Overview

On this episode of Build Your Network, Host Travis Chappell interviews Steve Sims, founder of Bluefish an expert marketer within the luxury industry.

Topics Discussed:

• About Steve Sims:
  • He classifies himself as an educated man, but not from school.
  • Forbes Magazine called him the real-life Wizard of Oz.
  • He believes that everything is possible.
  • He figures out a way to make things happen when other people can’t make things happen.
  • He left school at the age of 15 to be a bricklayer like his dad.
  • He was ignorant to luxury and asked “why can’t I get into that party?”
  • He just does things and doesn’t see them as impossible.
  • He tried to get any job he could to get him one step away from being a bricklayer.
  • He failed in every possible way and just kept going.
• He’s flabberghasted ad pleased that people will be in a party and tell you who they want to meet or hang out with.
  • Seconds after that, they’ll say why they can’t – not enough money, not good enough, etc.
  • They’ll spend energy convincing themselves why it’s out of their range.
  • Most people don’t want to be humiliated and laughed at because of what their dream is.
• He had a client come to him wanting to meet the rock band Journey.
  • Turns out that he’s now very successful, but before that he was the lead singer of a cover band.
  • Through that time, Journey was the theme to his life.
  • They got him up on stage with Journey to sing a song with him.
• Had a wife who said every year her husband had a crazy gift for her on her birthday.
  • She wanted to give her husband the James Bond experience.
  • He got a Hollywood writer to write a storyboard of him being 008 and coming into field service.
  • He went to Monaco, got kidnapped onto a boat and was rescued by military to escape to Russia.
• Do you believe that what you know or who you know is more important, and why?
  • The only thing that matters is who you know.
  • He’s gone out of his way to make sure he’s crystal clear to everyone he talks with.
  • Somewhere along the line there’s going to be a payment made, the payment is always secondary to the relationship.
  • Relationships are key to getting the important doors open.
• A story where a connection opened a door for you.
  • He had a client that wanted to have a dinner party in Florence at an exclusive restaurant.
  • They took over the Academia and had a dinner party at the feet of Michelangelo’s David.
  • He wanted Andrea Bocelli to serenade the clients.
  • He used a relationship he had credibility with to create a relationship he didn’t have yet.
  • He got a phone call from the Bocelli camp saying they were in.
• Creating win-win situations
  • People are concentrating on why things shouldn’t happen, rather than why it should.
  • Position your ask. When you contact someone, tell them why you want something, but then quickly let them know you can benefit them more.
  • You want to get people engaged in a 2-way conversation.
  • Getting your foot in the door is easy, being so impossible to resist that they never want you to leave is the secret sauce.
• Having a conversation with a gatekeeper is not fruitful.
  • First, research. If you’re after someone, then research what they’re interested in (cars, foundations, etc.) and get in the same room.
  • Going through a charity is a better option.
  • He has “bumped into” hundreds of people by careful planning.
  • Get people talking about what they love before you dive in with what you want.
  • He’s had a few people say “we’ve bumped into each other, was that planned?”
  • He doesn’t want to leave anything to luck.
• Who do you think is the most interesting or influential person you’ve been able to meet.
  • Interesting – Jean Paul DeJoria
  • Influential – Elon Musk
    • He’s a doer, not a whoer
    • He’s been the butt of people’s jokes, and one of his biggest laughers is now one of his biggest clients, NASA.
  • Were these accidental or purposeful meetings?
    • Elon’s meeting was purposeful, John Paul DeJoria was an accidental meeting.
  • If you’re hanging in the right rooms, you’d be amazed at who you run into.
  • He’s often in the right place to meet people of that caliber.
  • He makes sure he’s in the right place to grow.
• How do you get into the right rooms?
  • If you think you can’t, you’re right. Be the person that someone wants to meet.
  • Start going out to networking events and contribute.
  • Learn how negotiate and ask the right questions.
  • Then get into the better entrepreneurial events – you’ll have to pay.
    • Be the mindset someone wants to engage.
  • Don’t say something’s impossible before you’ve even tried.

The Random Round:

• What profession other than your own do you think it would be fun to attempt?
  • Any profession – a Chef.
• If you could sit on a park bench for any hour with anyone past or present, who would it be?
  • Margaret Thatcher – she did stuff people told her not to.
• How do you like to learn best, books, blogs, podcasts or video?
  • He likes to talk to people.
• Give us a glimpse of your morning routine:
  • Coffee
  • Feed the dogs
  • Hug the kids
  • Check the emails
• What is your go-to pump up song:
  • Anything he can turn up.
• What are you not very good at?
  • Taking no for an answer.
• Can find him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @stevedsims

Tweetable Quotes:

• If you think you can’t, you’re right. Be the person that someone wants to meet.
• Get people talking about what they love before you dive in with what you want.

Resources Mentioned:

Buildyournetwork.com – Podcast website

Stevedsims.com – Steve’s website

Bluefishing – Steve’s book

Millionaire Success Habits – book by Dean Graziosi