BiggerPockets Podcast : Real Estate Investing and Wealth Building to Help You Get Bigger Pockets

Today’s guests are harnessing technology to change the face of a blue-collar, brick and mortar business that’s been around for 7,000+ years : barbering. Daniel and Chris break down exactly how they opened their first barbershop in the Tampa Bay area, and how reinvesting the profits allowed them to open 6 more in a few short years. They explain why every entrepreneur should set aside some funds for “oopsies.” And they offer tips on projecting expenses, choosing a location, hiring a team, and conjuring up creative ways to get customers in the door — guidance that applies to each and every business. So, can a barbering business really scale? Theirs does… because they launched a line of barbering products including razors, shears, air compressors, and wireless charging mats. So if you’ve ever considered direct-to-consumer sales, you’ll want to listen for their advice on doing business overseas (hint: hire a consultant!) and growing sales online. Also, Chris reflects on building a massive Youtube following — and how providing free education to his 250,000 subscribers helped build his company’s brand and attract high-caliber talent. If you want to change your industry by taking a fresh approach, this episode will leave you inspired and ready to take action today. Download this one now, and subscribe so you won’t miss the next one!

What does it take to jumpstart your own ecommerce operation right from your home? That’s the topic of today’s show with Bill and Maida Webster, a “retired” Connecticut couple who launched second careers as eBay sellers in the early 2000s. They came to love the wheeling and dealing—and soon realized the earnings would allow them to avoid dipping into their retirement savings. As Maida says, “eBay (literally) floats our boat!” You’ll learn Bill and Maida’s tips for researching comparable sales online and hear how they routinely sell items for as much as 6x the purchase price. They reveal how they source their niche products locally, then market them internationally to create bidding wars (Chinese buyers bidding on a sunglasses case?!). You won’t want to miss Bill and Maida’s story about how they helped an heir to a famous Hollywood couple by selling their belongings on consignment… OR their story about trying to figure out what to do with a U-Haul truck filled with antique dolls. Bill and Maida also reflect on working together as a married couple, and how they divide up their responsibilities (and physical workspaces) to avoid driving each other crazy. J and Carol can relate! This is an entertaining and insightful show that will inspire you to start looking around the house for items to sell. Whether it’s Amazon, Facebook, Craigslist, eBay, or another platform, if you’re looking to create a new income stream by buying and selling online, this episode is a perfect starting point. If you enjoy the episode, make sure you’re subscribed so you won’t miss an episode!

Do you want to know how to get your business noticed by reporters and generate positive press? Today’s guest has made a career out of doing just that. In this episode, he teaches you exactly how to make a splash through innovative (some would say crazy), outside-the-box techniques.Brent Underwood is a creative marketer who’s done publicity for musical artists, best-selling authors, and his own projects—including a ghost town he bought and plans to turn into a high-end resort.Today, Brent tells us how his career began with a cold email and how that led to him working with some of the most talented writers and marketers in the country. Brent also reveals how he gets into the heads of reporters and editors—and how you can do the same. He explains what a “handle” is, and why you need one to get your message to spread. And you won’t want to miss the most important lessons Brent learned after opening his own hostel in Austin, Texas, and how a goat helped boost business. This show is jam-packed with information that will help you generate buzz and get yourself in front of more clients and customers. Download it today, and subscribe to the BiggerPockets Business Podcast so you won’t miss an episode!

Think about your typical work day. Which activities drain you? Which energize you? And which do you wish you were doing more of? Asking these questions changed Trevor Mauch's life for the better. In this episode, he guides us through an exercise that can help you do the same! For Trevor, it all began after a scary wake-up call. It wasn't that his software company wasn't doing well. In fact, Carrot—which builds high-converting websites for real estate investors and agents—recently landed on Inc.'s list of fastest-growing companies. Trevor even had enough cash to buy the domain name Carrot.com for a jaw-dropping sum (you'll learn just how much). Instead, the wake-up call was a near-tragedy brought on by his hardcore "hustle and grind" mentality. At that moment, Trevor realized that working nights and weekends wasn't sustainable. It also wasn't helping the company, because that routine wasn't allowing him to grow as a leader. Today, Trevor reveals the system you can use to delegate tasks that drain your energy (even if you're great at them!). He also drops some great tips for ranking higher in Google and how creating local "content with context" can help you beat out bigger, better-funded competitors. And he reflects on how building a strong, clearly-defined brand has helped attract some of his most valuable team members. The result is an episode that's part motivational speech, part marketing masterclass. So download, subscribe, and leave us a rating and review if you enjoy it!

If you think you know Joshua Dorkin’s whole story... think again. In the debut episode of the BiggerPockets Business Podcast, the BiggerPockets founder reveals exactly how he bootstrapped a hobby site into the world’s biggest online community of real estate investors. He also discusses how he worked 100-hour weeks in his basement (and in his boxers), and how somewhere along the way, it dawned on him that he’d built a “lifestyle business” that left him with no real life. Joshua traces the business back to the days when MySpace was hot. He offers tips for building an online community that will resonate today and into the future. He describes a few moments when he almost quit ($15,000 for a website that didn’t work?!) and reflects on why he waited eight years to make that game-changing first hire (Brandon Turner!). But for as many lives as BiggerPockets has touched, this episode is about something more profound than one company’s growth. You’ll learn what that is when Joshua reveals why he’s been out of the public eye lately and the reason he stepped back from day-to-day operations just as BiggerPockets began to reach new heights. This show will give you a lot to think about—whether you run your own business or you’re just thinking about taking that leap. It’s a perfect jumping-off point as we launch the BiggerPockets Business Podcast with the intention of helping one another make a real, positive impact on the lives of our customers, our teams, and our families. Listen now, and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss an episode!