Living The American Dream

" Welcome back to money from -- this weekend on Lexus like joined by Chris Cotter -- special holiday edition of money for breakfast happy July 4 weekend. Eight Connie -- signs of life and the Obama administration hits a six month mark -- trying to pull the US out of the recession. Unemployment is over 9% but the hemorrhaging of job losses has slowed. Consumer confidence meanwhile is at its highest level since February of last year. And according to The Wall Street Journal Wall Street effect -- its best quarter since the beginning of the credit crisis. So -- America headed in the right direction we're joined this morning by Chris Carter. Author of start where you are and CEO of Christopher Carter international holdings Jon Drummond in the president had been injured dot com and you cycle dot com. And Apple came in their lipstick queen and you can see that gorgeous blue lipstick on her right now. Good morning everybody happy July 4 thank you guys so much for being here. I couldn't -- let me start with you. -- had this really really long and storied career I PM in addition to your father and would affect. You cycle business. Wake up everyday and -- how did you do it."

" Well I had ridden as a kid and I wrote from like age twelve to sixteen and then put it away when I got my driver's license you can't pick up to date on the inside obviously. But. Fast forward when I hit age forty I had gained a pound a year for -- since high school. And I wanted to do something to lose weight of solace a sort of run a little bit and then look at how little further every day. And I noticed on line that there were other people that were doing the same thing and I noticed there wasn't anybody really serving that market so. At the same time I was working for IBM they came out -- this program called home page creator they help me build a website that actually got me out of my job."

" You know I'll look at that -- Christmas you and I talked a lot of that obviously your American dream story is one that most people in this country you know a lot of now. Pursue the American dream especially when things -- as challenging as they are right now."

" First of all I honestly believe. The got to forget about challenges forget about this environment. It choose to do something your truly passionate about just listening to the young men earlier talk about oh. Creatively you know cycle business this something you spoke strongly of passionate about this is that time."

" You know pop you're you're shaking your head how have you thinking yeah yeah yeah yeah I -- you let you work. The job in corporate America terrific job -- to go start your own business want to do it had to get the confidence to do it. Well because --"

" Living in America -- here I'm originally from Australia. That I came -- to America to be out of the culprit America I never intended to actually got back to being an entrepreneur. But the American dream is about ingenuity. And unfortunately I think a lot of corporations have trouble maintaining ingenuity. And so when I came here and I realize how and this country is. To people with good ideas and passion people -- and passionate about things is very few. Societies in consumer markets around the rest of the world that I've experienced. With passion can take you so. As a Canon Americas I just couldn't help. They've got back to being an entrepreneur he -- teachers can -- I was noticing some your comments we were talking earlier -- said there's a difference between the entry point into creating your own business and unites states versus Europe but there's also a difference in how much that customer is willing to stay with you. Absolutely save fifteen at the American my -- Ease and I think it's at their customer is he had and -- is here as so often underrated. An underestimated in house -- they have with their choices. How much power the customer has and I think when you see something lie. A company like general my it is such a big behemoth. Foale ultimately because it not for use in music listening to the customer. The thing with the American consumer that is that fast so I think now willing to believe that you cannot fool them and that's a challenge that. Entrepreneur is absolutely relish I don't think sometimes it's a challenge that corporations relish. But on troop tennis and that's what I accidentally and joy at that the American customer. Then spy means frankly I had a very difficult time of my business in this I knew that if anticipated being entrepreneurial and I thought I'm done with that. It was the custom in America and they willingness and openness to new ideas that inspire me back -- that customer."

" John in New York case took what you thought was gonna -- aside while you were at IBM and an intern getting to a multimillion dollar business. An old by the way he said let me start banjo business at the same time. What do you and the where with all the know how to say these are viable business is that I can support my feeling --"

" I have to be honest with I had no idea that we can sell enough few cycles to support us what follows is going to be hobby business. And fact after the first month of -- we get a thousand sales. I just wanted to get enough money that I could go to Amy and say hey I want in my new units like -- and get me hard time about. The second month we hit. The second month we hit 9000 sales and that's what I said enough we consult thirty you know cycles a month consistently we could buy new car and her car was dying and we needed once. Legislating grew from there. There you replace my salary in seven months."

" Howl and then I love these shots and John on the units like I I need to get some lessons at a I think. I don't. But what Christmas you can advice to people particularly in this environment a lot of people say the administration's not doing enough for small businesses since they are at the biggest job creator in the country. What do you need to do what advice do want to give people out there about how they go out and achieve it."

" I think one of the things that all of us small business people have accepted is that. Somethin' up talked a great deal about looked at calvary is not coming. We must continue to do and -- and see for ourselves the future that we want to create. Hi myself and a lot of other small business people that I'm very familiar where we're now waiting for the calvary to come -- continue to go forward on oral."

" And popular that creates opportunity for people like you absolutely acting now has an amazing time because. -- focus -- on people's imagination this is there aspiration and when you have a consume them -- where people are looking to be inspired this -- Aspiring to status seeking -- an amazing. Opportunity."

" It's funny I I want to grab it could listen up -- lipstick Kool aid and I probably haven't properly fit what is that popping gas and -- to her. Her lipstick business the beautiful red I'm. You salad major department stores that you also appear on TV and -- during the break I think you. What percentage your profits come from need to nice and he will -- open a lot of doors you have to put in that door."

" Well QVC is amazing and I had to tell you talking about the American dream I mean QVC embodies it in the sense that it's a platform where everyone has to -- That ultimately the consumer decides he's going to be successful is that all about authenticity on that channel its -- GQ out of what you're saying. And -- getting into QVC's something net -- you have to have a story. This is not about marketing muscle well advertising dollars this is about having a story and I think. This system land and country about stories. -- You -- now with one of your other businesses. What do you do in the face that challenge."

" You know we try to hit that we saw the first downturn in sales on our -- just signed in August of 07. And so we -- in the back a little industrial park and so I thought let's -- this head on we're going to raise awareness and move into major shopping mall. So you know felt like I didn't want to sit still wanted to try something different. And we and crystals was a Blockbuster night even if I had high hopes of putting a -- that are common every mall in the country you know as pretty optimistic. But on January payment of sales fell and we held on for eight months and finally moved out. And the it was a really tough time because those were the way too many hours but you know eyes are still feel good that we at least tried that. And so once I found out that's not going to work and and then I'll pull back and try something else and so we just changed our strategy and we're actually on the comeback now."

" Well that is a great example you gotta be willing to adapt and change with the times. All three -- John poppy great inspiring stories and as I mentioned in. Lessons of the lipstick clean and Chris Gardner of course the start where you are author. You can get both books of course online and in bookstores terrific having you guys thanks and happy July -- I know that."