Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Do you think you deserve a raise? Great! Here's how you can actually negotiate to make it happen!

Joining us on the show today is multifaceted, entrepreneur's entrepreneur, Jim Mckelvey! Jim is currently developing his project, Invisibly, which aims to revolutionize the ways that consumers interact with advertising on media platforms. He is also the co-founder of Square and has started seven companies in total! His recent book, The Innovation Stack is compiled through his experience and research into what has allowed the most successful companies to create their own lane, and in it, he notes the common factors of the most innovative business in history. Jim explains how he learned the important skill of surrounding himself with more experienced and intelligent people and complimenting this with the ability to support and strengthen their work. We also get into the opportunity of calamity before discussing the need for humor and bravery in the life of an entrepreneur. For all this and a bunch more thought-provoking conversation, listen in with us today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [01:24] Jim's first book that he wrote during college and the skills he acquired during those years.
• [02:23] How Jim met Jack Dorsey as a teenager. 
• [03:29] Jim's role at Square and his attitude towards starting companies.
• [05:11] The beginnings of starting a payment company and the moment that inspired it.
• [06:16] The surprising growth of Square and its shaky path to success.
• [08:05] The concept of the innovation stack and the motivations behind Jim's book. 
• [10:56] The two types of problems in the world and what this means for solutions.
• [12:55] Understanding the differences between businesspeople and entrepreneurs. 
• [15:16] The example of Southwest Airlines and its innovation stack.
• [17:40] A better definition of disruption and ways to work in non-innovative spaces. 
• [19:19] Invisibly's two main goals and their overarching mission statement.
• [23:37] The way that Invisibly works for consumers online and in media.
• [26:14] Business in the pandemic and the history of companies during a calamity.
• [27:59] Why Douglas Adams' books are so helpful for kindling the entrepreneurial spirit.
• [29:27] The professional usefulness of saying 'no'.
• [30:05] Where Jim would invest a billion dollars currently.
• [31:20] Jim's departure from Square and his focus on family and projects he cares about.
• [33:10] The need for more entrepreneurs and dispelling the hero myth.

Resources From The Interview:

• Hatching Twitter

• Must read book: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

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

If you hustle hard enough, is it worth it? Only to a point. Tune in to this episode as we discuss how you can out perform almost anyone with leverage, not hustle. 

What is leverage in the first place, and how does running a smart business give you more leverage? In this episode we'll find out!

We are joined on Leveling Up today by Aaron Hirschhorn, the founder and CEO of Gallant, a new company specializing in regenerative medicine for pets! They aim to help pets have a better and longer, high-quality life and they are providing this through stem cell banking and therapy. Aaron explains how this is an untapped section of the market and how he has applied the ongoing research into stem cells to help pets and their owners! He gives us some examples of how their service works, which begins with the procurement of stem cells during a regular vet visit at a young age. From there a veterinary professional can treat future age-related health issues using that sample as the means. Our guest does a great job of simplifying how stem cells relate to aging and the potential advancements we will likely see in the field in the near future. He breaks down some of the components of the new business and how they have approached marketing and customer acquisition. For all this and a whole lot more from an exciting company in a fresh space, listen in!  

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:55] How to pronounce Gallant properly, what they do and some background on stem cells.
• [02:52] Examples of practical use cases for the company's service. 
• [05:30] The business model at Gallant and how they make money.
• [07:38] Partners, new customers, patents and more; looking at the young business.
• [08:17] How Gallant work with vets and the seamless alignment they offer.
• [11:00] Aaron's previous business, DogVacay, that he started in 2011. 
• [12:15] Lessons that Aaron has brought forward into his new business around simplification.
• [13:51] Building awareness through content creation and media appearances. 
• [14:32] Aaron's plans to live forever and what the future of aging might look like!
• [16:57] Aaron's commitment to the pet space and where he would invest $10 million. 
• [17:35] Moving to Florida and the tax benefits for startups.
• [18:13] Aaron's preference for novels over business books!
• [19:24] The set of tools that Aaron and Gallant use currently.

Resources From The Interview:

• Gallant
• Aaron Hirschhorn Email

• Must read book: Children of Time

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

Yesware is an all-in-one sales software that provides users with everything necessary to prospect, schedule meetings and follow up, all from the comfort of the inbox! Here to talk about the company and his role as CEO is Joel Stevenson! Yesware has raised $47 million as well as acquiring a host of companies along the way and we wanted to bring you the lowdown on how they have done it all. We hear from Joel about his journey from SVP of Sales to COO of Marketing and finally to CEO of the company! Joel explains his relationship with Matt Bellows, the co-founder and former CEO, and a lot of our conversation is spent unpacking the transitions the company has gone through and how they have grown and evolved. Joel started in sales and tech and he is kind enough to look back at his early career and the common motifs that have run through all of his work. We also talk about leadership techniques, Yesware's belief in executive mentorship, and how they go about communicating in the company. So, for all of that and a whole lot more, listen in with us today!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:48] Joel's long and winding road to his current position as CEO.
• [02:10] Departing from Wayfair and finding a home at Yesware. 
• [02:50] Yesware's business model, their offers, and how they charge and make money!
• [03:52] The growth of the business over the last six years and their move away from freemiums.
• [05:09] Developing leadership and Joel's own path to his current role.
• [08:05] Joel's attitude to change management and keeping the team on board. 
• [09:12] Matt Bellow's current role at Yesware and responsibilities that Joel took over from him.
• [10:29] The frequency of communication and meetings at the company. 
• [10:51] The power of executive coaching; the emphasis that Yesware has placed on this.
• [11:47] The sales world at this moment; high volumes, dry pipelines and availability. 
• [13:39] Trends that Joel and Yesware have noted during and before the pandemic.
• [14:22] Joel's emphasis on video for meetings — making use of current circumstances.
• [15:41] Joel's favorite business tools lately; Microsoft To-Do and Whoop.
• [16:18] Why Joel's loves David Allen's Getting Things Done.
• [16:42] The publications and podcasts that Joel keeps up with.

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

Connect with Eric Siu: 

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Eric Siu on Twitter

What does it take to build wealth? In this episode, Eric shares his insight on the many stages of wealth and how to climb the ladder to the next stage.

Discover why products and software can be more lucrative than services, and why the harder the level is, the bigger the reward will be!

Today on Leveling Up we welcome Andrew Fischer from Choozle. Andrew is the co-founder and CEO of the company and he shares some of their story and what makes the business tick. Choozle is a digital advertising software platform that leverages detailed consumer data to power programmatic advertising campaigns across multiple platforms. They do this through one, intuitive interface and this model has proved very successful for Andrew and his team, having raised over $14 million since they began work in 2012! In our conversation, we chat about the service they provide to their clients and what sets them apart from other advertising services in the space. Andrew gives us a few interesting statistics and breaks down some hiring numbers before we talk about customer acquisition and adapting to the new world in a post-COVID landscape. We chat about the future of media and the increasing trends away from cable television, so to hear it all, make sure to tune in!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:54] How Choozle works, the service they provide and how they make money.
• [02:30] Why to choose Choozle! Making the most of the average consumer. 
• [03:40] Ideal business sizes for the company and their preference for independent agencies.
• [04:53] Employee-growth at Choozle; the peaks that the company has hit.
• [06:15] Choozle's focus on programmatic advertising campaigns.
• [07:19] Costs involved in working with the company and the array of budgets they work with.
• [08:30] Current steps that Choozle is taking to extend their service for customers.
• [10:50] Trends in television and media consumption in the contemporary climate. 
• [11:25] Business during the pandemic and how Choozle is weathering the storm.
• [12:57] Customer acquisition strategies at Choozle over the last few years.
• [14:11] The type of startup Andrew would back right now!
• [14:51] Andrew's two essential book recommendations.
• [15:55] Why Andrew has returned to a simpler practice of note-taking.

Resources From The Interview:

• Andrew Fischer on Twitter

• Must read books: The Hard Thing About Hard Things and Shoe Dog

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

we discuss four underrated SEO strategies that will help you boost your organic traffic. Updating your content and keywords, removing old dates from your URLs, and using power and pillar pages effectively will all contribute to reviving your organic traffic. Tune in to hear about the tools that will get you to your traffic goals. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[00:25] Today’s topic: 4 Underrated SEO Plays That Will Double Your Organic Traffic. 

[00:39] Upgrade your content regularly. 

[01:01] Consider your top performers and explore new keywords to update them. 

[01:30] Boost your traffic by removing dates from your URLs.  

[01:45] Write long-form pieces of content and consolidate different pieces together. 

[02:04] Consider what Animalz does with their power and pillar pages.  

[02:24] Turn your content into videos and put them on YouTube.  

[03:01] That’s it for today!

[03:02] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ubersuggest

ClickFlow

Brian Dean 

Animalz

vidIQ

Leave Some Feedback:

• What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below

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

Connect with Us: 

• Neilpatel.com

Zapier CEO and co-founder, Wade Foster, joins on us on Leveling Up today to discuss his business, remote work and the vital importance of building a company culture! It became apparent to Wade quite early on in the journey of Zapier that if they were going to grow in the right way and continue to scale what they were doing, a well-suited company culture was necessary. This led to the development of their ethos and core values and these steps have served the company immensely in recent years! We get to hear from Wade about some of the financial aspects of the company, including their freemium model and the way they lay out their pricing plan. He also comments on leadership, with particular reference to the challenges posed by a crisis. The global pandemic has provided many challenges for us all and Wade weighs in on his approach to these and making the most of the connected opportunities. The conversation also covers the utility of podcast appearances, hiring practices at Zapier, and profit-sharing! Tune in and hear it all!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast!
• [00:54] Zapier's place in the no-code ecosystem!
• [01:39] A refresher on Zapier and where they are currently as a business. 
• [03:24] The freemium model at Zapier, the pricing model, and how they make money.
• [07:28] Key lessons in growth and scaling for Wade around remote work and company culture. 
• [09:41] Evaluating communication skills during the hiring process. 
• [11:54] Practical steps towards building better company culture!
• [14:41] Employee retention at Zapier and how the remote model contributes to this. 
• [16:09] Lessons that Wade has learned during the pandemic about leadership during crisis.
• [19:45] Feelings about the current uncertainty; the positive and negative sides of the pandemic.
• [21:17] Profit-sharing and employee incentives at Zapier.
• [24:20] How Wade thinks about podcast appearances; qualitative feedback and recruiting.
• [26:11] Wade's favorite recent business book: The Outsiders.
• [29:48] The usefulness of Workona and Krisp!

Resources From The Interview:

• Zapier

• Must read book: The Outsiders

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

You don't need a college degree to make 6 figures, even during this year's uncertain times.