You may have heard me mention one of my first mentors, Chris Hawker, before.
I talk about him whenever I am asked how to find mentors or who my mentors are.
He was one of the first people who gave me a chance after my football injury, before I had any clue how to make money or run a business.
That was over five years ago in Columbus, OH. While a few things have changed in my life, Chris and I are still close friends and collaborators today.
He is a world-renowned inventor, having brought over 80 products to market, and runs a successful design firm in Ohio. Not only has he created products that have sold in major retailers in the U.S., he is a king of creativity, helping his team and clients do everything from naming products to designing the physical look to launching the marketing campaign.
He is also quickly becoming a crowdfunding expert, having run several hugely successful campaigns for new products (including redesigning a product that is the most successful Kickstarter campaign to date).
These are just a few of the reasons I wanted Chris to come back on The School of Greatness for a second episode.
If you have ever tried to create a new product (online or offline), launch a crowdfunding campaign, or tap into your creative side, you know there is big struggle involved.
In today’s interview, we dive into how to unlock your creative potential, brainstorm the right way, hone in on a successful idea, and take it to market.
Episode 112 is a must-listen for any entrepreneur, inventor, or creative who wants to see under the hood of how one of the best, Chris Hawker, makes it happen.
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The School of Greatness Podcast
Some questions I ask:
- How does one unlock their creative potential and turn it into profit?
- What are the most effective ways to launch a physical product today?
- What are your tips for running a successful crowdfunding campaign?
In This Episode, You Will Discover:
- The difference between being creative and being artistic
- How your brain does creative work versus analytic work (and why it can’t do both at the same time)
- His process of naming a new product (we go in depth on this!)
“Being creative is the ability to come up with alternatives.”
- Why you need to start with a conversation for possibilities and then have a conversation for opportunities
- During brainstorming, the value in building off of someone’s idea rather than just waiting for a turn to share yours
“9 out of 10 times, half the people in a brainstorm thought it was their idea.”
- How he raised over $200,00 above goal on his first Indiegogo campaign
- What products are doing best right now with crowdfunding
- Why you want to get 30% of your campaign funded in the first 48 hours
- That his team puts 40 hours per week into running a campaign once it’s launched
- Crowdfunded money is not free money (you have to work for it!)
- Plus much more…
Check out the current Carbon Flyer campaign that’s well over $100,000 in funding so far!
Continue Seeking Greatness:
- Listen to my previous interview with Chris
- Power Squid
- Onion Goggles
- Quickey campaign
- Back the Carbon Flyer
- The Coolest Cooler Kickstarter
- Pavlok campaign by Maneesh Sethi
- Tim Ferriss’ blog post on crowdfunding
- Check out Chris’ podcast, videos, and thoughts at Inventor’s Mind
- Follow Chris
- Check out Onnit and their optimal performance products. Use the code “greatness” to get 10% off your next order:
- Music Credit: Raw by Going Quantum
You may also like these episodes:
- The Creative Guide to Making Money on the Side Doing What You Love with Jason SurfrApp
- James Altucher: Be Happy, Make Millions, Live the Dream
- Simple Ways to Master Technology and Create True Fans with Kevin Kelly
Did you enjoy the podcast?
Chris is an awesome mentor, friend, and inventor. I can talk to him about ideas and creativity for hours (and have). What ideas have you been tossing around that you are inspired to turn into a reality from this conversation?
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