Next Level Pros

By Chris LeeBusiness Entrepreneurship

Next Level Pros episodes

January 15, 2024 #67: The Real Life Wizard of Oz: Steve Sims; The Ultimate “I Got A Guy”
Steve Sims, author of 'Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen,' shares his journey from being a broke bricklayer to working with the most powerful and influential people in the world. Sims emphasizes the importance of thinking big and ‘going for stupid,’ surrounding yourself with the right people and finding opportunities in challenging times. He also highlights the significance of balancing success and family while providing the best practices for making big things happen.

In this conversation, Steve Sims shares valuable insights on building meaningful relationships, highlighting the importance of considering what you bring to the table when approaching someone, remembering the need to address the other person's needs and problems.

Discussing the power of research and intuition in building connections, Sims shares personal anecdotes and strategies for engaging in conversation and treating people as equals. He encourages listeners to invest in relationships and pay attention to details, as meaningful connections cannot be replaced by transactional interactions.

Highlights:
“Google doesn't lie to us. There's nothing wrong on Google.”
“If they don't pay, they don't pay attention. Okay. And if I give it to you for free, you value it as that.”
“When you play with things, you don't lose energy, but when you're fighting things, you do.”

Timestamps:
03:00 Going for Stupid
10:00 The Power of Networking
16:00 Making Things Happen
23:00 The Right Circle
29:00 Opportunities in Challenges
38:00 Balancing Success and Family
45:01 Approaching relationships
48:24 'How can I help you?'
53:08 Taking Initiative in Relationships
57:24 Value Relationships
59 min
January 13, 2024 #66: The Art of Storytelling with Richard Newman
In this episode of The Founder, we're chatting with Richard Newman, a pro in communication and storytelling. He's going to dive into what makes a story really stick in the business world, how to structure your content, and the power of body language. You'll learn how to create stories that not only connect but also make a memorable impact. So, tune in for some top-notch advice on mastering the art of storytelling!Highlights:
“Success comes from being willing to say yes, put yourself out there, and learn from every situation. ”
“So that's the power of story is that it takes hold in our minds in such a special way that we can retell it and recreate what it felt like.”
“You have to figure out how to turn a complex or technical message into a story format that anybody around the world can engage with.”Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Background
05:43 The Importance of Storytelling
08:04 The Key Attributes of a Story
13:26 Storytelling in Personal Pitching
26:40 Richard's Journey
32:10 Where to Find Richard
34 min
January 09, 2024 #65: Addict to Entrepreneur: Turning Addiction into #1 Rehab Center in the World: Richard Taite
In this heartwarming episode of The Founder podcast, we're chatting with the inspiring Richard Taite, the mind behind Cliffside Malibu. He opens up about his emotional journey, including the highs and lows of selling his beloved business.
Richard shares his personal struggles with addiction and how it led to the creation of Carrara Treatment Wellness and Spa. His approach to addiction treatment, blending top-notch care with a focus on co-occurring disorders, is truly insightful.
Get ready for an episode filled with genuine reflections and Richard's unique perspective on recovery and wellness!
Highlights:
"Just because you have money doesn't make the problems go away."
"We're teaching self-care and self-love because... I've never met a person who wanted to kill themselves with drugs and alcohol who loved themselves."
"You have to understand that there's nothing to get, there's only to give."
Timestamps:
01:22 Selling the Business and the Aftermath
06:27 Richard's Battle with Addiction
09:54 Childhood Trauma and the Root of Addiction
13:19 First Encounter with Drugs and Escaping Trauma
16:00 Homelessness and the Cycle of Addiction
21:31 Overcoming Guilt and Building a Strong Culture
29:34 Preventing Addiction and Fixing the Family Unit
34:48 Building a Strong Culture and Accountability
41:25 Carrera Treatment Wellness and Spa
48:19 Overcoming Depression and Finding Purpose
Live Links:
🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com
🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com
⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com
🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
46 min
January 05, 2024 #64: 6 Must-Hires to Scale Your Business
In this episode of The Founder Podcast, we're talking all about the six must-have hires if you're thinking of exiting your business.

No matter what your industry, these roles are absolute game-changers. Chris is going to walk you through each of these key positions, explaining why they're so crucial and how they can help take your business to the next level!

Highlights:

"The executive assistant is absolutely imperative for you to be able to scale and be able to go and sell your business."

"Marketing provides opportunities. Sales actually closes the deal down."

"You have to have clean books in order to scale your business and ultimately be able to sell."

Timestamps:

00:41 Hire #1: Executive Assistant
01:33 Hire #2: Marketer
02:31 Hire #3: Salesperson
03:01 Hire #4: Fulfillment
03:29 Hire #5: Management
04:29 Hire #6: Finance
05:24 Focus on Strategy and Vision

Live Links:

🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com

🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com

⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com

🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
7 min
January 02, 2024 #63: Employee #30 at Facebook to Founder of AppSumo: Noah Kagan's Journey
In this episode of The Founder Podcast, host Chris Lee interviews Noah Kagan, the founder and CEO of AppSumo. Kagan shares the story of how he built AppSumo from a side project launched in 2010 to a company now doing nine figures in annual revenue.
Kagan discusses his early career working at companies like Facebook and what he learned from being fired from both roles. He talks about starting AppSumo as a way to capitalize on opportunities in the Facebook platform and iPhone app markets. Kagan also shares tactics like using elite advisors to accelerate his learning.
Listeners will learn about Kagan's philosophy on work, including his belief that everyone should aim to become an entrepreneur. He discusses principles like getting started now rather than worrying about how something will work. Kagan also talks about overcoming the two biggest fears holding most people back - starting and asking.
The episode provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs, including Kagan's view that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary success through consistent application of the right principles. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Kagan's journey to build AppSumo into a nine-figure business through relentless experimentation and getting outside his comfort zone.
Highlights:
"Most innovation does not come from experts."
"I would argue that everyone wants to be rich and have the ability to be rich."
"What do you wanna work on for free? And how do you make that your career."
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction
04:35: Mark Zuckerberg's Leadership
11:23: Time Managment
18:50: Overcoming Fear
24:56: Asking For Sucess
29:24: Consitent Effort
38:12: Your Purpose
48:48: Mindset
55:00: Personal Growth
Live Links:
🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com
🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com
⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com
🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
1 hr
December 29, 2023 #62: Building 9-Figs in a Garage: In Depth Dive into Solgen’s Rocket Ship
In this episode of The Founder Podcast, host Chris Lee and his guest, Levi Ringo, sit down to discuss the early days of building Solgen from the ground up. They share colorful stories from the company's origins in Chris's home garage in rural Washington. Listeners get a first-hand look at the challenges of bootstrapping a solar installation business with no outside funding.
Chris and Levi reminisce about crazy experiences like taking on an ill-advised tree removal job and facing down a potential $1 million fine in their first year. They also celebrate the divine interventions that helped the fledgling company grow, from recruiting key early employees to securing a pivotal lease. Listeners learn how the founders' relentless vision and grit kept Solgen powered through adversity.
Fans of the show will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at entrepreneurial grit in action. Business owners will gain valuable lessons in problem-solving, pivoting and building a successful startup culture from the ground floor.
With humor and honesty, Chris and Levi take listeners on the wild ride of the early days that established Solgen as an industry leader in solar energy.
Highlights:
"Your level of belief is the biggest limiting factor that's keeping you from networking to the top."
"I was just miserable. I just gotten out of like a failed sales venture. I was down I was living in my car for like six months at this time trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to do with my life."
"I think it's really the power of living in the moment, right? Like, let me just take this thing, one bite at a time, because I'm gonna keep biting, right?"
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction
08:45: Importance Of Culture
16:40: Energy Crisis
26:04: Early Mistakes
36:14: Solar Business Day To Day
41:39: Tree Removal
50:24: Managing Stress
1:10:16: Personal Growth
Live Links:
🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com
🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com
⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com
🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
1 hr 24 min
December 26, 2023 #61: From Bankruptcy to 9 Figure Exits: My Time On The Bridging The Gap Podcast
For this weeks episode of The Founder Podcast I join Bridger Rodgers on her show, Bridging The Gap!
This episode features an inspiring interview where Chris shares his story of filing for bankruptcy at a young age with $2.2 million in debt, and how he was able to bounce back from that low point.
He discusses the lessons he learned around living for external validation versus his own goals. Chris also details how he grew his solar installation company Soldier Energy to $233 million in annual revenue and a $100 million acquisition, becoming one of the fastest growing companies in the US.
Listeners will learn Chris's insights on skills like sales, marketing, team building and culture that he attributes to his success.
It's an empowering story of perseverance and what it takes to scale a business to nine-figure exits!
Highlights:
"I stopped caring about what other people thought., it's been a gradual process. It wasn't all at once. But, you know, early in my career, I was doing things to like, look at me, business owner, drive the nice car, have the nice this or that or whatever, create the facade of success rather than being a successful person."
"I want to be the highest priced in any industry I ever operating from, there's really only two ways that you can operate an industry either you got to be the cheapest, you got to do a make a sliver of profits across large scale billions and billions of dollars, or you got to be the most expensive otherwise, you're screwing yourself."
"As a business owner, you have to understand sales, and I'm not talking retail sales, I'm talking high ticket getting being able to identify pain, create a motion, and close based off of a gap of pain and a solution that you provide."
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction
05:01: Growing Up
10:11: Overcoming Bankruptcy
15:31: Skill Development
20:09: Building Winning Culture
24:16: Leadership
35:51: Partnership
45:08: Mentorship
54:30: Building A Business
Live Links:
🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com
🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com
⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com
🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
1 hr 1 min
December 22, 2023 #60: Amin Shaykho: Founder Of Kadama, Forbes 30 Under 30, Over 1 Million Users
Welcome to another episode of the Founder Podcast with your host, Chris Lee. Today, get ready to be inspired by Amin Shaykho, a trailblazing entrepreneur and software engineer.

Amin is the mastermind behind Kadama, an educational platform that soared to immense popularity with millions of users and a staggering social media following. His achievements have landed him a coveted spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and he's also a TED speaker. With tech expertise honed at Apple, where he contributed to projects like iMessage, Amin raised a remarkable $1.7 million seed round for Kadama.

In this episode, Chris welcomes Amin Shaykho to the show. Amin, at just 25 years old, is a bit different from other founders featured on the podcast. His tech platform, Kadama, connects students and tutors to get homework help. Chris dives into Amin's journey, discussing his background, experiences at Apple, and the evolution of Kadama through three distinct phases.

Amin shares the challenges of the initial phase, where Kadama aimed to be an affordable platform connecting users with various services. The startup faced a chicken-and-egg problem, leading them to pivot and focus solely on tutoring. Just as they were gaining traction in the in-person tutoring space, the pandemic hit, prompting a second pivot. Kadama adapted to the virtual environment and quickly became the most downloaded Gen Z tutoring app in 2020.

With millions of users, Kadama is not only an educational platform but also a social media powerhouse, boasting the second-highest follower count in the education category, just behind Duolingo. Amin emphasizes the flexibility of Kadama for both students and tutors, allowing them to connect whenever needed and setting their own rates.

Chris delves into Amin's background, including his time at Apple and the significant impact he made with the development of a feature in iMessage. Amin's entrepreneurial spirit shines as he reflects on the differences between corporate life and the thrill of being a startup founder.

Tune in to discover Amin's remarkable journey from a young entrepreneur with a vision to the founder of a groundbreaking education platform with global impact. Don't miss this episode filled with insights, lessons, and the entrepreneurial roller coaster experienced by Amin on the Founder Podcast..

Highlights:

"He is a very young founder, and he's got a really cool technology platform that he is building with Kadama. And 25 years old. Yeah. Man. So my listeners know, when I was 25 years old, like I was in the middle of my first startup, and about a year away from bankruptcy has, you know, it's always a physical roller coaster, to be honest, that's what I call it."

"I'm always intrigued by young entrepreneurs. Because, you know, really, the rule in entrepreneurship is, is a lot of time a lot of effort over a long period of time usually leads to results.

His achievements have landed him a coveted spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and he's also a TED speaker. Amin raised a remarkable $1.7 million seed round for Kadama, which achieved a number to peak ranking in the app stores' education category, amassing over 2.5 million followers and 1 billion views on platforms like TikTok and Instagram."

Timestamps:

00:00: Introduction
04:15: Apple Experience
13:31: Tutoring Platform
17:10: Bootstrapping A Tech Company
25:38: Leadership
28:43: Future Plans Language Learning
33:50: What is Education?
40:44: Content For The Masses
46:35: Finding Solutions Vs. Who Has The Solutions

Live Links:
🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com

🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com

⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com

🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
53 min
December 19, 2023 #59: Daryl Kelly: Co-Founder Of Solgen Power, Serial Entrepreuer
In this episode of the Founder Podcast, host Chris Lee interviews his longtime business partner and friend Daryl Kelly.
Chris and Daryl share stories from their early days working together in pest control sales and the challenges that led them to start their first business venture together - a coupon book fundraiser.
Daryl discusses growing up in a large family on a farm and the values of hard work and family that were instilled in him. Chris and Daryl also reminisce about memorable experiences over their 19 years working together, from competitions in wheelbarrows to daring dares to drink hot sauces.
Join us for a fun look back at the friendship and entrepreneurial journey that started it all!
Highlights:
"Grew up fourth of eight kids. So grew up in a big family in the middle."
"I think my dad and mom have always been principle based. You know, this is what we do. This is who we are, this is why we do it." - Daryl on lessons learned from his parents.
"We won that contest. The wheelbarrow on a wheelbarrow haul baby, like obviously we had dinner and we've met before that but that was like the first like memory of like, really like doing something together."
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction
01:47: Childhood Memories
07:02: Growing Up
15:45: Family & Business
24:41: Coupon Book
33:16: Mentorship's
39:43: Policies & Politics
45:38: Conspiracies
54:33: Overcoming Struggles
Live Links:
🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com
🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com
⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com
🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
59 min
December 12, 2023 #58: The Digital Real Estate World: Ian Prukner
This episode of the Founder Podcast features host Chris Lee interviewing serial entrepreneur Ian Prukner. Ian shares his background growing up in Michigan and his journey starting in network marketing after facing financial difficulties.

He discusses scaling his business to 48 locations and selling it for millions. Ian provides insights on principles of success like winning fully across faith, family, fitness, finance and future self. He describes tough times like losing business overnight and how he overcame challenges through discipline and commitment.

Ian offers a masterclass on recruiting through identifying pain points and making people feel special. Listeners will learn lessons on building a business through principles, mentoring others and more.

Highlights:

"My philosophy is ran by this faith, family, fitness, finance, future self, these are the five things, Chris that like, in my opinion, if we get them wrong, that is irreparable, irreparable damage."

"You can be disciplined, or somebody can discipline you, but there is no escaping the discipline, just like there's no escaping the pain, you can pick your pain, pick it now or pick it later. But you're gonna have to pick it."

"Recruit people away from where they are not to what you're doing. So another word for that is expose the nightmare and sell the dream."

Timestamps:

00:00: Introduction
04:28: Quick Vs Long Term Success
09:20: Investing In Personal Growth
19:04: Short Vs Long Term Consequences
28:21: Leadership
31:23: Unethical Practices
40:44: Real Estate During Covid
50:19: Recruiting

Live Links:

🚀 Join my community - Founder Acceleration
https://www.founderacceleration.com

🤯 Apply for our next Mastermind
https://www.thefoundermastermind.com

⛳️ Golf with Chris
https://www.golfwithchris.com

🎤 Watch my latest Podcast
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founder-podcast/id1687030281
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=dc252f8540ee4b05
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefounderspodcast
59 min

About Next Level Pros

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Next Level Pros, where we explore the journeys of some of the most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs from around the world. I'm your host, Chris Lee.