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

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• Growth Everywhere

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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

• Must read book: 7 Powers

• Must read book: Traction

• Screentime
• Freedom
• Founder's Journal

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• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

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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

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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.

• Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here

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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

• 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

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• Growth Everywhere

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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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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

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

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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

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

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• Growth Everywhere

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The greatest predictor of human longevity, apart from genetics, is close ties and social integration. According to today’s guest, research has shown that even the success of a business can be traced back to the oxytocin levels (the chemical released when you feel a connection) found in the bodies of its employees. Jon Levy is the founder and host of Influencers, a private organization that arranges dining experiences dedicated to bringing together exceptional people and thought leaders. He is also a behavioral scientist and author who has a new book coming out, titled You Are Invited, about how to create connection, trust, and a sense of belonging. In this episode, John talks about how the human brain is wired for novelty, why networking events and swag bags are a waste of time, and how to genuinely foster human connection. Tune in and learn about the IKEA effect, the Mere-exposure effect, and an art heist at the Louvre that will blow your mind!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:13] An introduction to Jon Levy.
• [01:48] John talks bout the dinners he hosts with 12 high-profile people who can only share their names or professions once they have cooked a meal together.  
• [02:30] How the human brain is wired for novelty: people do really well when they’re doing something just outside their skillset. 
• [03:45] The state of peaking in performance: when you’re doing something that’s fully engaging, you lose all sense of self-consciousness.
• [05:01] Jon talks about Shane Snow’s book, Smartcuts, and the value of momentum. 
• [06:31] Jon shares his background as a human behavioral psychologist
• [07:55] Thoughts on Youtuber, MrBeast.
• [09:09] Jon’s main focus on increasing the connections between people.
• [10:50] How the definition of a close friend has changed: why Gen Z is the loneliest generation. 
• [11:45] An introduction to Jon’s book, You're Invited; how to create connection, trust, and a sense of belonging.
• [13:04] Why Jon wrote the book: to share the importance of and misunderstandings about human connection.
• [14:38] Jon explains the IKEA effect and why we care about what we put effort into.
• [16:05] Using his book as a guide to figure out the ideal way to connect with people.
• [16:43] Jon addresses some of the commonly held misperceptions about how to meet people.[17:38] Why he found memorable stories to demonstrate his lessons. 
• [18:37] An example of one of his stories is an art heist at the Louvre that demonstrates the Mere-exposure effect. 
• [21:54] What else is Jon reading: Breathe about the Wim Hof method of fire breathing.
• [23:25] What breathwork has done for Jon.
• [26:30] How to find Jon’s book and other resources.

Resources From The Interview:

• Jon Levy

• You’re Invited 

• You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence

• Influencers

• Smartcuts

• MrBeast

• The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure

• Breathe

Leave Some Feedback:

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• Growth Everywhere

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Today on Leveling Up, Eric looks at the social media trends for 2021. He gives a breakdown of what’s growing in popularity and what’s declining or leveling out. He gives a breakdown of his five favorite social media platforms right now and provides some insightful advice as to where you should or should not be targeting your efforts right now in terms of growth potential, competition, and organic reach. To level up on your social media game, tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:14] Eric introduces this topic with a breakdown of trends in the usage of each platform.
• [02:28] Eric explains why he is most excited about YouTube.
• [03:20] Why LinkedIn is currently Eric’s second favorite platform: organic reach is strong.
• [03:40] Number three is Twitter: it enables Eric to interact with some of the smartest people in the world through DMs.
• [05:00] Number four is podcasting.
• [05:23] Why starting a blog in 2021 is a bad idea.
• [05:33] How to choose which social media platform to target: Go for low competition and high organic reach.
• [06:16] Start with one platform and branch out from there.

Resources From The Interview:

• Pure Research 

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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• Growth Everywhere

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Why Clubhouse Will Fail

In today's episode, Eric continues his series on Clubhouse by explaining some of the major obstacles facing its success. He talks about how he became addicted to it, built up a following, and spent a significant amount of time on it, before dropping his usage by 90%. Hear about the problems with Clubhouse's execution, monetization, and follower retention, as competitors like Twitter and Facebook launch their own versions.  

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:19] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:23] How Eric started using Clubhouse in December 2020.
• [00:54] Clubhouse’s success among course-creators and coaches.
• [01:26] How Eric ended up spending 30 to 40 hours a week on Clubhouse.
• [02:12] Why Eric’s usage of Clubhouse dropped to 4 hours a week.
• [02:41] The emergence and threat of copies by competitors like Twitter and Facebook.
• [03:08] Copying may not kill you: Snap Chat / Snap is still successful despite being copied.
• [03:33] The problem with Clubhouse’s android app.
• [03:52] The threat of Clubhouse being ‘out-executed’ by its competitors. 
• [04:29] How people are not spending as much time on Clubhouse as they did in the past.
• [04:32] The question of monetization.
• [05:49] Despite its problems Eric hopes that Clubhouse succeeds.
• [06:02] Let Eric know your thoughts in the comments, subscribe, and like.

Resources From The Interview:

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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