“If you want some fluff, go pet a bunny.” Being non-boring and fluff free is how David Siteman Garland gets your attention and while he has it he ensures you will be educated and entertained.

He is an entrepreneur extraordinaire, and the founder of The Rise To The Top, a TV show on ABC. David even writes and hosts a web version of the show and all his content is geared towards entrepreneurs, forward thinkers, business owners and marketers.

He has interviewed some of the most successful business minds to date, including Seth Godin, and has been featured on all of the major US networks.

He also contributes as a writer and business/entrepreneurial commentator to CNN. His philosophy is simple: Money follows passion and not the other way around.

When did you first learn the word ‘entrepreneur’ and what did it mean to you?

In college I attended a really cool summer program called University of Dreams where you interned in a city for the summer. I met some amazing people through the program and so many “had started their own company on the side” while in college.

To me this was highly fascinating. I didn’t know a ton about business but their passion had me sold. I wanted to be as excited as they were.

To me, an entrepreneur is a starter; someone that starts something (and makes money from it). The aim might be to go really big or stay extremely small. It isn’t about size or growth; it is about starting (and loving what you do).

What was your first entrepreneurial escapade?

My first entrepreneurial escapade of substance (going beyond baseball cards as a kid and other random stuff) was, believe it or not, a professional inline hockey league in the Midwest.

Yes, on inline skates. Stop laughing. It was a two-year adventure of being a David-of-all-trades and doing everything from cleaning bathrooms to announcing games to creating a radio show to signing sponsorships. Just thinking about it now makes me tired.

Do you think that people are born entrepreneurs or that it is something that can be attained?

I think people might be born or learn qualities/values at early ages that might be characteristically more pre-determined for later success; like creativity and drive.

But I strongly believe that it can be attained. It takes a spark, an idea and more importantly, it takes action. Can everyone in the world be an entrepreneur?

Maybe not, but things are changing in the world so quickly that I believe we will see more people owning their own business. The Internet has really taken away many of the barriers of entry.

Now it takes more determination and drive, but in most cases less money. That is an incredible opportunity.

I love the first installment of the David Chronicles, specifically how you did not take any of the jobs that were offered to you because you couldn’t work in an environment where you weren’t passionate about the product. How can people follow their passion and still make money?

Glad you enjoyed it! The David Chronicles were something requested by the RISE community. I guess they wanted a peak behind the curtain, so I’m back there naked telling personal stories about entrepreneurship, work, life, etc. It has been a blast.

When it comes to the line between passion and money, there are two ways to think about it:

#1: There are people that follow money first and then come up with an idea. “How can I make money?” is the first question they ask. THEN, they come up with the idea, product, or service.

#2: There are people that follow a passion, interest, activity and then figure out how to make money from it. An example:  ”How can I create a business around writing all day?”

I’ve always lived and breathed #2. Starting with an idea, interest, passion, activity and turned that into a business. I strongly believe money follows passion and not the other way around.

Something to keep in mind though, as this is something common I’ve noticed come up when speaking, is you might not be sure about your passion and that is completely fine.

I think passion develops from something you are excited about. I wanted to try and create a TV show. It wasn’t a case where since birth I’ve “always dreamed of having a TV show” but instead something that excited me. So I tried it.

When you start with something that excites you there are all kinds of ways to monetize it. For example, I wanted to be involved with hockey and pro inline hockey allowed me to play and run a business.

I figured out how to monetize it through sponsorships. The Rise To The Top was based around the original idea (which has evolved many times over) of starting a TV show for entrepreneurs (on traditional TV is actually where it started which, looking back, was a very … interesting decision).

The monetization started again as sponsorships and has evolved into many different streams as the idea has evolved.

How long did it take for you to start making money?

For The Rise To The Top, which started in late 2008, there was revenue (not profit) right away. I used the money from my Bar Mitzvah (stop laughing) to get it going along with sponsorships that I pre-sold based on existing relationships.

It started in October 2008. By the end of 2009, revenue matched expenses. In 2010, it became (very) profitable.

How do you make money now?

-Sponsorships and advertisers

-Speaking engagements

-My book deal

Those are my three buckets right now. Will they change? I’m sure they will. One of the things I’m exploring right now is angel investing and I’m excited about the possibilities. I’m a big believer of having multiple streams of income.

We all fumble at times when starting something new. I have heard every successful business person say to learn from others so, what was the biggest business lesson you learned when you started out?

The biggest lesson is a simple one: You live or die by your network of relationships. People that know you and people you know. And in many cases your indirect network can be hugely beneficial. For example, when I was starting out and looking for sponsors, I tapped into my “random network” asking if anyone knew anybody that might be interested. Little nudges turned into big nudges which turned into the right meetings. It isn’t rocket science, but it is often overlooked.

You are a voice of reason and authority on business, an online hub for people to go and gobble up knowledge. Why do people listen to you?

Probably because I’m really loud (just kidding). That is a hard question to answer. I don’t know if I can put a finger on it without sounding like a jackass, but I think the key for me is being approachable, fun and down-to-earth. I answer every email personally. I’m the one on the social media sites. I’m in the trenches. And my style is never to talk down to others, ever. Plus, I think injecting fun into literally everything can be captivating. That would be my guess, but I bet the RISE community could answer better.

Say you want to start your first business, do you think that getting into an industry that you don’t have any knowledge or background in is advisable, even if you have an MBA and are a creative genius?

I think knowing less in many cases can be an advantage and also exciting. It is an advantage because you don’t have any preconceived notions, you learn by doing. I had no idea how to do a TV show when I started. If I had REALLY researched the heck out of it or worked on other shows, I have a feeling I might have talked myself out of it. Being naive can be amazing. I would tell someone asking this question to just go for it.

You have interviewed some incredible people who have achieved a number of pretty spectacular things. I loved the recent interview with Vancouver’s own Elena Verlee and how she started with socks! What is the best success story that you have interviewed – the one that left the biggest impression on you?

This is like choosing between children! There are so many that resonate. I know a lot of people know the story, but one of my favorites has to be Gary Vaynerchuk founder of Wine Library TV. He has created a movement via his wine show and he has an amazing, inspirational story filled with hustle, drive and determination as opposed to “raising a bunch of money.” He has created a multi-million dollar empire by being himself. I flew to New Jersey for that interview and it was worth every second.

David’s new book Smarter Faster Cheaper, full of ideas, strategies and stories, is coming out on December 7 and I am sure will be an instant hit! You can pre-order your copy now from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

David can also be found on Twitter @TheRiseToTheTop

Marda Miller

During summer vacation before fourth grade, Marda’s father forced her to become a writer. Each day, she wasn't allowed to play with her friends until she had completed a new story. From these humble, nurturing beginnings, Marda evolved into the creative genius behind naming the family dog. Now she works in social media.

Homepage

Twitter Page