Growth Everywhere | Entrepreneurial Stories | Business Lessons

A library can have a strong relationship to our ego, and it is not uncommon for a visitor to look at a book shelf and ask, "So, how many of these have you actually read?" This question is beside the point, it is in fact more valuable to have a shelf full of books that you have not read than the other way around! The value of books lies in their potential to impart wisdom or skills and the more access you have to new information and ideas, the better for you. So do not worry about what anyone says and find the books that interest you and read them when you feel the time is right! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:23] Explaining the idea of the 'antilibrary'. [01:25] Why the judgement of others should not concern you. [01:45] Reasons that having a lot of books that you have not read is a good thing! [02:21] Reframing your mindset with regards to learning and your ego.  [03:02] Read books are much les

With the business of podcasting still growing and the landscape continually shifting with big acquisitions and new players, we wanted to take this opportunity to fill you in on the biggest trends for the upcoming year. From Amazon and Spotify's big moves to ways to leverage your own audience, these are pieces that you need to know about, 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! [00:23] Competition is heating up in the podcast world! [01:18] What these big acquisitions in the podcast world mean for content and analytics. [01:40] Building and leveraging your community — going one step further. [02:24] The monetization of your podcast; the array of methods for doing this. [03:35] Useful tools for improving and growing your podcast in 2021! [04:20] Making the most of adjacent opportunities and collaboration. [04:46] The upward swing of the podcasting business and how getting involved

Today’s guest is Austen Allred, CEO at Lambda School, the online web development and data science academy that students pay no tuition for until they are hired. In this episode, we talk to Austen about overcoming the challenges that Lambda’s unique payment structure presents, what he is focusing on to optimize the business, and the path he has taken personally to get where he is today. Lambda gets paid retrospectively from their hired students via income shared agreements and Austen shares about what it took to get the school off the ground and keep it afloat when they were earning no money from fees. Next up, we talk about the legal challenges of keeping Lambda School registered with state-specific education regulations across the U.S. From there, we get into some of the things Austen is focusing on to improve Lambda School as a company and a place to learn within, hearing him highlight things like scaling, job placement, repeatable student experience, internal communication, and organizational design. Auste

Tune in today to hear about the hottest marketing trends for 2021 as Eric unpacks the ones he thinks are the most powerful for you and your business! From leveraging a community and SMS marketing to connecting with influencers and going omnichannel, you do not want to miss these strategies that can make all the difference for the upcoming year!   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:15] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:20] The power of community — bringing people together around a brand. [01:47] Automated account-based marketing and a different way to reach out. [02:38] Utilizing the amazing new capabilities of automated copy creation. [03:41] The continued dominance of influencer marketing!  [04:14] The omnichannel approach to content creation; making the most of what you make.  [05:23] Looking at the power of subscription economy. [06:13] How to leverage SMS marketing for a higher open rate.   Resources From The Interview:   L

It is becoming more and more popular to build businesses and platforms in public. As Eric explains in today's episode, there is really no downside to this way of doing things and the visibility factor is a big plus. This means that while you grow and improve your business, investors can find you more easily, and you can even get the public involved. Tune in to find out more. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:25] Conversations that are happening on Twitter right now around business and numbers. [01:09] There is nothing to lose by building in public!   [01:51] Looking at the example of copy.ai and their founder Paul Yacoubian. [02:41] If you are growing publicly, you are more visible to investors.  [03:42] Eric's thoughts on maybe trying this model out himself! [04:20] The different kinds of projects this model can be applied to right now.   Resources From The Interview:     Leveling Up Th

Today Eric unpacks some very interesting statistics on what it takes to gain YouTube subscribers! Referencing data published on Twitter, Eric shows how once again, just like in business, gaining an audience and experiencing success is all about sticking with it and being patient. From Logan Paul to MrBeast, these celebrities put in the time and reaped the rewards. This could be you too, so tune in to find out more.  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:35] What the numbers show about the amount of time and content it takes to gain followers. [01:13] Getting subscribers takes time to grow and compound. [01:40] Most people play the comparison game and give up too quickly. [02:10] Where Eric's YouTube is currently at in terms of the statistics.  [03:01] Looking at podcasts and blogs — what this shows us. [04:02] Plans for upping the production quality of the Leveling Up YouTube content. [04:29] Home-ru

With the lightning-fast developments in AI and content generation, it is easy to get left behind the newest advances. Today, Eric talks about GPT-3 and what this means for the immediate future of high quality content generation. It does seems as though this is a big step up for at-scale content creation, and will certainly raise the bar for general standards, as well as giving the SEO world a bit of jolt. Tune in to hear all about it today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:23] What is GPT-3 and how does it work? [00:58] Looking at the AI content-creation landscape up until recently.  [02:50] Creating content at scale with GPT-3 that is indistinguishable from human writing. [03:51] Examples of the capabilities of GPT-3 for quality content!  [04:22] Generating tweets in the style of a real person.  [06:01] What this means for the general standards of content creation.   Resources From The Interv

Laziness has traditionally been something that is frowned upon, however, as we hear from Bill Gates, there are certain aspects of laziness that can serve a business really well. Lazy people often look for the easiest way to do something, so this tendency, combined with intelligence, can be a great boost for finding new and quicker methods! These types of thinkers often did not do very well at school (like Eric!) and it is only out in the real world of business and startups that they can begin to excel by tapping into their unique gifts! Listen in to hear all about it!   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:26] Reframing your thoughts on laziness! [00:40] Finding shortcuts is a skill and using it can be a big benefit. [01:29] Eric's usual method for creating school papers at the last minute [02:00] What Eric would do now if he was forced to go to college and study history.  [02:30] The four classes of

Our focus today is Paul Graham's essay, 'How To Think For Yourself', in which he details some very useful ways to view different jobs and the power of independent thought within them. A foundational element of this thought piece is in the idea that certain professions require uniform thinking while others need you to think originally. By understanding this difference, we can begin to find the right place to house our particular psychological preferences. Tune in to hear all about it! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:29] A quick introduction to Paul Graham and Y Combinator. [01:18] Not everyone is the same — find your best way to learn. [01:50] Excerpts from Paul's essay, on originality and quality. [02:34] Zigging when others zag — stand out and offer value. [03:01] Questions to ask yourself; what type of work are you doing? [03:58] Picking the right type of work for yourself in order to excel.

Are you looking to transform your eCommerce growth? Want to increase the efficiency, profitability, and value of your company? Today’s episode is for you! We are super excited to bring Trent Dyrsmid to the podcast today. He is the Founder and CEO of Flowster, which is a software company for eCommerce entrepreneurs to improve workflow automation through the creation and use of standard operating procedures. Through the use of their software, you can optimize execution through standard operating procedures, which are the lifeblood of today’s most successful organizations. If implemented effectively, they ensure every business process is executed exactly the same way, every time. They also improve accountability through an audit trail providing you with transparency into every aspect of your employees’ work. Teamwork is dreamwork, and by using this software, companies are able to allow team members to easily assign each other tasks, give due dates, upload files, and add comments to the work they've done — keepin

Today on the show we are looking at Keith Rabois' philosophy of ammunition and barrels! This is a way to look at the members of your team and who you choose to hire. Keith unpacks how these two different types of team members will serve you in certain ways — it is up to you to make the most of specific skills as well as hiring smartly. Tune in to learn more about the ammunition and barrels metaphor! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:40] Focussing on the team first and then the product that you are building. [01:31] The best people will give you most leverage!  [02:11] When you make a subpar hire, you bring down the quality of your company. [02:29] Hiring processes and company culture; fostering the best team possible.  [02:48] The two categories of high quality hires; ammunition and barrels. [03:52] The mindsets that will serve you and your company and lead to success. [04:52] Finding a way throu

Today on Leveling Up Daily, we get to look at stocks and some examples of good options to buy and hold. We hear about Eric's thoughts on a number of popular companies as well as why certain fields are worth considering. Eric explains why investing in stocks is not for a quick buck and the minimum period he is looking at is five years. Tune in to hear about Tesla, Amazon, Shopify, Teladoc and much more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:25] How Eric's ideas around stocks have evolved over time. [02:31] Why Tesla is a popular choice for so many investors. [04:42] The message that we can take from Peloton's monthly churn rate. [07:31] What the dominance of Amazon teaches us about investing in Shopify.  [08:01] Eric's trust in Amazon and gold stocks.  [08:53] The positive impacts of Zoom's functionality and popularity. [09:14] The rise of telemedicine and why Eric believes in Teladoc. [09:40] Twilio

Welcome back to Leveling Up Daily! Today Eric talks about how his other podcast, Marketing School, which he co-hosts with Neil Patel, will bring in more than $5 million annually! Listeners can expect a breakdown of the revenue streams, the adjustments that have been made over the past four years, and also some reminders of the time it takes to get to this point. At the end of the day, podcasting remains a potentially lucrative use of your time, so give this episode a listen to learn more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:25] An introduction to the Marketing School Podcast that Eric hosts with Neil Patel. [01:22] The revenue breakdown from Marketing School! [02:22] The membership program that Eric and Neil are currently rolling out. [03:01] The payment tiers that are currently offered for the community.  [04:14] It takes time to build a foundation that you can cash in on. Resources From The Inter

How to REALLY Determine How Many Unique Podcast Listeners You Have Knowing the numbers about how of your downloads are listeners can help you get a more accurate figure about how well your subscription model will do. Tune in to learn how to get better analytics and some figures around how many listeners you can expect to convert.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:25] Podcast analytics using Spotify, Apple, Chartable, and Slack. [01:24] Standards set by the IAB about what counts as a download. [03:11] Only around 25% of your downloads are listeners. [03:26] The percentage of unique listeners that convert to subscriptions. [04:26] The importance of knowing the numbers for attempting a subscription model. Resources From The Interview:   Chartable Slack IAB Marketing School Pro Supercast   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me k

The Rise of Subscription Memberships – OnlyFans, Substack, Patreon, and More If you are a content creator of any kind, you can make an amazing living through your audience, and there are platforms out there that will help you build one. In this episode, we cover some of the main platforms that allow creators to reach their audiences and some metrics that will show you what percentage of your audience you can expect to convert into dollars. Tune in today. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:40] The different services and users of OnlyFans, Substack, and Patreon. [01:18] Examples of other platforms using a subscription model. [01:34] Percentages of listeners that convert to memberships. [02:14] What to offer in a membership and how much money can be made. [04:10] Other ways to leverage an audience you have built. [04:24] Going solo after leveraging platforms you have to give a cut to. Resources Fro

Your Business Will Fail If You Don’t Choose This Correctly   Today we are going to talk about why your business model matters a lot. Different business  models exist and some require a lot more resources compared to the revenue they generate  than others. Tune in today and learn about which business models offer exponential growth, and  how to switch to a better model once you see a ceiling in the last.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:   [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling  Up Podcast!   [00:26] Examples of different business models; retainers, time for dollars, and more.  [01:02] Eric’s plan for how to change Single Grain’s model after he took over. [01:44] Business models that help you make money in your sleep.  [02:31] Why the agency model using a retainer is a bad idea.  [03:05] Scaling up into ever more exponential sources of cash.  [04:18] The importance of having a lucrative business model.   Resources From The Interview:   Naval Ravik

Sports are well-known for their strong support and sense of community, so leveraging this power virtually makes sense. Today's guest, Nigel Eccles, is the co-founder and CEO of Flick, a live group chat platform for sports influencers and their fans. Previously, he founded FanDuel and has worked in sports and the sports betting space for over 20 years. In this episode, Nigel reflects on his journey as a founder and what it was like building FanDuel. He gives us insights into fundraising, how they managed to do a pivot from their previous platform, Hubdub, and got funders to stay. We then move onto Flick, learning more about how it works and why there was an impetus to start it. A key piece of success in the space are communities and how sticky they are. Nigel sheds light on some of the difficulties that come with online communities and the importance of creating spaces where people want to hang out. Having founded several companies now, Nigel shares why the only advice applicable to every single startup is to

YouTubers like MrBeast and Airrack enjoy colossal follower and view counts, but there are key steps they follow as to how they produce and advertise their content. In this episode, you will learn about the value of the ideation side of content creation, the key role of good titles and thumbnails, and a whole lot more!   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:   [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:40] Some big YouTubers and the techniques they use to attract followers. [01:21] For MrBeast, the most important thing is daily ideation. [02:45] Airrack says that the title and the thumbnail are more important than the video. [03:25] The types of metrics that large YouTubers look for.   Resources From The Interview:   MrBeast Airrack Dan Bilzerian Ogilvy   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 le

If you build an audience and continue to stay consistent with the value you provide them and the way you leverage it, the results will begin to snowball over time. Tune in to this episode and hear about the rise of paid newsletters, as well as how to build and provide value to your audience. You’ll also learn some ways to leverage your audience and some figures about how much you can expect to make per year! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:25] The rise of Substack which allows people to make money from paid newsletters. [00:25] Four forms of leverage, and the value that your audience has. [01:50] Building an audience and how to leverage it once you have one. [02:41] How the Leveling Up and Marketing School communities works and how they make money. [03:25] The snowballing effects of providing consistent value to a community. [04:09] Different platforms for leveraging an audience beyond newslette

The route to a successful and growing online business is hard to imagine without the assistance that is provided by peer groups or masterminds. In this episode, Eric unpacks just how helpful these can be, and have been for him, explaining how you can join up with existent networks or even start your own. There is a wide range of options for any size or level of business, so do not sleep on this great resource! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:33] What is a peer group and what are the different forms they take? [01:04] Events, activities and networking — characteristics of different groups. [01:50] What to do when starting out and getting going in a mastermind. [02:41] Prerequisites for joining groups and the different options available.  [03:19] Having fun and relaxing while sharing and networking. Resources From The Interview:     Leveling Up   YPO Entrepreneurs' Organization  Burge