As a self-proclaimed podcast fanatic, Trevr Smithlin always wanted to find a way to help out the industry. First, he made an app that added visuals to podcast episodes, but for some reason, it didn’t sell. Then he thought, why not try something he was already good at?
Trevr founded AndertiseCast to streamline the clunky process of advertising in the podcast industry. His business has finally made it simple to manage campaigns, sponsor shows, and target audiences so that advertisers get results and podcasters get the revenue they need to focus on what they love.
On this episode, Matt and Joe get all the facts out of Trevr about how to build your podcast to land sponsors, picking the right podcast for your advertisement, and how to leverage episodes to increase revenues. After you’re done listening, go check out our talks with Nick Loper and Justin Malik & Lee Rankinen for more tips to make a successful podcast.
“You gotta take this thing super seriously if you want this to be your business… and there are new mechanisms to get to that level.” -Trevr Smithlin
Sure, we get our guests to open up about the struggles they faced while building their businesses all the time. But it’s not so often you get to hear about our own struggles as we’ve brought you The Hustle & Flowchart week after week. We’ve been getting a lot of feedback we should share more about what goes on when the mic is off and we’re feeling ready to deliver.
On this episode, we dive deep into the things we’ve kind of been scared to get vulnerable about with all of you this past couple of years. We not only go into the struggles we have “behind the scenes,” we also expose the anxieties and thoughts we may not be proud of, but hey, it’s us. Plus we’ve learned a lot this year about what we really want out of life and our business and we’re excited to share our methods for personal growth with you too.
We hope this episode gets you considering what business goals actually get you the life you want, the value of your health, family, and wellbeing, and where you really want to be aiming your mental energy. When you’re done listening, go check out that time Joe shared about his ayahuasca ceremony and our talk with Dan Kuschell that pushed our insight to the next level.
“We’re not a freakin’ push button podcast.” -Joe Fier
“Shut off the idea others are judging you and your happiness quotient skyrockets.” -Matt Wolfe
After years in broadcasting, Sunny Lenarduzzi was starting to feel like her head and her heart were getting mismatched. Tired of working for other people’s agendas, she decided to say, “Screw it! I’m going to start my own business.”
Now Sunny is an expert at creating thriving brand strategies using video marketing. She helps both corporation and thousands of entrepreneurs create impact and scale their business using online video. Forbes Magazine named her one of the 20 must watch YouTube channels that will change your business.
Pretend like the camera is rolling as Matt and Joe learn Sunny Lenarduzzi’s methods for creating a month worth of content in just two hours, getting comfortable in front of the camera, and discovering your personal brand style. When you’re done, go check out our talks with Tom Breeze and Marshall Wayne to get more YouTube and brand building strategies.
“We live in such a weird time right now... there’s such value on being a real human being and being yourself and transparent.” - Sunny Lenarduzzi
In 2012, when Brian Dean founded Backlinko, SEO was a vague science. There was very little real advice out there, which is why he decided to share the strategies he had developed learning the hard way.
Just a few months in business and Brian knew he was onto something. Now marketers from Apple, Disney, IBM, and more are loyal readers of his weekly newsletter. And his blog is one of the first places people turn to when they need practical, actionable advice for their online business.
Get ready as Matt and Joe get the latest advice from Brian Dean about how to optimize your videos on YouTube, make super shareable blog posts, and what is going to change for SEO in 2019. When you’re done listening, go check out our talks with David Sinick for more SEO strategies and Brian G. Johnson to jumpstart your YouTube channel.
“There probably are a couple things that are unique to you… so double down on what works and cut out what doesn’t.”- Brian Dean
When mental healthcare for veterans started being gutted, Andrew O'Brien was one of the first to lose his paycheck. He had loved speaking at army bases all over the world, but he also knew he didn’t want to work for anyone else ever again.
Andrew used what he had learned when his personal story made international headlines to create his own PR firm to help businesses and entrepreneurs get in the limelight. He has gotten his clients into every kind of media outlet from local television to Forbes Magazine. And now he’s sharing his methods and training thousands in how to stand out in the crowded media stream.
Listen up as Andrew O'Brien tells the guys what you need to do to get noticed, the five steps to effectively cold call media outlets, and what you should practice before going on camera. If you’re still in the zone, go check out our talks with David Schloss and Steve Gordon to get more advice about building your network and getting noticed.
“A big thing I tell everybody is if you want to stand out be honest, so I’m going to be honest…” - Andrew O'Brien
At 37 years old, Carl Allen was holding his firstborn son in his hands when he told his wife, “That’s it, I’m retiring!” He quit his job in corporate acquisitions, but retirement only lasted a few weeks. That dealmakers itch needed to get scratched, but was there way to buy companies all by himself?
Now Carl is an entrepreneur, investor, and corporate dealmaker who has worked on transactions worth over $50 billion. He is one of the world’s premier experts on buying and financing small business acquisitions and coaches entrepreneurs all over the world to buy small businesses rather than starting new ones.
Put your personal assets aside as Matt and Joe get their financial mindset torn down and reimagined by Carl Allen, who lets them in on how to buy businesses with other people’s money, find sellers with the right mindset, and 3 ways to make a leveraged buyout and grow your new business. If you want to know more about buying, growing, and selling businesses check out our talks with Brad Costanzo and Paul Lemberg.
“All the reasons why startups fail: you got no employees, no cash flow, no reputation… Go and buy an existing business, it’s got all that stuff!”- Carl Allen
Back in 2010, Mike Rhodes was at a conference in Maui. For the past six years, he had been experimenting, testing, and studying to find out what made Google Ads tick. When he stood up and presented his strategies, everyone knew this was the guy to follow. And his little agency in Melbourne was about to explode.
Perry Marshall tapped Mike to co-author the Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords, now in its 5th edition, which placed him as the leading expert on Google advertising. Now his agency is what he always wanted it to be: the only place to go when you need to most up to date training possible about the world’s largest ad platform.
Keep your notebook handy as Matt and Joe get barraged with the seemingly infinite strategies Mike Rhodes has developed, like how to get your remarketing on the competition’s sites, what to do in your brand’s first 3 months on Google Ads, and what Google has in store next year. When you’re done, listen to our talks with Tom Breeze and Ralph Burns to get more ad strategies for your business.
“Know your #@%$ numbers. Know why you’re trying to hit the number you’re trying to hit.” - Mike Rhodes
Twelve years ago Dan Kuschell was in the hospital, suffering a sudden health crisis. That’s when he encountered the 3 questions that made him restructure both his business and his life.
Sure, hundreds of employees sound great, but is it what you really want? Dan realized there is a simpler way to maintain success and now, after founding eleven companies of his own, that’s what he does for his clients. He helps businesses connect the dots, see their blind-spots, and get unstuck by implementing unique sales & marketing systems.
Learn some of Dan Kuschell’s many strategies to both simplify and grow your business as he lets Matt and Joe in on the 3 questions he always asks himself, the 8 values that he and his business live by, and how to choose which opportunities to follow. When you’re done listening, get some more marketing strategies from Billy Gene Shaw and Curt Maly.
“When you get clear on your values then what’s most important is not what you do… it’s what you say no to.”- Dan Kuschell
He used to be a creative kid, even headlined the local heavy-metal club when he was older, but somehow Steve Glaveski ended up in corporate banking, staring at the vacant office spaces in the corner. That’s when the business idea that would get him work and lifestyle freedom finally hit.
Steve founded Hotdesk, one of the first office sharing companies in Australia, which brought in the revenue he needed to transition from corporate life to spending his time pursuing what he loves. Now he’s teaching people how to make entrepreneurship part of their lives too, not only adults but also kids young as 8. Kids who are already raking in thousands a month from websites started in his classes.
Listen in as Steve Glaveski tells the guys how to get your mind and business in shape to jump out of your day job, the right tests to find out if you have a viable business, and how a cold shower maximizes your productivity. When you’re done, get more advice about how to free yourself from the rat race with Corona Brady and David Allen.
“A lot of the time we hold ourselves back... because we’re scared of how it might make us feel if we fail, but if you’re cool with that it just opens you up to so much more.”- Steve Glaveski
When his real estate business tanked in 2007, Travis Houston had to move back to his mom’s house in dreary Oregon. Then he spent six months readying to launch his first online product, which ended up a total failure. But he also learned exactly what content he needed to make his next launch a success.
Travis has refined his methods over the years and distilled them into simple, actionable steps to make content that sends products soaring. He has helped launch many profitable health and nutrition businesses and put three of his clients’ books on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Listen in as Travis Houston lets Matt and Joe in on his foolproof formulas to make your launch A.W.E.S.O.M.E., the best metrics to analyze your data, and the new tools he uses to get ahead of the competition. When you’re done, check out our interviews with Curt Maly and Chris Mercer to learn about more tools and strategies that will simplify your business.
“It’s not only about math… We are entrepreneurs because we have really good business intuition. If I combine the math with my business intuition, that’s when the magic happens.”- Travis Houston
After building one of the biggest renovation businesses in Canada, Moe Abbas was still in his twenties and wondering what to do next. He had always thought traditional education was, at best, a dubious deal. Plus, his favorite part about his job had been training interns into full-time employees.
Two years ago Moe co-founded GenM, which is already changing both the way students find jobs and businesses get the talent they need. Not only offering a new, affordable path to gaining expertise but a business that is reviving the old concept of apprenticeship for the digital age.
Listen in as Moe Abbas shares with the guys how invaluable apprentices can be for small businesses, why you always speak directly to every client, and the fast-approaching future of education. When you’re done, check out our talks with Mike Matuz and Roland Frasier to find more opportunities for your business.
"We started on this mission to build a free education system that’s accessible to anyone and leads to jobs, that was the birth of GenM.” - Moe Abbas
The first successful business Justin Malik and Lee Rankinen started was reskinning pinball games for the iPhone, back in the old Wild West of the app world. Eventually, Apple moseyed over and kicked them out for being too spammy. They had lost their business, but they still had their idea.
Lee and Justin turned to their love of optimal and minimalist living and asked their favorite writers for permission to make a daily, highly polished podcast from their work. That podcast was such a hit they started 4 more. Now The Optimal Living Daily podcast network is often ranked #1 on iTunes for health, with over 77 million downloads and counting.
Listen in as Lee Rankinen and Justin Malik compare notes with Matt and Joe about how to monetize your podcast, overcome your anxieties to get on stage, and their many tips and tricks to automate your content production. After you’re done, check out our talks with Nick Loper and Tim Francis to learn more about automating your business to free up your life.
“If the content is really good I don’t care who wrote it. If someone has a blog with 1 follower but their content is gold, I would much rather have that.” - Lee Rankinen
A thriving law firm and a 90+ unit rental business were keeping Dana Robinson busy day and night, but he had started those businesses so his life wouldn’t feel like a hamster wheel! In exasperation, he suggested to his wife they sell everything and move to Bali. She had already been seriously thinking the same thing, so they did.
To Dana’s surprise, his law partners wanted to keep the business going in his absence. On a tropical beach, working only a few hours a week, he was ending up with more even money in his pocket than before. That’s when he realized you can get off the wheel and find the work/life balance you’re craving. You just have to opt out.
On this episode, the guys get practical (and legal) advice from Dana Robinson about how to keep your internet business above board, getting rid of the tasks and guilt that’s cramping your work, and why long vacations make your business more efficient. After this episode, get more advice about how to find lifestyle freedom with James Schramko and David Allen.
"No one needs this story of the $40,000,000 exit… It creates false expectations and false hopes. It means everyone is trying to win this lottery and I just don’t buy it.” - Dana Robinson
Twelve years ago, Ralph Burns was working an admittedly slimy corporate job. He had a great salary, but he was absolutely miserable. As a side gig, he started blogging about sales management to see if he make a better career happen.
When a scandal broke at work, Ralph got pinned as the fall guy. He was out of a job and had to make his side gig bring in some real money. He decided to try advertising a client on Facebook. An hour later, traffic was pouring in and he knew he’d found the career he was looking for.
Now Ralph is the CEO of Tier 11, an agency that specializes in Facebook and Instagram advertising. He manages a portfolio with an annual spend in excess of $50 million. Oh, he also happens to be the co-host of the wildly successful Perpetual Traffic Podcast too.
Listen in as Matt and Joe pick Ralph Burns’s brain about ad strategies for Facebook and Instagram, what Facebook is working on to make targeting super easy, and why chatbot advertising is getting unbelievable response rates. When you’re done, check out our talks with Dennis Yu and Curt Maly to round out your Facebook ad knowledge.
Never try to sell something that you have no idea if the market actually wants it.” - Ralph Burns
Sure, it had been well over fifteen years since Steven Sashen had practiced sprinting, but he wanted to give the sport another try. Within weeks his legs were so sore he was going to give up. A friend told him to give it another go, this time without his shoes.
Steven’s pain disappeared as soon as he started running barefoot. He felt sure there must be other people suffering as he had. A day of research and building a simple website was all the proof he needed that minimalist shoes were much more than a viable business.
Xero Shoes, the company Steven co-founded with his wife, Lena Phoenix, has gone on to create a revolution in athletic footwear that has left every major shoe company scrambling to catch up. And Steven knew from the start what his idea was worth, so much so that when he appeared on Shark Tank, he confidently turned down a $400,000 offer from Kevin O'Leary.
Listen up as Steven Sashen lets Matt and Joe in on what it’s really like on the set of Shark Tank, how to know if you’re wearing the wrong shoes, and why you have to have the courage to analyze the data in order to know the real value of your business. When you’re done listening, you can learn more about how to analyze data from our talks with Chris Mercer and Scott Desgrosseilliers.
“The extent to which they don’t think I’m a threat... is directly correlated to the size of the gaping hole in the market we can fill before anyone pays attention.” - Steven Sashen
After years in corporate jobs, both Flori Pyke & Anna Jonak were realizing their workweeks didn’t leave much room for raising kids. They decided to take the leap of starting their own business, though hadn’t even met each other yet, not until a mutual client pushed them into a meeting.
Less than a month later, Anna & Flori already had six students signed for a life coaching program they hadn’t even finished writing yet. Fast forward three years and their business has grown beyond what they imagined possible – especially considering they have six (make that seven!) little ones between them. The best part? They have a 3-day work week that leaves plenty of time for family.
Listen in as Matt & Joe hear from Flori Pyke & Anna Jonak about how every mum and/or dad can start their own business while home with kids, what you need to discover to overcome fear and mental blocks, and the many ways business owners can increase productivity by actually reducing their workload. After you’re done, check out our talks with James Schramko and Corona Brady to learn more strategies to find freedom in work and life.
When shit hits the fan for one of us the other one steps up… that’s really been a weapon of us in being able to build such a successful business.” - Flori Pyke
Just eight months into his first job as a mechanical engineer, Joel Erway realized he was not doing the kind of analytical work he was born to do. He quit being an engineer and moved into sales, taking a job that was 100% commission.
For three years Joel puttered along, doing the same old lunch and learn sessions. Both he and his clients were yawning through the meetings. There just had to be a better way. He read everything there was on how to do a presentation, then rewrote the script.
Immediately, Joel’s presentations were raking in millions of dollars in business. It wasn’t long before he jumped right into online entrepreneurship. Now, after years analyzing what makes webinars tick, he is here to share how to make a great presentation and what the future of webinars is going to look like.
Get ready to take notes as Joel Erway gives the guys his tactics to make a webinar that has an impact, gets your audience to stick to the end, and convert. When you’re done listening check out our episodes with Mike Filsaime and Casey Zeman for more lessons on how to give a perfect presentation.
"You have to be able to make the greatest offer in the world. That takes a lot of study and a lot of time, but people think it’s super easy.” - Joel Erway
In 2006, after nine years in corporate sales, Wes Schaeffer started his first company. He had five kids to feed, plus another on the way, so he knew couldn’t dabble. He had to commit. He started cold calling companies, offering to train their sales teams.
His business was starting to grow, but Wes wanted to know how to really improve. He made his first website and taught himself SEO and copywriting. He embraced social media, video, podcasting, you name it. Suddenly, he was the one getting the cold calls.
Now Wes is also known as The Sales Whisperer. While speaking to companies about how to plan their finances and set their sales goals, he also helps thousands of entrepreneurs learn how to automate their marketing and sales.
On this episode Wes Schaeffer tells the guys his 5 step process for sales teams to get lasting results, the right way to do cold calling, and why businesses need to embrace complexity. When you’re done listening, go get some more sales advice from Kevin Rogers and Alan McKenna
"Magnets attract to the same degree they repel… So are you willing to repel as well? Most people are not.”- Wes Schaeffer
Still in college, Nick Loper had already started his first side hustle painting houses. Then, while working his first corporate job, he decided to make his own online shoe store. Before long that shoe store was bringing in enough money for him to quit day jobs for good.
Nick needed another side hustle, so he tried podcasting. He soon had a following of listeners that also wanted free themselves from their corporate jobs and turn their passions into their main gig. Yet again, Nick’s hustle became his new career. His show is now one of the Top 20 business podcasts on iTunes.
Listen in as the guys talk with Nick Loper about the countless ways you can side hustle your way to financial freedom, what platforms offer the best revenue, and how to make cash off those Bird Scooters littering the street. After your done, find out ways to automate your hustles with Mike Michalowicz and Aaron Fletcher.
The way word of mouth happens is by making something too good not to share.”- Nick Loper
After moving to Australia and landing the corporate banking job she had worked all her adult life to attain Corona Brady had a sudden calling. The stress of climbing the ladder had taken its toll and she was constantly fatigued, depressed, and an anxious mess. A doctor told her she had liver damage and would soon be diabetic. Then a voice told her it was time to take a new path.
Corona left her job and began searching for a different way to live. She studied meditation, breathe work, and Kundalini Yoga. And after exploring the many ways a person can transform themselves she founded The Energy For Life Academy to teach women how to reclaim their innate power and self worth.
Listen in as Corona Brady tells the guys how ignoring your purpose can make you ill, the best daily habits to manage stress, and how to find your Breath Of Fire. If you’re seeking even more habits to heal your mind and body check out our episodes with Dr. Steve Ruden and Brian Bradley
"Stress is always going to be in your life… It’s learning how to cope with the stress, it’s having tools, and routines, and beautiful rituals in your life.”- Corona Brady
Curt Maly’s ad agency was spending millions promoting celebrity clients on Facebook, but customer service still wouldn’t return his calls. So he did what he’s good at and networked his way to someone with answers. For that, Facebook banned both his business and personal account.
Now on the sidelines, Curt did the opposite of what everyone told him to do. He sold his business and went into consulting. He decided to represent clients he knew were changing the world and show them how they can make money while doing it too. Now he’s a Facebook Ad guru, teaching businesses how to target their audience with just $1/day.
This episode runs at Curt Maly’s speed, so stay sharp as Matt and Joe find out how to avoid that mid-funnel dead space, where to stack your content, and using a scooter to find barbeque in Austin, TX. After you listen, get some more Facebook tips with David Schloss and Dennis Yu.
"You can sell hand cream or whatever you want. I’m really passionate about stuff that can change the world.”- Curt Maly
Looking to make a video for his psychology practice’s website, Tom Breeze borrowed his parent’s camcorder. Over a hundred takes later he nailed it.
Tom started out helping his clients manage their nerves while public speaking, then they were also asking him to produce their videos. He decided to form his own ad agency to promote clients with his videos. That quickly turned into his full-time career.
Six years ago SEO changed and Tom started to see all his client’s revenue drop, so he went back to what he knew. He turned his videos into video ads on YouTube and salvaged his business. Now he’s CEO of Viewability, the highest spending for performance ad agency on YouTube.
Join the guys as Tom gives them a crash course in how to make the perfect video ad for your audience, getting YouTube’s AI to work for you, and which ad strategy is best for your video. Round out this week’s episode by listening to more YouTube strategy with John Belcher and the power of video ads with Dennis Yu.
You have to build a whole campaign around one video, not build a campaign and see what video fits.”- Tom Breeze
Building a work day around when he gets to surf is the only hard and fast rule James Schramko follows in business. Making a comfortable seven figures a year working 25 hours a week is all the proof he needs that he’s doing it right.
It wasn’t always so streamlined though. Ten years ago James left his full-time day job by day, full-time night time building his business hustle at night for good. He made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship with the intent of building a better engine.
Fast forward to spending the last few years semi-retired, James allows his five core dream team members to run the business for him, and he’s got just the exercise to show you exactly how you can do this for your business too.
In this dual podcast episode which will also be featured on the Superfast Business podcast, listen in on what it takes to have your business run without you in it, how to leverage a podcast as its own targeted traffic funnel and deciding which business models and systems are best for your goals.
If you want more actionable advice about stepping away from your business to let it run itself, have a listen to the Mike Michalowicz and previous James Schramko episodes.
"You are the vehicle and the operating system for all the results you’re getting. You can change that more easily than any external factor.”- James Schramko
Connect with James on his website
Raking leaves and shoveling snow were the first on roads Steve Olsher took into entrepreneurial bliss when he was a young kid growing up in Chicago. Since then, he’s launched four multi-million dollar businesses.
And he did it all following the process of reinventing himself time and time again.
While the on-ramp for his next big idea wasn’t always easy to take, Steve’s desire for leading a lifestyle he defined was the one thing that kept him in the game of taking the risks to grow.
In this episode, listen in as Steve reveals his powerful yet simple way to earn north of 7 figures a year, how to earn $1,000 almost every time you appear as a guest on a podcast, and understanding why podcasts are the medium of choice to finding the most targeted traffic.
If effective podcasting is the next link in your entrepreneurial chain, be sure to check out what Tom Schwab and Jonathan Rivera have to say about the process.
"We have the number of downloads I need to support the lifestyle that I want.”- Steve Olsher
From stealing time due to her efficiency at a J-O-B to a multi-million dollar online teaching business six years later, Caitlin Pyle proves hands down that other people’s problems can become a business opportunity.
It all starts with honing the right skills. After Caitlin unexpectedly lost her job as a court reporter proofreader, she jumped into expanding the freelance work she dabbled in while working her regular job. Within a year or so she was making about $40,000/year and feeling pretty good.
Taking a 6-month leap into starting a blog she created an eBook with a live training component to teach others how to work from home as a proofreader. The feedback from this very small group of beta students helped her “go big” and launch a full-fledged eCourse a few short months later which grossed over $100,000 within the first 90 days. From then on, she was hooked on being an entrepreneur.
Listen in as Caitlin shares her top secrets about how she made the quantum leaps forward in her business, money as a limitless resource, the role of generosity in your core business values, and using cannabis as a life-changing tool.
If getting ahead in business is a strategy that speaks to you, look up this Christy Whitman episode on abundance and this Matt & Joe episode about giving away all your best stuff.
“I’m playing the long game. I’m not just trying to save my money and keep as much of it as I can, I’m giving away as much as I can because it’s always going to come back to me.”- Caitlin Pyle