for those moms out there who are distracted by a relationship? How do you balance a real life with your dreams?

I never was able to balance.  Each person has to make their own decisions.  But remember, your competitors aren’t sitting by idly waiting for you to have a nice dinner with your significant other.  They are trying to kick your ass. So choose wisely.

Mark, you mentioned that you were approached countless times to write a memoir but instead chose to ePublish.  Why?

The time obligations of a traditional release were more than I was willing to undertake. I couldn’t ask for advances and then not want to do a book tour. Plus, the editorial deadlines were much more forgiving. I made changes hours before the final release.

You have three kids. What life lessons do you give them so that they don't go through all the heartache that you've gone through?

That is a life-long process . My oldest daughter is just 8, so we are still dealing with the basics. But I try to do some things in my businesses that are great for my kids. For instance, we changed the programming on HDNet Movies so that every morning we run commercial-free, kid and family-friendly movies. I was mad that my kids always were so excited about commercials they saw in their favorite shows that I wanted to give them a commercial-free environment.

One of my favorite parts of your book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, that completely broke my heart was when your ex-secretary robbed your first company of over $83,000, leaving you only $2000 after a year of work. If there are moms out there that have lost everything, what advice do you have for them to pick themselves back up?

Keep working. Don’t feel sorry for yourself because it won’t do any good.

There are many young moms who are just beginning their lives and can relate to you when you said you were sharing a small apartment with 6 people and sleeping on the floor. How can someone keep their eye on the prize when they’re living on Ramen noodles?

Who cares how you are living today? I loved every minute of living in that dump. The low rent and utilities and eating Mac n’ Cheese all the time allowed me to afford the startup of my business. Instead of paying myself much, I could put it in to my business.  
Where can we get a copy of your eBook, How to Win at the Sport of Business?
 
Anywhere eBooks are sold: Amazon, BN.com, and sites that support independent bookstores too.

Jeff and Mark, thank you for taking the time to do this interview to inspire my readers!  This time of year tends to be a time of reassessment and reflection for many, and I hope that for at least some of you out there, Mark's story shows you that everyone goes through hard times.  It's up to you to choose the path you want out of your life, come up with a solid game plan, and go for it full throttle.

In the words of someone very wise..."Do or do not.  There is no try."

Momspectations

It's wild how quickly days go when you have a toddler.  Between playdates, Little Gym, playing at the park/children's museum/zoo, running errands, keeping house, and cramming in as much family time as possible, I sometimes wake up the next day, wondering where the heck the time from the day before went.  I think people that don't have children, or haven't stayed home with them, can't fully understand how jam packed a stay-at-home mom's day can be.

Lately, I've been re-evaluating where I'm at with my life- what my expectations for myself are, what they were before I had Laela, and what I actually want, versus what other people have tried to tell me I should want or expect from myself.  I love being a mom.  I love staying home with Laela.  I love that I get to help her learn, watch her grow, and help her face each new challenge- whether it's learning to swim, or something that might seem so simple- like getting undressed and dressed on her own.  It cracks me up how adults forget that someone had to teach them to use a fork, peel a banana, read, and yes, go to the potty on the potty.  I've had to give myself a gentle reminder that people that criticize stay at home moms, or try to be negative or rude about the work they do, have never ever been a stay at home parent themselves. 

I treat being a mother as I would treat a job.  I make to do lists, I create objectives, I have expectations, a schedule, and yes, I have spreadsheets.  When my girlfriends have babies, I send them my crazy spreadsheets of what you need, what you don't need, what you might like but probably won't use much.  I have spreadsheets of Laela's books so that we don't buy doubles.  Christmas list?  Spreadsheet.  Moving?  Spreadsheet.  You get my drift.

The single most important part of being a parent to Laela is making sure that she has, as she calls them, "a happy day!"  That is a job.  It is rewarding, it is challenging, and sometimes I think I know too much about Elmo and Disney Princesses, but it's the best job in the world.

In a few years, when Laela is a "big girl" (a phrase that I've avoided like the plague!  I want her to stay my baby for a little while longer!!!), I"ll embark upon starting my own business, but for now, I'm going to enjoy these moments...and continue to make more spreadsheets- including the one with my expectations, hopes, and ideas for my bakery in a few years.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing an interview with Mark Cuban- businessman, Daddy, and all around inspirational character.  He has some great insights on starting your own business.