Hernan Lopez is the founder and CEO of Wondery, a network of storytellers. Wondery’s podcasts include Sword & Scale, Hollywood & Crime, We Study Billionaires, Fall Of Rome and their latest hit, I Hate My Boss. Before that, Hernan was CEO of Fox International Channels, a $3 billion organization. But how did he get there after moving to the U.S. at 27 speaking broken English?

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Resources Mentioned:

• Your Big Idea: Successful Entrepreneurs have One Big Idea. Follow JLD’s FREE training & you’ll discover Your Big Idea in less than an hour!
• Audible – Get a FREE Audiobook & 30 day trial if you’re not currently a member!
• Sales Force Inbox – Hernan’s small business resource.
• The Master Switch by Tim Wu – Hernan’s top business book.
• Wondery – Hernan’s website.
• The Freedom Journal – Set and Accomplish your #1 goal in 100 days!
• The Mastery Journal – Master productivity, discipline and focus in 100 days!

3 Key Points:

1. Progress is never linear, learn the right lessons from every setback you experience.
2. If you want to grow in an area or learn a skill, allow yourself time to do that.
3. Don’t try to impress people; just be yourself and do your best.

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Time Stamped Show Notes

(click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.)

• [01:10] – Hernan lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two kids; he grew up in Argentina and has always looked at the US as a place where you can make it if you work hard
• [02:01] – One BIG and Unique Value Bomb: Hernan is a big believer in understanding people through reading them—doing deep listening and reading body language. While working at Fox, he became very good at discerning if people would bring a negative or a positive influence into his life and work
• [03:25] – The primacy bias is becoming attracted to the first impression you have of a person and not getting to know who they really are
  • [03:58] – Hernan says the book Emotional Vampires should be required reading for entrepreneurs
• [04:13] – JLD invites Fire Nation to listen to Hernan at Podcast Movement in Los Angeles in August! (Promo code FIRE gets you a discount on your ticket, Fire Nation!)
• [05:03] – Worst Entrepreneurial Moment: While at Fox, Hernan had the money to spend on his travels and business trips with his team – he would spend $25,000 before breakfast. At Wondery, they got their first advertising deal after four months and it was worth $25,000.
  • [06:43] – Hernan compared the money they earned from his company to when he was still at Fox
  • [07:02] – The second deal they got was $10,000 and Hernan started to doubt if his decision to become an entrepreneur was right — then money started to come and they were able to get over half a million a month in revenue.
• [07:45] – Aside from sponsorships, Wondery also has licensing agreements as a source of income
• [08:21] – Progress is never linear – view every setback as an opportunity to learn
• [09:01] – In the future, they have a plan to open a consumer revenue stream
• [09:36] – Greatest AH-HA Moment: Hernan wanted to decipher what makes the Serial Podcast so great. He binged listened to 4 episodes and got engrossed in it. He realized the more you listen to it, the more you become invested in it
  • [10:12] – Hernan says it is the same in television, where you watch sitcoms and end up missing a few episodes until TiVo came along and allowed people to watch shows from beginning to end
  • [11:24] – The AH-HA moment for Hernan was adapting that change in television for audio and creating audio shows where people can listen in when they want to
• [12:21] – Look back in history and you are going to find one parallel that is relevant today — this will give you the opportunity to succeed
• [13:01] – What are you most FIRED up about today? – The new show I Hate My Boss
  • [13:24] – There is no advice show about the workplace and yet people spend 8 hours at work
  • [14:11] – The hosts, Liz Dolan and Larry Seal, take listener questions and give advice
  • [14:39] – They are getting 20 questions a week
  • [15:07] – One question they had was about a woman who was a creative and working at her job for 9 years; the boss’s new wife was trying to micro-manage her work. She reported it to her boss and he just passed it to his wife
  • [15:53] – The advice they gave is for her to leave the company
• [16:53] – The Lightning Round
  • What was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur? – “Cozy job – lots of money, great travel expenses, and it kept getting interesting”
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “Don’t try to impress people because when you try to impress, you’re very likely to make a fool of yourself”
  • What’s a personal habit that contributes to your success? – “Working out five times a week and being a morning person”
  • Share an internet resource, like Evernote, with Fire Nation – Sales Force Inbox
  • If you could recommend one book to our listeners, what would it be and why? – The Master Switch by Tim Wu
• [20:11] – “Skate to where the puck is going – not where it has been” – Wayne Gretzky
• [20:40] – Connect with Hernan on Twitter!

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

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