In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews sales leader and accelerator Tyler Kaufman. After a brief sponsor plug for Authors Unite, Kaufman shares his personal journey of relocating his family from Long Island to Charlotte, then Austin, and finally Philadelphia, emphasizing the growth that comes from taking bold risks. He outlines his core sales leadership philosophy: prioritize self‑investment and daily personal development beyond monetary spending. His broader business advice urges listeners to connect openly with people outside their comfort zones, avoiding assumptions and discrimination. When asked about advice for his younger self, Kaufman stresses patience and thoughtful responses over emotional reactions. He reflects on happiness, suggesting acceptance of not always being happy and a continual drive to improve. The conversation highlights his favorite book, Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and the lesson of understanding context before acting, illustrated by a train‑car anecdote. His favorite quote is a Muhammad Ali line that reframes “impossible” as an opinion, reinforcing a mindset of agency. Finally, Kaufman provides his LinkedIn profile and phone number for listeners to connect.
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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 provides you with the support you need to finish your book. Best part is, after you finish your book, they take care of the entire publishing and marketing process 100% for you. So if you want to become a successful author, make sure to check out 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. Uh, today I have, uh, Tyler Kaufman with us, and he is a sales leader and accelerator dedicated to helping individuals and teams get better every day. Tyler leads strategic partnerships and sales at Archetype Solutions Group, a venture fund in Philadelphia. Also, he is a podcast addict, self-help freak, and jiu-jitsu nerd. So welcome to the show, brother.
Thanks. Happy to be here.
Of course, man. Happy to have you here. So yeah, let's dive into the first one. The first one I got for you is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Yeah. So it took me a while to prepare for this and wasn't really sure where to go with it, but kind of wanted to go with an overall Tyler-themed answer to it. So I'll give you a little background on it so it makes a little bit more sense. I grew up in or on Long Island. You know, being from New York, there is this sense of honor and loyalty. And for those of you that are from New York, you understand that. And in 2013, my wife and I decided we wanted to leave. And so it was a big decision for us. You know, we ultimately just wanted to change. We wanted to explore something new and move on. So we took some pretty big risks. We quit our jobs, we sold our home, we packed up our two dogs, two daughters, And we ended up in Charlotte, North Carolina. And we loved every second of it for the next 5 years. It was just a fantastic place. Everything was going really well. And we had an opportunity to try something new. And we did the same exact thing, picked up and moved, except this time we had 3 daughters and no dogs. But we moved to Austin, Texas. We stayed there for about a year. And right now we are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. So in about 5 and a half years' time, I have relocated the family to basically two major cities across the continent and am now in my third. And I can't tell you how much fun it's been, how many great people we've met, just the experiences we've had. And, you know, we've just learned so much. By taking that initial risk of leaving the Holy Land of New York. And, you know, it's really helped me grow. It's helped my family grow. So I'd say that the underlying message there is that, you know, your life is short. You don't know what you don't know. And, you know, take some risks because they're worth it sometimes.
And what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Yeah, awesome. So I'm in the world of sales, sales leadership, relationship building, and, you know, this kind of is along that line. I think the value in, in that position or in that environment is always going to be yourself first and foremost. And the best piece of information I can share is to treat yourself that way, you know, dedicate yourself to growth and development. Daily, invest in yourself with more than just dollars. Make time, do the things that you want to do that you enjoy. And this way, when it's showtime, you really are your best self.
And it could tie in, but what's your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily like industry-specific.
Yeah, this is something that I think makes sense in all walks of life, not even just business, but You know, it's human nature for people to gravitate towards what they're familiar with and comfortable around. And so in the world of being your best self, I think when you can thoughtfully connect with everyone with zero discriminations, no analysis, no assumptions, literally just make a conscious effort to be completely open. You can really bring yourself to the next level. So I challenge you to lean into what's unfamiliar and not comfortable and connect with those folks that you typically wouldn't reach out to or connect with.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
I would give my younger self many pieces of advice. You know, I think the saying, As you get older, you also get wiser is definitely more true every year I age. And looking back, I would advise my younger self to just be more patient and respond thoughtfully to all types of interactions and situations, not to react based on emotion, to really just harness yourself and be patient.
And kind of going a little bit down a different path, in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Key to happiness? I don't know. What I think can really help yourself be happy is to really just understand that it's okay to not be happy all the time. Embrace your life, you know, really as it is, and challenge yourself to make it endlessly better. It's a very difficult task, but definitely can help you achieve more happy days than sad.
And what is the best book that you've read? And what was the number one thing you learned from that?
So the best book I've read is Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey. I think it is the foundation of relationship and how you can, you know, really just better yourself. But the best thing that I took away from the book was basically based on a short story that he outlines about one of his train rides into the city one morning when an individual with some children, a man with some children shows up, and his kids are kind of running around crazy and disturbing the entire car. And Stephen turns to the gentleman and politely asks him if he could control the children. They're disturbing everyone. And the man basically told him that, you know, he really didn't know what to do or how to act because they just left the hospital where their mother had passed away. And so being the person to really understand the entire situation first is something that I think can help everyone and anyone. So something that is definitely beneficial that I've taken from the book.
And then what is your favorite quote and why?
Favorite quote? It's a Muhammad Ali quote. The quote is, "Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion." It's my favorite quote because I believe it to be true. And I think that if you follow that mindset, you know, success is definitely in your future.
Yes, man. Dude, thank you so much for coming on. The last one I have for you before we let you go is where's the best place for people to find and/or connect with you online?
Awesome. Yeah, so I'm on LinkedIn. You can reach out to me anytime, or you shoot me a text. My cell phone number is 631-338-7657. Call, text, anytime.
Perfect, man. Thanks again for jumping on.
Really appreciate it, Tyler. Thank you.
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