“What I’ve learned is that if you really want to be successful at something, you’ll find that you put the time in. You won’t just ask somebody if it’s a good idea, you’ll go figure out if it’s a good idea.”
Get To Know Mark Cuban
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Whether you are an entrepreneur, solopreneur, freelancer or small business owner, chances are that you admire and follow successful businessman Mark Cuban.
Cuban is one of the well-known “shark” investors on the popular TV show Shark Tank. He’s also the Owner of the Dallas Mavericks and Owner of Landmark Theatres. His worth is roughly estimated to be $3 Billion U.S.A. dollars.
Cuban is a self-starter, something that became apparent in his school years. Instead of completing his senior year of high school, he chose to enroll as a college freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. Not only was he a good student but he had work experiences that helped to reinforce his strong work ethic and desire to provide a top-notch customer experience – such as a bartender, dance instructor and a party promoter. Cuban was driven and determined – after a year at the Pittsburgh school he transferred to Indiana University to obtain a B.S. in Business Administration. He readily admits that he chose this school without visiting it, but knew it was in the “top 10” of the business schools and had the least expensive tuition so it was manageable for him. Cuban continued to work while at the Indiana school, holding jobs such as working giving dance lessons and in a pub.
A couple of years out of school he began his first company, MicroSolutions. They were a software reseller. In 1990, Cuban sold his company to CompuServe in a multi-million deal, earning himself $2 million in pure profit.
Five years later he began a new company, Audionet with an alum from Indiana University. The company was later named Broadcast.com and by 1999 Cuban had more than 300 employees and his company was worth more than $10 million. Later that year he sold it to Yahoo! for $5.7 billion on Yahoo! stock.
Some might be satisfied with this stellar success, but Cuban has used this as a launching pad to become one of Forbes Magazine’s “World’s Richest People” and his net worth is estimated at $2.6 Billion U.S.A. dollars. In 2003 he purchased Landmark Theatres. He is owner or co-owner in several successful businesses focusing on entertainment and sports. Cuban joined Shark Tank in 2012 and has invested in just over 80 deals, with $19 Million of his own money at stake.
How can you follow in Cuban’s footsteps?
Shark Tip #1: Make A Plan.
Cuban realized he needed business school training from the best school to give him the tools to succeed and it put him on a great path.
Shark Tip #2: Think Big.
Even though he was only out of school a few years, Cuban felt confident to start his own business. Being an entrepreneur is hard work, often long hours when it counts to get things done. But he wasn’t shy about thinking big & it paid off!
Shark Tip #3: Continue to Grow.
One of the reasons so many admire Cuban is he is super successful. What makes him so is that he is never satisfied with the “status quo,” even if he has accomplished a huge win. He’s always looking for the next thing to reach for. To be a great entrepreneur you have to constantly grow and push hard.
