Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Joining us on the show today is multifaceted, entrepreneur's entrepreneur, Jim Mckelvey! Jim is currently developing his project, Invisibly, which aims to revolutionize the ways that consumers interact with advertising on media platforms. He is also the co-founder of Square and has started seven companies in total! His recent book, The Innovation Stack is compiled through his experience and research into what has allowed the most successful companies to create their own lane, and in it, he notes the common factors of the most innovative business in history. Jim explains how he learned the important skill of surrounding himself with more experienced and intelligent people and complimenting this with the ability to support and strengthen their work. We also get into the opportunity of calamity before discussing the need for humor and bravery in the life of an entrepreneur. For all this and a bunch more thought-provoking conversation, listen in with us today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:24] Jim's first book that he wrote during college and the skills he acquired during those years. [02:23] How Jim met Jack Dorsey as a teenager.  [03:29] Jim's role at Square and his attitude towards starting companies. [05:11] The beginnings of starting a payment company and the moment that inspired it. [06:16] The surprising growth of Square and its shaky path to success. [08:05] The concept of the innovation stack and the motivations behind Jim's book.  [10:56] The two types of problems in the world and what this means for solutions. [12:55] Understanding the differences between businesspeople and entrepreneurs.  [15:16] The example of Southwest Airlines and its innovation stack. [17:40] A better definition of disruption and ways to work in non-innovative spaces.  [19:19] Invisibly's two main goals and their overarching mission statement. [23:37] The way that Invisibly works for consumers online and in media. [26:14] Business in the pandemic and the history of companies during a calamity. [27:59] Why Douglas Adams' books are so helpful for kindling the entrepreneurial spirit. [29:27] The professional usefulness of saying 'no'. [30:05] Where Jim would invest a billion dollars currently. [31:20] Jim's departure from Square and his focus on family and projects he cares about. [33:10] The need for more entrepreneurs and dispelling the hero myth.   Resources From The Interview:   Jim McKelvey  Invisibly The Innovation Stack  Square Jim McKelvey on Twitter   Hatching Twitter   Jack Dorsey  Herb Kelleher Southwest Airlines  Forbes  Peter Thiel  Pre-suasion  Gladwell  Elon Musk    Must read book: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

If you hustle hard enough, is it worth it? Only to a point. Tune in to this episode as we discuss how you can out perform almost anyone with leverage, not hustle.  What is leverage in the first place, and how does running a smart business give you more leverage? In this episode we'll find out!

We are joined on Leveling Up today by Aaron Hirschhorn, the founder and CEO of Gallant, a new company specializing in regenerative medicine for pets! They aim to help pets have a better and longer, high-quality life and they are providing this through stem cell banking and therapy. Aaron explains how this is an untapped section of the market and how he has applied the ongoing research into stem cells to help pets and their owners! He gives us some examples of how their service works, which begins with the procurement of stem cells during a regular vet visit at a young age. From there a veterinary professional can treat future age-related health issues using that sample as the means. Our guest does a great job of simplifying how stem cells relate to aging and the potential advancements we will likely see in the field in the near future. He breaks down some of the components of the new business and how they have approached marketing and customer acquisition. For all this and a whole lot more from an exciting company in a fresh space, listen in!   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:55] How to pronounce Gallant properly, what they do and some background on stem cells. [02:52] Examples of practical use cases for the company's service.  [05:30] The business model at Gallant and how they make money. [07:38] Partners, new customers, patents and more; looking at the young business. [08:17] How Gallant work with vets and the seamless alignment they offer. [11:00] Aaron's previous business, DogVacay, that he started in 2011.  [12:15] Lessons that Aaron has brought forward into his new business around simplification. [13:51] Building awareness through content creation and media appearances.  [14:32] Aaron's plans to live forever and what the future of aging might look like! [16:57] Aaron's commitment to the pet space and where he would invest $10 million.  [17:35] Moving to Florida and the tax benefits for startups. [18:13] Aaron's preference for novels over business books! [19:24] The set of tools that Aaron and Gallant use currently.   Resources From The Interview:   Gallant Aaron Hirschhorn Email Shark Tank  DogVacay  Yelp Rover Wag! SoftBank Chewy  Kindle Slack    Must read book: Children of Time     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Yesware is an all-in-one sales software that provides users with everything necessary to prospect, schedule meetings and follow up, all from the comfort of the inbox! Here to talk about the company and his role as CEO is Joel Stevenson! Yesware has raised $47 million as well as acquiring a host of companies along the way and we wanted to bring you the lowdown on how they have done it all. We hear from Joel about his journey from SVP of Sales to COO of Marketing and finally to CEO of the company! Joel explains his relationship with Matt Bellows, the co-founder and former CEO, and a lot of our conversation is spent unpacking the transitions the company has gone through and how they have grown and evolved. Joel started in sales and tech and he is kind enough to look back at his early career and the common motifs that have run through all of his work. We also talk about leadership techniques, Yesware's belief in executive mentorship, and how they go about communicating in the company. So, for all of that and a whole lot more, listen in with us today!   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:48] Joel's long and winding road to his current position as CEO. [02:10] Departing from Wayfair and finding a home at Yesware.  [02:50] Yesware's business model, their offers, and how they charge and make money! [03:52] The growth of the business over the last six years and their move away from freemiums. [05:09] Developing leadership and Joel's own path to his current role. [08:05] Joel's attitude to change management and keeping the team on board.  [09:12] Matt Bellow's current role at Yesware and responsibilities that Joel took over from him. [10:29] The frequency of communication and meetings at the company.  [10:51] The power of executive coaching; the emphasis that Yesware has placed on this. [11:47] The sales world at this moment; high volumes, dry pipelines and availability.  [13:39] Trends that Joel and Yesware have noted during and before the pandemic. [14:22] Joel's emphasis on video for meetings — making use of current circumstances. [15:41] Joel's favorite business tools lately; Microsoft To-Do and Whoop. [16:18] Why Joel's loves David Allen's Getting Things Done. [16:42] The publications and podcasts that Joel keeps up with.   Resources From The Interview:   Joel Stevenson  Yesware Matt Bellows Wayfair  Salesforce  Zenefits BodesWell Slack Reboot Valour  Microsoft To-Do Whoop  David Allen Must read book: Getting Things Done   Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

What does it take to build wealth? In this episode, Eric shares his insight on the many stages of wealth and how to climb the ladder to the next stage. Discover why products and software can be more lucrative than services, and why the harder the level is, the bigger the reward will be!

Today on Leveling Up we welcome Andrew Fischer from Choozle. Andrew is the co-founder and CEO of the company and he shares some of their story and what makes the business tick. Choozle is a digital advertising software platform that leverages detailed consumer data to power programmatic advertising campaigns across multiple platforms. They do this through one, intuitive interface and this model has proved very successful for Andrew and his team, having raised over $14 million since they began work in 2012! In our conversation, we chat about the service they provide to their clients and what sets them apart from other advertising services in the space. Andrew gives us a few interesting statistics and breaks down some hiring numbers before we talk about customer acquisition and adapting to the new world in a post-COVID landscape. We chat about the future of media and the increasing trends away from cable television, so to hear it all, make sure to tune in! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:54] How Choozle works, the service they provide and how they make money. [02:30] Why to choose Choozle! Making the most of the average consumer.  [03:40] Ideal business sizes for the company and their preference for independent agencies. [04:53] Employee-growth at Choozle; the peaks that the company has hit. [06:15] Choozle's focus on programmatic advertising campaigns. [07:19] Costs involved in working with the company and the array of budgets they work with. [08:30] Current steps that Choozle is taking to extend their service for customers. [10:50] Trends in television and media consumption in the contemporary climate.  [11:25] Business during the pandemic and how Choozle is weathering the storm. [12:57] Customer acquisition strategies at Choozle over the last few years. [14:11] The type of startup Andrew would back right now! [14:51] Andrew's two essential book recommendations. [15:55] Why Andrew has returned to a simpler practice of note-taking.   Resources From The Interview:   Andrew Fischer on Twitter Choozle  Roku Fire AT&T The Last Dance  Evernote    Must read books: The Hard Thing About Hard Things and Shoe Dog     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

we discuss four underrated SEO strategies that will help you boost your organic traffic. Updating your content and keywords, removing old dates from your URLs, and using power and pillar pages effectively will all contribute to reviving your organic traffic. Tune in to hear about the tools that will get you to your traffic goals.    TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:   [00:25] Today’s topic: 4 Underrated SEO Plays That Will Double Your Organic Traffic.  [00:39] Upgrade your content regularly.  [01:01] Consider your top performers and explore new keywords to update them.  [01:30] Boost your traffic by removing dates from your URLs.   [01:45] Write long-form pieces of content and consolidate different pieces together.  [02:04] Consider what Animalz does with their power and pillar pages.   [02:24] Turn your content into videos and put them on YouTube.   [03:01] That’s it for today! [03:02] To stay updated with events and learn more about our mastermind, go to the Marketing School site for more information.   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Ubersuggest ClickFlow Brian Dean  Animalz vidIQ   Leave Some Feedback:     What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.     Connect with Us:    Neilpatel.com Quick Sprout  Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel  Twitter @ericosiu

Zapier CEO and co-founder, Wade Foster, joins on us on Leveling Up today to discuss his business, remote work and the vital importance of building a company culture! It became apparent to Wade quite early on in the journey of Zapier that if they were going to grow in the right way and continue to scale what they were doing, a well-suited company culture was necessary. This led to the development of their ethos and core values and these steps have served the company immensely in recent years! We get to hear from Wade about some of the financial aspects of the company, including their freemium model and the way they lay out their pricing plan. He also comments on leadership, with particular reference to the challenges posed by a crisis. The global pandemic has provided many challenges for us all and Wade weighs in on his approach to these and making the most of the connected opportunities. The conversation also covers the utility of podcast appearances, hiring practices at Zapier, and profit-sharing! Tune in and hear it all!   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:54] Zapier's place in the no-code ecosystem! [01:39] A refresher on Zapier and where they are currently as a business.  [03:24] The freemium model at Zapier, the pricing model, and how they make money. [07:28] Key lessons in growth and scaling for Wade around remote work and company culture.  [09:41] Evaluating communication skills during the hiring process.  [11:54] Practical steps towards building better company culture! [14:41] Employee retention at Zapier and how the remote model contributes to this.  [16:09] Lessons that Wade has learned during the pandemic about leadership during crisis. [19:45] Feelings about the current uncertainty; the positive and negative sides of the pandemic. [21:17] Profit-sharing and employee incentives at Zapier. [24:20] How Wade thinks about podcast appearances; qualitative feedback and recruiting. [26:11] Wade's favorite recent business book: The Outsiders. [29:48] The usefulness of Workona and Krisp!   Resources From The Interview:   Zapier Wade Foster  Wade Foster on Twitter Wade Foster Email Slack G Suite QuickBooks Trello MailChimp SalesForce Stripe Twilio Basecamp Glassdoor Nathan Barry Workona Krisp   Must read book: The Outsiders     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

You don't need a college degree to make 6 figures, even during this year's uncertain times.

Offering a SaaS product that services agriculture presents unique challenges for growth and today we chat with Allison Kopf, CEO of Artemis, about what this process looks like. Artemis is a cultivation management platform that enables growers to manage people, processes, and compliance all in one place while creating a virtually risk-free operation. Allison starts by telling us about her background in energy and what drew her obsession towards enterprise-level management and infrastructure in the agricultural industry, weighing in about how software can optimize farming and supply chains to streamline operations, bring growers closer to distributors, and more. We turn our attention to why Artemis services high-risk specialty crop farmers, and how the company makes money while encouraging compliance by using a subscription model that charges by acreage and complexity. From there, Allison talks metrics for growth rates before speaking to Artemis’ customer acquisition strategies and how direct to farmer lead generation in the format of digital events is faring since COVID. The risk of burnout due to over-productivity while working at home in the pandemic is real so we query Allison next about how her passion projects of baking, venture capital, and playing Zelda are working as buffers against this. Wrapping up, Allison weighs in on her favorite venture capital books and the massive strides Zoom and Slack have made in recent months. Tune in for this amazing conversation. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:42] Allison’s background in farming and idea to tweak supply chains by creating Artemis. [02:25] What a cultivation management platform is and how software can optimize supply chains. [03:13] Why Artemis works with high-risk specialty crops directly consumed by consumers.  [05:24] How Artemis makes its money using a subscription-based SaaS model. [05:43] Encouraging compliance and why Artemis charges by acreage not user. [06:26] Employee size and growth rates at Artemis for Q1 and COVID’s influence.  [07:16] Unique customer acquisition challenges Artemis faces as an agri-SaaS product. [09:58] Talking virtual events as a way of generating quality leads during the pandemic.  [12:08] Allison’s focus on baking, venture capital, and Zelda since COVID to resist overworking. [16:30] New creative business models since COVID and venture deals Allison has closed.  [17:22] Favorite books of Allison’s about venture capital and underrepresented founders. [18:29] Talking Zoom’s growth, Slack’s usefulness, and Allison’s favorite work tools.   Resources From The Interview:   Allison Kopf on LinkedIn Allison Kopf on Twitter Allison Kopf on Instagram Allison Kopf Email Artemis   Star Wars: The Clone Wars   Zelda XFactor Ventures Zoom Eric Yuan Slack   Shoe Dog Little Black Stretchy Pants Must read book: Raising the Bar, and It’s About Damn Time     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter