I recently went one on one with Josh Goodman, founder and CEO of PourMyBeer.

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?

Josh: The first 4 years were filled with hard and expensive lessons. Some of the difficult experiences included when my ex-business partners from Ireland owed me money and instead of paying me, they sued me. I ended up winning the case, and they went bankrupt, but it was still very hard on me. Additionally, after we launched our own system in 2015, my only other employee at the time went off the grid, and I had to fly from Seattle to Boston to do 2 installs in 4 days on opposite sides of the country. Ultimately, these experiences got me to where my team and I are today, so I've learned to embrace every lesson I get.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Josh: I read a book about 50 great companies, the problems they solved and the people behind the which got me thinking more about problems than businesses. I then opened my mind and my notebook to any problem I saw, and I’d write down the problem and if a solution came to mind, I’d think through it further. Being at a bar with friends and seeing that the service was awful, and the owner was also losing money, led me to figuring out a solution for that problem. My advice is look for the problem/pain and build a business that solves it and get someone willing to let you solve that problem. If it works, then start charging for it and sell it. 

Adam: How did you know your business idea is worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Josh: I asked everyone I knew if they could pour their own drinks vs. waiting for someone to pour it for them if they’d rather do that instead of waiting for 5-10 minutes. From that, I received a ton of positive feedback. Although I was really far from the product we have today, I had validation that I needed to put the effort into that project. I’d done the same with 6 other business ideas before that one and none of them were as well received as this one. My advice is to not be so guarded with your idea. Get advice from your circle of people and don’t be afraid to ask your circle who the most successful entrepreneur they know is and ask for an intro. Validation is important. I will also say that someone who I’d consider an expert in dispense told me I was wasting my time, but I’ve proven their theory wrong as well.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level? 

Josh: Sales solves all problems. If you’re selling and bringing revenue in, you can work through other challenges. Keep your monthly costs as low as possible, so you can survive. There were times in the early days where we’d go 1 or 2 months with no income and if we had higher expenses we’d have gone out of business or needed to take on more debt. We were able to get by in the early days by keeping our expenses low. 

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of time management and optimizing productivity? 

Josh: Limit the amount of time you spend each day wasting time. For example, set a 30 minute limit on social media (unless it’s for advertising). I like the Abraham Lincoln quote that says if he had an hour to cut down a tree, he’d spend 45 minutes sharpening the axe. Make sure you sharpen your axe by taking care of your mind and body through exercise and eating foods that don’t drain your energy. 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Josh: Be yourself, be genuine, stand up when you’re talking to someone for the first time on the phone, keep in mind that your energy comes through. Smile while you dial, ask for the business, and if you don’t make the sale, learn why you didn’t and apply that to your next opportunity. If you build strong rapport with the prospect you can ask them where you fell short. I’ve made sales to people after I lost the sale, so it’s a great way to deepen rapport and build trust. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Josh: Love your people, get to know them, people are awesome and when you get to know them and what makes them tick, it helps you and them. I trust my people and I tell them I trust them, not just in words, but actions. Invest in yourself. Read books on leadership, case studies, surround yourself with other leaders, listen to podcasts. Send your team articles you like, share personal growth ideas, encourage them to invest in themselves too. Be their cheerleader and high five them when they do great. I’ve read in some management books that most people in most companies only know when they do something wrong because that’s when they are called out. I try to focus on more of what people do right. 

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

Josh: They don’t work for you; you work for them. 

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

Josh: Don’t be an asshole, ask deep questions and have deep conversations, laugh with your team

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

Josh: Leave it all on the field. As a college athlete I was always taught to give it my all, and I do that in business as well - “No weak shit”.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Josh: Our team has gone from 14 to 22 in less than 2 months, and it’s been really hard, but tackling this growth challenge has been great for our team. I can see them growing as our company grows.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also 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. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, 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. 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.

Follow Adam on Instagram and Twitter at @adammendler and listen and subscribe to Thirty Minute Mentors on your favorite podcasting app.