Leveling Up with Eric Siu

HubSpot has grown into one of the most credible names in the marketing and sales game in the last few years and we are lucky enough to have Kieran Flanagan, their VP of Marketing on the show today! If you listen to this podcast it is more than likely you know a lot about HubSpot already as we often refer to them, as happy customers of the company and having had a few of their team on the show already. The focus of today's conversation is Kieran's work on the freemium project at HubSpot and the impact that this initiative had on the company and their progress going forward. We speak about freemium and who it might work for; Kieran believes it is not a surefire way to success for every kind of company and links its usefulness to HubSpot to their product-led model. We also get some great insight into the company and how they approach tasks and challenges and Kieran breaks down their pod method for creating teams. Tune in to get it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:19] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:08] Kieran's career path, moving from coding to marketing and SaaS. [01:54] The GrowthTLDR Podcast that Kieran cohosts currently.  [03:18] Kieran's place at HubSpot and a little of the company's journey. [05:04] The freemium offer from HubSpot and Kieran's experiences on this project. [09:25] Kieran's position on freemium offers and who they might serve. [11:30] Reasons that HubSpot has experienced its particular successes. [12:28] Kieran's systems for the marketing team for growth and customer acquisition. [16:33] The pod structure for integrations with companies and promotion.  [19:04] Who gets selected for each pod and how the process works at HubSpot. [19:57] Content and playbooks; models for automated cluster building and more. [23:25] Courses and the academy that are readily available to customers. [24:51] Kieran's use of podcasts for learning and improving in the realm of growth. [25:52] Team-focussed strategies and creating an empowering environment. [26:04] Kieran's favorite business book and most-used tool for his job! Resources From The Interview: Kieran Flanagan on Twitter HubSpot  SaaStock GrowthTLDR Podcast Steve Jobs SalesForce Turing Fest Loom   Must read book: Sprint   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    

Recently, a couple of entrepreneur friends (+ their families) did something genius that I thought I'd share. Everything is negotiable. During times where the economy is practically shut down, you can find deals in almost every sector. Whether it's booking a great AirBnb to get a peaceful getaway or getting discounts on that software you always wanted to try, these tips will help you destress and enjoy the moment.

There are only two types of entrepreneurs right now:   The fearful and the excited.   I spoke to over 98 entrepreneurs recently and those are the two buckets that instantly stuck out.   And it makes sense: people are afraid of losing their businesses right now. Think about all the restaurant owners that spent 20+ years putting their blood sweat and tears into the business. Or the store in the shopping mall that has had no choice but to close it doors.   Many of those entrepreneurs are paralyzed by fear right now and aren't sure what to do next.   On the other hand, I spoke to two close friends over the weekend and the mindset is world's apart:   They're genuinely excited.   Why? Because they see the world differently:   Instead of being upset at lost revenues, they're pumped about new opportunities. Instead of being worried about the short term outlook, they know they'll emerge stronger than ever. They take EXTRA good care of their team during this time (even the ones that were let go).   If you can be excited, you'll have an unfair advantage that will carry you far.

Today using funnels for conversions seems like a vital part of marketing your products but so much of that is thanks to our guest for today, Russel Brunson. Russel is the CEO of Click Funnels, a SaaS product that provides everything you need to market, sell, and deliver your products and services online through funnels. Click Funnels is approaching $200 million in revenue and they haven't raised a cent in venture capital, so our conversation with Russel today is mostly about the funneling strategies they use to make this possible. First up though, Russel tells the story of Click Funnels’ conception, which involves his initial entrepreneurial ambition of selling DVDs containing instructions for making potato guns. After learning about sales funnels through this venture, and then developing Click Funnels, Russel found that nobody even knew what sales funnels were. We hear from him about how this problem led him to write all his books, which both act as instruction manuals for using and optimizing funnels but also behave as funnels for his company. This leads Russel to speak about the other clever ways he converts people into customers and keeps Click Funnels growing, such as webinars and challenges. Other interesting tidbits from today’s episode are the stories of how Russel made $3.2 million selling Click Funnels to the audience of Grant Cardone’s 10X event, and how Apple completely blocked his number one podcast. As you’ll find out in this episode, Russel’s love of storytelling is a key feature of his success, so make sure you catch this interview.  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:22] An intro into Russel, Click Funnels, and their revenue despite raising no venture dollars. [00:57] Potato gun sales funnels and how that led to Russel’s partner coding Click Funnels. [02:24] How Click Funnels makes money through tiered SaaS subscriptions. [03:04] Russel’s use of funnels in such a way that Click Funnels doesn’t pay for growth. [04:24] Funnel shelf lives and how Russel rotates through different funnels to keep fresh. [06:29] How Russel’s books guided customers to see they needed his product. [06:30] Using, optimizing and getting people into funnels: Russel’s three books. [10:16] Marketing Click Funnels to different communities through Funnel Hack events. [12:09] How customers’ need for Click Funnels informs Russel’s view on giving free content. [13:46] Why Russel shut down his lucrative mastermind at the top of his funnel. [14:28] Russel’s love of storytelling and why he wants Click Funnels to be worth $1 billion. [15:15] Storytelling over techno-babble: learning how to sell your product. [17:11] How Russel sold $3.2 million worth of SaaS on stage one year and failed the next. [20:13] Russel’s confusion around why his podcast got choked by Apple. [17:11] The top three funnels that work the best: books, webinars, and challenges. [21:57] Timeframes for when Russel makes new funnels. [22:26] Russel’s must-read books and favorite business tools. Resources From The Interview: Click Funnels Russel Brunson   DotCom Secrets Expert Secrets Traffic Secrets Unlock the Secrets   Funnel Hacking Live Gabe Schillinger 10X Growth Con Traffic Secrets Website Expert Secrets Website Secret Funnel Strategy Webinars One Funnel Away Salesforce Opidis Joovv   Must read book: Behind the Cloud, American Kingpin   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    

Should you create content in today's climate? In today's episode Eric talks about how to deal with imposter syndrome and how to build a habit around making content. During these unprecedented times, Eric is opening up a live Q+A to help you protect your mental clarity and grow your business. You see, it doesn't matter how good you are at marketing and sales if your mind isn't screwed on right during turbulent times. If your mind isn't screwed on right, you're screwed. Your mindset will affect your diet, how often you train, how you sleep, how you communicate and much more. Sometimes, life comes at you and you have to learn how to weather the storm. That's the theme for right now: to navigate the rough seas. 

ConvertKit is one of the biggest success stories of the 2010s online business world. Today we are joined by their founder and CEO Nathan Barry! Nathan started ConvertKit after realizing the value of email marketing and the ways in which companies were missing important parts of the service he envisaged. We get to hear about this part of the story, leading up to the beginnings of the company and then the early successes that they experienced after launching. A completely transparent company, Nathan shares a lot of vital and interesting statistics from ConvertKit before we get into Nathan's strategy for targeting new customers that has served them so well. He also emphasizes the importance of storytelling at ConvertKit, believing that customers do not only buy into the service but also the story. We discuss product-led growth, ConvertKit's recent adoption of the freemium model and public appearances that Nathan makes at the moment, so do not miss it! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:44] The full range of services offered by ConvertKit and their company mission. [01:08] Nathan's background in design, blogging, and writing, and how this led to ConvertKit. [02:59] Early days at ConvertKit and the success they experienced from the get-go. [04:02] Nathan's approach to entrepreneurship and why he chooses to focus on one company. [07:29] Growth phases for the company and how long it took to get up to 100k MRR. [10:17] The pricing model at ConvertKit and how they charge.  [10:57] Important numbers from the business and their choice to be transparent. [11:53] Smart targeting and the lessons that Nathan learned about zeroing in.  [15:01] Nathan's social media strategy and becoming visible to new prospects. [15:57] ConvertKit's choice to make the shift to a freemium model recently.  [19:56] Benefits of a great free and product-led growth. [21:10] The role of webinars and podcasts in the trajectory of ConvertKit. [24:50] How many podcast appearances Nathan makes at the moment. [25:53] Nathan's must-read book recommendation! [26:21] A great tool for business growth according to Nathan. [27:32] The founder and company that Nathan is currently following. Resources From The Interview: ConvertKit Nathan Barry  Nathan Barry on Twitter Tim Ferriss    App Design Handbook   MailChimp  Pat Flynn  Why I Switched from AWeber to Infusionsoft to ConvertKit Gretchen Rubin ConvertKit Baremetrics   HubSpot Chris Guillebeau   Figma  Vlad Magdalin   Webflow   Must read book: Anything You Want   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    

Today on Leveling Up we are joined by the CEO of BELAY, Tricia Sciortino! BELAY is a virtual staffing solutions company that provides clients with the assistance they need in order to grow. Tricia was recently promoted to the role of CEO after 9 years in the COO position at the company, having been the first employee of BELAY in 2010! We talk about working remotely and the benefits this has offered BELAY's clients and, indeed, BELAY themselves. Tricia talks about what an exciting journey it has been watching her company and the industry in general grow over the last decade. She shares about how BELAY offers a solution to the problem of finding great employees and partners and the ways in which BELAY goes above and beyond some of their competitors. Tune in get 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![01:05] Tricia's work history leading up to and during her employment at Belay.[03:35] The difference between BELAY and other virtual assistant services. [06:29] The rigorous vetting system that BELAY employs with candidates.[07:09] How BELAY makes money and gets customers started on their service.[08:10] Assistant buy-out and full-time employment of a BELAY candidate.[08:48] Growth rates at BELAY and their standing in relation to similar companies. [10:01] The roster and range of services that are offered through BELAY.[10:20] Lead sources at BELAY; referrals, advertising partnerships and sponsorships. [11:30] Important lessons that Tricia has learned in the assistant space.[13:42] Tricia's own practices with her assistant and benefits of constant communication. [14:54] A favorite business book selection from Tricia![15:10] A great growth-tool recommendation from our guest. [15:31] Who Tricia is currently following and inspired by! Resources From The Interview: BELAY Tricia Sciortino on Instagram OptinMonster Bryan Miles UpWork   The 4-hour Workweek    eHarmony  Inc 5000  Salesforce Zoom   Sarah Blakely Spanx Gary V Ariana Huffington Thrive Michael Hyatt  Daymond John Grant Cardone   Must read book: The Founder's Mentality   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    

Today we have Christina Stembel, the founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, joining us. After years of trying to raise capital, Christina realized that the only way she could retain the integrity of her business vision was to bootstrap the company – and it paid off in a big way. Being a female founder, she came up against the many implicit biases around women-owned businesses and failed to get the investments many other male-owned companies pulled off without showing any results. Today, Christina has the only female-owned large-scale e-commerce B2C flower company and made a remarkable $32 million in revenue last year. She talks about her business philosophy of high-quality, being entirely self-taught, how she saves on marketing, establishing a healthy company culture, leadership, and her secrets to building a superstar team.  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast![00:35] The origins of Farmgirl Flowers as a business, not a passion project.[01:33] Using the In-N-Out Burger business model and applying it to the flower industry.[02:12] The philosophy of doing something simple with excellence while reducing waste.[02:39] Almost running out of money a year and a half in and deciding to bootstrap.[02:50] Nine years later, 165 employees, and finishing 2019 with over $32 million in revenue. [03:15] The investment offers they have had being situated in Silicon Valley.[03:20] Actively trying to raise capital for three years and why she turned down three offers. [03:59] Not compromising but building the healthy, sustainable company she envisioned.  [04:31] The implicit biases she encountered as a female owner trying to raise capital. [05:03] Being the only female-owned large-scale e-commerce B2C flower company.[05:46] Not fitting the model for most VCs with a perishable product and small margins.[06:38] Higher quality at higher price points and other ways Farmgirl Flowers makes money.[08:05] The benefit of not having to spend what competitors do on marketing.[09:49] Christina’s self-taught knowledge about flowers, logistics, and distribution.[10:05] Working at Stanford University as the head of catering and how that prepared her. [11:09] Taking five and a half years to afford and get national shipping off the ground.[12:36] Their goal of opening two distribution centers and another one in 2021.[13:31] How Christina has learned to be a better leader and the mistakes she initially made.[14:24] Spending at least 20% of her time on her team and building the right culture.[15:08] The irony of being told that she is “unfundable” because she doesn’t have a team. [16:12] Building a superstar team by hiring people that no one else would believe in. [17:12] Learning about vulnerability as a leader from Brené Brown. [18:13] The importance of being thoughtful and strategic about business growth.  Resources From The Interview: Christina Stembel on LinkedIn Farmgirl Flowers In-N-Out Burger Kevin O’Leary on Women-Led Businesses Brené Brown  Katrina Lake on LinkedIn Stitch Fix Must-read book: Anything by Brené Brown!     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  

Hey everyone! Today, I share the mic with Ismael Wrixen, group CEO of FE International, the market leader in the sale of SaaS, e-commerce, and content businesses. Ismael is a returning onto the show to fill us in on recent developments at FE. Tune in to hear Ismael talk figure jumps in revenue and deals, why the firm prefers using a cash on success pricing strategy over retainers and the quantity ratios and strategy differences between FE’s handing of deals in E-commerce, SaaS, and content spaces respectively. Click here for show notes and transcript 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, leave a short review  here Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on  iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed  Connect With Eric Siu:  Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Hey everyone! This week, I share the mike with Steli Efti, Founder and CEO of Close, an inside sales CRM. Tune in to hear to learn the kind of feedback you should be looking for, how to ensure the best product-market fit and how Close relies on content marketing and podcasting to help them grow and be successful. Click here for show notes and transcript 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, leave a short review here Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed  Connect With Eric Siu:  Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter