The Top Entrepreneurs In Money, Marketing, Business And Life

Jeff Epstein is the founder of Ambassador, a SaaS company that helps businesses track and optimise referrals to make their affiliates really work for them. Jeff manages a team of 43 people and made over $3.5 million in revenue in 2015. Listen in as he and Nathan break down Ambassador’s numbers and talk referrals, reaching negative churn, and not sweating the small stuff. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Hard Thing About Hard Things What CEO do you follow? — Gary Vaynerchuk What is your favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Definitely no If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —That it would be okay. I was really worried about things that didn’t matter. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:45 – Welcoming Jeff to the show 02:05 – Raised just under $2.5 million in 2015 to grow their team 02:36 – Ambassador helps companies track and manage referrals 03:10 – Currently serving over 300 customers 03:21 – Per-user revenue averages $1500 per mon

Kim Ades, president of Frame Of Mind coaching. Kim’s a performance coaching expert who helps people to examine and shift their thinking using a unique system of journaling. Listen to Kim and Nathan talk performance coaching, the details of Kim’s business success, and how to be an entrepreneur with kids.   Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Scaling Up What CEO do you follow? — Richard Branson What is your favorite online tool?— Dropbox Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Absolutely not If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— That everything would be fine Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:40 – Welcoming Kim to the show 01:55 – Kim now licenses out journaling software developed in her company 02:15 – Licensed for $69 per month to around 400 subscribers 02:31 – Main revenue stream is from coaching at Frame of Mind 03:17 – Prices range from $3600-$10,000 for 10 weeks of coaching 04:24 – Total coaching revenue $600,000 in 2015 05:03 – Business employs 18 coaches 05:50 – M

Ty Stafford, a video strategist and advertising innovator who featured in this year’s Forbes 300 under 30 list. Ty’s won awards at the Webbies and Streamies, and has worked with the likes of Walmart, Red Bull and Ubisoft. Listen as Nathan and Ty drill down into content marketing, social media, and the future of brand management. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Orbiting the Giant HairballWhat CEO do you follow? — Stefan KozakWhat is your favorite online tool?— Youtube AnalyticsDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— Not a chanceIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Nothing! I hope my 20 year old self could stay as optimistic and naive as I did - otherwise I wouldn’t have had a chance. Time Stamped Show Notes:01:20 – Nathan’s introduction02:00 – Welcoming Ti to the show02:17 – What Ti’s doing right now 02:35 – Currently helping Red Bull translate social media campaign into sales04:00 – Red Bull is focusing on Facebook for their content marketing05:30 – The challenge of measuring sales impact0

Tracy Hazzard, CEO of Hazz Design. Tracy is the co-designer of over 250 products, generating over $1 billion at retail. She also co-hosts the WTFFF?! Podcast, and writes for Inc magazine. Listen as Nathan and Tracy talk about her wildly successful design business, the ins and outs of starting a podcast, and just how the profits from an office chair are broken down. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Rembrandts in the AtticWhat CEO do you follow? — Ken CourtrightWhat is your favorite online tool?— Get PocketDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— Absolutely not! I got two copies of Thrive for ChristmasIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Recognise the power of not having to do everything yourself. Team up with experts. Time Stamped Show Notes:01:00 – Nathan’s introduction01:44 – Welcoming Tracy to the show01:46 – What came first?02:00 – Tracy worked for two of the world’s largest design companies from ‘9202.50 – Having a great CV helped her to strike out on her own03:20 – Won an IP battle... b

Jana Francis, founder and president of Steals, and a mother of three. Listen as Jana shares how she started Steals in her basement and grew the company to the point where it generates nearly $10M dollars. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Purple CowWhat CEO do you follow?— Marissa MayerWhat is your favorite online tool?— SlackDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Stop stressing so hard being so poor because one day, you won’t be Time Stamped Show Notes:01:00 – Nathan’s introduction01:35 – Welcome Jana to the show01:40 – How Steals make money03:10 – Holding inventory07:50 – 17% net margin09:43 – Jana started her business in their basement09:56 – $680,000 in 200810:15 – $8M revenues in 201511:56 – 22 employees in total13:07 – Total emails at 375,00016:20 – Snapchat Jana_Steals18:05 – Famous 5 3 Key Points:Buying products at a deep discount and reselling at a markup is easy money—IF you’re willing to be patient.Most ecommerce businesses are splitting pen

Jason Hartman is a self-made millionaire, serial entrepreneur, and host of a killer podcast with more than 3,000 episodes. Listen as Nathan quizzes Jason about his real estate investments, both personal and profession, and finds out what podcasts Jason thinks are the best in the business. Famous 5Favorite Book? – 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleWhat CEO do you follow?— Seth GodinWhat is your favorite online tool?— BoxerDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— I wish I held on to some of the properties I soldTime Stamped Show Notes:01:02 – Nathan’s introduction01:33 – Welcoming Jason to the show01:47 – Real estate has always been Jason’s top revenue source04:09 – Jason’s personal real estate investing08:12 – Return comes from a lot more things than just cash flow11:06 – Real estate appreciation and 2008 recession12:27 – Jason’s Ten Commandments of Successful Investing14:31 – Jason on podcasts14:57 – www.jasonhartman.com16:03 – The Creating Wea

Matt Griffin, a former US Army Ranger and current HMFIC at CombatFlipFlops. Listen as Nathan talks to Matt about how the origins of CombatFlipFlops and what social cause they are supporting with the sales of their footwear. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Drive by Daniel PinkWhat CEO do you follow?— John SercuWhat is your favorite online tool?— ShopifyDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Take care of your body and slow down Time Stamped Show Notes:01:03 – Nathan’s introduction01:19 – Nathan introduces Matt01:58 – What CombatFlipFlops do02:23 – 2015 sales came up to $300,00004:55 – The social cause behind the business06:35 – If Matt was the president…09:03 – Started off with their own money for capital10:58 – “We contacted every media we knew to drive people in our website”13:23 – Goal for 2016 is at $1.4M15:55 – Instagram @CFF.GRIFF17:12 – Famous 5 3 Key Points:Educate women and families to fight radicalism.Kept rolling initial profits back into th

Erik Gatenholm, founder and president of Cellink, the world’s first bio-ink company. Erik started his own biotech business at age 18, and at 25 exited with $250k. Listen as Erik and Nathan talk biotech, getting investors on board, and why Erik went back to college after his first business. Famous 5Favorite Book? – No LogoWhat CEO do you follow?— Peter ThielWhat is your favorite online tool?— StrikinglyDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— Absolutely notIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Things don’t really work the way people think they do. Keep your vision strong and trust your gut. Time Stamped Show Notes:01:00 – Nathan’s introduction01:38 – Welcoming Erik to the show01:40 – Erik’s first biotech company, started at age 1803:05 – How to successful exit a company you founded04.20 – Erik sold his shares for over $250k—a boatload of cash for a 25 year old05:02 – Why Erik went for a Masters degree despite having enjoyed entrepreneurial success07.05 – Talking about the origins of Ce

Leading expert in internet virility, a New York Times bestselling author, and CEO of Dose and OMG Facts, Emerson Spartz. Listen as how Emerson explains how he started as a 12-year-old and dropped out of middle school to become the CEO of a leading virility content website today. Famous 5Favorite Book? – 80 20 Sales and MarketingWhat CEO do you follow?— Tony HsiehWhat is your favorite online tool?— IntentlyDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Spend way more time developing the skill set Time Stamped Show Notes:01:01 – Nathan’s introduction01:43 – Welcoming Emerson to the show01:59 – The story behind MuggleNet’s 50 Million viewsLink SwapsLooked for ideasRecruiting04:29 – Negotiating with writers before Dose05:25 – 50 content pieces per day for Dose05:53 – Raised $35M07:56 – Team size of 5008:37 – Start of A-B TestingUse FacebookHeadlines and Thumbnails09:57 – Keppler Technology11:05 – 1 hour to 1 day execution to distribution11:47 - $5-10 for

Joe Fairless, the youngest Vice President of an NYC ad agency, and host of the Best Real Estate Advice Ever Podcast. Listen as Joe shares how he left his executive position to open a website, only to fail and later discover his true knack for real estate. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Crucial ConversationsWhat CEO do you follow?— Gary Keller and Jay PapasanWhat is your favorite online tool?— QuotifulDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— It’s okay that things aren’t going exactly how you want them to go Time Stamped Show Notes:01:05 – Nathan’s introduction01:34 – Nathan welcomes Joe01:47 – Vice president at 29 years old03:00 – “I decided to launch a product without clients and it flopped”04:18 – Knowing when you fail04:52 – Joe on real estate05:57 – Followed blogs like Bigger Pockets, read books like The Complete Guide in Buying and Selling Apartment Building, Commercial Real Estate for Dummies06:42 – Joe’s first deal11:16 – Joe got a business part

Michael Slavin, author of One Million in The Bank, a CEO and founder, and former commander of two army aviation units. Listen as Michael shares how he ended up losing everything after his service to the military and how he got back on his feet 7 years later to build a business and how he banked his 1st million dollars. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Accidental GeniusWhat CEO do you follow?— Paul GrahamWhat is your favorite online tool?— DropboxDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Pay attention on learning technnology Time Stamped Show Notes:01:00 – Nathan’s introduction01:28 – Welcoming Michael to the show01:39 – 10 years of service in the army01:55 – Writing One Million in the Bank02:09 – “I struggled badly for 7 years. I lost everything.”03:26 – US Emerald Energy06:55 – Biggest loss of $1.2M in a well07:12 – More details on the book07:48 – Frank Nunez10:33 – 1500 books sold in 5 months13:51 – Audio book15:23 – “I spend most of my time taking car

Regan Hillyer, a personal development coach, wellness educator, and founder of Regan International. Listen as Regan walks The Top audience through the nuances of her all-online coaching program, and explains what she does to ensure the programs stay tailored to her clients’ needs. Famous 5Favorite Book? – E-MythWhat CEO do you follow?— Gary VWhat is your favorite online tool?— ClickfunnelsDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Just jump straight to a personal brand Time Stamped Show Notes:01:00 – Nathan’s introduction01:46 – Welcoming Regan to the show02:04 – How Regan generates revenue02:16 – An all-online coaching and education Success MindsetPersonal Branding05:19 – 3 one-on-one clients summed up to $50K07:45 – Walking away with your own personal brand09:25 – Robin Nikora Scott—certified change specialist10:43 – 200 clients in the low-end membership site11:59 – Tailored programs basing on clients’ needs12:31 – You need to compound your succ

Randy Rayess, co-founder of VenturePact, a Saas platform that helps businesses manage software development teams. Listen as Nathan quizzes Randy on his professional history, and the disparity between revenue models, particularly the difference between a SaaS versus retainer model. Famous 5Favorite Book? – High Output Management by Andy GroveWhat CEO do you follow?— David Sacks and Scott CookWhat is your favorite online tool?—f.luxDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— Stop stressing and worrying about things that are (ultimately) not really relevant to your success. Time Stamped Show Notes:01:00 – Nathan’s introduction01:23 – Welcoming Randy to the show01:27 – Talking about machine learning02:15 – How Randy makes $$$03:15 – Currently working with a hundred clients05:50 – SaaS vs Retainer Model06:50 – Revenue in 201513:58 – Competitors15:24 – Connect at randy@venturepact.com and @randyrayess17:15 – Famous 5 3 Key Points:Life is too short to con

Molly Marie Keyser, a photographer and insanely creative entrepreneur who found her niche in boudoir photography. Listen as Nathan asks Molly to share her keys to entrepreneurial growth, and explain how she went from the depression of debt to a million dollar business. Famous 5Favorite Book? –Breakthrough AdvertisingWhat CEO do you follow?—Cameron LunaWhat is your favorite online tool?—OBS Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— YesIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?—Get started on your business as soon as you know what it’s going to be—it doesn’t matter if you’re in college. Time Stamped Show Notes:01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:30 – Welcoming Molly to the show01:36 – Molly’s 1st business?—photography01:50 – How Molly Made $$$02:25 – Multiple 6-figures with the portrait studio02:59 – Molly’s lines of business03:49 – www.BootyShorts.com 04:22 – www.ventureshorts.com 05:55 – Info product pricing08:05 – How Molly uses her money08:30 – Annual expenses are under $100K09:22 – Most of

Robert Moore, CEO of RJMetrics, a Business Intelligence organization that specializes in helping small businesses obtain the data they need to thrive. Listen as Nathan and Robert talk fundraising, life in venture capital, and what it takes to grow a business from $0 to $4M is less than 5 years. Famous 5Favorite Book? –Winners DreamWhat CEO do you follow?—N/AWhat is your favorite online tool?—SlackDo you get 8 hours of sleep?—NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?—Everything is going to be OK.Time Stamped Show Notes:01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:41 – Welcoming Robert to the show01:50 – A history rooted in Online Poker04:35 – Getting in on Google AdWords early05:12 – 2004-2006 almost $100K in revenue06:21 – RJMetrics coming to be08:12 – Worked at a VC firm after college09:41 – 100-200 touches to get 1 or 2 conversations12:15 – Thus far, RJMetrics has raised $22M13:10 – Being on the sales side of money sucks14:20 – Average revenue per client per year15:11 – User acquisition

Ryan Paugh, a man who builds kick-ass communities for entrepreneurs and Gen Y dreamers. Listen as Nathan asks Ryan about what inspired him to get into community building, how he does it so effectively, and what enticed Forbes to become one of his partners. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Lessons in AffluenceWhat CEO do you follow?—NoneWhat is your favorite online tool?— SlackDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?—Create early on—don’t wait until you’re in your late 20s Time Stamped Show Notes:01:06 – Nathan’s introduction 01:30 – Welcoming Ryan to the show02:00 – Ryan’s main focus 04:31 – You’ve got to have real people behind the scenes04:53 – How Ryan drives revenue06:05 – What it costs to join Founders Society07:22 –Roughly 500 members09:15 – Total membership of the Forbes Partnership—it’s in the thousands09:44 – Forbes gets a cut—that’s why they take the time to support the community10:55 – These communities are both an online and offline venture11

Jenny Greer and Erin Bickley of Hold Your Haunches, a women’s wear company that makes products designed to show a more shapely you. Listen as Nathan, Erin, and Jenny banter back and forth about the challenges of growing a business from scratch and what going on the hit TV show Shark Tank was really like. Famous 5Favorite Book? – Shark TalesWhat CEO do you follow?— Mark ZuckerbergWhat is your favorite online tool?— WunderListDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?—You’re not always going to have this body Time Stamped Show Notes:01:06 – Nathan’s introduction 01:49 – Welcoming Erin and Jenny to the show01:53 – The idea for Hold Your Haunches02:32 – Started in 201003:15 – Why go on Shark Tank?03:37 – Free Publicity04:38 – Re-negotiation05:24 – What going on Shark Tank was like08:12 – More than $1.5M in 201408:25 -- $500K in product sold within 72 hours of airing on Shark Tank09:40 – Average cart checkout is worth $200 ($100 an item)10:12 – The num

Nils Mattisson, CEO of Minut, a company that designs tools to help homeowners monitor their homes. Listen as Nathan grills Nils on the basis of Minut’s product pricing, their investment sources, and the likelihood of Minut taking off in the consumer hardware market. Famous 5Favorite Book? –The Innovator’s DilemmaWhat CEO do you follow?— None What is your favorite online tool?—SlackDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?—Always take the leap, no matter the fear.Time Stamped Show Notes:01:03 – Nathan’s introduction 01:09 – Welcoming Nils to the show01:25 – Nils role at Apple02:05 – Working on the original iPhone 03:53 – What Minut does05:43 – How the Minut algorithm works07:19 – Finding success on Kickstarter08:20 – The costs of production for Minut08:45 – In consumer hardware, prices drop rapidly as products take off—sell for 4x production cost10:31 – How are new buyers finding the product10:44 – Pre-sold 4K products, now delivering11:21 – Eight

Matt Shoup, a man who took himself from nearly $200K in debt to life as a millionaire before the age of 30. Now Matt is making a major career pivot to speaking, coaching, and motivation. Listen as Matt shares his rags to riches story, and why he decided to change careers in spite of a THRIVING operation.   Famous 5Favorite Book? – Total Money MakeoverWhat CEO do you follow?— Curt RichardsonWhat is your favorite online tool?— InfusionsoftDo you get 8 hours of sleep?— NoIf you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?—Bring others up the mountain with you.Time Stamped Show Notes:01:03 – Nathan’s introduction 01:29 – Welcoming Matt to the show02:12 – Matt’s main income stream in 2015 03:15 – Why not stay in painting?03:30 – Being told you’re not good enough04:58 – Why Matt doesn’t sell the painting company—because why shed a recurring revenue stream?05:40 – Earning money through coaching06:35 – Matt’s Mastermind is the main revenue generator on the coaching side09:45 – Why not kick back a