We just got back from the most recent Secret Knock seminar and are in awe of the amount of information we received and the connections we made while we were there! For those that don’t know, Secret Knock is an extremely exclusive, invitation only gathering of entrepreneurs and investors. We met so many amazing individuals while we were there, and learned so many invaluable things that we can apply to our business! Here’s some of the amazing people we got to meet with while there…

Mark Anthony Bates is probably the best-connected man you’ve never heard of; he travels the globe speaking with elite coaching clients, diplomatic organizations, and world leaders. You won’t find him on social media or on his own web site, he doesn’t promote himself yet his name carries tremendous weight in highly influential circles. As someone who coaches other coaches as well as professional speakers, Mark knows what it takes to make people feel at ease and how to create a connection. When he attends an event he goes in with the intention of genuinely connecting with the people there, not to get anything for himself but to know them and see if an organic relationship develops.

Patrick John “Pat” O’Brien is an American author and radio host, best known for his work as a sportscaster with CBS Sports from 1981 to 1997, as well as his work as the anchor and host of Access Hollywood from 1997 to 2004, and The Insider from 2004 to 2008. O’Brien covered six Olympic Games, two for CBS (1992 Winter and 1994) and four for NBC (2000, 2002, 2004 and 2012). He has also covered the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and Final Four as a pregame host while at CBS. He wrote the book Talkin’ Sports: A B.S.-er’s Guide, published in 1998, and released an autobiography, I’ll Be Back Right After This, in 2014.

Lesley Candace Visser is an American sportscaster, television and radio personality, and sportswriter. Visser is the first female NFL analyst on TV, and the only sportscaster in history (male or female) who has worked on Final Four, NBA Finals, World Series, Triple Crown, Monday Night Football, the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Figure Skating Championships and the U.S. Open network broadcasts. Visser, who was voted the No. 1 Female Sportscaster of all-time in a poll taken by the American Sportscasters Association, was elected to the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association‘s Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2009, Visser became the first woman to be an analyst for an NFL game on TV. She is currently a reporter for CBS Sports and News, writes for CBSSports.com and is also part of WFTL 640 Fox Sports’ morning drive in South Florida, as well as one of the hosts of a CBS Sports Network weekly television show, We Need to Talk. Visser was the first woman to be recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the 2006 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award which recognizes long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football. Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman said about Visser in his 2006 induction speech, “She brought respect and professionalism to the field of journalism for her work in print and broadcasting. It makes me proud to be in her company today.” A pioneer among women sports journalists, Visser re-joined CBS Sports in August 2000 after a six-year hiatus. She was formerly the sideline reporter for Monday Night Football among other assignments she had at ESPN and ABC Sports, such as the World Series, the Triple Crown and the World Figure Skating Championship. She serves as correspondent for the network’s NFL and college basketball programming.

Tonino Lamborghini is the son of Lamborghini founder Ferruccio Lamborghini. He runs a merchandising company under his name that sells non-automotive Lamborghini-lifestyle luxury products such as clothing apparel, hand-built luggage, model cars, furniture, Bicycles, golf accessories, Watches, pens, eyewear, perfumes, etc. The company has stores worldwide such as Hong Kong and Italy.

Joshua Daniel “Josh” Flagg  is an American real estate agent, author and television personality as an original cast member on the show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles on the Bravo television network. The show follows young real estate agents in Los Angeles as they sell high-end homes. He has been with Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills since 2012. Flagg has authored two books, A Simple Girl: Stories My Grandmother Told Me, published in 2009, and Million Dollar Agent: Brokering the Dream which was published in 2011. Flagg was featured on Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 in 2012 as a top record-breaking real estate agent. He has also been featured on NBC‘s Today Show, ABC‘s Good Morning America and Bravo’s Watch What Happens: Live.

Gene Landrum is a high-tech start-up executive turned educator and writer. As a businessman he originated the Chuck E. Cheese concept of family entertainment among other entrepreneurial ventures. After years of interacting with creative and overachieving personalities he decided to document the inner workings of what made them tick and did his doctoral dissertation on the Jungian Psychology of Success. Dr. Gene lectures extensively on the vagaries of eminence and teaches MBA’s at the Hodges University graduate school in SW, Florida. Robert Toth, a creative genius in sculpturing wrote in 2010, “Dr. Landrum, you have been my inspiration from your first book, Profiles of Genius. Last night I stayed up all night reading The Superman Syndrome. Thank you, thank you thank you for being my inspiration. My family thought I was weird but you have validated my life’s calling.” Author Lee Milteer in an introduction in 2010 said, “Dr. Gene, your books have been the most inspiring of anything I’ve ever read. You are one of the true experts on entrepreneurship and one of the best thinkers of today.”

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Clarissa Burt is an Entrepreneur, television/video producer, public speaker, author, writer, award-winning actress and emcee has all the makings of a best selling novel. At 18, Clarissa was a top model with the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency in Manhattan. Soon after she moved to Milan and quickly began appearing on over a hundred magazine covers such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan as well as on most of the major runway shows in Milan, Rome, Paris, New York, and Japan. This led to work for cosmetic houses Revlon, Dior, and Carita’, Helena Rubenstein and her selection as the worldwide “Face” for Orlane Cosmetics.

Steve Sims is the founder of Bluefish, an executive concierge service. The company arranges trips for clients. Previous trips Bluefish has coordinated for clients include diving trips to the Titanic, flight into space, treks to the North Pole, shark diving, fighter jet flights over Moscow, and others. Bluefish arranged a client to be married in the Vatican, one client to sing live on stage with the rock band Journey, and another to have a private dinner at the foot of Michelangelo’s David while being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli. Bluefish Concierge was the official concierge of the 2005-2007 Kentucky Derby. The company opened an office in Australia in 2010. Sims previously worked as a stockbroker in London and Hong Kong, where he went to parties and met their attendees, forming the network that would initially support Bluefish.

Scott Duffy is a TV/Online host, keynote speaker, and business growth expert. He began his career working for best-selling author and speaker, Tony Robbins, and went on to work for several big media brands like CBS Sportsline, NBC Internet, and FOXSports.com. Next, he founded Smart Charter, an online booking tool for private aviation, which was acquired by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

Scott is a champion for entrepreneurship. He has been listed as a “Top Keynote Speaker” by Entrepreneur and Forbes. He has spoken at the NYSE and provided commentary in numerous media outlets including CNBC, FOX News, and CBS Radio. He is the Co-Host of Business & Burgers “Presented by Microsoft”, Special Project Editor at Inc.com and Best-Selling Author of Launch!, a roadmap for building great companies.

John Thomas Salley is an American retired professional basketball player, actor and talk show host. He was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises, as well as the first player (and only one of two, the other being Tim Duncan) in the NBA to win a championship in three different decades. After being drafted in the first round out of Georgia Tech in 1986, the 6’11 (2.11 m) Salley played both power forward and center for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Panathinaikos and Los Angeles Lakers. He was a long-time host of the former Fox Sports Net show The Best Damn Sports Show Period.

 

Dan Fleyshman is the youngest founder of a publicly traded company in history. At the age of 23, after selling 15 million dollars worth of clothing in six department store chains and surpassing expectations with his 9.5 million dollar licensing deal with STARTER apparel, Mr. Fleyshman launched the “Who’s Your Daddy” energy drink into 55,000 retail stores and military bases. 10 years after starting his licensing company in high school, Dan went on to launch Victory Poker in 2010, building the third largest team of professional players out of the 550 poker sites on the market.

Mr. Jules A. Haimovitz serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Global Entertainment & Media Holdings Corporation. Mr. Haimovitz is a Management Affiliate at MidOcean Partners. He serves as President of the Haimovitz Consulting Group. He has 37 years of operating experience in the media and entertainment industry. His experience incorporates all aspects of operating and managing diverse businesses through all their various phases. He served as Special Consultant to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at MGM Networks, Inc. till 2004. From June 1999 to July 2001, he served as President of MGM Networks, Inc. He joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in June of 1999. From 1987 to 1993, Mr. Haimovitz served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Spelling Entertainment Inc. From 1976 to 1987, he served in various senior executive positions with Viacom, Inc., including President of the Viacom Network Group and President of Viacom Entertainment Group. From June 1997 to July 1998, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer at King World Productions, Inc. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of ITC Entertainment Group from 1993 to 1997. He served as a Consultant to Liberty Media with regard to its evaluation of Universal Studios and its assets during the summer of 2004. Mr. Haimovitz was employed by DIVA Systems Corporation, as an Executive Vice President from Entertainment Inc. He started his career with ABC Television in 1971. From June 1999 to July 2004, he served in various capacities at Metro Goldwyn Mayer Inc., including President of MGM Networks Inc. From July 2002 to July 2007, Mr. Haimovitz served as Vice Chairman and Managing Partner of Dick Clark Productions Inc. From his starting-up the Showtime, Lifetime, Sundance and Smithsonian cable channels, he led and subsequently managed various acquired companies such as MTV Networks, to presiding over ‘turn around’ companies such as Aaron Spelling Productions. He serves as the Chairman of Electus/Engine Distribution and serves as its Member of Advisory Board. He was the Chairman of the Library Task Force. Mr. Haimovitz has been a Director of Imclone Systems LLC since May 10, 2007. He serves as Director of TVN Entertainment and GNet Productions. He serves on the Board of the Brooklyn College Foundation. He has been a Director of Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from May 4, 2016 to February 16, 2017. Mr. Haimovitz served as a Director of Blucora, Inc. (formerly Infospace) from October 24, 2005 to May 21, 2014. Mr. Haimovitz served as a Director of Video Jukebox Network and Orion Pictures Corporation, Spelling Entertainment Inc., Showtime, King World Productions, Inc., and The Movie Channel and Lifetime. He served as a Director of Blockbuster Inc. from 2003 to 2009 and BB Liquidating Inc. from May 2006 to April 26, 2011. Mr. Haimovitz served as a Director of DIVA Systems Corporation since December 1996. He served as a Director of Spelling Entertainment Inc. He served as an Independent Director of Westwood One, Inc. (formerly, Dial Global, Inc) since October 21, 2011. He holds a dual B.A. degree in Mathematics and Communications, as well as an M.A. degree in Mathematics from Brooklyn College.

 

Devon Harris (born 1964) is a Jamaican retired bobsledder and military officer. He was one of the founding members of the Jamaica national bobsled team, which first competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Nicknamed “Pele” after the famous football star, Harris went on to compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1998 Winter Olympics. Harris grew up in the Kingston ghetto of Sunrise Drive in Olympic Gardens (known as “Waterhouse,” or “Firehouse,” because it was a volatile area). A graduate of Drews Ave Primary School, Ardenne High School, and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Harris had been an avid football player and track and field participant, with his dream being to represent Jamaica in the 1984 Summer Olympics in the 800m and 1500m events. Since the idea for a Jamaican Bobsled Team was pitched to the Jamaica Defence Force, Harris, as a Lieutenant in the Second Battalion, first came across the proposal in a weekly army publication called “Force Orders” in September 1987. The text had called for those who wished to “undergo rigorous and dangerous training” to represent Jamaica in the Winter Olympics. Harris initially thought the idea was ridiculous, but was eventually convinced to participate by his colonel, Lt. Col Eddy Andre . At the team selections, Harris ended up with the fastest push time. Harris returned to the military after Calgary and later became a civilian in 1992 after his second Olympics. He now works as a motivational public speaker and writer. Harris wrote the 2008 children’s book, Yes, I can! : the story of the Jamaican bobsled team, illustrated by Ricardo Cortes.

 

Scott Edward Parazynski (born July 28, 1961 in Little Rock, Arkansas) is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. A veteran of five Space Shuttle flights and seven spacewalks, Parazynski’s latest mission was STS-120 in October, 2007 – highlighted by a dramatic, unplanned EVA to repair a live solar array. He retired from NASA in March 2009 to pursue opportunities in the private sector. He is the only person to have both flown in space and summited Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth.

Leah Marie O’Brien-Amico is an American, former All-American, left-handed-hitting softball player from Chino, California. O’Brien-Amico is best known for playing for the Arizona Wildcats (1993–1997, winning three National Championships) and earning gold medals at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

David Meltzer is an American business executive, author, and humanitarian best known for his work in the field of sports marketing. He is also a featured speaker at conferences, corporate meetings, seminars, and other events along with being featured, interviewed or quoted in media including The New York Times, Sporting News, the International Business Times, Fox Business, and Bloomberg News. In 2014, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and honored as a Knight of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta, the world’s oldest humanitarian organization. Meltzer was named a “Top 10 Keynote Speaker” by Forbes magazine in January 2016. In February 2016, Meltzer was awarded the Sports Humanitarian of the Year award at the Variety Unite4:Humanity event in Beverly Hills, California.

Edward Joseph Snowden  is an American computer professional, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, and former contractor for the United States government who copied and leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013 without authorization. His disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments. In 2013, Snowden was hired by an NSA contractor, Booz Allen Hamilton, after previous employment with Dell and the CIA. On May 20, 2013, Snowden flew to Hong Kong after leaving his job at an NSA facility in Hawaii, and in early June he revealed thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Ewen MacAskill. Snowden came to international attention after stories based on the material appeared in The Guardian and The Washington Post. Further disclosures were made by other publications including Der Spiegel and The New York Times. On June 21, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed charges against Snowden of two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property.^[5] Two days later, he flew into Moscow‘s Sheremetyevo Airport, but Russian authorities noted that his U.S. passport had been cancelled and he was restricted to the airport terminal for over one month. Russia ultimately granted him right of asylum for one year, and repeated extensions have permitted him to stay at least until 2020. He reportedly lives in an undisclosed location in Moscow, and continues to seek asylum elsewhere in the world. A subject of controversy, Snowden has been variously called a hero, a whistleblower, a dissident, a traitor and a patriot. His disclosures have fueled debates over mass surveillance, government secrecy, and the balance between national security and information privacy.

Tyson Apostol  is an American reality television personality, best known for his appearances on multiple seasons of the CBS reality television show Survivor. Apostol originally competed on Survivor: Tocantins in 2009, returning as a villain on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains in 2010. In 2013, he returned to the show for his third season, and ultimately went on to win the million dollar prize, on Survivor: Blood vs. Water. Apostol is a former professional cyclist and starred in Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars 2 with his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Rachel Foulger. He is a frequent guest on the Reality TV Podcast, Rob Has a Podcast, hosted by fellow Survivor contestant Rob Cesternino, and hosts News AF, a weekly news podcast.

Kerri Courtright is an entrepreneur and small business owner who has built companies, created jobs, and balanced budgets. She founded Today’s Growth Consultant, an Inc. 500/5000 company that was recently recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of St. Francis with a major in Political Science and a minor in History. Kerri is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and the Grundy County Economic Development Council. She is the Treasurer for her Homeowners Association, sits on the Christian Education Board for her church, and raises money for a number of local charities including serving on the fundraising committee for her children’s school’s annual Jubilate fundraiser. She speaks regularly at area events regarding the importance of the Constitution, voting, local government and business.

 Cheryl Snapp Conner, founder and managing partner of Snapp Conner PR, has more than 26 years experience in public relations for individuals and organizations ranging from growth and start up organizations to Fortune 500 technology firms. Conner has led four successful PR agencies since 1989 and has been recognized as one of Utah’s 30 Women to Watch. She is a popular columnist for Forbes.com Entrepreneurs and is also a contributor to the OpenView Labs publication for OpenView Partners and for Yahoo Finance. She is a trustee of the Utah Technology Council (UTC) and had directed the UTC Communications Committee since 2004. She detailed the interview with Edward Snowden in this article!

Michelle Tucker is the Founder and President of Seiler Tucker/Capital Business Solutions. Michelle has sold over 350 businesses to date and currently owns and operates several successful businesses. Michelle Seiler-Tucker holds the following professional designations and certifications: The Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI), Certified Senior Business Analyst (CSBA), Certified Business Broker (CBB), Best-Selling Author, and Panelist for M&A Source.

Dave Austin is a highly sought after “mental performance coach” for elite and professional athletes. His trademark “game ready” visualizations have helped many NFL, MLB, Olympic, and college athletes allow their true talents to rise up and shine. His unique process allows athletes to play “in the zone” and stay there longer. He has worked with professional teams such as the LA Dodgers and Texas Rangers, as well as with World Cup and U.S. Olympic team competitors; and he has also worked extensively with organized youth sports, high school teams and D-I college athletes. All the way from “little league to the big leagues,” his methods are focused and productive; and he has an uncanny knack for bringing out the best in his clients and for getting measurable results.

Dr. Asher Milgrom, is the president and CEO of American Medical Aesthetics. Starting in 1999, Asher founded and funded American Medical Aesthetics Corp. and is the principle architect of AMA-Corp’s business strategies and unique medical protocols. Along with Dr. Alice Pien, Medical Director, Asher developed advanced medical protocols for a wide variety of laser procedures that produce extraordinary clinical results while requiring minimal patient “down-time”. Together, Asher and Alice developed AMA-Corp’s signature laser treatments utilizing their unique understanding of “Multiple-modality holistic laser protocols”.

Some awesome key points we picked up while we were there:

“Be your own biggest competitor” –Josh Flagg

“Start from the end and work it backwards, start with value, keep your eyes on opportunities and be aware of what’s going on”-Jules Haimovitz

“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough!” –Tonino Lamborghini

“Sell the dream, not the project” –Steve Sims

“Knowledge is power when you put action behind it” –Mark Anthony Bates

“Being criticized is the admission price for creating change” –Greg Reid

“Be daring, don’t be afraid to make mistakes”-Ron Klein

“Don’t talk about it; be about it. I have so many people that just blah, blah, blah and ‘I have this great idea and this great idea,’ and they have that great idea for years, and nothing happens.” –Dan Fleyshman

“I’m gonna write a book, I’m gonna start a business …” and all of a sudden they’re 40 years old and unhappy with their life, all because they thought it was just gonna to work out. They end up killing their dream!” –Caleb Maddix

Overall, the event was a complete blast, and the takeaway was without parallel! The information we learned can not only be applied to our business practices, but in every aspect of our lives. The next Secret Knock events are in March and September of 2018, and if you seriously want to improve the quality of your life and the relationships you make, we seriously recommend applying for an invitation! You won’t regret it!