Brian Lee is a rock-star serial entrepreneur and incredibly successful venture capitalist. He is also a great philanthropist dedicated to leaving and impact and giving back to the community.

He is a co-founder and ex-CEO of LegalZoom, a co-founder and ex-CEO of ShoeDazzle, a co-founder and ex-CEO of the Art of Sport, co-founder and current CEO of Arena Club, and co-founder of the incredibly successful venture capital firm, BAM ventures.

Brian Lee is also an amazing person, dear friend, and a mentor and I am very grateful for having him on In Search of Excellence!

(01:04) – Working with Celebrities (Kobe Bryant and Kim Kardashian)

• Learning about the power of influencers

(08:45) – The Importance of Passion

• Arena club: Passion not only about the mission, but also the service
• The idea was to digitize the physical and build a community

(14:43) – The Entrepreneurial Desire to Fix What is Broken

• Entrepreneurs are not happy with the status quo – change them
• Good preparation is extremely important to be successful (sometimes it doesn’t work, but that’s ok)

(17:40) – Extreme Preparation at LegalZoom

(54:15) – Advice to Students Who Want to Pursue Venture Capital

• Today we have all kinds of venture capital
• Use a unique approach if you do not have industry contacts (go to events and meet people, go to LinkedIn, find mutual contacts)
• Raising capital for LegalZoom (persistence is the key, you are literally begging for money) – you have to be that annoying person

(29:06) – What’s the Secret of Work-Life Balance?

• Working around 100 hours a week, no social life, things are different now
• Tip for organizing emails

(34:20) – The Most Important Elements of Success

• Work and work ethic, being empathetic and understanding people, having a good support network
• Everyone has a different path, and every company culture is different

(39:43) – Philanthropy and Giving Back to the Community

• Brian’s philanthropic work
• The importance of doing good and making an impact

Resources Mentioned:
LegalZoom
The Honest Company

Sponsors:
Sandee | Bliss: Beaches

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