The Max Tornow Podcast

Most business owners think their content isn't working because of the algorithm, the hook, or the posting time. Nick Komodina thinks it's because they're hiding the one thing nobody can copy: themselves.

Nick is a business mentor and content creator with 100K+ Instagram followers and the founder of Impact Industries. He has spent the last 13 years helping entrepreneurs build businesses and become better leaders, and he has never paid for a single ad. Everything he and his clients build is organic.

In this episode we get into why he was stuck at 62K followers for three years while a professional content team scripted everything for him, why every level of success can feel worse than the last, how AI is quietly erasing your voice, the three-pillar organic funnel he uses with clients, why he still sells on calls instead of in the DMs, and his most unpopular opinion: post 80% personality, 20% business.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

https://maxtornow.com/call

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

https://smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com/instant-viral-trick/?el=podcastviralvsl

Read more about Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Nick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickkomodina

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxTornow

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

2:30 "If you have a dream, bring it to me" — the origin story

5:04 Why a business mentor focuses on personal development

6:11 From a decade in fitness to business mentoring

6:55 Ads get you clients, not followers

8:25 The crash-diet problem in business

10:18 Why I went back to organic (and ditched the polo shirts)

13:34 "If your ads work so well, why are you so triggered?"

14:21 Most people don't like who they are

14:50 The 30-day detox: no content, no caffeine, no sugar

15:16 AI is erasing your voice

16:24 When you live it, everything is content

16:54 The 2.5-minute self-talk challenge

20:30 Why no achievement ever feels like enough

22:00 The loneliness of online entrepreneurs

23:30 The best business advice: go outside

25:08 Working harder vs. leverage

26:10 Why we don't trust success that comes easy

28:40 Chasing the dollar

30:08 Why $10K feels worse than $5K

31:44 The 3-pillar organic funnel

34:57 Talk to your audience like a little brother

37:02 3 years stuck at 62K with a content team

38:55 Low-effort videos that outperform polished ones

40:55 Frameworks, not scripts

42:44 Content is a muscle (talking in hooks)

44:29 "You'd rather complain than do something hard"

45:00 The monetization framework and side offers

48:23 Sales calls vs. selling in the DMs

50:18 Interviewing clients before taking them on

52:11 The "earn your scroll" rule

54:15 Nick's old aggressive persona

58:38 Empathy for effort, no patience for lack of it

1:00:27 Filming setup, walking desk, and sleep tracking

1:06:12 Daily posting vs. batching

1:08:12 "Film it right now and post it"

1:10:09 Success leaves clues: the organic vs. ads myth

1:12:30 Nick's best-performing reel and the power of storytelling

1:16:10 The dark side of the coaching industry

1:18:07 Why everyone is becoming a carbon copy

1:19:55 Most unpopular opinion: 80% personality, 20% business

1:21:57 Fans vs. viewers

1:23:55 Posting for 0.002% of people

1:26:13 Building a business that doesn't drain you

1:28:28 Isolation and building a place to belong

1:30:30 Nick's book and where to find him

Today's guest is Chris Chung, a content creator and attention strategist with over 160,000 followers on Instagram. After managing more than $20 million in ad spend, he now breaks down the psychology behind personal branding and Instagram marketing, and what makes short-form content capture attention and go viral.

In this episode, we dive into how Chris gained 100,000 followers in only five weeks, why Instagram Trial Reels is the most underrated growth feature, and how to find viral formats in other niches. He also explains his speed-to-value framework, his South Park storytelling trick, and how to write scripts with rhythm.

We also get into daily posting versus batch filming, why you should repost your winning videos, and how to reactivate an old Instagram account. Plus, Chris shares his advice for starting a personal brand in 2026 and his "imitate, innovate, originate" path from 0 to 100,000 followers.

If you're looking to grow on Instagram, build a personal brand, or turn short-form content into clients, this is the episode for you. Let's get into it.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

https://maxtornow.com/call

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

https://smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com/instant-viral-trick/?el=podcastviralvsl

Read more about Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamchrischung

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxTornow

Timestamps:

Today's guest is Ryan Magin, a short-form content expert who's built an audience of over 160,000 Instagram followers and generated over 100 million views. He's the founder of Viral Editz and Attention Media, and he’s behind Grant Cardone's explosive short-form growth.

In this episode, we dive into why the internet is shifting from an attention economy into a trust economy, and why Ryan's raw iPhone footage keeps outperforming his own $5,000-a-month studio setups. We break down the "followers per million" metric Ryan tracks obsessively, his three-take rule for filming reps, and why batching content beats filming day by day.

We also get into why women are dominating short-form growth right now, whether tattoos actually boost retention, the AI avatar experiment, and the "creative tax" nobody warns you about once you start posting at scale.

If you're looking for the real, unfiltered playbook behind viral short-form content… this is the episode for you. Enjoy.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

https://maxtornow.com/call

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

https://smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com/instant-viral-trick/?el=podcastviralvsl

Read more about Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanmagin

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxTornow

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

0:01:15 – Ryan's "low effort, high volume" content philosophy

07:44 – Moving from the attention economy to the trust economy

0:10:11 – Why iPhone footage keeps beating pro camera setups

0:15:35 – The "followers per million" metric Ryan swears by

0:18:23 – How Tai Lopez turned his life into a mini soap opera

0:20:13 – Why women are growing faster than men on social media

0:29:51 – How to actually get good at speaking on camera

0:36:15 – Ryan's video reiteration process

0:39:46 – Why batching content beats filming day by day

0:45:14 – Building a home studio on a budget

0:52:01 – Why costly, effortful content performs better

0:58:22 – Do tattoos help you get more attention on camera?

0:59:47 – The AI avatar experiment that outperformed real videos

1:04:17 – Why the "female guru" wave keeps growing

1:10:07 – Why moms make some of the best content creators

1:13:00 – How to stand out when everyone makes content

1:16:18 – The hidden cost of being authentic online

1:18:25 – The "creative tax" nobody talks about

1:34:23 – Dealing with haters

1:46:59 – Why short form sells just as well as long form

1:48:57 – How to connect with Ryan

Today's guest is Ryan Magin, a short-form content expert who's built an audience of over 160,000 Instagram followers and generated over 100 million views. He's the founder of Viral Editz and Attention Media, and he’s behind Grant Cardone's explosive short-form growth.

In this episode, we dive into why the internet is shifting from an attention economy into a trust economy, and why Ryan's raw iPhone footage keeps outperforming his own $5,000-a-month studio setups. We break down the "followers per million" metric Ryan tracks obsessively, his three-take rule for filming reps, and why batching content beats filming day by day.

We also get into why women are dominating short-form growth right now, whether tattoos actually boost retention, the AI avatar experiment, and the "creative tax" nobody warns you about once you start posting at scale.

If you're looking for the real, unfiltered playbook behind viral short-form content… this is the episode for you. Enjoy.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

https://maxtornow.com/call

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

https://smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com/instant-viral-trick/?el=podcastviralvsl

Read more about Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanmagin

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxTornow

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction

0:01:15 – Ryan's "low effort, high volume" content philosophy

07:44 – Moving from the attention economy to the trust economy

0:10:11 – Why iPhone footage keeps beating pro camera setups

0:15:35 – The "followers per million" metric Ryan swears by

0:18:23 – How Tai Lopez turned his life into a mini soap opera

0:20:13 – Why women are growing faster than men on social media

0:29:51 – How to actually get good at speaking on camera

0:36:15 – Ryan's video reiteration process

0:39:46 – Why batching content beats filming day by day

0:45:14 – Building a home studio on a budget

0:52:01 – Why costly, effortful content performs better

0:58:22 – Do tattoos help you get more attention on camera?

0:59:47 – The AI avatar experiment that outperformed real videos

1:04:17 – Why the "female guru" wave keeps growing

1:10:07 – Why moms make some of the best content creators

1:13:00 – How to stand out when everyone makes content

1:16:18 – The hidden cost of being authentic online

1:18:25 – The "creative tax" nobody talks about

1:34:23 – Dealing with haters

1:46:59 – Why short form sells just as well as long form

1:48:57 – How to connect with Ryan

Today's guest is Oscar Owen, the #1 magic coach in the world turned YouTube strategist for brands like Red Bull, Disney and the BBC.

We dive deep into Oscar's story, from teaching magic tricks on YouTube to building a 1.5M subscriber channel with half a billion views. How did he land clients like Red Bull? Why did he hide his channel from everyone until 120K subscribers? What's killing most YouTube channels in the AI age?

If you're looking to grow on YouTube, land premium clients through content, or understand where social media is heading - you don't want to miss this episode.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

https://maxtornow.com/call

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

https://smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com/instant-viral-trick/?el=podcastviralvsl

Read more about Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Oscar on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/0scar/

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow_business/

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxTornow

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

00:58 - How Oscar Got Into Magic

06:10 - Developing His Own Magic Style

10:14 - How Involved Is Oscar in Editing?

12:48 - Clipping for Instagram & Short Form SOPs

15:12 - 0 to 300K on Instagram in 6 Months

17:23 - Why AI Content Is Dying on YouTube

20:04 - Speaking in Hooks & Recycling Content

23:01 - The Most Important Skill on Social Media

25:05 - Why the Hardest Part Is 0 to 1,000 Subs

27:44 - Reposting Strategy & Trial Reels

33:30 - How Oscar Built His YouTube Strategy Channel

37:03 - $50K With No Sales Page

40:12 - First Million in 5 Years, Second in 2 Months

41:39 - How much did Oscar pay for the domain?

42:37 - Closing B2B Clients Like Red Bull & Disney

48:00 - How Oscar Actually Landed Red Bull

52:02 - Max's Origin Story

59:06 - Doing What No One Else Is Willing to Do

1:00:18 - Why Information Is No Longer What People Pay For

1:03:50 - The Shift Back to Cinematic Content

1:07:01 - How Do You Apply This to a Faceless Brand?

1:11:02 - The Future of Media Is YouTube

1:16:36 - Every Creator Is a Media Company

1:19:23 - Why Organic Makes Your Ads Work Better

1:22:05 - The Selling Happens on YouTube

1:24:12 - Treating Content With the Same Respect as a Sales Call

1:26:34 - Outro

Today's guest is Jordan Lee — founder of AI Acquisition and one of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs in the online space.

We dive deep into Jordan’s story, from dropping out of high school to building a nine-figure company. What was the catalyst for his success? When will AI replace salespeople? Does money bring happiness?

If you’re looking for entrepreneurial inspiration and cutting-edge insights on AI technology and business, you don’t want to miss this episode.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

https://maxtornow.com/call

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

https://smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com/instant-viral-trick/?el=podcastviralvsl

Read more about Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartphonefreedomlifestyle.com

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Jordan on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jordanlee__/

Subscribe to Jordan on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@JordanLeeGrowth

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow_business/

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxTornow

Timestamps:

Today’s guest is Nick Santonastasso - entrepreneur, public speaker, and living example of what it means to turn obstacles into fuel for growth.

In this episode, we dive into Nick’s story of how he moved to Dubai, broke into self-development, and went from unpaid intern to speaking in front of 50,000 people. He shares how he scared Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead, how COVID nearly crushed his business, and what it took to rebuild stronger than before.

We also get real on deeper topics -— how to beat unhappiness, what to do when you feel alone, and why your inner dialogue shapes everything about your future. Plus, Nick opens up about his vision for the next chapter of his life and the future of public speaking.

If you’re looking for raw inspiration, practical mindset shifts, and a masterclass on resilience - this is the episode for you.

Let’s jump in with Nick Santonastasso.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

Read more about Freedom Business Mentoring:

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Nick on Instagram:

Follow Nick on YouTube:

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

Today’s guest is Dominik Rieger, better known as heyDominik - a content creator, agency founder, and one of the sharpest minds when it comes to growth and monetization on Instagram.

In this episode, we dive deep into how he went from launching his first YouTube channel to blowing up to 30 million views in just 40 days, how much you can earn from massive reach, and the clever tactics he used to trick the Instagram algorithm to go viral.

We also explore the mindset behind publishing content, breaking through creative fear, and why so many people are unhappy - even in the creator economy. Plus, we cover AI’s impact on the future of Instagram, working with niche content, and how even the oldest creator he’s seen found wild success online.

If you’re looking to grow, monetize, or simply stay ahead of the curve - this is the episode for you.

Let’s jump in with Dominik Rieger.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

Read more about Freedom Business Mentoring:

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Dominik on Instagram:

Follow Dominik on YouTube:

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

Today’s guest is Janina Karelly, entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Addicted to Models, one of Austria’s leading international modeling agencies working with brands like Gucci, Prada, and Vogue.

She’s not just a force in fashion; she’s also the founder of The Vision Agency, a creative marketing firm, and a passionate advocate for women in business, financial literacy, and wealth building.

In this episode, we dive into the realities of building a global brand, navigating the modeling world, and creating financial freedom through entrepreneurship and smart investing.

Please welcome Janina Karelly.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

Read more about Freedom Business Mentoring:

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Janina on Instagram:

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content:

Timestamps:

Today’s guest is living proof that sales can transform lives.

From humble beginnings to dominating high-ticket sales and training thousands of students, he’s built a reputation as one of the sharpest sales minds in the game.

Founder of Sales Domination and a powerful voice in personal growth, he’s not just teaching people how to close — he’s showing them how to change their lives through mindset, skill, and relentless action.

Get ready to learn the real secrets of selling, scaling, and staying driven.

Apply now for a free consultation call to start your own online business:

My secret video to instantly go viral (just like Mr. Beast) 👇

Read more about Freedom Business Mentoring:

As one of the most influential online business consultants Max Tornow has built several multiple-7-figure companies in the online coaching, consulting and agency market.

Follow Andy on Instagram:

Follow Andy on YouTube:

Follow Max Tornow on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/max_tornow/

Subscribe to Max's YouTube channel for more business & lifestyle content: