Startup Stories - Mixergy

By Andrew WarnerSociety & Culture Business Education

Startup Stories - Mixergy episodes

April 21, 2016 #1294 This isn’t an interview.
I invited a member of the Mixergy team, April Dykman, to help me tell you about the best part of Mixergy….Mixergy Premium.
Copywriter, but really more than that.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
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20 min
April 20, 2016 #1293 How Jesse Itzler gets his foot into every door (and figures out the rest later)
Have you ever met one of these entrepreneurs, the kind of people who, through charisma, confidence, and hutzpah build companies out of nowhere? I feel like the more I read about today’s guest, the more he is that kind of entrepreneur. He just seems to talk his way into building these incredible companies.
I invited him here to talk about how he did it. He is the founder of Alphabet City Sports Records, a record company that he founded and sold. He’s also the founder of Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid private jet card company, which he sold to a Berkshire Hathaway company, NetJets.
He also founded ZICO Coconut Water, which Coca Cola acquired. And something that’s really interesting–he hired a Navy SEAL to come and train him for a month and he wrote a book about it, which I’ve got right here, “Living with a SEAL.” I invited him to talk about all those things.
Jesse Itzler is the founder of Alphabet City Sports Records, a record company that he founded and sold. He’s also the founder of Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid private jet card company, which he sold to a Berkshire Hathaway company, NetJets.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
56 min
April 18, 2016 #1292 Don’t be afraid to charge: “There is room for paid training and free training to coexist” – with Joey Korenman
Today we’re going to find out how today’s guest went from $5,000 a year t0 $500,000 a year.
Joey Korenman is the founder of School of Motion, which is dedicated to premium motion design training. We’ll talk about what motion means and we’ll also talk about his upcoming book.
Here’s the interview.

Joey Korenman is the founder of School of Motion which is dedicated to Premium Motion Graphics Training.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
BrandBucket – If you’re starting a company or if you’re starting a new project for your current company and you want someone to package all of the branding for you, go to BrandBucket. You’ll end up with a name that fits your company and a brand that fits the name—for less than the price you’d pay for a really hot domain. You don’t have to be a designer. You don’t have to hire a creative agency—BrandBucket vets the brands for you. if you need a full brand to get your business started, go to BrandBucket.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 14 min
April 15, 2016 #1291 How Dan Engel built FastSpring with $30K
Back in 2011 I was doing this and I interviewed an entrepreneur who bootstrapped his company.
At the time his revenue was $45 million–a lot of hustle, a lot of phone calls, a lot of posts online and he got it to $45 million in sales. And today he’s back. He grew the company bigger. I want to find out how he did that. And who he sold it to is important for us to talk about. I want to find out why he sold it and how life is now.
Then I want to discuss what he’s up to next. His new company is called Mobile1st and it helps companies increase mobile revenue by ensuring that their users’ mobile experience is flawless and optimized for performance.
Today’s guest is Dan Engel. The company that I interviewed him about that we’ll spend a lot of time in this interview talking about is called FastSpring. It helps businesses sell software, games, eBooks and other digital products online.
Dan Engel is the founder of Mobile1st which helps companies increase mobile revenue and preserve their brand value.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
Acuity Scheduling – Acuity Scheduling helps businesses offer and manage their appointments online. With this tool, you’ll be able to automate your client bookings, cancellations, reminders & even payments without sacrificing you soul. Plus, automated reminders and follow-ups eliminate your no-shows, and incentivize repeat bookings. Get an exclusive 45-day trial at AcuityScheduling.com/mixergy
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
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1 hr 4 min
April 13, 2016 #1290 How Nick Kullin created a $70,000/month business practically overnight
The way I started this interview is just by asking the guest a few questions, the kind of questions I would ask to warm him up to get to know him and to start things off in the right path, a path where my guest is ready to be fully open.
I usually do this before the interview official starts and if I record it, I ask Joe, our editor to cut it out, but this time, I did something that I’ve been experimenting with lately.
I said let’s just leave in the pre-interview conversation, the part where I’m just kind of riffing with the guest and let the audience see what goes into those conversations before we start. So, that’s’ what you’re going to get.
You’re going to see a conversation that kind of feels a little bit chatty, feels a little bit off-topic but will give you insight into what I say with my guests, how we get comfortable with each other before the interview starts.
Nick Kullin is the founder of Second Flight Academy, an 8-week, one-on-one growth hacking and marketing training program for business owners and marketers.
Nick Kullin is the founder of Second Flight Academy, an 8-week, one-on-one growth hacking and marketing training program for business owners and marketers.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 23 min
April 11, 2016 #1289 How 99Designs founder builds marketplace businesses – with Matt Mickiewicz
Joining me today is a guest who’s been on Mixergy three times before. We did the first interview when I used to record in a room in my house. I was just getting started back then.
We’ve talked about all the other companies that he’s has run before. We talked about 99designs, the design marketplace. We talked about SitePoint, which has helped so many people build their websites. We talked about Flippa, which helped companies buy and sell websites and businesses.
Today we’re going to talk about his latest company. Matt Mickiewicz is a co-founder of Hired.com, a curated marketplace that matches engineers, product managers, data scientists, etc. with 2400+ VC-backed companies through and efficient and transparent process.
Matt Mickiewicz is a co-founder of Hired.com, a curated marketplace that matches engineers, product managers, data scientists, etc. with 2400+ VC-backed companies through and efficient and transparent process.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
BrandBucket – If you’re starting a company or if you’re starting a new project for your current company and you want someone to package all of the branding for you, go to BrandBucket. You’ll end up with a name that fits your company and a brand that fits the name—for less than the price you’d pay for a really hot domain. You don’t have to be a designer. You don’t have to hire a creative agency—BrandBucket vets the brands for you. if you need a full brand to get your business started, go to BrandBucket.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 8 min
April 08, 2016 #1288 How to find a qualified niche (so you can sell without the hardsell) – with Matthew Pollard
Today’s guest is a guy who used to sell door to door until he started his own company from scratch.
He later sold that company for $16.8 million and decided to teach people to sell without hard selling.
Matthew Pollard is The Rapid Growth Guy where he helps you find a business niche and systemize your sales.
We’ll find out in this interview how he came up with the idea, built it up, and why he sold it. I’d also like to hear some of the door to door sales that he did and his philosophy on sales.
Matthew Pollard is The Rapid Growth Guy where he helps you find a business niche and systemize your sales.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 18 min
April 06, 2016 #1287 How Ellen Rubin’s CloudSwitch got big businesses to adopt the cloud
Do you remember back in 2008 when you were all excited about the cloud?
Well back then the founder you’re about to meet, Ellen Rubin, noticed that big businesses were intrigued by the cloud. They were curious about it, but they couldn’t jump in the way that you and I could when we just wanted to upload our photos to the cloud. It was a lot more difficult. It was overwhelming for them to make the move.
So Ellen started a company called CloudSwitch that made it easier for companies to keep their data centers and use the cloud as an extension. I invited her here to talk about how she built that company and how she sold it about three years later.
Today she runs ClearSky Data. It’s a managed service that combines the performance and availability of local storage with the performance and economics of the cloud. We’ll talk about what that means later in the interview.
Ellen Rubin runs ClearSky Data, a managed service that combines the performance and availability of local storage with the performance and economics of the cloud.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
55 min
April 04, 2016 #1286 Jason Fried on valuations, Basecamp, and why he’s no longer poking the world in the eye
Joining me today is someone who has influenced the development and design of so many web apps and now mobile apps.
HIs name is Jason Fried. He is the cofounder of Basecamp, web and mobile based project management software and collaboration tool. It does to-dos, messaging, scheduling and so much more.
I invited him here to talk about lots of different topics. I want to talk about the name change from 37signals—a name that they had invested so much in reputation and brand connection.
Jason Fried is a co-founder of Basecamp which offers project management.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
With Bench, you get a professional bookkeeping team to do your books for you and our simple, elegant software to review your finances. It’s everything you need to forget about your bookkeeping, without actually forgetting about your bookkeeping.
Upon signup, you’re paired with a team of dedicated bookkeepers who understand your business and use simple, intuitive software to balance your books. Each month you’ll receive tax-ready financials that give you a snapshot of the financial health of your business and make filing taxes a breeze.
Sign up at Bench and get 20% off for your first 6 months.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
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1 hr 34 min
April 01, 2016 #1285 How Laura Roeder used her tribe to pivot to $2.5M in just 18 months
Joining me today is a repeat guest. Back in 2011 I got an email from Laura Roeder that said, “Hey, Andrew, you should interview me.”
I liked how simply she built her business. She showed us how she did social media, how she was willing to do a webinar even if hardly anyone was watching. One of her tactics was to hide the number of people watching so it didn’t look small to anyone else. Those techniques made for such a great interview.
I recently got another email from her about software she’s creating that makes it easy for people to post on social media. I didn’t know how big it was but she gave me the numbers and today we have her back.
Laura Roeder is the founder at MeetEdgar.com, a social media scheduling and marketing automation tool.
Laura Roeder is the founder at MeetEdgar.com, a social media scheduling and marketing automation tool.
Sponsored by
With Bench, you get a professional bookkeeping team to do your books for you and our simple, elegant software to review your finances. It’s everything you need to forget about your bookkeeping, without actually forgetting about your bookkeeping.
Upon signup, you’re paired with a team of dedicated bookkeepers who understand your business and use simple, intuitive software to balance your books. Each month you’ll receive tax-ready financials that give you a snapshot of the financial health of your business and make filing taxes a breeze.
Sign up at Bench and get 20% off for your first 6 months.
The Better Bunch – Mobile app designers and developers can be a pain to work with sometimes if you don’t find the right one. So when we wanted an app mockup designed for Mixergy, we chose The Better Bunch.
If you want to see what they did for us, go to Mixergy.com/BetterBunch. You can actually interact with the mockup they created. If you want a mockup or an app coded for your business go to TheBetterBunch.com and work directly with the people who created ours.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 5 min