Neil A. Carousso produces and co-hosts WCBS Newsradio 880’s Small Business Spotlight series with Joe Connolly. Click here to watch the weekly video segments featuring advice for business owners on survival, recovery and growth opportunities.

    Best Of

  • Neil A. Carousso Joins Growing NewsNation Network

    Posted by:

    By Carousso Enterprises, LLC

    New year, new digs for Carousso Enterprises founder Neil A. Carousso.

    After leaving WCBS 880 at the end of 2023, Carousso has joined NewsNation – America’s fastest growing cable news network – where he is producing “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” anchored by the former ABC “20/20” anchor.

    “It’s a perfect fit for me to produce and enterprise meaningful and impactful stories in the U.S. and around the world that go beyond the political infighting in Washington,” Carousso posted on X.

    “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on NewsNation is slated to move from 6 PM ET to 5 PM ET, beginning January 22.

    “I’m happy to be working with [Elizabeth Vargas] and the entire team, which has been so welcoming, positive and energetic. Special thanks to Lee Harris, NewsNation’s director of integrated operations, and executive producer Adam Thomas for their belief and confidence in my work to hit the ground running in 2024.”

    “Vargas Reports” bills itself as an unbiased evening news show. It broadcasts live from NewsNation’s New York City newsroom.

    NewsNation announced Thursday a new primetime lineup that moves “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” from 6 PM ET to 5 PM ET, beginning Monday, January 22.

    Read More

  • Neil A. Carousso Departing WCBS 880

    Posted by:

    Carousso Enterprises founder Neil A. Carousso is leaving WCBS-AM New York at the end of the year to pursue a new opportunity that will be announced at the start of 2024. Barrett News Media covered Carousso’s career announcement here.

    After six years, Neil A. Carousso is departing WCBS 880 in New York.

    Carousso has worked the news and business beat since joining the station and reflected upon his time at the all-news station in a thread on X.

    “It was never lost on me over the last six years that I have produced for many of the anchors and reporters whom I grew up listening to in the backseat of my parents’ cars,” Neil A. Carousso wrote, noting he relied upon the station during Superstorm Sandy. “It was the honor of a lifetime and I’ve made lifelong friends.”

    He shared his admiration for former leader Tim Scheld and added that while he enjoyed his time working at the station, it is time to move on to bigger and better things.

    “Working at (WCBS 880) never felt like a job for me. As my late mentor and friend and legendary WCBS 880 sports director and anchor Ed Ingles said, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ I never ‘worked’ a day in six years,” said Carousso. “As they say in the biz, ‘stay tuned.’

    Read More

  • WCBS Business Breakfast: Growth in the Hybrid Workplace

    Posted by:

    Presented by Dime Community Bank

    By Neil A. Carousso and Joe Connolly

    NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The flagship WCBS Business Business Breakfast returns with an in-studio audience for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Join Neil A. Carousso and guest co-host Rob Walsh from our sister station 1010 WINS for an inspirational hour focused on the return to office, the impact of hybrid work and new growth opportunities despite hot inflation and congestion pricing on the horizon.

    You’ll hear from new Dime Community Bank CEO Stuart Lubow about the industries that are thriving this year and those in the best position to navigate New York City’s changed economy. 

    Our panelists are New York City Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim, Bruce Mosler, the chairman of global brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield, and Jeff Rose, founder and president of chauffeured transportation service Attitude New York, which counts Saturday Night Live, the Tonight Show and several Broadway productions among its clients.

    You can watch the WCBS Business Breakfast on this page, beginning Wed., October 25 at 9 AM.

    Executive Produced by Carousso Enterprises, LLC.

    Read More

  • MIDTERMS 2022 LIVE UPDATES: Lee Zeldin concedes to Kathy Hochul

    Posted by:

    Executive Produced by Neil A. Carousso

    NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Midterm election results are continuing to roll in Wednesday. In New York’s closely watched governor’s race, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared victory over Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin, who conceded but said the “rescue mission to Save Our State continues.”

    2 p.m. — Lee Zeldin concedes to Kathy Hochul

    Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin conceded to Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race on Wednesday.

    Here is Zeldin’s full statement:

    “I would like to congratulate New York Governor Kathy Hochul on her election to a full four year term.

    “This race was a once in a generation campaign, with a very close margin in the bluest of blue states. The unrelenting passion and hard work of our grassroots volunteers and supporters made this incredibly close race possible and helped us win at least 49 of New York’s 62 counties. Republicans, Democrats and Independents united as New Yorkers, pouring their heart and soul into this campaign.

    “Those controlling Albany should take note. New Yorkers of all walks of life are sick of the attacks on their wallets, their safety, their freedoms and the quality of their kids’ education and are hitting their breaking point, as proven by these results. As they take office in January, Governor Kathy Hochul and those controlling Albany must address the grave concerns voiced by the voters. While this campaign has come to a close, the rescue mission to Save Our State continues.”

    There hadn’t been a governor’s race this close in New York in 30 years, with Hochul only leading Zeldin by about five points in the traditionally deep-blue state. And while Zeldin lost, his message appeared to resonate in New York City’s suburbs, where Republicans had a strong showing Tuesday and helped the GOP in its effort to take control of the U.S. Congress.

    1:30 p.m. — Lee Zeldin will reportedly concede to Kathy Hochul

    Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin will reportedly concede to Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race.

    Zeldin’s campaign told the New York Post that Zeldin planned to concede Wednesday afternoon.

    Hochul declared victory Tuesday night after some news organizations called the race for her, but Zeldin had yet to concede as of Wednesday.

    He said he wanted to wait for all the votes to be counted and also predicted “massive” votes would come in for him from Long Island, where he lives.

    Hochul was leading Zeldin 52.5% to 47.5% as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, with 94% of precincts reporting. The outcome was fairly close for New York, which hasn’t elected a Republican governor since 2002.

    For comparison, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo won a third term against Republican Marc Molinaro in 2018 with nearly 59.6% of the vote to Molinaro’s 36%.

    12 p.m. – Tom Kean Jr. flips House seat in NJ, beating Tom Malinowski

    Two-term Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski conceded to Republican Tom Kean Jr.

    The Associated Press hasn’t officially called the race for NJ-07, but Malinowski congratulated Kean Wednesday on Twitter.

    Kean appeared to already claim victory in the race on Tuesday night.

    The district had picked up more Republican voters after its boundaries in the northwest were redrawn.

    Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski
    Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski. Photo credit Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com, North Jersey Record via Imagn Content Services, LLC

    Malinowski cast Kean as too reliant on support from voters loyal to former President Donald Trump to represent the district, which swung from reliably GOP to Democratic control during Trump’s years in the White House.

    Kean had seized on inflation as a top issue and hammers on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom he is betting is unpopular with voters.

    This year’s race was a rematch of sorts. Malinowski narrowly defeated Kean, a former state lawmaker and the son of former Republican Gov. Tom Kean Sr., in 2020. Malinowski first won election by defeating Republican incumbent Rep. Leonard Lance in 2018.

    10:55 a.m. — Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney concedes in Hudson Valley race

    U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, conceded his Lower Hudson Valley district NY-17 to Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler. His loss is seen as a major blow for the Democrats.

    Maloney’s campaign said the congressman conceded in a phone call. The Associated Press has called the race for Lawler.

    Former President Bill Clinton and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) embrace during a rally at Nyack Veteran's Memorial Park on October 29, 2022 in Nyack, New York
    Former President Bill Clinton and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) embrace during a rally at Nyack Veteran’s Memorial Park on October 29, 2022 in Nyack, New York. Photo credit Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Maloney, who was the first openly gay New Yorker elected to Congress, had a track record of winning in a Republican-leaning district, but the state’s redistricting plan put him in a reconfigured territory where fewer voters know him.

    National Republican groups, sensing an opportunity, spent millions on advertisements supporting Lawler, a former executive director of the state Republican party who worked in local government before his election to the Assembly in 2020.

    7:15 a.m. — Republicans win several House races in NYC suburbs

    Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives notched several wins in New York City’s suburbs, seizing a seat in an area once considered safely Democratic, defending others and appearing on the verge of picking up additional wins in districts the party hasn’t won in years.

    By early Wednesday, Republicans had won at least seven seats in Congress from New York, just one less than their current representation in the state’s delegation. They were leading or within a percentage point of the lead in five more races.

    The strong showing by Republicans on Long Island came after the city’s suburbs emerged as an unlikely battleground for control of the House. Several closely watched contests remained too early to call Wednesday morning, including the re-election race of U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who is facing Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler.

    Republican George Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in what was the first known congressional election featuring two openly gay candidates.

    Democrat Laura Gillen, an attorney and one-term supervisor of the town of Hempstead, was in a tight race with Republican Anthony D’Esposito, a member of Hempstead’s town council and a former NYPD detective.

    Rep. Andrew Garbarino defeated Democratic challenger Jackie Gordon
    Rep. Andrew Garbarino defeated Democratic challenger Jackie Gordon. Photo credit Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA

    Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino defeated Democrat Jackie Gordon in a race on Long Island’s South Shore.

    Republican Nicholas LaLota defeated Democrat Bridget Fleming in a reworked version of the congressional district now represented by U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, who decided not to seek reelection so he could be the GOP candidate for governor.

    In the Hudson Valley, freshly minted U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat, is trying to replicate his surprise win in an August special election in a race against Republican Colin Schmitt, a second-term state Assemblyman.

    The race appeared exceedingly close early Wednesday morning, but Schmitt nonetheless conceded, saying he hoped Ryan “will do great things for our Hudson Valley families.” The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race.

    Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, is also leading a close race against Democrat Josh Riley in a sprawling new district that runs from the Massachusetts border all the way to Ithaca.

    11:49 p.m. — Some election night takeaways:

    Gov. Kathy Hochul’s projected victory over Republican Lee Zeldin is the big news in New York tonight.

    Also notable is Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ projected victory over Max Rose. Other New York races to watch are still too close to call.

    In Nassau County, Republican George Santos holds a slight lead over Democrat Robert Zimmerman for a U.S. House seat with 74% of the votes tallied. In Westchester, Republican Mike Lawler holds a six-point lead over Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

    In New Jersey, Democratic incumbent Josh Gottheimer is projected to beat Frank Pillota for a Northern Jersey House seat.

    Nationwide, Peter Thiel-backed Republican J.D. Vance is projected to beat Tim Ryan for an Ohio Senate seat. The showdown between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia is neck and neck with 81% of the vote in.

    The Senate election between Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz is also extremely close with 84% of the votes counted.

    11:35 p.m. Republican J.D. Vance projected to win Ohio Senate seat, beating veteran politician Tim Ryan, Democrat Josh Gottheimer projected to take U.S. House seat in Jersey

    “Hillbilly Elegy” author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance beat Democrat Tim Ryan for an Ohio Senate seat, AP projected.

    AP also projected Democrat incumbent Josh Gottheimer won a contentious race in Northern Jersey against Republican Frank Pallotta.

    11:12 p.m. ABC projected Gov. Kathy Hochul to win New York gubernatorial race, defeating Republican challenger Lee Zeldin

    Gov. Kathy Hochul is projected to defeat Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, securing the governorship in the face of an unexpectedly close race.

    She will be the first woman elected governor in the history of New York.

    Zeldin, an ally of former President Donald Trump who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election as a U.S. representative, attacked Hochul on crime.

    Hochul, who became governor when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned, attacked Zeldin’s anti-abortion record after the issue took center stage with the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade.

    Hochul was able to carry the day and prevent what would have been the first Republican governorship in New York since 2007.

    11 p.m. — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defeated Beto O’Rourke, AP projects

    AP projected Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defeated Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke.

    This is O’Rourke’s third loss in four years. In 2018 he lost a Senate race to Ted Cruz, and in 2020 he lost the Democratic presidential primary to Joe Biden.

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a 'Get Out The Vote' rally at the Fuzzy's Pizza & Italian Cafe on October 27, 2022 in Katy, Texas.
    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a ‘Get Out The Vote’ rally at the Fuzzy’s Pizza & Italian Cafe on October 27, 2022 in Katy, Texas. Photo credit Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    AP also projected Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will won his re-election campaign in California.

    10:33 p.m. — Attorney General Letitia James projected to win re-election

    Attorney General Letitia James won re-election by a comfortable margin, AP projected.

    James is declared the winner of her race at the Kathy Hochul election party in New York City.
    James is declared the winner of her race at the Kathy Hochul election party in New York City. Photo credit Juliet Papa

    James became a well known figure in New York as she investigated sexual misconduct and a COVID-19 death coverup from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was forced to resign in part due to her findings.

    She came to national prominence prosecuting several lawsuits against former President Donald Trump.

    9:37 p.m. — Nicole Malliotakis wins re-election, AP projects

    AP projected Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis won New York’s 11th congressional district, beating Democrat Max Rose for a second time.

    9:34 p.m. — AOC, Bob Menendez win re-election, AP projects

    AP projected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez easily won New York’s 14th congressional district, defeating Republican challenger Tina Forte.

    Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) campaigns with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on November 8, 2022 in New York City. Hochul holds a slim lead in the polls against Republican candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin.
    Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) campaigns with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on November 8, 2022 in New York City. Hochul holds a slim lead in the polls against Republican candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin. Photo credit David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    Democrat Robert Menendez also won his re-election bid, AP projected, despite a looming federal investigation that follows corruption charges in 2015.

    9:00 p.m. — Polls close in New York, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wins re-election, AP projects

    Voting ended in New York at 9 p.m.

    AP projected Sen. Chuck Schumer won re-election in New York almost immediately after polls closed, defeating Republican Joe Pinion.

    Chuck Schumer named as projected Senate Majority Leader, his fifth term.
    Chuck Schumer named as projected Senate Majority Leader, his fifth term. Photo credit Christian Alexander

    This will be the Senate majority leader’s fifth term, making him New York’s longest serving senator.

    8:50 p.m.– Final touches are going up at New York Gubernatorial candidates’ headquarters

    Kathy Hochul's headquarters for election night.
    Kathy Hochul’s headquarters for election night. Photo credit Juliet Papa

    Gov. Kathy Hochul’s headquarters tonight is at Capitale in the Bowery where she will be awaiting election results and deliver a speech.

    Members of Lee Zeldin's party put the final details on the campaign stage.
    Members of Lee Zeldin’s party put the final details on the campaign stage. Photo credit David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    Lee Zeldin’s party is at Ciprini’s in Hell’s Kitchen.

    8:30 p.m.: AP projects Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders wins election for governor in Arkansas.

    Sarah Huckabee Sanders
    Sarah Huckabee Sanders Photo credit Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    8:08 p.m. — Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio both win re-election in Florida, AP projects

    AP has projected both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio won re-election in Florida.

    8 p.m. — Polls close in New Jersey and Connecticut

    Voting is closed in New Jersey and Connecticut. Polls in New York will be open for another hour.

    Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut won reelection.

    7:41 p.m. — The RNC sued for an extension of polling hours in Arizona after voting machines caused delays in Phoenix, election deniers seize on issues to sow distrust

    The Republican national committee sued to extend voting hours in Maricopa County, which covers Phoenix, after vote tabulation machine malfunctions caused delays.

    “At least 36% of all voting centers across Maricopa County have been afflicted with pervasive and systemic malfunctions of ballot tabulation devices and printers, which has burdened voters with excessive delays and long lines,” wrote the plaintiffs in the complaint. “To remedy these consequential violations of Arizona law and derogation of the franchise, the Court should immediately issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction.”

    Election workers staff the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on November 08, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Bill Gates, Chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, said that about 20 percent of polling stations in the county have had tabulation machine malfunctions, where some ballots cannot be read. These ballots, he said, are being set aside for tabulation at the central election center in the evening after the polls close.
    Election workers staff the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on November 08, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Bill Gates, Chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, said that about 20 percent of polling stations in the county have had tabulation machine malfunctions, where some ballots cannot be read. These ballots, he said, are being set aside for tabulation at the central election center in the evening after the polls close. Photo credit John Moore/Getty Images

    The lawsuit is asking the court to order polling locations extend voting hours from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

    Maricopa County officials said about 60 machines were unable to tabulate votes across a quarter of voting locations in the county. Authorities said that 17 of those malfunctioning machines had been fixed by 2 p.m. — 8 hours into the election.

    Officials assured the public that all votes would be counted despite delays.

    Arizona was a hotbed for election denial and voter fraud conspiracy theories after the 2020 election.

    Prominent election deniers and former President Donald Trump have already seized on the voting machine problems to attack the integrity of the 2022 election.

    “Here we go again?” wrote Trump on his social media website. “The people will not stand for it!!”

    6:56 p.m. — The first polls in the nation close at 7 p.m.

    Voting ended in Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and Florida closed at 7 p.m. — the first in the nation outside of a few select district in Indiana and Kentucky.

    Polls for New Jersey and Connecticut close at 8 p.m. and voting will go until 9 p.m. in New York.

    Nationwide, Republicans are pressuring Democrats amid backlash over inflation and the economy. Democrats are hoping to defend their thin margins in both houses of congress, often campaigning on abortion rights after the conservative-controlled Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

    Many contests, like the Senate race between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker in Georgia, have garnered national attention and donations as Republicans threaten to take back both houses of congress for the first time since 2018.

    Other notable elections include the Ohio Senate race between between Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance and the Pennsylvania Senate race between Republican Mehmet Oz — better known by his television moniker Dr. Oz — and Democrat John Fetterman.

    What many thought was going to be a landslide win for current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who assumed office last year after Andrew Cuomo resigned, has become a tight race against Republican opponent Lee Zeldin, who is running on an staunch anti-crime platform.

    “We actually need to hire more law enforcement, mandatory forced overtime,” Zeldin told 1010 WINS just before election day. “Moving law enforcement officers from one beat to another is not the answer, but what we need to do is actually hire more law enforcement.”

    Crime has been a contentious issue for Hochul with a focus on New York City, especially in the subways.

    “I also tripled the amount of money going toward law enforcement in our budget,” Hochul told 1010 WINS. “And I’m sure Zeldin neglected to tell you that we have a bill on the floor of Congress to increase funding to support the police and he didn’t even show up for the vote.”

    The issue of crime is dividing for New York City residents but one voter told 1010 WINS he’s pleased with Hochul’s run so far.

    “I’m not as concerned about crime,” the voter said. “I feel like it’s blown out of proportion in the media quite a bit. I think the future of our country needs to turn to social issues in terms of the economy.”

    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis
    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis Photo credit Pete Marovich/Getty Images

    Other congressional candidates are facing off in tight races around the state. In New York’s 11th congressional district, which covers all of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, Republican Nicole Malliotakis and Democrat Max Rose are up against each other again, a rematch of the 2020 election when Malliotakis took over Rose’s seat in the city’s only swing House of Representatives district.

    “I’ve also delivered million dollars to the NYPD for the canine unit forensic equipment, protective gear, so we’re delivering for the men and women who are trying to do their best to keep us safe,” Malliotakis told 1010 WINS about her efforts to address crime in the city.

    Rose, however, argues that Malliotakis has consistently underdelivered in her promises to New Yorkers and his plan will better serve the district’s residents.

    Max Rose campaigning
    Max Rose campaigning Photo credit Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    “We have got to get behind universal criminal background checks to make sure that the iron pipeline is shut down of illegal weapons storming into our city getting in the hands of the wrong people,” Rose said on 1010 WINS. “Nicole Malliotakis voted against checks in Congress. I would get behind the assault weapon ban, something Nicole also did not support. I would support increased funding in school security funding as well as mental health treatment, two things in addition that she absolutely opposed.”

    In the Lower Hudson Valley, redrawn House district lines opened up an opportunity for current Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to run for the 17th congressional district seat. His campaign has been focused on gun safety and abortion rights. Maloney is up against Republican Assembly member Mike Lawler who has been campaigning on the topics of crime and inflation.

    Sean Patrick Maloney
    Sean Patrick Maloney Photo credit Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    Mike Lawler
    Mike Lawler Photo credit Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK

    Over in Nassau County, New York’s 3rd congressional district race to replace Tom Suozzi is a tight, and historical one. Both candidates, Democrat Robert Zimmerman and Republican George Santos, are openly gay candidates, the first-ever political race in the country of its kind.

    The 3rd congressional district represents parts of Nassau County, Long Island and Queens. Santos joined 1010 WINS and argued that there’s a one party democratic control federal of the New York State governments which has left residents feeling left less safe. Zimmerman, however, sees it differently.

    Robert Zimmerman
    Robert Zimmerman Photo credit Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

    “Let’s remember this election is not about Democrat versus Republican,” Zimmerman told 1010 WINS. “It’s about mainstream values standing up to extremism. That’s really what defines the difference between George Santos and myself.”

    Santos, in line with other Republican campaigns this election cycle, is focused on crime and law enforcement funding.

    “I have been publicly, since the very beginning of the debate, made very clear of not only my strong opposition of defunding the police, I’ve been advocating increasing funding in the police,” Santos said on 1010 WINS. “And I think that is a very defining or critical point to be made.”

    Read More

  • WATCH: Mark Cuban Shares 5 Business and Life Lessons

    Posted by:

    By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso

    NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mark Cuban, one of America’s best known entrepreneurs, spent an hour with WCBS 880 for a special Virtual Business Breakfast, presented by Dime Community Bank. It was a program filled with lessons on business and life.

    Here are some of the actionable and inspiring takeaways from the “Shark Tank” star. The full event is available to watch on-demand above.

    1. Always Be Learning

    Cuban told the WCBS Virtual Business Breakfast he tries to spend an hour a day trying to learn something new about the many industries in which he’s invested. That can be anything from reading about algorithm changes to Instagram and how that impacts digital sales strategy to new technologies.

    “I think one of the easiest ways to get a competitive advantage in any business is just to put in the time to learn,” he said.

    The self-made billionaire said the business owner must be the best salesperson in a company because he or she cannot hire someone to know their business better than them.

    “I call it home run hiring. And it might be you’re trying to find an employee and you think, ‘Well, if I just hired the right marketing person or the right SEO person or the right salesperson, they’ll solve my problems,'” explained Cuban. “That rarely, rarely, rarely, if ever, works. If you find yourself having to turn to someone on the outside because you haven’t been able to put in the time, not only is it hard to find a person that’s going to solve your problems, but you don’t even know the right things to tell them because you don’t understand the issues that you’re trying to solve.”

    He advised business owners to put the time in to learn their business inside out, so they can ask the right questions of a potential new employee.

    2. Don’t Overspend on Inventory

    “Every entrepreneur does it,” said Cuban.

    The Shark tells the business owners he’s invested in on the show to be realistic or they risk spending themselves out of business.

    “When they write a business plan, they get in front of their spreadsheet and they start thinking, ‘Okay, if I can sell six of these, this covers my cost here. Twelve of those—no I can sell more than 12, I’ll sell a hundred.’ And all of a sudden, you know, you’ve got these pie in the sky numbers that have no base in reality.”

    3. Don’t Rack Up College Debt

    It’s not worth it, says the business mogul and father of three.

    “If you can’t afford college without taking out a loan, which for many people that’s a reality, I’m a big believer (that) you go to community college for the first two years because introduction to sociology, introduction to accounting, introduction to calculus, it’s the same at Harvard as it is at Richland Community College.”

    Cuban told WCBS 880 debt will hurt you more than attending an expensive college will help.

    4. Teaching Financial Responsibility to Kids

    How does a billionaire teach financial responsibility to his kids? “It’s hard,” Cuban admits, but said it’s important to teach money lessons early.

    “(My kids) had to find ways to earn money to be able to buy the big things they wanted because we weren’t just going to buy them whatever they wanted,” he said. “And they also had to understand what things cost and if something was too expensive, they weren’t going to get it.”

    5. Practice Self-Care

    You may think someone like Mark Cuban works 24/7, but he said it’s vital for him to take mental breaks.

    “I always have one thing that I do that allows me to de-stress, and I go shoot baskets,” said Cuban of his passion for basketball. “I have a little basket out in the backyard, I can go to the gym, I can go to the arena or (the Dallas Mavericks) practice facility when no one else is there and just get up shots. And that allows me just to feel good because the sound of the ball going through the net, all problems go away for that second, right? And if I’m missing shots, I’m thinking about my shot. I’m not thinking about, ‘What about this customer?’ Or, ‘Can we add this drug to CostPlusDrugs.com,’ etc.? Everybody’s got to find that one release that they have that just diverts their attention from everything that they’re doing.”

    The Mavs and Cost Plus Drugs owner also declared “nice sells” and helps to reduce stress for yourself and company stakeholders.

    “Be nice. You know, nice sells. Nice is one of the easiest assets that you can have in your company. And when you have a culture of being really nice to each other and nice to customers, nice to prospects, things work out a lot better.”

    See more tips for business and life success from Mark Cuban on the WCBS Virtual Business Breakfast, presented by Dime Community Bank. The hour-long program is at the top of this page.

    Read More

Sign Up for Free Email Updates
Get the latest content first.
We respect your privacy.