Today I’m joined by Monique Volz, founder of Ambitious Kitchen, to explore how she built a thriving food blog into a 7-figure business—with a lean team, kids at home, and a strong sense of purpose.

We dive into the evolution of her brand, her best-performing growth channels, the funnel that sells her digital product on autopilot, and what the future of food content looks like with AI and SEO shifts.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:06 Launching Ambitious Kitchen in 2011
03:00 First income from ads and sponsored posts
05:58 When she knew it could be full-time
06:22 What changed with Pinterest & Instagram
10:00 Email funnel strategy using Grocer’s List
14:02 Plans to build a food media company beyond herself
21:50 TikTok vs. Instagram for discovery
25:34 Inside her full-time team and contractors
31:08 Scaling with kids and working in focused blocks
42:56 SEO, AI, and where food content is going

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Monique:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiouskitchen
Website: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com
Grocer’s List: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/grocers-list/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmbitiousKitchen

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Featured in this episode:
Ambitious Kitchen: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com
The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/cookbook/
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Raptive: https://raptive.com/
Food52: https://food52.com/
The Every Girl: https://theeverygirl.com/
The Every Mom: https://theeverymom.com/
5 Types Of Wealth: https://www.the5typesofwealth.com/

#ambitiouskitchen #foodblogger #entrepreneur

Independent film producer Daren Smith is raising $10 million to produce ten movies over the next four years—and he’s doing it without flying 200 days a year or building a massive audience.

In this coaching episode, Nathan helps Daren design two high-leverage flywheels to reach high-net-worth investors while maintaining full control of his time.

You’ll learn how to craft a targeted outbound system, build a niche inbound engine with just 200 subscribers, and use systems thinking to raise millions without sacrificing your life.

If you're raising capital, scaling creator income, or just want to get more done with less stress, this episode is for you.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Meet Daren Smith: Film Producer & Author
02:33 Why Writing Books Helped Him Raise Money
06:30 Behind the Scenes of Producing a Feature Film
10:29 Designing the $10M Film Fund Strategy
13:14 Building a Fundraising Flywheel Without Burning Out
15:03 Mapping the Outbound Sales Flywheel
24:39 Measuring Flywheel Progress Weekly
30:24 Avoiding the “Flywheel Stall” Trap
34:39 Inbound Content Flywheel for Film Investors
39:33 The Power of Niche, High-Intent Content
42:55 Segmenting Investors vs Fans vs Filmmakers
45:10 Using Conversations to Generate Content
47:19 Tying Together Inbound and Outbound
54:12 Using Content for Cold Outreach
58:50 What Daren’s Doing Next

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, share it with friends, and leave a review. We read every one.

Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Daren:
Website: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darentsmith
X: https://twitter.com/theycallmeds

Featured in this episode:
Craftsman Films: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co
RightMessage: https://rightmessage.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Fathom: https://fathom.video
Grain: https://grain.com
Creator Flywheels: https://www.creatorflywheels.com

Today I’m joined by Dustin Riechmann, founder of Seven Figure Leap, who reveals how podcast guesting became the engine behind his seven figure business.

We dive deep into his journey from traffic engineer to thriving entrepreneur, and break down the exact framework that helped him scale his income and impact.

You’ll learn how Dustin replaced traditional marketing with podcast guesting, why big shows aren’t the secret to growth, and how to turn interviews into clients with his 5 Ps system.

This episode is a must-listen for service providers, coaches, and creators ready to build authority, land high-ticket clients, and drive sales through relationships—not ads.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:13 Meet Dustin Riechmann
03:51 From Meat Sticks to Marketing
08:00 Why Small Podcasts Outperform Big Ones
10:26 A $100K Marketing Shortcut
13:40 Inside Dustin’s $1M Business
15:06 Offers, Pricing, and Scaling
18:20 The 5 Ps Framework for Podcast Guesting
21:19 What Most People Get Wrong
26:01 The Warm Pitch Everyone Gets Wrong
30:55 How to Perform in the Interview
32:55 The Best Type of Call to Action
35:01 The Guest List Strategy That Prints Money
40:03 Live Coaching: Optimizing Nathan’s CTA
43:18 The $3M Scaling Plan
49:10 Why He’s Not Launching a Course
52:25 Systems, Peace, and Focused Growth
55:00 The Power of Referrals and Partners

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Dustin:
Website: https://7figureleap.com/playbook
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinriechmann
Instagram: https://instagram.com/7figureleapcoach

Featured in this episode:
Seven Figure Leap: https://7figureleap.com
FireCreek Snacks: https://www.firecreeksnacks.com
Create & Sell (Nathan's newsletter): https://nathanbarry.com

Today I’m joined by Hala Taha, host of the Young and Profiting podcast and founder of YAP Media, to unpack how she built a million dollar business from her podcast—and her exact strategies for growing, monetizing, and creating long-term deals with brands.

We dive deep into dynamic ad insertion, pricing, creative campaigns, PSO (podcast search optimization), LinkedIn growth tactics, and how Hala turns podcast guests into agency clients.

Whether you’re trying to scale your show, build a media business, or monetize your personal brand, this is a masterclass.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:23 $1 million podcast revenue strategy
03:00 How simulcast impressions work
04:00 Modern podcast ad models
05:40 What YAP Media does for creators
08:31 Why YAP podcasters sell out months ahead
10:10 Average sponsorship revenue uplift: 300-400%
13:12 Hala’s 40% revenue from creative campaigns
15:40 LinkedIn growth strategies for podcasting
21:45 How Hala leverages DM retargeting
26:20 Full breakdown of PSO (podcast search optimization)
30:10 How podcast guests become $6M of agency revenue
33:55 The stealth strategy for converting guests into clients
36:02 Paid interview economics
40:41 Creative monetization: webinars and feed drops
46:00 Podcast growth via smart media buying
51:08 Why swaps drive both growth and revenue
57:15 The power of long-term brand deals
01:02:30 How to maximize ad load without hurting audience trust
01:05:50 Hala’s advice for 50K vs. 300K download podcasters
01:08:12 Closing thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Hala:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yapwithhala
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@youngandprofitingpodcast
Podcast: https://www.youngandprofiting.com
YAP Media: https://www.yapmedia.io

Featured in this episode:
Young and Profiting Podcast: https://www.youngandprofiting.com
YAP Media: https://www.yapmedia.io
Castbox: https://castbox.fm
Player FM: https://player.fm
Ausha: https://www.ausha.co
Megaphone: https://www.megaphone.fm
AdvertiseCast: https://www.advertisecast.com
Gumball: https://gumball.fm
Kit: https://www.kit.com

Today I’m joined by Jay Singh for a coaching session to map out how he can scale his product studio, Casper, from $500K to $2M in annual revenue—without growing a huge team or sacrificing profit margins.

We dive into ideal client profiles, packaging services for predictable revenue, and how Jay can use LinkedIn to consistently generate high-quality leads while building a business he truly loves.

You'll learn our approach to narrowing customer focus, building scalable agency models, and designing lead gen systems that drive serious growth without creating chaos.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Top 3 Problems to Solve
05:03 Pitfalls in Scaling from $500K to $2M
07:18 Mapping Jay’s Best and Worst Clients
10:44 Why Established Creators Might Be the Best Customers
15:03 What Makes a Client Ideal (and What Doesn’t)
20:12 The Flywheel Between Founders, Products, and Creators
28:04 Solving Unpredictable Revenue
33:00 How to Use LinkedIn to Attract the Right Clients
35:55 What Content Positions Jay as the “Go-To” for Creators
41:12 How Jay Can Build a Scalable Lead Gen System
48:12 Why Long-Term Partnerships Beat One-Off Projects
50:19 Recap and Jay’s Action Plan

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Jay:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysingh10125
X: https://x.com/JSingh_08
Website: https://casperstudios.xyz

Featured in this episode:
Casper Studios: https://www.casperstudios.xyz
Kit: https://kit.com

Today I'm joined by John Meese, creator of SOLD OUT Coach Club, for a deep dive into his 7-step framework for building a high-ticket group coaching business—with zero social media, zero paid ads, and just 30 hours a week.

We explore how John earns $30K/month with one assistant and a lean coaching model, why most memberships fail, how to launch without scale, and how to turn client wins into your best marketing engine.

You’ll learn how to find your bullseye client, craft a 10x promise, enroll with “hand raiser” emails, and use coaching calls to refine your pitch—all while building a creator business that funds your life and gives you your time back.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:05 What It Means To Be A SOLD OUT Coach
02:08 Why John Ditched Memberships for High-Ticket
04:38 The 7-Step Framework for SOLD OUT Coaches
07:41 Step 1: Find Your Bullseye Client
10:50 Step 2: Craft a 10x Promise
14:53 Step 3: The “Hand Raiser” Email Strategy
20:14 Step 4: Serve to Sell with Free Coaching Calls
24:36 Step 5: Getting SOLD OUT (with Just 5 Clients)
27:59 Step 6: Celebrate Your Clients to Drive Demand
32:36 Step 7: Sell at Scale (Without Losing Your Life)
41:00 John’s Full Automation + Kit Setup
50:33 A Live Hand Raiser Breakdown (Mike Pacchione Story)
57:16 Scaling Without Losing Time, Lifestyle, or Sanity
01:03:01 Closing Thoughts & Free Book Link

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow John:
Website: https://www.sellyoursmarts.co/
Get the Free Book: https://servetosellbook.com/nathan
Newsletter: https://sellyoursmartsonline.com/
SOLD OUT Coach Club: https://www.soldoutcoachclub.com/

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://kit.com
Serve to Sell Book: https://servetosellbook.com/
SOLD OUT Coach Club: https://www.soldoutcoachclub.com/
Creator Flywheels: https://creatorflywheels.com

Today I'm joined by Sam Vander Wielen, a former lawyer who built a thriving digital product business creator business while recovering from brain surgery.

In this episode, we explore how Sam went from burnt-out lawyer to building a $1.6M/year digital product business with just one full-time employee.

She shares the strategy behind her evergreen funnel, the mindset shifts that helped her grow, and the systems that kept the business running after losing both of her parents.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 Discovering Her True Calling in Business
03:00 Frustrations with the Legal Industry
06:15 Early Signs of Entrepreneurial Spirit
08:55 Food Blog to Legal Templates Pivot
10:24 Starting with SEO and Organic Content
13:01 First Month Revenue & Early Wins
15:47 Scaling to 1.6M with One Product
17:19 “All Roads Lead to the Email List”
18:42 Evergreen Webinar Funnel that Converts
21:04 Ad Strategy & Scaling Mistakes
23:29 Voice of Customer Research System
26:30 The Power of a Simple Product Suite
28:04 Navigating Brain Surgery & Caregiving
33:45 Building a Business While Grieving
38:50 Dropping Social Media & Saying No
41:27 Systems for Automation & Scrubbing
43:30 The Power of Writing a Weekly Newsletter
44:52 Book Launch: When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy
47:10 Why “Community Over Competition” is BS
49:18 Preparing for Craft & Commerce
51:17 What’s Next for Sam

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Sam:
Newsletter: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/easy-emails
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samvanderwielen
Website: https://www.samvanderwielen.com
Book: When I Start My Business I’ll Be Happy – available wherever books are sold

Featured in this episode:
Ultimate Bundle: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/ultimate-bundle
Kit: https://kit.com
Melissa Griffin: https://melissagriffin.com
Craft + Commerce: https://convertkit.com/craft-commerce

Today I'm joined by Jay Singh, AI expert and founder of Casper Studios, to explore how AI is transforming both product creation and internal workflows for creators and businesses alike.

We dive deep into the future of personalized software, unlocking AI use cases for creators, and building tools with platforms like Cursor, MindStudio, and Replit.

Jay shares how creators can implement fast, practical automations to save time, boost output, and stay ahead in a rapidly changing AI landscape.

You'll learn how to identify your best automation opportunities, spin up AI-driven products from transcripts and meeting notes, and use AI to turn raw data into insight, revenue, and leverage.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
02:17 – Why AI Helps 95% of Tasks—but Gets Used for 50%
06:12 – Creators, Voice, and the Future of AI
08:33 – Jay’s Background at Microsoft & LinkedIn
10:09 – The 3-Step Framework for AI Product Thinking
13:26 – Automating Finance, Accounting & Accuracy
18:02 – How Jay’s Agency Designs AI Workflows
20:19 – Zapier, MindStudio & Real AI Implementations
24:36 – Going From Transcript to Product Requirements in Minutes
27:11 – V0, Cursor & AI Product Design Workflows
33:07 – Kit's App Store Vision & The Future of Personalized Software
38:15 – Building AI Tools Without Knowing the Future
42:24 – AI Tools Every Creator Should Be Using
45:42 – Meeting Transcripts → LinkedIn Content
48:19 – AI-Powered Weekly Metrics Reports for Creators
51:06 – How to Spot Your Own Automation Opportunities
55:09 – Why Everyone Thinks Their Job is “Safe” From AI

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Jay:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysingh
X: https://x.com/JSingh_08
Website: https://casperstudios.xyz

Featured in this episode:
MindStudio: https://mindstudio.com
Cursor: https://cursor.sh
V0: https://v0.dev
Fireflies: https://fireflies.ai
Replit: https://replit.com
Kit: https://kit.com

Today I’m joined by Lars Tiger, a Norwegian music producer who makes $500,000 a year—almost entirely profit—working just two hours a week from his home in the south of France.

We dive deep into the experiment that made it possible: releasing thousands of piano tracks with no marketing, using pure volume to generate income and data. Lars shares how he redefined quality, stopped chasing perfectionism, and built a flywheel that creators in any industry can apply.

You’ll learn how volume creates financial stability, how to think like a fisherman (not a perfectionist), and why quantity—not quality—is the fastest path to mastery.

Timestamps:
 00:00 Introduction
 01:26 Lars’ $500K/yr, 2-hour workweek model
 04:12 Creating 1,000 tracks with zero marketing
 08:10 Why 80% quality is enough (and often better)
 14:05 The Pottery Class Experiment
 17:52 From hits to stability: the math behind his model
 20:21 Why Spotify only brings in 15–20% of revenue
 22:30 What actually drives plays (hint: not TikTok)
 25:42 Helping traditional artists embrace volume
 30:38 Can this model scale to $1M+?
 34:50 YouTube, repurposing, and platform expansion
 39:00 Balancing freedom vs scale
 46:04 Faceless creators, pen names, and creative freedom
 52:02 What are you optimizing for?

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave us a review. We read every single one.

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Lars:
Website: https://www.larstiger.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larstiger/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larstiger

Featured in this episode:
Lars’ Free Music Catalog Course: https://www.larstiger.com
ConvertKit: https://convertkit.com
Flywheels Course: https://nathanbarry.com/flywheels
The Personal MBA: https://personalmba.com

#musicproducer #entrepreneur #songwriter

Today I’m joined by Tiffany Uman, a transformational coach and marketing strategist who built her multi‑million dollar coaching business from scratch.

In this episode, Tiffany shares the four pillars behind her success, reveals how she transitioned from corporate L’Oréal to launching her business during maternity leave, and outlines her proven strategies for scaling revenue and driving client transformation.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
01:27 – Tiffany’s Four Pillars of Business Growth
03:28 – From Corporate Executive at L’Oréal to Entrepreneur
06:39 – Starting a Coaching Business While on Maternity Leave
11:24 – Balancing Family & Business Growth
16:28 – Identifying and Overcoming Key Man Risk
20:19 – The Turning Point: Scaling Beyond $500K
24:14 – How to Break Past Growth Plateaus
32:00 – Diversifying Revenue Streams & Leveraging B2B
37:14 – Tiffany’s Approach to Building a Team
41:12 – Elevating Team Members to Reduce Dependency on You
45:18 – Identifying & Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
49:02 – Using Flywheels to Create Sustainable Growth
53:17 – Leveraging AI to Streamline Operations
1:00:03 – Where to Follow Tiffany & Closing Thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts or questions for a future episode – we read every single one!

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Tiffany Uman:
Website: https://tiffanyuman.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-uman-career-strategy-coach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffany.uman
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tiffany.uman
X: https://x.com/tiffanyuman
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCQqfl93s1XEyc5pbMYoyF_g

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Featured in this episode:
Tiffany Uman Coaching - https://tiffanyuman.com
Andrew Huberman - https://www.youtube.com/@UC2D2CMWXMOVWx7giW1n3LIg
Ryan Holiday - The Obstacle In The Way (book) - https://ryanholiday.net/books-courses/
Deliverability Defined Podcast - https://deliverability.transistor.fm/
Lil Jon's Wellness Wednesdays - https://liljon.kit.com/newsletter
Microsoft – https://www.microsoft.com
L’Oréal – https://www.loreal.com
LinkedIn Learning – https://www.linkedin.com/learning