Leveling Up with Eric Siu

While book sales are rarely very lucrative, if you use your book to build an audience it can lead to success in other ways. Today Eric talks about the importance of having a strong message and using that message to build an audience. Tuning in, you’ll hear about why you should consider your book’s total addressable market before you write it, how understanding your audience will help you guide your marketing messaging, and how you can use your book to build your audience through other channels. Find out what we can learn from the success attained by the likes of Russell Brunson, Tim Ferriss, and Gary Vee through publishing books.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:23] The two things you have to do if you’re writing a book: Have a message and be willing to put in the work.
• [00:55] Why Eric wrote his book Leveling Up and how it ties in with his life’s mission.
• [01:57] The importance of thinking about your book’s total addressable market.
• [02:23] How if the message is strong enough it will spread.
• [02:57] How understanding your audience guides your marketing messaging. 
• [03:07] Thoughts on Russell Brunson and his success with book funnels.  
• [03:45] How you can use other channels along with your book to build your audience.
• [04:21] How the publishing of books by Tim Ferriss and Gary Vee have led to their success.
• [00:00] Closing thoughts on the value and timeless nature of books.
• [05:31] Subscribe, hit the bell button, and let Eric know your thoughts in the comments.

Resources From The Interview:

• Leveling Up

• Russell Brunson

• DotCom Secrets

• The 4-Hour Workweek

• Gary Vaynerchuk

• Crush It!

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

• Leveling Up

• Eric Siu on Twitter

• Eric Siu on Instagram

Today we are going to talk How to Actually Make Money From Podcasting?

Why You Should Build Communities, Not Audiences with Tony Whatley

In the tech and software industry, there is a lot of skepticism around coaching. Too many people are coaching who haven’t actually achieved their own success. Today’s guest, Tony Whatley, is an exception. Tony is the founder of 365 Driven, a program to help entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses, as well as the author of Side Hustle Millionaire. He tells us how he built a business in the automotive community and sold it for a seven-figure exit before successfully replicating the model for another business, and how he got into the coaching industry after a near-death experience that changed his perspective and his priorities. Learn about 365 Driven, how it works, and how it’s different from other coaching programs, before understanding the difference between communities and audiences, and the importance of building life-long relationships in business. We discuss Clubhouse; how much time we spend on it, and some of our frustrations with it, as well as how it can be used as a powerful networking and business tool. Tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:15] An introduction to Tony Whatley.
• [01:04] Learn about the previous company he built and sold, and how he got into coaching.
• [02:08] A near-death experience and how it shifted Tony’s perspective. 
• [03:42] Eric and Tony share their thoughts on VR simulated near-death experiences to create perspective changes.
• [04:44] 365 Driven, how it works, and how it is different from other coaching programs. 
• [06:34] The different groups and tiers of 365 Driven.
• [07:39] Eric talks about the skepticism associated with coaching and how it can be used as a powerful funding mechanism.  
• [08:41] The importance of building communities in business and why Tony is doing more live events.
• [09:32] The difference between communities and audiences or followers, and how Tony builds communities and relationships. 
• [11:30] How to find great community moderators to build and maintain communities.
• [13:19] How much time Tony and Eric spend on Clubhouse. 
• [13:54] The value of Clubhouse as a networking and business tool.
• [15:16] How Eric has benefited from Clubhouse.
• [15:44] Find out how Tony has made $46 k through Clubhouse in less than two months.
• [18:45] Tony talks about how he is building his coaching business through ads and webinars. 
• [19:50] Tony and Eric share their frustrations with Clubhouse.
• [21:24] The value of creating a DM culture.
• [22:40] Tony’s longterm mission: to help people become better individuals.  
• [23:32] What racing and cars have taught Tony about life and business.
• [24:46] Tony’s favorite business book and business tool.

Resources From The Interview:

• Side Hustle Millionaire 

• Leveling Up

• Must read book: How to Win Friends & Influence People in the Digital Age 

• Gmail Calendar

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

If you have ever thought about writing a book, today’s episode is for you! Eric shares wisdom from his experience of publishing his book, Leveling Up. Tuning in, you’ll hear what you should ask yourself before you write a book, what the publishing process actually entails, and the importance of marketing, as well as the pros and cons of the different publishing models available. While book sales are not a good way to make money, Eric explains the other ways writing a book can help you level up in life and in business. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:23] What you should ask yourself if you are thinking of publishing a book.
• [00:43] Why Eric wrote his book, Leveling Up.
• [01:13] Why you shouldn’t write a book if your focus is to make money from it.
• [01:42] Thoughts on whether or not people still read books.
• [02:09] What goes into publishing a book.
• [03:29] The differences between self-publishing, traditional publishing, and hybrid publishing.
• [04:34] The importance of marketing your book.
• [05:35] Closing thoughts on whether or not you should write a book.
• [05:58] The biggest benefit of publishing a book: building an audience.
• [06:52] Don’t forget to hit the subscribe and bell buttons. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Leveling Up

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

• Leveling Up

• Eric Siu on Twitter

• Eric Siu on Instagram

Launchpad Business Case Study: Using One Business To Scale Into Multiple Businesses

A launchpad business can be any business without a lot of overhead, where you can use the capital gains to scale into multiple other businesses. Today, we speak with Ben Schneider, CEO, and Founder of Jobmofy, who is doing just that. He tells us about Jobmofy, a premium job platform for remote employees that has made more than €10 million in sales from Facebook ads. He explains what led him to start this business, how its security features make it different from other job platforms, and how it generates income in a number of different ways. He also shares how the business is entirely self-funded from his other businesses. Find out how to know when you’re earning enough to scale into a new business venture and how Ben manages his different businesses in today’s bonus episode!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:15] Introduction to Ben Schneider, CEO, and Founder of Jobmofy. 
• [01:09] How Jobmofy is different from other job platforms: its security features.
• [03:27] 95 percent of people on other job platforms aren’t verified and therefore not trustworthy.
• [04:02] Ben’s story of being hacked by a developer, which is what lead him to start Jobmofy.
• [05:22] The different ways that Jobmofy generates income. 
• [06:19] Insight into Jobmofy’s revenue and growth rates since launching. 
• [07:19] How Jobmofy is entirely remote and 100 percent self-funded.
• [08:28] Ben and Eric discuss launchpad businesses: how do you know when it is time to scale into something new?
• [10:32] How Ben runs his businesses as CEO and Founder, and how his executive teams are structured.
• [12:01] The two perspectives in building a business: be very involved like Ben or hire other people and be less involved like Andrew Wilkinson.  
• [12:46] Business trends that Ben is excited about: remote working, recruiting, and e-commerce. 
• [13:50] Ben’s favorite business book and business tool.

Resources From The Interview:

• Ben Schneider on LinkedIn
• Ben Schneider on Instagram
• Jobmofy
• 'How Andrew Wilkinson of Tiny Capital Created a Portfolio of Companies Doing >$100M A Year On His Own Terms'

• Must read book: Rich Dad Poor Dad

• Google Drive

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

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

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

• 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

• 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

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

• 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