Leveling Up with Eric Siu

It is often said that niching down and making your offer specific to a particular need and section of the market is the key to success. Rick Carlson, our guest today believes that this idea is still under-appreciated. Rick is the CEO of SharpSpring, an all-in-one marketing automation platform that has experienced great success in its young life. We hear from Rick about his career in the marketing sphere, what he has chosen to give his attention to and the events leading up to the founding of SharpSpring. We chat about the company's base in Florida and why Rick decided to keep the company in his home state instead of one of the other startup hubs in the US. From there, Rick takes us through how SharpSpring approaches customer acquisition and their own marketing before we talk about finding the right type of customers and how he does this. The conversation ends off with the customary questions, with Rick opting to share his favorite business podcast instead of a book! For all this and a whole lot more from someone who is making great waves in the marketing world, and doing things slightly differently, join us on Leveling Up today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:42] Rick's background in sales, marketing and products, and his experiences in the field.
• [02:18] The strange story of how SharpSpring became a publicly-traded company. 
• [04:14] Rick's life in Florida; why he chose to base his company in his hometown.
• [06:22] SharpSpring's current client base and how they shape up next to their peers.
• [07:30] SharpSpring's target market and the interesting tactics they use for capturing.
• [09:01] Rick's tips for getting out there, finding market-fit and working with agencies. 
• [10:29] The effort that goes into connecting with the right companies and partners.
• [12:44] Focussing on a specific niche — the reasons for SharpSpring's success. 
• [14:37] Rick's favorite business podcast, article and tool!
• [15:55] Why Rick chooses to focus on his own work over following other companies and founders. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Rick Carlson
• SharpSpring 
• AVG  
• Marketo 
• Act-On
• Eloqua 
• Pardot
• HubSpot
• Datanyze

• Must listen podcast: Manager Tools

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 a world that seems almost fully-focussed on online and digital marketing, it may come as a surprise to some that physical means are still used to grow companies and for them to become known. PostcardMania is a very successful company in this line of work, using direct mail marketing to help their clients get the word out on their offers. They are a really great example of how older techniques and styles of marketing can still work in a contemporary context. The company was founded 21 years ago by Joy Gendusa, who we are so happy to welcome to the show today. They mostly serve small businesses and are up to about 60 million in revenue this year! Their pricing model is competitive but not comparatively cheap, and Joy explains how she pegs this. We talk about the history of the company and the organic growth that Joy has experienced over the last decades. She opens up about her target audience and the ways that have provided her with the biggest opportunities to scale and grow her team. Joy credits a lot of her success to her team, believing she leads a group of superheroes! We discuss their company culture, important practices and some of the perks and facilities at the office. So for all of this great stuff and to learn about a slightly different model for marketing, be sure to listen in!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:05] Joy's journey with PostcardMania and her learning curve with marketing.
• [03:11] The client-base for the company and the services they offer to them. 
• [04:52] Some of the important numbers from PostcardMania and how much mail they send.
• [06:36] The fee-structure at PostcardMania and the ways in which they make money.
• [07:46] The areas in which the company experiences the most growth and best results.
• [09:39] Struggles over the years; leading the ship through rough waters.
• [12:28] Joy's thoughts on CEOs’ groups, a bad experience she had and her love for her team.
• [14:48] Growing and evolving with the company; Joy's philosophy towards progress. 
• [51:52] PostcardMania's company culture and the unique perks that Joy offers her employees.
• [16:42] Monday meetings and the agenda for these weekly events at the company. 
• [18:06] Entrepreneurship and marriage; the benefits of a personal partnership with overlap.
• [19:40] Joy's growth practices; books, conversations, and pivoting.
• [20:42] A selection of a favorite business book and tool of Joy’s.
• [21:23] Why Joy is not really following any particular companies or founders currently.

Resources From The Interview:

• Joy Gendusa

• PostcardMania 

• Everywhere Small Business
• Free Zapier Subscription 
• Leveling Up 6c Postcard Special
• Shark Tank
• Alibaba
• Wade Foster

• Inc. Magazine 

• Measure What Matters TedTalk  

• Basecamp

• Postcard Marketing In An Online World: Success Simplified!

• Must read book: Measure What Matters

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

Before thinking of building a Amazon or Apple, you have to think of your business as a 'launchpad' first. That's because even if you have a rocket, you can't go to space without a launchpad. We'll talk about the concept and how to do it.

When it comes down to it, SaaS businesses are valued on their ARR, but surprisingly, some still choose to manage the metrics and analytics that come as a byproduct of their order to cash process themselves. What they need is a platform, because having a single source of truth that drives all these metrics can’t be understated. Today’s guest is Tim McCormick, CEO of SaaSOptics, a platform that provides this very service. Specifically, SaaSOptics is a subscription management platform that provides early-stage and growth SaaS businesses with subscription billing, revenue recognition, financial reporting, and robust SaaS analytics. In our conversation with Tim today, we get into his career in tech running SaaS businesses in the security and energy management space, and the multiple exits he has orchestrated. He then dives into what SaaSOptics does and how they run their business to keep seeing such big growth. He gets into how SaasOptics automates the order to cash process, effectively sitting between the CRM and the general ledger. Tim talks about the metrics SaasOptics provides, their value-based pricing model, and how they balance marketing and sales in order to grow. We hear about the structure of their sales team, and their model of product cycles based on market changes too. There are around 30 000 B2B SaaS businesses globally thus the services SaaSOptics provides can’t come at a better time, so tune in to find out what it's all about!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:47] Tim’s career in marketing and exits in SaaS tech to founding SaaSOptics.
• [02:41] Why Tim keeps on exiting out: loving operating and helping the younger generation.
• [03:41] Vulnerability scanning and how it bridged Tim’s work in security and energy managing.
• [05:40] What SaaSOptics do to automate revenue recognition for smaller SaaS businesses.
• [08:00] Metrics SaaSOptics provides to help their clients get financing.
• [09:45] How SaaSOptics makes money by billing proportionately to clients’ revenue.
• [12:16] Ways SaaSOptics is growing: a blend of marketing/sales, and an account-based model. 
• [13:35] The structure of the SaaSOptics sales team and their service cycles.
• [14:35] Which revenue point customers start using SaaSOptics at: immediately if they’re smart! 
• [17:05] The relationship between product innovations and watching the market.
• [19:07] How Tim conducts his market research by assessing potential clients’ systems.
• [22:16] Tim’s favorite books: The Lean Startup, Good to Great, The Millionaire Next Door, etc.
• [22:44] A favorite business tool of Tim’s: FullStory.
• [23:59] Companies Tim is following: Tesla, Pendo, and Salesloft.

Resources From The Interview:

• Tim McCormick
• SaasOptics
• Traction Conference
• Internet Security Systems
• IBM
• Tom Noonan
• Cisco
• David Ryan
• Netsuite
• Quickbooks
• Salesforce

• The Mom Test

• FullStory
• Tesla
• Pendo
• Kyle Porter
• SalesLoft

• Must read book:  The Lean Startup, Good to Great, The Millionaire Next Door

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

Tune in to hear some incredible tactics to get your consulting business up off the ground! These strategies will apply for agencies and consultants alike.

We talk about why community is the ultimate unfair advantage and why now is the best time to build one!

HubSpot has grown into one of the most credible names in the marketing and sales game in the last few years and we are lucky enough to have Kieran Flanagan, their VP of Marketing on the show today! If you listen to this podcast it is more than likely you know a lot about HubSpot already as we often refer to them, as happy customers of the company and having had a few of their team on the show already. The focus of today's conversation is Kieran's work on the freemium project at HubSpot and the impact that this initiative had on the company and their progress going forward. We speak about freemium and who it might work for; Kieran believes it is not a surefire way to success for every kind of company and links its usefulness to HubSpot to their product-led model. We also get some great insight into the company and how they approach tasks and challenges and Kieran breaks down their pod method for creating teams. Tune in to get it all!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:19] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:08] Kieran's career path, moving from coding to marketing and SaaS.
• [01:54] The GrowthTLDR Podcast that Kieran cohosts currently. 
• [03:18] Kieran's place at HubSpot and a little of the company's journey.
• [05:04] The freemium offer from HubSpot and Kieran's experiences on this project.
• [09:25] Kieran's position on freemium offers and who they might serve.
• [11:30] Reasons that HubSpot has experienced its particular successes.
• [12:28] Kieran's systems for the marketing team for growth and customer acquisition.
• [16:33] The pod structure for integrations with companies and promotion. 
• [19:04] Who gets selected for each pod and how the process works at HubSpot.
• [19:57] Content and playbooks; models for automated cluster building and more.
• [23:25] Courses and the academy that are readily available to customers.
• [24:51] Kieran's use of podcasts for learning and improving in the realm of growth.
• [25:52] Team-focussed strategies and creating an empowering environment.
• [26:04] Kieran's favorite business book and most-used tool for his job!

Resources From The Interview:

• Kieran Flanagan on Twitter
• HubSpot 
• SaaStock
• GrowthTLDR Podcast
• Steve Jobs
• SalesForce
• Turing Fest
• Loom

• Must read book: Sprint

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

Recently, a couple of entrepreneur friends (+ their families) did something genius that I thought I'd share. Everything is negotiable. During times where the economy is practically shut down, you can find deals in almost every sector. Whether it's booking a great AirBnb to get a peaceful getaway or getting discounts on that software you always wanted to try, these tips will help you destress and enjoy the moment.

Marketing teams know one thing, sales another, and Founder-CEOs yet another, but having a positioning expert in the middle of them all can tease out a bunch of value for a young B2B company. Most people tend to conflate positioning with branding, but the truth is that the former is a more fundamental step in the journey to refining corporate identity. Today’s guest is April Dunford, a positioning expert, entrepreneur, angel investor, advisor, and author of Obviously Awesome. She joins us on the show to discuss the positioning methodology in her book, lend insight into her consultation process, and sketch out some of the value she is able to add to her clients’ scaling journey in that respect. April works mostly with smaller B2B businesses helping them define their services and ideal client. In today’s episode, we hear about April's career trajectory as a multiple vice president to positioning consultant, having worked with successful startups and global giants in the tech space. April defines positioning for listeners before getting into the five steps that a company should take in order to get a laser-sharp focus on their exact product and ideal customer before taking that data froward into a sales pitch and marketing campaign. For a load of great value and information about positioning, and to learn how you can take your B2B business to the next level, make sure you hear what April has to say.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:20] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:39] April’s focus on startup positioning and acquisition/divestiture for larger firms.
• [00:58] Why April moved from being a vice president to focusing on positioning. 
• [01:45] How Obviously Awesome gives April’s positioning methods for distant clients.
• [02:22] Tech giants April worked for such as IBM, Nortel, Sybase, and Siebel.
• [03:50] What positioning is: finding one’s market and niche in a nutshell.
• [05:39] How April repositioned a database product as a data warehouse to great success.
• [07:55] The five steps to arriving at your company’s positioning.
• [07:56] Competition, unique capabilities, value, customer segmentation, and market category.
• [09:46] How to think through the five steps in the correct order.
• [09:50] Finding out what one’s best customers would use if your business did not exist.
• [10:40] Figuring out what one has that one’s competitive alternatives don’t.
• [10:51] Applying the ‘so what’ question to gauge the validity of one’s competitive features.
• [11:11] Arriving at one’s value themes: the basis of one’s value proposition for customers.
• [11:26] Defining a good B2B customer as businesses that would benefit from one’s values.
• [11:40] Figuring out which market category to dominate using the last two steps.
• [12:03] Taking positioning and turning it into a pitch and branding starting point.
• [12:24] Companies April has worked with which grew from small to large, through positioning.
• [14:28] How April helps companies clarify vague, broad definitions of target audience.
• [16:19] The way April generated huge revenue from a single ad through knowing her audience.
• [16:50] How April structure her services through a two-day positioning workshop.
• [18:07] Pricing structures that April uses for her amazing services.
• [18:44] Must read books for April: Crossing the Chasm, Four Steps to the Epiphany...
• [20:04] April’s favorite business tool: Zoom.

Resources From The Interview:

• April Dunford
• April Dunford on LinkedIn
• April Dunford on Twitter

• Obviously Awesome

• Jana Systems
• Nortel
• IBM
• Siebel
• Sybase

• Crossing the Chasm

• The Lean Startup

• Four Steps to the Epiphany

• Challenger Sale

• Challenger Customer

• Zoom

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