Hmbldt CEO Gunner Winston doesn’t want to settle for best-in-class.

In part, that’s because hmbldt’s space - the cannabis industry - is so nascent, that beating their competitors just isn’t a big enough challenge.

But more than that, Gunner sees medical marijuana as simply a consumer product, no different than a lot of other CPG brands. And in the CPG space, a superior brand is a gigantic competitive advantage.

So Gunner and the hmbldt team are setting their sights higher. They’re not on a mission to build a best-in-class brand, but a world class one.

Picture the Coca-Cola of Cannabis.

By all measures, hmbldt is on a path to do it. TIME magazine named their dose pen - a revolutionary design that regulates the amount of THC patients ingest based on their needs - one of their top 25 inventions of 2016.

In this interview, co-host Sean Spear goes deep on these ideas and a ton more, learning about Gunner’s background as a hedge fund investor in consumer products, his introduction to the medical marijuana industry, and the personal habits that have helped him transition from Wall Street to the wild west of cannabis.

Links

• Hmbldt.com
• TIME’s Best Inventions of 2016

This week we’re going back to the archives, to bring you one of our earliest and best guests, Hank Fortener.

Hank Fortener is an adoption expert, speaker, and sought-after authority on culture and leadership.

As the founder of AdoptTogether.org and World Adoption Day, Hank has dedicated much of his life to helping young people who are “without a tribe” feel a sense of family and belonging. AdoptTogether’s mission is simple but powerful - to create a world in which there is a family for every child.

Through his organizations, Hank has helped thousands of families raise literally millions dollars towards adoption expenses to help bring their children home.

Luckily for us, Hank has applied much of his learning around human behavior and belonging to the business world.

In our conversation, Hank talks about the importance of empathy in organizational cultures; why solving problems is the most important job of any individual, team, or company; and why storytelling is at the heart of great leadership.

Because of the way we launched our first five episodes, not as many people heard this episode as probably should have - which is why we’re resurfacing this episode now.

Hank really set the standard of excellence for AO guests. Here is the full, unedited interview, all in one episode. Enjoy.

Key Takeaways

• Hank explains the “Why” behind his organizations AdoptTogether.org and World Adoption Day.
• Hank tells us why he prefers the word “tribe” or “team” over “family” when describing relationship dynamics in the business world.
• Hank explains why empathy is the key to effective communication and how to cultivate empathy in your preparation before public speaking.
• Hank talks about why solving problems is more important than being right, and how to set aside your own ego in order to do so.
• Hank tells us how companies and leaders can (and should) become better story-tellers.
• Hank explains why leaders should make a place for charity, goodwill, and community in their organizations.
• Hank explains why he believes that profit-only business leaders will age out of the majority of the world’s most successful companies in the coming years.
• Hank explains what he means by “real-time clear thinking,” and explains why this, in combination with an overwhelming sense of empathy, is the key to great communication.
• Hank walks us through the tactics he uses to put himself in the mind of his audience before he speaks.
• Hank breaks down what he calls the “magic of communication.”
• Hank tells us why storytelling is at the heart of great leadership and great companies, and explains why listening and observation are actually the most important traits of great storytellers.
• Hank breaks down the difference between actual meaningful communication and mere self-expression.
• Hank tells us why the most successful people say no to most things, and yes to only a few.
• Finally, Hank explains why maximizing your team’s capabilities is the mark of a great leader.

Links

• AdoptTogether
• World Adoption Day
• Mosaic
• @HankFortener on Twitter
• Hank on Instagram
• Hank on LinkedIn

Ask Erik Huberman what sets Hawke Media apart from other marketing agencies, and he doesn’t mince words:

“Most agencies suck.”

In fact, that’s one of the main reasons that Erik founded Hawke Media more than three years ago.

Hawke Media is an “outsourced CMO” company that provides creative marketing solutions to some of the coolest companies around. Hawke has seen massive growth since launch, scaling to nearly a hundred employees and landing big name clients like Verizon, InCase, Creative Recreation, and many more.

The Santa Monica-based company is also known for its positive work culture, which helped it become a Top Ten Happy Place to Work according to Happy City.

In this interview, Erik shares the hardest parts about running and scaling an agency, the lessons he learned from his no-B.S. dad, and why thinks of Hawke as the “most comfortable place to be uncomfortable.” Erik also explains the difference between a boss and a leader, and why the entire company takes a work-free “Hawkcation” together every year.

Oh - and he also describes how he cut his teeth in the cutthroat world of Beanie Baby speculation.

Links

• HawkeMedia.com
• Culture at Hawke
• @GoHawke on Twitter
• @ErikHuberman on Twitter
• Erik on LinkedIn
• Beanie Babies

In case you haven’t heard, esports are kind of a big deal.

They’ve attracted massive worldwide audiences, sold out live events at Staple Center and Madison Square Garden in mere minutes, and boast an aggregate viewership that has eclipsed traditional sports like baseball.

To bring us up to speed, we talk to someone on the leading edge of the esports revolution - Mike Milanov.

Mike is the COO of Team Liquid, a professional esports organization with 62 athletes competing in 10 different leagues, including League of Legends, Counterstrike, and Overwatch.

It might help to think of TeamLiquid like a traditional sports franchise like the Cleveland Cavaliers - if the Cavs organization also fielded teams in nine other sports.

In this conversation, Mike breaks down the ins and out of managing a successful e-sports franchise (including the lifestyle of a typical TeamLiquid athlete), walks us through his daily habits and management style, and predicts the future for this rapidly changing industry.

He also talks about why culture matters in the esports world, and why it’s so important to “say yes to the things that make you uncomfortable.”

Links

• Team Liquid
• @ThixNation on Twitter
• The DailyVee / Gary Vaynerchuck