Tom Libelt’s story expresses the impact that a hard upbringing can have on a young man, how he experienced the realities of a corrupt communist country and the struggle as immigrants coming to America. 

Tom was never going to follow the working path of his parents. His journey to wealth and freedom started with music, but he has owned a coffee shop, a retail store, a record label, created and filmed a documentary, and released two albums with five hits on top ten Polish radio. Today he has a thriving business in online course creation.  

As I am on a break from editing, this show is a re-release. It was popular when it came out, and as it highlights the challenges many people face escaping communist rule, it seem pertinent to share it with you again today.

Sales & Subterfuge for Survival

Tom was born in Poland during the Communist era when life was tough for those who were not members of the communist party or knew the right people. To make ends meet, Tom’s dad would smuggle alcohol, banned films, VCR’s and other contraband across the border from Germany. As a young boy of 7, Tom had a vital roll to play in this smuggling operation. It was Tom’s job to distract the border guards from searching the car by screaming, crying and throwing a tantrum at the right moment. He learned from a young age how to sell and negotiate business by getting haggled by Russian traders at the football stadium.

Life changed a lot when the family took an opportunity to move from Poland to the USA. It was their chance to escape communism, but life did not get easier. His parents took any job they could to survive, and he saw very little of them as they were always working. As a young man, Tom knew he never wanted to be stuck in a job, and it motivated him to keep moving.

Building Smart Marketing & Sales Techniques

At 16 Tom bought into a record shop, his love of music lead him into the industry as an engineer, a DJ and eventually a performer. He returned to his native Poland where he became one of the top Polish hip hop artists. Moving on from there, he returned to America and opened a coffee shop, running it for a year. This led to a retail store, a record label, creating and filming a documentary and releasing two albums with five hits on top ten on Polish radio.

Tom is one of those guys who sees an opportunity and makes it work. He has published around 5000 Kindle books and has built a successful SEO. Now living in Thailand, smart marketing and sales has become the new vehicle for his thriving business. Employing a team of people they are creating and marketing online courses under the banner of Smart Brand Marketing. All of which was bootstrapped and done with zero outside funding.

As Tom says:

“If you can’t sell, then you’re not in business.
Marketing and Sales are the backbone of a company.”

I hope you enjoy the conversation with Tom Liebelt. If you would like to get in touch with Tom you can find him through the links below.

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