The Top Entrepreneurs In Money, Marketing, Business And Life

Ben Williamson. Ben went from teaching himself to code, to working with Steve Jobs. After 10 years at Apple, Ben’s building Yoshirt - a custom apparel tool that’s priced at $5 million after just two years. Listen as Ben and Nathan talk through fundraising, insecurities, and building an incredibly successful startup. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Way of the SEAL What CEO do you follow? — Nathan Latka What is your favorite online tool? — Periscope Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Recently, no If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — You don’t need anyone else’s permission. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:30 – Nathan’s introduction 02:17 – Welcoming Ben to the show 02:25 – Ben’s second time on the show - he was here in episode 23 02:53 – Yoshirt was founded in 2014 03:00 – “Custom, on-demand apparel from your iOS device” 03:08 – Last year ran an over-subscribed fundraising round that closed at $1.1 million 03:30 – Priced round at a post-money valuation of $5 million 04:10 – 13 full-ti

Laurie Lane-Zucker, founder and CEO of the Impact Entrepreneur Centre. Laurie’s created a network of 10,000 entrepreneurs who are chasing the triple bottom line: making a positive social and environmental impact as well as a profit. Listen in to hear how Laurie funds his dream to make a difference; why you need to expand your bottom-line thinking, and how to get started as an impact entrepreneur. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – The Way of the Wizard What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk Favourite online tool? — Linkedin Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be?— I wish I knew about entrepreneurship earlier. I wish I had the opportunities that millennials have now to pursue their own goals. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:53 – Welcoming Laurie to the show 02:07 – An ‘Impact Entrepreneur’ is someone who wants to create companies that do good in the world, and to nurture a network and ecosystem that support these values 03:10 – W

Troy Sultan, founder and CEO of Resource, a company that’s trying to automate the recruitment process. Troy was the first recruitment officer at Grooveshark, and later left Google to return to his passion: startups. Listen as Troy and Nathan talk about Troy’s career path, managing co-founders, and why you shouldn’t rely on venture capital. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The War of Art What CEO do you follow? — Gary Swart What is your favorite online tool? — Mixmax Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Slow down to speed up. And think about what you’re really good at. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:30 – Welcoming Troy to the show 01:47 – Troy founded a startup out of college, then joined early Grooveshark 02:10 – Grooveshark got sued for $17 billion 02:40 – Troy went into hiring at Google in 2013 03:00 – Built a startup in the last year of college - “we made every mistake” 04:00 – Decided to work with Grooveshark to lea

Zander Adell, co-founder and CEO of Doorman. Zander’s aiming to solve the frustrating problem of finding a note on your door, instead of your Amazon or FedEx package. He left his job as technical director at Pixar to go to business school, and wound up solving one of the stickiest problems in e-commerce. Listen as Zander and Nathan talk logistics, changing a business ecosystem, and dreaming big. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Good to Great What CEO do you follow? — Jeff Bezos What is your favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — To focus on the big dream, not the little pieces along the way Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:26 – Nathan’s introduction 02:00 – Welcoming Zander to the show 02:20 – Zander left Pixar in his early 30s to go to business school 02:50 – He wanted to understand how to get a business off the ground 03:10 – Fascinated by the logistics element of apps 03:40 – Worked in the gaming industry briefly before

Holly Cardew, a member of the Forbes 30 under 30 list and the founder of Pixc - an online image optimization service. Holly dropped out of college to grow an image editing empire that’s making just short of $1 million in revenue each year. Listen as Holly and Nathan talk about Pixc’s bootstrapping ethic, the importance of revenue over investment, and how to get the most from an affiliate program. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Lean Startup What CEO do you follow? — Ben Chestnut, though he’s kind of hard to track What is your favorite online tool? — Intercom Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — I wish my parents had told me to go to Silicon Valley. I should have learnt how to code. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:15 – Nathan’s introduction 01:56 – Welcoming Holly to the show 02:03 – Holly took a corporate job in London after university 02:20 – Tried multiple online businesses before Pixc 02:40 – Pixc is an online image optimization service 02:50

Lance Mysyrowicz, the founder of Boost&Co. Lance is an investment fund manager who specialises in European startups. He currently manages over $150 million in assets. Listen in to hear about Lance’s latest investment, the details of early investment in tech startups, and what interest rates you could expect for your startup. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Behind the Cloud What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk What is your favorite online tool? — Evernote Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —I wish I knew what makes me happy today - spending time with people I love, and the things I love doing Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:08 – Nathan’s introduction 01:36 – Welcoming Lance to the show 01:50 – Boost&Co lends money to companies earlier in the process than banks 02:20 – They sit in between VC and banking as an investor 02:55 – Have loaned $120 million to over 100 business 03:43 – Last company was a SaaS firm called Idio that lets people track w

Steve Sims, the colorful legend behind The Bluefish. Steve’s the founder of a luxury concierge company that can arrange anything from singing with Journey to getting married in the Vatican. Listen as Steve and Nathan talk about the secrets of engaging people and making impossible things happen. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Cat in the Hat What CEO do you follow? — Tony Hsieh What is your favorite online tool? — I actually use a pad and pen Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No! If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Everything will be all right. Just keep on going, and keep your word. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:30 – Nathan’s introduction 02:13 – Welcoming Steve to the show 03:20 – Steve got into the concierge business after being a club doorman 03:50 – “I don’t lie...like me or don’t like me” 04:15 – 99% of Steve’s clients are entrepreneurs 04:50 – “I psychoanalyse the shit out of them” 05:40 – One guy wanted to meet Journey: we got him onstage singing with them 06:20 – I alway

Matt Shook, founder of Juiceland: an organic juice business that’s taking over Austin. Listen to Matt and Nathan for insight into a bricks-and-mortar startup that’s becoming wildly successful. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Prometheus Rising What CEO do you follow? — Tim League What is your favorite online tool? — Gmail Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —Don’t be so afraid of what other people think Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:36 – Welcoming Matt to the show 01:55 – Founded Juiceland in 2011, after making juice for 8 years 02:33 – New location on 4th street sold 2000 drinks in one day 03:30 – Frost Tower downtown store has triple the sales of anywhere else 05:15 – In 2015, 275 employees at 16 locations 05:40 – Net margin of 5% across the company 06:40 – Makes about 40 cents on a $10 drink 08:20 – Business is all bootstrapped 05:25 – Retainer of $50-75k per month 08:30 – First shop was opened for $15k with a frien

Prem Bhatia, CEO and co-founder of Cooleaf. Cooleaf’s a B2B platform that helps companies organise, coordinate and track their engagement efforts. Listen as Prem and Nathan talk about breaking out of the corporate world, getting startup funding, and acquiring customers at no cost. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Alliance What CEO do you follow? — Dharmesh Shah What is your favorite online tool? — LinkedIn Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —Do it sooner. You’ll learn on the job. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 02:10 – Welcoming Prem to the show 02:40 – Prem left the corporate world aged 35 to begin a startup 03:20 – Gave up a salary supporting his family 04:40 – Cooleaf is a SaaS platform designed to help businesses with engagement efforts 05:30 – Currently has 25 active customers 06:05 – Average annual contract of $25-30k 06:20 – Acquiring customers through inside sales - personal outreach; a blog 07:05 – Not spendin

Qin En Looi, the CEO and CMO of Glints. Before he turned 20, Qin En had published 20 behavioural science research papers in international journals. He’s put his expertise in psychology and growth hacking to good use...He’s now focused on creating the best possible platform to help graduates find jobs they love. Listen in to hear how Qin En’s growing his talent pool by 15% each month with almost no spending; why word of mouth is the best possible marketing tool, and why you should take care with your first seed capital. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Influence What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk What is your favorite online tool? — Google Calendar Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —To spend more prudently. Don’t waste your money. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:13 – Nathan’s introduction 02:17 – Glints aims to help young people discover what they love to do 03:00 – “5 years ago I would never have expected to have built a company” 03:28 – Glints ma

Andrew Howlett, Chief Digital Officer at Rain, and a board member at the Society of Digital Agencies. Andrew started a million-dollar cleaning products business online at 26, before moving into marketing consultancy. Listen as Nathan and Andrew talk marketing, strategy, and how to get out of finance. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People What CEO do you follow? — Maurice Levy What is your favorite online tool? — Pipedrive Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —That finance wasn’t the direction I wanted to go - it would have been great to understand computer science more Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:40 – Welcoming Andrew to the show 02:00 – At 26, started a website that sold cleaning supplies 02:35 – At 29, started Rain 02:40 – uClean had total revenues of $200k in its first year; almost $1 million the next year 03:30 – Clear around $200k each year from uClean 04:05 – Rain’s latest clie

Anand Kulkarni, co-founder of LeadGenius. Anand left his job as a researcher and teacher at Berkeley to develop a tool that uses automation technology to find effective sales leads. Listen as Nathan and Anand talk over starting an SaaS business and exactly how to run an effective fundraising round. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Only The Paranoid Survive What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk What is your favorite online tool? — Gmail Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Yes If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —I wish I had known how much fun it is to start a company - I would have started sooner! Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:22 – Nathan’s introduction 01:54 – Welcoming Anand to the show 02:10 – LeadGenius is AI for sales - ‘top of the funnel automation’ 02:45 – One client is using it to map out every IT director in every Brazilian telecom company, and obtain their contact details 03:30 – Charges between $2k and $1 million a month 03:50 – Started in 2011 03:55 – Total revenue in 2015 was

Gil Allouche, the co-founder of Metadata. Gil’s an expert in digital marketing and AI who worked as a marketing consultant for big-name companies before quitting to co-found a startup. Listen as Gil and Nathan talk digital marketing, growth hacking, and how to work with your co-founders.   Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Enders Game What CEO do you follow? — Brian Halligan What is your favorite online tool? — Hubspot Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —That everything is achievable, and that I should set my goals much higher Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:10 – Nathan’s introduction 01:35 – Welcoming Gil to the show 02:10 – Before Metadata, Gil was a marketing consultant for B2B companies 03:00 – Gil’s focus in college was on AI and robotics 03:10 – He followed this with an MBA and focused on digital marketing 03:35 – In February 2016, Metadata had MRR of $35k 04:10 – Currently raising around $2 million in equity in a seed round 04:50 – Would be ha

Danielle Morrill, the technology exec who left Twilio to found Mattermark, a SaaS business that’s aiming to make almost $5 million this year. Danielle’s an ambitious CEO who can’t stand to be bored. Listen in to hear why you should never split equity evenly, why focusing on churn rate will make you lose customers, and the one crucial thing you should think about before you sell your business. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Pyramid Principle What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk What is your favorite online tool? — Slack Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —It was all going to be okay. She should stop angsting and just keep doing what she’s doing. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:08 – Nathan’s introduction 01:46 – Mattermark is a SaaS firm that lets customers research private companies 02:20 – Helps people who are looking to sell, buy, or invest in companies 02:41 – Launched in 2013 02:50 – First year revenue was around $200k 03:07 – Left Twilio to

Aditya Singhal, an education technology entrepreneur who’s hoping to fully automate tutoring in the next five years. Aditya believes in low-cost, high-quality education for all. Tune in as he and Nathan talk automated education, subscription models, and why Silicon Valley is overrated. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Growth Hacker Marketing What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk What is your favorite online tool? — Twitter Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —I wish I knew how to hack growth faster Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:25 – Nathan’s introduction 01:45 – Welcoming Aditya to the show 02:10 – There are 21 million college students in the states, looking for help 02:30 – Created TransTutors - an AI teaching assistant 02:50 – Subscription model: $20 each month, 30k customers 03:10 – Not a typical SaaS business model - uses humans assisted by code 04:05 – Revenue is $60-80k per month 04:20 – Business founded August 2014 04:30 – Revenue is 2015 arou

John Rampton: a startup guru who was ranked #3 among the world’s top online influencers by Entrepreneur magazine. John’s recently founded the online invoicing company Due, and is aiming to put Paypal out of business. Listen as John and Nathan break down online influence and how to dominate an incredibly competitive market. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Zero to One What CEO do you follow? — Richard Branson What is your favorite online tool? — Buffer Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —To take a lot more risks Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:20 – Nathan’s introduction 01:54 – Welcoming John to the show 02:00 – John’s spending the majority of his time working on Due 02:20 – Due is a platform designed to help businesses get paid faster 03:00 – ‘Every person in the world wants to get paid faster’ 03:30 – Do makes money with a 0.5-1% fee on credit card transactions 04:10 – Launched 9 months ago; self-funded 04:30 – Transaction volume in February 2016 w

Robin Thurston, the founder of Map My Fitness and senior VP at Under Armour. Robin built a conversation with cycling buddies into a multi-million dollar app. Listen as Nathan and Robin talk about turning a website into an iPhone app, Map My Fitness’ user base, and the process of exiting a company you’ve founded.   Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Career Warfare What CEO do you follow? — None What is your favorite online tool? — I travel so much - it’s a car-sharing service Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —You never actually know what’s going to happen Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:25 – Nathan’s introduction 01:45 – Welcoming Robin to the show 02:10 – The process of founding Map My Fitness 02:40 – Came out of a dinner conversation where someone wanted to map their cycle route 03:10 – Robin wasn’t a developer but had a product background 03:30 – Worked with developers who were also cyclists 04:20 – Bought the ‘Map My Run’ website for $5k 04:50 –

Ryan Moran, creator of the Freedom Fast Lane podcast. Ryan’s new venture is Capitalism.com, which will go live in June. He’s making millions from multiple revenue streams and about to run his second conference. Listen in to hear Ryan and Nathan talk creating authority, how to game the Amazon ranking system, and why running conferences is worth the effort. Famous 5: Favorite Book? – Ready, Fire, Aim What CEO do you follow? — Glenn Beck What is your favorite online tool? — My journal Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —That there were going to be compounding returns on everything he did. I wish I had gone bigger. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:18 – Nathan’s introduction 01:46 – Ryan was interviewed in episode #140 of The Top 02:05 – Why go from Freedom Fastlane to Capitalism.com? 02:45 – “We wanted something more authoritative” 03:45 – Paid $100k for the domain name 04:40 – Ryan’s generating about $1 million in topline revenue per month throug

Drew Taylor, founder of AstroPrint - a software and app ecosystem described as “the Android of the 3D printing world”. Listen as Nathan and Drew talk 3D printing, making money, and how to dominate an emerging niche. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – Crossing the Chasm What CEO do you follow? — Tony Hsieh What is your favorite online tool? — Trello Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— Absolutely not If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —I don’t know. I’m a fan of taking life’s lessons as they come. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:11 – Nathan’s introduction 02:00 – Welcoming Drew to the show 02:30 – AstroPrint started because Drew saw that 3D printing software needed to improve 03:00 – Two products: software, and cloud-based app store 03:25 – Free for personal use; charge for commercial use 03:50 – 70/30 split on profits from app store 04:10 – Founded in 2015 - with a different idea 04:45 – $150k total revenue in 2015 05:00 – 9 team members 05:10 – Raised $500k in convertible note 05:50 – Fund

Charlie Mulligan , co-founder of BrewPublik - a business that Charlie wants to become “Amazon for beer”. Brewpublik provide a premium catering service delivering craft beer to homes and offices in cities across the States. Listen as Nathan and Charlie talk expansion, investment, and how much to sell a start-up for. Famous 5 Favorite Book? – The Goal What CEO do you follow? — Jeff Bezos What is your favorite online tool? — Intercom Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? —To have more confidence. I can do anything if I set my mind to it. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:22 – Nathan’s introduction 01:40 – Welcoming Charlie to the show 02:00 – Match over 3,000 types of craft beer to a taste profile 02:30 – BrewPublik delivers beers to your office or home 02:50 – $75 for a case of 24 bottles 03:13 – Offers one-off orders, regular subscriptions and monthly memberships 03:40 – Founded in 2014 04:02 – $275k revenue in 2015 04:15 – Delivered around 80k bot