Interview with Marty Nemko

Marty Nemko is probably the top career coach in the country, editing the career section for U.S. News & World Report as well as hosting a popular radio show in the Bay Area. I had the pleasure of being a guest on his show the other week and we chatted for thirty minutes. Here’s the link (Real Player only). Below are the show notes / his questions. I actually haven’t listened to it yet, but I recall an entertaining conversation.

1:50 – Do you really have any doubts that entrepreneurship is The Way?

2:30 – Why not being a medical researcher or heading a non-profit or being a government leader?

3:15 – Is your motivation really is to change the world?

3:30 – If your motivation is a pie, what percentage of the pie is to make big bucks? What percentage is to change the world? The percentage to make fun? What is the real ratio for Ben?

4:06 – I was fascinated by the way you spend a typical day; I want you to describe in micro detail, start from the minute you wake up. Tell me what time you wake up and tell me microscopically what you do because in the details are lots of clues to what makes you different than the millions of nineteen year olds are lacking.

4:31 – Did you cut classes in all of those days?

6:27 – You and me have a drive to get a ton done, how many hours a week would you say you are working?

7:05 – Can you, from your nineteen year old perspective, do you have any ideas as to what differentiates nuts like us from other folks?

7:35 – Were you not motivated before those people?

8:30 – Would you call happy somebody like Mother Teresa who died in poverty helping people, living in squalor and fighting malaria and all of that. I would say that she was content which in my judgment should be the goal of life, but I certainly cannot define that as happy.

9:34 – Could you describe high school for us please?

10:29 – Tell me something more, give me a specific anecdote that comes to mind about your high school life. I know you spent a lot of time cutting and going and doing your business and then going back to school, but you’re still got school and you’re still very much a part of that community. You play basketball for your high school. Give me an anecdote that exemplifies the BS of high school life.

12:38 – Why would you go to college rather than follow the rule of Steve Case or Michael Dell?

12:58 – Opportunity costs means that instead of spending a hundred and fifty thousand, or any brand name school, and years of time when your mind and energy is at its absolute maximum, think what a guy with a potential like Ben Casnocha could be doing in not just starting a business but experiencing and learning and even the dabbling you were saying, look at that as the opportunity cost.

15:00 – One of the things that you’ve done well is you network well. How much of that is simply…you’re a nice guy, you’re an interesting guy, you’re smart, you’re a verbal guy, you’re a handsome guy…very easy to network! What advice do you have for the rest of us who don’t make a great first impression?

15:34 – What if you’re shy? Studies show that 41% of people are shy. What if you’re one of those 41%?

16:35 – One of your great networking successes was you got to attend the Keiretsu Forum and thereby met a billionaire. Walk me through the steps of how you networked your way into that.

18:26 – How did you meet Marc Benioff? I mean Salesforce.com is one of the hottest hosted software companies in the world. How did you meet him?

22:00 – Do you believe that you would have been significantly less successful in the absence of your father? Your father’s tutelage and/or the lead he initially gave you?

23:42 – Tell us about the BlackBerry story.

24:55 – Since then have you checked your Blackberry in the car?

29:56 – What keeps you up at night? What do really think hard about?

31:42 – Being an entrepreneur is the key to being sure you’ll never be obsolete. Do you buy that?