good morning. coming up on your business, in the tech world filled by new products and fresh young faces this boomer remains relevant. these silicon valley innovators have invented a new silk that will change the market and when it comes to making choices for your business, we have your back. that's all coming up next on your business. >> msnbc your business is

sponsored by american express. don't do business without it. your business is sponsored by american express, don't do business without it. >> hi, everyone. welcome to your business. the show dedicated to helping your growing business. age is a mind set. my dad is 82 and goes to work every single day. he could retire but he doesn't want to. he loves work. he finds it interesting and he's incredibly curious about new things and i believe that's what it takes to stay in the game. we met a woman, a 60 osomething-year-old woman who's been in the tech industry for more than 40 years and though she spends most of her days surrounded by people decades younger than her, she's decided

to stay relevant long after many of her peers have left the field. >> okay. >> good morning. >>. >> she loves technology and he's been part of the industry for more than 40 years since before the internet. today she runs living in digital times, a company focused on tech. last month the two of us met up in new orleans. i wanted to follow robin around for the day to check out the greatest start of startups and get a peek of the industry all through her eyes. >> i'm going to try her cell phone. i can't reach her on the phone so let's see if she's over there. >> right away she headed to these padded privacy booths designed by room.

so you are martin, tina and ryan, from boston? >> the company's called room and this sur our first product. >> the tech industry has become more diverse but while i've certainly seen more women here than other conferences the majority is white and i hardly saw anyone in their mid-60s like robin. >> i don't see anyone that looks like you. do you notice that too? >> only when i look in the mirror. no, i really try not to notice, but i do notice if i were to walk up to them now i get that reaction like lady, what do you know about an app? what do you know about ai? >> do i consider myself to be old. >> i do. i definitely look my age. i can see in their eyes that they're thinking oh, my god, this this industry --?

>> i wanted to find out how robin keeps herself so relevant. >> i have about 60 seconds to win them over. >> so you need to win their approval. you have to have the self-confidence. just like there are all these important people as a 20-year-old and i think it's a woman thing. when you're older you also lose the self-confidence. >> and you have to prove yourself even more. the flip side of it i'm more opinionated. so i will skim 100 trade rags about the industry. mostly i'm looking for new ideas. a new way of doing things. what's the next big thing and that's what excites me about shows like this where you can see the next generation of talent. and they are talented. >> robin is not part of this next generation but she's got a

successful play bock for keeping up with them. >> so you built it up under that? >> it starts by staying on top of technology. >> you press that little code right there. >> so you have to keep trying new tech even if you screw it up. you own up to it and you've got to see the humorous side in it. i need 32 hands. okay. hit the screen. >> smile, 3, 2, 1. perfect. >> i think humor is effective because it's an ice breaker. it makes them feel that you're gin win and if you can inject a little humor and a smile at them, they change immediately. i mean, their attitude about the difference in age, it just evaporates. another thing is avoding things. you -- >> well, i this i in general i

haven't hit as much bias in terms of myself as a female creator. >> don't bring up the good old days more than once a week. nobody wants to hear about how great things were when pc magazine was this big. it's time to move on. every once in a while there's something funny, but in general, you just don't want to liff ve the past. >> and she has real vam you to add. >> i can walk down the line and tell you who will succeed and who won't appear. so many of these kids end up becoming my comrades and i try and mentor them once i can, so this is me, i'm sbrr interested but i have to take -- this is you. >> this is the company card. >> chase, i will talk to you.

and in number one thing is are you a keeper? i feel like after watching technology for a million years, i have a good nose for that. i could end that so i could walk quickly through a show and then i can see star power. >> rm aed with a host of new cacos and a mind full of new ideas, robin made her way through the rest of the conference without me. it was a busy afternoon, but for her just another day in the life. >> so when the you think -- you'll retire? i sid, i don't know. i'm having so much fun. i just feel so lucky to have been a part of all of this so i guess i'll retire when they don't feel so lucky anymore. >> two innovators in a laboratory are taking a kwee from mother nature and attempting to create a synthetic version of ultra strong spider

silk. joleen kent paid them a visit. >> reporter: it's the stuff of hlly woodblock busters but in silicon valley art shl spider webs aren't just for hipstero. >> the cofound irs have figured out how to spend faux s, ilk. these stoods are nearly as trong as kef lar. producing a web of opportunities from fashion to silk to the front lines. the military is the next step. right for things that don't melt as well. >> but it took years of research and development. there's no effective way to farm silk from spiders.

brewing was the we toe go as in brewing beer. >> what exactly are you making here? >> these are yeasts pumping little bits of sugar. make more cells and eat it. liquid shoots out these lick where i hads and then they turn. >> in march the company released it first product. a spider smooth thai. really to just to show this technology -- this was grown in a fermentor and knitted into a product you can wear. >> $300 just for that die. but he hopes to spend their silk soon. >> what's the point for a shopper to splurge a lit m more? why not just kornt on the path of getting a bargain and going with fast fashion? >> i think a lot of consumers

are going to go can passiwith f. >> we move now from cutting edge technology to an old school kind of company. we went down to visit someone who runs an accordian store, a brick and mortar accordian store. he used the internet and youtube and through them he is making that instrument hip again. >> it's a packed house at open mike night in nearby philadelphia. but instead of tuning a guitar or running through vocal scales, these performers are making sure their accordians are ready for their moment in the spotlight? ? the accordian, that's finding a modern audience founder of liberty bellows. >> edecided i was going to take

a 1th century craft and bring it to the new millenium. >> in high school, he discovered his old accordian in the attic and he fell in love. but finding sup part for his new passion wasn't that easy. there were not enough enthusiasts toe get information. there's not a lot of accordian players out there but they problem would be if they were easy to find and if there are more sources out there. when he returned he launched a small side business from his apartment. >> i started earning a little bit of money on the side and doing basic repairs. then starting a small invenn tore and next thing you know i had a business and the was a big demand and less supply of people doing it. a lot of people that don't know about accordian are retiring. >> so much that he was able to p

open a store in 2009. today liberty bellows have old accordians, repairs, lessons, basically you care about the accordian, this is your hoop pi place. -- happy place. over time we found that as we build up a reputation that we were good at repairing things. >> that word of mouth got celebrities coming on buy. got a couple of accordians from us. and the folks -- >> it's what liberty bellows is doing online that's getting international attention. they post videos of all their instruments on youtube. >> we just said let's have a lot of little videos and really push as much content out. we've had about 3,000 videos and

millions of our hit on our website. there's a lot of things that can go wrong so seeing a video and seeing what it looks like is important for developing trus trags for the owner. >> they also give customers access to brand new accordians. ones they would never have been label to access earlier. the core of his business kbroet comes from nurturing a vibrant community of active players. >> we want them to enjoy it and -- and our thought is that, you know, if they keep making progress they're going to keep buying accordians and accessories. >> that means providing lessons which he does online and in the

store. >> we want to fill in the gaps and we have an artist in residence now that is available to teach here or vie skype or face thyme. >> ultimately, michael hopes that by infusing new energy into this old instrument, the accordian experiences a ren sas. >> i think it's something that it is an old craft, but i think it will always have a place. we just want to continue to make the accordian great again. >> in today's world, power exists in many different areas than it used to because of social media so it used to be one ceo at the on of the big company. there are these pockets of power all over the place and you could own one of those pockets. le's the cofounder and ceo of

purpose, the president and ceo of the 90 second street wide here in new york. how power works in our highly connected world. great to see both of you. >> great to see you. >> starting giving tuesday out of nothing with a zero budget and it has become this enormous event and you have many examples here. so let's talk about how as a business owner you can tap into this. >> well, look, you know, we think of new power as this critical capacity in the 21 century. it used to be 20 or 30 years ago it was mostly about who you knew, if you were raising money for your business. v navigate a complex funding system, but now obviously anyone has the ability to harness the abilities of the community around them. and all around us, we were

incredibly inspired of people without this traditional power who kind of broke through using these new techniques and built these extraordinary businesses from scratch. >> so i have a company in a small town somewhere. i'm not connected to anyone in power how do i break through the noise? >> what are you asking your community to do? you buy a product and that's it. but the companies going ahead now you want to ask people more much. how do you invite people to feel like they are owners of your product? how do you add those to your cause? those are the key skills of our time. >> and how do you. there's a local company that's a car company, a top down all power company. they've worked on how to open up their whole process to help design the cause themselves so

they have a community of 50,000 people out there working how to design the cars, what the wheels should look like and so by the time those cars are already for sale they have this huge group of people. >> how do you build that community in the first place? everyone talks about this and you have to be authentic and you have to have a conversation, i can tell you all the tips on how to build a relationship with your users. it is incredibly hard. >> we use this term in the book. how do you structure full participation. you want to build and it's creating the right to anticipate. so this draws the box tightly around a challenge. what can the crowd do for us? what's going to be gratifying for people to be involved? so you're right. these are very newnd very burglar skills.

there's another example in the book of a beer company. now, these guys came from no, where a couple of rogue fellows who wanted to start a crown identity. and they called them equity punks and they were part of this rebel jo rebellious brand and they turned it into a massive thing. >> how did they get the crowd there? once they got the $30 million and they have all these an board thigh can do something cool with them but how do you get through with them? >> everyone is asking you toeb a crowd of a part in some way. >> everyone's trying to be authentic with you. so this has been true of business forever.

the question in the world of new power, what are those people winning doing right. the first thing is great product. >> of course. >> the second thing is already about authenticity. things that have a real purpose to them. but what troop ir chargers it's not just making you awe thentdic and good. it's not just that you are a great project but you are doing something that counts for something. if you make them genuinely part of your cause in a way they have to contribute that's what moves the needle. >> and people will actually pay more to take part. we call it the participation premium and we've documented those examples. they got much higher evaluation from the crowd than they would have gotten in investors. >> if you think of personal

relationships, you often feel closer and so perhaps it's the same thing. it's a two-way street now. >> this has been true but it's of belonging and sense of agency. they want to do feel they are doing something. there is more than just buying that's the raft of activities we need to see next. >> congratulations on the book. thank you for stopping by. it's only growing right, the people getting right are the ones winning in the end. thanks, good to see you both. >> thanks jj. the wait you present yourself in a business meeting can have a great impact on your career. here are five ways to feel more confident when you go into one. first, dress the part. even if fashion isn't your thing pay attention to the wardrobe. if you are dressed inappropriately it can make you feel insecure and absolutely take away from what you're

trying to accomplish. second, practice. whether you give a presentation in front of 100 people or talking to just one potential customer you'll do better if you put in the time to ensure you have the pitch down. three, do your research. if you know a little bit about who you are talking about owe with you'll know how to tailor the conversation to make sure it's interesting to them. this saves you from having to spend too much time you can pique interest. fourth, be friendly even if you feel incredibly insecure or shy don't give into it. pofr a smile and be open. chances are it will be returned. and fifth, block out the negativity. if you start to internally put yourself down, stop. immediately, and if you can't, find your favorite song and listen to it right before the meeting. we're in the middle of the seconds season of the podcast been there built that and i have to say i have learned so much from all of the guests we have had on. this week we talk to joshua

rooefs the ceo of and he coveder of gustavo. the it's hr benefits platform in five years they have grown to work with over 1% of all employers in america. he talked to us about how shoes are not allowed in the office. and how he deals with the responsibility of running such a large business. he is a fascinating guy. i hope you get a chance to listen to it. as i ask you every week if you do do me a favor and give us feed cast in the second season, still new and we love hearing what you think. listen for free it's called been there built that. find it on tune in or with wherever you got a podcast. when we come back what you need to to do to keep employees from going to the competition. and how you can par lay expertise into profits.

it's pretty amazing out there. the world is full of more possibilities than ever before. and american express has your back every step of the way- whether it's the comfort of knowing help is just a call away with global assist. or getting financing to fund your business. no one has your back like american express. so where ever you go. we're right there with you. the powerful backing of american express. don't do business without it. don't live life without it. how can i keep all of this young talent that i'm training and i'm grooming from going to bigger agencies? >> so, clearly you are doing something right because you are attracting the talent and nurturing them. and the agencies want to hire them. and so what i would want to find out if i were you is why are --

why are they leaving? why is the talent leaving to go somewhere else? and one of the things you might want to think about is doing a -- an outgoing interview to get some of the information and reflect on your business and how you are structured to see if it's a problem with the company or if it's that the people coming to your company are not the right fit. what i mean by that is when you meet with candidates you could talk to them about the fact that you run a small agency. that you're always a small agency and if that's something they're looking for then that is -- then europe the place for them. otherwise it might not be a fit for you. we now have the top two tips you need to know to help you grow business. let's introduce the panel and get advice. melissa bigs bradley the found and ceo of a travel agency and chris sugden is at edison partners good to see you both. >> thanks. >> i've been following your firm since it launched ten years ago about. and it's been incredible.

i think the audience should check it out to see how you've going to are grown over the years congratulations. >> thank you gloo what's something you learned the audience can learn from. >> i think right now expertise is something that people have to excel in. it's in a competitive advantage in the world of information overload the internet brought. there is so much information online that you really need to know the audience and the market and you can create really deep loyalty with your customers. if you can difference yourselves on expertise. >> you started your company as a content site and then realize, people are coming for the content i can do more with this. >> yes. and the travel space is a great example of what the internet has done. there is lots of mass market sites out there. but the average american spends 30 hours researching a trip. we focus not on the mass market and general but really high-end and understanding the customers really want specific trips with the families, with great

experiences, and so we scout that and deliver it. >> you have raised multiple, multiple funds. >> that's true. >> so tell us something that you see with growing your own company and also with all of the companies you work with. >> so i like to say turn the -- prove people wrong moniker to go prove people right. you have americans and coaches who believed in you. and entrepreneurs and small business owners for so many years are told you are failing. melissa no kmans. are you crazy you're starting a content travel site in the middle of a recession. people say nchgt. but swrp someone said something like you can do this. go back to those people and explain to them why they've helped you how they've helped you and prove people right. turn that negative energy into positive. turn the old clisha when you're a kid prove that coach wrong, son. no no prove them right let's talk about how they helped you become a success. >> a lot of times it's the proving something wrong that

gives -- puts a fire in your belly to say i'm showing you and be successful. psychologically what does it do to think of it the other way. >> as entrepreneurs you have to be an optimist. which rowe why bring yourself into negative energy. the proving people right turns the negative into a half full. do you expect the theron you're going to be proving proved i don't think so many entrepreneurs have three, four five six years to become successful and those people thinking you weren't making it. aren't bleaching it until you get it there. it doesn't help to go back to thosepeople go back to the people who believed you in that's what great mentors are for. at the end of the day entrepreneurs are positive. stick with the people who are helping you be positive. that's not all you know corns and rainbows. . but the americans that told you when you needed to sthift and pivot. and help you those are the people helping you in the future.

>> thank you so much to you both. this woke's your busy selfie from lebanon ohio who owned the odoctorably named copy cat and dog care. they provide pet sitting and walking services. the slogan is they keep pets safe and sound under their own woof. i want that dog. now pick up yorp cell phone and take a selfie of your business and send it to us at msnbc.com or tweet it to us @msnbc did the biz. and include the location and use the hashtag your biz selfie. thank you for joining us. we love hearing from you. if you have questions or comments about the show, send an email to your business @msnbc.com i promise you read all of them. also if you missed anything from the show. click on the website. it's msnbc.com slash your business. we not only put up everything

from today but a whole lot more. and of course do not forget to connect with us on all digital and social media platforms. one last thing check out the podcast called been there built that. you can listen to it for free from apple podcast or wherever you get pod casts. until next time i'm jj ramberg. we make your business, our business. the line between work and life hasn't just blurred. it's gone. that's why you need someone behind you. not just a card. an entire support system. whether visiting the airport lounge to catch up on what's really important. or even using those hard-earned points to squeeze in a little family time.

no one has your back like american express. so no matter where you're going... we're right there with you. the powerful backing of american express. don't do business without it. don't live life without it. a very good morning i'm alex witt in new york at msnbc world headquarters 8:00 in the east and five out west. here is what's happening. fallout from the russia indictment, this morning new questions about whether americans could be charged next. there won't be a perry mason i don't think. but you ner know what happens but i will absolutely firmly ask the question. >> the calls to cancel the helsinki summit. why the white house forgeries ahead and why the president's approach could change given the development. rain in. what went wrong at the president's meeting with queen elizabeth? plus. i don't appreciate what was originally said being