Built on Passion

What could be more lovely than embracing your community's culture?

Of course nothing, which is why we invited Meli & Rensso Hinostroza from Arms of Andes to talk on how they make 100% Alpaca wool outdoor apparel from Peru to embrace their culture.

In this episode, you'll learn the fundamentals of sustainable packaging as well as the differences between various types of wool.

If you enjoy outdoor adventures and want to know what it's like to build something from a place of passion, this episode is for you.

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• Why Alpaca wool is superior to Merino for all of your outdoor adventures due to its "all climate resistant" quality. (3:55)
• How Alpaca keeps you from getting sick (even in tough climates) (7:40)
• The most important thing to note when looking at a wool item of Yak, Merino or Alpaca (even if it says 100% wool) (12:52)
• 2 reasons why paper packaging is a no-go area. (17:00

Bootstrapping can be great: you get to control every part of your business and choose your lifestyle. 

But if you waste precious time on mundane tasks because you don’t have the funding, then bootstrapping becomes a cage. 

Today’s guest is Hailey Swartz, co-CEO of Actual Veggies. They started out washing and reusing their competitor’s packaging because they couldn’t afford their own. 

But in this episode, you’ll hear how she took on VC funding, and how you can use it to achieve greatness: like filling the shelves of grocery stores nationwide. 

In this wide-ranging discussion, you’ll discover how to combine bootstrap philosophy with venture capital - so you can live that free lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of. 

Listen now! 

Show highlights include:

• Why 10k from Sequoia Capital is better for your business than $1M from some no-name investor (5:07)  
• Why raising capital from dozens of VCs gives you a competitive advantage (even if it takes more time to raise the money) (6:07)
• The multi-channel outreach method that almost guarantees your product lands on retail shelves (8:02)
• Why going D2C spells disaster for your profit margins (even though you’re cutting out the middleman) (9:39)
• The “in store activation” method that lets you run profitable advertising campaigns without spending thousands on data analytics (10:28)
• How to turn your next idea into a hit product without insider knowledge or a product development team (13:00)

Sure, making money is great. But what if you could use your business to change the world? 

I’m not talking about cheap tricks like “we donate 1% of profits to charity”. 

I’m talking about real changes you can see, like saving the rainforests, sheltering the homeless, and feeding the hungry… all while maintaining a healthy profit. 

It’s possible. And today’s guest Philip Freeman is here to show you how. He’s the founder of Murphy’s Naturals, an outdoor lifestyle brand and certified B Corp. 

In this episode, you’ll discover how to put more money in your pocket, while making a lasting positive impact on the world. 

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• How generating terrible business ideas  sets you up for success (even if you abandon them) (3:09) 
• Why walking down the drinks aisle at the supermarket lets you launch your business without fear of competition (4:21) 
• Why caring husbands create more successful businesses (and how you can get an edge, even if you’re a bachelor) (6:20) 
• How a clear mission statement lets you attract better employees, do more good, and enjoy more time outdoors (14:53) 
• The 3 P’s that let you save the planet while still making a profit (19:19) 
• A little-known way to attract superstar employees (without ever advertising) (27:30)

You’ve probably taken vitamin, protein or magnesium supplements before. Those are great for your health, but there’s an invisible aspect of our health most people ignore: Our gut biome. 

The trillions of bacteria in your body control more of how we feel, think and perform than most of us know. 

When your gut biome is unhealthy, you might gain weight, feel stressed or get sugar cravings. When you fix your gut biome, you’ll have more energy, feel healthier and watch health issues disappear. 

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jonathan Scheiman and Carolina Barsa, two of the founders of FitBiomics. They developed Nella, a game-changing probiotic designed to improve your gut health and help you perform your best. 

They’ll share why probiotics are so important—and how you can improve your gut health to unleash your full potential. 

Want to improve your performance every day? Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• Why the gut biome was a “hidden” part of our health for decades (and how that’s changing) (7:37)
• The two principles of gut health that help everyone from elite athletes to everyday people be their best selves every day. (22:24)
• The Tom Hanks movie that shows you exactly how to overcome your biggest challenges. (27:05)
• Why probiotics aren’t a magic pill that solves all your problems (and how to create a holistic healthy lifestyle) (29:43)

Technology, while replacing hundreds of thousands of jobs, is also providing many with new career opportunities.

And technology is just getting started. As it grows more powerful, making pivots will be necessary for your business’s success. 

A good example is Corinna Bellizzi, Head of Sales and Marketing of Orlo Nutrition. 

Stories like hers are what we mean when we say "opportunity meets readiness," as she was a long-time environmental advocate before joining Orlo Nutrition to produce enough omega-3s for humans using technology & world's first life, ultimately, micro-algae.

But where did all of this start from, and where is it going from here? 

In this episode, you'll discover how Corinna and her team use technology to create products of endless abundance, such as Omega-3s, and what importance these products have in your nutrition.

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• The negative effect of taking more Omega-6 than omega-3. (2:43)
• How to reduce overconsumption of Omega-6 using the “label” approach. (6:23)
• How to get more EPA and DHA from algae (killing no fish) (8:31)
• The vital steps to take when trying to launch a business similar to Orlo nutrition (so you don't fall short). (9:51)
• How to turn algae into a finished consumable product. (15:22) 
• Where to learn more about nutrition without compromising your ethics, your health or the health of planet earth. (23:06)

Whatever you're going through today, hundreds, if not thousands, of other people are going through something similar.

And if you find a solution to such a problem, thousands of others may solve theirs as well, which could lead to the start of a new profitable adventure for you, just like Cory, Founder of Booze Bandage.

From searching for the best hangover cure to launching Booze bandage - "the ultimate hangover cure," he has done it all.

And In this episode, you'll learn how to turn your problems into a business that'll make you profit & help thousands of people with similar problems. 

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• How to create a flawless product using the “R” approach. (2:43)
• The darkside of using advertising to market vitamins. (6:49)
• How to convert first-time customers into loyal and returning customers with rockstar products  (10:41)
• Why finding manufacturers is the most difficult aspect of starting a vitamin business and how to overcome it. (11:50) 
• How to scale your business to the next level using a win-win partnership. (15:47)

From a small town in Indiana to becoming a global BBQ Seller, dreams like this often appear to be a joke until they become a reality.

And when you ask what drives this kind of success, you'll realize it differs for many people. 

But for Jacob, the founder of Full Boar BBQ, it was all about preserving his hometown's legacy and competing to be the best.

And in this episode, you'll learn what it takes to grow from nothing to something and how you can model their process for your own success.

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• The “competitive mindset” strategy for becoming a winner in your business & beyond. (2:12) 
• How to do things “backward” in your business and still grow profitably. (11:21) 
• How to use trial and error to create a flawless masterpiece your customers will rave about. (13:58) 
• The unconventional way to build a profitable business as a solopreneur using Google. (14:18) 
• How to build a profitable business within the next 12 months by solving problems in your daily life. (15:31)

Challenges are opportunities in disguise. When you learn how to capitalize on them, you will unlock a new level of fortune for yourself. 

Take Melissa and her family as an example: when the rest of Canada was complaining about the cold, they started a business in their basement.

And the business became a global brand with over 20 members—just 5 years later. 

How were they able to do this? 

Today's guest, Melissa, Founder of lynn & Liana designs, reveals the backstory of their brand and how they grew so big without falling short.

In this episode, you'll learn how to grow your business from challenges and keep it profitable with well-equipped team members.

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• How to kick-start your idea with social media (even with no product market fit yet). (2:16) 
• How to use “try & error” to build the perfect brand everybody wants to buy from. (3:35) 
• The unconventional approach to handling influencer marketing in order to gain more exposure and sales. (8:15) 
• How to take your brand to the next level & have more flexibility with a simple platform switch. (11:23) 
• How to use your old customers to create new products that'll have no flaws upon launch. (12:51) 
• How self-doubt can hold you back from starting your business (and what to do to get rid of it). (17:38)

Passion, they say, is hard to monetize and even if you could, it'll take you a longer time to reap profit. 

But that's not the same for Greg, who built a successful business off his passion for geography and his brother's passion for art.

How is that possible? 

Simply by leveraging the right partnerships and taking the bold step to execute without clearer visions. 

And how can you do the same and even more? 

In this episode, you'll learn in-depth what passion monetizing is all about and how you can build a profitable business out of your passion by leveraging resources within your reach. 

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• The "play around and figure it out" mindset you (can use) to turn your imperfect ideas into a profitable business. (4:47) 
• How to build a perfect product by leveraging people's feedback.  (6:34)
• Why being unique in your mode of execution increases your chances of success. (9:35) (be more specific)
• How you can increase your customers' lifetime value by prioritizing their choices of product. (12:31) 
• How to create a “win-win” partnership ecosystem for your brand so you have wider reach and more awareness. (15:19) 
• The most challenging part of running a passion-turned business venture and how to get over (through) it. (16:57) 
• The 4 things your brand needs so everyone wants to buy from you. (20:11)

Running an omni channel brand is a lot of work. 

You're trying to help your customers offline, but there's a new support email asking for extra help from a new customer. Balancing delivery without bias for each client. And so on.. 

But if done correctly, it can give you well-deserved dominance in any industry you find yourself in.

Which is what the Rack Attack story is all about. They grew their business from 12 to 40 stores in only 4 years. 

How did they do it? And how can you duplicate their success? 

In this episode, Alex Welbers, CEO of Rack Attack, joins me to reveal how to handle growth in omni channels without sacrificing the customer experience, so you're ready to scale when the time comes.

Listen now!

Show highlights include:

• The most difficult aspect of running a business through online and in-store channels (and how to navigate it to keep your brand from folding). (3:49) 
• How understanding your buyer's psychology makes them want to buy from you and not your competitors. (5:50) 
• The "personalized approach" to communicating with your customers that turns them into brand loyalists   (7:20)
• How "Individual content" can help you address your customers' pain points and keep them as customers for long. (9:16)
• The 4 questions you need to ask yourself before dropping your next product updates (if truly you want to sell out without stress). (10:50)
• Why a good & knowledgeable team is the bedrock of every successful business. (even if they are not more than 3) (14:16)
• Why customer base research is a priority when venturing into a new business so you don't waste resources and time. (15:40)