Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Business travel may not be happening as frequently anymore due to the COVID pandemic, but that does not concern today’s guest, Avi Meir. He is CEO and Co-Founder of TravelPerk, a ground-breaking business travel platform that offers companies of any size a one-stop-shop to book all of their travel in a single space. Avi is a travel industry veteran with fifteen years of experience. In this episode, we learn more about the platform, including the pain points they look to solve, how they generate income, and the ways they are reimagining business travel. We also learn about Avi’s choice to base the business in Barcelona, an unconventional destination for a tech company. Not only does the city offer a great quality of life, but Avi also believes that it influences their ability to attract top talent. Naturally, the conversation goes to COVID and how TravelPerk has been impacted. Avi shares the remarkable decision they have made to not let anyone go, and how they have used a combination of government relief and out of pocket payments to ensure their employees are furloughed with 80% pay. Aside from the practicalities of having to rehire, Avi knows that a drastic restructuring would harm the company culture, which they value tremendously. We discuss why figuring out core values is the foundational step to fostering a great culture, and learn what TravelPerk did to establish theirs. Along with this, Avi talks about their FlexiPerk product, which has been a pandemic standout and his hot take of why 2021 will see more business travel growth than 2019! 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!
• [01:10] An introduction to Avi, his background, and how he came to found TravelPerk.
• [02:25] Learn more about TravelPerk and its mission as a business travel platform. 
• [03:36] Hear about how the platform makes money through commission and products.
• [05:10] The typical amount customers can expect to pay on TravelPerk and the costs they save.
• [07:28] Some of TravelPerk’s numbers, including employee count and growth rate.
• [08:45] Why Avi decided to found TravelPerk in Barcelona which is not a typical tech hub. 
• [10:47] How TravelPerk manages to recruit great talent and its international workforce.
• [12:44] Hear how Israeli culture influences their prolific innovation and work ethic. 
• [14:39] How TravelPerk has dealt with COVID, including the decision to furlough employees.
• [17:59] Avi shares some COVID-related statistics about the business travel industry. 
• [20:23] The FlexiPerk product TravelPerk offers and its strength, particularly during the pandemic.
• [23:16] What culture means at TravelPerk and some unique ways the company fosters it
• [24:00] TravelPerk’s core values and how they were defined.
• [27:08] Hear Avi’s contentious prediction for the future of the travel industry.
• [28:00] Despite all the pandemic-related shifts, the need for human connection still remains.
• [28:49] Avi’s must read books and favorite business growth tool.
• [32:01] Why Avi tries to stay away from social media where possible.

Resources From The Interview:

• Avi Meir on Twitter
• Avi Meir on LinkedIn
• TravelPerk
• Hotel Ninjas
• Booking.com

• Expedia
• Airbnb
• IESE
• Start-up Nation
• Jim Collins

• Chris Voss
• Slack
• Notion
• Qassim Suleimani
• Must read books: Never Split the Difference, Delivering Happiness

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

What does it take to be successful as a new CEO? Whenever you're joining a new company, it's important to avoid rocking the boat at the beginning. In this session we discuss ways to have a successful transition into any company at the executive level.

Joining us today is Gino Wickman, the founder of EOS Worldwide—a leadership team development company—and the creator of Entrepreneurial Leap, Rocket Fuel, and the bestseller Traction, which you have heard many founders rave about. Contrary to what other books on entrepreneurship want to make you believe, not everybody is cut out to be an entrepreneur—so says Gino who has established himself as an authoritative voice on the subject over the past 20 years. According to him, there are six essential traits that every true entrepreneur has, and as controversial as it seems, he believes that a person is born with these traits and cannot necessarily acquire them at will. He also distinguishes between a visionary and an integrator, the former coming up with the great ideas and then pivoting to the next and the latter who is skilled at implementing and maintaining those ideas and keeping things consistent. These are some of the reasons why his books and entrepreneurial philosophies are radically different from the many others on the market. In this episode, he gets into what EOS (entrepreneurial operating system) is and what it means for entrepreneurs and their leadership teams, and he talks about recognizing the need for a system that would help businesses to manage their human energy more effectively. After all these years, Gino’s dream is not to ride off into the sunset and leave it all behind but rather to take up a new role as a coach and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs—because this is what gets him fired up and performing at unusual energy levels. Tuning in, listeners will also hear about his latest book and project Entrepreneurial Leap and how it is helping first-timers to formulate a plan and take action! 

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] Gino talks about his entrepreneurial journey and being an EOS implementer at heart.
• [02:03] Redirecting his energy toward teaching entrepreneurs and what he hopes to achieve.   
• [02:55] The value of having spent the past 25 years learning from established companies. 
• [04:03] What EOS is all about and how it serves entrepreneurs and their leadership teams. 
• [05:13] Identifying the need for an operating system to orchestrate and manage human energy. 
• [06:44] Working hands-on with clients and getting referrals—the secret to Gino’s success. 
• [08:32] Why he bothers with coaching and teaching despite his success.  
• [09:53] Gino discusses Entrepreneurial Leap and why he has a 10-year timeline for the project. 
• [11:09] How this book is different from the many other books on entrepreneurship out there. 
• [13:03] An overview of the six essential traits of a true entrepreneur. 
• [13:44] What it means to be a visionary versus an integrator in the context of entrepreneurship. 
• [15:57] The positions that are typically occupied by a visionary and integrator in an organization.
• [17:07] What EOS clients do when they grow beyond the ideal 10–250 employee mark. 
• [19:08] The benefits of implementing EOS and Entrepreneurial Leap early on in a startup. 
• [20:36] The roadmap that Gino created to help aspiring entrepreneurs formulate an action plan. 
• [22:20] What Gino’s current work structure and team look like after selling EOS Worldwide. 
• [23:42] The three different ways of implementing EOS in your business.
• [24:53] Doing what he loves and other reasons for Gino’s consistently high energy levels.
• [27:24] Gino makes a case for the power of writing and planning with pen and paper. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Gino Wickman on LinkedIn
• Entrepreneurial Leap
• Entrepreneurial Leap Website
• Traction
• Rocket Fuel
• EOS Worldwide
• Tesla
• Must-read books:  Think and Grow Rich, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and Good to Great 

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 a B2B business, attracting an audience to your website to convert them into sales leads is not an easy process, but Madison Logic does it all for you. Madison Logic is an account-based marketing service that helps B2B companies convert their best accounts faster and today we learn more about the firm from its Co-Founder and COO, Vin Turk. Vin opens by explaining how he got the idea to streamline conversions in the B2B space before explaining exactly what it is that Madison Logic does. We move on to discuss how the firm makes its money on both the lead and display side before chatting more about their ideal customers. Vin shares some impressive metrics about growth and ROI, mentioning their unique journey without VC backed capital and how being featured on INC 5000’s list six times back to back made a difference in this respect. We get into exits, spinoffs, and the company’s long term vision next, before drilling down on their customer acquisition model which includes a brilliant strategy to become more vital to current ones. Wrapping up with Vin, we chat about how Madison Logic keeps values consistent in the firm as far as strategy and corporate culture, and hear some amazing tips from him around continuous self-evaluation and reflection, so 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!
• [00:40] The story of Vin’s idea to streamline conversions that grew into Madison Logic.
• [02:49] A real example of how Madison Logic connects sellers to buyers in the B2B space. 
• [04:58] How Madison Logic partners with news outlets to market to their clients.
• [05:48] Madison Logic’s business model making money on a cost per lead basis.
• [06:36] Ideal clients: enterprise and mid-market B2B technology companies.
• [07:30] Metrics around growth, ROI, employee count, and international offices. 
• [08:12] Why being featured on the INC 5000 list six times was beneficial to Madison Logic.
• [09:43] Exits and spinoffs Madison Logic has gone through; its long term play. 
• [11:38] Customer acquisition and why ML is focusing on expanding current customers.
• [13:33] ML’s favorite tools for contact discovery, automated outreach, accounts intel, and more.
• [14:32] The size and structure of the sales team at Madison Logic.
• [14:58] How Madison Logic keeps vision and values for corporate culture and strategy aligned. 
• [18:15] ‘Not sweating the small stuff’ at Madison Logic by trusting in overall growth.
• [19:42] Book recommendations from Vin and Eric for how to run a better business.
• [20:50] Vin’s favorite business tools and why he loves Slack and Domo.
• [21:25] The best way to get in touch with Vin online and learn more about Madison Logic.

Resources From The Interview:

• Vin Turk on LinkedIn
• Vin Turk Email
• Madison Logic
• The Department of Defense
• Northeastern University
• Info Week
• IBM
• Oracle
• Intel
• Dell
• Cisco
• Inc 5000
• Clarion Capital
• Bombora
• Salesforce
• Marketo
• Bizable
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• ‘Dharmesh Shah Vectors Elon Musk’
• Ben Horowitz
• Mark Cuban
• Slack
• Domo
• Must read book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things, The Innovator’s Dilemma

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

Do you need to have a big company before you start worrying about things like vision and culture? I used to think so... but the truth is, building culture and demonstrating the vision is the most important job of the CEO and can make or break whether you're successful. In this clip, we'll talk about ways you can implement culture, recruit a-players and share your vision better with your team, no matter how big or small your company is!

Today’s guest, Gary Saarenvirta, has been thinking deeply about AI long before the current hype. Having worked in the AI space for over 25 years, Gary was shocked at how little math and science was used in big business, and founded Daisy Intelligence to fill this glaring gap. Daisy is a SaaS AI-powered platform that helps retailers and insurers achieve higher profits by helping them make smarter operating decisions. In this episode, Gary sheds light on some of Daisy’s product offerings and the specific ways they increase profitability. As someone with an engineering background, Gary always focused on the technical side of things, but with the growth of the business, he has become increasingly aware of the value of people and culture. We talk about various ways that Daisy looks after their team, including flexible remote working options during COVID and mentoring programs. Gary himself has seen the value of having a coach, and he shares how this has helped him grow as a leader. Along with this, we discuss why Daisy’s technology is uniquely differentiated and how they use optimal control thinking to ensure their software stands out. Gary believes that by making businesses more efficient, through autonomous enterprise, it will not only reduce product costs but decrease the cost of living generally. We wrap the show up by hearing some of Gary’s must read books as well as why being a small company that has productized AI has helped them attract top talent. Don't miss out!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:45] Learn more about Gary and his background, and his company, Daisy Intelligence.
• [01:48] Some of Daisy Intelligence’s current clients including, Walmart Canada and Allianz.
• [02:08] How Gary walked into the idea for Daisy after a stint in the corporate world.
• [03:48] Hear about how Daisy makes money as a SaaS platform and their pricing structure.
• [05:19] Some numbers related to Daisy, including employees, growth rates, and more.
• [06:49] What Gary has learned about the importance of culture as Daisy has grown. 
• [07:43] Specific tools and resources Gary has used to build company culture.
• [08:56] The ways that Daisy has taken care of their employees. 
• [10:22] How coaches have helped Gary grow as a leader and what’s been effective for him.
• [11:22] What optimal control is and how it’s helped Daisy to their $5.5 million ARR. 
• [13:06] Why making companies more efficient is one of Gary’s main motivators.
• [13:43] The time it took for Daisy to reach product-market fit.
• [16:30] How Daisy stayed afloat for 12 years before getting VC finance in 2015.
• [17:59] Gary’s favorite business tools and why he enjoys looking at cashflow.
• [18:42] Must read books that Gary recommends and other resources he consumes.
• [20:06] Bonus question: How Daisy manages to recruit such high-talent people. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Daisy Intelligence
• Walmart Canada
• Green Shield Canada
• Allianz

• Geoffrey Hinton
• Play Bigger
• QuickBooks
• Salesforce

• Must read books: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Advantage,Built to Last, Good to Great

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

When should you split your focus and start to take on multiple projects? The problem with a lot of people is that they never focus on completing one project all the way through. Or they fail to diversify at the right time. In this clip, Eric shares his thoughts around the importance of creating a launch pad business before splitting to different projects.

Today we are excited to bring you a conversation with Amy Lacey, the bestselling author of Cali’flour Kitchen and the founder of Cali’flour Foods, a company that sells cauliflower-based foods and currently the fastest growing food company in e-commerce. When Amy began looking into resolving her autoimmune issues, she stumbled on a recipe for a cauliflower pizza base, which she perfected, started selling at farmers’ markets, and eventually built out into an 8-figure business. In this episode, she gets candid about the percentage of her business that is based on e-commerce versus retail, her thought process behind deciding to bring venture capitalists on board, and why it was more about choosing strategic partners than getting the financial backup. Since the earliest days, customer service and experience have been a top priority for her and the team, a value she believes sets them apart from many other food companies and opens doors to the most unexpected opportunities, including the chance to talk to people like Martina McBride and Whoopi Goldberg. And the secret to outstanding customer service, she says, lies in your ability to truly listen to the needs of people and then to deliver the perfect solutions. Amy also discusses how the COVID-19 crisis affected their sales, the importance of surrounding yourself with people who know the industry, the equity you should be prepared to give to key stakeholders, why you have to secure your trademark as early as possible, and more!  

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:56] Hear about the circumstances that led to Amy starting Cali’flour Foods.
• [01:39] The journey of discovering all the foods that were causing inflammation in her body. 
• [02:30] Wanting to find a way to still eat pizza and experimenting with a cauliflower pizza base. 
• [03:01] Taking her pizza bases to the farmers’ market and selling out before even getting there!
• [04:18] What Cali’flour Foods’ bestselling products are and those coming to market soon. 
• [05:24] The percentage of her business that comes from e-commerce versus retail. 
• [06:18] Putting the customer at the center of the brand and sharing their success stories. 
• [06:51] Deciding to bring in the venture capitalists to help her get into the grocery market. 
• [08:50] How the capital piece was more about strategy than money per se. 
• [09:58] Growing from 18 to 100 employees since bringing in the VCs and other great stats. 
• [11:00] Find out how COVID-19 has affected their business and sales.
• [12:06] How she went from stay-at-home mom to 8-figure entrepreneur.
• [13:31] Prioritizing customer service by employing people who had significant experience in it.
• [14:28] Amy’s pizza party with Erin Oprea and Martina McBride and other amazing meetings.  
• [15:36] The importance of being a good listener and offering impeccable service.
• [16:15] Growing fast based on the integrity of the product and being transparent. 
• [17:07] Why you need to surround yourself with people who have experience in the industry.
• [17:31] How Amy went about recruiting the right people and getting an advisory board together. 
• [19:11] Get an idea of the equity you should be willing to give up to an advisory board.
• [21:20] Securing your trademark and being careful who you share your business with.  
• [22:18] The value of the StoryBrand book, framework, workshop, and podcast.
• [23:46] Amy makes a case for why email is her favorite business tool. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Amy Lacey on LinkedIn 
• Amy Lacey on Instagram
• Cali’flour Foods
• Cali’flour Kitchen
• Robb Wolf
• Chico Farmers’ Market
• Shopify
• StoryBrand
• Erin Oprea
• The 4x4 Diet
• Martina McBride
• Whoopi Goldberg on Twitter
• SurveyMonkey
• Building a StoryBrand (Podcast)
• Donald Miller on LinkedIn
• Infusionsoft
• Klaviyo
• Must-read book: Building a StoryBrand 

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

How much should you spend on a business coach? How do you know if you'll get a valuable ROI from the experience?

In this episode Eric shares his thoughts around why business coaches are worth it, and how to find a coach who will push you to greater heights.

On today’s show, we are happy to welcome someone we’ve wanted to have on for some time now, Andrew Wilkinson. He is currently a Managing Partner at Tiny Capital, as well as the Founder of MetaLab, which helped design Slack. Along with this, Andrew is also invested in a range of other companies. In this episode, we learn more about his incredible journey and how he grew a passion for tech and design into a range of flourishing businesses. Andrew also sheds light on his investing education and overcoming his initial reluctance to see the power of investments. For Andrew, being an entrepreneur is about freedom to create the life you want, and having time to pursue your interests, which is how he saw the value of delegating. This is not easy when you are starting out your entrepreneurial journey, as Andrew knows, but as a company scales, so too should the owner’s levels of delegation. We take a look at the types of businesses Tiny Capital is interested in and why they are only pursuing simple business models. Our conversation then takes a turn into a different interest of Andrew’s — subscription podcasts. We discuss why these are such effective, yet untapped income-generating models and Andrew shares some of the work they are doing in this space. We then circle back to Tiny and leadership more generally where Andrew unpacks the importance of incentives along with his characteristic lazy leadership style. Andrew’s self-reflexivity and ability to talk openly about his weaknesses is truly refreshing. This conversation was a great look into what it really means to be an entrepreneur. Be sure to 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!
• [01:16] Hear more about Andrew’s background and his varied business journey so far. 
• [06:58] What led Andrew to learn about investing and what stood out to him in his education.
• [09:39] Why Andrew is not a good CEO and what he has done to compensate for this.
• [10:41] Learn about a launchpad business and the opportunities it provides owners.
• [11:04] A common mistake entrepreneurs make: Building the first business to be venture-backed. 
• [12:50] What Andrew’s day-to-day looks like and the different activities he’s involved in.
• [14:09] The kinds of businesses that Tiny Capital is currently interested in.
• [16:05] How Tiny buys businesses and some of the terms they stipulate.
• [17:01] Insights on how Tiny brings companies down from unrealistic venture valuations. 
• [18:05] Tiny’s organizational structure and tips for anyone looking to start something similar.
• [20:58] Some of the characteristics that Andrew looks for when hiring a CEO.
• [21:48] Why hiring great executives when starting out is so difficult.
• [22:26] The different comp structures that are appropriate for these high-level executives.
• [23:13] How Tiny interprets profitability and different ways to manage cashflow.
• [24:18] The difficulties Tiny’s staff faced working on the range of entities and splitting attention.
• [26:10] Find out about subscription podcasts and why Andrew is so passionate about them.
• [31:09] Andrew’s interest in the No Code movement and why it’s valuable for business owners.
• [35:02] The motivation behind Tiny’s Twitter ads and their efficacy in relation to deal flow.
• [36:55] Andrew’s take on incentivization, common mistakes, and examples of good ones. [40:53] Incentive-related resources that have helped Andrew.
• [41:47] How Tiny thinks about company culture after founders have departed.
• [44:29] What it means to be a ‘lazy leader,’ and the role a CEO should play.
• [46:28] Books that have shaped Andrew as an investor. 
• [48:11] Andrew’s favorite tool that’s not part of his portfolio.

Resources From The Interview:

• Tiny Capital
• MetaLab
• Andrew Wilkinson on Twitter 
• Andrew Wilkinson on LinkedIn
• Dribbble 
• Designer News
• Slack
• WeWork
• Steve Jobs
• TechCrunch
• Coinbase
• Shopify
• Warren Buffet
• SpaceX
• Berkshire Hathaway
• Zack Onisko
• Creative Market
• Supercast
• Tim Ferriss
• Joe Rogan
• DoubleUp
• Squarespace
• Flytographer
• Lambda School
• Bubble
• Coda
• Zapier
• Anthony Casalena on LinkedIn
• Charles Munger
• The Psychology of Human Misjudgment
• My First Million
• Superhuman
• SaneBox
• Jason Fried
• Basecamp
• HEY
• Must read books: The Dhandho Investor, Tao of Charlie Munger, Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist

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