This Too Will Change: Interview with Anthony Capone, CEO of DocGo

I recently went one on one with Anthony Capone, CEO of DocGo.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. ​How did you get here? ​What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Anthony: At the earliest age, I think my parents are the ones who are most impactful. And growing up, my parents were not high earners. They were below middle class. But I watched them work their way up to middle class. And my parents’ ethos was that we would do whatever it took. So, for a long time, on the weekends, my stepfather would be mowing lawns, and my mom would be out making baskets and selling baskets so they could earn extra money, and they would use that money. And then my mother went back to school and my stepfather became an IT administrator, getting IT certifications. And as such, when I was in my later teens, they had kind of grown into middle class, and that taught me the importance of hard work because I could see the results of the hard work and the successes of their own life. They also valued hard work more than anything, even more than perhaps schooling. And so when I was 13, I was forced to get a job and to start earning money. And at the time, of course, I strongly objected to it. And, today, it is the single most important characteristic of my life, the fact that they forced me to appreciate working, and to discover within myself how far I might be able to push myself to accomplish something, is a skill that is unsurpassed, I have found you can accomplish anything in life if you have a strong work ethic. And you can accomplish nothing worthwhile without a strong work ethic.  

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

Anthony: For sure, your ability to be successful directly correlates to how hard you're willing to work. Now, that's not the only factor. There is a combination of luck. That combination of timing perhaps is similar to luck and many characteristics. But work ethic is the most important to how to increase that look. You want to try to reduce the number of mistakes that you have to recover from. That's not to say that you're trying to take steps to avoid failure. But if you can surround yourself with people who have made some of these mistakes before, you can avoid them. And that's a lot different than trying to build an ethos of avoiding failure. Failure is a critical component towards growth and success. But surrounding yourself with people who have made these mistakes can allow you to not reinvent the wheel. So, thinking about your team composition, your board composition, your advisory composition, in a very eclectic sense, tends to have real diversity, diversity of opinion, diversity of experience. You have individuals who may be more innovative and fast-moving such that they'll take tons of risks. And then you have individuals who are far more established and traditional, in whatever industry you're trying to break into. And when you have both of these, and you have both of the components and both sides of any type of coin, they'll start to build wisdom. Because wisdom is really the ability to see something from all angles. And so the more wisdom you can try and develop in those early years, by surrounding yourselves with people of different perspectives, the less likely you are to make mistakes. And when those mistakes do happen, you likely are surrounded by people who have made those mistakes before and can help guide you. And that really is what increases luck.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams? 

Anthony: Management is a science. Many people treat it more like a skill. And there's a very different mentality when you think about it, like a science and like a skill. Skill is something that tends to be one that you are either born with, or you're just born athletic, or one that you simply work at from practice. A science is something that you understand, and that you experiment with. And that you begin to establish by a process, when you're managing people think about it like you have a toolbox. Now, yes, sometimes it's appropriate to use your hand. But you don't want to hammer in a screw. You don't try and take a lug nut off with a hammer. But you need different tools for different circumstances for different people. And as you begin over time to manage more and more and more people, if you're doing so consciously reflectively introspectively, you'll begin to develop more and more of those tools. So, reflect from time to time on how many tools do I have in my tool belt. Yes, I need to have the ability in tough situations to make hard decisions, where I need a hammer, I need to lead from the front and I don't need to show force. But do I also have the ability to deal with that very unique circumstance with somebody that needs that? That one tool that I can use for that one, maybe a slightly different type of personality? Because if you do and you have that odd bet with that one maybe unique person, you'll be able to unlock a lot of incredible potential in somebody that maybe needs to be managed differently than your average individual. How do you deal with people that are more introverted or extroverted? How do you deal with a situation where you have somebody who is an incredible performer, but really terrible to work with? And how do you deal with somebody who is amazing to work with but a terrible performer? One, as a cultural ramification, one might have a bottom line ramification. How do you make it so that you can make a culture of people which are enjoyable to work with, but also very, very productive? To do that you have to look at each individual as their own chemical reaction. And you need to have different tools in order to handle that. Oftentimes, the most common thing that I see from inexperienced leaders is that they think that leadership is a means of just walking around with a hammer. I have my hammer, I say what I want, I smash it on the table, and you do what I tell you to do. I would say that as a percentage basis, I use my hammer maybe 5% of the time. Maybe in certain circumstances, it gets up to six or seven percent of the time. If you find you're using your hammer double-digit percentages of the time, you're probably not managing very effectively.

Adam: What are the most important trends in technology that leaders should be aware of and understand? What should they understand about them?

Anthony: I'm in healthcare, so I can speak a lot more on the technology trends as they relate to healthcare. I think that what we're going to continue to see are more proactive interventions for patient care. And you're going to be proactive in determining when you need to intervene. Because you have predictive analytics that is very much based around artificial intelligence that has learned on these historical data sets of patient vitals of patient conditions as well as outcomes. And so from there, you can start to understand that, okay, I can clearly with enough data monitoring of a patient, I can know that if I have the ability to intervene now at this point to perhaps alter these meds, or change diet, or change access to various different physical components like I'm changing mobility issues or transportation issues if I can intervene now, I can predict with a high degree of confidence and decompensation later, that has a substantially increased cost maybe by a few orders of magnitude. And so the predictive analytics, in order to have an early proactive intervention for a patient, is going to be one of the biggest areas. And I think that same concept applies throughout life. You could say that I'm going to have enough data to proactively intervene on a child such that their education can be slightly modified, thus, they have a better outcome in life. That's almost analogous to saying that I have patient vitals, and such as I have the ability to treat and intervene with a patient such that they have better patient outcomes. So the ability to look at a human's trending patterns against a baseline, as it relates to a large historical data set of an entire population, to use that as predictive analytics to take a proactive intervention, education or healthcare or really anything, such that you can deliver much, much better patient, much, much better outcomes, I think is going to be a wave of the future. And so you're going to start to see AI implanted into every component of our lives, to try and get an early intervention to deliver better long-term outcomes.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Anthony: I would say, in my own experience, the best way to judge your success as a leader, perhaps the two parts of judging your success as a leader are one: how many more leaders have you created that create value? And how much value have you yourself created? There's always going to be people who grow and they expand from your own organization. So, when I look at myself, how much value have I actually provided in this company? As an example, the company that I run right now, we've treated over 7 million patients. The vast majority of those are in underserved communities. These are drug-addicted populations, sheltered homes, unsheltered homeless, migrant populations, a wide range of individuals who would never get this quality of care that we’re able to give, and to dramatically change their lives by making health care, not the most important focus of their life. So they have at least a chance, not always a reality, but a chance to do something more in life than just focus on their health care and their chronic conditions. So that's one aspect: being honest, to look at what is the actual value quantifiably while qualifiable that you have provided back to society. But even more so than that from a multiplying effect, when you look at the leaders you've created, and how many leaders you have created, what of those leaders gone on to do? If I'm a leader, can I make other people lead? And if those people then go on to do amazing and great things and create value to some degree, you probably have helped to create that subsequent value. And so how much value have you created? And how many people have you created that create value? So those are two really, really important metrics to assess

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Anthony: The most important part for me, and it takes a long time, and I'm not saying that I'm in any way perfect or even good, but as to not be afraid of failure, and then when you try, because management and leading I believe it's very much a science, that you're reflective and introspective on the results. So you take those results and you can hone it to improve your science to improve your process. So when I am in a circumstance, let's say as an example, I now have a circumstance with a crisis management issue. One of the most Important things to have in a leader is to be able to handle crisis management in your company. And I'm able to try different techniques and how I get through that crisis management, you want to have the seriousness and severity to deal with it. But you also do not want to seem as though you're acting erratically. And you want to show being calm and composed for your entire team so that they have the confidence to go on with the day to day while you're dealing with the crisis. Critical Component, as I try, and I focus on the ability to deliver on both the short-term solutions for that crisis, while continuing the longevity of the company and the basics that it has to do, I can then reflect on how well I've done that. So I take risks in the style by which I'm dealing with that crisis. Good example. I could delegate the ability to speak to the press in that crisis. Or I could take it in myself. Now there's a risk of failure. If I go, and I speak to the press myself. And you immediately say, oh, that's discomforting, I don't want to do that. There's risk associated with doing that. But once I do it, I've done it once. And I do it again. And then I do it again, you become more comfortable with it, you can reflect on it and say, Okay, did that have a good outcome? Was I successful with the message I was trying to deliver? And then you get better and you get better. But that's only possible if you're willing to be okay with failure. If you're willing to be okay with failure to do more and more and more things. And the art of becoming great is simply the art of practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing. But practicing means you have to be okay with failure. So if you're okay with failure, and you keep practicing, you'll be great at whatever it is that you put your mind towards.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

Anthony: Society is filled with a myriad and an almost incalculable number of real problems, real problems every day, when you walk out of your house, and your way at work, or on the weekend, if you just stop and breathe and observe for a moment, you will see problems in every direction. It could be something with the road or the sanitation, it could be something with the way with the traffic flows, or it could be something with the way that a restaurant is operating - problems with every single part of that day. Focus, I recommend focusing on the problems and solving those problems. And solving those problems in such a way that you will live in the reality of the value you're providing, measured by their ability to generate profit. The best way to measure whether or not you're providing sufficient value, if you cannot generate profit, the value you're providing is not worth the cost. That's simple, it's not really much more complicated. But rather than going out and focusing on things that people might want, inventing the concept, in order for people to desire it, that's very risky. Perhaps your new age Nostradamus self to be able to determine what people may want one day much better and much more reliable, much more rewarding to just look around and see what people need based on the problems that exist in this very moment. Focus on the problem that exists, and then turn that into your business and it will be much less risky, and much, much higher probability of being successful because the problem is usually matter of fact and in the moment observable, whereas what somebody wants is not observable. So when you can do something which is observable, you have the ability to quantify it, and then to strategize around how I'm going to develop a solution. So focusing on value that is really brought about by an observation of problems in today's society and measuring that value, really, how much money you can make, relative to the expense that it costs, is, I think, a very, very critical component focus on needs, not on wants. You know, the other piece I will strongly recommend is your ability to recover as a leader. Very, very, very important. If you do a startup company and that startup company is successful, and you're focusing on problems, needs, not wants, then you're going to be worse. And it's going to be very, very intense. There's going to be trying moments. There's going to be times where you're making enormous personal sacrifices in order to find that success in your professional life. And the most sustainable way to do that is to make sure that you can recover. I played rugby for most of my life. And one of my most critical coaches throughout my career, he used to tell me, if you have to operate like a light switch, you have to know how you can switch it on. I'm on the field, I'm in a play and how I can switch it off. And now I'm in recovery mode, observing my breath. I have the ability to allow my muscles to relax for just a moment so that I can prepare myself in order to do the next play. Very important, Have that light switch. And when the light switches off, the ability to do things like meditation or to work out to focus on your diet and your health. Those correlate not only to your long-term longevity and being able to just simply not burn out. But more importantly, they'll also correlate directly to your endurance. They'll correlate to how indefatigable you may be, if you're able to have a sustainable model by which you can recover, when that light switch is off, and you are consciously flipping the light switch off. Then you'll have a lot more time when that light switch can be on. I think those are most important.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding?

Anthony: Everyone is different. I have had a fairly significant number of salespeople that have worked for me, I've seen some that are amazing and some that are mediocre, I can tell you what works for me. I'm not a sales guru. I don't know if I can speak about it so generically, but what works for me and what I've seen work most reliably in my career is authenticity. More important than being suave, more important than being very well spoken. More importantly, than being super organized, is being super, super knowledgeable on the area that you're speaking on, and being incredibly authentic in the way that you are speaking, and the way that you're presenting. Even if it's odd, even if it's off, even if it's quirky, so long as you are genuine and authentic. Whoever you're speaking to will see that. And that's critically important because the first step of a sale, the first step before you even go into whatever the product is, and the pricing is and the terms are, before you get into any of that is simply to convince the person that you're selling to that you're an honest person that will not screw them over. That is step one. This first step is just to simply convince them you're an honest, good person that will always do right by them. Long before you ever get into what the actual purpose of the meeting is, and whatever the product is that you're trying to sell. And so you do that oftentimes by being very, very authentic, being open, being very honest. Anyone who is in a position where they're controlling a large budget probably has a lot of experience with people selling to them. And so you build up an almost inherent sense of when people are not being authentic. And if you start from the beginning, and you don't seem authentic, you don't seem genuine, you don't seem trustworthy. It doesn't matter what you're selling, it doesn't matter how great the product is, doesn't matter how great the price is. They can't trust you, and who does business with somebody you can't trust? So that I would say is a critical, critical component. And once you get in and you have their trust, continue to be genuine the whole time. Yes, there are things you can do to be able to practice enunciation and flow, presentation, demonstration, all of those things are good skills that continue to hone to get better on but most important is to come from a foundation of Pervasive Knowledge that you then present in a very honest and authentic way to yourself. You may be somebody who is honest and authentic, is far more emotional in your response. You may be somebody who's far more like myself. I'm a computer scientist by training. So, I tend to go from a technology perspective, a mathematical and very analytical perspective. So, I almost when I'm doing my sale, kind of geek out a little bit and I lose track, I can sometimes lose track of my own cadence because I'm so enthralled with the science of whatever I'm discussing with somebody. And that's worked for me because they at least recognize that I'm being honest and truthful about what I'm doing. Whatever your style is, just stay true to that and be very honest about it. Be very authentic to it. The second you try to follow in somebody else's style, it will become very, very obvious. And even if you are authentic, but you're not knowledgeable, that will also become obvious from that foundation you build. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Anthony: This too will change. That is true. In all cases, this too will change. Whether you are in your best moment, you're at your highest high, or you're sitting there at your lowest low, you're attached to somebody that works for you, or just simply attached to yourself. This too will change. Build a life that assumes that change is around every corner. If you build a life by which you're so attached to the present moment, it will end up being a life of suffering.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Anthony: For the individuals listening, I would just simply recommend that you go into real entrepreneurship with a very conscious decision. Sometimes people fall into it, sometimes people become enamored by the result of it. They see people who are now very successful, and they say, Well, I want to be successful, I want to have money. And as an aside, I strongly recommend that you never make money a goal. Money will be a byproduct of success in almost every case, but, as soon as money becomes the goal, misery will follow and in my experience, it decreases the likelihood of success substantially. But with that said, when you do fall into it, rather than falling into entrepreneurs and making a conscious decision way, what is important to you, you think in the future, because to be an entrepreneur, to nearly grow a company, and to do so at very significant scale is an on a matched sacrifice. You will miss weddings. Your personal life will suffer. Friendships will suffer. Now, that's not to say that you cannot have a personal life, you cannot have children, get married, and have friends and that side of life. But whatever you are going to have, it will be less. And it will directly impact the degree to which to put on to your entrepreneurial dreams. And that may be okay. We each value different things in life differently. But I strongly recommend that you make a conscious decision before going in knowing that you're going to make that sacrifice and that's okay. I personally made that sacrifice. Many others have made that sacrifice. But do it consciously because that will allow you to reflect on that conscious decision. And it will help you to stave off regret or doubt. But you can say that I did think about it. And I knew to some degree what was coming. And I said that this is what is important to me, and I'm going to invest more of my time. I'm going to make significant sacrifices now so that I have more freedom later. So that I am my own boss or so that I have control over my own destiny. But I'm going to make a lot of sacrifices today in order to achieve that sense of professional freedom. But best to make it consciously so that when you do have that professional freedom, and you're looking back and saying that’s okay, well, I didn't have certain personal aspects of the last period of my life, you don't have regrets and you don't have doubt.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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