Growth Everywhere | Entrepreneurial Stories | Business Lessons

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 tu

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 a

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 some

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 h

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk about why community is the ultimate unfair advantage and why now is the best time to build one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, pl

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 al

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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 busines

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices