Here’s what Mark Cuban has to advise his younger self
In today’s fast-paced life, we have numerous career options. In such times, it’s recommended to seek advice from people who have made a mark in society.
Mark Cuban’s journey inspires many. Not only for his humble beginnings but also for his net worth of $4.6 billion, according to Forbes.
And, NBA (National Basketball Association) fans must know that Mark Cuban owns the 2011 World Champion team Dallas Mavericks. The billionaire started learning the art of sales at a young age and recognised his entrepreneurial spirit.
In today’s fast-paced life, we have numerous career options. We end up either choosing what our peers take or something exciting without accessing future opportunities.
In such times, it’s recommended to seek advice from people who have made a mark in society.
In a TikTok video with the School of Hard Knocks, Mark said, “When you understand what people need and want, you put yourself in a position to help them. Then you make good things happen, close deals, and that’s how you create companies.”
At the young age of nine, Mark picked up the art of entrepreneurship when he sold garbage bags door to door to pay for an expensive pair of basketball shoes.
A few years later, he sold stamps and coins to earn some cash. By the time Mark was in university, he had numerous ventures under his belt. He was a bartender, was giving Disco lessons, and was also involved in chain letters.
In 2016, he said on NPR’s “How I Build This” podcast that he wasn’t afraid of losing his money.
“I would get a job as a bartender at night and a sales job during the day, and I would start working,” Cuban said, adding, “To be a billionaire, you have got to get lucky… Could I become a multi-millionaire again? I have no doubt.”
It was in 1983 that Mark was inspired to start his venture when he was fired from a software shop for closing a $15,000 sale instead of opening the store.
Mark went on to launch a video portal Broadcast.com, which he sold to Yahoo.com for $5.7 billion in 1999.
Today, he not only owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks but has stakes in Magnolia Pictures, AXS TV, and dozens of startups.
Also the best-selling author of “How to Win at the Sport of Business,” Cuban was named the winner at the GQ Men of the Year in 2006 for multiple companies, including Costplusdrugs.com — a website that sells medications at industry-low pricing with total cost transparency. Cuban founded the company with Dr Alex Oshmansky.
1560173931988.jpg?fm=png&auto=format&h=100&w=100&crop=entropy&fit=crop)
In numerous interviews before, the billionaire had said if he would get a chance to advise his younger self, he would tell him to stay being a salesman. In 2018, he mentioned that sales is all about helping customers find products and services they need.
“If you can’t create a benefit for them; if you can’t show them why your product is going to be better for them and their life than other options out there or what they were doing before — you are not going to have a company,” he had said.
Apart from being a media producer and entrepreneur, Mark Cuban has appeared as a judge on the popular ABC show "Shark Tank", where he has invested over $22 million in more than 85 deals over 111 episodes.
Mark believes in investing in mission-driven companies such as Luminaid, which provides lighting to disaster areas, and Mahmee, a maternal healthcare tech company.
“It doesn't matter if the glass is half-empty or half-full, all that matters is that you're the one pouring.” - Mark Cuban.
Edited by Suman Singh