Mindful Monday / Issue #511
Rejected on Shark Tank. Sold to Amazon for a Billion
March 9, 2026 · By Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show
Welcome to Mindful Monday!
Here are some things I found useful this week…
- An honest and open conversation with the inventor of the Ring (sold to Amazon for $1.1B)
- Why we all should write more (hand-written) thank you notes
- An incredible essay from Derek Thompson on what it’s like to be a dad
- A now viral essay from Lulu Cheng Meservy about leaders & communication
- And some wise words about good things happening for others being awesome
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#678: Jamie Siminoff – From Rejection on Shark Tank to Bezos Buying It
Jamie Siminoff is the founder of Ring, which he sold to Amazon for over a billion dollars. He’s an inventor and builder who couldn’t hear his doorbell while working in his garage, so he built a video doorbell. We talked about his rejection on Shark Tank all the way to negotiating with Jeff Bezos and Amazon. It’s a fascinating story with many highs and lows. You can also WATCH our conversation on YouTube.
Send Hand-Written Notes
After a particularly rough 2007, lawyer John Kralik decided to start 2008 with a serious New Year’s resolution: to be thankful for the good things and people in his life. So he spent the next year writing one thank-you note for each day: to family, friends, co-workers, even the barista at his local Starbucks. Those notes make up his new book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year A Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life. This is something I’m still working on getting better at. (Also: my conversation with John from a few years ago)
On Being a Dad
I write this in the early hours while my daughter sleeps in the bed next to mine. We’re on a ski trip for her birthday. Just the two of us. 1:1 trips like this make me emotional constantly. A funny joke going up the lift. Going down the mountain fast together. The little in-between moments (the garbage time, as Jerry Seinfeld calls it). It made this beautiful essay from Derek Thompson on what it’s like to be a parent hit even harder.
Go Direct
This (mega-viral) essay from Lulu Cheng Meservy is about why founders/leaders need to be the spokespersons/writers for their companies. I think it applies far beyond founders. The best spokesperson for any endeavor is not the one who has the most polish, the longest tenure, or the “right” credentials. It’s the person who holds the secret knowledge upon which the enterprise is built, the person who can not only describe the idea but, in the face of inevitable opposition, fight for it and win. CLICK HERE to read it.
Wise Words
“I’m obsessed with the idea that someone, somewhere, is having the best day of their life right now. A proposal, a baby’s first laugh, a song they’ll never forget. Today is that day for someone. It makes me so happy.” — @Timmysofine (via Nick Gray)
