Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Humans aren’t unbiased so building a following by being authentic on the internet can lay the foundations for great businesses today. For this episode, we welcome Anthony Pompliano where he speaks about how he built his following, his approach to work and productivity, and how he is choosing to invest his money. Anthony is Founder and Partner at Morgan Creek Digital, the hedge fund which specializes in blockchain technology and digital assets. He also runs a successful content business that includes his YouTube channel, podcast, newsletter, and of course, his Twitter account. Anthony kicks things off by giving listeners some idea of how he grew his audience so quickly. People want to follow those they agree with more than reading so-called unbiased news and this is something Anthony understands very well. We move onto the subject of his fund next and he shares his approach to managing it. Next up, we talk productivity hearing Anthony drill down on his intuitive approach and how he can work such long hours because he truly loves what he does. He also gets into his approach to learning as well as the idea that networking is the common ground between his different businesses. Toward the end of the show, we talk about gold versus Bitcoin and why Anthony is such a big believer in the second, and he also shares more about how he divides his portfolio between Bitcoin, real estate, early-stage investments, and cash. Wrapping up, we talk favorite books, tools, and more, so for a punchy exchange about the value of authenticity, networking, and working hard at what you love to find success, 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!
• [01:00] Anthony’s background and how he got to where he is today.
• [01:38] How Anthony’s content business makes money through ads, emails, and more. 
• [03:40] Anthony’s strategy for growing to 100 000 followers on Twitter in his first year.
• [06:00] Not sounding smart on Twitter and Anthony’s authentic approach to content creation.
• [07:50] Follower count for Anthony’s YouTube, podcast, and email list.
• [08:40] How Anthony drives revenue on his podcast and YouTube through ads. 
• [09:40] Anthony’s take on the one-man media company phenomenon.
• [12:40] Why Anthony started his rolling fund and what he plans to do with it. 
• [15:02] Anthony’s enjoyment of what he does and how it influences his work capacity.
• [16:36] The role of AngelList handling everything on Anthony’s fund’s back end. 
• [17:31] Anthony’s approach to learning and how it has shifted to being more serendipitous.
• [18:48] Twitter favorites of Anthony’s and who is well worth a follow.
• [20:56] Which percent of the 75 000 free readers of Anthony’s Substack convert to paid.
• [21:46] Monthly download count for the podcast: 2-2.5 million across audio and video.
• [23:47] How Anthony structures his time between writing, podcasting, calls, his fund, and emails.
• [25:20] The plan for the collaboration between Anthony and his wife and brother.
• [26:53] The move toward people appreciating reading the opinions of those they follow rather than news.
• [28:10] The interconnection and similarities between the different things Anthony focuses on.
• [30:35] Anthony’s take on Bitcoin versus gold and which one to invest in.
• [33:46] Real estate, Bitcoin, early-stage investments, and cash: Anthony’s portfolio.
• [35:30] Anthony’s thoughts on sports car investing and why he sticks to Bitcoin.
• [37:11] What might happen in the market according to Anthony.
• [38:39] The most compelling thing Anthony read recently.
• [39:28] Three book recommendations about how to get rich from Anthony.
• [40:25] Why Anthony’s favorite tool is walking and the benefits it provides him!

Resources From The Interview:

• Anthony Pompliano on Twitter
• Anthony Pompliano on YouTube
• The Pomp Podcast
• The Pomp Newsletter
• Substack
• Morgan Creek Digital
• Pat McAfee on Twitter
• Joe Pompliano on Twitter
• Tim Sykes
• Bow wow
• Ben Thompson
• Andrew Wilkinson on Twitter
• Tiny Capital
• Naval Ravikant on Twitter
• Avlok Kohli
• AngelList
• Polina Marinova Pompliano on Twitter
• The Profile
• Patrick Oshaughnessy on Twitter
• Kat Cole on Twitter
• Supercast
• Peter Schiff on Twitter
• George Gammon on Twitter
• Jason Williams on Twitter
• Gary V
• Steve Aoki
• Chuck Feeney

• Must read book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The Richest Man in Babylon, Think and Grow Rich

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

From the outset, the business world looks like it’s filled with brilliant people who can turn anything into a success. This can be disheartening but Jerry Colonna, Executive Coach and CEO whisperer, has a secret to tell you — most people are faking it. Today we speak with Jerry about how you can become a better leader on your terms, without needing to compare yourself to others. We open our conversation with a discussion on why many founders and marketers need support, often from coaches, before Jerry provides some insights into why you should look for an effective coach, not necessarily a coach with accolades. A key theme of this episode, Jerry highlights that a coach’s job isn’t to give you all the answers. Rather, they should help you discover your own solutions by asking the right questions. We then dive into how Jerry has coached host Eric Siu, with Jerry sharing details about his coaching philosophy. From there, we explore the business model for Jerry’s company, Reboot, the services they offer, and how they offer an entry-point for any user, regardless of their means. Reflecting on his life as a venture capitalist, Jerry talks about the benefits of living a slower life, why “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and what quality is common among successful leaders. Near the end of the episode, he shares how he maintains his mental and physical wellbeing, along with the top books that have altered the course of his life. Tune in to hear more of Jerry’s expert advice on how you can become a better leader. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:00] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:18] Introducing Executive Coach and CEO whisperer, Jerry Colonna.
• [02:02] Why all founders and marketers need support; “Nobody is crushing it.”
• [04:36] Fixing versus coaching and why effective coaches aren’t always the most acclaimed.
• [06:41] The idea of gestalt and asking good questions instead of giving advice. 
• [07:45] Insights into how Jerry runs his coaching sessions and how he sees his role as a coach.
• [09:45] How Jerry has helped host Eric Siu to slow down and lead with more wisdom. 
• [11:51] Overcoming your sub-routines to improve your operating system.
• [13:52] Unpacking lessons from the gaming world and why they don’t apply to other contexts. 
• [16:10] Hear how Jerry’s business works and the services that he offers.
• [18:15] From free resources to reading his book, Jerry shares the best ways for listeners to start with Reboot.  
• [19:42] Jerry compares his life as a coach to his life as a venture capitalist.
• [22:22] In praise of the ‘infinite game’ and trying to be kind every day.
• [24:16] The benefit of living your life without comparing yourself to others.
• [25:57] Learning how to ask better questions, a skill that makes you a better leader.
• [28:29] Why you shouldn’t ask a question with judgment or expectation.
• [29:49] The common attribute that Jerry sees in his best students.
• [30:51] What Jerry does to maintain his mental wellbeing and keep his skills sharp.
• [32:51] Jerry shares the top books that altered the course of his life.
• [34:21] How to find Jerry online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Jerry Colonna on Twitter
• Jerry Colonna on LinkedIn
• Jerry Colonna on Facebook
• Jerry Colonna on Instagram
• Reboot
• Reboot on Amazon
• ‘This Man Makes CEOs Cry’
• The Twenty Minute VC 
• The Coaching Habit
• On Being with Krista Tippett 
• Alice in Wonderland 
• Fred Wilson
• Brad Feld
• Simon Sinek
• Parker J. Palmer
• Risk 
• Monopoly
• The Coaching Habit 
• Multipliers 
• John O'Donohue
• Must read books: Faith, Let Your Life Speak, When Things Fall Apart, Real Change, See No Stranger, On the Brink of Everything 

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

Joining us on Leveling Up today is the CEO of kovai.com, Saravana Kumar! Kovai is an enterprise software company, and we get to hear from our guest about their past, present, and exciting future! Saravana is an amazing person and an excellent entrepreneur, who has a number of balls in the air. Apart from his main work at Kovai he is also dedicated to helping the community and spreading skills and wealth to people beyond himself! We talk about establishing a community in a niche market, something that Kovai has done so well in the last few years before we get into their customer acquisition strategies and how they make money. Saravana also unpacks important moments in the company's evolution, such as the move to India from the UK that was made in aid of scaling. We finish off this great chat with our usual questions, with Saravana sharing his favorite business book and tools, and how these have helped him up his game. So for all of this and a whole lot more, make sure to tune in with us today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:30] Saravana's personal story and path leading to his current position and company.
• [03:50] The move that Kovai made to India in order to scale more quickly. 
• [06:38] Kovai's important numbers currently; revenue and employees.
• [07:14] The lead up to hitting the $1 million annual recurring revenue mark. 
• [08:05] The bootstrap model that Saravana and Kovai have relied on.
• [09:37] Reasons that Saravana has turned down all the venture capital he has been offered. 
• [11:27] The economic model for Kovai and where they make their money!
• [12:30] Customer acquisition strategies at the company and what has been working recently. 
• [14:34] Saravana's ambitions for spreading wealth, learning and expertise to others.
• [17:15] How Saravana splits his time between his different projects and passions.
• [18:36] The two business tools that have helped Saravana recently with his company.
• [19:21] A must-read book recommendation from Saravana!
• [20:42] The impact that the Traction framework had on Saravana and his systems.

Resources From The Interview:

• Saravana Kumar
• Kovai.co
• SaaStock 
• Microsoft
• Zapier
• Azure
• Zendesk
• Intercom
• Freshdesk 
• HelpSTAR 
• Pipe
• OneNote
• Microsoft Teams
• Slack
• Tim Ferriss
• Traction
• Must read book: The Millionaire Fastlane

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

Joining us for this episode is Erik Kostelnik, the co-founder and CEO at Postal.io, a leading B2B offline engagement platform that automates direct mail and gifting in the sales and marketing world, helping businesses to improve their customer acquisition and better engage with prospects. While their customer base might seemingly tell a different story, this company has been operational for only 78 days and has achieved remarkable growth amid the pandemic and the economic crisis facing many other companies. Erik shares how their technological advancements have allowed their customers to achieve unusual results, explaining that regular mail is often better received than email and, since it has been proven that the coronavirus cannot live on mail pieces, it has remained a trusted form of communications between businesses and their customers. Postal.io works on a subscription basis that caters to a range of customer needs, from the most basic $19/mo package to a comprehensive one for teams of plus-minus a thousand. Erik talks about why businesses should consider scaling their direct mail and gifting, why they had to adjust their industry and persona market fit early on, the success they had with the growth strategies of creating a marketplace and maintaining a close relationship with integration partners, and how they went about hiring the best executive staff. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:24] Erik talks about his sales and leadership story over the last 20 years.  
• [01:01] Get a sense of what postal.io offers and an example of a practical use case. 
• [02:18] How the firm’s technology has enabled their customers to achieve unexpected results. 
• [04:05] The importance of scaling your personal direct mail, gifting, donations, and more.   
• [04:28] Erik talks about their subscription-based model that offers something for everyone. 
• [05:52] The firm’s impressive customer count after just 78 days and amid the pandemic. 
• [07:37] Why it is 100% safe to receive and open physical mail and packages. 
• [08:13] How people’s response to mail and email differs and how it can be leveraged.
• [09:52] Erik responds to a question about how long it will take them to get to product-market fit.  
• [11:52] Why they have had to adjust their industry and persona market fit.
• [12:38] The success they have had with the growth strategy of creating a marketplace.
• [13:45] Maintaining a close relationship with integration partners and providing value to them.   
• [14:21] Erik shares how he defines and thinks about risk analyses.
• [15:49] Why technology entrepreneurs must take a step back at times. 
• [17:23] How they went about hiring a full staff of executives from their trusted network. 
• [17:48] The tool that Erik uses to read without the bother of advertisers and blockers. 
• [18:14] Erik’s app for getting the most important summaries from all kinds of business books. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Erik Kostelnik on LinkedIn
• Postal.io
• Outreach
• Hive
• Cisco
• VMware
• Salesforce
• SalesLoft
• Zapier
• Marketo 
• Mayfield
• Just Read
• getAbstract
• Coronavirus IX: Evictions (John Oliver)
• Must-read book: Lincoln on Leadership 

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 have Pete Lamson, the CEO of JazzHR, an SMB-focused recruiting software/applicant tracking system company designed to streamline the hiring process. Unlike most of their competitors who are focused on the mid- and enterprise market, JazzHR serves small businesses of anything between 50 and 500 employees, offering a solid product that they continue to improve as well as delivering industry-leading customer support. Pete discusses why customer retention is such a high priority for them and how, during the height of the COVID pandemic, they remained laser-focused on getting results for their customers and investors. As part of their customer experience strategy, they offer free onboarding services that allow their customers to get comfortable and confident with their software so that they can get the most out of it – just one of their many strategies for offering top-class customer support. Switching the topic to his role as CEO, Pete discusses his recruitment by JazzHR four years ago and how the founder Don Charlton managed to strike the perfect balance between supporting him while also giving him enough space to develop his own ideas, and he advises listeners on the most important considerations for any new CEO. For more on recruitment software, founder-CEO relationships, and customer experience, be sure to tune in! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:49] Pete talks about his entrepreneurial career and his biggest influences along the way. 
• [02:19] Learn what kind of business JazzHR is and how Pete and his team make money. 
• [03:11] How their solution simplifies and improves the recruiting process for their customers.
• [04:11] Hear some impressive metrics on their ARR, number of employees, and growth rate.
• [05:04] What makes JazzHR different from other recruitment software companies. 
• [06:53] Some of the positive feedback they are getting and their focus on customer retention. 
• [07:45] Advice for driving good customer experience, including offering onboarding services. 
• [10:53] Pete talks about their approach to onboarding new customers and the time it takes. 
• [11:35] Being recruited as the CEO four years ago and how the board equipped him to succeed. 
• [13:58] Get a sense of how effectively the founder Don Charlton supports Pete as the CEO. 
• [17:10] The actions Pete and his team have had to take to keep afloat when the pandemic hit. 
• [20:03] Overcoming the downturn by continuing to prioritize results for customers and investors. 
• [21:03] The most important PMF-related questions to consider as a new CEO. 
• [23:10] Pete talks about Sisense as his most trusted tool, especially in the context of COVID. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Pete Lamson on LinkedIn
• JazzHR
• Carbonite
• Indeed
• ZipRecruiter
• Taleo 
• Greenhouse
• Don Charlton on LinkedIn
• Kommute
• Sisense
• Must-read book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things

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 almost all situations, the more personalized the piece, the more you will have to pay, and the waiting time for made-to-order is months, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Today’s guest is Christiane Lemieux, Founder and CEO of The Inside, an online furniture store that provides custom made, on-demand furniture that remains exclusive by utilizing technology. Christiane is a creative tech entrepreneur, and today we talk to her about what this means while exploring her journey launching Dwell Studio, The Inside, and what is in store for the world from her new company, Lemieux Et Cie. Christiane gets into the business models of her different companies, how she bridged technology with creativity at different stages of her career, and her strategy and vision for the launch of Lemieux Et Cie. She weighs in on the innovations the technology-powered, furniture on-demand model at The Inside brings to the world of made-to-order e-commerce. Christiane shares about how she is taking her products a tier higher with Lemiuex Et Cie, and why she plans to launch her new business in the IRL retail world. Christiane also details some of her experiences building a best in class, remote-first tech team as she transitioned from her position at Wayfair into a then-fledgling The Inside. For a great conversation about innovation that blends design and technology, make sure you tune in for this interview with Christiane Lemieux.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:09] Christiane’s journey from starting Dwell Studio and how she became a creative tech entrepreneur.
• [02:10] Selling Dwell Studio to Wayfair, working there, and the tech that went into starting The Inside. 
• [03:08] Made on demand furniture that remains exclusive by utilizing technology: How The Inside works.
• [03:35] Not needing a warehouse and having no waste: Advantages of The Inside’s business model.
• [04:19] Products at The Inside, and their pricing which starts from as low as $20.
• [04:40] Why the custom order model at The Inside produces stickier customers. 
• [06:04] How COVID is affecting digitally-first companies and businesses selling homeware.
• [07:35] The higher-end offerings by Christiane’s new company Lemieux Et Cie.
• [09:17] Getting people back on the streets and why Lemieux Et Cie is not enabling e-commerce instantly.
• [09:58] How The Inside landed its first customers using the usual D2C advertising playbook.
• [10:44] Challenges growing The Inside; escalated marketing costs for second wave D2C companies.
• [11:57] Retail competitors and the launch plan for Lemieux Et Cie once they enable e-commerce.
• [13:55] The difference between a creative entrepreneur and a tech one and what blending them means.
• [14:57] How Christiane leveled up at Wayfair and by hiring her own engineers for The Inside.
• [15:55] Building a brilliant, remote tech team from scratch by using Toptal.
• [17:11] A valuable tool Christiane uses and recommends for tweaking your stack rank.

Resources From The Interview:

• Christiane Lemieux on LinkedIn
• Lemieux Et Cie
• The Inside
• Dwell Studio
• Wayfair
• West Elm
• The Architectural Digest
• Anthropologie
• Warby Parker
• Hudson’s Bay
• Toptal
• Slack
• Peloton
• Trello

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 are going to talk about seven years of operating lessons from taking over my ad agency! This is a multi-part series that talks about the most powerful lessons learned throughout the journey. This is part 3 of the series! When I first started running the business I didn't listen to the team and employees were leaving left and right. When I finally dropped down to one employee, I decided it was time to make a change. These are the lessons that helped me turn my business around and if you put them into action they can help you too!

Most people create the product they have in mind and then try to build a brand around it, but not Mario Nawfal, the CEO of the Athena Group of Companies. What has led to Mario’s success is his business philosophy of first testing a range of products to see which ones do well, and then to begin building out a brand around a product that is already on the consumer radar and trending. For him, it is all about leveraging the momentum of a popular product or service and getting your timing right. Just take 2020 as an example. Those who have become millionaires by selling PPE and hand sanitizers would have been nowhere the year before. In this episode, Mario talks about his group of e-commerce and agency companies, sharing how the avant-garde growth hack strategies developed by the latter are used to boost the business of the former. And while service-based businesses such as agencies are not easily scalable, Mario shares how they are still getting great value out of these organizations and using them to benefit the group at large. Our guest talks about the lessons he learned from Froothie, one of his early companies, regarding the importance of creating a community, and shares about his collaboration with growth hack specialists Jared Codling and Kyrill Krystallis. Tuning in, listeners will also hear Mario’s views on starting a company from scratch versus acquiring an existing one, and much more! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:47] Find out how Mario got started in e-commerce and eventually expanded into B2B. 
• [01:33] When Mario's entrepreneurial journey started and challenging himself in the agency space. 
• [02:12] Hear about the extent to which Mario is personally involved in the companies he owns.
• [03:00] Mario shares some numbers on the growth of his group of companies. 
• [05:45] The importance of testing and building a brand around a product that is proving to work.
• [06:43] Overcoming the problem of making money on inexpensive items with a low AOV or LTV. 
• [07:37] Learn about the innovative growth-hacking services offered by his agencies.  
• [08:55] How Mario’s agencies can serve his existing e-commerce businesses and vice versa.
• [09:40] Advice for building a brand around a product in a highly competitive market. 
• [12:52] The lessons from Froothie about the power of a strong brand and community. 
• [14:28] Mario shares his perspective on what growth hacking is and the best strategies to use. 
• [17:38] The genius way that Jared Codling built his community and extensive database. 
• [19:02] Using Phantombuster as a beginner and where you can find videos for tips and tricks.  
• [20:38] Building new businesses from scratch versus buying existing e-commerce businesses. 
• [21:34] A resource for growth hacking tools and the most important one for your health. 
• [24:14] One of the biggest mistakes you can make as an entrepreneur: neglecting your health. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Mario Nawfal 
• Mario Nawfal on LinkedIn
• Mario Nawfal on Instagram
• Athena Capital
• Athena Group of Companies
• Tiny Capital
• Andrew Wilkinson on Twitter
• Warren Buffett
• Froothie
• Phantombuster
• Kylie Jenner on Instagram
• Kylie Cosmetics
• Kanye 
• Bill Gross TED
• Magento 
• Marketing School
• Kyrill Krystallis on LinkedIn
• Jared Codling 
• We Are Growth Hackers 
• Inside Insight
• Hack Your Agency
• Top Fucking Secret
• The Real Yellow Pages
• Slack
• FreeStyle Libre
• Levels
• Must-read book: The Obstacle is the Way

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 the 70's the Patels from India created a method for acquiring motels and in time earned a massive fortune that could take care of their entire family. In this clip we do a book summary of one of my new favorite books, The Dhando Investor, and discover how you can mitigate risk in your investments and create massive wealth!

Today we talk to Henry Schuck, Co-Founder and CEO of ZoomInfo (formerly DiscoverOrg) about best practices for steering the ship of a startup and scaling it until it goes public. ZoomInfo provides subscription-based sales and marketing intelligence to its clients in the form of accurate B2B content and company information to accelerate the growth of their marketing teams! Henry starts by summing up his education and career, sharing the story of co-founding DiscoverOrg, wearing multiple hats while scaling it to the point of going public, and then acquiring ZoomInfo. From there, we get into some of Henry’s habits that took him from startup CEO to public company CEO. He talks about mastering the skills needed to see DiscoverOrg through its first five years, how to let go of staff who served their purpose but are now holding the company back, and how bringing on investors changed the internal dynamics of the firm for the better. Henry also gets into his ‘pebble in the shoe’ method for aligning his teams with his vision, what goes into ZoomInfo's growth engine, and the people and resources he consults to stay sharp and constantly get better. For all this and more on the topic of continuous improvement and directing a publicly owned company from Henry, be sure to tune in.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:00] Henry’s education and how he co-founded DiscoverOrg and acquired ZoomInfo.
• [03:11] Wearing multiple hats, imposter syndrome, and the first five years of DiscoverOrg. 
• [05:00] Why Henry decided to bring on investors and what he learned about hiring after.
• [07:25] How Henry dealt with being accountable to people other than his co-founder after going public.
• [08:21] Dealing with letting go of employees who aren’t good enough to help you scale.
• [12:35] How Henry handled scaling so well; constantly mastering the skills involved.
• [14:00] Get great at something, train somebody else to do it, and then move on.
• [15:36] How Henry steers the ship by pointing out what’s wrong with existing systems. 
• [16:52] Winning by constantly iterating versus ‘that’s how it’s always been done’ thinking.
• [19:02] ZoomInfo’s growth engine and how it works using a specialization sales funnel.
• [20:41] Figuring out how to get, and take action on, metrics for one’s business.
• [22:50] People Henry consults with to get advice on how to be a better CEO.
• [23:52] Why the reMarkable tablet is a tool that’s made a recent impact on Henry.
• [24:28] Henry reads analyst reports to get better and stay informed.
• [25:27] Two must-read book recommendations from Henry.
• [27:17] The most compelling thing Henry recently read: Every analyst report on ZoomInfo!
• [28:03] How to find Henry online, get in touch with him, and learn more about him.

Resources From The Interview:

• Henry Schuck on Twitter
• Henry Schuck on LinkedIn
• Henry Schuck Email
• ZoomInfo
• DiscoverOrg
• University of Nevada
• Ohio State University
• The Carlyle Group
• The E-Myth
• YPO
• EO
• Oura Ring
• Evernote
• reMarkable
• Smartsheet
• Morgan Stanley
• Ben Horowitz
• Must read book: Ogilvy on Advertising, The Hard Thing About Hard Things

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