Leveling Up with Eric Siu

In this episode, Eric shares the lessons that he learned from losing $200,000 trying to start a coaching program. He talks about not having sales nailed down, why good marketing alone is not enough to sell a product, and other key lessons he learned from this loss. To hear more, tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:38] The benefits of doing a post-mortem after you complete a project.
• [01:10] What prompted Eric to start a training program when the pandemic hit. 
• [01:50] How the campaign for the program was received.
• [02:15] The problem Eric faced by not having a sales team for the program.
• [02:50] Some of the things that went really well for Eric.
• [03:50] Lessons learned from the failure of the training course. 
• [05:27] If you don’t have passion for your product, don’t pursue it.

Resources From The Interview:

• Traction
• Leveling Up

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.
• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here
• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes
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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

In this episode, Eric talks about giving away free content and why it can be such a successful business model. We hear about some examples of brands who have done this and why delaying gratification, if you can, will help you win.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:22] What Eric means by “the business of free content”.
• [00:50] Fortnite’s business model, giving away free content, and why this is so effective. 
• [02:14] If possible, try to prolong giving away free content as long as you can.
• [03:02] How MrBeast has leveraged the free content model successfully.
• [04:10] Eric’s approach to monetizing Leveling Up and Marketing School.
• [05:12] Deferring gratification will put you in a better spot than most. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Mr Beast
• MrBeast on Twitter
• MrBeast on YouTube
• Fortnite
• Tim Sweeney
• Joe Rogan
• Bill Belichick
• Leveling Up

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.
• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here
• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes
• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

In this episode, we talk about the importance of being patient in business. As entrepreneurs, it is easy to fall into the comparison trap and want to move as quickly as possible. Eric talks about the similarities between compound interest and business success and why a slow and steady approach is the best-kept secret out there. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:29] The comparison trap that many entrepreneurs tend to fall into.
• [01:27] Avoid comparing yourself with someone who has been in business for longer than you. 
• [01:40] The magic number of years it takes to really see success and gain traction.
• [03:08] Experience compounds in the same way interest does, so be patient!
• [03:53] What Eric has learned from trying to achieve things too quickly.
• [04:59] There is no such thing as quick success, despite how it may appear. 
• [05:39] Pre-order Eric’s book from your favorite bookseller.

Resources From The Interview:

• Albert Einstein

• Warren Buffett

• Chai with Pabrai

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes

• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Welcome to Growth Bites, a shorter format of Leveling Up, where Eric provides daily insights to help you step up your game. In this episode, we talk about why copywriters are the best hire you can make, the contributions they make to your business, and where to find the best ones in the business. Be sure to tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:52] Why Eric believes the best hire you can make is a copywriter.
• [01:18] Hear about some of the skills that copywriters have. 
• [02:11] Eric’s positive experience of working with copywriters.
• [03:25] Some of the best copywriting books out there, according to Eric.
• [03:53] Words are what help products to sell.
• [04:25] Advice for those looking to find the best copywriters out there. 
• [05:30] How to get your hands on the first chapter of Eric’s upcoming book.

Resources From The Interview:

• Marketing School Podcast
• Agora Financial

• Breakthrough Advertising

• The 16-Word Sales Letter

• Ben Settle
• Leveling Up

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Although it is easy to get caught up in the latest health fads, like green juices or bullet coffees, they may not be the best for your body. Levels, a real-time dashboard for your body’s metabolism, gives customers personalized insights into how food affects their body and overall health. The company’s Co-Founder, Sam Corcos, joins us today for a behind-the-scenes look into this fast-growing health optimization platform. We kick off by hearing about their incredible approach to customer development, where Sam has had a super hands-on role. Here, he unpacks the importance of truly understanding your customers’ needs. Sam shares some of the client personas they have uncovered and how this has shaped their approach to problem-solving. We also get into how Levels' hard and software works and the contextualization layer that they add to the information provided by the CGM, the glucose levels monitor typically used by diabetes patients. Our discussion also covers the content creation strategy the company utilizes, some of the key information they have uncovered through their extensive customer development calls, and the importance of pursuing product to market fit through iteration and incorporating customer feedback. This is a great conversation about one of the most exciting health care optimization platforms we have seen in ages, so be sure to tune in today!  

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:21] An overview of Levels and how Eric found out about the dashboard.
• [01:46] Levels’ decision to make thousands of customer development calls and the outcomes.
• [03:36] What Sam means by ‘jobs to be done’ and how it relates to problem-solving.
• [05:00] Understanding success criteria and the relationship it has to greatest results.
• [06:14] The results that high performers and founders typically hope for from Levels.
• [08:07] How Peloton users and intermittent fasting practitioners became typical Levels users. 
• [09:16] Why customer development has to be adaptable and flexible.
• [09:47] Insights into the CGM and why it is important to monitor glucose levels. 
• [11:59] Why Sam believes that metabolic dysfunction is the biggest health crisis of our time.
• [13:03] Lifestyle factors that affect health, like sleep and activity post meal-times. 
• [13:51] Hear about the difference between Levels and an ordinary CGM.
• [14:51] How the Levels hardware works and the filament that goes under your skin.
• [15:39] Levels’ business model, how the company generates profits, and pricing.
• [17:15] SEO strategies and content creation; Levels’ unique approach.
• [20:04] Levels’ current content creation targets and budget.
• [21:30] How Levels has been able to grow despite not having a marketing team.
• [22:50] The rationale behind having an application process before getting to use Levels.
• [24:47] Key questions that Sam and the Levels team have in their customer development stack.
• [26:19] Some company numbers: Capital raised, revenue, and team size.
• [27:58] How Sam manages to read two books per week!
• [29:43] Other apps and tools (besides Levels) that are in Sam’s health stack.
• [30:46] Sam’s must read books and finding him online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Sam Corcos on Twitter

• Sam Corcos

• Levels

• The Mom Test
• Peloton

• Kevin Rose 

• Peter Attia

• Casey Means

• They Ask You Answer

• Levels Blog
• Notion
• Reed Hastings
• Eight Sleep
• Zero Fasting
• ‘How to know if you've got product-market fit'
• Lenny's Newsletter

• Must read books: The Lean Startup, High Growth Handbook, The 4-Hour Workweek

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes

• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Today’s episode is packed with examples of the mental models and high-level strategies required to get to the top in the entrepreneurial world. Joining us on the show is Jeff Lerner, the co-founder and CEO at ENTRE Institute, an online community of entrepreneurs and life-long learners who get access to the training, support, and inspiration to succeed in online business. Jeff talks to Eric about settling his nearly $500,000 debt, hitting rock bottom, investing his last money into courses, and picking up momentum after getting involved with affiliate marketing. After founding and building a successful digital agency, Jeff realized that there was a better business model through which to serve his customers, leading him to start a new company – ENTRE Institute. Here he continues to leverage his customer acquisition skills, empowering people to achieve the life they always wanted. Tuning in, listeners will hear what his introductory course costs and what you can expect to learn about working on yourself and your personal relationships before expecting to make an impact on society and benefit financially. Jeff talks about the institute’s exponential growth, what learning to play the piano taught him about life and business, the principles of successful affiliate marketing, and why you have to slow down to speed up. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:55] The story of how Jeff managed to turn $495,000 in business debt around. 
• [02:32] How in 2008 Jeff used his last money to invest in courses and got into affiliate marketing.  
• [03:10] Starting and building out a digital agency by leveraging his lead-generating skills. 
• [04:59] Ensuring that you care for people and work hard in the process of figuring it all out.  
• [06:00] Why Jeff decided to sell his digital agency despite it doing so well.   
• [07:34] Jeff moved his customer acquisition skills over to a new company that would better serve his customers. 
• [08:47] How ENTRE Institute helps to empower people and get them to where they want to be.
• [09:33] Why an agency is a great starter business but might not allow you to grow exponentially.  
• [10:11] What ENTRE Institute is all about and their business model for making money. 
• [11:49] Get a sense of what it costs for people to get started with their introductory course. 
• [13:39] Hear about your degree of impact on yourself, relationships, and the world at large.
• [14:30] The importance of making people feel better for their interaction with you.
• [15:22] How the business is doing overall, having scaled a whopping 1800% since inception. 
• [16:49] Spending a year of putting content out in the market and figuring out who he was. 
• [18:38] How, from a marketing standpoint, Jeff did so well with a $39 product running ads.  
• [20:06] The role that dropping out of school and learning to play the piano at 17 had in Jeff’s life. 
• [22:46] What piano teaches you about mastery, perseverance, and working independently. 
• [24:39] How affiliate marketing forces you to learn key skills and where to start in this space. 
• [26:00] The principles involved in building a business on the basis of affiliate marketing.
• [29:13] Why slowing down to speed up is key to achieving success and mastery in business. 
• [32:11] Jeff explains why The Fighter’s Mind is the best book for learning about endurance. 
• [33:29] Hear about Jeff’s upcoming book and his Millionaire Secrets podcast. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Jeff Lerner
• Jeff Lerner on LinkedIn
• Jeff Lerner on YouTube
• Millionaire Secrets (Podcast)
• ENTRE Institue 
• Tony Robbins
• Maya Angelou
• DropFunnels
• HubSpot
• Stripe

• Can’t Hurt Me

• Sam Sheridan on Twitter
• Dan Gable
• Ray Kroc

• Must-read books: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The Fighter’s Mind

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes

• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Email productivity ranks highly on the list of desirable outcomes for business owners, and today we have Rahul Vohra on the show, the brains behind the fastest email experience available, Superhuman! Rahul explains the philosophy behind the company and why the product has created its own buzz, more than anything. We get into some of the early periods of their story and the work that Rahul did before founding Superhuman too. Rahul does a great job sharing some of the secret sauce that has gone into the success he and his company have experienced, giving a detailed rundown of their marketing funnel and the important conversations he had with customers early on. We touch on the power of word of mouth, gaining the attention of the right investors, and how a history in game design has informed the way that Rahul thinks about email. Their tool is such a great example of finding a need in the market and servicing it with almost pinpoint accuracy, and the way that Rahul and his team have gone about this is truly inspiring, you will not want to miss this!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:46] Rahul's backstory leading up to his work on Superhuman.
• [01:23] How Rahul's company, Rapportive, was acquired by LinkedIn. 
• [04:24] Some interesting financial and business metrics of Superhuman!
• [06:04] The marketing strategy around the launch and waitlist model of Superhuman.
• [07:49] The methods that Superhuman used for customer development and how they generated such intense loyalty.
• [11:30] The power of word of mouth marketing combined with small paid experiments. 
• [13:04] Efficient customer meetings and injecting a company into the news cycle.
• [19:21] Clarifying the customer funnel at Superhuman! 
• [21:00] Rahul's reflections on working with Marc Andreessen.
• [24:02] Getting the attention of big venture capital firms; different routes to explore. 
• [27:28] The influence of game design on Rahul's philosophy towards Superhuman.
• [30:39] The exciting future of Superhuman that has Rahul looking forward!
• [31:20] Business trends that Rahul is currently excited about as an angel investor.
• [32:09] The music tool that keeps Rahul on track and productive!
• [32:32] Two great book recommendations from Rahul.
• [33:13] Connecting with Rahul online and on social media.

Resources From The Interview:

• Rahul Vohra on LinkedIn
• Superhuman
• Rahul Vohra on Twitter
• Andreessen Horowitz
• Netscape
• Marc Andreessen 
• Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund
• Brain.fm 
• Must read books: The Art of Game Design, Gardens of the Moon

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.
• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here
• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes
• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

Today we have Melanie Deziel, the founder and chief content officer at StoryFuel, a company that equips marketers, creators, and sales professionals with the skill and strategies that they need to tell better brand stories. Because human beings are storytellers by nature, we connect far better with stories than cold, hard facts, and Melanie helps people to leverage brand narratives to promote their businesses by speaking to people’s emotional side. For her, good content marketing is audience-centered and focuses on their needs and wants, so you should consider content that educates or helps them through a certain process – that’s why good DIY videos get so many views! In this episode, Melanie talks about her background working for large media brands, why she decided to go on her own to pursue entrepreneurship, and the different ways they teach brands about content marketing. She dishes out some tips for finding inspiration and creating captivating brand stories and how they help people to get past their limiting beliefs and start producing the content they have always talked about. Also, be sure to check out her new book The Content Fuel Strategy in which she shares all her expertise and best practices! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:52] Melanie’s background in journalism and how she got involved in content marketing. 
• [02:24] Hear about the big media companies she worked for, including The Huffington Post.
• [03:00] Discovering that going on her own would offer her far more business opportunities.
• [03:33] Their focus on educating brands about creating and leveraging content for marketing.  
• [04:40] How they make their money through speaking engagements, consulting, coaching, etc.
• [05:53] Where most people fall short with content marketing – not putting the audience first.   
• [07:12] Why brand stories will always be relevant to the impression we make on others. 
• [08:20] Examples of how our everyday experiences can be rich sources of inspiration. 
• [09:08] Using process-focused, ‘how to’ content, and other advice for telling better brand stories.
• [11:14] The advantages of thinking like a journalist and how to apply it to content marketing. 
• [12:56] How ‘content therapy’ helps people conquer their limiting beliefs about creating content. 
• [14:08] Melanie talks about The Content Fuel Framework and what readers will get out of it. 
• [16:07] Hear how the Inbox When Ready plug-in can help you keep control of your inbox. 
• [17:42] How the books Exactly What to Say and How to Be Antiracist changed her life. 
• [18:26] The best people to teach you about using Twitter and the entrepreneurial journey.  

Resources From The Interview:

• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• StoryFuel
• The Content Fuel Framework
• AnswerThePublic
• The Huffington Post
• The New York Times
• They Ask You Answer
• Content Marketing Institute
• Native Advertising Institute
• HubSpot
• Inbox When Ready
• Rand Fishkin on Twitter
• Must-read book: Exactly What to Say and How to Be Antiracist 

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.
• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here
• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes
• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

Today we have Timothy Sykes on the show! Tim is the CEO of TLC Media, which is an educational community that allows members to interact with the best traders online. Their philosophy is one of transparency and so the experts on the platform, including Tim, show all their wins and losses. Our guest is also the co-founder of Karmagawa, which is a social charity, dedicated to improving living conditions and the environment around the world. Tim currently funnels all of his stock trading profits into this cause and one of his main goals is to inspire and help others to give more! Tim tells us about his approach to the aspects of his life, from being real and leading by example, to differentiating yourself in a market. We also get into some thoughts on going viral and Tim's attitude of experimentation for his wide-ranging ventures. He explains his commitment to playing to his strengths and outsourcing the rest, before we discuss a long term attitude towards success and putting impact over profits. Tim urges listeners to get loud and get attention, and makes a strong case for more honesty in the business and trading worlds. To hear it all from an energetic and impactful figure, join us today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:03] Tim's social and charity work and the resultant founding of Karmagawa. 
• [02:28] The transition Tim made from focussing solely on materialism. 
• [03:36] The financials around Karmagawa and how it remains possible. 
• [05:30] Tim's aspirations to inspire others to give more!
• [07:26] The optics of charity and getting away from looking slimy and fake.
• [08:52] How Tim stays abreast of all the issues he wants to help with. 
• [10:34] An overly busy schedule and Tim's continual challenge of keeping up!
• [12:01] How Tim's educational business operates; the lessons he offers from TLC Media. 
• [12:59] A look at the growth of TLC Media and the speed at which this happening.
• [14:09] Tim's focus on his strengths and the employment and outsourcing around those. 
• [16:20] This moment in history; remote work, considering health, and bringing back morality.
• [18:31] Tim's daily routine content stack; trading, charity work, eating, and more!
• [19:56] The pricing at TLC Media for different programs.
• [20:29] The evolution of Tim's business strategy and marketing plan.
• [21:20] Changes in the mission and the ongoing task of cutting through the BS.
• [23:39] Tim's advice for growing your Instagram account and going viral.
• [27:01] Throwing everything out there to see what sticks; forget about the strategy!
• [29:19] Impact over profit — gaining credibility through honesty.
• [30:41] The business trends that have Tim excited right now.
• [33:47] The media that Tim has recently enjoyed the most.
• [35:29] Tim's must-read book recommendation: Hit Makers.

Resources From The Interview:

• Timothy Sykes 
• TLC Media 
• Karmagawa 
• Bow Wow 
• Chuck Finney
• Bill Gates
• Warren Buffett  
• Robinhood 
• CELCIUS 
• Elon Musk
• Tesla 
• Evernote  
• mmhmm 
• Kardashians
• Medici 

• Game of Thrones

• Dan Bilzerian  

• Must read book: Hit Makers

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

• Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes

• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter