In this episode, I sit down with Bill Burnett & Dave Evans, Stanford Design Professors and best-selling authors, to discuss how they've helped millions rethink their careers and purpose through their "Design Your Life" framework.

We dive into the surprising journey developing their best-selling book, the core principles of "design thinking" applied to life, and the critical role of understanding human needs.

Later, we get tactical, breaking down their ambitious goal to reach 10 million people with their new book, "How to Live a Meaningful Life," and explore effective strategies for leveraging communities, media, and digital platforms for impactful book promotion.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Two essential ingredients for a meaningful life
04:23 What we do at Stanford
07:28 Coaching is a trend
10:13 Why plans don't work for life design
12:22 There is more aliveness in you than one life
15:41 From FOMO to JOMO
19:45 How to prototype your life choices
24:00 How to choose when there are too many opportunities
28:28 From Star Wars toys to Apple
32:20 From Mechanical Engineer to Electronic Arts
36:11 Making your life a beautiful experience
39:09 The simplicity of building a meaningful life
42:06 Responding to a deep longing
46:11 Leadership and authenticity
48:41 Goal for the new book
53:23 Lessons from wildly successful books
57:00 Inspirations for book promotion
1:01:46 The flywheel of reviews
1:05:13 Unfair advantages in book promotion
1:10:51 Connecting with students and educators
1:16:30 The power of mass media

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Bill:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-burnett-4225401
Website: https://designingyour.life
Book: https://designingyour.life/how-to-live-a-meaningful-life
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.art.shadows
Instagram (shared): https://www.instagram.com/fullyalive_bydesign
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@designingyourlifethebookmo6856

Follow Dave:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-evans-62148
Website: https://designingyour.life
Book: https://designingyour.life/how-to-live-a-meaningful-life
Instagram (shared): https://www.instagram.com/fullyalive_bydesign
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@designingyourlifethebookmo6856

To get weekly tools and ideas to design a meaningful life, sign up for Bill and Dave's newsletter Fully Alive, by Design at https://designingyour.life/newsletter

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Designing Your Life: https://designingyour.life
How to Live a Meaningful Life: https://designingyourlife.com/how-to-live-a-meaningful-life

In this episode, I sit down with Nicole Burke, founder of Gardenary, to unpack her dynamic strategy for building a 7-figure brand primarily through short-form visual content.

Nicole shares exactly how she leverages Instagram to generate millions of views and drive revenue, all while embracing her identity as a business owner who leverages social media, not just an influencer.

We dive deep into her content methodology, breaking down the essential categories of reels—entertain, educate, showcase, and invite—and how each contributes to a robust growth and sales funnel.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:11 Growing a Service Business with Instagram
04:08 Scaling a Garden Design Business
06:26 Transitioning to Digital and Diversifying Revenue
08:24 The Showcasing Strategy: Content Creators & Authenticity
10:04 Breaking Down Gardenary: Education, E-commerce, & Certification
12:57 The Instagram Storefront Analogy
16:26 Leveraging Algorithms: The Share Button's Power
19:07 Educational Content: Answering FAQs & Tracking Saves
22:31 Showcase Content: Inspiring with Results & Aspiration
26:00 The "Invite": Making the Ask Effectively
28:01 The Magic of Automation: From Comments to Conversions
32:26 Free Ad Experimentation with Organic Content
36:20 Crafting Engaging Content: Relatable Pain Points & Humor
41:17 Nicole's Metrics for Content Success
45:10 Instagram's Content Funnel: Reels, Posts, Carousels, Stories
52:19 Stories for Direct Sales & Community Engagement
56:51 Six Types of Videos Anyone Can Make
1:02:13 The Face-to-Camera Hack: Conquering the Fear
1:06:51 The Power of Documentary-Style Video

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Nicole:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heynicoleburke
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-johnsey-burke-136628154
Website: https://heynicoleburke.com
Gardenary's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardenaryco
Gardenary's Website: https://www.gardenary.com

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Gardenary: https://www.gardenary.com

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Rhodes, DJ and content creator with over 3 million followers, to discuss how to monetize his massive audience beyond traditional events.

Eric shares his journey from professional DJ to viral social media sensation and explores the challenges of earning revenue when much of his content features copyrighted music.

We brainstorm two main paths for monetization: deepening engagement with music fans, and serving a specific niche of aspiring DJs. We dive into strategies for segmenting his audience, developing high-value lead magnets, and creating educational products like courses or masterminds, all while maintaining control over his time and balancing his passion for DJing with his family life.

Timestamps:
01:21  Eric's Social Media Following Breakdown
03:00  The Start of Eric's Online Content Creation
05:07  Key Factors in Eric's Rapid YouTube Growth
08:44  The Importance of Feedback in Content Creation
10:48  Using Negative Feedback for Improvement
13:38  Eric's Current Business Revenue and Breakdown
16:35  The Trade-offs of Reduced Travel and Events
19:40  Segmenting the Audience: Fans vs. DJs
27:07  The "Skill That Makes Money" Framework
32:00  Strategies for Patreon Growth and Fan Engagement
46:17  High-Ticket Offers and Masterminds
54:10  Using Lead Magnets for DJ Audience Growth
01:03:55  The Value of Packaging Knowledge into a Course
01:10:15  Next Steps for Building a DJ Education Business

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Eric Rhodes:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djericrhodes
Website: https://theericrhodes.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNqLnC4Mc6nGY1ad-aLxxqw
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@djericrhodes

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Ampersand Studios: https://ampersandstudios.co
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com
SitePoint: https://www.sitepoint.com
Whisper: https://github.com/openai/whisper
ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com

In this episode, I sit down with Jay Singh, founder of Casper Studios, to explore how AI voice agents are transforming how we create, communicate, and collect information.

We dive into how Jay helped Kit’s team automate workflows with voice-based AI, why voice will soon replace typing entirely, and how creators can use tools like Whisper Flow and ElevenLabs to turn ideas into finished content faster. Jay also gives a live demo, showing exactly how to build a working AI voice agent from scratch.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:10 Hitting a $2M run rate with AI implementation
03:34 How Kit’s team uses AI to build internal tools
05:11 Building an automation culture with AI education
06:48 Why voice will replace typing
09:21 The Apple example and how voice got good again
12:16 Why speaking first creates more authentic content
18:52 The power of transcripts as creative building blocks
22:06 Using voice to collect team insights and automate discovery
26:22 Live demo: building a working AI voice agent
33:02 Setting guardrails and testing your AI agent
40:24 How creators can integrate voice feedback loops
47:48 How AI changes human interaction and trust
50:01 Practical next steps for creators using voice
54:15 Final takeaways and what’s next for Casper Studios

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 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://casperstudios.xyz
Kit: https://www.kit.com
ElevenLabs: https://elevenlabs.io
Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai

In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Miller, business strategist and founder of Jessica Miller Coaching, to uncover four keys that will help you unlock $100K in hidden profit inside your existing business.

Jessica shares how to identify the “Hell Yes” offer that energizes you and your audience, simple add-ons and bundles that boost profit instantly, and how to reactivate past clients and turn referrals into a predictable growth system. We also dive into real client examples—from $80-an-hour coaches turning into $30K earners, to brick-and-mortar shops doubling revenue overnight.

If you want to find the hidden money already inside your business, this episode is your roadmap.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:10 Jessica’s journey from pharmacist to business strategist
04:11 Leaving corporate after a health crisis and starting over
06:19 Why so many entrepreneurs struggle with profit
08:21 The key to more profit is doing better, not more
09:17 The first lever: creating your “Hell Yes” offer
13:25 How pricing and positioning change everything
17:16 Client example: the concert pianist who sold $30K in six weeks
21:41 Turning a low-ticket membership into a $120K cohort program
24:26 The second lever: add-ons and bundles
30:29 How tiered pricing can 2–3x your income
34:10 The third lever: reactivation—selling to warm leads again
37:46 The candle bar business that grew 76% year-over-year
43:10 The hidden cost of your energy and how to optimize it
46:54 Capturing contact info to reactivate clients
53:31 The fourth lever: referrals and the “plus one” SOP
59:10 Building referral systems into your business
01:03:00 Measuring results and optimizing every flywheel
01:10:00 Jessica’s worksheet to uncover hidden profit

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Jessica:
Jessica's Free Worksheet : https://jessicamillercoaching.com/nathan
Website: https://www.jessicamillercoaching.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicadioguardimiller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-miller-coaching-growth-consultant

Featured in this episode:
Jessica's Free Worksheet : https://jessicamillercoaching.com/nathan
Jessica Miller Coaching: https://www.jessicamillercoaching.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com

In this episode, I sit down with Erin Green, founder of Audacious Labs, to break down how to design a course that actually changes behavior.

Erin spent 15 years inside agencies building programs for IKEA, Google, and Amazon before developing her framework for turning expertise into transformative learning experiences. We dive deep into what makes most courses flop, how to create real outcomes for students, and how to use AI to design and validate better programs faster.
If you’re building a course or product that needs to deliver real results, this episode will show you exactly how to do it.

Timestamps:
 00:00 Introduction
 02:45 Why most courses fail to create results
 07:31 The five stages of Hook to Habit: Hook, Start, Build, Flow, Habit
 11:22 Creating easy wins to build momentum
 14:30 Feedback loops and building confidence
 17:57 Flow and skill mastery
 24:22 Using behavioral design to make learning stick
 31:09 The power of pre-selling and running workshops
 35:23 Designing your learning journey backwards
 39:55 The importance of bad examples in learning
 43:14 Why confidence comes before competence
 47:32 Designing opportunities for practice and feedback
 56:19 Using AI to organize and refine your ideas
 01:04:37 Choosing the right platform and testing small
 01:13:00 The biggest mistake course creators make

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Erin:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/er-green
Website: https://www.audaciouslabs.io

Featured in this episode:
Audacious Labs: https://www.audaciouslabs.io
Kit: https://www.kit.com

Highlights:
09:12 – Why your competition isn’t other courses, it’s Netflix
14:30 – Building confidence through feedback loops
24:22 – Behavioral design tactics that make learning stick
56:19 – How to use AI to refine and structure your course ideas

In this special episode, I sit down with my friend Frannie Wilson to interview her for my new book "The Ladders of Wealth. We explore her journey of running Ampersand Studios for over 16 years and how she’s reinventing her business after buying out her longtime partner.

Instead of having the conversation over a cup of coffee, we decided to record one in the studio instead. We dive into what it takes to scale an agency without burning out, why delegating fulfillment is critical, and how Frannie is using systems, subcontractors, and culture-building to position her team for growth.

She shares lessons from managing people, creating replicable offers, and handling the challenges of sales, client retention, and leadership.

If you’re navigating the leap from founder-doer to CEO—or building a creative agency that lasts—this episode is packed with insights.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:15 Frannie’s 16-year journey with Ampersand
04:00 Buying out her business partner and reinventing
07:05 Balancing recurring revenue and one-off projects
10:30 Delegating fulfillment and avoiding bottlenecks
13:55 Building systems and hiring contractors
17:30 The role of values and culture in small teams
22:10 Lessons from managing people and avoiding drama
27:30 Productizing services vs. custom work
33:00 Smarter hiring with test projects
39:30 Landing and qualifying clients the right way
52:30 Retaining clients and handling tough situations
59:45 Final reflections and advice

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Frannie:
Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/frannie_pack
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frannie-wilson
Ampersand Studios (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/ampersand_studios
Ampersand Studios (Website): https://ampersand-studios.com

Featured in this episode:
Ampersand Studios (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/ampersand_studios
Ampersand Studios: https://ampersand-studios.com/

In this episode, I sit down with Lily Jones, founder of Educator Forever, for a coaching session to map out how she can scale her education business from $700K to $1M and beyond.

We dive into Lily’s unique flywheel that connects training teachers with agency work, why she’s hitting a growth plateau, and how focusing on sales could unlock her next stage.

Lily shares her journey from kindergarten teacher to entrepreneur, what she’s learned building two businesses in one, and how to prioritize growth without burning out.

If you’re looking to evolve a multi-offer business without splitting your focus, this episode is a blueprint.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:17 Lily’s backstory and why she left the classroom
04:43 From teacher to curriculum developer
07:15 How free classes built her first audience
10:26 Creating the Curriculum Development Foundations program
13:19 Building a two-sided business: teachers and agency
16:28 Mapping the Educator Forever flywheel
19:35 Revenue growth
23:05 Where the business plateaued and why
26:31 Increasing project size and repeat contracts
30:56 The case for hiring salespeople
34:20 Finding focus by niching down in K–5 curriculum
38:29 Exploring recurring and higher-paying projects
42:18 Selling into schools as a future growth path
46:55 Balancing opportunities with clear priorities
50:12 Building a long-term roadmap to $1.5M+
54:46 Takeaways and next steps

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Lily:
Website: https://educatorforever.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatorforever
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-jones-b940457b

Featured in this episode:
Educator Forever: https://educatorforever.com
Educator Forever Agency: https://educatorforeveragency.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com

In this episode, I sit down with Kristin Flanary, co-founder of the $1.2M Glaucomflecken brand, for a coaching session on how to scale to $10M by building systems, productized services, and new revenue streams.

We dive into Kristin’s unique journey blending healthcare satire, advocacy, and entrepreneurship, and map out how to grow beyond skits and sponsorships into licensing, joint ventures, and an agency model.

Kristin shares the challenges of balancing inbound opportunities, managing a lean team, and creating scalable offers that go beyond her and her husband’s personal involvement.

If you want to see how to scale a creator business from seven to eight figures without losing focus, this episode is for you.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:05 Kristin’s backstory: medicine, family, and near-death experiences
05:57 How comedy and satire became a business
07:01 Growing to 1.2M revenue with skits, podcasts, and shows
10:39 The big goal: scaling to $10M
14:01 Breaking down all current revenue streams
17:21 Skits as the foundation of the business
20:59 Building a small but mighty team
22:25 The dream hire: data and analytics
24:22 Exploring licensing and education opportunities
29:15 Managing inbound opportunities and “dreamer” ideas
33:32 The problem with too many projects at once
37:59 Sponsorships, keynotes, and cashflow challenges
43:25 Why a productized service or agency model could scale
48:55 Pricing tiers and the $3K vs $5K agency offer
52:04 How licensing and agency ideas connect
59:10 What the team would need to reach $1M in agency revenue
01:03:29 Recap and key takeaways

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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 Kristin & Glaucomflecken:
Website: https://glaucomflecken.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladyglaucomflecken
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ladyglaucomflecken
X: https://x.com/lglaucomflecken
Podcast: https://glaucomflecken.com/podcast

Featured in this episode:
Glaucomflecken: https://glaucomflecken.com
The Glaucomflecken Podcast: https://glaucomflecken.com/podcast
Kit: https://www.kit.com

Creator Flywheels: https://creatorflywheels.com

In this episode, I share how creator flywheels can help you get greater results with less effort by turning scattered tasks into systems that compound over time.

I break down the three laws of flywheels, how to design them for your business, and examples that took my own projects from stalled growth to unstoppable momentum.

I also show how to measure and improve your flywheels with a simple weekly check-in, plus the exact flywheels that scaled Kit, my podcast, and top creators’ newsletters.

If you’ve been stuck in chaos or linear processes, this episode will show you the path to compounding growth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:00 The three ways of running a business: scattered, linear, flywheel
02:43 The three laws of flywheels: flow, ease, growth
04:37 The Million Subscriber Flywheel (Sahil Bloom case study)
07:29 How sponsorships and reinvestment compound growth
10:02 How to measure flywheels in 15 minutes a week
13:04 The Direct Sales Flywheel that scaled Kit
16:23 Why concierge migrations unlocked growth
17:43 Real-world flywheels and compounding effort
18:21 The Podcast Production Flywheel
20:57 Fixing friction with tools and teleprompters
21:59 The five steps to building your own flywheel
23:40 Enrollment info for Creator Flywheels course

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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

Featured in this episode:
Creator Flywheels: https://creatorflywheels.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Creator Network: http://creatornetwork.com
SparkLoop: https://www.sparkloop.app
Sahil Bloom: https://www.sahilbloom.com

In this episode, I share how creator flywheels can help you get greater results with less effort by turning scattered tasks into systems that compound over time.

I break down the three laws of flywheels, how to design them for your business, and examples that took my own projects from stalled growth to unstoppable momentum.

I also show how to measure and improve your flywheels with a simple weekly check-in, plus the exact flywheels that scaled Kit, my podcast, and top creators’ newsletters.

If you’ve been stuck in chaos or linear processes, this episode will show you the path to compounding growth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:00 The three ways of running a business: scattered, linear, flywheel
02:43 The three laws of flywheels: flow, ease, growth
04:37 The Million Subscriber Flywheel (Sahil Bloom case study)
07:29 How sponsorships and reinvestment compound growth
10:02 How to measure flywheels in 15 minutes a week
13:04 The Direct Sales Flywheel that scaled Kit
16:23 Why concierge migrations unlocked growth
17:43 Real-world flywheels and compounding effort
18:21 The Podcast Production Flywheel
20:57 Fixing friction with tools and teleprompters
21:59 The five steps to building your own flywheel
23:40 Enrollment info for Creator Flywheels course

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I 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

Featured in this episode:
Creator Flywheels Course: https://creatorflywheels.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Creator Network: http://creatornetwork.com
SparkLoop: https://www.sparkloop.app
Sahil Bloom: https://www.sahilbloom.com