Leveling Up with Eric Siu

From an airplane designer to a marketing expert, today we are joined by Guy Yalif, the co-founder and CEO of Intellimize, a company that automatically optimizes websites to drive revenue and customer acquisition using machine learning. After making the unusual leap from a career in aerospace engineering, Guy accumulated considerable marketing experience by working in the startup space as well as for big brands like Twitter, Yahoo, and Microsoft. In this episode, he talks about the value that Intellimize offers its customers, including the unique ability to personalize the web experience for each user while also providing useful insight that can be leveraged to refine their messaging. Their sophisticated software gathers and interprets data to make suitable suggestions to site visitors, thereby boosting conversion rates and making a big difference in the sales department. In general, their customers are seeing a remarkable 46% improvement on the metrics they care about since Intellimize is all about focusing on those aspects that are most pertinent to their customers. For them, success is about ensuring that their customers are happy and successful, which is the exact reason why they are seeing such rapid growth themselves. To hear more from seasoned marketer Guy Yalif, be sure to tune in for this episode of Leveling 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] Guy talks about his unusual transition from aerospace engineer to marketing expert. 
• [01:57] Hear how Intellimize will personalize the web experience for each unique visitor. 
• [03:15] The value of a customized home page and how they interpret personalization. 
• [04:11] Using the tool to make money through personalization and get useful insights.
• [05:02] Find out how Intellimize helped Stella & Dot achieve a 52% increase in conversion.
• [06:48] How Intellimize knows the right messaging and experience for any given customer. 
• [07:56] The data Intellimize gathers to identify and suggest suitable products for site visitors.
• [09:39] Leveraging machine learning to figure out what works without any manual input. 
• [10:53] How Intellimize makes money and the size of the companies and websites they cater to. 
• [11:59] Why it is not necessarily wise to sell your software on a price-per-test basis.  
• [12:32] Building a system to work with little traffic and to be faster than traditional testing. 
• [13:38] How customers are seeing a 46% improvement on the metrics they care about.
• [15:14] Why Intellimize will get more out of data than a marketing team.
• [16:54] How Intellimize works with customers’ marketing teams to code the suggested ideas.
• [19:07] The biggest growth challenge Intellimize have had — finding the right team members. 
• [20:19] The overarching objective of ensuring that customers are happy and successful.
• [21:14] Guy shares how using an Oura Ring has allowed him to leverage the power of sleep. 
• [23:40] The two people Guy most likes to learn from – Tod Sacerdoti and Doug Knopper.   

Resources From The Interview:

• Guy Yalif on Twitter
• Guy Yalif on LinkedIn
• Intellimize 
• Segment
• Drift
• Looker
• Stella & Dot
• Unilever
• Emburse Payments
• Tableau 
• ClickFlow
• Dermalogica
• Oura Ring
• Quantified Self
• 37signals (Basecamp)
• Tod Sacerdoti on Twitter
• Doug Knopper on LinkedIn
• FreeWheel
• Must-read book: Getting Real

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

Whether you’re trying to build wealth or simply have a better idea of market fundamentals, understanding macroeconomics will give you a significant upper hand. Nobody understands this better than George Gammon, the entrepreneur, investor, and real estate expert who helps his audience increase their wealth and freedom by teaching macroeconomics through his YouTube channel. On today’s show, George shares his thoughts on the state of the market, his approach to investing, and how he built a YouTube channel that went from 200 to 40 000 views a day just four months after its launch. George begins by explaining why the economy is in more danger now than in 2008, detailing that it is a complex system which, if meddled with, will produce unpredicted results and how the current Fed stimulus exemplifies this. We talk about how George approaches his portfolio and how this fits into his goals to live a life with as much freedom as possible. Here he discusses how to separate your investments into buckets, the need to set up a plan B, and how his decision to shack up in St. Bart’s during the pandemic factors into all this. We also focus on George’s recent career, and he shares the ins and outs of how he started his YouTube channel, his content repurposing strategies, and how the value he is bringing by teaching macroeconomics at a time like this contributed to the surge in his following. For all this and a bunch of actionable pointers from George about how to educate yourself about the economy and become a better investor, 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! 
• [02:47] George’s road to learning about investing, interest in macros, and starting his YouTube channel.
• [03:56] Problems with the financial system; meddling with a complex system we don’t understand.
• [07:42] Understanding the Fed stimulus and how it’s making things worse now than in 2008.
• [15:03] ‘Price makers’, and why thriving online businesses are more protected right now.
• [17:08] George’s strategy for building an audience and product online and monetizing it.
• [23:07] The sudden growth rates George’s channel experienced and what produced this.
• [25:26] Asymmetric downside and why investors should understand macroeconomics.
• [30:11] George’s advice on how to diversify your portfolio in the current climate.
• [35:08] How to buy gold, or stocks that deal in it if you can’t get it physically.
• [36:39] Insurance versus speculation: The difference between gold and bitcoin.
• [37:35] Initial resources to consult for learning about macroeconomics.
• [40:42] What freedom means to George; having a plan B and how to form one.
• [47:07] Does understanding macroeconomics help you understand incentives?
• [47:30] Getting a clearer understanding of economics by reading Thomas Sowell.
• [49:09] ‘Stagflate,’ lie, and tax: Jason Burack and George’s view of what’s in store.
• [51:31] George’s remote process for his whiteboard videos and tools that help him.
• [52:53] Book recommendations from George for investing, probabilities thinking, and economics.
• [56:07] Why George recommends listening to The End Game podcast with Mike Green.
• [57:47] The best way to find George online.

Resources From The Interview:

• George Gammon on YouTube
• George Gammon on Twitter
• The Rebel Capitalist Show
• Social Blade
• Robert Kiyosaki
• Neil Patel
• Milton Friedman 
• Free to Choose
• Thomas Sowell
• Basic Economics
• Jim Rogers
• Peter Schiff

• Chris MacIntosh
• Lyn Alden
• Jim Grant
• Rick Rule
• Sprott
• The Canadian Mint
• HSBC
• Macro Voices
• Real Vision
• Nomad Capitalist
• Hugh Hendry
• Charlie Munger
• Jason Burack on Twitter
• Wall St. for Main St.
• Peloton
• Zoom
• Skype
• WeTransfer
• Ed Thorp
• The Grant Williams Podcast: The End Game
• The End Game with Mike Green
• Peter Thiel
• Must read book: Beat the Dealer, Market Wizards

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

As the social climate continues to become increasingly tense in the US, with the pandemic, politics, and proposed tax hikes, it’s becoming more important for entrepreneurs to have a plan B. Today’s guest is Andrew Henderson, Founder of Nomad Capitalist, a boutique advisory firm that provides entrepreneurs with holistic plans to legally reduce taxes, get second passports and create wealth offshore. He joins us to provide insights both into his company and the issue of geopolitical diversification generally. We discover the services that Nomad Capitalist offers, and how Andrew, having lived and invested in numerous countries, adds his particular expertise. We hear how Andrew splits up his time throughout the year and why he encourages people to consider lesser-known countries as options. The conversation naturally goes to the pandemic, how it’s affected Nomad Capitalist’s business, and why the government’s reaction has been such an eye-opener. While many people continue to have a strong allegiance to the United States brand-name, Andrew believes that the COVID crisis has revealed some truths that we can no longer ignore, making a second passport that much more crucial. To hear more about the importance of not being tied to one place and having an escape hatch, 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!
• [00:20] Get to know Andrew, his background, and what his company, Nomad Capitalist does.
• [00:59] Nomad Capitalist’s founding story and why Andrew thinks it has been so successful.
• [02:48] The company’s content-heavy strategy which has helped with their growth.
• [04:23] How the business runs and makes money as an advisory firm.
• [06:08] Getting started with Nomad Capitalist – How entrepreneurs would get the ball rolling. 
• [07:37] Andrew’s thoughts for US founders who feel uneasy about the social climate. 
• [10:10] Some up and coming countries Andrew recommends founders check out.
• [12:05] Andrew’s trifecta idea and splitting your time up between three places per year.
• [14:14] Some of the places where Andrew has properties and where he’s looking to buy.
• [15:00] Hear Andrew’s takeaways about COVID and the lasting impacts of the pandemic. 
• [16:25] The importance of not being stuck in one place.
• [17:40] Enquiry growth at Nomad Capitalist over the years and revenue increase.
• [19:49] Geopolitical diversification and why you should consider a second passport.
• [21:42] Why Andrew renounced his US citizenship and the backlash he’s faced.
• [26:21] The over-attachment people have to the brand name of America.
• [27:36] Andrew’s take on crypto, the future of the dollar, and ways to hedge against the dollar.
• [29:16] Looking back, what Andrew wishes he had done differently.
• [30:08] Some of the books and other media that have been inspiring Andrew.
• [33:13] Additional services Nomad Capitalist offers and how much entrepreneurs should set aside.
• [38:02] How to find Andrew online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Nomad Capitalist
• Nomad Capitalist on YouTube
• Andrew Henderson on Twitter
• Andrew Henderson on LinkedIn
• Andrew Henderson on Instagram

• Robert Kiyosaki on Twitter
• Salome Zourabichvili
• Donald J. Trump
• The Heritage Foundation
• Louis Vuitton
• The Imagineering Story 
• Must read book: The Ride of a Lifetime, EntreLeadership

Andrew's Links:

• https://nomadcapitalist.com/
• https://nomadcapitalist.com/2019/07/19/portugal-golden-visa/
• https://www.youtube.com/nomadcapitalist
• https://www.instagram.com/nomadcapitalist/
• https://www.facebook.com/nomadcapitalist

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

This is a special bonus episode where we take a sneak peek into our virtual event and share a portion of one of the talks from the event. In this episode, we're sharing the mic with investing legend, Roland Frasier, who goes into detail about how to buy an existing business with no money down.

We know the importance of networking, but many of us either shy away from it or take the wrong approach. Today's guest, Jordan Harbinger, does things differently, and it shows. As a Top 50 iTunes podcast host for over 12 years, Jordan deconstructs the playbooks of the most successful people on the planet, sharing their strategies and providing practical insights. In this episode, we hear about Jordan’s podcasting journey, and how building his show from scratch for a second time showed him the true power of his network and connections. We discuss the difficulties that came with starting over, including self-doubt and being unable to compensate the team fairly, and their resolutions. Jordan also shares some of his invaluable relationship development insights. Rather than calling it networking, which he feels has been tainted by sleazy salesman, Jordan’s approach is more authentic, and it recognizes the importance of making small deposits every day. Instead of ignoring most people and only reaching out to those who are can immediately do something for you, Jordan knows that opportunities are just ‘over the horizon’, which means front of as many people’s minds as possible. We get some actionable steps as well as a teaser of his free networking course. Along with this, we also discuss current podcast numbers, why he is spending so much on his show at the moment and some of the obstacles with podcasting ads. This was a great discussion, with so many key takeaways. 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!

[00:25] Get to know today’s guest, Jordan Harbinger, and some of his accomplishments.

[01:51] How Jordan started his first and second podcasts and current numbers. 

[05:20] Jordan’s team’s loyalty and how he paid them before the show was making money. 

[07:11] The story of how Jordan’s team decided to work for low pay or free. 

[09:50] Overcoming doubts and putting on a brave face as a leader.

[11:15] How Jason leveraged his network when he took a second go at his show. 

[13:34] Jason’s approach to building relationships and what he does differently.

[14:44] Why Jason believes that most opportunities are ‘over the horizon’. 

[16:36] The mistakes that most people make when they approach networking.

[17:57] People are more likely to help people who show a genuine interest in them. 

[19:31] Networking is only awkward if you have not laid the groundwork.

[22:25] You are probably not as good at networking as you think you are, so learn more!

[23:06] Some of Jordan’s short networking drills.

[24:35] The key to successful systems: Easy to implement and quick results.

[25:20] How Jordan and Eric met, and the development of the relationship.

[26:59] Invest in building relationships early on; it’s much harder to do it when you need help.

[31:08] Jordan’s podcast numbers, including growth rates and where he sees it going.

[33:51] Give yourself permission to experiment!

[36:00] Why we need to re-think what a lifestyle business means.

[37:34] The reason Jordan is investing $600,000 into podcast growth.

[40:27] The common challenges in the podcast advertising space.

[42:16] Why Jordan believes that now is a great time to spend money on podcasts.

[43:46] Hear about the ads that Jordan buys on other podcasts and the results he’s seen.

[45:56] The benefits of having people search for you on Google.

[46:45] Jordan’s favorite podcasting tool and his must read book.

Resources From The Interview:

• Jordan Harbinger
• Jordan Harbinger on Twitter
• Jordan Harbinger on Instagram
• The Jordan Harbinger Show
• The Jordan Harbinger Show on YouTube
• Gary Vaynerchuk
• Pandora
• Jason DeFillippo
• Jason Calacanis
• 6 Minute Networking a Free Course
• Seth Godin
• DoorDash
• Joe Rogan on Twitter
• Tim Ferriss
• PodcastOne
• Chartable
• T.I.
• Must read book: What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School

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

Although marketing has evolved a great deal over the past 100 years, the same principles still apply because human psychology has not changed. This is why is, no matter how complicated the marketing landscape gets, simple copywriting remains the most powerful. No-one knows this better than today’s guest, Craig Clemens, an exceptional copywriter, brand-builder, and positioner. As co-founder of Golden Hippo, a leader in direct-to-consumer marketing that builds innovative health, beauty, and pet care brands, Craig knows that it takes to connect with customers effectively. In this episode, we dive into Craig’s fascinating marketing journey, including some of the profound sales and life lessons he learned from his time as a telemarketer. We also gain insights into Craig’s copywriting process, where he highlights the importance of market research. He does not believe in selling products but instead offering unique solutions to people's problems. We also hear more about Golden Hippo and its distinct approach to building brands. Along with this, we touch on politics, where Craig dissects how effective marketing is key to building momentum and a dedicated support base. 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!
• [01:07] Craig’s background and his journey from telemarketing to where he is now. 
• [04:38] Some of the biggest lessons that Craig learned from his time in telemarketing. 
• [06:16] Craig’s recommendations about the best copywriting resources.
• [07:28] Why successful companies are some of the best examples of great copywriting.
• [09:29] Hear why you should be wary about studying venture-backed companies’ ads.
• [10:59] What Craig’s daily copywriting and creative process looks like. 
• [12:17] The unique things about market research compared with other types of research.
• [13:56] Why good copywriting is about doing the simple things really well.
• [14:25] Gary Halbert’s copywriting advice and some of his seminal work.
• [17:56] Golden Hippo’s current hiring needs and reopening their offices. 
• [18:28] Details about Craig’s company before Golden Hippo, Breakthrough Media.
• [19:56] Golden Hippo’s founding story and current employee numbers.
• [21:13] Hear more about Golden Hippo’s unique culture around each of their brands.
• [22:32] The ads that Craig has written have generated over $1 billion in sales revenue!
• [24:16] Important lessons that Craig has learned about leadership as his career has evolved.
• [27:23] Marketers and founders that Craig is currently following.
• [28:46] Craig’s take on politics and the role that marketing plays in the political landscape.
• [33:37] Hear about Craig’s favorite business book and best business tool.

Resources From The Interview:

• Craig Clemens Twitter
• Craig Clemens Instagram
• Craig Clemens LinkedIn
• Golden Hippo

• Double Your Dating
• Claude C. Hopkins
• Robert Collier

• Alexa

• WeWork

• Robert Pittman
• Gary Halbert
• Hemingway Editor
• Rachel Hollis
• The Boron Letters
• Tribal Leadership

• John Reese
• Dean Graziosi

• Brendon Burchard
• Donald Trump Twitter
• Mike Bloomberg
• Barack Obama
• Tim Ryan
• Must read book: Ready, Fire, Aim

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

Steve Gatena, CEO of Pray.com, joins us today to talk about entrepreneurship and what it takes to run the world’s #1 app for daily prayer and biblical audio content. For Steve, being a successful entrepreneur is all about starting simple, building momentum and experience, practicing extreme ownership, and never forgetting the value of one’s networks. Our guest has an impressive background, and he starts by explaining the different companies he was a part of in media production, and how he made the transition from these service-based business models to becoming the CEO of a venture-backed tech firm. He talks about how some business models are more difficult than others to run and how fortunate he was to cut his teeth on easier ones which gave him the skills he needed to launch a software product firm, the most complex of all. We get into some of Steve’s secrets for running Pray.com so well, talking about the relationship between religion and marketing, building a global A team of investors and executives for a remote-first firm, and the value of self-awareness in hiring and delegating to staff. Steve also weighs in on how he made multiple pivots before landing on Pray.com's premium subscription business model, and what listening to one’s customer means when the audience and amount of user personas that subscribe to Christianity is so humongous. For all this and so many more amazing nuggets from Steve as far as books, tools, and other resources for building agile systems, be sure to tune in! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! 
• [02:25] Steve’s journey from the media production world to being the CEO of Pray.com!
• [06:10] Using one business as a platform for another and how to be an entrepreneur.
• [08:31] The story behind the helicopter gimbals invented by Steve’s partner.
• [09:39] The secret to entrepreneurship: Get experience and build more complex businesses.
• [12:11] Vital resources for building a startup, from books to courses and one’s network.
• [13:58] Mike Jones, networking events, and how Steve built his executive/investor teams.
• [19:50] The Pray.com podcast and how they make their money through subscriptions.
• [21:37] Figures Steve is free to share: Subscribers, figures per year, growth rates.
• [22:50] How Pray.com is optimizing their funnels based on different user personas.
• [25:33] The strategy going forward: Adding value through content and community.
• [27:44] Unexpected challenges and blessings Steve has experienced along the way.
• [28:52] Energy Steve gets from his cofounders and what building an A team means.
• [32:22] How Pray.com sources their global team of engineers, making them a remote-first firm!
• [34:28] The value of joining peer groups and how well helping others scales.
• [35:14] Steve’s hiring process and the best books on refining this methodology.
• [37:17] Tools and books Steve uses to optimize agile systems at Pray.com.
• [38:12] Core values and how Steve handles areas his knowledge lacks in being the CEO.
• [42:19] Steve’s favorite tools and why he is switching from Mixpanel to Amplitude.
• [43:36] Business model pivots, and how Pray.com arrived at the premium content model.
• [49:06] Steve’s favorite business book; why he loves The Personal MBA.
• [49:47] The most compelling essay or blog post Steve read recently: ‘Startup=Growth’.
• [50:36] How to get in touch with Steve and learn more about Pray.com.

Resources From The Interview:

• Steve Gatena on LinkedIn
• Pray.com
• Life, Leadership, and Legacy
• REP Interactive
• Video Fort
• HELNET

• Entrepreneurs’ Organization
• Pete Carroll
• Seahawks
• Mark Sanchez
• New York Jets
• Red Bull
• Marriott
• Coldwell Banker
• Herbalife
• Discovery Planet Earth
• Mission Impossible
• Transformers
• CSI
• Law & Order
• Children’s Hospital
• UCLA Medical
• Science
• Greylock
• Sequoia Scouts
• Y Combinator
• Startup School
• Andrew Wilkinson on LinkedIn
• Tiny
• Cineflex
• Channel Dynamics
• Steve Blank
• The Startup Owner’s Manual
• Mike Jones on LinkedIn
• Dollar Shave Club
• Mike Dubin on LinkedIn
• Katie Stanton
• Breaking Bad
• Ryan Beck on LinkedIn
• Mike Lynn
• Merrill Lynch
• Matt Potter on LinkedIn
• Anthony Pompliano
• Extreme Ownership
• Who
• Scaling Up
• Spotify
• Atlassian
• Confluence
• Jira
• Trello
• Mixpanel
• Amplitude
• Hubspot
• The Mom Test
• Josh Kaufman
• Paul Graham
• Startup=Growth
• Must read book: The Personal MBA

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. 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!

Many great tech companies have emerged from a founder trying to solve a pain point in their own lives, and AppDirect is no different. As the only end-to-end platform that helps deliver digital services on any device and accelerate time to market, the company has raised $350 million and is not slowing down anytime soon. Dan Saks is the President and Co-CEO of AppDirect, and he is here to share various insights on working in the business. In this episode, Dan sheds light on how the closure of his family’s 100-year-old furniture business opened his eyes to the need to connect businesses with the right technology. When he was graduating from college, SaaS and cloud services were in their infancy, and Dan recognized their power to help businesses thrive and bridge unequal access to technology. We get an overview of how AppDirect connects distributors of services so businesses can consume the applications they need. We then zoom out from the product-level view to a look at AppDirect’s long-term vision. It is unusual for a company to have this type foresight, so Dan explains why looking at the overarching problem of how to deliver cloud services to business frames their goals and allows for a highly iterative development process. This long-term thinking is also inextricably tied to their values, and we learn about how the company established theirs and how the strong culture stems from them. Along with this, Dan also presents illuminating insights on thinking about partnerships, AppDirect's interview process, and its ideas around peak performance and a holistic approach to wellness. 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!
• [00:47] Get to know Dan, his story, and what led him to found AppDirect.
• [01:58] How AppDirect works and creates technological connections. 
• [03:08] Hear about AppDirect’s business model and the way they generate income.
• [03:32] Some of AppDirect’s numbers, including workforce size, active users, and partnerships.
• [04:08] AppDirect’s founding story and how they look to solve problems from the bottom up.
• [05:46] Challenges that AppDirect faced in getting its product to market and lessons learned.
• [07:50] How AppDirect managed to create a long-term vision so early on in its inception. 
• [09:12] Dan’s words of encouragement for anyone starting a business.
• [09:40] AppDirect’s recruiting methodology and how it is optimized for long-term growth. 
• [10:40] Interview techniques to understand candidates’ passion and gauge how they align with AppDirect’s values.
• [12:19] How AppDirect’s values are woven into activities from interviews to annual reviews.
• [13:39] The process of establishing a methodical approach to values. 
• [16:00] Culture-related resources that have been valuable to Dan.
• [17:03] What the role of a co-CEO entails and dividing responsibilities. 
• [18:38] Dan’s tips on partnerships and the importance of understanding their different forms. 
• [20:18] Hear about biohacking and the ways that Dan incorporates it into his life and AppDirect.
• [22:23] How AppDirect encourages its employees to take care of themselves.
• [23:43] The importance of letting people define their own work lives.
• [24:29] Dan’s personal OKRs and how he uses them to make time for his passions.
• [26:33] Dan’s must read book, favorite business tool, and inspirational resources.

Resources From The Interview:

• Dan Saks on LinkedIn

• AppDirect

• Peter Thiel
• StarVest
• Office 365
• Dropbox

• René Obermann
• Angela Merkel
• Isadore Sharp
• Four Seasons
• Sam Walton

• Bill Gates
• Ray Dalio on LinkedIn

• Harvard Business School

• Oura Ring
• Ben Greenfield

• OKR

• Must read book: How to Win Friends & Influence People

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

The more agile companies can be in the current volatile landscape, the better. Smartsheet is a collaboration software platform that helps companies optimize functionality and one of the things that makes it different is that it is not purpose-built. With 2572 documented use cases to date, Smartsheet possesses the kind of wide applicability that companies need to stay light-footed enough to keep up, and all without having to write a line of code! Today we have its CMO, Anna Griffin, join us on the show to talk more about how the software works as well as speak to the things that make her tick and how she got to be where she is today. Anna gets into her journey into the B2B space and what feeds into her out of the box approach to marketing. We turn our attention to Smartsheet next and hear from Anna about the platform’s fluidity and how they approach marketing it when the product does so many different things. She makes a case for how well the software lends itself to bottom-up adoption, and then we hear a few metrics that prove many larger firms are taking to it in a top-down way too. Anna gets into some of her unusual strategies for winning over these big enterprise clients next, and from there we dive a bit more into the places she finds her inspiration. For all this and more from a unique CMO with a flair for marketing and an equally outstanding product that is here to stay, 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!
• [00:50] How Anna arrived in the B2B space bringing an emotional approach to marketing.
• [02:20] The range of uses for Smartsheet – its agility – and why this means they need a CMO.
• [04:57] Competitors of Smartsheet like AirTable that give an idea of what the platform does.
• [05:36] How Smartsheet makes money and spreads due to its wide applicability.
• [07:48] That Smartsheet is built for scale and is adopted in bottom-up and top-down ways.
• [09:05] How valuable such a flexible product like Smartsheet is in an agile environment.
• [09:38] Metrics that show how Smartsheet is attacking top-down marketing.
• [10:27] How Smartsheet markets itself when it’s capabilities are so wide.
• [11:44] The success of community and traditional marketing for Smartsheet.
• [13:30] Anna’s mashup mindset: How she combines pep talks and more into marketing. 
• [15:35] Where Anna gets her inspiration, from country music to her favorite books.
• [16:53] The ‘Uberization’ of customer service that has upped customer expectations.
• [17:26] Anna’s favorite business tool and some of the podcasts she listens to regularly.
• [19:05] Why Anna’s favorite business book is Pretty Good Advice.

Resources From The Interview:

• Anna Griffin on LinkedIn
• Smartsheet
• NoCode
• AirTable
• Microsoft
• Google
• Monday
• Asana
• Apple
• Steve Wozniak
• Wall Street Journal
• The Last Dance
• Jeff Rosenblum
• Uber
• Instagram
• OZY
• Shelley Zalis on Twitter
• The Female Quotient
• Leslie Blodgett on Instagram
• Bare Escentuals
• Must read book: The Great Gatsby, Friction, Pretty Good Advice

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