Cosmos

Welcome back to the show, my fellow extraordinary Americans. Today’s guest is Myron Wellock, a business development expert, consultant, and MSW Business Development Consulting Inc. owner. In 2002, he catastrophically lost his multi-million dollar business, leaving him paralyzed with self-doubt and depression. 

However, he kept going. 16 years later, he successfully reinvented himself. He’s known as a Jackhammer and has been making deals happen for 40 years. He’s the host of the Jackhammer podcast and the author of the Jackhammer Effect. He identified and brokered the deal that brought Heidi Klum and New Balance together, leading to the creation of the HKNB brand. 

He pitched his design products on the Home Shopping Network to 40 million viewers. He has negotiated strategic partnerships with well-known brands such as the New England Patriots, the Costi Tifa, Madison Square Gardens, Radio City Music Hall, and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. In addition, his consulting work has resulted in over $40 million of real estate investments. Today’s brand is the Jackhammer. He’s an extraordinary American, and I’m glad and honored to have him on the show. Myron, are you there?

Myron

Oh, you know what? I was checking to see and listening to you. If you’re talking about me or somebody else, it sounds unbelievable. You’re hired as my marketing. Just a small correction from everybody listening, but I feel American because my wife’s American.  I’m from Montreal, Canada, so technically, I’m Canadian, but I’m extraordinarily North American. My wife is from Brooklyn, New York, so probably, in many ways, she would say I’m more American than her. Let’s go.

Cosmos

No, yeah, totally; I mean anybody in America.  It’s almost the entrepreneurial spirit, isn’t it? 

Myron

Absolutely. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. It’s exactly what you say: it’s the entrepreneurial spirit. Right on.

Cosmos

So, Myron, can you tell me, the audience, a little bit more about yourself, your story, your background, and how you got started?

Myron

Yes. Yeah, it’s my pleasure. Well, as you said, I never go backward. And I’m often asked the question, you know what, you know, the classic question, which is a good question, but I don’t care to indulge in it. What would you tell your 20- or 30-year-old self? Because I’m 71 now, going on 51. And as you can jackhammer, just to put it in perspective. So people often ask people coaching my age or others, what would you tell? You know, what would you do differently when you’re younger? What would you tell me? I wouldn’t do anything. I wouldn’t tell myself anything. I look at today and tomorrow because that’s how I live. 

So, you know I ran a business. I lost it,  you said, in 2002. And what you can never comprehend when you lose something, whatever it is you lose. Of course, it’s just when something good or bad happens; you never know how you will react emotionally, physically, or mentally. You have no idea until you are disappointed or set back. Setback sets in, as you know. Okay. Or you have no idea. It hit me hard emotionally. It was a nightmare, needless to say, financially and in every other way. 

So, long story short, it took me 16 years to reinvent myself. It happened around. I was about 49 years old, if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen at 20 or 30 years old when I had a lot more Runway left. It was 16 years, literally, no exaggeration. 

So I didn’t reinvent myself. If you add that up till the late ’60s, I guess. So, yeah, 6768. So it’s a h*** of a time to reinvent yourself, as you can appreciate. But you do what you have to do. Fortunately, most important of all, I had my physical and mental health. Okay, I was emotionally in Iraq, but. But physically, I was cool. It was fine. Because without that, then I’d be screwed, as they would say. Okay, so. 

And basically, what I would do is I. Many, many, many times, as your audience should know. That’s why it took me 16 years. Not 16 weeks, 16 months. 16 years. The only reason I kept going was because I had a gut feeling. I tended to doubt near the end that I’d have another second chance to reinvent myself, which I did 16 years later. I kept going because I kept getting up every day. I kept pretending and getting dressed as if I was going to a work environment in terms of a shirt and tie. But I would formally get dressed. I would not sleep late, necessarily. I would get up as if I was working somewhere, wherever it was, whatever time that was, seven, eight, six, whatever it was. 

So I tried. That was very important to me. It still is psychologically, probably more than anything else. I also went to these meetups in Montreal, Florida, and New York; everybody has these meetups in major cities where younger people in their 20s and 30s tend to go, and their focus is generally on technology stuff. But at that age, they only have their field for the future, okay? They only have optimism and look forward to what they will do correctly to build and grow. 

So, that kind of passion and enthusiasm for tomorrow was contagious. And I love just being around it. And one time after 10 years going so, you know, it almost says you get rich and famous. Yeah, after 50 years doing something, you get rich and famous, you know, whatever, you know, that’s the overnight success. I met somebody in the real estate business who had no reason to be there because the topic of conversation around the table was not real estate. It was never; it was just technology. These people were into different forms of technology. Real estate just wasn’t on the agenda. It’s a more complicated thing. It’s just not on the agenda. 

He had no reason to be there any more than many people did, and we befriended ourselves. In the end, he needed some money to continue growing his business. In his case, it was buying properties. In that specific case, I helped him find the money. And then, eventually, he was; he needed help. He was growing strongly, quickly. He needed help finding opportunities, and I helped him. 

And then I expanded that to many, many other investors. In addition, as you correctly put it together, I put together 2012 and 2013 Heidi Kum A New Balance. Even though I was down and out, I did that because I’m very good at it. How I did it: The people I was working with had the Heidi Klum license, and they were working with Heidi Klum, who was pregnant then.

Brooklyn had finished her pregnancy, and they were looking for other opportunities. They came to me, “Do you have any ideas? “I said, “How about getting a sneaker or a running shoe partnership? “And they said she thought that was great; she loved it. But who do you suggest? “

After doing a lot of research, I suggested New Balance because, at that time, their woman’s apparel was terrible. A company called Lululemon, which you might have heard of, is rocking and rolling in their women’s apparel for gyms and workouts, and many other big companies like Nike and Adidas were copying them. But, but, but, but at that time, New Balance was not doing very much in women’s apparel. And they had a long, you know, they admittedly had nothing, and it was a tremendously powerful, important area for them to build on. 

So I thought it could be a good match, bottom line. So, after six months, they said, “Who do you know?” I don’t know anybody in the balance, but I do everything. Madison Square Garden, you mentioned Radio City Music Hall. I finally reached out. If you have something, you are tenacious enough, persevering enough, resourceful enough, and creative enough. These people are always looking for opportunities. 

Sometimes, the biggest challenge is not the opportunity but connecting to the right person, which is always the biggest challenge because, you know, how do you find the right person to talk to when you’re nobody, or they don’t know you? It’s not you that you’re Elon Musk calling, or you’re a famous person, a well-known person, where the CEO or the head of partnerships takes your call. Nobody takes your call, nobody takes your email, nobody knows you exist, nobody knows you respond. 

So, needless to say, it takes a phenomenal amount of a bit of luck, but more importantly, a ridiculous amount, a huge amount of perseverance, and creativity. Not giving up. So, eventually, I connected with New Balance. I struck a chord. I was right; I did my homework. I mean, I brought them an opportunity. I didn’t call them for any other reason or reach out. They acknowledged it. A year later, the partnership was made. So that was a multi-million dollar partnership. Tremendous. It’s still out there. You’ll still see the brand letters if you Google HK, Heidi Klum, New Balance, HK, and B. I think it is still in the New Balance portfolio, or if you go to New Balance’s website, it may not be as big as it was. So they did sneakers, they did apparel.

So it was good for Heidi Colombia and a New Balance. Today, as you can see by listening to and talking to me, I have the drive and passion of a 20 or 30-year-old, which I need. Even though what you do. So as long as my health cooperates, which it is, thank God, who knows how long. But I’m very cognizant of my age forever. I’m not 30 or 40. I’m busy with my entrepreneurial pursuits and whatever else I need to do before it’s over.

Cosmos

So, Myron, there’s so much to ask, and one of the things I wanted to ask for the audience’s sake is that this is a great comeback story. You lost your multimillion-dollar business and went through depression. 

So my question is, how did your vision come about? How did you get past those negative emotions and end up doing these mega deals, including the one with Heidi Klum? Your story is incredible. Not many people could have pulled that off. But how would you have done that?

Myron

That’s a good point. I just think, you know, I don’t know the entire answer to that. I just think I wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t ready to surrender. Even though I must tell you, I came very close many times. You know, after 16 years, if you’re, if I’m being candid, you doubt that anything will ever happen. You, you always read these comeback stories. You read these crazy, insane stories from homeless people to tremendous success. Of course, you read about the success. 

Naturally, you never read about failures, which are more than success. And you wonder why and how it only happens to others and never to you. This question is correct because it never seems to rub off on you. What are you doing wrong? And then, of course, time keeps going. It doesn’t care. It’s both your enemy’s and your friend’s time. Right. 

Depending on where you are in your life and your age. But one thing we know, it never stops. So I just didn’t. For some reason, something inside of me, It’s a very good question. I didn’t want to surrender, even though I came very close. You know, I had suicide notions. I would, you know, there’s a tremendous, big park in Montreal, much like Central Park in New York, with a similar concept. And I would go there in the summer, put the heat on, and close the door.

So, I would not punish myself but try to rejure these tough times. Know what I mean? And I am very close to the precipice of giving up. But for some reason, something aside from me said, one more shot, one more shot. And I still loved the challenge. I loved the opportunity to maybe, you know, go over that rainbow, to be bigger, more than I am. 

And I have to tell you something else for your audience, very critical if it’s possible, if you’re lucky, and I say the word lucky because luck has a lot to do with it in terms of you meeting somebody who loves you and you love them or whoever the case may be. Okay? Love is very important; it helps. It doesn’t change me. I was fortunate. As I said, my wife is married in Brooklyn and has been married for 37 years. We met standing in line at LaGuardia Airport. So she stood by me. And, of course, ultimately, I have to take care of myself and fix myself. 

So love is very important if you’re lucky enough to find it. A lot of it is luck and timing, you know, until you find that kind of right person, as we know, you just find the right opportunity. But going back, many, many, many times, I did not know how I would wake up, you know, continue the next day. But something in me just didn’t want to give up and was kind of every new corner or every new time I turned or woke up; I said, what else can I do to keep going until maybe I realize I have that big opportunity to leverage.

Cosmos

So, Myron, one thing that I wanted to know was, I know you have the brand, the Jackhammer, right? Can you tell the audience more about your concept of the Jackhammer and how it applies to business?

Myron

Absolutely. Well, a very good friend named me Jackhammer because, after knowing me for so many years, he looked at me and said, because I was looking for the name of the book you mentioned, a Jackhammer Effect. And I asked him what he thought it would be.

And he looks at me, and finally, and he says, you know, what the h*** you are, Myron? I said, well, I know what I am and am not. Yeah, I’m anything. No, you’re a jackhammer. Okay. Do you know what a jackhammer is? Eh. I said, I. I think so. It keeps going and going, and it’s work. It’s used particularly in the construction and real estate industry to make a hole where other stuff fails. 

So, the metaphor is easy. It’s simple, straightforward. It keeps going. Perseverance, stubbornness, tenacity, et cetera, et cetera. That’s what the h*** you are. Somehow you, you reinvented. 

So not only just not give up, you. You more than not give up. You’re looking for the next big opportunity. So you’re not, you’re. You’re on, you’re on a journey. You’re not just on a roller coaster of up and down. Because roller coasters go up, they go down, they go up, they go down, they stop. Right. They come to an end. Okay? I mean, hopefully, they come to an end. 

So you’re more important on a journey where, where. It never comes to an end. And it keeps going. It goes up, it goes down, everybody’s life. And that’s what you are, a jackhammer. I said, you’re right. And that’s the book’s name and the podcast’s name. So basically, as the name implies, a jackhammer is kind of an idiom now, I think, in English. 

You know, it’s just a great metaphor for anybody who never gives up and keeps going, no matter, no matter. Despite the odds, despite how, how, how, how, how rock bottom they hit, despite how difficult, how frustrating, how exact, you know, all how bad things are, they somehow are not ready to throw in the towel, to use the cliche, for whatever the reason. There may not be any reasons. 

Okay. They’re just not ready to call it a day. Some people call it a day at a lot less. And they also. I think a jackhammer is somebody who also feels one more thing: to tell you that they have something important to contribute to the bigger. They may not be aware of it, but one of the things that motivates them to keep going, to try to overcome their adversity and, to kind of blossom again and reinvent themselves, is that they have something to contribute, something important, something big, which is what I felt.

Cosmos

So, Myron, I mean, you’re, the jackhammer effect of, where you persevere is very important in entrepreneurship and business because a lot of times, you’re going to go through ups and downs, and it’s about persevering during those dark times that make the difference between success and failure.

Myron

Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing is that people will always tell you this, but it’s very true. It’s a cliche. You can’t take it personally. And to make opportunities happen, you have to try a thousand different doors. Babe Ruth, a famous baseball player, as we all know, was a home run king, but he was a home run king because he probably had more strikeouts than almost any other baseball player. 

So, there’s an obvious metaphor. You have to keep swinging. It’s a cliche, and maybe it’s a corny, stupid, dramatic cliche to many people. But cliches are cliches for a reason. Because they’re true, that’s why they’re called a cliche. It’s repetitious; everybody knows about it. But it’s not to be taken lightly. Otherwise, you’re doing yourself a great disservice and missing the point. They are exactly what they mean by cliche, whether you admit it or not. The cliche that couldn’t give a d*** about you. So you know, you keep going. That’s what Beirut or anybody else did. He kept swinging.

So you keep swinging, whatever that means, and whatever you’re doing, your life is okay. Eventually, hopefully, before it’s all over again, there’s still no guarantee you’ll hit some home runs, get on base, or get some traction, hopefully. For sure, for sure, for sure. As you well know, if you don’t try and don’t swing, I can guarantee you nothing will happen that we know for sure.

Cosmos

Many people think about making deals or mega deals when they hear Donald Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal. But from your perspective, what is the reality of deal-making, and what? I would ask about the science or the true art behind it.

Myron

I think a couple of things, especially the younger ones, go through: you have to look for mentors and align yourself with people. I think it’s important to align yourself with people who know more than you do, who have more experience, and where you can contribute. I think that would be a good thing for a younger entrepreneur to think about, I think, I think, you know, or   I said, having a mentor. Any deal opportunity, no matter what size it is, is a good deal if, in some way, it can advance you and your business. That means it doesn’t only mean dollars; it could mean exposure and social media today. 

As you know, a partnership could mean dollars, a brand-new audience, new customers, and, for example, different layers of customers. It could mean piggybacking with somebody with certain skills, expertise, and resources you don’t have. But complement so many different things today, which constitutes a good deal. It’s not just the dollars and cents, which eventually is the ultimate goal, the profitable dollars and cents. But how do you get to that level of dollars and cents? There are many steps, and I just outlined a few that could benefit you. 

And, when aligned or working in a deal, make you or your company or whatever you’re doing that much more relevant, that much more important, that much more opportunities to succeed without the deal. I believe very much in strategic partnerships. I think they’re especially for smaller ones, any size. I think they’re critical, and I think as much as possible, especially about how big the world is today, how big and how small it is in business. 

Critical partnerships are critical today for people of any size, particularly small businesses, which are the backbone of the American economy. In any economy, it’s all small businesses. And any small business will tell you the vast majority have a couple of employees—not much, millions and billions of dollars. They should always look for any kind of strategic partnership that complements what they are doing.

Cosmos

Myron, you’ve been involved with FIFA and Madison Square Garden’s well-known brands. For the audience’s sake, can you give me an example of one of your favorite deals with a brand and how you succeeded in making that deal?

Myron

Mass Square Gardens was a travel app in Manhattan, New York City. They contacted me to see if I could help them find strategic partnerships. They were startups before COVID-19, whether in 2018, 2017, 2009, or that. They were looking for ways to amortize and gain customers, and they were the technical people but weren’t the marketing, partnership, or sales kind of people. They needed that, and they saw my bio somewhere. I imagine they asked me if you could help us grow. 

So I said, I think so, what I did is they were a travel app. Remember, they were from New York, where there’s tons of travel. It’s one of the most traveled and highest destination cities globally. New York City. Of course, you don’t have to sell New York, but not at all. It sells itself, as we know, mainly, but how could they get a piece of the pie? So, to speak. 

Okay. So the bottom line is that was our slice of the pie. That was the bottom line. One of the ways I always felt was partnership.  I reviewed it and made some suggestions. They put their app in order, and they were ready to reach out. I made partnerships with tourist guides in New York and New York. There’s a whole tourist association, and there are guides, you know, as in any city. 

So I made partnerships, unique kinds of partnerships where the guide would benefit, and the app would benefit specifically with the app if people these were guides were already in business. This app was brand new, remember. So they were already in business; they had a clientele. So, I did that, which was good. Then I recorded if I could reach out to some phenomenal iconic New York institutions, which God knows there are so many in the Big Apple, Mass Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, which is, all, by the way, the same people who own Mass Square Garden, Madame Tussaud, big tourist areas. 

A lot of people felt these are big guys that wouldn’t bother with us. I mean, they are big guys, but they did bother. And why did they bother? Because I feel they felt they didn’t need us. We needed them. Of course, they don’t need us. It doesn’t probably need anybody really except expect people to come to their, you know, they already sold. They just have to have the right performance or sport, but I guess it’s been around for over a hundred years.

But they relied because they wanted to support everything in New York, and they believed in that. So it does matter, Tusso, and you’d be surprised by what people want to do. So you know, the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall. So, they want to support everything in New York, particularly startups related to the industry. 

So they supported it. People that they would offer discounts. For example, if you booked Mas Square Garden through this app, you got a nice discount, and it was an incentive. They also had, I think, some signage eventually or something they gave out talking about the app., so the app got tremendous exposure, which they couldn’t afford to ever pay for from these iconic New York institutions. I called them to find the key people, specifically, no mystery, finding who was in charge. And again, most people, with few exceptions by the way made, we made partnerships with coffee shops, smaller-scale tattoo shops, and gyms. Okay. Everybody’s looking for growth opportunities because you never know where the customers or clients will come from. And the tourist app was cool. Even though there are many, they were open to it, so why wouldn’t they be? Because there’s never enough. 

And it was based only in New York, and that’s what these guys were. They were based in Manhattan. So that’s it. So live and die. It’s not. I was talking to somebody from Boulder, Colorado, and I reached out to them. It sounds corny and stupid, but I asked, and it happens sometimes. If you don’t ask, you’d be surprised what happens when you ask. The worst I could do is for people to say no. They keep saying no to you. Keep. Someone’s going to say yes, and sooner or later, someone’s going to say yes.

Cosmos

Wow.

Myron

That’s what happened.

Cosmos

It’s interesting how, many times, people are afraid to ask, but if you go for it, the basic concept is that you lose 100 of the shots you don’t make. You know, you have to take the initiative. So that’s enough.

Myron

That’s always true. And, sooner or later, you’d be surprised. Once you get one or two, you start to pick credibility. So if you get Master Square Garden, as you know, then you tell everybody else   I Master Square Garden partnership, that, that, that puts your credibility up a million percent not because of you, but because of as well, you know, people think of course, well if it’s good enough for Master Square Garden, pretty well good enough for me. So yeah, which it is.

Cosmos

So, Myron, what was your biggest insight or revelation while working with all these big-name brands?

Myron

Perseverance. Never give up and keep, keep, keep close to them. He builds a relationship with them, finds out, and won’t be satisfied with just one opportunity to deal with them. Find out. Always explore how you can leverage that opportunity for them, and you Remember, it’s got to be a two-way street. You got to otherwise got to be win, win. Otherwise, no one’s interested in you. You have to bring them something to give you that they could leverage.

Cosmos

So, Martin, many people, if they want to work with big name brands, but they’re intimidated by them and feel they’re the level, the leverage factor, there’s an imbalance in leverage where they have no leverage on these big name companies. 

So, if you’re the underdog in this situation, how would you get the leverage or credibility to work from, let’s say, you’re starting as a young entrepreneur?

Myron

Well, that’s the challenge. You know, I’m not afraid. You know, I don’t care. I don’t take it personally. Someone says no, they say no. It depends. I have to be satisfied first. The key, I think, to many of these people having any hope of success is what they offer this brand. 

You can’t just call, email, or reach out with nothing. You have to have something to offer them. I always did. Sometimes, they were bigger than others, but I had something. So the critical thing is, what do I have that they may want?

Cosmos

I see. No, yeah, that’s true. You always have to know what value you’re giving to someone.

Myron

Yeah. What value are you bringing to them? If you’re not bringing value, they won’t be interested. I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t be interested in you either.

Cosmos

I mean, yeah, it’s a very simple thing. It comes down to the basics of entrepreneurship and business: It’s all about giving value. What can you give to the other person? And I would want the audience to know that. You have to know what your target audience wants or what the person you want to make a deal with wants and gives.

Myron

That to them, you know, but you can’t be afraid. It is easier than that because if you’re afraid, you just. Nothing’s ever going to happen.

Cosmos

Yeah.

Myron

Question. Shyness costs you money. Never forget that. It costs you money. Cost you accomplish it. Shyness costs you money.

Cosmos

Yeah, I mean, it almost sounds like a cliche, but it’s so true.

Myron

I guess it is a cliche, but it’s true.

Cosmos

No, yeah, you’re pretty right. Admirer.

I want to ask you something about your book. I know you wrote the Jackhammer Effect, but can you tell the audience more about the book’s details?

Myron

It’s called Jackhammer Effect, how to Break Down Doors and Make Business Deals Happen. I think I try to remember those who believe they cannot. It’s a very general recipe menu that everybody should curate and tailor. 

It’s an exercise book, so you pick up and read pages 1 to 10. Then you leave it alone. You come back and start at page 50. It’s just a way of following up from inception to identifying an opportunity, particularly a partnership, but any opportunity, to the very end of hopefully completing it and making it happen. That’s what it’s about. 

The steps along the way, the highlight steps, and the key points to follow are on. There’s room to write in there, to write your notes to the Workbook guiding workbook that people will need to adopt and adapt for themselves. You know, some things will make more sense than others. Some things will not be there. That should be there for them. They can make their notes, and that’s cool. It’s just a general exercise guideline book.

Cosmos

That is amazing. I would want the audience to take a look at this book because it’s on Amazon. It’ll help them attain success. So yeah, I would want them to look at the Jackhammer effect and learn the secrets of success there.

But I know you also have a podcast called The Jackhammer. What was the premise behind your starting this podcast?

Myron

Yeah, it was interviewing entrepreneurs who’ve managed to overcome adversity who, you know, I am with positive people, uplifting people, you know, who I failed with in the future. I don’t have any time or patience for people who are toxic, negative, or pessimistic.  I don’t have any patience for that. There’s enough. This is what I can do on my own. I don’t need anybody. Thank you. 

So basically, it’s trying to find people principally in the business entrepreneur. But it could be anybody from any walk of life who’s accomplished something. You don’t have to build a Tesla, but a cop, far from it. But accomplish something, whatever that is, and have an extremely uplifting, positive approach and mindset, as the cliche uses the can to offer the audience and be an inspiration, which I think is more critical and urgent than ever.

Cosmos

That is amazing. Meyer M. and Maya, can you explain how the audience wants to connect with you and learn more about you and your work, how they would do so, and if they have any questions?

Myron

No, I’d love to, I think, LinkedIn. If you post my LinkedIn or my name, Myron Welilk, they can see me on LinkedIn. Reach out on LinkedIn. It is my pleasure. I loved it.

Cosmos

Love. That is amazing—my admirer. I’m so grateful you took the time to come to this podcast and share your story because, many times, people do business. Then, they go to many failures, but the ability to come back from the brink is the essence of entrepreneurship, and it’s what makes the difference between success and defeat. And I’m really glad you shared this story with us, and I hope you return to the show later.

Myron

Yeah. And it’d be my honor. First of all, thank you a million times for inviting me. It’s been a pleasure. You’re a real class and pro, and people have to remember, even though it’s not a nice thing to talk about, failure is much, probably much more part of a business or anything in life than success. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and it’s something that you have to deal with no matter what it is. If you can’t deal with overcome, you’ll have a h*** of a hard time finding Ed’s success. That’s the bottom line.

Cosmos

No, Myron. It is the essence of everything we do in business and many other places in life. But I want to conclude this episode by letting my fellow extraordinary Americans know that, hey, look, there’s an extraordinary within every one of us. We must awaken it and unleash it. Until next time. Bye for now.