The Top Entrepreneurs In Money, Marketing, Business And Life

Amanda Parker, the founder of Simply Insight - a high-end data analysis service that’s six months old and making $30k in MRR from just 10 clients. Amanda previously ran a successful marketing agency whose clients included Pepsi and 20th Century Fox, and she’s leveraging that experience to build her SaaS business incredibly fast. Listen in to hear how Amanda’s managing her first angel investment round, how she signed her first client before even having a software platform, and how she’s getting unbelievable return on CAC. Famous 5: Favorite Business Book? – Predictable Revenue What CEO do you follow? — Jason Lemkin Favorite online tool? — Zoom Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —Relax and stop worrying: do the work, but stop stressing about it Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:13 – Nathan’s introduction 01:50 – “We found that data was a huge problem for our clients, and a huge opportunity” 02:54 – Amanda shut down her growing marketing company to

Pavan Boob, the founder of Fuel Panda, a weekly subscription service that means you’ll never have to hunt for a gas station with an angry fuel light again. Fuel Panda refuels commuters’ cars while they’re parked. It’s in the early stages of the 500 Startups accelerator - but Pavan has big ideas. Tune in to hear how he plans to keep up with the Tesla, how he bootstrapped from the bottom up, and why it’s crucial to give your ideas 100%. Famous 5: Favorite Business Book? – Crossing the Chasm What CEO do you follow? —Mark Zuckerberg Favorite online tool? — Trello Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —Go for what you want. Pick something and give it 100% Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:12 – Nathan’s introduction 01:50 – Fuel Panda is a weekly gas refueling service 02:15 – They’re a SaaS business that charges a subscription fee plus a margin on the gas 02:40 – Started in January 2016, working with over 100 customers and doing around 80 refuels per we

Blake Smith, CEO of Cladwell - a SaaS business that helps you to dress exceptionally well with the smallest possible wardrobe. Blake and his team tried over 20 different revenue models before they perfected their business - and they’re hoping to hit $1 million in revenue this year. Listen in to hear how to stay friendly with ex-co-founders, why you need to test and test your ad channels, and why Blake wishes he’d bootstrapped his company. Famous 5: Favorite Business Book? – Anything in the HBR series What CEO do you follow? —Sheryl Sandberg Favorite online tool? — Google Calendar Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —That it was okay to follow my curiosity Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:30 – Nathan’s introduction 01:47 – Cladwell helps you do more with fewer items of clothing 02:11 – They sell a tool that helps you to dress each day and cut down your wardrobe 03:19 – Founded 2 ½ years ago 03:20 – Over 200k people have filled out their initial q

Alex Taub, the co-founder of Social Rank. He and his co-founder created an algorithm to identify the ‘Most Valuable Follower’ on Twitter and other social media - and it went viral. Now they’re making over $50k each month from their social media analytics software. Listen in to hear why businesses are leaping on the chance to curate their followers, how Alex built his business so fast, and why you should work for someone else before you launch your big idea. Famous 5: Favorite Business Book? – I like blogs more - but I guess my book, Pitching and Closing What CEO do you follow? —Marc Benioff Favorite online tool? — Rapportive Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —Go to a medium sized startup and work there before you do your own thing Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 02:06 – Social Rank is primarily for brands and agencies 01:50 – “We found out that in many cases, the most valuable followers are public figures” 02:56 – S

Brett Hagler, the founder of New Story a charity that’s transforming slums into sustainable communities worldwide. Brett and his team are determined to change the way charities work, and they’ve created their own software platform to maximize transparency, accountability, and user experience. Listen in to hear how Brett plans to build 1000 communities in the next 10 years, why he chose charity over social entrepreneurship, and why it’s crucial to follow your own path. Famous 5: Favorite Business Book? – Insanely Simple What CEO do you follow? — Brian Chesky Favorite online tool? — Audible 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 do what everybody else is doing. Spend time learning about the world and have an open mind. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:15 – Nathan’s introduction 01:23 – New Story transforms slums into sustainable communities 01:50 – They created a platform to crowdfund homes and public buildings for communities in the Third Wor

Max Nussenbaum, co-founder of Castle and a Venture for America fellow based in Detroit. Max and his co-founders are revolutionizing property management in one of America’s most opportunity-rich property markets. Tune in to hear what Max is doing differently, why he defends splitting equity evenly with his co-founders, and why you should be investing in Detroit. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Anything You Want What CEO do you follow? — Henry Ward Favorite online tool? — Instapaper Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Relax a little bit Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:27 – Nathan’s introduction 02:04 – Max is based in Detroit 02:20 – Castle manages rental properties for owners - they find tenants, collect rent, and coordinating repairs 02:29 – They make money by charging a flat fee of $79 per month per rental unit 03:00 – They want to simplify the pricing structures associated with regular property managers 05:30 – Founded in late 2014 and launched

David Fortino, who discovered NetLine aged 26 and convinced the CEO to hire him. He’s now the head of Audience Development and has developed the Rev Response customer distribution network. Tune in to hear the inside story on the net’s biggest B2B lead generation and content publishing business. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Traction What CEO do you follow? — Gabriel Weinberg Favorite online tool? — Clearbit Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Focus on developing and refining cadence Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 02:20 – Why did David want to work for NetLine? 02:50 – Being able to monetize a base through contextually relevant inclusions really appealed to him 03:44 – Netline is the world’s largest B2B-specific content syndication and lead generation platform 03:55 – They work with large enterprise technology companies to distribute their content to specific audience segments 04:30 – Nathan: “If I gave you a finance e

Charles Gaudet, founder of Predictable Profits and author of The Predictable Profits Playbook. Charles is a business coaching and online marketing expert who’s made money in real estate, self-publishing, and private coaching. Listen in to find out how he became profitable after going $1 million into debt overnight, why you’ll do better if you write a book, and why entrepreneurs should be staying in line. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Losing my Virginity What CEO do you follow? — Marcus Lemonis Favorite online tool? — AdEspresso Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Stick with one strategy and master it Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:55 – Nathan’s introduction 01:25 – Predictable Profits is a business coaching and marketing company 01:44 – Started his business on a pay-for-performance model, where he’s paid a percentage of the business increase he secures for his clients 03:00 – His pet health insurance company closed down in 2000 when the crash

Steve Olsher, sometimes called the world’s foremost re-invention expert. He’s known for the bestseller What Is Your WHAT? - helping businesses and individuals find the one amazing thing they were born to do. Steve writes, speaks, runs multiple businesses, and is the host of Reinvention Radio. Tune in to learn how Steve’s crushing it in e-commerce, the secrets behind his bestseller, and the one place where he’s generating 400k unique site visitors a month. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Guerilla Marketing What CEO do you follow? — Adam Braun Favorite online tool? — GetEmail Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — These are the golden years Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 02:30 – Steve’s working on multiple projects simultaneously 03:12 – Liquor.com is crushing things right now 03:40 – It’s a site that connects brands to bartenders and liquor-lovers 04:20 – The site has had its ups and downs - they lost the domain name at on

Cody McLain, the founder of Support Ninja. Cody launched his first business at 15, and sold it 18 months later, having made $150k in revenue. He’s an entrepreneur with incredible drive who’s been featured in Forbes, Mashable, Entrepreneur and more. Tune in to hear how Cody sold two businesses before he was 24, why he’s set up and outsourcing company, and why this relentless entrepreneur thinks that everyone just needs to slow down. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – The Entrepreneur Rollercoaster What CEO do you follow? — Ben Casnocha Favorite online tool? — Droplr Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — It’s not always about making money. Slow down and explore the connections you can make with other humans. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:56 – Nathan’s introduction 01:25 – Welcoming Cody to the show 01:30 – Starting your first business at FIFTEEN? 02:01 – His friend proposed starting a hosting company to pay for the new XBox 02:40 – It took several year

Max Coursey, a real estate broker and the founder of Tiger Prop - a real estate brokerage company that’s giving its buyers their money back. Tune in to hear about Max’s innovative brokerage model, how to create an insanely successful co-working space, and why you should be having more fun. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – The E-Myth Revisited What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — Paperless Pipeline Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — How to bite my tongue Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:04 – Nathan’s introduction 01:25 – Welcoming Max to the show 01:34 – Tiger Prop is a residential real estate brokerage in Boise 01:55 – They credit 20% of brokerage fees back to the buyer 03:22 – Why do people choose Tiger Prop over other brokerages? 03:25 – They standardize professional photography, signs, flyers, and videos 04:20 – They don’t take any money unless they move the property 05:30 – Tiger Prop was launched in 2013 06:04 – First-yea

Justin Cooke, the co-founder and CMO of Empire Flippers - a brokerage platform that makes buying and selling websites incredible easy. After experimenting with website creation, Justin and his partner pivoted into brokerage in 2013 - and they’re handling millions in sales every year. Listen in to learn how the professionals value a website, how much the average site sells for, and why it’s best to be bold. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Built to Sell What CEO do you follow? — Clay Collins Favorite online tool? — HubSpot Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — I should have been bolder. I could have made bigger business moves. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:29 – Nathan’s introduction 01:50 – Empire Flippers helps people buy and sell online businesses and apps 02:05 – Their biggest sale was $550k last month 02:26 – A recent sale was Rave Aid - an Ecstasy hangover cure site 02:56 – Individual sellers are the most common listers 03:25 – $297 listing f

Michael Gilroy, a tech investor and partner with Canaan investment. Canaan’s an early-stage venture firm with $4.2 billion of capital under management. Michael moved there when he realised he wanted to engage with the companies he was investing in. Listen in to hear the ins and outs of technology investment, just how Michael secured an investment deal with Bellhops, and why we should be working less. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Fooling Some of the People All of the Time What CEO do you follow? — Dan Ruch Favorite online tool? — TD Ameritrade Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Try to work less and be in the moment more Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:02 – Nathan’s introduction 02:00 – Welcoming Michael to the show 02:24 – Michael started his career working with M&A and private capital investment in Silicon Valley 02:50 – He was involved in the 2012 Oracle deal 03:58 – How did Michael get into technology investment? 04:28 – “I had no idea wh

Dr Henry Cloud, a psychologist, business consultant, and bestselling author of over 45 books. His most recent book is The Power of the Other - offering powerful insights into how relationships shape our success. Listen in to hear about Dr Henry’s enormous experience in writing and publishing, why you need an agent, and exactly what the “power of the other” means for your business.   Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – Steve Jobs What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favorite online tool? — OneNote Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — I wish I’d known what’s in this book: that I need other people to get me through life and turn me into my best self   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 02:07 – Welcoming Dr Henry to the show 03:10 – Why does Dr Henry write so much? 03:35 – “The books come from the work...when I see an issue that multiple people are having, I write a book” 04:50 – Dr Henry’s latest book is The Power of The Othe

Steven Mazur, co-founder and CEO of Ash & Anvil, a clothing company for short guys. Steven co-founded the company last year and he’s excited about how many dedicated customers their store already has. Tune in to hear how Steven’s getting inventory orders right; the importance of connecting with the entrepreneurs around you; and why everything always takes longer than you think.    Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – How To Win Friends And Influence People What CEO do you follow? — Andy Dunn Favorite online tool? — Wunderlist Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Everything takes longer than you think it will   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:51 – Welcoming Steven to the show 02:06 – “I’m 5’ 6”, my business partner’s 5’ 8” - we decided to be the ones to make clothes for shorter guys” 02:56 – Started with an IndieGoGo campaign with a $10k goal, and ended up generating $26k in pre-orders 03:40 – The bestseller is th

Jess Butcher, the co-founder of Blippar. It’s a mobile visual browser that lets you search the internet without words, simply by scanning the objects around you. As Chief Marketing Officer, she’s led Blippar to over 60 million app downloads. Listen in to hear about the crazy future of augmented reality and why Jess thinks that “blipping”, like “googling”, will become a verb before too long. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Anything by Seth Godin What CEO do you follow? — Aaron Levie Favourite online tool? —Twitter and Linkedin Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Fake it til you make it. Stop being so cautious. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:08 – Nathan’s introduction 01:40 – Welcoming Jess to the show 01:53 – Blippar is a mobile visual browser that can recognise anything in the physical world and search for information on it - “Search without words” 03:15 – “We could play an audio file on the artwork you see - or open a link to buy the handbag that

Saalim Chowdhury, a man who’s out to build the future of online talent sourcing. Saalim was CTO at Skillbridge - a premium talent-sourcing company that was acquired last week by Toptal. Listen in to hear Nathan and Saalim talk about why Skillbridge was keen to be acquired, how the human cloud economy works for high-level talent, and why sometimes you just need to keep going. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – The Hard Thing About Hard Things What CEO do you follow? — No Favourite online tool? —Thingthing keyboard Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— I wish I knew the value of persevering no matter what Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:50 – Welcoming Saalim to the show 02:00 – Skillbridge is an online platform that brings management consultants to people who need them. 02:40 – “How do you make the human cloud economy work for people whose skills can’t be broken down into a 5-star rating?” 03:10 – Skillbridge breaks down what

Ethan Appleby wants to get away from a world where everyone has the same Ikea print in their flat. He’s the founder of Vango - a startup that connects aspiring artists with novice art buyers. They’re currently making $1.6 million in revenue and hoping to grow this year. Listen in to hear Nathan and Ethan talk making art accessible, setting up a successful marketplace, and why Ethan’s raised three funding rounds via convertible note. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Zero to One What CEO do you follow? — Stewart Butterfield Favourite online tool? —5None Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— To take the step sooner to get into entrepreneurship Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:51 – Welcoming Ethan to the show 02:00 – Vango is a marketplace that connects artists and art buyers. It makes money by taking 30% of every transaction 02:50 – “Art is something people are intrigued by, but intimidated by” 03:16 – Before starting Vango,

Jake Jorgovan, founder of Outbound Creative: an agency that goes the extra mile to help consultants secure their dream clients. Tune in to hear why it’s worth spending to acquire your perfect clients; why Jake’s sending cakes to top executives; and how he’s planning to multiply annual revenue by 10x this year.   Famous 5:   Favorite Book? – How To Win Friends And Influence People What CEO do you follow? — Aaron Ross Favourite online tool? — Trello Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — To enjoy life more along the way. Don’t work around the clock.   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:12 – Nathan’s introduction 01:32 – Welcoming Jake to the show 01:37 – Outbound Creative make money be helping consultants secure their dream clients 01:48 – They create highly personalized outreach campaigns and charge a monthly retainer, plus commission 02:41 – Retainers are $2-4k, with a commission ranging from 0-15% 03:15 – One client is Lighthouse Conferencin

Dave Nevogt is the co-founder of Hubstaff, has three kids, and gets more than 8 hours of sleep every night. Hubstaff is a SaaS company that helps virtual teams communicate better through online time tracking. They’ve just broken $1 million in annual revenue. Tune in to hear how Dave’s managing disagreements with his co-founder, a tight breakdown of his unit economics, and why you should be taking more risks. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – The 80/20 Principle What CEO do you follow? — Hiten Shah Favourite online tool? —Google Docs Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— More If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— That taking risks is okay. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll learn from it. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:03 – Nathan’s introduction 01:28 – Welcoming Dave to the show 01:40 – Hubstaff is a SaaS business that helps track time and invoice clients 01:50 – Launched in 2013 - the business is entirely bootstrapped 02:20 – Split the original investment 50/50 with his partner 02:50 – Wha