Startup Stories - Mixergy
454 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 467 ratingsBusiness tips for startups by proven entrepreneurs
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#2085 Competing in the world of email marketing
May 19, 2021 13:00How does an email software company compete in a world of Mailchimps and Constant Contacts? Steffen Schebesta is the co-founder of Newsletter2Go which was acquired by Sendinblue. In this interview we’ll find out how he built Newsletter2Go and the interesting thing that happened after he sold it. Steffen Schebesta is the co-founder of Newsletter2Go which was acquired by Sendinblue. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or a...
#2084 A survival guide for near-failure
May 17, 2021 13:00I invited today’s guest because he willing to talk about something that so few entrepreneurs want to talk about which is how freaking hard it is to start a company. Rory O’Connor is the founder of Scurri which provides software that connects and optimizes the eCommerce ordering, shipping and delivery process. I’m going to ask him how he built it up and how he survived after nearly running out of money so many times. Rory O’Connor is the founder of Scurri which provides software that connec...
#2083 This founder thinks you over-invested in software
May 14, 2021 13:00I wonder how much my audience is going to be interested in hearing what today’s guest has created because I know founder in my audience love new software. But today’s guest thinks you probably have too much. So he built a solution that can save companies 25% on their software spend. I want to find out how he did it. James Layfield is the co-founder of Clearfind, a software intelligence platform. James Layfield is the co-founder of Clearfind, a software intelligence platform. Sponsored by T...
#2082 Buying and selling businesses
May 12, 2021 13:00The last time I talked to today’s guest he was buying and selling businesses on marketplaces. Since then he pivoted to direct-t0-consumer. I’m so fascinated by this idea and I’m even considering doing it myself. Dominic Wells is the founder of Onfolio which acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of online businesses across a broad range of verticals. I invited him here to find out what he’s doing right. Dominic Wells is the founder of Onfolio which acquires and manages a diversifie...
#2081 Why the details of your life matter for your startup
May 10, 2021 13:00 - 1.49 KBToday’s guest has put so much thought into the details of the his daily life. I want to talk to him about how all the small changes he made added up to big results in both his life and his business. Moe Abbas is the founder of Acadium, a digital platform that connects aspiring digital marketers, with a vetted business owners that will teach digital marketing through one-on-one mentorship, hands-on experience, and real-world projects for their business. Moe Abbas is the founder of Acadium, a ...
#2080 Growing, productizing and selling a niche agency
May 07, 2021 13:00Today’s guest did what so many people in my audience hope to do: He grew, productized and sold an agency. I invited him here to find out how he came up with the idea while in law school and the critical thing he learned about his early clients. Andy Cabasso is the founder of JurisPage, which provides mobile responsive law firm website design, internet marketing, and lawyer seo, custom-tailored to bring attorneys new clients. Andy Cabasso is the founder of JurisPage, which provides mobile r...
#2079 Addressing the European market of Amazon sellers
May 05, 2021 13:00Joining me is somebody who realized how much of a pain it is to sell on Amazon in Europe. Stef van Boekel is the founder of Marketplace Distri, which provides seller and vendor management for Amazon and B2B E-Commerce marketplaces on a European level. We’re going to find out how you built up this company. Stef van Boekel is the founder of Marketplace Distri, which provides seller and vendor management for Amazon and B2B E-Commerce marketplaces on a European level. Sponsored by HostGator – ...
#2078 From 0 to 2M followers by teaching online
May 03, 2021 13:00Joining me is a Mixergy fan who started teaching on YouTube back in 2012. Since then he has grown his audience to over 2 million followers and a $1.8 million dollar business. Stan Prokopenko is the founder of Proko.com which teaches artists how to draw and paint. In this interview I want to find out how he improved from his first video which was so bad he didn’t even publish it to now having a team of 11 full-time employees. Stan Prokopenko is the founder of Proko.com which teaches artists h...
#2077 Modernizing an out-of-touch industry like insurance
April 30, 2021 13:00Here’s what I love about today’s guest: He saw how insurance is just terribly outdated. Everything from talking to someone on the phone, to faxing over paperwork, to scanning all the paperwork into my computer to digitize it. But you can’t change such and entrenched, out-of-touch industry overnight. That’s why I’m excited about what today’s guest did. Christian Wiens is the founder of GetSafe, a digital insurance provider. Christian Wiens is the founder of GetSafe, a digital insurance provid...
#2076 Finding a big audience for a unique solution
April 28, 2021 13:00When I’m not interviewing entrepreneurs, I run. I can run endlessly. But one of the problems that I have as a runner is nutrition. If I’m in the middle of the run, I have to stop and find some food because I don’t like the gel packs other marathoners use. It’s such a hassle and such an interruption to my run. Well, joining me is an entrepreneur who found a way around it. Her name is Shoba Murali and she is the founder of Ucan, a nutritional products company. I want to find out how she found ...
#2075 A new spin on journaling
April 26, 2021 20:20I find that journaling has been better for me than therapy and today I have a founder who noticed the same thing. Meha Agrawal is the founder of Silk + Sonder, a subscription based mental wellness journaling experience for women. My goal for this interview is to understand a little bit about journaling and how she’s making a journaling business work on a subscription basis. Meha Agrawal is the founder of Silk + Sonder, a subscription based mental wellness journaling experience for women. ...
#2074 New video tools to reach your audience
April 23, 2021 13:00I do these interviews via video so I’m especially excited about today’s guest because he’s been doing video software for over a decade. Fritz Brumder is the co-founder of Brandlive, a video marketing platform which he exited in 2019. I want to ask him how the brand has iterated over 10 years and about his new business, Zipcan, which allows anyone to embed video chat on there site really quickly. Fritz Brumder is the co-founder of Brandlive, a video marketing platform. Sponsored by HostGato...
#2073 This $250K ARR startup just sold for $800K
April 21, 2021 13:00I rarely meet entrepreneurs who are more persistent than today’s guest. Dmitry Dragilev is the founder of JustReachOut, a platform for the DIY PR person who needs additional guidance. He’s just sold the business. I invited him to find out how he found someone to buy JustReachOut, how he structured the sale, and how much he sold it for. Dmitry is the founder of PRThatConverts.com – a PR and SEO coaching program with 800+ students in 25+ countries. He is the founder of JustReachOut.io – a soft...
#2072 $100,000,000+ exit after two years
April 19, 2021 13:00Joining me is someone whose own mom was disappointed in him. Swapnil Shinde’s mom was an entrepreneur herself and did not want him to quit his job to become an entrepreneur. But he did quit his job and he went on to launch and sell a few companies. We’ll talk about how he did it in this interview. Today, Swapnil is the founder of Zeni, bookkeeping and accounting service for startups. Swapnil Shinde is the founder of Zeni, bookkeeping and accounting service for startups. Sponsored by HostGa...
#2071 Better task management
April 16, 2021 13:00Platforms like Slack are so freaking distracting. I think if you’re running your company you need less distraction not more. Well, today’s guest created a more automated task management system and I want to find out how he did it. Max Nalsky is the founder of Pyrus, a team communication tool that helps get things done. Max Nalsky is the founder of Pyrus, a team communication tool that helps get things done. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether yo...
#2070 Creating pop-ups users love
April 14, 2021 13:00You know those pop-ups you see on websites that are awful and embarrassing to site? Well, joining me today is someone who is responsible for a different kind of pop-up–I’m talking about the ones that are pretty, the ones that make you want to type in your email address. Ben Cahen is the founder of Wisepops, an intelligent pop-up builder. I want to find out how he did it. Ben Cahen is the founder of Wisepops, an intelligent pop-up builder. Sponsored by Toptal – Toptal is a global network o...
#2069 Building in public
April 12, 2021 13:00Aleksandr Volodarsky is the founder of Lemon.io, a marketplace of vetted offshore engineers. What I love about his story is that he set a public revenue goal and he’s being completely transparent about how he’s building Lemon. We’ll talk about what he’s doing right in this interview. Aleksandr Volodarsky is the founder of Lemon.io, a marketplace of vetted offshore engineers. You can follow him on Twitter @volodarik Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whet...
#2068 How to deal with setbacks
April 09, 2021 13:00I love when entrepreneurs talk about their biggest failures. To be an entrepreneur you have to be an optimist and I love learning how optimist deal with setbacks. Today’s guest faced several setbacks and we’re going to find out how he recovered. Todd Palmer is the founder of Extraordinary Advisors which helps leaders and entrepreneurs. Todd Palmer is the founder of Extraordinary Advisors which helps leaders and entrepreneurs. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next...
#2067 Tax credits your startup might be missing
April 07, 2021 13:00I met Lloyd Lobo five years ago at a dinner and he seemed like a super confident guy. Everything seemed like it was going his way at that time. It wasn’t until I started reading up on him in preparation for this interview that I realized how much he was struggling with his startup. I want to find out about that period of his life and how he turned it around. Lloyed is the co-founder of Boast.ai which helps businesses recover their R&D costs from the government. We’ll talk about what that mea...
#2066 Bootstrapped in a basement; sold for $32,000,000
April 05, 2021 13:00Today I have a guest who I have been talking to for over 10 years as he bootstrapped his company. Francois Arbour is the founder of PremiumBeat, a curated library of royalty-free music for creative professionals. He sold that company to Shutterstock and has gone on to do many other things. I want to know how a guy who started out in the basement became somebody so freaking good at building companies that he’s helping others do it too. Francois Arbour is the founder of PremiumBeat, a curated...
#2065 Getting paid top dollar for podcast ads
March 31, 2021 13:00Joining me is a long-time listener and I’m excited to have him on here. He’s created a solution that helps podcasters get top dollar for their ads. If you are a content creator, you’ll want to hear this interview. If you’re a company trying to figure out where to place your ad spend, you’ll want to hear this interview. David Tintner is the co-founder of ThoughtLeaders.io, a sponsored content marketplace. In this episode, we talk about the problem advertisers face and how his company is helpin...
#2064 Becoming a technical founder (without a software background)
March 29, 2021 14:54Joining me is an investment banker who decided he wanted to start a software company. But instead of going online and finding a technical co-founder to do all the work, he spent two years learning how to code. Ryan Coon is the co-founder of Avail, which simplifies property management for independent landlords. In this interview we’re going to hear the entire story of how he built it up to how he sold it to Realtor.com. Ryan Coon is the co-founder of Avail, which simplifies property managem...
#2063 Making Community Your Competitive Advantage
March 26, 2021 13:00Joining me as someone who I had an awkward conversation with about a decade ago. I think he would say the same about that day. He was in his early twenties and didn’t have much to say. Well, 10 years later, he’s written a book and has a successful business. I want to find out how he made such a transformation. David Spinks is the co-founder of CMX Hub and author of The Business of Belonging. David Spinks is the co-founder of CMX Hub and author of The Business of Belonging. Sponsored by Ho...
#2062 Revenue options for content creators
March 24, 2021 13:00Today’s guest runs a business for entrepreneurs which is really similar to my business. I invited him here because I want to find out what’s working for him and how I can improve. Ben Aston is the founder of The Digital Project Manager. It’s a place where project managers can learn about what’s going on in their industry. I want to figure out how he has monetized it through three different revenue channels. Ben Aston is the founder of The Digital Project Manager, platforms for project manag...
#2061 Keeping churn below 2%
March 22, 2021 13:00Joining me is an entrepreneur who had a simple idea, bootstrapped it, and is doing really well. Dmitri Leonov is the founder of SaneBox, software that makes sure only important email stays in your Inbox. I want to find out how he did it. Dmitri Leonov is the founder of SaneBox, software that makes sure only important email stays in your Inbox. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator h...
#2060 Process-driven outsourcing
March 19, 2021 13:00 - 1.5 KBJoining me is Barnaby Lashbrooke. He has a virtual assistant company called Time Etc. which I would have thought would be an easy businesses to start because it makes so much sense. But it turns out it took a while to get the business model to work. I want to find out why. He’s also the author of The Hard Work Myth: How To Achieve More And Work Less Hard. We’ll talk about that too. Barnaby Lashbrooke is the founder of Time Etc and the author of The Hard Work Myth: How To Achieve More And W...
#2059 Connecting with customers through personalized video
March 17, 2021 13:00Joining me is a guy who failed a couple of times in entrepreneurship but he decided to continue anyway. I’m curious why he didn’t just give up. And instead of giving up, he went on to create this software called Bonjoro. It allows you to send individual videos to people at scale. We’ll find out how he built it up. Matt Barnett is the founder of Bonjoro which helps customer success teams convert and retain more customers through personal video. Sponsored by SEMrush – If you’re doing conte...
#2058 Staying tenacious and agile (even when something’s working)
March 15, 2021 13:00I don’t know how today’s guest is still standing. Chad Newell is running a company that has pivoted so many times for so many different reasons. The tenacity and the agility it must have taken to stay with it fascinates me. We’ll find out how he did it in this interview. Chad Newell co-founder and CEO of Snapwire.co which lets teams find and hire the top creative freelancers to produce visual content seamlessly. Chad Newell co-founder and CEO of Snapwire.co which lets teams find and hire the...
#2057 Buying and resuscitating a dying business
March 12, 2021 14:00Today’s guest bought a business that was at death door step. He brought it back to life–back to profitability. But then he discovered an even bigger problem. We’ll talk about how he used software to solve it. Jeremy Bodenhamer is the founder of ShipHawk, smarter shipping software. Jeremy Bodenhamer is the founder of ShipHawk, smarter shipping software. Sponsored by SaneBox – We all get so much email and most of it does not need to be read, let alone interrupt your day. SaneBox’s AI makes...
#2056 How an app can solve an offline problem
March 10, 2021 14:00I happen to be the one of the many people who don’t have enough time to take my car in for maintenance. Well, joining me is an entrepreneur who recognized that problem and is solving it. Limvirak Chea is the founder of Fixter, which lets users book hassle-free car maintenance. Limvirak Chea is the founder of Fixter, which lets users book hassle-free car maintenance. Sponsored by SaneBox – We all get so much email and most of it does not need to be read, let alone interrupt your day. SaneB...
#2055 Bootstrapped and sold in 2 years
March 08, 2021 14:00Joining me is a bootstrapper who built yet another email marketing company. There are so many and yet the demand was there. He built it up and sold it in just two years. I want to find out how he did it. Shawn Finder is the co-founder of Autoklose, a sales automation platform. Shawn Finder is the co-founder of Autoklose, a sales automation platform. Sponsored by Zopto – There are lots of LinkedIn Automation tools out there, and choosing one can be overwhelming. For cloud based lead gener...
#2054 What makes you “Backable”
March 05, 2021 14:00 - 1.49 KBI recently read the book written by today’s guest. It’s called Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You. I thought it was incredibly helpful because he gave clear steps for how to be “backable,” the type of person that people like, that they want to put their money or careers behind. I’ve seen so many of these people here in San Francisco that have that “it quality.” We’ll talk about what that is and examples of how people use techniques to become it. Sunee...
#2053 Running a startup with your dad
March 03, 2021 14:00In this interview you’re going to hear me bust the chops of today’s guest. Sam Ovett is the co-founder of Mobile Pocket Office, a consulting company that helps clients automate sales and lead generation. He started the company with his dad. I want to find out about that and how he built it up. Sam Ovett is the co-founder of Mobile Pocket Office, a consulting company that helps clients automate sales and lead generation. Sponsored by SEMrush – If you’re doing content marketing of any kind,...
#2052 Ray J – Nearly broke to $116 million earbud business
March 01, 2021 14:00Ray J, the musician and TV star, wanted to be a tech entrepreneur like you. He launched an electric bike, but it didn’t go as well as planned. “I wasn’t listening to anybody,” he says of that time. His finances suffered from unfruitful startup attempts. Then he teamed up with Ray Lee, whose family was in the electrics business, and opened himself up to helpful advice. Today, he makes RAYCON earbuds. Not only is the company generating real revenue, but it’s products are loved by both celebriti...
#2051 How do you know if you’re failing?
February 26, 2021 14:00Joining me is an entrepreneur who’s been in the news quite a bit because he raised a bunch of money. But before all that, the company failed on many ways with many early customers. Today’s guest is willing to talk openly with me about that. Vivek Sharma is the founder of Movable Ink which activates any data into real-time, personalized content in any customer engagement. Over 700 of the world’s most innovative brands rely on Movable Ink to accelerate their marketing performance. Vivek Sharma...
#2050 John Lee Dumas opens up about PTSD
February 24, 2021 14:00Joining me is another guy who interviews entrepreneurs about how they’ve built their businesses. John Lee Dumas has done over 3000 interviews as the founder and host of the award-winning podcast, Entrepreneurs on Fire, where he interviews inspiring entrepreneurs. He’s got a book now about how he built his business and what you can learn from his experience. It’s called The Common Path to Uncommon Success. I invited him here to talk about the details. John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of...
#2049 Monetizing empty retail space?
February 22, 2021 14:00Tristan Pollock is the co-founder of Storefront, which allows vendors to find and book pop-up shops, showrooms, galleries, and other event venues. It was a great freaking idea. He ended up selling. I want to ask him about that, his AngelList syndicate, and why, after founding and selling a company, he ended up working for CTO.ai. Tristan Pollock is the co-founder of Storefront, which allows vendors to find and book pop-up shops, showrooms, galleries, and other event venues. Sponsored by ...
#2048 Authentic branding through street art
February 19, 2021 14:00 - 1.49 KBI’m usually a cynical person, but sometimes I see these beautiful murals that incorporate some branding and it just looks so cool. Well, it turns out there’s a company behind those branded murals. Tricia Binder is the co-founder of Muros, an art activation agency to create impactful spaces, experiences and outdoor mural advertising campaigns. Tricia Binder is the co-founder of Muros, an art activation agency to create impactful spaces, experiences and outdoor mural advertising campaigns. S...
#2047 Fixing the e-commerce value chain
February 17, 2021 14:00Joining me is Paul Palmieri. He’s someone who has done it all. He built a company, took it public, sold it to AOL, the whole thing. I want to find out how he did it and I also want to talk to him about the big, hairy, audacious challenge he’s taking on today in e-commerce. Paul Palmieri is the co-creator of Tradeswell, a real-time e-commerce value chain with the first cross-channel algorithmic trading platform built specifically to help DTC and CPG brands. Paul Palmieri is the co-creator of ...
#2046 Reducing churn starts with this
February 15, 2021 14:00Watch the FULL program tbd About Shreesha Ramdas This is the latest post from Mixergy Raw transcript Mixergy’s audio transcription is done by Speechpad Come back in a few days to get the full transcript of this program. Sponsored by Walker Corporate Law – Scott Edward Walker is the lawyer entrepreneurs turn to when they […] Shreesha Ramdas is the founder of Strikedeck, which captures and organized customer feedback. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whe...
#2045 A record label pivots to SaaS
February 12, 2021 14:00I was a little intimidated about today’s guest because he’s in the security space. And I find that anything in the security space is hard to understand, harder to explain and wrapped in a mystery because the guests can’t tell me details. But today’s guest is different. He doesn’t come from a security background. I invited him here to talk about how he built his business despite that. Darren Gallop is the co-founder of Securicy which specializes in building and leveraging information Security...
#2044 He solved contract management
February 10, 2021 14:00Imagine this: Your company is getting acquired and the buyers want to know what agreements are inside all of your contracts. How do you figure it out? That’s the problem today’s guest had while working with Backupify. When he couldn’t find a simple solution, he decided to create one himself. Vishal Sunak co-founder of LinkSquares, an app for legal and finance teams to automate the search and reporting process. Vishal Sunak co-founder of LinkSquares, an app for legal and finance teams to au...
#2043 Printful grew to $200,000,000 in 2020
February 08, 2021 14:00Today’s guest needed some inspirational posters to cover the blank walls in his startup’s office. When all he could find was cheesy, dated options he decided to create them himself. Davis Siksnans is the founder of Printful, easy print-on-demand drop shipping and fulfillment warehouse services. His company is now doing close to $200,000,000. Find out how he did it in this interview. Davis Siksnans is the founder of Printful, easy print-on-demand drop shipping and fulfillment warehouse serv...
#2042 Fashion masks launched days after lockdown
February 05, 2021 14:00I’m wondering if people who are listen to this interview will be thinking, “Enough with COVID-based interviews.” But the truth is 2020 really was a challenging year. There are some entrepreneurs who jumped and found solutions and found ways to grow despite the chaos in the world. I want to highlight them and I’m especially interested in today’s guest because her previous business suffered dramatically. Carol Chen is the founder of Maskela, which provides reusable face masks that are fashiona...
#2041 The Hustle acquired! Here’s the founder.
February 04, 2021 14:00 - 1.49 KBHubSpot acquired The Hustle. So I’m republishing the interview I did with its founder, Sam Parr, about how the company was founded and grew. It’s an exciting story. Sam Parr is the founder of The Hustle and Trends.co, which picks up on trends that lead to new products that lead to new businesses. Sponsored by Toptal – Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on demand. Toptal serves thousands of clients, inclu...
#2040 Motion Array sells for $65M
February 03, 2021 14:00I’m so excited to have today’s guest on the show but I’m sensing that he’s incredibly nervous. Tyler Williams is the founder of Motion Array, a membership based resource for downloading premium After Effects templates, stock music, stock motion graphics, and stock video elements. We’ll find out how he built this business Tyler Williams is the founder of Motion Array, a membership based resource for downloading premium After Effects templates, stock music, stock motion graphics, and stock vid...
#2039 Standing out in marketing automation
February 01, 2021 14:00I want to find out how today’s guest is competing in the world of marketing automation. Shaun Clark is the founder of GoHighLevel, everything that agencies need to manage their client’s leads, websites, funnels, calendars and many other services. I’ll ask him how he grew it to over $10m in two years and why he’s so paranoid. Shaun Clark is the founder of GoHighLevel, everything that agencies need to manage their client’s leads, websites, funnels, calendars and many other services. Sponsor...
#2038 Sketching as a Service
January 29, 2021 14:00 - 1.5 KBJoining me is somebody who thinks of himself as a creative turned entrepreneur. Today’s guest is somebody who’d been sketching, designing, and drawing his entire life but found himself working a corporate job at Chic-fil-a. It was in endless meetings that he got a brilliant idea. I want to find out what happened in this interview. William Warren is the founder of The Sketch Effect, which delivers whiteboard videos and dry erase board sketches at conferences to make your ideas understandable...
#2037 Adii Pienaar on his darkest moments
January 27, 2021 14:00Adii Pienaar is the founder of multiple companies. Many of us know him as the guy who created WooCommerce, an e-commerce platform that works on WordPress. It was acquired by Automatic. He then created Conversio, email marketing automation for e-commerce brands which was acquired by Campaign Monitor. His latest company is called Cogsy. But today he’s here to talk about a book he’s releasing. Life Profitably. I invited him here to argue about his ideas in the book. You’ll find out why in this...
#2036 Bringing avatars to telemedicine
January 25, 2021 14:00I am fascinated by what today’s guest has done. He essentially created the first Siri in the early days of voice interaction. Today, Adam Odessky is the founder of Sensely, a character-based Enterprise Virtual Assistant Platform. We’ll find out how he did it and how COVID helped build this business. Adam Odessky is the founder of Sensely, a character-based Enterprise Virtual Assistant Platform. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-ti...