Startup Stories - Mixergy

By Andrew WarnerSociety & Culture Business Education

Startup Stories - Mixergy episodes

March 07, 2016 #1274 How to pivot from a consulting service to SaaS – with Pini Yakuel
Joining me today is a guy who had a great idea for software, but he couldn’t actually build it out. He didn’t have the money. He didn’t have the resources. So, he and his cofounder created a consulting company that basically did what his future software would do.
It’s kind of a manual way of doing what software should be doing automatically.
And then every dollar they made as consultants they squirreled away and spent to build the software that today they’re here to do an interview about. What’s exciting about them is how bootstrapped and scrappy they are.
Pini Yakuel is the founder and CEO of Optimove which develops and markets customer retention software.
Pini Yakuel is the founder and CEO of Optimove which develops and markets customer retention software.
Sponsored by
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Keep attendees engaged with interactive polls, live chat and respond to feedback in real time. You’ll even see reports on attendance and performance metrics of your events. GoToWebinar lets you present to hundreds with confidence. Start connecting and converting today with your free 30-day trial at GoToWebinar.com
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.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 6 min
March 04, 2016 #1273 How Mark Podolsky built a 7 figure business flipping vacant land
We don’t usually cover this topic here on Mixergy, where I usually focus on tech startups. But I’m interested in what today’s guest has built.
Mark Podolsky is The Land Geek and offers a course on flipping vacant land.
I have to admit, I don’t know that much about buying raw, undeveloped land. That’s so different from the Dropboxes and Wikipedias of the world that I usually have on here.
He’s built up a nice fortune for himself doing it and that’s why I’m excited to have him on here. I want to know how he did it.
Mark Podolsky is The Land Geek and offers a course on flipping vacant land.
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
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 9 min
March 02, 2016 #1272 The clever marketing tactics that built the biggest daily deals aggregator in Australia
Mixergy is for people who are actually building businesses or going to do it for real.
Today, you’re about to meet one of those people. Rob Liu is a Mixergy member I met to get a sense of what he was doing, what he thought of the site and just to get to know him the way that I do with members and former members. I really want to understand who’s in the audience.
As I got talking to him, I said, “Dude, you should be on Mixergy. Your story is incredible.” I’m excited to have him on here because Rob is the founder of a company called Deals Extra, which is the biggest daily deals aggregator in Australia.
Rob Liu is the founder and CEO Deals Extra which is the biggest daily deals aggregator in Australia.
Sponsored by
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
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.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr
February 29, 2016 #1271 Then and now—A never released interview with Sujan Patel
I’m here with an apology, not to you, my listener, but to my guest here today. Joining me is a guy who I recorded an interview with four years ago and I didn’t publish it.
It was a great interview and I’m so embarrassed that it wasn’t published. In fact, we were going to re-record an interview recently to make up for it because it’s an important story to tell.
Here’s the thing, we’re going to play the full interview, as it was four years ago because it still holds up with one change. At the end of it, he and I will come back and we’ll catch everyone up on where the business went.
Sujan Patel is the cofounder of Single Grain, a digital marketing company that specializes in search engine optimization.
Sujan Patel is the cofounder of Single Grain, a digital marketing company that specializes in search engine optimization.
Sponsored by
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
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
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 57 min
February 26, 2016 #1270 How to go from 0 to 75K subscribers in 6 months – with Sam Parr
I’ll let you guys in on a little secret–one of the reasons why I ask great questions here on Mixergy is before I get the guest on, I often ask their friends, I ask their competitors, I ask people in the audience “What do you want to know about this guy? What should I be asking?”
So, at a conference one year, I said, “I need people to help me ask more questions of the audience.” So, I tweeted out for help and one of the people who responded is the guy you’re about to meet today.
Sam Parr is the founder of The Hustle. It’s a sort of like a combination of Vice and Fast Company. He’s also the producer of Hustle Con, which is a conference for non-tech founders.
I saw a post recently where he said that his company got $500,000 and they were going to be reckless with it and they wanted the world to experience that recklessness. I invited him here to talk about what he did with that money and more importantly how he earned that money.
Sam Parr is the founder of The Hustle. It’s a sort of like a combination of Vice and Fast Company. He’s also the producer of Hustle Con, which is a conference for non-tech founders.
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.
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 15 min
February 24, 2016 #1269 How crippling shyness led to a business helping guys get confidence – with Richard La Ruina
Joining me today is a guy who, at 25 years old, says he only kissed two girls.
Then he read the book “The Game” about the pickup artist world. He started using the things that he’d learned, started teaching his own process.
Richard L Ruina is now a dating coach and teaches how to be successful with women at PUATraining.com. He’s also the author of “The Natural: How to Effortlessly Attract the Woman You Want.”
I invited him here to talk about how he built his business.
Richard L Ruina is an author and dating coach and teaches how to be successful with women at PUATraining.com.
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 14 min
February 22, 2016 #1268 How Mike McCready built a system to predict music trends and hit potential
Today’s guest is a man who built up a company that I happened to read about in The New Yorker about 10 years ago.
Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite writers, wrote a piece that included a that can predict what song is going to be a hit. It was so intriguing, especially since figuring out what music is going to work is really tough, if not impossible and this guy and this company actually made it work.
Well, joining me today is the person who was written about in that New Yorker piece. Mike McCready is the founder of Music Xray, a company that uses data and analytics to identify high potential songs and talent at the earliest possible stage–the kind of stuff you never thought was possible his business is doing on a regular basis.
Mike McCready is the founder of Music Xray, a platform that enables musicians and industry professionals to interact in a way that makes the relationships rewarding for both parties.
Sponsored by
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
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
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 7 min
February 19, 2016 #1267 How a small denim company got visibility among hundreds of competitors
Emilie Whitaker is the co-founder of Beija-Flor, a jeans company that makes jeans for women by women.
In this interview you’ll hear how a gift from Emilie’s mom led to a denim company that solved a specific problem for women.
The two launched the company from a living room and bootstrapped it from credit cards. Today Beija-Flor has been featured in O Magazine, Vogue, and People‘s Style Watch. Here’s how she did it.
Emilie Whitaker is the founder and CEO of Beija-Flor jeans.
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.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
55 min
August 13, 2014 #1050 How a former lawyer built a multi-million dollar company that teaches social skills – with Jordan Harbinger
How does a former lawyer build a multi-million dollar company that teaches social skills.
Jordan Harbinger is the co-founder of The Art of Charm, a company that teaches confidence and emotional intelligence.
Jordan Harbinger is the co-founder of The Art of Charm, a company that teaches confidence and emotional intelligence, and the host of The Jordan Harbinger Show, which interviews top performers, from legendary musicians to intelligence operatives.

Sponsored by
Lead Pages – Lead Pages took my most successful page and turned it into a product that you can use—which magically converts strangers into leads. So if you want to use the page that I use to collect email addresses, check out AndrewsWelcomeGate.com. It will work on your site no matter what your site is built on. Even if you have no site, you can use this URL to collect email addresses for your business. It’s AndrewsWelcomeGate.com.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 8 min
August 13, 2014 #1050 How a former lawyer built a multi-million dollar company that teaches social skills – with Jordan Harbinger
How does a former lawyer build a multi-million dollar company that teaches social skills.
Jordan Harbinger is the co-founder of The Art of Charm, a company that teaches confidence and emotional intelligence.
Jordan Harbinger is the co-founder of The Art of Charm, a company that teaches confidence and emotional intelligence, and the host of The Jordan Harbinger Show, which interviews top performers, from legendary musicians to intelligence operatives.

Sponsored by
Lead Pages – Lead Pages took my most successful page and turned it into a product that you can use—which magically converts strangers into leads. So if you want to use the page that I use to collect email addresses, check out AndrewsWelcomeGate.com. It will work on your site no matter what your site is built on. Even if you have no site, you can use this URL to collect email addresses for your business. It’s AndrewsWelcomeGate.com.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
0 min