Instagram story viewer> @blake_b_johnson> Posts

Blake Johnson

@blake_b_johnson

1.3K

followers

15

following

Investor & Philanthropist
Founder of Byte/Currency/Alter
Keynote Speaker

POSTS STORIES REELS

Building something bigger is hard. Most people don’t fail because they lack talent. They run out of steam, lose faith, or stop when the pain becomes too much.

The ones who succeed are just crazy enough to keep believing, keep working, and keep going when everyone else tells them they’re going to fail.
#founder #entrepreneur #advice #trending by @blake_b_johnson

He grew up shoveling cattle waste at 3 am in one of the poorest towns in America. He has since sold five companies for billions of dollars.

Comment “Blake” and I’ll DM you the full episode.

@blake_b_johnson didn’t grow up around money or business. He grew up on a cattle ranch on the California-New Mexico border, in a town with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. A grade school principal put him on a Greyhound bus to a boarding school seven hours away, and that changed his entire trajectory.

He has since built and sold five companies. The last two went for $97 million and over a billion dollars. And he has a playbook he runs every single time.

In this conversation, Blake breaks down:

-Why he builds every company from day one with the exit already in mind
-The finite checklist that has made him a serial exit machine
-How he scaled from 100 to 500 employees during the pandemic
-Why 50% of his team moves with him from company to company
-The one thing he says every entrepreneur gets completely wrong about timing a sale

Blake Johnson keeps his word, come hell or high water. This conversation is the same.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: Search “School of Hard Knocks Podcast Blake Johnson” by @blake_b_johnson

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

One that stuck with me: know the difference between a zoo lion and a jungle lion. They may look the same, but one lives a predictable life while the other has to earn everything it gets.

Growth doesn’t happen where it’s comfortable. Nothing impressive was accomplished in the zoo.
#entrepreneur #advice #trending by @blake_b_johnson

Your environment can shape what you believe is possible. Moving beyond it starts with envisioning a different path and believing you can take it.

Think bigger than the circumstances you started in.

#entrepreneur #founder #advice #trending #fyp by @blake_b_johnson

The self-made people I’ve been around have one thing in common: they’re hungry.

They’re up early, they’ve got a lot to do, and they’re eager to get started. That drive shows up long before the money does.

What time does your day start?

#entrepreneur #founder #selfmade #advice #fy by @blake_b_johnson

You don’t need a huge budget to start seeing the world.

Save up, pick one place, and be open to a different culture. Even now, going somewhere unfamiliar can intimidate me. That feeling doesn’t always go away.

Travel responsibly, stay within your means, and push yourself beyond what’s comfortable.

Where’s one place you’ve been wanting to go?
#founder #entrepreneur #travel #advice #trending by @blake_b_johnson

On a recent trip to the UK, I noticed more of my friends wearing smaller watches with leather straps.

Understated, classic, and sophisticated.

My prediction? Over the next five years, we’ll see more people move toward that look.

Would you make the switch?
#trending #watches #fyp #watchesofinstagram by @blake_b_johnson

Travel has changed how I think about success.

Seeing different countries and cultures reminds me how much we get caught up in the rat race. Elsewhere, I’ve seen people put more emphasis on enjoying the life they’re working for.

What’s one place that changed your perspective?
#entrepreneur #travel #travelandlife #trending #advice by @blake_b_johnson

The first 36 months of building a business will test how badly you want it.

Getting something off the ground takes relentless focus, hard decisions, and sacrifice. The balance you want later takes work to build now.

What was your biggest sacrifice in the early days?
#founder #entrepreneur #advice #trending #fy by @blake_b_johnson

You don’t have to love wine to learn about it. In certain circles, it’s a big part of the conversation.

Knowing the basics can help you feel more comfortable and hold your own at the table. Take the time to learn.

#advice #trending #fy by @blake_b_johnson

Most people know Rolex and Omega. But spend enough time collecting watches, and you start looking deeper.

Patek Philippe has long been one of my favorites. This Dual Time Nautilus is a great example of the craftsmanship and complications that make watch collecting so fascinating.

What’s your dream watch?

#entrepreneur #founder #watchesofinstagram #fy by @blake_b_johnson