Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Today on Leveling Up, Eric looks at enterprise influencer marketing. He introduces the topic by examining a recent survey of 163 enterprise marketers and their experiences with influencer marketing. Tuning in, you’ll hear about how influencer-created content compares to brand-created content and what kind of success enterprise marketers have achieved through it. Find out what type of influencers you should target, what tool you can use to find them, and which channels you should use. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:20] Before we start, don’t forget to subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:28] The results of a survey of enterprise marketers and their experiences with influencer marketing. 
• [01:03] What we can learn from the fact that 71 percent are increasing their budget for 2021.
• [01:24] How influencer-created content compares to brand-created content.
• [01:45] Why enterprise marketers should try influencer marketing if they haven’t already.
• [02:16] A recommended tool for finding influencers, looking at engagement, and creating campaigns: MightyScout. 
• [02:32] The most common focus for brand campaigns: micro-influencers.
• [03:08] Which channels to pick for influencer marketing.
• [03:56] Closing thoughts on why influencer marketing is worth it for enterprises.

Resources From The Interview:

• MightyScout

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

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Leveling Up

• Eric Siu on Twitter

• Eric Siu on Instagram

How Dan Martell Helps SaaS Founders Grow By 216% on Average

Today we talk to Dan Martell, the founder of the Saas Academy, which is currently rebranding as Saas Coach. He is renowned for coaching growth-minded B2B SaaS Founders to achieve their perfect exit and for helping those founders grow by 216 percent on average per year. In today’s episode, he shares openly about his struggles with drugs, the law, and even his weight before he managed to turn his life around and become a millionaire by the age of 27. He explains how his approach to both business and his health has produced results on both fronts. We discuss what makes Dan different from other coaches, how Taki Moore has influenced his coaching, and what his new project High Speed Ventures is all about. Hear about the ‘buy-back’ principle that Dan uses to scale businesses, why customer retention is possibly even more important than growth, and how he helped one client grow from 30k - 140k in monthly recurring revenue. Tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] An introduction to Dan Martell.
• [01:02] His troubled past with drugs and jail, and how software became his new addiction.
• [01:32] How he became an entrepreneur and a millionaire by the age of 27. 
• [03:24] The day he shared a vulnerable Instagram post alluding to his weight struggles.
• [06:30] What Dan learned and overcame between the ages of 17 and 27.
• [09:37] His ‘be, do, have’ philosophy.
• [10:21] The history of Sass Academy, now Saas Coach. 
• [10:51] He describes his three programs: Accelerator, Sass Academy, and the Boardroom Program.
• [12:35] What makes Dan different from other coaches out there.
• [12:57] The importance of customer retention in his business.
• [16:30] Dan’s approach to providing practical solutions instead of selling a dream. 
• [18:02] Dan shares the details of one of his biggest coaching success stories.
• [19:48] Taki Moore’s influence on Dan as a coach and his program.
• [21:30] The three pillars: coaching, content, and community.
• [24:27] The concept of the growth ceiling; why retention is possibly more important than growth. 
• [26:01] Dan discusses his other project, High Speed Ventures, and how the networks support each other.
• [29:30] He explains the buy-back principle that he uses to scale businesses.
• [31:31] Dan’s favorite business tool and his must-read book. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Dan Martell
• Saas Academy  
• Escape Velocity Podcast 
• Dan Martell on Instagram
• Love is a Killer App
• 75 Hard
• Taki Moore

• Must read book: Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger

• The Psychology of Human Misjudgement

• Front App

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

Sending cold emails or LinkedIn InMails can feel daunting because you are not sure whether or not you will get a reply. In today’s episode, Eric shares some tips on how to write cold emails and InMails that stand a higher chance of getting a response. Tune in today to hear more!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:38] What the LinkedIn report about InMails says about response rates.
• [01:03] Why a long cold email is unlikely to get a reply and what to do instead.
• [01:47] The value of personalization when sending a cold email or DM.
• [03:05] Personalization should be genuine, not robotic.
• [04:06] Avoid sending emails on Saturdays, but any other day is generally fine.
• [04:51] Individual InMails are more successful than ones sent in bulk.
• [05:23] If you are going to use a template, make it super simple so people don’t see that it is one.

Resources From The Interview:

• David Ogilvy

• Mixmax

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

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Why Clubhouse Is NOT The Next Big Thing

Despite us investing a significant amount of time on Clubhouse this year, there are good reasons to believe that the new platform will not, in fact, be the next big thing. The chief reasons for this come down to the amount of hours that are necessary to gain any sort of traction, and the competitors that are rising up to challenge Clubhouse in the drop-in audio game. Tune in to hear all about why you can still use Clubhouse, but should avoid going all-in on it.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:15] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:22] The amount of time Eric has spent on Clubhouse early in 2021.
• [00:46] Drops in engagement with the platform and the spike in Clubhouse's competitors.
• [01:27] The difficulty of establishing a user base and how this counts against Clubhouse.
• [02:29] How copying occurs across these social and business platforms.
• [02:37] The drop-in audio revolution; no going back from here!
• [03:28] Healthier usage hours and managing the way to interact sustainably with the app. 
• [04:21] The ratio of time to value on Clubhouse; difficulty in weighing the immediate benefits.
• [05:29] Don't forget to subscribe!

Resources From The Interview:

• Clubhouse
• Mark Cuban
• Fireside
• Slack 
• Leveling Up 
• Shaan Puri  

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

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

How The Morning Brew Co-Founders Hire The Best Media Talent & Think About The Future

Today we speak to Co-Founders Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief of The Morning Brew. This daily email newsletter is an entertaining source of news and information for over three million subscribers. From its small beginnings six years ago, this digital startup has grown to the point where Insider Inc. bought a controlling stake in the company for a reported amount of up to $75 million last year. In the show, Alex and Austin give us some insight into how they began working together and grew the company from a small newsletter into a multi-platform media brand. They explain how they built a strong team and managed to level up by recruiting the right people. Hear about the future of newsletters in light of the success of Substack, how they foresee the development of the creator economy, and what business trends they find most interesting going forward. They also share why they are so prolific on Twitter, their thoughts on other platforms, and how Austin is using his Twitter account for investing. Tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:14] An introduction to Alex Lieberman, Austin Rief, and the Morning Brew.
• [01:09] How Alex and Austin began working together, and how they have maintained a strong partnership over the years.
• [04:15] Insight into the business model: How they launched a newsletter and grew into a multi-platform media brand. 
• [05:50] What the future of newsletters like this in, in light of the success of Substack.
• [06:58] The pros and cons of subscription versus ad-based content. 
• [07:20] How they use standard start-up tools to track revenue.
• [08:21] The challenges of building a strong team and how they managed to level up through it.
• [10:37] The benefits of recruiting from their own readership.
• [11:02] Insight into how they recruit great writers.
• [12:14] Alex and Austin explain why they are both prolific on Twitter, and share their thoughts on expanding into other platforms.
• [16:12] Austin talks about how he is making $650 000 a quarter through a rolling fund that he promotes on Twitter. 
• [18:39] The long-term plan for The Morning Brew: Growing the audience as the company continues to grow into a multi-platform media brand.
• [20:45] The business trend Alex is most excited about: the development the of creator economy. 
• [22:17] Why Austin is interested in businesses that support creators. 
• [24:56] Some figures related to the success of the business.
• [25:26] Why they chose to sell part of the business to Insider Inc. 
• [25:51] Alex and Austin share their favorite business books.
• [27:58] As Alex and Austin tend to be addicted to social media, they share their favorite business tools for monitoring their time online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Alex Lieberman on Twitter
• Alex Lieberman on LinkedIn
• Austin Rief on Twitter
• Austin Rief on LinkedIn
• The Morning Brew 
• The Morning Brew on Twitter
• Business Casual
• Substack

• Must read book: 7 Powers

• Must read book: Traction

• Screentime
• Freedom
• Founder's Journal

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 Are Shoppable Livestreams?

In today’s episode, Eric talks about shoppable live streaming, which is a livestream where someone talks about products that viewers can buy. He provides statistics to demonstrate the success of Amazon live streaming and describes some of his own success with selling his book live on Clubhouse. Find out what we can learn from the success of shoppable live streaming in China, the different platforms you can use, and how valuable it can be to those in e-commerce.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:14] Eric starts by explaining what shoppable livestreams are.
• [00:41] How Amazon is using shoppable livestreams.
• [01:18] Eric’s success with his book live in a Clubhouse room. 
• [01:48] Why conversion rates are so high.
• [01:59] Some statistics that demonstrate the growth of shoppable livestreams.
• [03:00] The benefits of educating yourself about Amazon live streaming and learning from the success of the Chinese if you’re in e-commerce.
• [03:21] Different platforms you can use for shoppable live streaming. 
• [03:38] Resources that may help you stay ahead of developing trends.
• [03:48] If you enjoyed this episode, hit the like button!

Resources From The Interview:

• Amazon Live
• Statista 
• Adweek 
• Forbes

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

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Whether you want to be self-employed or create a source of income to fund other projects, there are many good reasons to start your own digital marketing agency. Today, Eric breaks down a step-by-step guide on how you can do this. From reaching out to the people you most want to work with, to creating content to target them, finding work through different sources, and building a network, he covers all the bases. To level up from starting your side hustle to reaching your first 100k, tune in today.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:13] Eric introduces today’s topic by mentioning some of the reasons you might want to start a digital marketing agency.
• [01:02] The goal: your first 100k or to replace your salary. 
• [01:23] Why companies should encourage their employees to have side hustles.
• [01:54] Eric’s experience of being fired for having a side hustle.
• [02:16] Reaching out to your Dream 100: the top 100 people you want to work with.
• [02:36] Different channels you can use to reach out to people.
• [03:05] Decide on your niche and create content that targets the people you want to work with.
• [03:28] Why you should choose one channel first. 
• [03:45] Reach out to five people a day and demonstrate your skills with a loom cast.
• [04:24] At first, charge whatever you can.
• [04:47] Get listed on digital marketing websites and job portals.
• [05:10] Be proactive: put out one piece of content and reach out to people every single day.
• [05:44] Your network is your net worth: connect yourself with like-minded people through virtual or in-person networks.
• [07:15] Hire some freelancers and level up to full-timers. 
• [07:39] Eric will make another video on how to level up from six figures to seven.
• [07:54] If you enjoyed this video, check out the next video, and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe.

Resources From The Interview:

• Single Grain

• The Ultimate Sales Machine 

• Hunter
• Quora
• Loom
• Upwork
• Freelancer
• MarketerHire
• Twitter Spaces
• Clubhouse

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

Today, Eric looks at the new Google Ads Insights, which surfaces trends tailored to your business so that you can see if you're keeping up with demand for trending products or services, and proactively formulate campaigns for related products. Hear about how this is Google’s way of trying to protect their ad revenue in the face of increased competition, and the implications of these increasingly AI automated processes on the future of marketing agencies. Tuen in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:13] An introduction to Google Ads Insights and what it means for you as an advertiser. 
• [00:29] What it does: it tells you trending keywords to help you proactively formulate campaigns for related products. 
• [01:21] Google's incentive: they want you to spend more on ads.
• [01:42] How Google is trying to protect its ad revenue in the face of increased competition.
• [01:59] How computers are increasingly automating these processes for us.
• [02:25] Why agencies need to evolve over time, especially on the creative front, as machines get better at optimizing and more decisions are made by AI.
• [03:00] Let Eric know your thoughts in the comments, subscribe, and like.

Resources From The Interview:

• Google Ads Insights

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

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

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Sleep is one of the ‘power-ups’ in your life and, in order to perform at a high level, it’s important to get good rest. From preparing for bed to preventing disturbances and monitoring your sleep patterns, today’s episode looks at some quick yet powerful sleep hacks to help you perform at your best! We factor in the environmental, physical, and chemical factors that can help maximize your sleep quality for the ultimate night’s rest. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:23] The importance of sleep as one of the ‘power ups’ of your life.
• [01:27] Tip 1: Putting a piece of tape over your mouth.
• [02:34] Tip 2: Sleeping at 68 or 69 degrees.
• [03:18] Tip 3: Using an air filter to ensure high-quality air.
• [03:39] Tip 4: The benefits of tracking your sleep with an Oura Ring.
• [04:08] Tip 5: Cooling your mattress and monitoring your sleep with an Eight Sleep.
• [04:48] Tip 6: Being wary of taking too hot a shower before bed.
• [05:16] Tip 7: Avoiding screens before bed; read a book or use glasses with blue light filters.
• [05:35] Tip 8: Keeping your phone on orange light and using F.lux on your laptop or desktop computers.
• [05:57] Tip 9: Wearing a silk sleep mask.
• [06:22] Tip 10: Taking hemp oil or a CBD pill before bed.
• [06:43] Tip 11: Current Experiment: using magnesium to stop tossing and turning.

Resources From The Interview:

• Why We Sleep

• Sleep is Your Super Power: Ted Talk
• Alen Air filter
• Oura Ring
• Eight Sleep
• Felix Gray
• F.lux
• Slip 
• Thorne

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

How Zeus CEO Kulveer Taggar Plans To Tackle The $18B Corporate Housing Market

Today’s guest is Kulveer Taggar, CEO of and co-founder of Zeus, a new flexible way to rent that caters for utilities, furniture, and fixed leases. Since 2015, the company has made over 150 million dollars in revenue and they have set their sights on the 18 Billion dollar Corporate Housing Market. Kulveer explains how he became an entrepreneur and sold a business for $5 million when he was only 24-years-old. He talks about how his motivation changed from making money to solving a problem, what inspired him to start this company, and how he continues to find ways to make it easier for people to move around and stay in places for longer periods of time. He also explains how the pandemic affected the business, how they survived it, and how it influenced their strategy going forward. Hear about how they managed to achieve customer acquisition long before they ever hired a marketer, and how they managed to scale from 100 homes to almost 4000. Tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:15] An introduction to Kulveer Taggar. 
• [00:44] How he became an entrepreneur and sold a business for $5 million at age 24.
• [03:28] Kulveer explains the benefits of YCombinator and how the founder network became one of his greatest assets.
• [05:05] How is Zeus different from Airbnb: more like a hotel company than a hotel booking site.
• [05:50] Kulveer explains the business model.
• [06:19] Eric mentions some of the figures of the business’s success.
• [06:31] Kulveer describes how he came up with the idea and some of the success they’ve had since 2016.
• [07:25] Kulveer’s long-term vision for the business: Turnkey provision homes. 
• [08:05] As human happiness and potential are often tied to location, he wants to make it easier for people to be more mobile. 
• [08:30] How Kulveer has evolved as a founder and how his motivation has changed from wanting money to solving a problem.
• [09:44] How studying philosophy helped him in the business world.
• [12:11] What is working for Zeus: How they managed to achieve customer acquisition and scale from 100 homes to almost 4000 homes. 
• [14:11] How the pandemic affected the business and their strategy has changed.
• [15:29] How the pandemic affected his own psyche.
• [18:00] Kulveer’s favorite business book: 7 Powers
• [18:59] Why he follows Balaji Srinivasan on Twitter.
• [20:17] His favorite business tool. 
• [20:48] How people can find him online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Kulveer Taggar on Twitter
• Zeus
• YCombinator
• Balaji Srinivasan on Twitter

• Fleck

• Must read book: 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy

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