The Top Entrepreneurs In Money, Marketing, Business And Life

Raj Bhaskar, CEO and cofounder of Hurdlr. Hurdlr is an online tool that helps freelancers and entrepreneurs track their income and taxes. It helps people save money by calculating deductions within seconds. Nathan and Raj will discuss the beginning of Hurdlr and where they are headed in the future. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – The One Thing What CEO do you follow? — Gary Keller Favorite online tool? — Google Drive, Freshbooks Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No. If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t be so serious. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:03 – Nathan introduces Raj 02:15 – VisualHOMES acquisition price 02:35 – Revenue model 03:10 – Using proceeds from that as an investor and for Hurdlr 03:25 – Hurdlr launched a couple years ago 03:40 – It tracks finances and taxes for freelancers 04:25 – Competitors 04:40 – “Like Mint but for business.” 05:15 – Quick process compared to competitors 05:55 – They integrate with Freshbooks 06:20 – The business model 06:30 – They are c

Cory Gregory, a fourth-generation coalminer who has made it to the top in the fitness industry. Cory has now developed his personal brand on his website where people can pay $8.99 per month to get his top workout plans and his daily articles and videos on how to get into incredible shape. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Rich Dad Poor Dad What CEO do you follow? — Bill Phillips Favorite online tool? — Quickbooks Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No. If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Have a strong strategy early. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:03 – Nathan introduces Cory 01:30 – Most money is in selling memberships and books on his internet business 02:00 -- $8.99/month membership 02:15 – Products in 100 countries 02:30 – Cofounder of MusclePharm 02:55 – Now a public company 03:15 – “A lot of Wall Street and a lot of boardrooms just really wasn’t for me.” 03:40 – Now owns 3% 04:00 – Went public in 2010 04:30 -- $40 million raised in capital 05:35 – “I learned a ton…. It changed

Vincenzo Ruggiero, founder of Prospect.io. Vincenzo has a wife and two children, with one born just days ago. With the chaos of a new baby, Vincenzo has still found a way to support himself and his family and manage a new and growing business. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Getting Real, Rework What CEO do you follow? — Joel Gascoigne Favorite online tool? — Freshbooks, Slack, Trello, Appear Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Be humble. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:15 – Nathan introduces Vincenzo 01:40 – Prospect.io is a sales software 02:00 – Recurring revenue from monthly plans 02:20 – Launched in January 2016 02:40 – June revenue was $17k 03:15 – Customer pays more the more they use it 04:10 – Average is $45/month 04:30 – How they have driven customers 04:50 – word of mouth 05:50 – Different types of customers 06:20 – Self-funded 06:45 – Team of 3 07:30 – The system in Belgium makes Vincenzo the sole founder 08:00 – Vincenzo started with

Andrew Kemendo, founder of Pair. Andrew was in Guam as an Airforce Intelligence Officer when he came up with an augmented reality idea to try out furniture and materials without having to buy or ship anything. The Airforce needed to build new facilities, and Andrew thought his idea would save a lot of money and headache. Now his company Pair is used by several large manufacturers to help people find the right furniture for their homes. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Crossing the Chasm What CEO do you follow? — Justin Kan Favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Never. If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Keep learning about paradigm shifting technologies. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:13 – Nathan introduces Andrew 01:40 – Pair is a tool to try out home furnishings before you buy them 02:30 – Free for consumers 02:45 – Andrew’s experience in Guam and how he came up with Pair 03:45 – They started working with architects 04:10 – Launched fulltime in 2015 05:0

Timur Daudpota, cofounder of Blurbiz. His business allows companies to create and edit videos and post them directly to Snapchat. Listen to Timur share his journey as an entrepreneur. He started out with skateboards, and now he’s jumped to Snapchat.   Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Zero to One What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Sketch Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Read more books. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan introduces Timur 02:00 – Blurbiz is a SaaS platform 03:00 – They found a gap in Snapchat 03:35 – Customers can link their Snapchat account and post videos through Blurbiz 04:20 – Working with publishers 04:40 – They charge $2k to $5k per month 05:00 -- $60k in revenue last month 05:15 – Too early for churn 05:45 – Customer acquisition 06:20 – They pay themselves a $60k salary 06:35 – Fundraising is $425k total 07:15 – Valuation 08:20 – Team size is 8 08:30 – Commission based 09:45 – Based out

Cody Bradstreet. Cody has a background in accounting and was working for Dell when she realized she needed a backup plan for work. She opened up her own franchise of The Lice Place, where people can have lice manually moved without harsh chemicals. Find out how an accountant got her hands into the lice industry. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Her own future book What CEO do you follow? — No Favorite online tool? — Quickbooks Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Love yourself. Forward fixes everything. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:00 – Nathan introduces Cody 01:20 – Started in accounting 01:40 – Worked at Dell 02:10 – She left Dell to “chase my dreams in the lice industry.” 02:30 – Started as a backup plan for possible layoffs 03:20 – She approached a small business, The Lice Place 03:50 – The transition 04:25 – Franchising 04:40 – Total revenue for the year before she bought it was under $50k 05:10 – Service to manually remove lice 05:50 – S

Kenneth Lee, founder of TravelFlan. Kenneth has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and has developed a business that makes travelling easier. TravelFlan has partnered with major airlines as well as thousands of individual customers to give them a personal digital travelling assistant. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Zero to One What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Evernote Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Quit school faster. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan introduces Kenneth 01:30 – TravelFlan 01:55 – Customers pay on average $15 02:30 – Three sources of revenue 03:05 – History of the business 03:30 – He and his partner loved to travel 04:14 – First-year revenue in 2015 $120k 04:50 – They have a free service and a premium service 05:15 – 2000 customers 05:25 – May 2016 revenue from commissions from airlines was $25k 06:00 – Two large airlines use their data 06:30 – May total revenue was $50k 06:55 – Fu

Peter Voogd. Peter helped several millennials make six figures and realized he could make a business out of it. His Gamechanger’s Academy helps promising entrepreneurs become successful within months. Under 30 himself, Peter is a best-selling author and a recognized leader for entrepreneurs and millennials. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – The Millionaire Fastlane What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Infusionsoft, ScheduleOnce, Kajabi Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Stay strategic and intentional. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan introduces Peter 02:05 – Gamechanger’s Academy 02:30 – Launched in 2013 02:45 – Connections for young entrepreneurs 03:10 – His past experience 03:30 – “Built a culture of excellence” 04:20 – He helped several young professionals become successful 05:00 – “I wanted to shift the culture for millennials.” 05:15 – gamechangersmovement.com 05:25 – Payment system 06:05 -- $297/month for

Jodie Fox, a woman who has solved the problem of constantly hunting for the right pair of shoes. Her company Shoes of Prey has raised over $24 million for its system that allows every pair of shoes to be completely customized. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Getting Things Done What CEO do you follow? — Tom Ford Favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Do everything before you’re ready. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:13 – Nathan introduces Jodie 01:50 – Shoes of Prey—Women can design their own shoes 02:20 – Peer play 02:55 – Women wanted a physical interaction with their shoes 03:15 – First offline store 03:40 – Costs for stores 04:14 – Launched in 2009 04:20 – Funding to date is $24M 04:35 – Every pair is custom made 04:58 – Their website has a gallery for inspiration 05:10 – It’s a social interaction about shoes 06:05 – Customization can start with an inspiration shoe or from scratch 06:40 – Customers have complete free

Frank Ricotta, CEO of BurstIQ, which helps professionals and businesses in the healthcare industry connect. Frank has been through the grinder as an entrepreneur. Huge crash-and-burn businesses have gotten him to this point. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – The Executive in Action What CEO do you follow? — PayPal Favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Trust your instincts, and don’t lose your balance. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:13 – Nathan introduces Frank 01:44 – BurstIQ is a platform service 02:00 – They help their customers create a network 02:53 – Founded in April 2015 03:05 – Frank had been working in health and saw an issue 03:24 – There are three founders 03:52 – First-year revenue was $150k 04:05 – Involvement in several other startups 04:25 – His “crash and burn” story 05:29 – The cofounders 05:55 – May 2016 customers: 10 06:20 – Average pay per customer is $250k to $1M 06:35 – A focus on the base plan 07:00

Ari Meisel, host of the Less Doing Podcast. Ari’s book Less Doing, More Living has sold over 30,000 copies and has been translated into six other languages. Even with four children, Ari stays on top of his consulting business that continues to bring in more revenue every month. Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – The Art of War What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Inbox by Google Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Test ideas before you jump into them.   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:30 – Nathan introduces Ari 02:00 – Ari is a productivity consultant/coach 02:20 – Virtual company has brought in the most revenue 02:35 – They offer on-demand project managers 03:00 – Customers pay a membership fee and then an hourly fee for service 03:30 – First-year revenue was $200000 04:15 – 170 current customers 04:40 – They find customers through Ari’s following and the podcast 05:50 – Ari is involved with his customers 06:10 – It’s an

Nick Kullin of Second Flight Consultancy. Nick started his first business at just thirteen years old. As he continued with tons of other jobs after high school, he realized he wanted to go back to how he felt as a thirteen-year-old. He wanted to be an entrepreneur again. Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – Think and Grow Rich What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Yesware Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Instead of working for people, just start your business at a young age.   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:15 – Nathan introduces Nick 01:35 – He started his first business at age 13 02:15 – He connected people to new music artists 02:45 – He automated his system 03:05 – He got around $100 to $150 from each band 03:30 – He made over $20k with that business 03:50 – Then he worked for a golf resort doing marketing and sales 04:50 – He helped the resort get a lot more publicity and better marketing 05:25 – Then about

Lillie Cameron, a brand new mom who also runs her own business. She started EcoSafe Spaces with her now husband. The company provides design and building services for green, eco-friendly construction. She also works with Rackspace, which has recently revamped its policies for maternity and paternity leave. Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – The Advantage, with its six-question model What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Trello Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Don’t be afraid to fail.   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:13 – Nathan introduces Lillie 01:50 – Green construction 02:10 – They had a friend who lost a child during pregnancy because of construction chemicals 02:30 – EcoSafe Spaces 02:40 – Design and building services 03:10 – Their recent project in downtown Austin 03:50 – Around $500000 jobs 04:15 – “The most energy efficient homes in the city” 04:30 – The

James Turner, of Turner Creative. James started his business after the company he worked for picked up and moved five hours away. He didn’t want to make the move, so he took his skills and created his own conversion rates optimization company. Now he’s starting out another company, called Snap. He has caught the entrepreneurial bug and is making more money now than when he was working in the corporate world.   Famous Five:   Favorite Book? – Influence What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Airstory Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — “I am trying really hard, but I also have a toddler.” If you could let your 20-year-old self know one thing, what would it be? — “You’re not going to miss out if you stay home to work on yourself.”   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:36 – What is conversion rate optimization? 02:05 – Turner recently worked with Conversion Sciences 02:45 – Getting more signups for a free trial 03:45 – Good and bad conversion rates 04:50 – “People ha

Sieva Kozinsky, founder and CEO of StudySoup. The online marketplace now has over 5000 buyers and 1000 sellers. These sellers provide their notes and study guides for college courses. StudySoup helps their sellers learn how to be entrepreneurs and provides a unique service to college students everywhere.   Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – Elon Musk’s biography What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — “I get 6.5 to 7.5 hours.” If you could let your 20-year-old self know one thing, what would it be? — “Pay attention to the signs. If something isn’t working, ditch it and move forward.”   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:05 – Nathan’s introduction 02:25 – StudySoup is “an education marketplace for college students” 01:55 – It’s a monthly subscription 02:25 – Sellers take notes, and the buyers use those class notes 03:10 – Students get “karmas” to access notes and study guides 04:10 – the “karma” system 05:10 – The backstory 05:45 – StudySoup was tested at a fe

Anant Kale, cofounder of AppZen. Anant had a job that paid him $200000 a year when he decided to go off on his own and start a business. Hear the success story of his artificial intelligence software which has “transformed the back office” for companies everywhere. Famous Five:   Favorite Book? – Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favourite online tool? — Rapportive and Calendly Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Start a business earlier than you think you should. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:25 – Nathan introduces Anant Kale 01:55 – AppZen uses artificial intelligence software in offices 02:45 – It detects information on employees and statistics automatically 03:30 – Founded in 2013 04:00 – 2015 revenue was just under $1 million 04:45 – They have 22 customers 05:00 – Average contract price is $150000 05:20 – Capital raised is $14 million 06:10 – 14 people on the team 06:40 – No churn so far 07:15 – Ave

Rand Fishkin, who calls himself “The Wizard of Moz.” He founded Moz in 2007, and they made $39 million in revenue in 2015. Join us as Rand shares his unique journey with Moz and his own insights to what makes businesses like Moz successful. Listen as he tells hid difficult experience of deciding to handover the reigns of CEO for his own company. Famous Five:   Favorite Book? – The Billionaire Who Wasn’t What CEO do you follow? — Heather Brunner Favorite online tool? — Buzzsumo Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Not quite. If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Software engineering. Stick with the girl you’re dating—she’ll be a great wife.   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan introduces Rand Fishkin 01:35 – Moz is a software company that assists with SEO 02:05 – Founded in 2007, but first existed as a blog 02:35 – The blog was an advertising tool for Moz 03:20 – They had 400 people sign up in 6 months 04:00 – 2007 revenue was $850k 04:25 – Rand admits to being an ama