Leveling Up with Eric Siu

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

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

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

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

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

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

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

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

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• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

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

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

The #1 Mindset to Overcome Life Challenges

Try this one, simple mindset shift and overcome any challenge life throws at you. If you approach life as a game, it's much easier to face your challenges and overcome them. These clips are highlights from interviews I've recently done promoting the upcoming book, Leveling Up! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:00] Life is a game
• [00:14] How to have fun every day of your life
• [00:40] Jordan Belfort's show
• [00:51]  How to use pain as fuel
• [01:31]  Chris Do's show
• [01:45] Why I wrote Leveling Up
• [02:51] The importance of mindset
• [03:30] ClickFunnels Radio
• [03:45] How to build a strong culture

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

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

From Hooters Waitress and No Degree To Running Billion Dollar Brands with Kat Cole

Today’s guest is Kat Cole and she joins us to share some of the frameworks she has developed to become the business mogul and empathetic leader she is today. Kat was a Hooters waitress before she transitioned to becoming the President and COO of Focus Brands, as well as an investor, advisor, thought leader, and board member for multiple companies. Our conversation starts with the story of how Kat was making over $40,000 as a waitress at age 19 when she transitioned into the corporate world for half the salary. From there, we talk about how Kat was able to rise so quickly in this new environment for a number of reasons, where she highlights being placed in leadership positions in unfamiliar situations, and the understanding of human nature she developed as a youth. Kat shares some of the frameworks for success that she has come up with over the years, such as the four characteristics of good leaders, ‘mentorship moments’, and monthly check-ins. She also gets into her method for arriving at these frameworks which involve unbiased reflection and a continuous willingness to apply new lessons going forward. Our conversation also covers the culture Kat fosters in her teams, the channels through which she is currently connecting to her audience, and a whole lot more. Tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:39] Introducing Kat Cole and her rise to success from humble beginnings.
• [00:50] The new platforms Kat is leveraging to grow her audience and share her teachings.
• [02:10] What lay behind Kat taking a huge pay cut to leave Hooters for the corporate world.
• [04:20] Developing the knowledge to run SaaS versus brick and mortar businesses.
• [06:30] How Kat developed the resilience to lead human-driven business models at a young age.
• [09:45] The role of humility, curiosity, courage, and confidence in good leadership.
• [12:02] Building trust  and having responsibilities as a leader in unfamiliar situations.
• [13:45] How Kat builds the mental frameworks she uses to level up using reflection.
• [14:48] The mentorship Kat arranged for herself using ‘mentoring moments.’
• [16:50] Changing your mindset and applying the advice you are given.
• [17:26] How Kat levels up using her monthly check-in and hotshot rule methods.
• [19:46] The idea that our progress blinds us to the magnitude of our achievements.
• [20:34] A deeper dive into the types of questions Kat asks in her monthly check-ins.
• [22:03] The most beneficial tool Kat has recently implemented.
• [22:15] The relationship advice to be found in Kat’s favorite business book.
• [22:46] How to best reach Kat online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Kat Cole on LinkedIn
• Kat Cole on Twitter
• Kat Cole on Instagram
• Checking In with Kat Cole
• Focus Brands
• Clubhouse
• Must-read book: Give and Take

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

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

In this video, Eric Siu will talk about the difference between self publishing and traditional publishing. We will talk about the benefits of self publishing versus traditional publishing and how your choice can affect your revenue, freedom, sales, and more. With the Leveling Up Book, Eric Siu did a special type of publishing called the Hybrid Publishing, where you get the best of both worlds.

• [0:00] - Our topic for today: Self publishing vs Traditional publishing 
• [0:25] - The beauty with traditional publishing is you can have the validity with big publishing company 
• [0:44] - In self publishing you have more control
• [1:13] - leveling up book as a hybrid type of publishing 
• [1:45] - In hybrid publishing you can get the best of both worlds
• [3:36] - At the end of the day I can collect more revenue from the book
• [4:17] - Visit levelingup.com to learn more about the book

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 Saleswhale Can Help You Reach Out To Leads On Autopilot with Gabriel Lim

A large portion of the leads in a sales funnel never get touched by SDRs, and thus don’t end up converting. Saleswhale changes this by leveraging AI to convert middle of the funnel leads into sales-ready opportunities! Our guest for today is their Co-Founder and CEO, Gabriel Lim. Our conversation begins with an overview of the Saleswhale offering where Gabriel shares a story about how they helped a client generate 144 new sales meetings from 2000 stale leads. From there, we get into the funding Saleswhale has received, its ideal customer profile, and how it makes money using a tiered subscription service. After that, we chat about how Saleswhale is achieving its long-term vision of helping innovative sales and marketing teams become more productive by automating mundane and repetitive work. We also get into Gabriel’s experiences with YCombinator in 2016, the challenges of collaborating remotely between Singapore and the U.S., and the content marketing strategies at Saleswhale for acquiring new staff and customers. As always, we wrap up with some recommendations from Gabriel regarding tools and books that are currently providing him with significant value. Tune in for insights into how Saleswhale is optimizing the sales funnel today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:39] Introducing Gabriel, the offering at Saleswhale, and the amount they have raised.
• [01:05] A quick overview of Gabriel’s background and how he founded Saleswhale.
• [01:36] An example of how Saleswhale works and how a client converted more leads from it.
• [03:08] How pricing for a Saleswhale subscription works and how many customers they have.
• [03:45] Metrics for growth rates for Saleswhale.
• [04:10] The ideal Saleswhale client profile.
• [05:00] How Saleswhale picks up middle of the funnel leads that SDRs usually miss.
• [06:05] Whether shifting to being based in Singapore is a sustainable remote work model.
• [06:49] The layers of value Saleswhale provides which contribute to delivering on their long-term mission.
• [08:04] How Saleswhale integrates with Salesforce to perform one-click campaigns.
• [09:18] Gabriel’s experiences being backed by YCombinator.
• [10:08] Some clever techniques used by Saleswhale to attract hot talent.
• [11:18] How Saleswhale acquires new customers by creating educational content.
• [12:05] Why Gabriel’s favorite business tool is Salesforce and the main dashboards he uses.
• [13:47] Recent additions to Gabriel’s stack – Miro and Loom – and how he uses them.
• [14:13] How Obviously Awesome has helped Gabriel frame the Saleswhale offering.
• [15:43] The best way to find Gabriel online!

Resources From The Interview:

• Gabriel Lim on LinkedIn
• Saleswhale
• Salesforce
• '10 Reasons My Team Hates Working for Saleswhale'
• The Saleswhale Masterclass
• Mike Volpe
• Dave Gerhardt
• Meagen Eisenberg
• Miro
• Loom
• Episode 354 with April Dunford

• Must-read book: Obviously Awesome

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

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter