Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Are you looking for creative ways to monetize your audience? Even if you have a small audience and are just starting out, these tips can help you think outside of the box and start generating revenue from your efforts.

Acquiring new customers is one thing, but keeping them is entirely another. Today we have Sunil Thomas on the show to speak about his company, CleverTap, a leading customer engagement and retention platform that helps brands maximize user time value. CleverTap tracks groups, segments, and data, and helps brands use it to market to their customers. For Sunil, what makes CleverTap unique is that they take a holistic view of customer retention by serving four categories: behavior analytics, segmentation, marketing automation, and individualization, using a mixture of manual and automated approaches to service delivery in each. Sunil shares details about some of CleverTap’s main clients and the verticals they occupy, before weighing in on why their customers who offer subscription models get the best out of their offering. We talk pricing structures and growth metrics for CleverTap and hear more on what their journey from idea to evangelization and product-market fit looked like. Our exchange covers the user experience of CleverTap too, and Sunil shares insights into the growth customers have experienced after adopting their platform as well as how open and compatible it is. We wrap up this great chat hearing bout Sunil’s favorite books and tools, so for all this and more, be sure to tune in! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:45] Where Sunil got his surname from considering he was born in India. [01:21] CleverTap’s main service helping brands with retention and conversion rates. [02:14] Metrics for clients, client success, and verticals CleverTap serves. [04:15] Four user retention categories and how CleverTap catapulted their growth. [05:18] Using manual and AI-assisted automation to help retain users in four categories. [06:32] Whether CleverTap best serves clients with mobile or web-based businesses. [08:14] CleverTap’s pricing structures based on user volume and add-on features. [10:30] Challenges educating buyers that solving user retention is important. [12:28] The two and a half year journey to first payment and product-market fit. [14:13] Growth metrics for CleverTap and how they have more than doubled revenue each year. [15:21] The difference between CleverTap and HubSpot: B2B versus B2C. [15:53] Favorite books of Sunil’s and why he loves Patrick Lencioni’s fable style. [16:32] Getting things done and why Sunil’s favorite business tool is Microsoft OneNote. [18:00] How to get in touch with Sunil and learn more about CleverTap. Resources From The Interview: Sunil Thomas on LinkedIn Sunil Thomas on Twitter CleverTap Domino’s Fandango The Discovery Group BookMyShow Nathan Latka with Sunil Thomas HubSpot NetSuite Yelp Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions The Ideal Team Player Microsoft OneNote Notion Roam David Allen Getting Things Done Leveling Up with David Allen TechCrunch Tom Tunguz Growth Everywhere Episode 96: Tom Tunguz Must read book: Death By Meeting, The Advantage Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Do you think you deserve a raise? Great! Here's how you can actually negotiate to make it happen!

Joining us on the show today is multifaceted, entrepreneur's entrepreneur, Jim Mckelvey! Jim is currently developing his project, Invisibly, which aims to revolutionize the ways that consumers interact with advertising on media platforms. He is also the co-founder of Square and has started seven companies in total! His recent book, The Innovation Stack is compiled through his experience and research into what has allowed the most successful companies to create their own lane, and in it, he notes the common factors of the most innovative business in history. Jim explains how he learned the important skill of surrounding himself with more experienced and intelligent people and complimenting this with the ability to support and strengthen their work. We also get into the opportunity of calamity before discussing the need for humor and bravery in the life of an entrepreneur. For all this and a bunch more thought-provoking conversation, listen in with us today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:24] Jim's first book that he wrote during college and the skills he acquired during those years. [02:23] How Jim met Jack Dorsey as a teenager. [03:29] Jim's role at Square and his attitude towards starting companies. [05:11] The beginnings of starting a payment company and the moment that inspired it. [06:16] The surprising growth of Square and its shaky path to success. [08:05] The concept of the innovation stack and the motivations behind Jim's book. [10:56] The two types of problems in the world and what this means for solutions. [12:55] Understanding the differences between businesspeople and entrepreneurs. [15:16] The example of Southwest Airlines and its innovation stack. [17:40] A better definition of disruption and ways to work in non-innovative spaces. [19:19] Invisibly's two main goals and their overarching mission statement. [23:37] The way that Invisibly works for consumers online and in media. [26:14] Business in the pandemic and the history of companies during a calamity. [27:59] Why Douglas Adams' books are so helpful for kindling the entrepreneurial spirit. [29:27] The professional usefulness of saying 'no'. [30:05] Where Jim would invest a billion dollars currently. [31:20] Jim's departure from Square and his focus on family and projects he cares about. [33:10] The need for more entrepreneurs and dispelling the hero myth. Resources From The Interview: Jim McKelvey Invisibly The Innovation Stack Square Jim McKelvey on Twitter Hatching Twitter Jack Dorsey Herb Kelleher Southwest Airlines Forbes Peter Thiel Pre-suasion Gladwell Elon Musk Must read book: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

If you hustle hard enough, is it worth it? Only to a point. Tune in to this episode as we discuss how you can out perform almost anyone with leverage, not hustle. What is leverage in the first place, and how does running a smart business give you more leverage? In this episode we'll find out!

We are joined on Leveling Up today by Aaron Hirschhorn, the founder and CEO of Gallant, a new company specializing in regenerative medicine for pets! They aim to help pets have a better and longer, high-quality life and they are providing this through stem cell banking and therapy. Aaron explains how this is an untapped section of the market and how he has applied the ongoing research into stem cells to help pets and their owners! He gives us some examples of how their service works, which begins with the procurement of stem cells during a regular vet visit at a young age. From there a veterinary professional can treat future age-related health issues using that sample as the means. Our guest does a great job of simplifying how stem cells relate to aging and the potential advancements we will likely see in the field in the near future. He breaks down some of the components of the new business and how they have approached marketing and customer acquisition. For all this and a whole lot more from an exciting company in a fresh space, listen in! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:55] How to pronounce Gallant properly, what they do and some background on stem cells. [02:52] Examples of practical use cases for the company's service. [05:30] The business model at Gallant and how they make money. [07:38] Partners, new customers, patents and more; looking at the young business. [08:17] How Gallant work with vets and the seamless alignment they offer. [11:00] Aaron's previous business, DogVacay, that he started in 2011. [12:15] Lessons that Aaron has brought forward into his new business around simplification. [13:51] Building awareness through content creation and media appearances. [14:32] Aaron's plans to live forever and what the future of aging might look like! [16:57] Aaron's commitment to the pet space and where he would invest $10 million. [17:35] Moving to Florida and the tax benefits for startups. [18:13] Aaron's preference for novels over business books! [19:24] The set of tools that Aaron and Gallant use currently. Resources From The Interview: Gallant Aaron Hirschhorn Email Shark Tank DogVacay Yelp Rover Wag! SoftBank Chewy Kindle Slack Must read book: Children of Time Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Yesware is an all-in-one sales software that provides users with everything necessary to prospect, schedule meetings and follow up, all from the comfort of the inbox! Here to talk about the company and his role as CEO is Joel Stevenson! Yesware has raised $47 million as well as acquiring a host of companies along the way and we wanted to bring you the lowdown on how they have done it all. We hear from Joel about his journey from SVP of Sales to COO of Marketing and finally to CEO of the company! Joel explains his relationship with Matt Bellows, the co-founder and former CEO, and a lot of our conversation is spent unpacking the transitions the company has gone through and how they have grown and evolved. Joel started in sales and tech and he is kind enough to look back at his early career and the common motifs that have run through all of his work. We also talk about leadership techniques, Yesware's belief in executive mentorship, and how they go about communicating in the company. So, for all of that and a whole lot more, listen in with us today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:48] Joel's long and winding road to his current position as CEO. [02:10] Departing from Wayfair and finding a home at Yesware. [02:50] Yesware's business model, their offers, and how they charge and make money! [03:52] The growth of the business over the last six years and their move away from freemiums. [05:09] Developing leadership and Joel's own path to his current role. [08:05] Joel's attitude to change management and keeping the team on board. [09:12] Matt Bellow's current role at Yesware and responsibilities that Joel took over from him. [10:29] The frequency of communication and meetings at the company. [10:51] The power of executive coaching; the emphasis that Yesware has placed on this. [11:47] The sales world at this moment; high volumes, dry pipelines and availability. [13:39] Trends that Joel and Yesware have noted during and before the pandemic. [14:22] Joel's emphasis on video for meetings — making use of current circumstances. [15:41] Joel's favorite business tools lately; Microsoft To-Do and Whoop. [16:18] Why Joel's loves David Allen's Getting Things Done. [16:42] The publications and podcasts that Joel keeps up with. Resources From The Interview: Joel Stevenson Yesware Matt Bellows Wayfair Salesforce Zenefits BodesWell Slack Reboot Valour Microsoft To-Do Whoop David Allen Must read book: Getting Things Done Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

What does it take to build wealth? In this episode, Eric shares his insight on the many stages of wealth and how to climb the ladder to the next stage. Discover why products and software can be more lucrative than services, and why the harder the level is, the bigger the reward will be!

Today on Leveling Up we welcome Andrew Fischer from Choozle. Andrew is the co-founder and CEO of the company and he shares some of their story and what makes the business tick. Choozle is a digital advertising software platform that leverages detailed consumer data to power programmatic advertising campaigns across multiple platforms. They do this through one, intuitive interface and this model has proved very successful for Andrew and his team, having raised over $14 million since they began work in 2012! In our conversation, we chat about the service they provide to their clients and what sets them apart from other advertising services in the space. Andrew gives us a few interesting statistics and breaks down some hiring numbers before we talk about customer acquisition and adapting to the new world in a post-COVID landscape. We chat about the future of media and the increasing trends away from cable television, so to hear it all, make sure to tune in! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:54] How Choozle works, the service they provide and how they make money. [02:30] Why to choose Choozle! Making the most of the average consumer. [03:40] Ideal business sizes for the company and their preference for independent agencies. [04:53] Employee-growth at Choozle; the peaks that the company has hit. [06:15] Choozle's focus on programmatic advertising campaigns. [07:19] Costs involved in working with the company and the array of budgets they work with. [08:30] Current steps that Choozle is taking to extend their service for customers. [10:50] Trends in television and media consumption in the contemporary climate. [11:25] Business during the pandemic and how Choozle is weathering the storm. [12:57] Customer acquisition strategies at Choozle over the last few years. [14:11] The type of startup Andrew would back right now! [14:51] Andrew's two essential book recommendations. [15:55] Why Andrew has returned to a simpler practice of note-taking. Resources From The Interview: Andrew Fischer on Twitter Choozle Roku Fire AT&T The Last Dance Evernote Must read books: The Hard Thing About Hard Things and Shoe Dog Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

we discuss four underrated SEO strategies that will help you boost your organic traffic. Updating your content and keywords, removing old dates from your URLs, and using power and pillar pages effectively will all contribute to reviving your organic traffic. Tune in to hear about the tools that will get you to your traffic goals. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:25] Today’s topic: 4 Underrated SEO Plays That Will Double Your Organic Traffic. [00:39] Upgrade your content regularly. [01:01] Consider your top performers and explore new keywords to update them. [01:30] Boost your traffic by removing dates from your URLs. [01:45] Write long-form pieces of content and consolidate different pieces together. [02:04] Consider what Animalz does with their power and pillar pages. [02:24] Turn your content into videos and put them on YouTube. [03:01] That’s it for today! [03:02] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Ubersuggest ClickFlow Brian Dean Animalz vidIQ Leave Some Feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with Us: Neilpatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu

Zapier CEO and co-founder, Wade Foster, joins on us on Leveling Up today to discuss his business, remote work and the vital importance of building a company culture! It became apparent to Wade quite early on in the journey of Zapier that if they were going to grow in the right way and continue to scale what they were doing, a well-suited company culture was necessary. This led to the development of their ethos and core values and these steps have served the company immensely in recent years! We get to hear from Wade about some of the financial aspects of the company, including their freemium model and the way they lay out their pricing plan. He also comments on leadership, with particular reference to the challenges posed by a crisis. The global pandemic has provided many challenges for us all and Wade weighs in on his approach to these and making the most of the connected opportunities. The conversation also covers the utility of podcast appearances, hiring practices at Zapier, and profit-sharing! Tune in and hear it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:54] Zapier's place in the no-code ecosystem! [01:39] A refresher on Zapier and where they are currently as a business. [03:24] The freemium model at Zapier, the pricing model, and how they make money. [07:28] Key lessons in growth and scaling for Wade around remote work and company culture. [09:41] Evaluating communication skills during the hiring process. [11:54] Practical steps towards building better company culture! [14:41] Employee retention at Zapier and how the remote model contributes to this. [16:09] Lessons that Wade has learned during the pandemic about leadership during crisis. [19:45] Feelings about the current uncertainty; the positive and negative sides of the pandemic. [21:17] Profit-sharing and employee incentives at Zapier. [24:20] How Wade thinks about podcast appearances; qualitative feedback and recruiting. [26:11] Wade's favorite recent business book: The Outsiders. [29:48] The usefulness of Workona and Krisp! Resources From The Interview: Zapier Wade Foster Wade Foster on Twitter Wade Foster Email Slack G Suite QuickBooks Trello MailChimp SalesForce Stripe Twilio Basecamp Glassdoor Nathan Barry Workona Krisp Must read book: The Outsiders Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

You don't need a college degree to make 6 figures, even during this year's uncertain times.

Offering a SaaS product that services agriculture presents unique challenges for growth and today we chat with Allison Kopf, CEO of Artemis, about what this process looks like. Artemis is a cultivation management platform that enables growers to manage people, processes, and compliance all in one place while creating a virtually risk-free operation. Allison starts by telling us about her background in energy and what drew her obsession towards enterprise-level management and infrastructure in the agricultural industry, weighing in about how software can optimize farming and supply chains to streamline operations, bring growers closer to distributors, and more. We turn our attention to why Artemis services high-risk specialty crop farmers, and how the company makes money while encouraging compliance by using a subscription model that charges by acreage and complexity. From there, Allison talks metrics for growth rates before speaking to Artemis’ customer acquisition strategies and how direct to farmer lead generation in the format of digital events is faring since COVID. The risk of burnout due to over-productivity while working at home in the pandemic is real so we query Allison next about how her passion projects of baking, venture capital, and playing Zelda are working as buffers against this. Wrapping up, Allison weighs in on her favorite venture capital books and the massive strides Zoom and Slack have made in recent months. Tune in for this amazing conversation. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:42] Allison’s background in farming and idea to tweak supply chains by creating Artemis. [02:25] What a cultivation management platform is and how software can optimize supply chains. [03:13] Why Artemis works with high-risk specialty crops directly consumed by consumers. [05:24] How Artemis makes its money using a subscription-based SaaS model. [05:43] Encouraging compliance and why Artemis charges by acreage not user. [06:26] Employee size and growth rates at Artemis for Q1 and COVID’s influence. [07:16] Unique customer acquisition challenges Artemis faces as an agri-SaaS product. [09:58] Talking virtual events as a way of generating quality leads during the pandemic. [12:08] Allison’s focus on baking, venture capital, and Zelda since COVID to resist overworking. [16:30] New creative business models since COVID and venture deals Allison has closed. [17:22] Favorite books of Allison’s about venture capital and underrepresented founders. [18:29] Talking Zoom’s growth, Slack’s usefulness, and Allison’s favorite work tools. Resources From The Interview: Allison Kopf on LinkedIn Allison Kopf on Twitter Allison Kopf on Instagram Allison Kopf Email Artemis Star Wars: The Clone Wars Zelda XFactor Ventures Zoom Eric Yuan Slack Shoe Dog Little Black Stretchy Pants Must read book: Raising the Bar, and It’s About Damn Time Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

In episode #1432, we are going to be giving you seven game-changing tools for marketers on a budget. This great session covers Eric and Neil’s famous self-made tools for optimizing traffic and SEO, getting more views on YouTube, tightening up your copy, and so much more! Tune in and find some tools that should accelerate your growth and which you can either get for super cheap or better yet, absolutely free! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:25] Today’s topic: 7 Game-Changing Growth Tools for Marketers on a Budget. [00:30] How good and cheap Ubersuggest and Neil’s offerings are for SEO. [01:00] Using Content Decay to identify and maintain parts of your site that are losing traffic. [01:38] Making the most of your content by streaming it to multiple sources. [02:18] Getting way more traffic from YouTube using vidIQ! [02:36] How much more effective you become as a writer using Grammarly. [03:18] Connecting all marketing sources in one place using Google Data Studio. [03:53] Using fast-growing Zapier to build marketing workflows. [04:53] That’s it for today! [04:55] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Ubersuggest Content DecayRestream vidIQ Grammarly Google Data StudioZapier Leave Some Feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

With the explosive proliferation of SaaS products, it can be difficult to keep up to speed with developments such as pricing trends. While there are review sites for products, these have largely become an extension of marketing and sales rather than objective information for customers. Capiche is looking to turn this model on its head, and CEO, Austin Petersmith, joins us to share insights into the exciting platform. Capiche is a secret society for SaaS products, showing pricing data for a variety of companies. We kick off the episode by learning more about Austin and the company. With a background in journalism and experience in tech startups, Austin saw the flawed software development review ecosystem that comes from a pay to play model. He realized the need for elevated conversations, which set the wheels in motion for the creation of Capiche. We then move to discuss the pricing data the site has available. With pricing asymmetry and opacity as the biggest problems, by making data available, Capiche puts users back in the driver’s seat. From there, we then look at the platform’s approach to monetization and why they are opting to build their community first. Their customer-centric approach ensures that they stay true to the transparent ethos which the platform was built on. We round the show off with some tips from Austin for anyone looking to build community and more. Be sure to tune in today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:00] Find out more about Austin’s story and what led to the creation of Capiche. [03:56] What Austin thought was missing with SaaS products and the conversations about them. [04:42] The SaaS pricing data that Capiche has available and the benefits for users. [06:42] Capiche’s growth plan and why they’re opting for high quality over monetization now. [08:00] What Capiche is working on currently. [09:22] Some of the ways that Austin has thought about monetizing Capiche. [11:27] How Capiche looks to turn the conventional review site approach on its head. [11:57] Capiche user metrics and other data. [14:52] Lessons that Austin has learned from the mistakes he made building Capiche. [17:52] Austin’s favorite business tool at the moment. [19:03] A recent great business book Austin has read. Resources From The Interview: Austin Petersmith on LinkedIn Austin Petersmith on Twitter Austin Petersmith’s email Capiche Jon Stewart Jason Calacanis Inside.com Notion Wirecutter Hacker News Figma Must read book: The Great CEO Within Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Today, we are going to talk about seven Jeff Bezos frameworks that will supercharge your growth. These are frameworks that not a lot of people talk about, but when you think about business growth, when you think about longterm business, Amazon is the perfect example of that. No matter how much crap people talk about Amazon.

How many CEOs are running a million dollars a month, ad to webinar? Tanner Chidester is one of them and he joins us today to talk about qualifying calls and what it’s like grossing $12 million annually at 28 years old. Tanner is CEO of Elite CEOs and Fit Warrior, two high ticket coaching businesses that offer one on one mentorship in the fitness and entrepreneurship spaces. We hear from Tanner about how he went from playing D-I football to dropping out of college to pursue entrepreneurship following the advice of a mentor. Tanner weighs in on how he built Fit Warrior’s high ticket coaching service and used that business as a platform to start Elite CEOs. He talks about how his businesses make money, shares metrics about his staff count and monthly revenue, and also speaks to the resilience of the high ticket coaching model in this time of the worldwide pandemic. We hear more about Tanner’s business model which stresses many touchpoints between coaches and clients, and he talks about their subscription lengths, billing structures, success rates, and ideal clients. From there, we get into one of today’s biggest takeaways, with Tanner sharing about how he can close 60 percent of the calls his sales team take by using a conversion conversation model that qualifies calls for only a third of the cost that most businesses would pay. Wrapping up, we talk about some mindset hacks for optimizing the wellness side of entrepreneurship, and Tanner gives his recommendations for a favorite app and book to this end. Tune in for some lesser-used conversion strategies and nuggets about the effectiveness of high ticket offerings! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:44] How Tanner dropped out of college to pursue entrepreneurship and made millions. [03:25] Why Tanner is focusing on Elite CEOs now and how he used Fit Warrior as a platform. [04:18] How Tanner made money initially with Fit Warrior by selling high ticket services online. [05:17] Advertising, sales, service packages, and staff count metrics for Tanner’s businesses. [06:09] How COVID is affecting conversion rates for Tanner’s sales funnels. [06:49] The high level, one to one coaching business model Tanner uses in both businesses. [09:50] Ideal client types and why Tanner prefers coaching clients with high ticket offerings. [10:56] Why Tanner’s conversion conversation model has been so successful for him. [14:00] How Tanner only pays around $250 rather than $600 for a qualified call. [16:26] Additional information about how Tanner’s team qualifies clients on the front end. [18:58] How helpful The Calm App has been for Tanner’s mental wellbeing. [19:52] The use of seeing a therapist for aiding in mental health. [20:55] Happiness after wealth and why Tanner loves High Performance Habits. [21:28] The best way to connect with Tanner online. Resources From The Interview: Tanner Chidester Elite CEOs Fit Warrior The Calm App BetterHelp Russel Brunson Must read book: High Performance Habits. Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Today we share the ultimate checklist for selling high-ticket products and services. Some of the benefits of higher price points are that you have more flexibility and margin for making mistakes, and you should use this to your benefit. Tune in to hear the array of benefits to hosting a webinar and where to learn how to structure them for maximum benefit! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:25] Today’s topic: The Ultimate Checklist for Selling High-Ticket Products and Services. [00:35] Don’t think that having your offer on your website is enough—get on the phone. [01:05] A higher price means more flexibility and more margin for mistakes. [01:25] Retarget people who have hit your page or have shown interest. [02:02] Get tips from Sam Ovens and Russell Brunson on structuring webinars. [02:17] The benefits of hosting a webinar and the best platforms to use. [02:30] Think about building an ascension funnel and learn how from Dotcom Secrets. [03:05] Ensure that your price points are above $1000. [03:35] Continue marketing to people once you get their email address. [04:22] Use count-down timers to encourage people to buy before a certain time. [04:36] Adding a survey to determine which funnel you should send prospects to. [05:04] That’s it for today! [05:12] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Sam Ovens Russell Brunson EverWebinar Webinar Jam Dotcom Secrets Dean Jackson Leave Some Feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

2020 is full of unpredictability. This is a long term strategy that is almost guaranteed to build growth, if you can implement it. Product Led Growth has worked extremely well for companies like HubSpot. How can you apply it in your own business?

Not enough people in the SaaS world are customer-obsessed, but Derek O’Carroll, CEO of Brightpearl is changing that, and he joins us today to dive into how. Brightpearl is a scalable retail operations platform designed specifically for high growth multi-channel retailers wishing to automate and integrate their e-commerce and accounting operations. Derek got into startups in the 90s and while Senior Vice President of Global Field Sales and Marketing for Norton under Symantec he was responsible for $1.7 billion in global revenue. Today, Derek talks about leaving Symantec to join Brightpearl after looking for an area in the market that was undergoing disruption with a good product but challenges on product/market fit. He gets into what exactly Brightpearl does, how they make money, their deal client types, and their amazing growth metrics since he joined the team. After that, we turn our attention to how Derek manages teams with a focus on communication and the benefits of this approach, before zooming further into one of the biggest takeaways for today: how Brightpearl differentiates themselves by locating functional and non-functional attributes to build into their product. Here Derek talks about the process they went through to arrive at fast deployment, pricing, customer success, and automation. Next up, we chat about changes in customer behavior post-COVID and Brightpearl’s swift response to it, before wrapping things up with our usual rapid-fire questions for our guest. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:50] Startups in B2B/e-commerce Derek was involved in leading up to Brightpearl. [02:21] Complexities Brightpearl manages around the process after a product is bought online. [02:57] The transparent, configurable subscription model Brightpearl uses to make money. [03:56] Brightpearl’s clients: merchants trading across multiple channels with above $1M GMV. [04:30] The thread running through Derek’s projects; differentiation in disruptive spaces. [06:31] Derek’s approach to managing teams focussing on optimizing communication. [10:09] Statistics of Brightpearl’s yearly order value, market location, revenue, and more. [12:00] Functional and non-functional differentiators of Brightpearl’s product. [15:10] Time to value and how Brightpearl’s deployment speed frees client resources. [16:48] The fluidity of customer behavior post-COVID and how Brightpearl has dealt with that. [20:49] Tools Derek recently added to optimize his business: Slack and Donut. [21:44] A book recommendation from Derek. Resources From The Interview: Derek O’Carroll Brightpearl Derek O’Carroll on Twitter Derek O’Carroll Email Symantec Norton Escaping the Build Trap Jeff Bezos Oura Ring Peloton Slack Donut Must read book: Rubicon Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Everbowl is a superfood brand, headed up by their inspiring founder and CEO, Jeff Fenster. Jeff joins us on Leveling Up today to talk about his amazing business and the impressive growth it is experienced in its young life. Jeff unpacks the idea of relationship capital, a concept that has made a huge impact on his success and how he goes about his work. We hear from him about his formative years and how his original plan to be a sports agent did not pan out in the way he initially imagined. Now Jeff aims to help everyone be their best selves through eating and moving the way that we are meant to. This means better, healthier practices throughout the day and that is where his amazing acai bowls come into the picture. They are packed with superfoods and all the stuff your diet might be missing to get you to your peak performance. Jeff generously shares some inside information about the company, his eight minute trick to making the most of his time and why he aims to be the dumbest guy in the room! We also touch on his parallel superfood coffee business, Superfuel Coffee! So for all that and then some, be sure to listen in! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:05] The quick and dirty version of Jeff's story leading up to Everbowl. [04:03] Jeff's passion for serial entrepreneurship and health. [05:53] The products that Everbowl offers and their reliance on real food. [07:05] Employee numbers, 2019 revenue and future prospects for the company. [08:11] The merging of superfood and coffee for something unique to the market. [09:02] Jeff's concept of vertical integration and why more entrepreneurs should be using it. [11:30] Factors that have contributed to Everbowl's impressive growth. [13:20] Jeff's deep care for relationship building and the idea of relationship capital. [19:40] How to get started with a great network; Jeff's rules for amassing relationship capital. [22:01] Jeff's overarching mission in his business and life; helping improve lives. [22:51] Daily routines and practices that keep Jeff healthy and happy. [25:55] The main challenge that Jeff has faced in his life as an entrepreneur. [29:06] Jeff's favorite business tool and business book currently! [30:48] The two CEO's that Jeff is most inspired by: Steve Ells and Elon Musk. Resources From The Interview: Jeff Fenster Everbowl Superfuel Coffee Four Sigmatic Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal Tiger Woods Slack Zoom Tim Grover Chipotle Steve Ells Elon Musk Henry Ford Must read book: Relentless Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

We speak about how your mental health affects your marketing and how to keep it healthy. Having the right mindset is so important for being effective and jumping on opportunities when they arrive, especially at a time like this. Tune in and hear some great hacks for optimizing your well-being, from setting a cap on daily calls to meditating, journaling, and a whole lot more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:25] Today’s topic: How Your Mental Health Affects Your Marketing and How to Keep It Healthy. [00:30] Mental health doesn’t just affect marketing, but your overall effectiveness! [00:45] To be able to recognize a good opportunity, one has to be in the right mind frame! [01:25] Actions and habits that affect your life all start with your mental health. [01:55] The stress of the pandemic and how it encourages getting depressed or overworking. [02:56] Setting boundaries about how many calls to do per day. [03:50] Trying to only fill your calendar with things that produce ROI. [04:07] A tip for comparing yourself to others to get perspective and stay level headed. [04:50] Clearing your mind by meditating and taking time off. [05:28] Giving yourself time to be unproductive. [05:56] Setting things in order by journalling in The Five Minute Journal. [06:16] Going outside for a walk and monitoring your HRV using an Oura Ring. [06:55] That’s it for today! [06:56] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Calm Headspace Peloton The Five Minute Journal Oura Ring

We have spoken before about the ways in which writing and publishing a book can help you grow your business and authority. It sits alongside other tactics such as hosting a podcast, starting a blog, or creating a YouTube channel. Our guest today is a great example of the power of publishing! We are so happy to have the best-selling author of six books and CEO of Self-Publishing School, Chandler Bolt join us to talk about how you can put your thoughts and experiences into the form of a book and how this can lead to massive growth and revenue for you and your business! Chandler and his company have helped countless people publish their books and he walks us through exactly what his company does. They do not actually publish works, they help authors through the process, making it that much easier for anyone to become an author! Chandler explains why now is a better time than any for you to be writing and self-publishing that book you have been thinking about and we get into the differences between a traditional approach to publishing and the methods that Chandler espouses. For this hugely inspiring exploration of a market that anyone can exploit, listen in with us today on Leveling Up! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:58] Chandler's surprising story about getting into writing and publishing. [02:07] How Self-Publishing School operates and makes money. [03:00] Numbers from Chandler's business; income, growth and publishing stats. [03:44] One of Chandler's favorite success stories from his publishing work! [05:03] Chandler's business psychology; goal-setting, accountability and transparency. [06:40] The hit-rate Chandler experiences with his goals. [08:01] Why now is the best time you can publish your own book! [09:20] Free resources and paid services from Self-Publishing School. [10:21] Traditional publishing versus the self-publishing route; weighing the pros and cons. [12:49] Understanding the idea of a book funnel and how useful it can be. [15:25] The 'silent salesman' and how a book can generate business for you in the long run. [16:12] Chandler's heavy work ethic — publishing 6 books in 3 years! [17:35] The time that is spent writing a book and getting help with the heavy lifting. [18:46] Writing challenges that Self-Publishing School set for their clients. [20:04] The rebranding of summits as challenges! [20:55] Chandler's approach to scaling companies and his passion for operations. [22:08] Three business book recommendations from Chandler! [23:04] The tool that has improved Chandler's business the most recently. Resources From The Interview: Chandler Bolt Self-Publishing School Self-Publishing School Podcast Published Seth Godin Inc 5000 Good Day Sacramento Measure What Matters Isaac Newton Shakespeare Pat Flynn New York Times USA Today Wall Street Journal Russell Brunson Traffic Secrets From 6 to 7 Figures ClickFunnels Need to Breathe Book Launch 7 Figure Principle Podcast Dan Martell Keith Cunningham Asana Slack Standuply Must read books: Influence, Extreme Ownership, How to Win Friends and Influence People Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

We have a true legend of digital marketing on the show today. Rich Schefren has done a lot in the marketing space, to put it lightly! He is a pioneer of the modern marketing world and has been a mentor to many of the most famous young faces doing interesting things right now. We are so excited to speak to Rich today as he breaks down his experience in this episode that is absolutely brimming with information. Rich packs so much wisdom into each answer, and his decades of expertise become so apparent that you are definitely not going to want to miss this one! We discuss the discovery of the video sales letter, how he got a billion-dollar testimonial and what it means to be resourceful during difficult times. Rich tells us exactly why he loves his iPad so much, what he learned from the old guard of legendary marketers and how he has gone about laying staff off when it was necessary. We discuss pruning your business, building a strong team through profit-sharing, and the definitive moments from his career, so tune in to hear it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:54] A brief background to Rich's work and how he landed up where he is today! [04:58] Working with legendary direct response marketers. [09:12] Rich's move into coaching and mentoring new faces in the game. [12:15] How writing 'The Internet Business Manifesto' changed Rich's life! [16:02] Resourcefulness and creating value for others; evergreen lessons from Rich. [18:39] Pruning parts of your business and enabling its further growth. [21:42] Rich's strategy for setting up profit-sharing in his company. [27:54] Lessons that Rich learned through layoffs and handling employees. [32:30] Rich's best books about direct response marketing! [34:42] The value Rich found in learning to speed read and his note-taking process. Resources From The Interview: Strategic Profits Rich Schefren on Twitter Ryan Deiss Russell Brunson Zoom Fred Segal American Rag Timeout Jay Abraham Gary Halbert John Carlton Dan Kennedy Stephen Pierce Gary Vaynerchuk Agora Publishing The Internet Business Manifesto Jon Benson ClickBank Charlie Munger QuickReader Calibre Voice Dream GoodReader Evernote Kindle Must read books: Breakthrough Advertising Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Here are give you three actionable lessons every marketer can learn from Tim Ferris! We talk about how Tim’s success can in part be attributed to his experimental nature, use of data in the content he produces, and willingness to keep learning! Tune in and hear what you can learn from Tim Ferris today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:25] Today’s topic: Three Actionable Lessons Every Marketer Can Learn From Tim Ferris. [00:32] Experimenting and building a brand by consistently marketing those experiments. [01:26] Don’t make claims! Content that uses data does better than content that doesn’t. [02:33] Tim is an obsessive learner; don’t stop learning no matter how successful you get. [03:27] That’s it for today! [03:29] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Tim Ferris The 4-Hour Workweek The 4-Hour Chef Warren Buffet Mark Cuban Leave Some Feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

Gary Vaynerchuck has been innovating on different marketing strategies for years. But how does all that translate to tactics you can apply to your own business? In this bonus episode, we learn 7 things that Gary Vee does exceptionally well and if you take even one of these tactics and apply to your own business you can see incredible results!

Today we are very excited to bring you a conversation with the originator of the Ask Method, Ryan Levesque! Through his company bucket.io, Ryan provides businesses with the powerful weapon of the quiz funnel and he is here to explain exactly how this works. Ryan lays out a reminder of how powerful data is and the ways in which quizzes can provide your business with data and leads in a completely unique way. He shares the universal application of this approach and many examples of how his methods have been used to great effect. In our conversation, Ryan dives into some statistics from Bucket, what exactly they are currently offering and who it can most benefit. Ryan explains how using quizzes suits both established brands and new companies looking to build an audience from scratch and we also touch on the future of networking and events in the current pandemic and during its lasting effects. For all this, join us on the Leveling Up podcast today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:29] Ryan's journey in the entrepreneurial world and the niches he has explored. [03:17] Statistics from Ryan's business; email subscribers and revenue generation. [05:38] How quizzes work in lead generation and conversion rates. [08:34] Getting to know your audience and positioning your offer appropriately. [11:42] Examples of companies that have made great use of quiz funnels. [16:18] Comparing Bucket with Typeform; what sets these frameworks apart. [18:26] Template libraries and educational opportunities that are available through Bucket. [20:24] Who the tool is aimed at; new or established companies? [22:24] Platform integration, site speed and lead generation through Bucket. [25:06] Contextualizing this conversation in the current pandemic. [30:56] Ryan's nimble strategy for virtual versus in-person offers and formats. [35:01] The usefulness of Ecamm Live and how Ryan has implemented it in his work! [36:23] Ryan's must-read book recommendation: RocketFuel. [37:39] An exciting announcement from Ryan about his live quiz-funnel workshop! Resources From The Interview: Ryan Levesque ASK Method Bucket Ryan Levesque on Facebook Choose Ask The Wall Street Journal Forbes Entrepreneur USA TODAY Fox News NBC SnackNation GOLFPASS PayPal LoanBuilder Michael Hyatt Proactiv What's Your Real Age Fuzzy Yellow Balls Charlie Wallace Typeform Hay House Brendon Burchard Russell Brunson Jim Kwik Zapier Keap ConvertKit Drip Oura Ring Ecamm Live Traction Must read book: RocketFuel Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

It is often said that niching down and making your offer specific to a particular need and section of the market is the key to success. Rick Carlson, our guest today believes that this idea is still under-appreciated. Rick is the CEO of SharpSpring, an all-in-one marketing automation platform that has experienced great success in its young life. We hear from Rick about his career in the marketing sphere, what he has chosen to give his attention to and the events leading up to the founding of SharpSpring. We chat about the company's base in Florida and why Rick decided to keep the company in his home state instead of one of the other startup hubs in the US. From there, Rick takes us through how SharpSpring approaches customer acquisition and their own marketing before we talk about finding the right type of customers and how he does this. The conversation ends off with the customary questions, with Rick opting to share his favorite business podcast instead of a book! For all this and a whole lot more from someone who is making great waves in the marketing world, and doing things slightly differently, join us on Leveling Up today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:42] Rick's background in sales, marketing and products, and his experiences in the field. [02:18] The strange story of how SharpSpring became a publicly-traded company. [04:14] Rick's life in Florida; why he chose to base his company in his hometown. [06:22] SharpSpring's current client base and how they shape up next to their peers. [07:30] SharpSpring's target market and the interesting tactics they use for capturing. [09:01] Rick's tips for getting out there, finding market-fit and working with agencies. [10:29] The effort that goes into connecting with the right companies and partners. [12:44] Focussing on a specific niche — the reasons for SharpSpring's success. [14:37] Rick's favorite business podcast, article and tool! [15:55] Why Rick chooses to focus on his own work over following other companies and founders. Resources From The Interview: Rick Carlson SharpSpring AVG Marketo Act-On Eloqua Pardot HubSpot Datanyze Must listen podcast: Manager Tools Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

In a world that seems almost fully-focussed on online and digital marketing, it may come as a surprise to some that physical means are still used to grow companies and for them to become known. PostcardMania is a very successful company in this line of work, using direct mail marketing to help their clients get the word out on their offers. They are a really great example of how older techniques and styles of marketing can still work in a contemporary context. The company was founded 21 years ago by Joy Gendusa, who we are so happy to welcome to the show today. They mostly serve small businesses and are up to about 60 million in revenue this year! Their pricing model is competitive but not comparatively cheap, and Joy explains how she pegs this. We talk about the history of the company and the organic growth that Joy has experienced over the last decades. She opens up about her target audience and the ways that have provided her with the biggest opportunities to scale and grow her team. Joy credits a lot of her success to her team, believing she leads a group of superheroes! We discuss their company culture, important practices and some of the perks and facilities at the office. So for all of this great stuff and to learn about a slightly different model for marketing, be sure to listen in! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:05] Joy's journey with PostcardMania and her learning curve with marketing. [03:11] The client-base for the company and the services they offer to them. [04:52] Some of the important numbers from PostcardMania and how much mail they send. [06:36] The fee-structure at PostcardMania and the ways in which they make money. [07:46] The areas in which the company experiences the most growth and best results. [09:39] Struggles over the years; leading the ship through rough waters. [12:28] Joy's thoughts on CEOs’ groups, a bad experience she had and her love for her team. [14:48] Growing and evolving with the company; Joy's philosophy towards progress. [51:52] PostcardMania's company culture and the unique perks that Joy offers her employees. [16:42] Monday meetings and the agenda for these weekly events at the company. [18:06] Entrepreneurship and marriage; the benefits of a personal partnership with overlap. [19:40] Joy's growth practices; books, conversations, and pivoting. [20:42] A selection of a favorite business book and tool of Joy’s. [21:23] Why Joy is not really following any particular companies or founders currently. Resources From The Interview: Joy Gendusa PostcardMania Everywhere Small Business Free Zapier Subscription Leveling Up 6c Postcard Special Shark Tank Alibaba Wade Foster Inc. Magazine Measure What Matters TedTalk Basecamp Postcard Marketing In An Online World: Success Simplified! Must read book: Measure What Matters Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Before thinking of building a Amazon or Apple, you have to think of your business as a 'launchpad' first. That's because even if you have a rocket, you can't go to space without a launchpad. We'll talk about the concept and how to do it.

When it comes down to it, SaaS businesses are valued on their ARR, but surprisingly, some still choose to manage the metrics and analytics that come as a byproduct of their order to cash process themselves. What they need is a platform, because having a single source of truth that drives all these metrics can’t be understated. Today’s guest is Tim McCormick, CEO of SaaSOptics, a platform that provides this very service. Specifically, SaaSOptics is a subscription management platform that provides early-stage and growth SaaS businesses with subscription billing, revenue recognition, financial reporting, and robust SaaS analytics. In our conversation with Tim today, we get into his career in tech running SaaS businesses in the security and energy management space, and the multiple exits he has orchestrated. He then dives into what SaaSOptics does and how they run their business to keep seeing such big growth. He gets into how SaasOptics automates the order to cash process, effectively sitting between the CRM and the general ledger. Tim talks about the metrics SaasOptics provides, their value-based pricing model, and how they balance marketing and sales in order to grow. We hear about the structure of their sales team, and their model of product cycles based on market changes too. There are around 30 000 B2B SaaS businesses globally thus the services SaaSOptics provides can’t come at a better time, so tune in to find out what it's all about! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:47] Tim’s career in marketing and exits in SaaS tech to founding SaaSOptics. [02:41] Why Tim keeps on exiting out: loving operating and helping the younger generation. [03:41] Vulnerability scanning and how it bridged Tim’s work in security and energy managing. [05:40] What SaaSOptics do to automate revenue recognition for smaller SaaS businesses. [08:00] Metrics SaaSOptics provides to help their clients get financing. [09:45] How SaaSOptics makes money by billing proportionately to clients’ revenue. [12:16] Ways SaaSOptics is growing: a blend of marketing/sales, and an account-based model. [13:35] The structure of the SaaSOptics sales team and their service cycles. [14:35] Which revenue point customers start using SaaSOptics at: immediately if they’re smart! [17:05] The relationship between product innovations and watching the market. [19:07] How Tim conducts his market research by assessing potential clients’ systems. [22:16] Tim’s favorite books: The Lean Startup, Good to Great, The Millionaire Next Door, etc. [22:44] A favorite business tool of Tim’s: FullStory. [23:59] Companies Tim is following: Tesla, Pendo, and Salesloft. Resources From The Interview: Tim McCormick SaasOptics Traction Conference Internet Security Systems IBM Tom Noonan Cisco David Ryan Netsuite Quickbooks Salesforce The Mom Test FullStory Tesla Pendo Kyle Porter SalesLoft Must read book: The Lean Startup, Good to Great, The Millionaire Next Door Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Tune in to hear some incredible tactics to get your consulting business up off the ground! These strategies will apply for agencies and consultants alike.

We talk about why community is the ultimate unfair advantage and why now is the best time to build one!

HubSpot has grown into one of the most credible names in the marketing and sales game in the last few years and we are lucky enough to have Kieran Flanagan, their VP of Marketing on the show today! If you listen to this podcast it is more than likely you know a lot about HubSpot already as we often refer to them, as happy customers of the company and having had a few of their team on the show already. The focus of today's conversation is Kieran's work on the freemium project at HubSpot and the impact that this initiative had on the company and their progress going forward. We speak about freemium and who it might work for; Kieran believes it is not a surefire way to success for every kind of company and links its usefulness to HubSpot to their product-led model. We also get some great insight into the company and how they approach tasks and challenges and Kieran breaks down their pod method for creating teams. Tune in to get it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:19] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:08] Kieran's career path, moving from coding to marketing and SaaS. [01:54] The GrowthTLDR Podcast that Kieran cohosts currently. [03:18] Kieran's place at HubSpot and a little of the company's journey. [05:04] The freemium offer from HubSpot and Kieran's experiences on this project. [09:25] Kieran's position on freemium offers and who they might serve. [11:30] Reasons that HubSpot has experienced its particular successes. [12:28] Kieran's systems for the marketing team for growth and customer acquisition. [16:33] The pod structure for integrations with companies and promotion. [19:04] Who gets selected for each pod and how the process works at HubSpot. [19:57] Content and playbooks; models for automated cluster building and more. [23:25] Courses and the academy that are readily available to customers. [24:51] Kieran's use of podcasts for learning and improving in the realm of growth. [25:52] Team-focussed strategies and creating an empowering environment. [26:04] Kieran's favorite business book and most-used tool for his job! Resources From The Interview: Kieran Flanagan on Twitter HubSpot SaaStock GrowthTLDR Podcast Steve Jobs SalesForce Turing Fest Loom Must read book: Sprint Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Recently, a couple of entrepreneur friends (+ their families) did something genius that I thought I'd share. Everything is negotiable. During times where the economy is practically shut down, you can find deals in almost every sector. Whether it's booking a great AirBnb to get a peaceful getaway or getting discounts on that software you always wanted to try, these tips will help you destress and enjoy the moment.

There are only two types of entrepreneurs right now: The fearful and the excited. I spoke to over 98 entrepreneurs recently and those are the two buckets that instantly stuck out. And it makes sense: people are afraid of losing their businesses right now. Think about all the restaurant owners that spent 20+ years putting their blood sweat and tears into the business. Or the store in the shopping mall that has had no choice but to close it doors. Many of those entrepreneurs are paralyzed by fear right now and aren't sure what to do next. On the other hand, I spoke to two close friends over the weekend and the mindset is world's apart: They're genuinely excited. Why? Because they see the world differently: Instead of being upset at lost revenues, they're pumped about new opportunities. Instead of being worried about the short term outlook, they know they'll emerge stronger than ever. They take EXTRA good care of their team during this time (even the ones that were let go). If you can be excited, you'll have an unfair advantage that will carry you far.

Today using funnels for conversions seems like a vital part of marketing your products but so much of that is thanks to our guest for today, Russel Brunson. Russel is the CEO of Click Funnels, a SaaS product that provides everything you need to market, sell, and deliver your products and services online through funnels. Click Funnels is approaching $200 million in revenue and they haven't raised a cent in venture capital, so our conversation with Russel today is mostly about the funneling strategies they use to make this possible. First up though, Russel tells the story of Click Funnels’ conception, which involves his initial entrepreneurial ambition of selling DVDs containing instructions for making potato guns. After learning about sales funnels through this venture, and then developing Click Funnels, Russel found that nobody even knew what sales funnels were. We hear from him about how this problem led him to write all his books, which both act as instruction manuals for using and optimizing funnels but also behave as funnels for his company. This leads Russel to speak about the other clever ways he converts people into customers and keeps Click Funnels growing, such as webinars and challenges. Other interesting tidbits from today’s episode are the stories of how Russel made $3.2 million selling Click Funnels to the audience of Grant Cardone’s 10X event, and how Apple completely blocked his number one podcast. As you’ll find out in this episode, Russel’s love of storytelling is a key feature of his success, so make sure you catch this interview. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:22] An intro into Russel, Click Funnels, and their revenue despite raising no venture dollars. [00:57] Potato gun sales funnels and how that led to Russel’s partner coding Click Funnels. [02:24] How Click Funnels makes money through tiered SaaS subscriptions. [03:04] Russel’s use of funnels in such a way that Click Funnels doesn’t pay for growth. [04:24] Funnel shelf lives and how Russel rotates through different funnels to keep fresh. [06:29] How Russel’s books guided customers to see they needed his product. [06:30] Using, optimizing and getting people into funnels: Russel’s three books. [10:16] Marketing Click Funnels to different communities through Funnel Hack events. [12:09] How customers’ need for Click Funnels informs Russel’s view on giving free content. [13:46] Why Russel shut down his lucrative mastermind at the top of his funnel. [14:28] Russel’s love of storytelling and why he wants Click Funnels to be worth $1 billion. [15:15] Storytelling over techno-babble: learning how to sell your product. [17:11] How Russel sold $3.2 million worth of SaaS on stage one year and failed the next. [20:13] Russel’s confusion around why his podcast got choked by Apple. [17:11] The top three funnels that work the best: books, webinars, and challenges. [21:57] Timeframes for when Russel makes new funnels. [22:26] Russel’s must-read books and favorite business tools. Resources From The Interview: Click Funnels Russel Brunson DotCom Secrets Expert Secrets Traffic Secrets Unlock the Secrets Funnel Hacking Live Gabe Schillinger 10X Growth Con Traffic Secrets Website Expert Secrets Website Secret Funnel Strategy Webinars One Funnel Away Salesforce Opidis Joovv Must read book: Behind the Cloud, American Kingpin Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Should you create content in today's climate? In today's episode Eric talks about how to deal with imposter syndrome and how to build a habit around making content. During these unprecedented times, Eric is opening up a live Q+A to help you protect your mental clarity and grow your business. You see, it doesn't matter how good you are at marketing and sales if your mind isn't screwed on right during turbulent times. If your mind isn't screwed on right, you're screwed. Your mindset will affect your diet, how often you train, how you sleep, how you communicate and much more. Sometimes, life comes at you and you have to learn how to weather the storm. That's the theme for right now: to navigate the rough seas.

ConvertKit is one of the biggest success stories of the 2010s online business world. Today we are joined by their founder and CEO Nathan Barry! Nathan started ConvertKit after realizing the value of email marketing and the ways in which companies were missing important parts of the service he envisaged. We get to hear about this part of the story, leading up to the beginnings of the company and then the early successes that they experienced after launching. A completely transparent company, Nathan shares a lot of vital and interesting statistics from ConvertKit before we get into Nathan's strategy for targeting new customers that has served them so well. He also emphasizes the importance of storytelling at ConvertKit, believing that customers do not only buy into the service but also the story. We discuss product-led growth, ConvertKit's recent adoption of the freemium model and public appearances that Nathan makes at the moment, so do not miss it! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:44] The full range of services offered by ConvertKit and their company mission. [01:08] Nathan's background in design, blogging, and writing, and how this led to ConvertKit. [02:59] Early days at ConvertKit and the success they experienced from the get-go. [04:02] Nathan's approach to entrepreneurship and why he chooses to focus on one company. [07:29] Growth phases for the company and how long it took to get up to 100k MRR. [10:17] The pricing model at ConvertKit and how they charge. [10:57] Important numbers from the business and their choice to be transparent. [11:53] Smart targeting and the lessons that Nathan learned about zeroing in. [15:01] Nathan's social media strategy and becoming visible to new prospects. [15:57] ConvertKit's choice to make the shift to a freemium model recently. [19:56] Benefits of a great free and product-led growth. [21:10] The role of webinars and podcasts in the trajectory of ConvertKit. [24:50] How many podcast appearances Nathan makes at the moment. [25:53] Nathan's must-read book recommendation! [26:21] A great tool for business growth according to Nathan. [27:32] The founder and company that Nathan is currently following. Resources From The Interview: ConvertKit Nathan Barry Nathan Barry on Twitter Tim Ferriss App Design Handbook MailChimp Pat Flynn Why I Switched from AWeber to Infusionsoft to ConvertKit Gretchen Rubin ConvertKit Baremetrics HubSpot Chris Guillebeau Figma Vlad Magdalin Webflow Must read book: Anything You Want Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Today on Leveling Up we are joined by the CEO of BELAY, Tricia Sciortino! BELAY is a virtual staffing solutions company that provides clients with the assistance they need in order to grow. Tricia was recently promoted to the role of CEO after 9 years in the COO position at the company, having been the first employee of BELAY in 2010! We talk about working remotely and the benefits this has offered BELAY's clients and, indeed, BELAY themselves. Tricia talks about what an exciting journey it has been watching her company and the industry in general grow over the last decade. She shares about how BELAY offers a solution to the problem of finding great employees and partners and the ways in which BELAY goes above and beyond some of their competitors. Tune in get it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast![01:05] Tricia's work history leading up to and during her employment at Belay.[03:35] The difference between BELAY and other virtual assistant services. [06:29] The rigorous vetting system that BELAY employs with candidates.[07:09] How BELAY makes money and gets customers started on their service.[08:10] Assistant buy-out and full-time employment of a BELAY candidate.[08:48] Growth rates at BELAY and their standing in relation to similar companies. [10:01] The roster and range of services that are offered through BELAY.[10:20] Lead sources at BELAY; referrals, advertising partnerships and sponsorships. [11:30] Important lessons that Tricia has learned in the assistant space.[13:42] Tricia's own practices with her assistant and benefits of constant communication. [14:54] A favorite business book selection from Tricia![15:10] A great growth-tool recommendation from our guest. [15:31] Who Tricia is currently following and inspired by! Resources From The Interview: BELAY Tricia Sciortino on Instagram OptinMonster Bryan Miles UpWork The 4-hour Workweek eHarmony Inc 5000 Salesforce Zoom Sarah Blakely Spanx Gary V Ariana Huffington Thrive Michael Hyatt Daymond John Grant Cardone Must read book: The Founder's Mentality Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Today we have Christina Stembel, the founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, joining us. After years of trying to raise capital, Christina realized that the only way she could retain the integrity of her business vision was to bootstrap the company – and it paid off in a big way. Being a female founder, she came up against the many implicit biases around women-owned businesses and failed to get the investments many other male-owned companies pulled off without showing any results. Today, Christina has the only female-owned large-scale e-commerce B2C flower company and made a remarkable $32 million in revenue last year. She talks about her business philosophy of high-quality, being entirely self-taught, how she saves on marketing, establishing a healthy company culture, leadership, and her secrets to building a superstar team. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast![00:35] The origins of Farmgirl Flowers as a business, not a passion project.[01:33] Using the In-N-Out Burger business model and applying it to the flower industry.[02:12] The philosophy of doing something simple with excellence while reducing waste.[02:39] Almost running out of money a year and a half in and deciding to bootstrap.[02:50] Nine years later, 165 employees, and finishing 2019 with over $32 million in revenue. [03:15] The investment offers they have had being situated in Silicon Valley.[03:20] Actively trying to raise capital for three years and why she turned down three offers. [03:59] Not compromising but building the healthy, sustainable company she envisioned. [04:31] The implicit biases she encountered as a female owner trying to raise capital. [05:03] Being the only female-owned large-scale e-commerce B2C flower company.[05:46] Not fitting the model for most VCs with a perishable product and small margins.[06:38] Higher quality at higher price points and other ways Farmgirl Flowers makes money.[08:05] The benefit of not having to spend what competitors do on marketing.[09:49] Christina’s self-taught knowledge about flowers, logistics, and distribution.[10:05] Working at Stanford University as the head of catering and how that prepared her. [11:09] Taking five and a half years to afford and get national shipping off the ground.[12:36] Their goal of opening two distribution centers and another one in 2021.[13:31] How Christina has learned to be a better leader and the mistakes she initially made.[14:24] Spending at least 20% of her time on her team and building the right culture.[15:08] The irony of being told that she is “unfundable” because she doesn’t have a team. [16:12] Building a superstar team by hiring people that no one else would believe in. [17:12] Learning about vulnerability as a leader from Brené Brown. [18:13] The importance of being thoughtful and strategic about business growth. Resources From The Interview: Christina Stembel on LinkedIn Farmgirl Flowers In-N-Out Burger Kevin O’Leary on Women-Led Businesses Brené Brown Katrina Lake on LinkedIn Stitch Fix Must-read book: Anything by Brené Brown! Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Ismael Wrixen, group CEO of FE International, the market leader in the sale of SaaS, e-commerce, and content businesses. Ismael is a returning onto the show to fill us in on recent developments at FE. Tune in to hear Ismael talk figure jumps in revenue and deals, why the firm prefers using a cash on success pricing strategy over retainers and the quantity ratios and strategy differences between FE’s handing of deals in E-commerce, SaaS, and content spaces respectively. Click here for show notes and transcript Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect With Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Hey everyone! This week, I share the mike with Steli Efti, Founder and CEO of Close, an inside sales CRM. Tune in to hear to learn the kind of feedback you should be looking for, how to ensure the best product-market fit and how Close relies on content marketing and podcasting to help them grow and be successful. Click here for show notes and transcript Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect With Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Liam Martin, founder of three companies: Time Doctor, Staff and Running Remote. Tune in to hear how long you should expect to wait before seeing success from your SEO efforts, how to build a remote team at scale and how Liam is able to balance running his three companies. Click here for show notes and transcript Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed Connect With Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

What is it about companies that not only survive, but grow to be super powers? Tune in to hear Eric Siu dive into what Warren Buffet looks for before investing in a company and how you can apply it to your business. Click here to watch the full YouTube video Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here. Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes. Get the non-iTunes RSS feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @Ericosiu Instagram @Ericosiu

Are you trying to land a 6-figure marketing job? Tune in to hear Eric Siu reveal what he (and other CEOs) like to see when scanning a resume. Apply these tips to your job application process and you will not be disappointed. Click here to watch the full YouTube video Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here. Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes. Get the non-iTunes RSS feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @Ericosiu Instagram @Ericosiu