Justin Breen self-describes as “a Dad who occurs to be an entrepreneur.” His personal father died when Justin was simply 13, so spending time along with his sons, ages 8 and 10, takes priority over all else.
5 years in the past, Justin began his public relations firm, BrEpic Communications, with zero enterprise expertise. After being a journalist for 20 years, Justin created his firm for 2 causes:
1. To create tales that folks will perceive and that the media needs to cowl.
2. To get these tales out into the world.
Justin joined EO Accelerator and leveraged his world community to realize success. He rapidly certified to hitch EO Chicago. As a connecting superhero for visionary entrepreneurs with an abundance mindset, he companions with quite a few EO members.
In a current EO 360° podcast episode with host Dave Will (EO Boston), Justin shared seven vital takeaways that may profit each entrepreneur who needs to develop and scale:
1. Know your talent set
Justin says he excels in precisely two areas: “I’m an important dad, and I’m nice at connecting folks on a worldwide stage. I don’t care about income, workplace area or worker rely. I do what I do, and the remaining takes care of itself. I present worth to the precise folks, after which nice issues occur.”
Justin’s biggest talent is seeing complexities, simplifying them into patterns, after which performing on it. “I don’t overthink it,” he says. “I activate, maximize and obtain.”
2. Know your mind
Justin is a fan of strengths finders, particularly the Kolbe Index. “Your Kolbe rating describes how your mind works,” Justin explains.
The Kolbe Index identifies 4 instinctual kinds that determine how folks activate in each state of affairs:
- “Fast starters” who use trial and error to swing into motion.
- “Reality finders” who require info and analysis.
- “Observe through-ers” who use a really methodical strategy.
- “Implementers” who determine issues out by way of model-building or different instruments.
Justin’s private Kolbe quantity exhibits excessive quick-start, excessive follow-through and excessive fact-finder scores. He takes motion and does issues quickly moderately than speaking issues by means of at size. “I simply say it, do it, don’t overthink it —and it simply will get completed.”
Justin notes that many visionary entrepreneurs are nice at ideation however not follow-through. That helps Justin tailor what he presents to high-level entrepreneurs: “I simplify their story into a right away message after which introduce them to the precise folks in my world community. It causes a series response, and consciousness grows from there.”
3. Know your viewers
Justin shares a singular view of his work: “I don’t compete with anyone; I simply collaborate with folks on the highest stage,” he says. “I’ve a four-step course of. I solely companion with the .1% of people that dwell in abundance and who’re visionaries that take a look at PR and connection as investments. If somebody asks how a lot my companies value or what the ROI is, we’re not going to work collectively.”
Whereas some folks might imagine that limits his viewers, Justin factors out: “There are 8 billion folks on the planet — 0.1% of 8 billion is 8 million. These 8 million are the individuals who create the concepts that change the world. That’s who I work with.”
4. Know the formulation for achievement
Justin’s formulation for making a profitable world firm is straightforward: See an issue, create an answer, clear up the issue—and you’ve got a profitable world firm.
He did it along with his first firm, and he’s doing it once more with BrEpic Community, which he describes as LinkedIn with out all of the fluff. It’s at the moment out there by invitation solely, and it’s a excessive worth level, high-opportunity platform.
“I used to be irritated by platforms that allow everybody in as a result of, on the highest stage, you don’t have time for folks making an attempt to promote you issues. Folks at that stage simply need the connections. That’s what we offer.”
5. Know the place to get heard
Whereas the Wall Road Journal and Forbes got here up within the dialog as locations entrepreneurs achieve PR publicity, Justin says that podcasts corresponding to EO 360° and EO Marvel and Maestros del Escalamiento are much better platforms to share entrepreneurial tales. Right here’s why:
- The host is an entrepreneur, not a journalist, in order that they’re coming from a spot of abundance moderately than shortage.
- You get a deep dive and get to know somebody for a full 45 minutes, not three to 5 minutes like on television or radio.
- The viewers will not be as massive, nevertheless it’s a much more certified viewers who’re concerned with what high-level entrepreneurs should share.
6. Know your worth
Whereas media alternatives are nice, it’s the way you leverage these connections that counts. For instance, if you happen to achieve an introduction to a high-level entrepreneur who hosts their very own podcast or has one other platform, they could additionally change into collaborators or potential buyers.
Justin and Dave mentioned that PR shouldn’t be at all times about getting the phrase out to the lots. It’s about getting in entrance of the 2 or three influencers who’re actually vital to you and your product.
“The folks I companion with perceive the worth of the connections with different high-level, visionary entrepreneurs. They see the long-term, long-game, constructing relationships strategy, and know its worth.”
7. There are not any excuses
Although Justin didn’t benefit from loads of years along with his father, the eight or so years he remembers are vital. His dad taught Justin not less than two classes that he makes use of each day: The cream rises to the highest, and there’s no tolerance for individuals who make excuses.
“Consequently, I solely companion with the cream that rises to the highest—as a result of they’re the individuals who will do no matter it takes to make issues occur,” Justin shares. “And identical to my father, I’ve no tolerance for individuals who make excuses.”
“There are not any excuses. Not at this stage. If in case you have the precise mindset, you’ll determine it out.”
For extra insights and inspiration from immediately’s main entrepreneurs, take a look at EO on Inc. and extra articles from the EO weblog.