Daniel Lubetzky of Shark Tank reveals that the fastest way to win his trust is to admit you don't know something.
On this episode of Think Fast Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams welcomes Daniel Lubetzky, the pioneering social entrepreneur who turned one bar from his basement into KIND Snacks, a multibillion-dollar brand, and wrote the bestseller Do the KIND Thing. A Stanford Law graduate, investor on TV's Shark Tank, and founder of the Builders Movement, Daniel has spent his career proving that the toolkit behind great companies also bridges divides, a mission he continues on his new podcast, Build or Break. His approach to leadership communication spans the whole gamut, from how you listen to how you pitch, to how you direct a room's attention.
Together, Matt and Daniel discuss:
• Why 99% of listeners agree with his message and still get pulled the other way every day.
• The one-sentence admission in a pitch that makes a Shark Tank investor lean in closer, not walk away.
• A simple four-word toolkit Daniel used to build both a snack company and peace movements.
• A brand that tries to be everything to everybody ends up being a brand nothing to nobody
• Self-confidence, relentless practice, and one more ingredient make up his communication recipe.
Daniel pulls a coin trick, a camel stunt, and a Shark Tank verdict out of the same hat. And each time he puts his attention somewhere on purpose, everyone else's attention follows.
About Matt Abrahams:
Matt Abrahams is one of the most recognized voices in communication today. He teaches Organizational Behavior at Stanford GSB and hosts the award-winning Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. His work has taken him to TED, the World Economic Forum, and the UN Secretary-General's office, helping some of the world's most high-stakes presenters find their footing. His talks have racked up millions of views online, and his two bestselling books - Think Faster, Talk Smarter and Speaking Up without Freaking Out - have become go-to guides for anyone looking to communicate with more confidence and less panic.
About The Guest:
Daniel Lubetzky, a social entrepreneur best known for starting KIND Snacks, is committed to enabling individuals to collaborate across boundaries to find positive solutions to issues. In order to replace oversimplified "us vs. them" frames with nuanced, complicated, and tangible solutions created via partnerships across perceived divides, he created civic projects OneVoice, Citizen Solutions, and BUILDERS. In order to solve extremism-fueled conflicts and division in the US, the Middle East, and Ukraine-Russia, BUILDERS provides moderates with programs and resources for problem-solving. Daniel is dedicated to assisting other entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into successful companies through Camino Partners, his team's business development and investment platform.He is the author of The New York Times bestseller Do the KIND Thing, Founder and Executive Chairman of SOMOS, and a Shark on ABC's television series Shark Tank.
Key Quotes
• "We can either deny the humanity of others and try to divide, destroy, demolish, diminish. Or we can choose to wake up and think, how can I make this a better world? " - Daniel Lubetzky (01:34)
• "A brand is a promise. And a great brand is a promise well-kept." - Daniel Lubetzky (11:12)
• "If you keep trying to reinvent your brand to be everything to everybody, you'll end up being nothing to nobody." - Daniel Lubetzky (11:40)
• "The three C's of creativity, critic, and crusader really allow us to move and get the momentum we need to be successful." - Matt Abrahams (17:15)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:01 Builders vs. Destroyers
02:41 The 4 C's of a Builder
04:28 Pauses Create Positivity
07:22 What Sharks Want to Hear in a Pitch
08:51 Bet on the Person, Not the Product
10:20 “A Brand Is a Promise…”
12:42 Create. Then Criticize. Then Crusade.
15:25 The Camel in Manhattan
18:37 Matt's 3 Questions
23:12 Conclusion
Relevant Links:
• Daniel Lubetzky: https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/daniel-lubetzky/
• Build or Break Podcast:
https://daniellubetzky.com/buildorbreak
• Daniel's Book Do the KIND Thing: https://bookplease.ai/lubetzky/do-the-kind-thing-think-boundlessly-work-purposefully-live-passionately?podcast=think-fast-talk-smart
Episode References:
• Ep. 153 - How to Lead Like a Winner: A Legendary Coach's Advice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzMwJ4LLmXw / https://www.fastersmarter.io/153-listen-up-leaders-a-record-setting-coachs-guide-to-communication/
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