Escaping the Drift with John Gafford
Unleashing Entrepreneurial Success with Cameron Herold: Vision, Leadership, and Personal Growth
Tue, 28 Jan 2025
Esteemed business strategist and author Cameron Herold joins us to share the secrets behind his entrepreneurial success and how his unique upbringing shaped his outlook. Cameron sheds light on the nature versus nurture debate, emphasizing how real-world experiences trump traditional education when it comes to cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit. Through personal anecdotes, he discusses how he instills this mindset in his own children, valuing internships and networking as pivotal tools for navigating today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. During our conversation, Cameron offers a wealth of strategies for business growth, drawing from his remarkable journey scaling 1-800-GOT-JUNK. By prioritizing experience over formal education, he reveals how charging premium prices and fostering a strong company identity can propel businesses forward. We explore the influential role of a vivid vision in aligning personal and professional goals, with Cameron sharing captivating stories that highlight the transformative impact of a clear vision and adaptable mindset in achieving success. Our episode rounds out with an exploration of leadership dynamics and the power of personal responsibility. Cameron discusses the importance of maintaining professionalism in leadership while focusing on top talent, and he identifies key traits that define successful entrepreneurs. We celebrate the boundless potential of global perspectives in broadening horizons, and Cameron emphasizes the necessity of self-action in personal growth, encouraging listeners to take charge of their own lives and support one another on the path to greatness. CHAPTERS (00:00) - Success, Entrepreneurship, and Education (12:07) - Business Growth and Pricing Strategy (19:42) - Adapting to Rapid Business Change (31:38) - Global Living and Visionary Planning (36:21) - Crafting Vivid Visions for Success (49:08) - Leadership and Entrepreneurial Insights (58:12) - Empowering Through Personal Responsibility 💬 Did you enjoy this podcast episode? Tell us all about it in the comment section below! ☑️ If you liked this video, consider subscribing to Escaping The Drift with John Gafford ************* 💯 About John Gafford: After appearing on NBC's "The Apprentice", John relocated to the Las Vegas Valley and founded several successful companies in the real estate space. ➡️ The Gafford Group at Simply Vegas, top 1% of all REALTORS nationwide in terms of production. Simply Vegas, a 500 agent brokerage with billions in annual sales Clear Title, a 7-figure full-service title and escrow company. ➡️ Streamline Home Loans - An independent mortgage bank with more than 100 loan officers. The Simply Group, A national expansion vehicle partnering with large brokers across the country to vertically integrate their real estate brokerages. ************* ✅ Follow John Gafford on social media: Instagram ▶️ / thejohngafford Facebook ▶️ / gafford2 🎧 Stream The Escaping The Drift Podcast with John Gafford Episode here: Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cWN80gtZ4m4wl3DqQoJmK?si=2d60fd72329d44a9 Listen On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/escaping-the-drift-with-john-gafford/id1582927283 ************* #escapingthedrift #cameronherold #Entrepreneurship #Education #BusinessGrowth #PricingStrategy #Experience #Internships #Networking #RapidChange #GlobalLiving #VisionaryPlanning #VividVision #Leadership #PersonalResponsibility #PersonalGrowth #SelfReliance #Empowerment #Success #Hiring #Talent #Innovation #Adaptability
Chapter 1: What is the importance of experience over education in entrepreneurship?
So why would I hire someone who knows how to do it versus someone that has done it? I would rather hire an Olympian who broke a world record, who won an Olympic gold, who competed in all events versus someone who knows how to do it.
And now, Escaping the Drift, the show designed to get you from where you are to where you want to be. I'm John Gafford, and I have a knack for getting extraordinary achievers to drop their secrets to help you on a path to greatness. So stop drifting along, escape the drift, and it's time to start right now. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the program. And today, man, today, we got a banger.
And I mean, this is a dude that we have going on today. This guy, he wrote a book that I loved. And when I got the opportunity to have him on the show, I was like, wait a second, is that the same guy that, yeah, it is the same guy. And I was so happy to see that it was. His book, Vivid Vision, is a book that I've talked about on this podcast before.
We've talked about it numerous times about how to establish. And really, it's so immensely important when it comes to getting you where you want to go. He has been called the CEO whisperer for his ability to get businesses to double profits in less than three years. He is... Just, he's done all kinds of stuff. He was the COO at 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
He has had built $200 million companies before the age of 35. This is a guy that definitely knows how to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the program. This is Cameron Harreld. Cameron, how are you, buddy?
Hey, John. Thanks very much for having me. Nice to see you.
Yeah, I was so excited when you were coming on, man, that we could do this today. And because I know that what you've done in your life, you had such a great amount of success at an early age and you spent, now we're spending so much of your life trying to help others get to that same place. And that is such the message of what we're trying to do here.
So obviously with such young success, man, I like to, as the parent of somewhat, you know, as teenagers, you know, my biggest fear is always raising worthless kids. So I always, I always like to start these conversations out with super successful people, the nature versus nurture idea, you know? So tell me about you growing up, man. Tell me about that.
Yeah, it's interesting. And my two boys are probably a little older than your kids. Mine are 21 and 23. So I'm still at that same stage of trying to, you know, my legacy project, right? Raising our kids and helping them get out the door as successful adults. I was raised as an entrepreneur. My father was an entrepreneur. Both sets of grandparents were entrepreneurs.
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Chapter 2: How can businesses effectively grow and implement pricing strategies?
I did. I went to university. And while I was in university, I was on the university ski team for two years. I was the president of the first fraternity ever in the city of Ottawa. And I was running my own business from second year university. So in second, third and fourth year, I was running my own company with 12 to 16 employees for that full three year period.
So I didn't go to as many of my classes as I should have. And I realized pretty early on that I You know, back in those days, a degree mattered. If I was that age today, I wouldn't go. I really wouldn't go to university today. I would opt out. I would maybe apprentice with a few companies, but I would be out running my own business now.
And I wouldn't have the patience to sit in a classroom for four years. And I really struggle right now. My 21 year old son is already running his own company. He's making $6,000 a week profit running his own business. He's in fourth year university. doing an intern exchange in Singapore. And he, he even kind of looks at me going, dad, why am I doing this? I'm like, you know, you're so close.
Just check the box, get it done. But yeah, it's five Oh, and go at this point, just get 50%.
Has he made connections at university that you think will carry him through his life?
Not really.
That for me is what I'm after.
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Chapter 3: What role does adaptability play in business success?
Yeah. No, he's made the connections by doing a couple of internships. So he talked his way into a company called Grow Rev two years ago. It's about a 60 person ad agency out of Vancouver, Canada, worked there and made some good connections. Then did an internship in London in the UK and made some good connections and got some ideas on how to run his own company.
Yeah, he's made some connections, but I think he would have made connections as a 21-year-old hanging out with 21-year-olds doing internships at companies. As a Canadian, it's not as expensive. He's Canadian, so his university tuition is only $5,000 US a year. There's a better ROI off that than going to a US college where you're spending five, six times that.
Yeah, we're at college visit age, right? And I've got, my son is incredibly talented when it comes to education. He's just got it. And he's got a 4.65 GPA.
I didn't even know that was awesome. I didn't know you could get better than a four. My wife has like a four. Yeah, you can't. I didn't know.
He's taking AP level. He's taking college level courses in high school, which is how you do that. And for me, my opinion on it is, number one, he's kind of built a little bit for academia. Now, granted, we're not going to go study the studies of past civilizations that get you nowhere. For me, if you're going to go to college, get a finance degree.
And if you want to get a law degree, get a law degree. Because with that combination, you can literally be anything.
Yeah. But don't go get a general arts degree, right? A bachelor of art.
No, absolutely not. That is a way that is a waste because it, but I want him to go like we're talking about. Yeah. Yeah. There you go. Are those your grades?
Yeah. Those are my grades, man. Those are not good grades.
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Chapter 4: How can global living influence visionary planning?
And I think for the normal person that wants to be an entrepreneur, yes, unless you can get into the Stanford and you can even get like a, maybe you can get like a scholarship to be there. That, that one might make sense. But if you're going to be an entrepreneur, I think you'd be better off going and apprenticing for four different companies, taking minimum wage.
And here's what my son did with his apprentice. He said, look, I'm going to work for you for free for four months. but I want to be able to sit in on finance meetings, marketing meetings, sales meetings, board meetings, leadership team meetings.
I want to sit in the corner of the room and I want you to allow me to observe stuff for two hours a day and work for six hours a day and I'll do it for free." And they said, yes. So he really came out of that with a real world MBA after four months. That's the style of learning that I think, and then go online, do online courses, watch videos. I think you can learn as much
as going to do a general VA.
Did you help him with his first apprenticeship? Is that something you kind of knew some people and connected? I have helped my son in that. I've done the same thing with them.
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Chapter 5: What strategies can help in crafting a vivid vision for success?
Yeah. I gave him introductions to a number of different companies, but he set up his own interviews, set up his own videos. Yeah. I didn't say go hire my kid. He kind of talked his way in those doors for sure. But I definitely gave him some introductions. The one that he landed in the UK, he did all on his own.
He found a guy in the UK that ran a student promotions business, which is what he does in Montreal, and ran a digital marketing agency, sent the guy some videos, scraped a bunch of LinkedIn emails from this guy's entire leadership team, sent it off to 12 people at the company, and they said, look, hire this kid. So that was all him. Yeah.
Is there an age you think, because I think the cool thing about the modern digital era a little bit is there's no age anymore. Is there an age where you think you can't get an opportunity like that? Like you're too old to go ask for that opportunity? Remember that movie? There was a movie with Vince Vaughn where they went and worked at Google as interns?
Well, and Tim, you know, Tim Ferriss, I've been friends with Tim since 2008. Tim decided to not do his MBA because it was going to cost him $250,000 of actual cash and opportunity costs. So he earmarked $250,000 of his own money and invested $25,000 in 10 different companies back in 2008, 2009. as a way to get a board seat or an advisor seat or to be able to sit in the room.
So it was like, I'll invest 25,000 in Evernote, but let me come to some meetings. I'll invest 25,000 in Twitter, but let me come. So he bought his MBA by, so I think, no, I don't think it's too old. I think you should have to be creative, which is what Tim did.
Well, I think if you look at Tim, I would also argue... Well, no one really... Tools for Titans, the interview process for Tools for Titans, he got an MBA.
Well, and no one really knew him when he did his investing one, right? And Michael Ellsberg did the, I think, Secrets of Millionaires. Nobody knew Michael and he interviewed all these people. So yeah, you could start your own podcast, interview all these people. you know, go to meetup groups, go to mastermind groups. You can get your way into room. You can apprentice.
I have, I've seen young students or even 30 year olds apprentice at the Ted conference, the main five day Ted, their volunteers there that are putting themselves in the room. I've seen apprentices at the genius network. I've seen volunteers at baby bathwater and YPO events, mind Valley events. So you can be, you can hustle,
Anyway, I think that the days of the normal, traditional educational route are being massively disrupted because you can access all this information online. When I went to university, I still used a typewriter. We didn't even have personal computers yet. If you were going to write an essay, you had to go to the library to pull out the book. There was no Google. So those days are gone, man.
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Chapter 6: What are the key insights on leadership and hiring top talent?
Yeah.
I need a paper on this.
Well, but we didn't, we didn't like, we had to start the paper file because I was the first president of the first fraternity in the city of Ottawa ever. What fraternity was that? What fraternity was it? It's called Acacia. Okay. So they'd started back in 1904 at University of Michigan. They had about 50 chapters in the US. We learned about them and we got mentored by their head office.
But I was literally the very first president and an active member and a pledge at the same time, which was really weird.
Yeah, I can see that. It's interesting you were just talking about about now the educational system be disrupted, because I saw an interesting comment this morning, and I don't know who said it. It was on the background. I saw it as a clip. And they were talking about that the American society broke the promise to the blue-collar workers when the housing bust went boom in 2008-9, when it crashed.
You broke that. As long as you just go to the coal mines, go to the factories, do this, we're going to take care of everything. And then they let them fail. And that's ding. And now what you're seeing is America is almost allowing that to happen to white collar employees because they're like, look, yes, you pay for this MBA, you pay for this, blah, blah, blah.
And all of a sudden I have this machine that's better, smarter, faster that I can replace you with for 20 bucks an hour.
Well, I just saw some data points around that about a week ago that something like 25 or 30 percent of the current last two years MBA classes are still unemployed, that they haven't been able to find career jobs yet, which is pretty scary that you've invested in yourself and you can't get there. Yeah, the middle class is getting decimated, sadly, in North America. It is quite sad to see.
And the second part of that equation around the global financial crisis or the housing crash was Banks really were committing fraud in allowing people to get mortgages that they knew they didn't qualify for. And some people should be going to jail for that and they're not. And that's not okay.
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Chapter 7: How can personal responsibility empower entrepreneurship?
And yes, the taxi driver who knew he was filling out the paperwork kind of fraudulently should be kind of getting slapped on that one too. So everybody was complicit in this. Anyway, yeah. Yeah.
Well, it's interesting, you know, you said we were talking about MBAs not being able to find work, right? So you as somebody that was the CEO of a major company, because 1-800-GOT-JUNK, that's a massive company and you were COO, among other things.
Well, at what point, when you're looking at potential, you know, staffing needs, talk about education versus experience and how you would weigh those scales.
Okay, so first, When a Tender Got Junk was not a massive company when I joined them. I was employee number 14.
Oh, so you just made it a massive company.
I built it. Yeah. I took them from 14 employees. I took them from 14 to 3,100 in six and a half years as their COO.
I say that's exponential growth.
Yeah. Brian was 12 years getting to 2 million in revenue. So he started in 1989. I joined in 2000. He got it to 2 million. And then I helped take them from two to 106 million in the next six years. So then it was a massive company. So your question around, what was it, around education or?
Yeah, I said as somebody that has hired top-level talent companies, what's the scale look like with education experience?
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