I recently went one on one with Mario Brainovic, CEO of Analemma.

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?

Mario: My business experience started 23 years ago when I created an advertising agency and a production house. I loved creating in any way or form, so it was an awesome playground. I made very successful campaigns for various corporations.  It was a very gratifying experience. The company thrived for years. Since I was very passionate about health and wellness I dreamed and meditated on creating a new company that will provide highly efficient and 100 % natural health solutions. I very vividly remember a meditation where I got blissed out just contemplating and visualizing such an endeavor. A few weeks later I met a guy that worked in Pharma business and had an incredible product but had a very hard time promoting it. His company didn’t do well. I jumped at the opportunity, bought a chunk of the company, and threw myself into it. In just a couple of months’ time, the company increased the sales by 900% and continued to grow. In the next several years we introduced several new products to the market and made a great success at it. After 10 years we decided it was time to sell the company. In a year’s time, we sold it to Walgreens Boots Alliance. After a short while, contemplating my next move, I decided that if I’m going to work again it would have to be something spectacular, something for the highest good of all, something truly special. My current project checks all the boxes.

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?

Mario: I would say always follow your passion. You came well equipped to this world. You have a gift to give that no one else on the planet has. You just have to tune into that. Our greatest gifts are always natural to us, not hard. In all my endeavors I always followed my passion.

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

Mario: A lot of people are only money oriented. In that way, their ideas have very little power. If you are purpose-oriented, if your ideas help people in a real way, the Universe itself will back you up. Then your ideas become unstoppable. If you think in terms of how I can help, how I can serve, how I can contribute in a real way, the right kind of inspiration will hit you.

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?

Mario: Never give up. If you need to switch strategies, do it, but never give up. If you know you are working for something bigger than yourself, you will have an unstoppable drive.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Mario: Be authentic in your message. Be real. People feel it. People respond to it.

It’s the same with any kind of art. If you compose a piece of music from your heart, people will feel it and resonate with it from their hearts. It’s very important where the message is coming from. That’s where the true power lies.

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?

Mario: Commitment, compassion and willingness to go first.

If you set yourself as an example, people will naturally aspire to do the same. But at the same time, don’t expect everyone to have the same drive as you do. Drive comes with inspiration. If you inspire people with your joy and commitment, they will follow.

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

Mario: Be present. If you are present you will see the right move at the right time. Always embrace your people. If you set a high vibration in your team, if you flow with them in an inspired way, those that don’t resonate will drop away by themselves. You don’t really have to do anything. It’s a natural process. You just have to trust it.

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

Mario: Always work for something bigger than yourself. If your purpose is very high, your joy will be very high and obstacles will not matter. That’s how you arrive to the finish line.

Involve EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING when you’re making your decision. Whenever I’m about to get involved in a new project, I always ask myself these questions: Is it good for Mother Earth? Is it good for everybody involved, including myself? 

If the answer to both questions is YES, then I proceed. If it’s not, then I immediately drop it.

Forgive yourself and others. You are going to make mistakes along the way. Just make sure that your heart is in the right place. Then you can move mountains.

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

Mario: “Only through the heart can you touch the SKY.”

When you follow your heart, when you are truly devoted to something, you are humble, your ego is small, and your Spirit has an opening to SHINE.


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.

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