Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Welcome to Growth Bites, a shorter format of Leveling Up, where Eric provides daily insights to help you step up your game. In this episode, we talk about why copywriters are the best hire you can make, the contributions they make to your business, and where to find the best ones in the business. Be sure to tune in today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:52] Why Eric believes the best hire you can make is a copywriter.
• [01:18] Hear about some of the skills that copywriters have. 
• [02:11] Eric’s positive experience of working with copywriters.
• [03:25] Some of the best copywriting books out there, according to Eric.
• [03:53] Words are what help products to sell.
• [04:25] Advice for those looking to find the best copywriters out there. 
• [05:30] How to get your hands on the first chapter of Eric’s upcoming book.

Resources From The Interview:

• Marketing School Podcast
• Agora Financial

• Breakthrough Advertising

• The 16-Word Sales Letter

• Ben Settle
• 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

• Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere

• Single Grain

• Eric Siu on Twitter

Although it is easy to get caught up in the latest health fads, like green juices or bullet coffees, they may not be the best for your body. Levels, a real-time dashboard for your body’s metabolism, gives customers personalized insights into how food affects their body and overall health. The company’s Co-Founder, Sam Corcos, joins us today for a behind-the-scenes look into this fast-growing health optimization platform. We kick off by hearing about their incredible approach to customer development, where Sam has had a super hands-on role. Here, he unpacks the importance of truly understanding your customers’ needs. Sam shares some of the client personas they have uncovered and how this has shaped their approach to problem-solving. We also get into how Levels' hard and software works and the contextualization layer that they add to the information provided by the CGM, the glucose levels monitor typically used by diabetes patients. Our discussion also covers the content creation strategy the company utilizes, some of the key information they have uncovered through their extensive customer development calls, and the importance of pursuing product to market fit through iteration and incorporating customer feedback. This is a great conversation about one of the most exciting health care optimization platforms we have seen in ages, so be sure to tune in today!  

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:21] An overview of Levels and how Eric found out about the dashboard.
• [01:46] Levels’ decision to make thousands of customer development calls and the outcomes.
• [03:36] What Sam means by ‘jobs to be done’ and how it relates to problem-solving.
• [05:00] Understanding success criteria and the relationship it has to greatest results.
• [06:14] The results that high performers and founders typically hope for from Levels.
• [08:07] How Peloton users and intermittent fasting practitioners became typical Levels users. 
• [09:16] Why customer development has to be adaptable and flexible.
• [09:47] Insights into the CGM and why it is important to monitor glucose levels. 
• [11:59] Why Sam believes that metabolic dysfunction is the biggest health crisis of our time.
• [13:03] Lifestyle factors that affect health, like sleep and activity post meal-times. 
• [13:51] Hear about the difference between Levels and an ordinary CGM.
• [14:51] How the Levels hardware works and the filament that goes under your skin.
• [15:39] Levels’ business model, how the company generates profits, and pricing.
• [17:15] SEO strategies and content creation; Levels’ unique approach.
• [20:04] Levels’ current content creation targets and budget.
• [21:30] How Levels has been able to grow despite not having a marketing team.
• [22:50] The rationale behind having an application process before getting to use Levels.
• [24:47] Key questions that Sam and the Levels team have in their customer development stack.
• [26:19] Some company numbers: Capital raised, revenue, and team size.
• [27:58] How Sam manages to read two books per week!
• [29:43] Other apps and tools (besides Levels) that are in Sam’s health stack.
• [30:46] Sam’s must read books and finding him online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Sam Corcos on Twitter

• Sam Corcos

• Levels

• The Mom Test
• Peloton

• Kevin Rose 

• Peter Attia

• Casey Means

• They Ask You Answer

• Levels Blog
• Notion
• Reed Hastings
• Eight Sleep
• Zero Fasting
• ‘How to know if you've got product-market fit'
• Lenny's Newsletter

• Must read books: The Lean Startup, High Growth Handbook, The 4-Hour Workweek

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

Today’s episode is packed with examples of the mental models and high-level strategies required to get to the top in the entrepreneurial world. Joining us on the show is Jeff Lerner, the co-founder and CEO at ENTRE Institute, an online community of entrepreneurs and life-long learners who get access to the training, support, and inspiration to succeed in online business. Jeff talks to Eric about settling his nearly $500,000 debt, hitting rock bottom, investing his last money into courses, and picking up momentum after getting involved with affiliate marketing. After founding and building a successful digital agency, Jeff realized that there was a better business model through which to serve his customers, leading him to start a new company – ENTRE Institute. Here he continues to leverage his customer acquisition skills, empowering people to achieve the life they always wanted. Tuning in, listeners will hear what his introductory course costs and what you can expect to learn about working on yourself and your personal relationships before expecting to make an impact on society and benefit financially. Jeff talks about the institute’s exponential growth, what learning to play the piano taught him about life and business, the principles of successful affiliate marketing, and why you have to slow down to speed up. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:55] The story of how Jeff managed to turn $495,000 in business debt around. 
• [02:32] How in 2008 Jeff used his last money to invest in courses and got into affiliate marketing.  
• [03:10] Starting and building out a digital agency by leveraging his lead-generating skills. 
• [04:59] Ensuring that you care for people and work hard in the process of figuring it all out.  
• [06:00] Why Jeff decided to sell his digital agency despite it doing so well.   
• [07:34] Jeff moved his customer acquisition skills over to a new company that would better serve his customers. 
• [08:47] How ENTRE Institute helps to empower people and get them to where they want to be.
• [09:33] Why an agency is a great starter business but might not allow you to grow exponentially.  
• [10:11] What ENTRE Institute is all about and their business model for making money. 
• [11:49] Get a sense of what it costs for people to get started with their introductory course. 
• [13:39] Hear about your degree of impact on yourself, relationships, and the world at large.
• [14:30] The importance of making people feel better for their interaction with you.
• [15:22] How the business is doing overall, having scaled a whopping 1800% since inception. 
• [16:49] Spending a year of putting content out in the market and figuring out who he was. 
• [18:38] How, from a marketing standpoint, Jeff did so well with a $39 product running ads.  
• [20:06] The role that dropping out of school and learning to play the piano at 17 had in Jeff’s life. 
• [22:46] What piano teaches you about mastery, perseverance, and working independently. 
• [24:39] How affiliate marketing forces you to learn key skills and where to start in this space. 
• [26:00] The principles involved in building a business on the basis of affiliate marketing.
• [29:13] Why slowing down to speed up is key to achieving success and mastery in business. 
• [32:11] Jeff explains why The Fighter’s Mind is the best book for learning about endurance. 
• [33:29] Hear about Jeff’s upcoming book and his Millionaire Secrets podcast. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Jeff Lerner
• Jeff Lerner on LinkedIn
• Jeff Lerner on YouTube
• Millionaire Secrets (Podcast)

• Can’t Hurt Me

• Sam Sheridan on Twitter
• Dan Gable
• Ray Kroc

• Must-read books: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The Fighter’s Mind

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

Email productivity ranks highly on the list of desirable outcomes for business owners, and today we have Rahul Vohra on the show, the brains behind the fastest email experience available, Superhuman! Rahul explains the philosophy behind the company and why the product has created its own buzz, more than anything. We get into some of the early periods of their story and the work that Rahul did before founding Superhuman too. Rahul does a great job sharing some of the secret sauce that has gone into the success he and his company have experienced, giving a detailed rundown of their marketing funnel and the important conversations he had with customers early on. We touch on the power of word of mouth, gaining the attention of the right investors, and how a history in game design has informed the way that Rahul thinks about email. Their tool is such a great example of finding a need in the market and servicing it with almost pinpoint accuracy, and the way that Rahul and his team have gone about this is truly inspiring, you will not want to miss this!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:46] Rahul's backstory leading up to his work on Superhuman.
• [01:23] How Rahul's company, Rapportive, was acquired by LinkedIn. 
• [04:24] Some interesting financial and business metrics of Superhuman!
• [06:04] The marketing strategy around the launch and waitlist model of Superhuman.
• [07:49] The methods that Superhuman used for customer development and how they generated such intense loyalty.
• [11:30] The power of word of mouth marketing combined with small paid experiments. 
• [13:04] Efficient customer meetings and injecting a company into the news cycle.
• [19:21] Clarifying the customer funnel at Superhuman! 
• [21:00] Rahul's reflections on working with Marc Andreessen.
• [24:02] Getting the attention of big venture capital firms; different routes to explore. 
• [27:28] The influence of game design on Rahul's philosophy towards Superhuman.
• [30:39] The exciting future of Superhuman that has Rahul looking forward!
• [31:20] Business trends that Rahul is currently excited about as an angel investor.
• [32:09] The music tool that keeps Rahul on track and productive!
• [32:32] Two great book recommendations from Rahul.
• [33:13] Connecting with Rahul online and on social media.

Resources From The Interview:

• Rahul Vohra on LinkedIn
• Superhuman
• Rahul Vohra on Twitter
• Andreessen Horowitz
• Netscape

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

Today we have Melanie Deziel, the founder and chief content officer at StoryFuel, a company that equips marketers, creators, and sales professionals with the skill and strategies that they need to tell better brand stories. Because human beings are storytellers by nature, we connect far better with stories than cold, hard facts, and Melanie helps people to leverage brand narratives to promote their businesses by speaking to people’s emotional side. For her, good content marketing is audience-centered and focuses on their needs and wants, so you should consider content that educates or helps them through a certain process – that’s why good DIY videos get so many views! In this episode, Melanie talks about her background working for large media brands, why she decided to go on her own to pursue entrepreneurship, and the different ways they teach brands about content marketing. She dishes out some tips for finding inspiration and creating captivating brand stories and how they help people to get past their limiting beliefs and start producing the content they have always talked about. Also, be sure to check out her new book The Content Fuel Strategy in which she shares all her expertise and best practices! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:52] Melanie’s background in journalism and how she got involved in content marketing. 
• [02:24] Hear about the big media companies she worked for, including The Huffington Post.

Resources From The Interview:

• Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn
• StoryFuel
• The Content Fuel Framework
• AnswerThePublic
• The Huffington Post
• The New York Times
• They Ask You Answer
• Content Marketing Institute
• Native Advertising Institute
• HubSpot
• Inbox When Ready
• Rand Fishkin on Twitter

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

Today we have Timothy Sykes on the show! Tim is the CEO of TLC Media, which is an educational community that allows members to interact with the best traders online. Their philosophy is one of transparency and so the experts on the platform, including Tim, show all their wins and losses. Our guest is also the co-founder of Karmagawa, which is a social charity, dedicated to improving living conditions and the environment around the world. Tim currently funnels all of his stock trading profits into this cause and one of his main goals is to inspire and help others to give more! Tim tells us about his approach to the aspects of his life, from being real and leading by example, to differentiating yourself in a market. We also get into some thoughts on going viral and Tim's attitude of experimentation for his wide-ranging ventures. He explains his commitment to playing to his strengths and outsourcing the rest, before we discuss a long term attitude towards success and putting impact over profits. Tim urges listeners to get loud and get attention, and makes a strong case for more honesty in the business and trading worlds. To hear it all from an energetic and impactful figure, join 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!
• [01:03] Tim's social and charity work and the resultant founding of Karmagawa. 
• [02:28] The transition Tim made from focussing solely on materialism. 
• [03:36] The financials around Karmagawa and how it remains possible. 
• [05:30] Tim's aspirations to inspire others to give more!
• [07:26] The optics of charity and getting away from looking slimy and fake.
• [08:52] How Tim stays abreast of all the issues he wants to help with. 
• [10:34] An overly busy schedule and Tim's continual challenge of keeping up!
• [12:01] How Tim's educational business operates; the lessons he offers from TLC Media. 
• [12:59] A look at the growth of TLC Media and the speed at which this happening.
• [14:09] Tim's focus on his strengths and the employment and outsourcing around those. 
• [16:20] This moment in history; remote work, considering health, and bringing back morality.
• [18:31] Tim's daily routine content stack; trading, charity work, eating, and more!
• [19:56] The pricing at TLC Media for different programs.
• [20:29] The evolution of Tim's business strategy and marketing plan.
• [21:20] Changes in the mission and the ongoing task of cutting through the BS.
• [23:39] Tim's advice for growing your Instagram account and going viral.
• [27:01] Throwing everything out there to see what sticks; forget about the strategy!
• [29:19] Impact over profit — gaining credibility through honesty.
• [30:41] The business trends that have Tim excited right now.
• [33:47] The media that Tim has recently enjoyed the most.
• [35:29] Tim's must-read book recommendation: Hit Makers.

Resources From The Interview:

• Game of Thrones

• Must read book: Hit Makers

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

Humans aren’t unbiased so building a following by being authentic on the internet can lay the foundations for great businesses today. For this episode, we welcome Anthony Pompliano where he speaks about how he built his following, his approach to work and productivity, and how he is choosing to invest his money. Anthony is Founder and Partner at Morgan Creek Digital, the hedge fund which specializes in blockchain technology and digital assets. He also runs a successful content business that includes his YouTube channel, podcast, newsletter, and of course, his Twitter account. Anthony kicks things off by giving listeners some idea of how he grew his audience so quickly. People want to follow those they agree with more than reading so-called unbiased news and this is something Anthony understands very well. We move onto the subject of his fund next and he shares his approach to managing it. Next up, we talk productivity hearing Anthony drill down on his intuitive approach and how he can work such long hours because he truly loves what he does. He also gets into his approach to learning as well as the idea that networking is the common ground between his different businesses. Toward the end of the show, we talk about gold versus Bitcoin and why Anthony is such a big believer in the second, and he also shares more about how he divides his portfolio between Bitcoin, real estate, early-stage investments, and cash. Wrapping up, we talk favorite books, tools, and more, so for a punchy exchange about the value of authenticity, networking, and working hard at what you love to find success, tune in today.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:00] Anthony’s background and how he got to where he is today.
• [01:38] How Anthony’s content business makes money through ads, emails, and more. 
• [03:40] Anthony’s strategy for growing to 100 000 followers on Twitter in his first year.
• [06:00] Not sounding smart on Twitter and Anthony’s authentic approach to content creation.
• [07:50] Follower count for Anthony’s YouTube, podcast, and email list.
• [08:40] How Anthony drives revenue on his podcast and YouTube through ads. 
• [09:40] Anthony’s take on the one-man media company phenomenon.
• [12:40] Why Anthony started his rolling fund and what he plans to do with it. 
• [15:02] Anthony’s enjoyment of what he does and how it influences his work capacity.
• [16:36] The role of AngelList handling everything on Anthony’s fund’s back end. 
• [17:31] Anthony’s approach to learning and how it has shifted to being more serendipitous.
• [18:48] Twitter favorites of Anthony’s and who is well worth a follow.
• [20:56] Which percent of the 75 000 free readers of Anthony’s Substack convert to paid.
• [21:46] Monthly download count for the podcast: 2-2.5 million across audio and video.
• [23:47] How Anthony structures his time between writing, podcasting, calls, his fund, and emails.
• [25:20] The plan for the collaboration between Anthony and his wife and brother.
• [26:53] The move toward people appreciating reading the opinions of those they follow rather than news.
• [28:10] The interconnection and similarities between the different things Anthony focuses on.
• [30:35] Anthony’s take on Bitcoin versus gold and which one to invest in.
• [33:46] Real estate, Bitcoin, early-stage investments, and cash: Anthony’s portfolio.
• [35:30] Anthony’s thoughts on sports car investing and why he sticks to Bitcoin.
• [37:11] What might happen in the market according to Anthony.
• [38:39] The most compelling thing Anthony read recently.
• [39:28] Three book recommendations about how to get rich from Anthony.
• [40:25] Why Anthony’s favorite tool is walking and the benefits it provides him!

Resources From The Interview:

• Anthony Pompliano on Twitter
• Anthony Pompliano on YouTube
• The Pomp Podcast
• The Pomp Newsletter
• Substack
• Morgan Creek Digital
• Pat McAfee on Twitter
• Joe Pompliano on Twitter
• Tim Sykes
• Bow wow
• Ben Thompson
• Andrew Wilkinson on Twitter
• Tiny Capital
• Naval Ravikant on Twitter
• Avlok Kohli
• AngelList
• Polina Marinova Pompliano on Twitter
• The Profile
• Patrick Oshaughnessy on Twitter
• Kat Cole on Twitter
• Supercast
• Peter Schiff on Twitter
• George Gammon on Twitter
• Jason Williams on Twitter
• Gary V
• Steve Aoki
• Chuck Feeney

• Must read book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The Richest Man in Babylon, Think and Grow Rich

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

From the outset, the business world looks like it’s filled with brilliant people who can turn anything into a success. This can be disheartening but Jerry Colonna, Executive Coach and CEO whisperer, has a secret to tell you — most people are faking it. Today we speak with Jerry about how you can become a better leader on your terms, without needing to compare yourself to others. We open our conversation with a discussion on why many founders and marketers need support, often from coaches, before Jerry provides some insights into why you should look for an effective coach, not necessarily a coach with accolades. A key theme of this episode, Jerry highlights that a coach’s job isn’t to give you all the answers. Rather, they should help you discover your own solutions by asking the right questions. We then dive into how Jerry has coached host Eric Siu, with Jerry sharing details about his coaching philosophy. From there, we explore the business model for Jerry’s company, Reboot, the services they offer, and how they offer an entry-point for any user, regardless of their means. Reflecting on his life as a venture capitalist, Jerry talks about the benefits of living a slower life, why “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and what quality is common among successful leaders. Near the end of the episode, he shares how he maintains his mental and physical wellbeing, along with the top books that have altered the course of his life. Tune in to hear more of Jerry’s expert advice on how you can become a better leader. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:00] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:18] Introducing Executive Coach and CEO whisperer, Jerry Colonna.
• [02:02] Why all founders and marketers need support; “Nobody is crushing it.”
• [04:36] Fixing versus coaching and why effective coaches aren’t always the most acclaimed.
• [06:41] The idea of gestalt and asking good questions instead of giving advice. 
• [07:45] Insights into how Jerry runs his coaching sessions and how he sees his role as a coach.
• [09:45] How Jerry has helped host Eric Siu to slow down and lead with more wisdom. 
• [11:51] Overcoming your sub-routines to improve your operating system.
• [13:52] Unpacking lessons from the gaming world and why they don’t apply to other contexts. 
• [16:10] Hear how Jerry’s business works and the services that he offers.
• [18:15] From free resources to reading his book, Jerry shares the best ways for listeners to start with Reboot.  
• [19:42] Jerry compares his life as a coach to his life as a venture capitalist.
• [22:22] In praise of the ‘infinite game’ and trying to be kind every day.
• [24:16] The benefit of living your life without comparing yourself to others.
• [25:57] Learning how to ask better questions, a skill that makes you a better leader.
• [28:29] Why you shouldn’t ask a question with judgment or expectation.
• [29:49] The common attribute that Jerry sees in his best students.
• [30:51] What Jerry does to maintain his mental wellbeing and keep his skills sharp.
• [32:51] Jerry shares the top books that altered the course of his life.
• [34:21] How to find Jerry online.

Resources From The Interview:

• Jerry Colonna on Twitter
• Jerry Colonna on LinkedIn
• Jerry Colonna on Facebook
• Jerry Colonna on Instagram
• Reboot
• Reboot on Amazon
• ‘This Man Makes CEOs Cry’
• The Twenty Minute VC 
• The Coaching Habit
• On Being with Krista Tippett 
• Alice in Wonderland 
• Fred Wilson
• Brad Feld
• Simon Sinek
• Parker J. Palmer
• Risk 
• Monopoly
• The Coaching Habit 
• Multipliers 
• John O'Donohue

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

Joining us on Leveling Up today is the CEO of kovai.com, Saravana Kumar! Kovai is an enterprise software company, and we get to hear from our guest about their past, present, and exciting future! Saravana is an amazing person and an excellent entrepreneur, who has a number of balls in the air. Apart from his main work at Kovai he is also dedicated to helping the community and spreading skills and wealth to people beyond himself! We talk about establishing a community in a niche market, something that Kovai has done so well in the last few years before we get into their customer acquisition strategies and how they make money. Saravana also unpacks important moments in the company's evolution, such as the move to India from the UK that was made in aid of scaling. We finish off this great chat with our usual questions, with Saravana sharing his favorite business book and tools, and how these have helped him up his game. So for all of this and a whole lot more, make sure to tune in with us today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:30] Saravana's personal story and path leading to his current position and company.
• [03:50] The move that Kovai made to India in order to scale more quickly. 
• [06:38] Kovai's important numbers currently; revenue and employees.
• [07:14] The lead up to hitting the $1 million annual recurring revenue mark. 
• [08:05] The bootstrap model that Saravana and Kovai have relied on.
• [09:37] Reasons that Saravana has turned down all the venture capital he has been offered. 
• [11:27] The economic model for Kovai and where they make their money!
• [12:30] Customer acquisition strategies at the company and what has been working recently. 
• [14:34] Saravana's ambitions for spreading wealth, learning and expertise to others.
• [17:15] How Saravana splits his time between his different projects and passions.
• [18:36] The two business tools that have helped Saravana recently with his company.
• [19:21] A must-read book recommendation from Saravana!
• [20:42] The impact that the Traction framework had on Saravana and his systems.

Resources From The Interview:

• Saravana Kumar
• Kovai.co

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

Joining us for this episode is Erik Kostelnik, the co-founder and CEO at Postal.io, a leading B2B offline engagement platform that automates direct mail and gifting in the sales and marketing world, helping businesses to improve their customer acquisition and better engage with prospects. While their customer base might seemingly tell a different story, this company has been operational for only 78 days and has achieved remarkable growth amid the pandemic and the economic crisis facing many other companies. Erik shares how their technological advancements have allowed their customers to achieve unusual results, explaining that regular mail is often better received than email and, since it has been proven that the coronavirus cannot live on mail pieces, it has remained a trusted form of communications between businesses and their customers. Postal.io works on a subscription basis that caters to a range of customer needs, from the most basic $19/mo package to a comprehensive one for teams of plus-minus a thousand. Erik talks about why businesses should consider scaling their direct mail and gifting, why they had to adjust their industry and persona market fit early on, the success they had with the growth strategies of creating a marketplace and maintaining a close relationship with integration partners, and how they went about hiring the best executive staff. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:24] Erik talks about his sales and leadership story over the last 20 years.  
• [01:01] Get a sense of what postal.io offers and an example of a practical use case. 
• [02:18] How the firm’s technology has enabled their customers to achieve unexpected results. 
• [04:05] The importance of scaling your personal direct mail, gifting, donations, and more.   
• [04:28] Erik talks about their subscription-based model that offers something for everyone. 
• [05:52] The firm’s impressive customer count after just 78 days and amid the pandemic. 
• [07:37] Why it is 100% safe to receive and open physical mail and packages. 
• [08:13] How people’s response to mail and email differs and how it can be leveraged.
• [09:52] Erik responds to a question about how long it will take them to get to product-market fit.  
• [11:52] Why they have had to adjust their industry and persona market fit.
• [12:38] The success they have had with the growth strategy of creating a marketplace.
• [13:45] Maintaining a close relationship with integration partners and providing value to them.   
• [14:21] Erik shares how he defines and thinks about risk analyses.
• [15:49] Why technology entrepreneurs must take a step back at times. 
• [17:23] How they went about hiring a full staff of executives from their trusted network. 
• [17:48] The tool that Erik uses to read without the bother of advertisers and blockers. 
• [18:14] Erik’s app for getting the most important summaries from all kinds of business books. 

Resources From The Interview:

• Erik Kostelnik on LinkedIn
• Postal.io
• Outreach
• Hive
• Cisco
• VMware
• Salesforce
• SalesLoft
• Zapier

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Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter