Joe and his family fled Iran in 1983 and landed at San Francisco Airport with $700 and no idea how to speak english.

Flash forward to 2023 and Joe runs a digital marketing company that works with national brands like Plow and Hearth, Harnery & Sons, The Christian Monitor and others, specializing in Google pay per click (PCC) advertising.

Listen in to get actionable digital marketing tips as Joe shares how he applied what he's learned in Jujitsu to master the PPC Google game.

EPISODE LINKS

• SalesX
  https://www.salesx.com

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:52] - Learning  Jiu Jitsu from  Gracie
[00:04:06] - Absorb, Discard, Add, Uniquely Yours
[00:05:49] - Fled Iran with $700, 1983.
[00:16:17] - Research, pitch, educate, succeed.
[00:20:53] - Cut 40% cost per close lead.
[00:25:15] - "Pitch, listen, craft, succeed."
[00:25:50] - Intent over technique
[00:28:56] - "Desperate for sales, solve a problem."
[00:32:18] - Monitoring KPIs
[00:36:20] - Google's Paid Search Domination.
[00:38:51] - YouTube ecosystem with ads.
[00:39:21] - Google's Money-Making Motivation.
[00:41:26] - Target high-value search terms.
[00:42:31] - Deposit sales, not clicks.
[00:43:56] - Avoid the Google Vacuum.
[00:47:25] - Attribution: Tenacity Required.
[00:48:17] - "Measure profitable actions by DMA."
[00:48:50] - Over 200 DMA KPIs Automated.
[00:50:55] - "Marketing: Money Machine, Not Guessing"
[00:51:31] - Crushing it with Google Ads.
[00:53:37] - VC money wasted on expensive leads.
[00:54:59] - Data-driven marketing analysis.
[00:56:44] - Create custom field in HubSpot.
[00:59:19] - High CPC in legal industry.
[01:00:34] - Closing the loop: Google Facebook Ads, contribution margin.
[01:01:57] - Google's controllable factors identified.
[01:11:45] - Maximizing client value through math.
[01:12:18] - Cyber War for Leads
[01:15:07] - Testing complex campaigns correctly.
[01:15:45] - Facebook, Google, Bing Advertising
[01:16:23] - Google Ads, Bing Ads, YouTube Videos.
[01:16:53] - YouTube drives cheap direct clicks.
[01:18:45] - Convey value in first 5 seconds.
[01:19:30] - Copywriting, copy editing, testing.
[01:20:08] - Metrics to measure copy quality.
[01:20:51] - Google provides free AI automation.
[01:22:22] - Analyze post-click data for ROI.

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

We explore the world of crypto trading, high-frequency trading and the incredible lengths traders go to gain an edge.

From laying optical fiber all the way from Chicago to New York to running software on bare metal, we uncover the secrets of this opaque industry.

NOTE: All opinions expressed by podcast participants are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of their employers. This podcast is created for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Clients of firms related to podcast participants may maintain positions and securities discussed in this podcast. Positions and securities discussed in this podcast may not be available in certain locations. This podcast does not condone trading from restricted jurisdictions.

About Chris Kvamme
Chris is an avid hacker of both human and technological systems. For the last four years he's been working on algorithmic trading and is the head of Presidio Trading, a crypto currency trading firm.

EPISODE LINKS

• Chris Kvamme on Twitter
  https://twitter.com/chriskvamme?lang=en

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

We explore the world of startup funding and venture capital. Nareg shares insights on the use of safe notes, valuation caps, and discounts in pre-seed rounds.

We discuss the importance of having a product or service with positive revenue when seeking institutional investment and the challenges faced by first-time founders in securing funding.

We also dive into how the investor market has changed over the last few years and give advice to anyone looking to raise money from investors.

About Nareg Essaghoolian
Nareg Essaghoolian is the co-founder of Decrypted Legal & Consulting.  He represents startups from day one at formation through their venture capital financings and exit.

Prior to Decrypted, he spent several years at Cooley in Palo Alto, CA, one of the most prominent firms in the industry.

He is now back in Los Angeles where he is born and raised working on disrupting the legal industry by being more transparent with pricing and services.

EPISODE LINKS

• Nareg Essaghoolian on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nareg-essaghoolian/
  
  
• Decrypted Legal and Consulting
  https://www.instagram.com/decryptedlaw

EPISODE TIME STAMPS

[00:00:47] - Startup legal expertise from UCLA
[00:02:20] - VCs don't do follow-on investments?
[00:03:20] - Smart decision, reduced risk, 10x return.
[00:03:46] - "Investors don't follow: Crazy thought."
[00:04:29] - Sequoia loses trust, no follow-on investment.
[00:05:16] - "Ten times return on investment"
[00:05:55] - Y Combinator: Accelerate, Invest, Return.
[00:06:47] - Angel investors not investing in Series B, C.
[00:07:44] - Tech, web three, down rounds.
[00:08:35] - "Protective terms more prevalent than pay-to-play."
[00:09:31] - "Understand cap table terms: Liquidation Preference"
[00:10:06] - Investors get preferential treatment.
[00:11:01] - Double-dipping liquidation preference.
[00:11:34] - Negotiating Leverage for Investors
[00:12:25] - Investor gets 20% upside.
[00:12:58] - Participating Preferred: 18M Shared
[00:13:47] - "Accumulating dividends of 6% annually."
[00:14:30] - Investors leveraging market, waiting.
[00:15:23] - "Maximize returns in venture capital."
[00:15:54

CONNECT WITH US

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

Having a great finance and accounting department in your business is the difference between having a good company and a great one.

Sean came into the studio and did a deep dive with Brandon on what exactly it means to lead a great finance and accounting department.

You'll leave with tips you can use to improve your business.

About Sean Lamb
Sean Lamb is Chief Financial Officer of Willow Innovations, the inventors and leading technology in wearable breast pumps for mom. 

Sean comes to Willow from Ruggable, a direct-to-consumer retailer of made-to-order rugs, furniture and other home goods.  As CFO at Ruggable, Sean was focused on getting the Finance and Accounting organizations ready for a future IPO while assisting other parts of the organization on what processes need to be in place to succeed as a publicly traded entity. 

Prior to Ruggable, Sean spent 14 years at Dolby Laboratories, a multi-billion dollar publicly traded IP Licensing and Technology company.  At Dolby, Sean was Vice President of Finance, leading Investor Relations, Corporate Finance and Business Support for the entire company. 

During his time at Dolby, Sean worked on acquisitions, operationalizing new initiatives, enhancing reporting and visibility into the business, and he also managed the company’s international Accounting and Finance shared service centers.   

Sean is a California CPA (Inactive) and received his MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.  Sean attended Princeton University where he received a BA in Economics.

EPISODE LINKS

• Sean Lamb on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-lamb-712875/

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

All about Chat GPT. The history, how Chat GPT works, its strengths, weaknesses and ways you can use it today in to help you in your daily life and in your business.

This conversation goes deep and challenges some of the hype that Chat GPT has generated. The conversation is meant to inform you and question what the limits are on these large language models. 

Brandon invited Serge Kurenkov, a CTO in Silicon Valley who has worked at companies like Ancestory.com,  into the EDGE studio to have a conversation about Chat GPT. Drop into the conversation and learn all about Chat GPT.

About Serge Kurenkov
Serge is a CTO in Silicon Valley with over twenty years of software engineering experience building software using AI, machine learning, and NLP.

He's used AI at Ancestory.com to figure out DNA sequencing, a security company to understand the origin of network attacks and in other applications like scheduling a workforce.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Serge Kurenkov on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/skurenkov/

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

Laken shares her playbook how to achieve mental strength and perseverance so you can achieve YOUR best self.

From one day being put in a closet to sharpen pencils with serious thoughts of giving up here dream,  to a call that day that put her on a plane and on the professional basketball court just a few days later.

Learn how she set herself up for success and how YOU can do the same thing.

About Laken James
Laken is a four year professional women's basketball player. She played Division 1 basketball at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay where she graduated with a undergrad in Business Administration and Masters in Applied Leadership in Teaching and Learning. 

She is currently pursuing her PhD in Sport, Physical Education, and Health Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. 

Her journey through basketball and her education have inspired her to start her business Five Star Academy where the company focuses on the mental side of the game of basketball and works with young female athletes to help them reach their full potential.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Five Star Academy
  https://www.fivestaracad.com
  
  

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

On World Water Day 2023 Taylor shares the story of Richard's Rainwater, the only company in the US that is licensed to sell rainwater as drinking water.

From Richard collecting rainwater at his house in Austin, TX, to a few bottles of water locals said was the best drinking water they'd every had, to a full scale operation that has the opportunity to provide clean drinking water for communities around the world.

About Taylor O'Neil and Richard's Rainwater
Taylor is CEO of Richard’s Rainwater, the country’s first company to bottle rainwater, the earth’s cleanest, best-tasting, and most renewable water source.

He's a recovering hedge fund and investment banking professional. He has served as CEO of Richard’s  Rainwater since the initial ESG investment in 2017. Taylor has been responsible for building the team, developing the capacity expansion plan, building the product roadmap and overseeing the regulatory, safety and quality aspects of the business.

Prior to his leadership of Richard’s Rainwater, Taylor has a long track record in finance.  Most recently, at Pine River Capital, Taylor was recruited as the youngest Investment Professional to launch a  healthcare investment strategy. He began his career as an investment banker and held roles in corporate M&A at UnitedHealth Group and Virtual Radiologic, at the time a Providence Equity Capital portfolio company.

EPISODE LINKS

• Richard's Rainwater
  https://www.richardsrainwater.com 

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

Jeff and Mike share intimate details about a firefight where close air support from the A-10 Warthog was critical to helping save Jeff and his fellow Green Bret lives.

You have to hear the story to believe it! And this is just one of many situations where close air support has saved lives.

PLEASE help save close air support by signing the petition so we don't lose this vital capability. It only takes 20 seconds to sign the petition:

• Save Close Air Support Petition (takes about 20 seconds to sign)
  👉 https://www.change.org/p/save-close-air-support
  
  
• OR Contact your local congress person via the EASY to use form letters
  👉 https://www.troops-in-contact.org/contact-congress
  
  
• Troops in Contact Website
  https://www.troops-in-contact.org

SHOW NOTES

About Troops in Contact

Mission: Save Close Air Support (CAS)

The Problem: the Air Force is cutting Close Air Support and breaking faith with troops.

In the 2023 budget the Air Force revealed a 5-year plan to eliminate its A-10 CAS aircraft without an adequate replacement and to cut TACPs/ JTACs (Terminal Air Control Party Specialists/ Joint Terminal Attack Controllers/ Air Ground Integrators) by 50%. 

If successful, this plan would kill the CAS profession and cripple America’s CAS capability. 

Ground troops would be supported, if at all, by CAS amateurs in a small expensive fleet of fragile aircraft that are far less effective.  In Low Intensity Conflict, that will cost lives.  In Major Combat Operations, it risks losing battles.   

How You Can Help

1.  Click 'Contact Congress', send a letter, and sign our petition
https://www.troops-in-contact.org/contact-congress

2.  Refer your friends to this website

3.  If your organization supports this cause, reach out through our Endorsements page.​

We need your help to spread the word as rapidly as possible. ​

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

Kristen opens up and shares her story from clipping in to her first bike ride six years ago to leaving a venture capital job to pursue her calling and winning podium finishes on the UCI World Tour.

Where do YOU feel like you are your BEST self?  Are you brave enough to follow that?

You'll leave with the courage that YOU can do it too. and reach your peak performance. Why not you?

2024 Update: Kristen won the Gold Medal in Women's Cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympic games.

About Kristen Faulkner
Kristen is from Homer, Alaska, a quaint fishing village that is also the halibut fishing capital of the world. In Alaska, she cultivated her passion for the outdoors and for adventure. She spent her summers hiking, fishing, making homemade rasberry jam, and competing at local swim meets.

She learned the value of hard work as a kid working in my parents’ hotel and restaurant. She explains when asked why she worked so hard it was because she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life cleaning toilets and checking in guests :)

Kristen graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in computer science.  She was a varsity rower for 2.5 years in college and placed 2nd at the Junior World rowing Championship in 2010. 

After graduation, Kristen worked as an investment associate at Threshold Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. 

In addition to investing, she's passionate about gender equality and supporting more women in technology, entrepreneurship, and investing.  As an investor, she hosted free office hours for female entrepreneurs and was a cohort captain for All Raise, a community of female Venture Capitalists.

In 2016 Kristen I attended a free, introductory women’s clinic for cycling in New York City and immediately fell in love with the sport. In mid-2018, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and in 2020, began racing for the Professional UCI Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank (which has since become the WWT team EF-Education-Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank). 

She's primarily a road racer, though she has explored other disciplines including gravel, track, and Zwift. She represented the United States at 3 World Championships: 2020 (Zwift E-worlds), 2021 (Road Race) and 2022 (Road Race and Time Trial), 2024 Olympic Gold Medal Winner Woman's Road Rate in Paris.

EPISODE LINKS

• Kristen Faulkner
  https://www.kr

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,

Alden drops into the studio and talks about his life, how he programmed his mind to be unstoppable, overcame health deficients to achieve peak performance, and after getting out of the SEAL teams started a company and sold it. 

Alden and Brandon also talk about his new app GOALBud that will help you set and achieve your goals.

You'll leave this episode with an actionable playbook to reach your peak performance and become unstoppable.

About Alden Mills
Alden Mills is on a mission to help 100 million people like you Be Unstoppable.

He is a two-time bestselling author of Be Unstoppable and Unstoppable Teams, the Inc. 500 CEO of Perfect Fitness, and the founder of multiple businesses.

Throughout his time as a businessman founding and leading multiple companies, he has been awarded over 40 patents.

A former Navy SEAL, he is a three-time platoon commander and ranked #1 platoon commander each time.

Alden teaches people, teams, and organizations to Be Unstoppable. Entrepreneur magazine recently ranked him the #1 top virtual speaker.

EPISODE LINKS

• GoalBud
  https://goalbud.org
  
  
• Be Unstoppable: The 8 Essential Actions to Succeed at Anything
  Best price on Amazon --> https://amzn.to/3ZspoRG
  
  
• Unstoppable Teams: The Four Essential Actions of High-Performance Leadership
  Best price on Amazon --> https://amzn.to/3ZspAQU

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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
Brandon writes a weekly email newsletter called EDGE that over 22,000 people rely on for an edge to achieve their best selves in business and life.

Content
Brandon writes about what he knows...lessons from 2x exits, 20+ strike outs Venture Capital, Marketing at AOL, writing a #1 Amazon Best Seller, Podcasting, Angel Investing, Philanthropy, Public service, Fitness and peak performance.

Who it's for
People that want to achieve their full potential.

Claim your edge with others who have been getting a step ahead.

Link to sign up: https://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6

A Podcast for entrepreneurs and peak performers

Part of the Best Podcast Network: Productivity Podcast, Marketing Podcast, Business Plan Podcast, 401k Podcast, Car Accident Lawyer Podcast,