#31: Xavier Helgesen: Founder Of Better World Books, Clean Energy Titan, Serial Entrepreneur
Next Level Pros
Chris Lee
4.7 • 165 Ratings
🗓️ 5 September 2023
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Join us for an exciting episode of The Founder Podcast as Chris Lee sits down with the one and only Xavier Helgesen, an extraordinary entrepreneur with a knack for building and transforming businesses. Xavier, the mastermind behind Enduring Ventures, takes us on a journey through his remarkable career.
From humble beginnings in a small iron mining town to founding multiple successful companies, Xavier's story is nothing short of inspiring. He shares his early entrepreneurial endeavors, including running a mini golf course and a college social network.
But the real game-changer came when Xavier recognized a unique opportunity in the used textbook market, leading to the birth of Better World Books. Discover how this venture became a multi-million dollar success by helping libraries and nonprofits while becoming one of the first third-party merchants on Amazon.
Now, as the founder of Enduring Ventures, Xavier shares his current passion: acquiring cash-flowing businesses and nurturing their growth. Learn how he evaluates and shapes these businesses, emphasizing brand and sustainable cash flows.
Tune in to gain valuable insights, entrepreneurial wisdom, and a glimpse into the mind of one of the most remarkable founders of our time. Xavier Helgesen's journey is a testament to the power of innovation, persistence, and the relentless pursuit of building enduring businesses.
Enjoy this enlightening conversation on The Founder Podcast!
HIGHLIGHTS
"I remember the first day I made like 100 bucks, and like grimy dollar bills. And I was like, this is the best thing I've ever done in my life."
"But then I stayed in school, which was the dumbest thing to do during the internet boom, like I should have dropped out after freshman year."
"I'm much more interested in cashflow, like how much cash actually goes in the bank account after taxes after depreciation after capital expenses after all of it."
TIMESTAMPS
00:00: Introduction
06:44: Lessons From Parents
10:11: The Age Of The Internet
16:53: Book Drive
20:09: Leader In Book Sales
26:30: Building His Own Brand
29:05: Early Lessons
37:47: The Right Person To Take Over
43:19: Turning A Company Around
45:29: Entrepreneurship
51:41: What Gets You Excited In Life?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | there's probably more businesses to be bought slash turned around |
| 0:03.4 | slash reinvented than there are entrepreneurs out there like and it's certainly it is |
| 0:08.7 | it's a lower risk proposition the business model has already been proven, the price points already been proven, |
| 0:14.6 | and that gives you a lot of confidence to say, okay, this has been done before. |
| 0:18.7 | We're not reinventing the wheel here. |
| 0:20.4 | What's up, Founders Nation? |
| 0:25.0 | Hey, I just wanted to first and foremost before we jump in this episode, just thank you so |
| 0:29.7 | much for all the many listeners, all the many downloads. |
| 0:33.2 | I cannot believe the response to this podcast. |
| 0:37.5 | When I launched the sing two and a half months ago, |
| 0:39.8 | I had no idea the momentum that this thing would create from the incredible guests to so many |
| 0:46.5 | listeners. I've had so many you guys reach out to me directly and thank me and give me so many great |
| 0:51.2 | testimonials of what you've been able to take from this |
| 0:53.5 | podcast first and foremost thank you for being such a loyal listener thank you guys |
| 0:58.5 | for bringing so much value into my life because the reality is the reason I do this is for you to hear the feedback. |
| 1:06.9 | So if you aren't following me already on Instagram, it's at Chris Lee QB, like quarterback at Chris Lee QB. Make sure you go ahead and give me a follow. |
| 1:16.4 | You're going to see all my different posts there. You're going to be able to see little short clips from different episodes. |
| 1:22.1 | So be sure to be giving me a |
| 1:23.7 | follow there. Also, October 17th, 18th, and 19th, I am going to be hosting a remarkable |
| 1:30.5 | mastermind right here at my house right here at the founder studio. |
| 1:36.5 | This is where Solgen was launched where it was nurtured and |
| 1:39.8 | created for two and a half years before finally we left and eventually had a nine figure exit. |
... |
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