Leveling Up with Eric Siu

How to 10x Your Performance with Better Sleep with Eight Sleep CEO Matteo Franceschetti

There are three pillars of health: Nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Arguably, sleep is the most foundational of the three because eating well and moving your body can only be effective when you are well-rested. Leading the sleep-tech charge is Eight Sleep, a company specializing in smart mattresses. CEO Matteo Franceschetti joins us to shed light on the business and the importance of sleep more generally. We hear about Matteo’s background in cleantech and the pride he takes in running companies that aim to improve the world. Eight Sleep has a dual vision: To compress sleep so that customers get better sleep in fewer hours and to save lives through heart-rate monitoring and embedded sensors. We gain insights into some of the company’s product offerings and the specific ways they help clients. Matteo also shares his sleep and health routine and offers details about his thermal shock, fasting, and keto practices. We also touch on what life in Miami has been like so far and how Matteo and his wife, Eight Sleep’s other founder, Alexandra, work together. Tune in to hear it all!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:22] Get to know today’s guest, Matteo Franceschetti.
• [00:48] The impetus for founding Eight Sleep; leveraging technology to get better sleep.
• [01:20] Details about the cleantech businesses Matteo had before starting Eight Sleep.
• [02:02] What has driven Matteo to use tech to make the world a better place.
• [02:44] Insights into Eight Sleep’s two-pronged vision. 
• [03:16] Eight Sleep’s core product line and how they help people.
• [04:00] Sleep is the foundational pillar to health and longevity, more than nutrition and exercise.
• [04:30] The numerous adverse effects of poor sleep.
• [05:20] Matteo’s bedtime routine and some of the tools he uses to aid his sleep.
• [06:39] How Matteo’s restless leg syndrome has nearly disappeared.
• [07:20] Some of Eight Sleep’s numbers, including funds raised and products sold.
• [08:35] Matteo’s take on life in Miami and what he enjoys about living in his new hometown.
• [10:10] Some of Matteo’s nutrition and fitness habits that contribute to his healthy lifestyle.
• [11:23] What is working well for Eight Sleep’s customer acquisition. 
• [12:32] Resource recommendations to learn more about sleep. 
• [13:10] Some of the tools Matteo has incorporated into his life over the past year.
• [14:05] How Matteo and his wife, Alexandra, navigate working together.
• [16:00] A few of Matteo’s must-read books. 
• [16:23] The most compelling thing Matteo has read in recent time. 
• [17:08] Where to go to find Matteo online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Matteo Franceschetti
• Matteo Franceschetti on Twitter
• Eight Sleep
• Elon Musk

• Why We Sleep

• Levels
• Peter Attia
• Tonal
• Peloton
• Normatec
• Alexandra Zatarain
• Must read books: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, The Daily Stoic, Shoe Dog

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• Growth Everywhere

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Today, we're going to talk about what's actually more important than Link Building. We learn that two of the most important things are Content and Links. But when you look at big and successful websites, they did not beg for links, the just created REALLY GOOD content, and went beyond just links.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] - Two Important Things
• [01:16] - Social Media As a Seed To Build A Relationship
• [01:40] - Eric's Experience On Clubhouse Connecting With Other People
• [03:19] - Foster The Relationship You’re Building
• [03:39] - Link is on the bottom of the list
• [05:09] - Should you focus on the smaller things?
• [05:42] - Think about the long term goals
• [06:27] - Relationships over links
• [06:37] - Outro

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Why Communities Are The Future of Business and Marketing with Greg Isenberg

Community is the cornerstone of any successful business. This special group of people serve many purposes: they’re your megaphone, humble servants, and most loyal customers. Today we talk to a community-building expert to find out the many whats, whys, hows, and whens of community building. Greg Isenberg is the Founder of Late Checkout, a product studio, agency, and fund, and he kicks off the episode by telling listeners more about Late Checkout. Following this short but concise introduction to his business, we find out why you should value your community. After discovering the not-so-straightforward method of tapping into your community, Greg boils community down to two simple pillars: retention and word of mouth. Later, Greg shares a few examples how community leads to business success. As our conversation draws to a close, Greg shares why he loves Miami, what his best business tools are, and what content has been most influential on him.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:18] Introducing today’s guest, Greg Isenberg.
• [00:58] Greg tells listeners more about Late Checkout 
• [01:27] Hear about Late Checkout’s studio, agency, and acquisition fund.
• [02:15] Why Greg sees enormous value in communities.
• [03:10] Some good examples of community-first businesses. 
• [05:00] Building around community attention.
• [06:42] Late Checkout’s synergy with studio and agency and how this business model varies. 
• [08:39] How Greg intends on setting up his latest business.
• [09:38] Greg defines what a product studio is. 
• [11:51] Ways to delight customers once they have joined your community.
• [13:12] Which tactics listeners can take from Greg’s examples.
• [14:20] Greg’s take on the tech scene in Miami.
• [16:01] One business tool Greg can’t live without.
• [16:53] How Greg sources his communities. 
• [17:47] Hear about Greg’s favorite business book.
• [19:00] The most compelling content Greg has read, watched, or listened to recently. 

Resources From The Interview:

Greg Isenberg on LinkedIn

Greg Isenberg on Twitter

Late Checkout

Eight Sleep

Glossier

Casper 

WW

Public.com

TikTok

Nicebreak.fun

WeWork

FlyBy

StumbleUpon

The Social Network

Disney

Redditlist.com

Notion

The World Is Flat on Amazon

The Messy Middle on Amazon

My First Million Podcast

Clubhouse

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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

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How To Create Relevant Touchpoints with Magazines & More for Cheap with ReminderMedia ($50M+ Revenue!)

A combination of strong approaches to marketing and sales is something that is rarer than you might think. Joining us on Leveling Up today to talk about ReminderMedia's fast rise and no-brainer offers are the company's founders Luke Acree and Josh Stike. ReminderMedia specializes in customizable marketing solutions for business professionals to stay top of mind with their clients, something that cannot be underestimated. In our conversation we cover some serious ground, talking about nurturing a database, how ReminderMedia's automation can make all the difference with this, the importance of being remembered, and how to approach strategic showcasing. Josh and Luke also unpack their 'FIT' framework of 'frequency, 'impact', and 'trust', showing how these three elements can really move the needle for your business. We do the usual round-up of useful information from our guests too, talking about their business numbers, growth, powerful tools, and much more, so make sure to level up with us today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:45] A little about Josh and Luke and how ReminderMedia operates.
• [01:23] Some of the important numbers from their business around clients, revenue and more! 
• [02:15] The task of building long-term relationships and converting this into revenue.
• [04:15] The three easy ways to build trust; showcasing accolades, testimonials, and educational content.
• [04:55] The business model at ReminderMedia and their current offers for clients.
• [06:34] Touchpoints that the company focusses on and the three components of their digital platform. 
• [08:36] The industries that ReminderMedia service and the foundation they built from real estate.
• [10:00] Prices for the company's services; set-up fees, digital components, and the magazine. 
• [11:24] Expanding on the value of print in an increasingly digital world.
• [12:09] The creative side of designing a company magazine through ReminderMedia. 
• [13:25] Thoughts on Oculus and the unique opportunities it represents for the future!
• [15:14] Approaches to growth for ReminderMedia; combining excellence in sales and marketing.
• [17:51] Reasons for the high retention rates that Josh and Luke have experienced.
• [18:47] How customer feedback led to ReminderMedia doubling down on local content and events.
• [20:22] Customization of the products offered; using templates and getting involved in the creative process.
• [21:44] Josh and Luke's aim of adding integrations to the range of current features.
• [22:39] Our guests' favorite business tools; the phone, Instagram, webinars, and Marketo!
• [25:31] Top business and marketing book picks from Josh and Luke.
• [27:40] How the vision and values for ReminderMedia have evolved since its founding.

Resources From The Interview:

• ReminderMedia
• Stay Paid Podcast
• Oculus 
• Clubhouse
• Steve Olsher
• EventBrite
• Zapier
• HubSpot
• Marketo  

• Jim Collins 

• Must read books: Good to Great, Think and Grow Rich and The Bible

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

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Are Magazines Back As A Marketing Channel? Steve Olsher From Podcast Magazine Thinks So

Today we talk with Steve Osher, founder, and Editor-in-chief at Podcast Magazine. In this episode, Steve shares his career journey with us; one that has been filled with many highs and lows. He details how it affected his psyche, as well as the important lessons that came with failure. Expanding on this, Steve sheds light on the struggles he had with the dot-com crash, his battle to create success from liuor.com, and the important realizations that came with it. Later, we ask Steve about his book. Listeners will find out why he wrote the book, who it’s geared toward and why he hopes it’ll become his legacy piece. Steve’s book, What Is Your What? is filled with three main tenets: clarity on your core strength, understanding the primary vehicle that you will use to share your gift, and who you are most compelled to serve. In the second half of the show, Steve talks about Podcast Magazine, sharing information about its target market, how the magazine navigates tricky logistics, and its purpose. To hear more on why print is not dead, be sure to tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:34] Introducing today’s guest, Steve Osher from Podcast Magazine.
• [00:50] Steve shares some details about his background.
• [03:12] Steve explains how his psyche changed through each business blunder. 
• [03:55] How the real estate crash affected Steve.
• [04:09] Why it is important to always consider the “what-ifs”. 
• [04:40] Steve’s experience when the dot-com bubble burst.
• [08:17] How Steve’s experience with hardcore executives have shaped the way he builds teams today. 
• [10:13] Hear about steve’s book, What is Your What?
• [13:01] The three pillars that make up the What is Your What? framework. 
• [14:36] The best time to read Steve’s book.
• [17:32] How being an author of a successful book has changed Steve’s life.
• [18:34] Steve tells us about Podcast Magazine.
• [21:34] Hear about the different approaches Steve had for his magazine.
• [22:53] Why magazines give more authority than books. 
• [24:00] The theory of conflict.
• [26:25] Some of the logistics around creating a magazine.
• [31:29] Steve’s thoughts on focus. 
• [34:02] The one offer Steve sells.
• [34:46] Hear Steve’s favorite business tool. 
• [35:08] Steve’s favorite business book.
• [36:33] That’s it for today! 

Resources From The Interview:

Steve Olsher on Twitter

Steve Olsher on LinkedIn

Podcast Magazine

Podcast Magazine Subscription

What is Your What?

Liquor.com

Brendon Burchard

Sports Illustrated

WIRED

Foundr Magazine

Jillian Michaels

Katie Couric

Dave Ramsey

Conde Nast

Madcast

Darren Hardy

Success Magazine

Guerilla Marketing on Amazon

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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This Co-Founder Doesn’t Read Books And Has A Mega Awesome SaaS Business ($50M+ Raised) With Multiple Revenue Streams

Today’s guest is Cory Capoccia, Co-Founder, Chief Business Development Officer, and President of Womply, a local commerce platform that provides apps, APIs, and marketing and financial tools for over 500 000 American businesses. Cory starts by giving us some background information about how he fell into the fintech space and joined part of the founding team of a bootstrapped company called Verify. From there, we talk about the mission at Womply and take a deep dive into the three tiers of services they offer as well as how they make money from each of these. Womply has raised over 50M in venture capital, and we chat to Cory about the choice to raise money coming from a bootstrapping background. The conversation turns to customer acquisition and Cory sketches out the mixture of inbound and outbound strategies used at Womply, also highlighting the company’s recent achievements in the area of organic reach. Toward the end of the show, we hear from Cory about why he does not read books and talk a little bit about the benefits of aggressive internet research and peer learning. For all this and some final words from Cory about how Womply is helping make PPP funds more accessible, 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!
• [00:45] Background info on Cory and the main mission at Womply.
• [03:04] Metrics for Verify, the bootstrapped company Cory helped found before Womply. 
• [04:06] A deep dive into the all-in-one suite of tools for small businesses Womply provides.
• [05:48] How Womply makes money through its SaaS, financial services, and enterprise API divisions.
• [10:27] Why Womply chose to raise capital; customer growth and R&D investment.
• [12:55] The evolution of the customer acquisition strategy at Womply.
• [16:14] Different tools Womply has used in its sales stack. 
• [17:45] A personal tool of Cory’s that adds value to his life.
• [18:16] Why Cory doesn’t read books and where he gets his information from instead. 
• [21:15] The benefits of peer learning and mentoring others.
• [22:00] How Womply is helping smaller businesses and gig workers access PPP funds.
• [21:37] The best way to connect with Cory online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Cory Capoccia on LinkedIn
• Cory Capoccia Email

• Verify

• Womply
• Salesforce
• 5Nines
• Zendesk
• Marketo
• YPO
• Redpoint Ventures
• Paycheck Protection Program

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

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Creating the Almanak of Naval Ravikant with Eric Jorgenson

Eric Jorgenson is a founding team member at Zaarly and is the brains behind The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. In today’s episode, we talk in great depth about Eric’s book, as well as the business and personal growth that came with writing it. We kick off the show by hearing about Eric’s background and discovering his business mindset and knack for creating opportunities. Eric tells us more about his early years and why he has to try every idea that comes into his mind. Turning our scope toward Eric’s book, we ask him about what he aimed to get out of it. Following this, we uncover Eric’s methods for cherry-picking the best, most useful content about Naval Ravikant, and the long process behind sieving through information and creating drafts. Eric’s book is nothing short of a huge success, and he goes on to tell us how he managed to collaborate with big names like Tim Ferriss and Jack Butcher. We also talk about the substance of his publication and why Eric chose to write a book instead of creating a collection of blog posts or an audiobook. He then notes his favorite aspects of his book and touches on other influential publications. To find out what these are and much, much more, be sure to tune into this episode!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:16] Introducing today’s guest, Eric Jorgensen.
• [00:35] Today’s topics of business and personal growth.
• [00:50] Eric tells us about his background.
• [02:01] What projects Eric worked on in San Francisco and the risks that came with them.
• [03:10] How Eric came to realize he needed to be in San Francisco.  
• [03:53] How small experiments helped Eric get to a point where he could write a book.
• [04:20] What Eric was aiming to get out of his book. 
• [05:55] How it felt when Eric received a physical copy of his book for the first time.
• [06:39] Eric’s approach to pulling up all the best, most useful pieces of content. 
• [08:44] Hear about Eric’s publishing methods.
• [10:19] How Eric got the likes of Tim Ferriss and Jack Butcher to be part of his project. 
• [11:19] Twitter DMs were part of Eric’s success in creating his book.
• [12:14] Eric tells us about his 1,400 ratings and what it took to reach this number. 
• [13:42] How Eric feels about being the “Almanac” guy.
• [15:33] Eric talks about how his relationship with Naval has evolved. 
• [18:42] The methods behind Eric’s book updates.
• [19:53] Why Eric would choose to write a book over creating an audio book or blog. 
• [22:26] How Eric’s book has given back to him.
• [25:05] Hear what Eric’s favorite philosophy book is.
• [25:48] Eric’s best tool for business. 
• [26:33] The most compelling content that Eric has consumed recently
• [27:31] That’s it for today! 

Resources From The Interview:

Eric Jorgenson 

Eric Jorgenson on LinkedIn

Eric Jorgenson on Twitter

Zaarly

Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Scribe Media

Jack Butcher

Tim Ferriss 

Christian Murdy

Poor Charlie’s Almanack on Amazon

The System’s Bible on Amazon

Otter.ai

Gong

Grain

Acquired podcast

James Clear

Farnam Street

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• Growth Everywhere
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Reed Duchscher Reveals Creator Secrets Learned From Managing MrBeast, Dude Perfect, Typical Gamer & More (Over 1.7B Views!)

Today’s guest is Reed Duchscher of Night Media, a multimedia talent management company and creative outpost for the largest creators on the internet. Reed’s company has worked with people such as MrBeast, Typical Gamer, and other voices from the most influential of the influential. In today’s episode we talk about how Reed founded Night Media and the role he is playing in shaping the future of the content creator business model. Our conversation begins with Reed’s journey from working as an NFL sports agent to founding Night Media in 2015. From there, we talk about the dynamic between content creators and managers, what informs Night Media’s choice for who to work with, and the services managers can offer to creators on the back end. Reed gets into the value he is adding to the creator community through the Creator Economics podcast, the work he did with MrBeast in launching the MrBeast burger, and his vision to map the blueprint for how to turn creators into sustainable virtual digital companies. We talk about the different products that creators can sell, whether creators should take equity or cash in partnerships, why creator communities are more important than subscriber count, and a whole bunch more in today’s conversation. Be sure to tune into this one.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [01:15] Introducing Reed Duchscher and his journey to working with content creators.
• [02:22] The business model at Night Media; why it’s not built like an agency.
• [03:10] How Night Media thinks about the types of clients it signs.
• [04:39] Prioritizing engagement and community over subscriber count.
• [06:10] What creators should expect from managers.
• [07:07] Why creators need to be good at creating communities.
• [08:38] Other creators Night Media is interested in/working with.
• [10:35] Making a new blueprint for what creators can do with their fan base.
• [10:50] The story of the development of the MrBeast burger.
• [14:04] Some indications of the revenue MrBeast Burger is generating.
• [15:21] Creator-focused educational content discussed in the Creator Economics podcast.
• [17:08] Reed’s thoughts on content creators getting cash or equity on collaborations.
• [20:03] Digital products and merchandise types open to creators.
• [21:50] The business infrastructure opportunities most creators miss.
• [22:45] Why creators are going to start having to raise capital.
• [23:32] Spend and production team size on MrBeast videos.
• [24:26] Blockchain and whether people will buy a small percentage of channels.
• [25:48] How Reed connected with the team of creators he worked with.
• [26:55] Favorite business tools of Reed’s.
• [27:55] Reed’s favorite business book.
• [28:20] The best way for people to find Reed online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Reed Duchscher on LinkedIn
• Reed Duchscher on Twitter
• Reed Duchscher on Instagram
• Night Media
• MrBeast
• Typical Gamer
• Matt Stonie
• Joey Chestnut
• MrBeast Burger
• Creator Economics Podcast
• Blake Robbins on LinkedIn
• Ludlow Ventures
• 100 Thieves
• Social Blade
• Must-read book: Start with Why

Leave Some Feedback:

• 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
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How To Design A Book The Right Way

In today's video, Eric Siu talks about how to design your book the right way. Even if you are not a designer, you have to know what you want your book cover to look like because you do not want to outsource that vision. When designing the cover of your book, it also helps to look at other books and see what works and what isn't. Watch the video for the full guide on how to design your book the right way!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:00]- Introduction
• [00:10] - About the Leveling Up book cover
• [00:17] - Process of designing a book cover
• [00:47] - Importance of color
• [01:00] - Character design story
• [01:19] - You have to know what you want
• [01:29] - Different version of the book cover
• [01:32] - Things to consider for the book cover
• [02:40] - What Goes on Inside of a Book
• [03:16] - Badges throughout the book
• [03:49] - Under the dust jacket
• [04:05] - Pick who you want to work with
• [04:36]- Know When to Step Away
• [04:52] - Final Thoughts

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Today my book Leveling Up is officially released. In this video I'm sharing some of my favorite moments from interviews I've done on other shows talking about the concepts in the book. In the Rebel Capitalist show with George Gammon I talk about the red pill moment that got me focused on being prepared. On the Pomp show I talk about the concept of creating your own luck with the right habits. Be sure to check out all the original interviews, and of course, go support the book! Book available now! https://www.levelingup.com

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:00] - Why You Should Care for Politics
• [00:33] - Constantly Improve and Add Value
• [01:18] - Resilience as a Top Trait in Life
• [02:45] - The Best Investment You Can Make
• [03:37] - How To Level Up
• [04:51] - Equal Opportunities for Everyone
• [05:13] - How We are Programmed
• [06:32 ]- Four Forms of Leverage
• [07:19 ]- Final Thoughts

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

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• Eric Siu on Twitter