Scott Long left his newspaper job in 2008 after the CEO called print the flagship product while staff knew it was dying. He started Ante Up Poker Media, a publication for the casino industry. Long says print advertisers still exist but won't pay old rates, and that entrepreneurs must trust their own judgment more than anyone else will.
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Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite makes the process of becoming a published bestselling author as simple as sipping your morning cup of coffee. You can learn more about Authors Unite at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode. All right, everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner, and today I have Scott Long with us. He's the founder and publisher of Ante Up Poker Media. So welcome to the show, Scott.
Thanks, Tyler, appreciate it very much.
Thank you for coming on as well. And, uh, we'll start with the first question. The first question that I have for you is, what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Sure. In 2008, the CEO of the newspaper my future business partner and I worked at at the time said during a company forum, the newspaper is and always will be the flagship product of this company. And as disappointing as that statement was considering the state of the newspapers at the time, most concerning to me was the enthusiastic reaction to it that so many of my coworkers gave. And it was at that point I think I realized how desperately I needed to get out because not only did my CEO not understand what was going on in our industry, I can no longer count on my coworkers to understand it either. So 4 months later, we quit and started our business, and we've never looked back. And I think the lesson for me from that was to not just focus on what leaders say, but pay close attention to the reaction they get from followers, because leaders can be changed, but only followers are willing to make them change.
And what's the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Sure, as a publisher, I would say it's that advertisers have not given up on print products yet. Well, what they've given up on is paying the artificially high rates that publishers had been able to charge long before there were so many other options like there are now. And as to the casino industry, I think it's just as difficult of a business as any other is. Not everyone makes it, even though people would like to say and make you believe that, quote, "the house always wins." And what's your best piece of overall business advice, so not necessarily industry-specific? No one, no one, not even your mother is going to love your product more than you do. So the sooner you can realize that, the sooner you'll start to make smarter decisions on how to market your product and grow your business.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Boy, I'd love to do this. Take more chances. My life path was way, way too conventional. I went to college and got a job and paid my dues and slowly moved up the ranks. I really needed to be bolder and not trust conventional wisdom. As much as the millennial generation irks me with their "make me the CEO now" approach, I do admire their gumption and I wish I had more of it when I was their age.
And in your opinion, what's the key to happiness?
Absolutely doing what you love. You know, it's great if you can do that as a vocation like I've been so lucky to do for the past 10 years. But if not, as long as you're doing something you love as often as you can, I really can't imagine that you won't be happy in life.
And what's the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from it?
My journalism friends shudder when I say this, but I really don't enjoy reading books. And when I do, they're usually nonfiction, usually history books, which other people think are really boring. I much prefer reading newspapers and magazines. USA Today continues to be the best way to start your day, in my opinion, because you get a quick overview. With everything that's going on in so many aspects of the world, I've always said if you read USA Today, you can carry on a conversation at any cocktail party you'll run into that day. And then Fast Company is a magazine that has most opened my eyes to different ways of doing things. And even though it's a business magazine, those lessons aren't just for business, but they've also helped me in my life.
And what's your favorite quote and why?
Yeah, I have a plaque on my desk with a quote from Abraham Lincoln. The best way to predict the future is to create it. I think far too many people sit back and wait for someone else to improve their lot in life for them. The world belongs to those who are willing to go out and grab it.
And I couldn't agree with that more. And thank you so much for coming on, man. The last question I have for you is, where's the best place for people to find you online?
Sure, our company's website is AnteupMagazine.com. We are also active on Facebook and Twitter. I also post quite often on my personal Facebook page and really enjoy that. And I respond to almost every email I get, whether it's personal or business, at scott@antiupmagazine.com.
Perfect, man. Thank you again for coming on. I really appreciate it.
Thanks so much, Tyler. The podcast you just heard was recorded with Anchor. If you want to make your own, download the Android or iOS app completely free from anchor.fm/podcast. That's anchor.fm/podcast.
