Egbert Ootsburg, onto The Top. Egbert runs a company that designs apps for the scalding-hot consumer drone market. Listen as Egbert talks about his strong ambition to make a difference in the world and how he takes advantage of the drone market.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Keith Perhac onto The Top. Keith is a marketing expert, developer, and designer. His goal is to take complex things and make them simple, understandable, and actionable for business owners. Today he is the CEO of SegMetrics and DelfiNet, technical marketing agencies that help companies create highly optimized sales funnels.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Pablo Fuentes, founder and CEO of Proven—a company that specializes in small business HR solutions. In addition to his passion for helping both minorities and women start businesses, Pablo also owns a BA from UCLA and an MBA from Stanford.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Yuri Elkaim, a nutrition fitness and fat loss expert, onto the podcast. Yuri is a New York Times best-selling author of “The All-Day Energy Diet” and “The All-Day Fat Burning Diet”. He's a former soccer player turned health crusader, and is most famous for helping people who've tried everything to lose weight but enjoyed very little success.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Matt Tumbleson is the founder and CEO of Teckst – a New York based startup that's transforming customer service by directly connecting consumers with businesses via 2-way text messaging. His own frustrations with lengthy hold times and incompetent customer service representatives are why he decided to launch Teckst. Prior to jumping into entrepreneurship, Matt worked as the Creative and Marketing director of Seamless (now Grubhub), and worked as a graphics journalist at The Miami Herald.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Johnson Emmanuel the founder and CEO of Clients Attraction, a company that specializes in online marketing strategies engineered to attract big-ticket clients. Listen as Johnson shares his story of starting a business in Nigeria, and how he used his passion for marketing to start chipping his path to the top.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Pejman Ghadimi, a self-made entrepreneur and best-selling author born in Iran, raised in France, and crushing it in the United States since 1997. Listen as Nathan and Pejman talk bottom-line numbers, exotic cars, and what it takes to build a multimillion dollar business from scratch.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Matt Schwartz, the president of MJS Executive Search –a 13-year old, New York based retained executive search firm that specializes in placing transformational talent to global Fortune 500 companies. His clients are included but not limited to Pepsi Co, American Express, Fidelity, New York Life, Equinox, and Pitney.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Sweeney Daniel, a partner at Hustle and Grow and Click Bank University. He launched his first company in high school which lead him to working full time in digital marketing. He decided to leave the corporate grind and is now focused on helping others create their digital business while maintaining a fun lifestyle.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Michael Litt started his first video company, Redwoods Media, as his undergraduate thesis project. He then evolved with his partner to create another successful video software company, Vidyard. He has learned the value of supportive family and friends throughout his life as an entrepreneur.
Famous Five:
Favorite Book? – Behind the Cloud
What CEO do you follow? — Mark Benioff
Favorite online tool? — Gmail
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — I try to.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? – If you want to be an entrepreneur, surround yourself with people who love and support you. Focus on those relationships.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:40 – Nathan introduces Michael
02:15 – He started at the University of Waterloo and Research in Motion
03:00 – He graduated at 25, and the Redwoods Media was built as his undergraduate thesis project
03:50 – He contracted businesses to sponsor their company
04:50 – They were passionate about the video company, and turned down jobs at places like Google
05:30 – Vidyard is a video platform for business
05:50 – They sell that technology to businesses on a monthly basis
06:10 – Average revenue per customer is about $30k
06:35 – They have an inside sales team
07:25 – Four categories of businesses and sales teams
07:50 – 132 people on their team, and they have almost doubled in the last year
08:15 – Growth pains are opportunities to learn
08:55 – Looking at retention instead of churn
09:25 – Gross retention is 95%
09:45 – Net retention is 135%
10:47 – They have raised $70 million in funding
11:00 – Customer acquisition cost is paid back in 1.5 years
11:15 – Average customer acquisition is $40000
11:45 – Customers stay for quite a long time, according to the numbers
13:27 – Why lifetime value is tricky
13:45 – They focus on payback period for their customers
14:25 – Being honest about their business and their numbers for customer acquisition costs
15:10 – They include hard costs, like any work supplies
15:40 – Total customers is private
16:05 – They are looking to triple the business for two years, and then double the business for the next three years
16:40 – It would show their potential to go public
17:00 – Building a fast growing, high-value business
17:25 – Tom Tunguz’s Blog
17:45 – Revenue is private.
18:15 – They broke through $1 million for their first full year of sales
18:45 – Michael has a holiday party every year at his office.
19:00 – Project Christmas has carried throughout their business
19:28 – The Fall is a great time to raise money
19:55 – Connect with Michael at Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
22:20 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Your first business ideas will develop into bigger, better projects.
Be honest about your company and spending.
Surround yourself with people who love and support you as you pursue your entrepreneurial dreams.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Toptal – Great for business people to start building their app
Behind the Cloud - Michael’s favorite business book
Gmail – His favorite tool, besides his own
Tom Tunguz’s Blog – Learn about the best models that public companies use
Connect with Michael at Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives
Mathilde Collin, CEO and co-founder of Front. Her app has developed email and inbox features meant specifically for teams. Growing up in France, Mathilde realized that being an adult wasn’t fun—that getting a job usually meant a life of misery. She would not settle for that. She knew from the beginning that she had to create a job that she loved, and so Front was born.
Famous Five:
Favorite Book? - The Hard Thing About Hard Things
What CEO do you follow? — Patrick Collison
Favorite online tool? — Front! and Slack.
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — Yes.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? – We can be happy at work. Get a job you love.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:40 – Nathan introduces Mathilde Collin
02:00 – Front App is an inbox for teams.
02:25 – A SaaS company founded in 2014
02:50 – She started the business when she was 22.
03:05 – She realized a lot of people didn’t like their job, and she wanted to solve that issue for herself.
03:35 – 2015 revenue was $1 million
04:00 – 1210 companies use Front
04:20 – A large variety of company sizes
04:50 – Why they raised millions in capital.
05:25 – Email is complicated, so you need to invest in resources and good engineering.
05:45 – She already had a loan from studying in France.
06:15 – They raised with key people who could help.
06:37 – They wanted to invest in hiring super qualified people.
07:05 – Team of 21 in San Francisco
07:15 – Monthly expenses are about $200k
07:50 – How did you get over the psychological barrier of that red line?
08:20 – Spending money when you have money.
08:35 – A more rational spending plan.
09:05 – She will keep that money in the bank.
09:45 – That extra money has allowed for growth.
10:20 – She has people under her responsibility.
10:55 – She has one cofounder.
11:05 – How they determined equity.
11:15 – An even split for people who will be there for the whole life of the company.
12:05 – They have no marketing team.
12:25 – She publishes content at blog.frontapp.com and @CollinMathilde on Medium and Twitter.
13:10 – Customer lifetime value: Customer churn is 3%
13:35 – Revenue churn is negative.
13:45 – They sell three plans.
14:10 – Selling the upsell versions to new teams in the same companies
15:00 – An inbound sales team
15:15 – Monthly and annual plans
15:35 – Lifetime value is about 33 months, or $6300
16:15 – Valuation was not disclosed
16:45 – Her goal is to make as many people possible happy at this company.
17:20 – They will try to go public eventually.
17:40 – They want to keep their product as it is, which would be difficult if it were acquired.
18:15 – Why customers churn
18:25 – They dislike how often changes happen.
19:05 – They grow 10% each month
19:30 – They would like to hit $300k this year.
19:45 – Connect with Mathilde on Twitter at @CollinMathilde
21:30 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Get a job that you love.
Starting a business is hard—all entrepreneurs go through challenges.
In the early stages of your company, keep perfecting your product.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Toptal – Great for business people to start building their app
blog.frontapp.com and @CollinMathilde on Medium and Twitter – Follow Mathilde and her company!
The Hard Thing About Hard Things – The business book that completely changed Mathilde’s outlook on her business.
Slack – The tool that Mathilde and her team use a ton at Front
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives
Joe Apfelbaum of Ajax Union. Joe has had several successful six-figure businesses, and Ajax Union is no exception. The company did $4 million last year, and they have plans to hit $6 million for revenue this year. Take a few notes from Joe’s playbook and take your own business to six-figure success.
Famous Five:
Time Stamped Show Notes:
3 Key Points:
Resources Mentioned:
Stacy Tuschl, who has maneuvered her way to the top with a brick-and-mortar business and has now entered the online world. She just launched her Level Up group coaching program, another step in the right direction as a true entrepreneur.
Famous Five:
Favorite Book? – Virtual Freedom
What CEO do you follow? — Amy Porterfield
Favorite online tool? — Google Calendar’s gTasks Pro
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — Always.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? – Find a coach to work with immediately.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:40 – Nathan introduces Stacy
02:15 – She has been in business since she was 18
02:40 – Her performing arts center and her online world are both sources of revenue
03:05 – She started teaching dance in her parents’ backyard when she was 18
03:25 – The business snowballed, and people started to pay her
03:45 – The company is now 11 years old
04:05 – Total revenue was 1.4 million
04:15 – Tons of expenses with a brick and mortar business.
04:35 – Profit margins were not great
05:15 – She pays herself a salary and does distributions
05:50 – She strategizes with her CPA
06:15 – A team of 14
06:25 – Payroll was $350000 last year
06:40 – Unique sales were 2000 in a week
07:20 – Her coaching started the last couple years
07:25 – She wanted to challenge herself and help other people
07:55 – Selling one-on-one calls evolved into group coaching
09:00 – One-on-one coaching helps you get to know your customers and their needs
09:35 – Group coaching was launched last week
10:15 – Using Facebook
10:35 – She has about 2000 people on her list
11:05 – People could trust her and get behind her
11:24 – Spending on Facebook ads is $1200 for the first two weeks
11:50 – How her consulting business is doing.
12:50 – It was launched in November 2015
14:00 – A win-win and a partnership with her affiliates
14:35 – Writing a book was not to make money. She wanted to establish her expertise
15:05 – She wanted to help people get their businesses on track.
15:20 – Her last speaking gig
15:35 – About 50 people attended
16:00 – She made that event perfect, to attract attention for the future
16:20 – Her last paid speaking was for $1000
17:05 – How to know if a speaking opportunity is right for you
17:20 – Look at the audience and the connections
17:40 – Epic Launch is going to help her relaunch the book
18:20 – Connect with Stacy and follow her podcast, Business Rescue Roadmap.
18:35 – Text “Levelup” to 24587 to join her free Facebook community.
20:00 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Find ways to strategize and save with your brick-and-mortar business.
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and take on new business ideas.
Get to know your customers’ needs.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Toptal – Great for business people to start building their app
Virtual Freedom – Stacy’s favorite business book
gTasks Pro – A new Google Calendars application that syncs your tasks to your calendar
Business Rescue Roadmap – A podcast to help you save your startup from going under
Epic Launch – Help to launch your book to the top of Amazon
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives
Josh Herron, one of Bryan’s best franchisers at 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Josh and his partner Tyler have been through the grinder as entrepreneurs, but they have now created a franchise worth millions. Learn about franchising and if it’s the right path for you to become a business owner and start seeing dollar signs.
Famous Five:
Favorite Book? – Start with Why
What CEO do you follow? — Jack Welch
Favorite online tool? — iPhone Notes
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? – All of your hard work will create something magical.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:40 – Nathan introduces Josh
02:15 – Franchisers must be entrepreneurial by nature
02:35 – Josh got an opportunity to get into two franchises, and that was his first leap into entrepreneurship
03:10 – Wanting to be your own boss and becoming successful
03:40 – Josh was managing a 1-800-GOT-JUNK location when it got bought out by another owner, his friend Tyler
04:45 – It was an opportunity for Josh to work with someone that he got along with
04:58 – The business did $750000 the year before it sold to his friend
05:30 – It was very immature when Tyler was looking to buy it
06:15 – The deal was more about what was needed for the business to grow
06:30 – The previous owners were very motivated to get rid of it
07:15 – As the business progressed, they bought an OxiClean franchise as well
07:45 – They bought the company to add more money to their bottom line
08:35 – Starting from the ground up
09:23 – What should people look for when buying a franchise?
09:40 – You can learn from people who have done it before
09:57 – You have a lot of support from others
10:10 – You have more freedom than you might think
10:25 – Some franchises have more upfront expenses
11:20 – OxiClean did $200000 the first year, top line
12:00 – They sold the business for $100000 and broke even
12:35 – Last year he did $5.5 million top line
13:00 – How to expand it
13:10 – Buying out other partners
13:20 – Advertising and good employees
13:40 – A huge opportunity even in a small town
14:14 – What do you do with the bottom line?
14:30 – A lot is reinvested
14:40 – They want to expand their footprint
15:05 – How to become a millionaire as a franchiser
15:20 – You have great support and you can maximize your business
15:50 – He’s doing better than some of the other people he knows
16:10 – Connect with Josh on LinkedIn
16:30 – Follow their Facebook Page, 1-800-Got-Junk? Kansas City
18:45 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Franchisers must think like entrepreneurs to be successful.
Owning a franchise will give you more freedom than you’d expect.
If you run your franchise right, it can become a million-dollar business.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Toptal – Great for business people to start building their app
Start with Why – Josh’s favorite book
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives
Brian Scudamore, who launched 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Brian’s unique perspective on his business drives him to take opportunities for growth, but he never wants to sell his company. He believes he must foster his vision to help others grow and evolve.
Famous Five:
Favorite Book? – The E-Myth
What CEO do you follow? — Robert Herjavec
Favorite online tool? — All his iPhone apps
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? – All the failures needed to happen so that he could learn. Never compromise on the people you bring into your organization. Take hiring seriously.
Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:40 – Nathan introduces Brian
02:00 – How did you get into 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
02:20 – He needed to make money for college, and that was the beginning of his business
03:10 – First year revenue was super low
03:30 – He dropped out of university four years later and made $100k
04:00 – 1997 was his first million-dollar year
04:15 – He makes money by hauling away junk
04:30 – 2015 revenue was 215 million
05:05 – 250 franchise partners
05:50 – Charges to franchisers are population based
06:40 – Helping franchise owners to be successful by keeping fees low
07:10 – The average owner varies from $200000 to $1 million
08:10 – Why go into the franchise model?
08:20 – Building together instead of going it alone
08:40 – Collaboration between entrepreneurs
08:55 – A crowdsource model
09:30 – It is a private company, focused on growth
09:45 – He did not raise capital.
10:15 – He generates personal wealth by collecting dividends
10:45 – He doesn’t care so much about pulling money out for himself
11:05 – Wealth is watching people grow and evolve
11:20 – He has no board of advisors
11:30 – He likes one-on-one advice from mentors
11:45 – He is going to have a month-long stay-cation with his family
12:15 – A legacy plan is in place, but there is no formal board
13:00 – They get emails on a daily basis from people who want to pay him for the company
13:30 – His business is like his child—he wants to watch it grow
13:55 – He is open to partnerships, but he does not want to sell and risk losing his vision
15:00 – Go to o2ebrands.com
16:35 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Help your employees be successful
Collaborate with a team instead of going it alone.
Take hiring very seriously.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Toptal – Great for business people to start building their app
The E-Myth – Brian’s favorite business book.
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives