180 South Group Founder Kyle Kane Shares His 4 Principles Of Success

With an unquenchable thirst to use his gifts to provide real value, Kyle Kane of the 180 South Group is proof that a well-executed purpose can translate to a wonderful legacy. An accomplished TEDx speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, creator, and producer, Kyle is more than qualified as an authority in the creative and entrepreneurial spaces. 

His notable accomplishments include producing ten live 2-hour broadcasts for CBS, procuring a corporate partnership between Samsung and Katy Perry, and winning the Corporate Culture Award. His company, 180 South Group, ranked number 13 on Inc. 500’s Fastest-Growing Companies in America list. Global Marketing and Advertising ranked it number 24. 

While Kyle admits to catching the entrepreneurial bug as early as elementary school, growing his business was not an instantaneous achievement. He has had to develop a system that works. To succeed, the first thing Kyle points out is determining where one’s passions lie. In a culture that is big on outsourcing, Kyle insists one has to bring something unique to the table that they can contribute for their business to succeed. It is not enough to have a business that brings in a lot of money.

Life is too short to be bogged down in ventures you’re not proud of. You have to learn lessons and make contributions on your own, which means only doing work that you actually care about. As a brand, the 180 South Group carefully curates each client’s project to ensure it aligns with the group’s legacy. When passion and purpose align, other things fall into place, and success becomes inevitable. 

The other pillar of Kyle’s success is consistent and quality value addition. Unlike other brands in the market that have target audiences, the 180 South Group focuses more on providing solutions to everybody. Their business model is not a B2B or B2C, but a unique global-minded blend they identify as H2H, Human to Human. Be it an artist releasing a new album, a company releasing a product, or a non-profit driving awareness around a service, their workflow and logistics remain the same. The brand seeks to bring back the personal approach to the cold digital world most of its clients live in. The approach has been successful in maintaining a 100% client retention rate.

To reach high pinnacles of success, Kyle also seeks new inspiration every day. Each day is different for an entrepreneur, with a constant cycle of incredibly steep highs and devastating lows. There are joys and frustrations, grand adventures and challenges. From his own experience, having a great support system is pivotal in everyone’s life. 

Lastly, Kyle believes you can’t always play it safe if you want to succeed. Every day presents a decision that forces you to choose. While you could pick the easy way out, getting out of your comfort zone and applying yourself has more returns. Kyle’s favorite quote is, “A ship is safe in the harbor. But that’s not what a ship was made for.” The quote is a reminder that he has to manage his thoughts because they play a critical role in the reality he creates for himself. He tries to protect himself from negative thoughts and emotions and attempts to see the good in everything. To Kyle, the key to happiness lies in achieving a higher perspective and learning to laugh at yourself.

Written in partnership with Ascend