Startup Stories - Mixergy

By Andrew WarnerSociety & Culture Business Education

Startup Stories - Mixergy episodes

January 30, 2017 #1403 How Mark Sisson grew a loyal tribe before launching a niche health food line
Today I have the founder of Primal Kitchen, a Paleo health foods line by Mark Sisson. They make avocado oil, protein powder, dark chocolate almond bars and more.
We’re going to talk about how he built this company by starting with a blog.
Mark is also the author of multiple books including Primal Blueprint. We’ll talk about that an so much more.
Mark Sisson is the founder of Primal Kitchen, a Paleo health foods line which makes avocado oil, protein powder, dark chocolate and more.
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.
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.
Sign up at Bench and get 20% off for your first 6 months.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 3 min
January 27, 2017 #1402 How to Master Productivity, Discipline and Focus in 100 Days – with John Lee Dumas
How do you sell something that is old technology in a modern world and get people to love it and to keep buying it?
About a year ago, this guy who I’d known for years emailed me and he said that he was coming out with a book, which I thought, “Great. I can’t wait to get it on Kindle.” Then he said, “No, no, actually it’s a journal. I’m expecting people to fill it out, get out a pen or a pencil and start filling it out.” I thought, “This is a little bit weird. Are people actually still writing down on paper? Aren’t we all doing everything on our phones?”
At the same time, I feel like it’s an anachronism. In a world where everything is on my phone, my journal, my photos, everything. Why is this guy sending me this book and how well is it working?
Today’s guest is John Lee Dumas and the journal that I’m talking about is called “How to Master Productivity, Discipline and Focus in 100 Days.” I want to know the business behind it.
John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of EOFire and author of “How to Master Productivity, Discipline and Focus in 100 Days.”
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.
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.
Sign up at Bench and get 20% off for your first 6 months.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
59 min
January 25, 2017 #1401 Proven marketing tactics from Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing Formula
Today I’ve got an author which may seem a little different but it’s really not.
I used to think that authors don’t actually make money from their books. I thought they built up a reputation and make money selling consulting services but that the books are kind of a loss.
And then I met today’s guest. Mark Dawson is an author who’s written 25 books. In addition to writing books he’s also teaching people how to self-publish through courses at Self Publishing Formula.
Even if you’re not selling books, the marketing tactics that he uses to sell his books will work in other areas outside the publishing world.
Mark Dawson ia a best selling author of over 25 fiction books. He also runs Self Publishing Formula, which offers courses for aspiring authors who want to self-publish.
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.
ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results.
If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 10 min
January 23, 2017 #1400 A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade – with Robert Cialdini
A few weeks ago I interviewed a founder and I couldn’t figure out why his company was so successful. His software was the same as his competition. The founder told me his company was using influence techniques in the way they create their content.
I said, “Wow, that reminds me of this book by Robert Cialdini called Influence.” Turns out, that’s the book he’s been using to teach the people on his team. So that’s why he was doing so well. It wasn’t just his software—it was his persuasion skills.
Well, Robert Cialdini has noticed something interesting. He noticed that what happens before people persuade you impacts how receptive you are to their persuasion. I invited him here to talk about that.
Robert Cialdini is the author of Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
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.
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
55 min
January 20, 2017 #1399 How Raj Jeyakumar built Skillbridge and sold it to Toptal
A few weeks ago I talked to a guy who sold his company to one of my sponsors. The company was Skillbridge and he sold it to Toptal. I wanted to get a sense of how Toptal was growing.
While I was on the phone with Skillbridge’s founder I couldn’t believe how interesting his story was. I had to invite him to come share it with my audience.
I want to hear how he had a killer idea before and missed out on it because of a stupid mistake! But he built his company to the point where it was acquired.
Raj Jeyakumar is the founder of Skillbridge, an online platform to help you find and hire the world’s best consultants on demand.
Raj Jeyakumar is the founder of Skillbridge, an online platform to help you find and hire the world’s best consultants on demand.
Sponsored by
Noah Kagan Presents – If you’re listening to me, I think you’ll enjoy a new podcast by Noah Kagan. It’s called Inflection Point because unlike Mixergy, Noah will interview people who are just getting started—people who are at that moment in their lives when things start to turn. He’s with giving people challenges because he wants them to take action like finding their first customers and getting out of their comfort zone.
But get this, if you subscribe to Noah Kagan Presents Noah’s also going to give you $1. Just email him at mixergy at okdork dot com to ask for your dollar.
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 2 min
January 18, 2017 #1398 How to get your offline business to grow beyond local
I got an email from a listener in the audience who said she had a yoga studio and wanted to know how she could grow it. She wanted to know how to use online ads, and social media like Instagram.
My response to her was that maybe those platforms are hard to use for a reason. I thought her market was more limited to local advertising. I thought of her before recording this interview and here’s why.
Today’s guest built a company that took fitness online. And his cofounder started with a yoga studio!
So anyone in my audience who has a business in a fixed location can learn how to go online and grow beyond local.
Andy Fossett is the cofounder of GMB Fitness, which teaches people how to use their bodies better.
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.
Sign up at Bench and get 20% off for your first 6 months.
Noah Kagan Presents – If you’re listening to me, I think you’ll enjoy a new podcast by Noah Kagan. It’s called Noah Kagan Presents and unlike Mixergy, Noah will interview people who are just getting started—people who are at that moment in their lives when things start to turn. He’s with giving people challenges because he wants them to take action like finding their first customers and getting out of their comfort zone.
But get this, if you subscribe to Noah Kagan Presents Noah’s also going to give you $1. Just email him at mixergy at okdork dot com to ask for your dollar.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 2 min
January 16, 2017 #1397 How a jerky founder learned to lead with emotional intelligence
Today’s guest says that at one point in his life, he was a real ass. He says he was pushy and insistent on his approach until he discovered a better way.
I initially invited him here just to talk about his business but I had no idea he’d be open to talking about that and the issues he had with his cofounder.
To me, the emotional intelligence part of his story is the most interesting and what I want to get into here.
R. Michael Anderson is the founder of Radiant Technologies, which was an ERP reseller.
R. Michael Anderson is the founder of Radiant Technologies, which was an ERP reseller.
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 12 min
January 13, 2017 #1396 I enter the ring with Empire Flippers founder Justin Cooke
Today’s guest is Justin Cooke, the founder of a marketplace where people go and buy and sell websites.
I spent 25 minutes talking to people in his industry to make sure that he wasn’t just a nice guy who happens to have been a long-term Mixergy listener who is going to take advantage of me. And I got some stuff. I have some things I want to talk to him about, nothing especially shocking, but I want to make sure there isn’t anything underneath that would mean he shouldn’t really be on Mixergy.
This interview is going to be about how his company, Empire Flippers, came to be. I also want to know what Justin and his cofounder were doing before, how they failed, and closed up a company.
Justin Cooke is the founder of Empire Flippers, a marketplace where people go and buy and sell websites.
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 12 min
January 11, 2017 #1395 How Attractive World founder sold a “hard-to-exit” dating site
A few weeks ago today’s guest sold his company but one of the fascinating things to me is that it was a dating company.
Andrew Chen wrote an article about why investors don’t fund dating sites. They have built in churn because once you match someone they no longer need the site, dating has a short shelf-life, paid acquisition is expensive, and it’s a hard company to exit.
Dating sites are tough to build, grow and make successful but today’s guest did all that. I want to find out how.
Ludovic Huraux is the founder of Attractive World, a french dating site that was acquired by Affinitas.
Ludovic Huraux is the founder of Attractive World, a french dating site that was acquired by Affinitas.
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.
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.
Sign up at Bench and get 20% off for your first 6 months.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
59 min
January 09, 2017 #1394 Have the guts to shut down a good business to build a great business
Back in 2010, I interviewed a guy who was a Mixergy fan who had a good idea for a business that was doing well but wasn’t going to do great. So he did the gutsy thing and he scrapped that idea and he started a new company.
I invited him to talk about how he did it and the guts involved in shutting down something that was doing okay to try to get something big. The new company was called SeatGeek.
In the years since then, I keep hearing SeatGeek’s name mentioned in just about any conversation around sports and ticketing. They just keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger. So now I’ve got the cofounder here to talk about what’s happened since then and how they got this far.
Today’s guest is Jack Groetzinger. He is the cofounder of SeatGeek, a marketplace for live entertainment.
Jack Groetzinger is the cofounder of SeatGeek, a marketplace for live entertainment.
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 4 min