In the debut episode of the Create Your News podcast, host Craig Lucie sits down with longtime entrepreneur Chris Hanks, founder of the Institute for Entrepreneurship. Together, they discuss the lessons Chris has learned from building businesses, teaching at universities, and mentoring leaders across the country.
At the heart of the conversation is one central theme: “Isolation is the enemy of excellence.”
🔗Listen to the full Create Your News Podcast episode with Chris Hanks
From Coca-Cola to Entrepreneurship
Chris didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur. His early career path led him to Coca-Cola, a job that many would consider a dream. But despite the prestige, he found himself dreading Mondays.
“There’s got to be something more fulfilling, and hey, what if I did my own thing?” Hanks recalls.
That search for meaning pushed him to launch businesses of his own: a music store franchise, a recording studio, and later an entertainment company. Eventually, he discovered his true passion not in running businesses alone, but in teaching entrepreneurship and watching it transform people’s lives.
The Mindset of an Entrepreneur
For Chris, entrepreneurship is more than a skillset, it’s a mindset.
“It’s an inside game before it’s an outside game. It’s mindset over skillset. And I’d rather infuse a mindset of an entrepreneur: Let me own my position, let me own my results, let me own my part to play — whatever part I have, whether it’s working for somebody or my own. That mindset is way more important than this skillset.”
Want to hear more lessons like this?
🔗Listen to the full Create Your News Podcast episode with Chris Hanks
As Chris reminds us, when we embrace change, simplify complex challenges, and focus on what matters most, we don’t just build companies, we build better versions of ourselves.
Why Community Matters
Running a business can feel like solitary confinement. Chris points out that isolation is often the greatest obstacle leaders face. That’s why he built the Institute for Entrepreneurship, a community where CEOs, students, and leadership teams grow together through shared experiences, accountability, and mentorship.
As Chris puts it, “Great growth is done together. It’s done over meals. It’s done over drinks. It’s, hey, I’m really struggling with blank.”
This episode of the Create Your News Podcast dives deeper into why community matters, how entrepreneurs can overcome isolation, and the simple strategies that help leaders scale without losing themselves.
The Power of Storytelling and Branding
The episode dives deep into why storytelling and branding are central to entrepreneurship. Too often, leaders assume they know the story their audience wants to hear. But as Chris explains, entrepreneurs suffer from “the curse of knowledge.” They’ve been inside their businesses so long that they lose perspective on what truly matters to customers.
That’s why outside perspectives are critical. Storytellers, marketers, and brand strategists bring fresh eyes and can uncover the details that resonate. Instead of leaning on awards or company history, they help frame the narrative around what the customer actually cares about: How does this product or service make my life better?
As Chris puts it, marketing itself is a form of storytelling, “Marketing is creating the conditions for a story to spread. I want a story to spread. How do I create those conditions? Well, I got to tell a story that’s compelling, that somebody can remember and take with them, and tell others about.”
Host Craig Lucie ties it back to the mission of Lucie Content, where our services help businesses uncover and share their unique narratives:
“Every business has a story. We want to tell your story. Why do you do what you do? What’s different about you than the next person out there?”
Takeaways for Entrepreneurs
Throughout the conversation, Chris shares advice that applies to entrepreneurs at every stage:
- Embrace change: Growth requires discomfort and reinvention.
- Simplify constantly: Complexity kills businesses; great leaders narrow focus.
- Think, don’t just do: Reflection beats hustle once a business is running.
- Invest in community: Surround yourself with peers who challenge and support you.
- Tell your story well: Branding and storytelling are essential to scaling impact.
🔗 Listen to the full Create Your News Podcast episode with Chris Hanks
