Jon Nastor's Hack the Entrepreneur

My guest today is a serial entrepreneur, product evangelist, and combat-decorated Air Force pilot.

He started his career in the Air Force before moving into software and entrepreneurship back in the '90s, when he co-founded Trio Development, which was acquired by Apple.

He is now the co-founder and CEO of Smartling, a translation software and service company helping ambitious brands access more markets.

In this conversation, we discuss cocktail entrepreneurs, why everybody's job is marketing and sales, and why every team needs a leader.

Now, let's hack…

Jack Welde.

My guest today is Mike Faith of Headsets.com, which has over 943,722 customers.

My guest started Headsets.com in 1997 when he couldn't find a supplier with a good selection of headsets, fast shipping, or good product support.

My guest says he is fanatic about giving customer love; so much so that every package the company ships includes a Tootsie Roll.

He is also the Founder of www.Reservedinners.com, a not-for-profit organization, which offers a dining with celebrities experience, and aims to raise money for the honored celebrity guests favorite cause.

Now, let's hack...

Mike Faith of headsets.com.

In this 32-minute episode Mike Faith of Headsets.com and I discuss:

• The true value of having a powerful desire to succeed
• Learning when the business you have is a lifetime business
• Why you should constantly be reading books and learning
• Mastering the art of delegation
• Assigning the right person to the right project

• Headsets
• MikeFaith.com
• Mike on LinkedIn
• Jon on Twitter
• Show Sponsor: https://Typeform.com/hack

Today's guest left Australia 25 years ago to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

Today, he lives in Canada and is the founder and senior partner at Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less good work and more great work. What started 15 years ago as a one-person show, has grown into a thriving team of 20+ people seeing exponential growth.

He's also the author of several books, including The Wall Street Journal Bestseller, The Coaching Habit.

Now, let's hack…

Michael Bungay Stanier.

My guest today is a speaker, a bestselling and award-winning writer, brand consultant, and an entrepreneur.

She became an answer to a Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy question after being fired from her job as a web designer for blogging stories involving her colleagues.

My guest is now the Founder of and professional blogger at Dooce. She has been a part of the internet writing community for 14 years and has worked to create targeted content for global brands, including Ford, Nintendo, and Clorox. She is also the author of the New York Times Best Seller, It Sucked and then I Cried.

Now let's hack...

Heather Armstrong.

In this 32-minute episode Heather Armstrong and I discuss:

• How her blog caused her to lose her job
• Why you need to pay very close attention to your audience
• The benefits of blogging far outweigh the negatives
• Moving from blogging to consulting international brands

• Dooce.com
• HeatherArmstrong.com
• Heather's Books
• Heather on Twitter
• Jon on Twitter

After spending the first 15 years as a graphic designer and growing her own agency, today's guest decided it was time for a challenge — and a change.

Twenty years after falling in love with rum during a trip to India, she and her husband decided to see if they could turn that love of rum into a business. At this moment, Montanya Distillers was born.

Flash forward eight years and Montanya produces three rums, is distributed in forty-four states and seven countries and has won countless international awards.

In this conversation, we discuss being a female distiller in a male-dominated industry, building your wings on the way down, and not being constrained by what other people think.

Now, let's hack…

Karen Hoskin.

Garrett Gunderson is an author, entrepreneur, and continuous debunker of financial myths.

Garrett is the founder and Chief Wealth Architect at The Wealth Factory, which empowers its members to build sustainable wealth through financial efficiency and organization leading to clarity, peace of mind and financial confidence.

In this conversation, we talk about Killing Sacred Cows, adding value and getting paid for it, and getting really, really good at hiring.

Now, let's hack…

Garrett Gunderson.

My guest today is a former national journalist turned PR guy and a story obsessive entrepreneur.

Back in 2010, along with his wife, they started Arc Seven Communications, a PR agency focused on the health care industry.

With their agency running smoothly, he wanted to help entrepreneurs and startups tell their story. So they created Class:PR to democratize PR and help businesses tell their stories.

I this conversation, we discuss how to write a press release, the value of perseverance, and paying attention to the details.

Now, let's hack…

Alistair Clay.

My guest today started his current business while still in college, and after struggling for three years with hardly any growth his determination is finally paying off.

He is the co-founder of Interact quiz builder. This year alone, it looks like the sacrifices required to build a business are paying off, as they have seen a 300% jump in growth and are anticipating 500% by the end of the year.

In this conversation, we talk about finding a coach, how to choose your marketing channels, and being relentless.

Now, let's hack…

Josh Haynam.

In 2009, my guest co-founded and was Director of Analytics at Loudpixel, a successful social analytics company. After many successful years, she realized it wasn't quite what she wanted to be doing, so she made a change.

Today my guest is an independent wedding and lifestyle photographer. In a market that most people struggle to start a business in, my guest has managed to build a business to where she works part-time and makes a full-time income. This allows her time to spend with her 1-year old daughter.

She also runs an interview podcast series for photographers called Photo Field Notes and teaches in Michigan State University's Advertising Department.

Now, let's hack…

Allie Siarto.

In this 35-minute episode Allie Siarto and I discuss:

• The need to take calculated risks in business and life
• Brushing off failures and embarrassment (and how your biggest embarrassment can help you)
• How putting your goals out to the world can help fulfill them
• Finding what makes you happy and building a business to suit that
• Why you should do things before you are ready

https://hacktheentrepreneur.com/convert

My guest today is an author, teacher, and the founder of Convertkit.

In 2013, he launched Convertkit, email marketing to professional bloggers. He spent a couple years trying to get traction and dealing with friends telling him to give up and try another product.

Convert kit now has serious traction with a team of 28 fully distributed employees and over $500k in monthly recurring revenue.

In this conversation, we discuss paying attention to things that don't scale, user onboarding, and teaching everything you know.

Now, let's hack…

Nathan Barry.