We Live to Build

This isn't just a business story; it's a story of survival. I Lost My 7-Figure Fortune and My Wife to a Rare Disease. Matthew Spaur shares his deeply personal journey of building a seven-figure portfolio from his time at Microsoft, only to face a "perfect storm": a difficult startup newspaper, the 9/11 economic crash, and the devastating diagnosis of Porphyria, a rare disease that afflicted his family. This is a profound look at the human side of entrepreneurship. You'll learn about the immense, unspoken struggles of being a founder and a caregiver, the psychological weight of shame after failure, and the long, "slow and steady" path to rebuilding a life and career after hitting rock bottom.Check out the company: https://matthewspaur.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - How I Built a 7-Figure Portfolio at Microsoft07:01 - The Joke: "How Do You Make a Small Fortune?"10:33 - A Founder's Hardest Lesson: Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should14:09 - The Newspaper Story That Literally Saved a Life20:55 - The Shame That Kept Me From Telling This Story27:54 - My Wife Passed Away. I Woke Up and Said, "I Have to Stop."31:29 - Porphyria: The Rare Disease That Took My Wife's Life38:26 - Caregiving: The Unspoken Struggle of Many Entrepreneurs41:41 - Why Caregiving is a Massive Entrepreneurial Opportunity📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the kind of mistake that changes your life forever. In this solo episode, host Sean Weisbrot shares the deeply personal story behind his biggest career regret: I Shut Down My $15M Business. It Was a Huge Mistake. This is a vulnerable look back at the decision to close a successful consulting company to start a tech venture, a move that led to severe burnout, anxiety, and panic attacks. If you've ever questioned your path as an entrepreneur, this episode is for you. Learn why Sean is now walking away from the "tech CEO" dream, the hard-won lessons from having to rebuild from scratch, and his plans for finding a happier, more sustainable path forward in 2023.Book a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why I Moved to Portugal06:39 - Confession: I'm Walking Away From Being a Tech CEO09:54 - The $15M Business I Shut Down (My Biggest Mistake)11:15 - How That Mistake Led to Panic Attacks & Rebuilding From Scratch12:45 - My Plan for 2023: A Year of Change📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think running a non-profit is easier than a for-profit? Think again. This video reveals why A Non-Profit is Just a Business That Doesn't Turn a Profit. Jon Kozesky, a consultant who has raised over $100 million for organizations worldwide, is on a mission to destroy the myth that non-profits are simple. This is an essential guide for anyone in the non-profit sector. You'll learn why you need the same skills as any startup founder—marketing, finance, and HR—to succeed. Discover the controversial argument for why donors should want to fund overhead and learn about the sustainable model of the "profitable non-profit" that can fund its own operations. Check out the company: https://jonthomasconsulting.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - How I Raised $100 Million for Non-Profits03:12 - The Mindset Shift: Your Non-Profit IS a Small Business06:24 - The Case for Overhead: Why Donors Should Want to Fund It09:31 - Why I Burned Out Running a Non-Profit for $200/Month12:43 - How to Stand Out When There Are Millions of Non-Profits16:05 - The "Profitable Non-Profit": A Sustainable Model for Doing Good19:10 - A Simple CSR "Hack" for For-Profit Companies25:13 - The Mr. Beast Effect & The Fine Line of "Poverty Pr0n"34:31 - The Entrepreneurial Cycle: From Your First Dollar to Pro Bono46:12 - The Traveler's Philosophy: How to Do Good While Seeing the World📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is your pricing model secretly limiting your growth? This video reveals Why You Should Encourage Customers to "Abuse" Your Product. Tom Winter, a growth expert who helped scale a SaaS tool to paying customers in over 100 countries, shares his contrarian philosophy on pricing, value, and user engagement. This is a masterclass in modern growth for SaaS founders. You'll learn the actionable "hack" he uses with AI to translate content and drive SEO traffic globally, the "Cyborg Method" for co-writing articles with GPT-3, and how to identify and remove the "false barriers" that hurt momentum in most startups. Check out the company: https://seowind.ioBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why I Combine Marketing & Sales Into One Growth Team03:45 - How We Make SEO Scalable and Predictable with Data11:14 - Your First 3 Steps to Getting Started with SEO14:48 - The AI Tool I Use for SEO Traffic From 100+ Countries22:03 - Using "Leap of Faith" Metrics to Track Real Progress29:27 - Should Your SaaS Product Be Translated?32:59 - The "Cyborg Method" for Writing Content with AI36:56 - The "False Barrier" That Kills Founder Progress43:56 - The Pricing Philosophy: "Encourage Abuse, Don't Limit Usage"📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It sounds like a contradiction, but it's a 7-figure business model. This video explains How We Built a 7-Figure "OnlyFans" Agency (Without Adult Content). Chris W, Co-founder of Scarlet International, reveals how his MarTech firm helps safe-for-work influencers in Asia monetize their content and build global brands on subscription platforms like OnlyFans and Patreon. This is a deep dive into the hidden side of the creator economy. You'll learn about the massive problem of revenue transparency in the Asian influencer market , how they use an in-house data platform to uncover an influencer's true audience, and the most important skill you need to survive the coming recession (hint: it's not speed). Check out the company: https://scarlet.vipBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Yes, We Run an OnlyFans Agency. No, It's Not What You Think.03:09 - How We Turned an Anime Fan into a Patreon Star06:18 - Why LGBTQ+ Influencers Are a "Hot Commodity" in Asia 09:39 - Protein Powders vs. Gambling Websites: USA vs. Asia Influencers 16:11 - The Shady "Agent" Tactic That Inspired My Business 23:17 - Why Honesty is Our #1 Competitive Advantage29:42 - Our "Linktree Destroyer" That Uncovers Hidden Trends 36:27 - How Google Analytics Knows Your Audience's Sexuality 39:42 - The Real Reason Women Follow Influencers 43:01 - Why We Can't Trust Influencer Data in Asia 52:42 - How We're Turning Internal Tools into New Companies 55:52 - The #1 Skill You Need to Survive 2023 (It's Not Speed)📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you achieve your biggest goal and feel... nothing? That's the surprising reality many founders face. This video explores Why Hitting $1 Million in Sales Felt Like Nothing with Anthony Mongeluzo, who started his IT consulting firm in college and grew it into a $28M, 200-person global company. This isn't just a business growth story; it's a 22-year deep dive into the psychology of a relentless entrepreneur. Learn about the "Grow or Die" mindset that keeps him running after two decades , how he evolved from an "awkward I.T. geek" into a marketer and leader , and the single most important change he made to scale the business: getting out of his own way. Check out the company: https://helpmepcs.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - How a Competitor's $500 Mistake Launched My Business 03:10 - The Moment I Hit $1M in Sales (And Why It Felt Empty) 06:23 - The "Grow or Die" Mindset of a 22-Year Founder 09:32 - How to Prepare Your Business for a Recession 15:48 - The "Moving Basketball Net" Theory of Success 18:48 - My Biggest Regret After Two Decades in Business 28:07 - How I Evolved From "Awkward Geek" to Business Leader 34:17 - The #1 Change I Made to Scale My Company 37:14 - How Having Kids Forced Me to Be a Better CEO 52:27 - Defeat is Temporary, Quitting is Forever📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the mistake that sinks countless startups. We Wasted $150,000 on This Startup Mistake. Before Bryan Clayton built Green Pal into a bootstrapped marketplace processing over $30 million a year, he and his co-founders made a critical error that almost ended the company before it began. In this interview, Bryan shares the unfiltered story of that failure and the hard-won lessons that followed. You'll learn the psychological toll of selling a $10M company to start over and beg for $27 sales, why bootstrapping forces you to focus on what truly matters, and how they fixed their customer retention by finding and destroying a critical bottleneck in their business. Check out the company: https://yourgreenpal.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - I Sold a $10M Company. Then I Begged for a $27 Sale03:08 - Why a Tech Business is Like Gardening, Not Construction06:24 - The Myth of the "Hacker & Hustler" Founding Team09:30 - The $150,000 Mistake That Almost Ruined Our Company12:40 - Why Early-Stage Founders Need to Be "Mario"15:52 - Knowing When It's Time to Sell Your Business25:24 - How to Find and Destroy Business Bottlenecks28:22 - The "Reliability Score" That Fixed Our Customer Retention35:00 - A Founder's #1 Job Shifts From Hustling to This...45:00 - Why Raising Capital is a "Bad Bet" for Most Founders📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's every CEO's worst nightmare. My Employee Deleted 200,000 Emails. This Was My "Oh My Gosh" Moment. What do you do when a project goes catastrophically wrong? In this interview, IT recruiting expert Travis Lindemoen, Managing Director of Nexus IT Group, shares the true story of a multi-million dollar disaster and the brutal lessons he learned in the 24 hours it took to fix it. This conversation is a masterclass in crisis management, tech hiring, and leadership. You'll learn the #1 mistake non-technical founders make when hiring their first QA engineer, how to handle a "toxic" manager who is driving away talent , and the hard-won lessons on becoming a leader who uses questions instead of anger to solve problems. Check out the company: https://nexusitgroup.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - The #1 Skill Missing in Most Tech Hires03:44 - What Founders MUST Know About "Microservices" 07:31 - Hiring a QA Engineer? Don't Make This Critical Mistake 14:27 - The Moment My Employee DELETED 200,000 Client Emails 17:52 - The 24-Hour Scramble to Fix a Disaster 21:14 - The Simple Process That Prevents Tech Nightmares 24:45 - This "Toxic" Manager Cost Us 12 Hires (A True Story) 31:40 - Hire Fast, Fire Faster: A CEO's Hardest Lessons35:15 - Confessions of a "Hothead" CEO 📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struggling to compete with big companies for A-players? This video reveals Why You Can't Hire Top Talent (And How to Fix It). In a candid conversation, serial entrepreneur Sean Siu and Anna Wong, Co-Founder of Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide, break down the real challenges small businesses face in today's hiring market. Learn the secrets to building an irresistible company culture on a budget , why "radical honesty" is your most powerful tool for retention , and how to manage the psychological challenges of a fully remote team. Whether you're hiring your first employee or scaling your team, this discussion provides actionable strategies for attracting and keeping the top talent you need to grow. Check out the company: https://few.communityBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why Startups Keep Losing the "Talent War"03:45 - A CEO's Secret to 1-on-1s That Build Real Trust 06:34 - The "VR Headset" Test: Creative Ways to Boost Morale 09:50 - The Loneliness Epidemic in Remote Work 13:20 - What is "Revenge Travel"? (And Why It Matters For Your Business) 16:35 - The Founder's System for Starting Over in Any Country 19:37 - How to Build a Business That Sets You Free📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai🎧 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSIONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68lykxIMOyofZNiWSF4vFxiTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-live-to-build/id1531994765ℹ️ ABOUT THIS CHANNELThis channel is dedicated to providing actionable insights and strategies for leaders and professionals. We interview top performers and break down complex topics to give you the tools you need to gain a competitive edge in your career and business.Leave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you losing A-players and not sure why? The answer might be in the conversations you're not having. This video reveals The Secret to Keeping Your Best Employees From Quitting. From a founder who grew up in a community where people went to "jail, not Yale," Davis Nguyen shares the powerful lessons he learned on his way to the Ivy League and Bain & Company. Learn how to use exit interviews as a proactive tool for keeping your best employees by building a culture of feedback and growth. Check out the company: https://myconsultingoffer.orgBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why Your Best People Are Quitting02:49 - From "Jail, Not Yale" to an Ivy League Degree05:23 - How a $22,000 Medical Bill Forced Me to Start a Business08:16 - The Exit Interview: Your Secret Retention Tool11:10 - The 3 Questions You MUST Ask When Someone Leaves13:51 - Who Should *Actually* Conduct the Exit Interview?16:39 - Why Your Developers Are Leaving (It's Not Just Money)19:29 - The Power of a "Trial Period" for Promotions22:08 - Why I Have an "Exit Interview" With My Ex24:58 - The Last Resort: How to Improve Your Culture27:53 - A CEO's Guide to 1-on-1s That Aren't About Work30:55 - Final Thought: Companies are Career Factories📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.aiLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.