06 Dec 055: Dave Goodman – Coco-Jack inventor and Shark Tank deal maker
Before Dave Goodman was the bearded, apron-wearing Coco-Jack inventor and entrepreneur who received a $125,000 deal from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, he was a rock-and-roll drummer living in New York City.
Following years of training at Juilliard and the Curtis Institute of Music, Dave began his career as a classical pianist, conductor, and composer, going on to start his own orchestra. “Once you start working for yourself, it’s hard to work for other people.”
For Dave, however, “taking time off” meant immersing himself in fields such as economics, neuro-linguistic programming, hypnosis, mythology, and aviation. As part of his health recovery, he also became a raw food vegan and lost over a hundred pounds. “That’s how I discovered Asian coconuts. I put them in smoothies, drank the water—coconuts became a part of my diet.” The only problem was, there was no easy way to open these coconuts. “As a musician, I didn’t want to throw a knife at my fingers all day.”
Find out more about Dave Goodman and the amazing story behind his invention of the Coco-Jack, a safe, easy way to open Fresh Coconuts, no matter what your size or strength.
1:07 – Background on Dave and his current venture, Coco Jack.
3:40 – Dave’s experience as a classical musician and founding the Wild Ginger Philharmonic.
6:20 – Dealing with burnout from the entrepreneurial pursuit of the Wild Ginger Philharmonic and digging into economics and business as a self-study.
10:13 – How Dave sees the cultural idea of the “suffering artist;” connecting economics to his passion for music.
13:24 – How new payment methods can affect the arts and classical music.
15:20 – Dave’s entrepreneurial ventures as a creative outlet.
17:19 – Why he got into coconuts.
20:23 – Finding the niche for an easier way to open coconuts and the massive scale of the market that unfolded.
21:36 – How he got the ideas together, developed the product, and the initial steps for starting the company.
23:31 – Going into a venture without preconceptions and staying open to bringing in help; building brand loyalty through authenticity.
26:19 – Information on Dave’s experience with being on Shark Tank and getting investment money from Mark Cuban.
28:45 – How they’ve been funding the company.
29:59 – Balancing capital between the various expenses in a new business.
32:10 – Advice Dave would give to people developing a product.
33:36 – Where he’s seen the most sales success and how to get to that success; advice for effectively utilizing Facebook ads.
35:38 – The role of design and Dave’s story of developing his logo and brand.
38:00 – Maintaining an understanding about all the aspects of your business while leveraging other people’s skills to complement your own; the art of entrepreneurship.
42:09 – What Dave’s upcoming plans are and his life as a digital nomad; details on how he runs his business.
50:18 – The dangers of planning too much and not doing; constantly learning, growing, and evolving from failures.
57:00 – Being present with your business in order to pivot and let go of ideas at the right times.
1:00:32 – The questionnaire.
1:08:35 – Getting in touch with Dave.
Resources and Links Mentioned:
Coco Jack (Use promo code “Matthew” to get 10% off)
Contact Dave at jack@coco-jack.com