I recently went one-on-one with Kris Dehnert, Founder and CEO of Dugout Mugs.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Kris: It’s been an interesting journey to say the least… I would have to say that it all started at Gold’s Gym, selling memberships. That is where I learned how to connect with people, communicate with people, and really fine-tune my sales abilities. From there, I moved on to flipping houses in 2008, to running some of the biggest fan page communities online for celebrities and athletes, and eventually really found my groove in apparel. I was able to leverage the large social media accounts to sell millions of dollars of print-on-demand T-shirts, at which point I fell in love with e-commerce.
I’ve learned several lessons along the way as well. I learned about investing and how to lose 90% of your portfolio by getting involved in things you had no knowledge of, interest in, or ability to impact. I also learned a lot about branding, marketing, and customer engagement. This has served me well along the way for sure… However, the most valuable lesson I learned revolved around time! In 2015, I had a life-threatening experience, which was transformative in the way I viewed everything from that moment on. The crazy part is that it was a very common situation. I simply ruptured my appendix… What I didn’t do was go into the hospital for a week because I had “things going on” with business. By the time I got there, I had a football-sized abscess in my core that could rupture at any moment, and I would die within hours.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Kris: I’m sure I could come up with a vanilla answer here, but the truth is, business ideas come to me. I focus on my core strengths: marketing, branding, networking, and promotion. If opportunities land on my desk that check all the boxes, I usually move forward. Basically, I’m very clear and transparent on where my strengths lie, which ultimately brings the right deals and ideas to me.
As far as my advice to others is concerned, I always tell people to “Chase the happy and not the money because you will usually find both.” What I mean by this is to understand what is really going to drive you long-term, and not just what could make the most money. Life is short, and it is absolutely possible to flourish and all while doing something you love!
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
Kris: Kris: Ask better questions (and then shut up and listen!) I believe that what you think doesn’t matter nearly as much as the feedback you will get from other when you ask the right questions. I heard this quote a long time ago, and it always stuck with me… “Never fall in love with potential,” which simply means, don’t be romantic about an idea. Ask the right questions, poll your audience, trust the data, and don’t be scared to take a bad deal out back behind the barn, ha ha!
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Kris: This is not as simple of a question as it sounds. I think everybody has a different version of “next level,” and understanding what your personal version of success is trumps everything else. What do YOU value? Time? Money? Experiences? Legacy? Fun?
Once you figure that out, I think the most important component in scaling up a business is knowing your role and getting the hell out of the way of other people. It is paramount to know your superpower and stay in whatever lane allows you to do it the most frequently. I always tell consulting clients, “Do what you do best and outsource the rest!”I realize that other entrepreneurs do not always see things this way, and I’ve even been in partnerships where the other person thought that “If you don’t know something, go learn it,” but that never really made sense to me. Best-case scenario is that you become average at a new thing when there is already someone out there who is a master of it. Speed is powerful when growing a business… speed of implementation… speed to market… speed prevents paralysis, etc., and the best way to implement speed is to bring in people who already know what you don’t.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Kris: I think a superpower of mine is being unapologetically authentic. Authenticity in today’s world is rare, unfortunately, so when you integrate it into everything you do, it screams! I’m not saying be in people’s face about politics, religion, and parenting… But I will say, living behind a façade is never going to get you where you’re trying to go. People want to interact with people/companies/brands that are aligned with them.
Also, understanding that you are not for everybody and that is OK. I often speak to entrepreneurs about networking, and the first thing I tell them is that 75% of the people you meet are not relevant to you or your business. It’s OK to not force synergy, but understand that, though they may be a great person, they are not important on your journey. The faster you find your immediate sphere of influence, the faster you can run.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Kris: I think a true leader understands that the team is more important. In almost every scenario, if the entire team walks out today, the company screeches to a halt. If the leader walks out of the company, though it may run less efficiently, the heart keeps beating. That said, I think the ability to communicate with your people is the most important piece one can focus on.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Kris: I love to say “Give direction, not directions.” This speaks directly to the ability to create a vision. If your team can see the goal, smell the goal, hear the goal, feel the goal, and know that’s where we are all walking towards, micro-managing becomes irrelevant.
As far as building a team is concerned, don’t ask a fish to climb a tree! DIS C, and other types of personality tests can be extremely helpful. You need to understand the person and then teach them the job. Realize what personality traits are going to allow them to do that particular position more effectively.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Kris: Life is short, do what you love, and never trade time for money.
Everything is negotiable, and creating a “win-win situation” does not always require the same currency. Ask better questions and understand what matters to all of the parties.
You don’t lose until you quit. You certainly can be losing, but your ability to persevere could be the difference between winning or losing.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Kris: I’ve received so much good advice over the years, and oftentimes it came from places I was not expecting. I think all of that advice, combined with my life experiences thus far, brings me to this statement… Life is too short to take seriously. Focus on what matters, have fun, be stingy with your time, and remember you are going to screw up. Get up and keep it moving!
