Apr 20, 2016
Summary:
In this episode, Dave interviews Steve Sims: ex-bricklayer, stockbroker for 24 hours, and now running the world’s top luxury concierge company. Listen as Steve talks about the story behind The Bluefish; his new consulting company; and his core philosophy of “getting shit done and being yourself”.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 01:20 – Opening of podcast
- 02:00 – The ‘green room’ of the podcast
- 03:00 – The Ugly Sims
- 04:30 – Dave welcomes Steve
- 05:45 – Many of the podcast’s previous guests are connected to Steve
- 06:50 – “I’m not a fucking onion...what you see is what you get”
- 07:35 – In Hong Kong, Steve started a secret society that became The Bluefish
- 08:40 – A high-end concierge service: if you can dream it, they can make it happen
- 10:00 – The origins of The Bluefish
- 10:40 – Steve talked his way into a stockbroking job and was flown to Hong Kong
- 11:00 – Arrived on Saturday and was fired on Tuesday
- 15:00 – Steve decided the way to get a job was to know rich people
- 15:40 – Worked as a concierge and started setting up passwords
- 17:25 – Finding your mold
- 18:20 – “I was an illiterate, ugly feller that got shit done”
- 19:30 – You never fail: you just educate yourself on the wrong way of doing things
- 21:30 – What’s the worst that can happen?
- 22:30 – Is it true that entrepreneurs are screw-ups?
- 24:50 – Grew up south of London
- 25:15 – Made a conscious decision to get off the building site
- 26:50 – Didn’t see himself as disadvantaged
- 27:20 – “I’m ahead of the game: I know what it’s like to be able to do stuff”
- 28:41 – Steve was a champion kickboxer: still boxes at 50
- 30:00 – The better I got at fighting, the less I fought
- 31:00 – Is being at a conference table like being in a bar fight?
- 33:00 – Be straight up with people: it’s better to know if they don’t like you
- 35:30 – Steve: “Authenticity is a bullshit word. It’s an effort to not be authentic”
- 36:10 – Don’t waste time not being yourself
- 37:00 – Steve’s wife and family life
- 39:20 – Steve’s dogs
- 41:00 – Have you ever used your business for yourself?
- 42:00 – It’s not money that makes an event amazing: it’s thought, passion, and detail
- 43:30 – Name-dropping: “I don’t want who I stand next to, to define who I am”
- 45:00 – “Constantly looking at my bank account stopped me being me”
- 46:30 – Wealth is incredibly different to money
- 48:00 – Steve’s wife is the business’ CFO: he doesn’t know how much money Bluefish makes
- 49:20 – How do you help people to think huge?
- 50:30 – You have to analyze what your client really wants
- 51:40 – People are scared to talk to you about their dreams
- 52:30 – The Challenger Sale
- 54:30 – Ugly Sims - Steve’s consulting company
- 56:30 – Working for Ferrari and Bentley
- 58:00 – $5000 for Bluefish membership
- 59:00 – Steve’s morning routine
- 1:00:30 – Dave: “Tell me about a crazy phone call you’ve had at 3 in the morning”
- 1:01:45 – Bluefish has just under 3000 customers and 12 full-time employees
3 Key Points:
- Be yourself. Put another way: don’t waste time and effort not being yourself. People will like you or they won’t
- Wealth is different to money. Wealth is in relationships, security, and loving what you do
- Learn how to get stuff done. It’s the most transferable skill you’ll ever have
Resources Mentioned:
- Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network
- The Bluefish – Steve’s luxury concierge company
- Ugly Sims - Steve’s new consulting business
- The Challenger Sale - Challenging customer relationships
Credits:
- Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives