Hack The Entrepreneur: Passive Income |business Ideas | Marketing

My guest today is a serial entrepreneur, product evangelist, and combat-decorated Air Force pilot. He started his career in the Air Force before moving into software and entrepreneurship back in the ‘90s, when he co-founded Trio Development, which was acquired by Apple. He is now the co-founder and CEO of Smartling, a translation software and service company helping ambitious brands access more markets. In this conversation, we discuss cocktail entrepreneurs, why everybody’s job is marketing and sales, and why every team needs a leader. Now, let’s hack… Jack Welde.

My guest today is Mike Faith of Headsets.com, which has over 943,722 customers. My guest started Headsets.com in 1997 when he couldn't find a supplier with a good selection of headsets, fast shipping, or good product support. My guest says he is fanatic about giving customer love; so much so that every package the company ships includes a Tootsie Roll. He is also the Founder of www.Reservedinners.com, a not-for-profit organization, which offers a dining with celebrities experience, and aims to raise money for the honored celebrity guests favorite cause. Now, let's hack... Mike Faith of headsets.com. In this 32-minute episode Mike Faith of Headsets.com and I discuss: The true value of having a powerful desire to succeed Learning when the business you have is a lifetime business Why you should constantly be reading books and learning Mastering the art of delegation Assigning the right person to the right project The Show Notes Headsets MikeFaith.com Mike on LinkedIn Jon on Twitter Show Sponsor: https://Typef

Today’s guest left Australia 25 years ago to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. Today, he lives in Canada and is the founder and senior partner at Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less good work and more great work. What started 15 years ago as a one-person show, has grown into a thriving team of 20+ people seeing exponential growth. He’s also the author of several books, including The Wall Street Journal Bestseller, The Coaching Habit. Now, let’s hack… Michael Bungay Stanier.

My guest today is a speaker, a bestselling and award-winning writer, brand consultant, and an entrepreneur. She became an answer to a Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy question after being fired from her job as a web designer for blogging stories involving her colleagues. My guest is now the Founder of and professional blogger at Dooce. She has been a part of the internet writing community for 14 years and has worked to create targeted content for global brands, including Ford, Nintendo, and Clorox. She is also the author of the New York Times Best Seller, It Sucked and then I Cried. Now let's hack... Heather Armstrong. In this 32-minute episode Heather Armstrong and I discuss: How her blog caused her to lose her job Why you need to pay very close attention to your audience The benefits of blogging far outweigh the negatives Moving from blogging to consulting international brands The Show Note Dooce.com HeatherArmstrong.com Heather's Books Heather on Twitter Jon on Twitter

After spending the first 15 years as a graphic designer and growing her own agency, today’s guest decided it was time for a challenge — and a change. Twenty years after falling in love with rum during a trip to India, she and her husband decided to see if they could turn that love of rum into a business. At this moment, Montanya Distillers was born. Flash forward eight years and Montanya produces three rums, is distributed in forty-four states and seven countries and has won countless international awards. In this conversation, we discuss being a female distiller in a male-dominated industry, building your wings on the way down, and not being constrained by what other people think. Now, let’s hack… Karen Hoskin.

Garrett Gunderson is an author, entrepreneur, and continuous debunker of financial myths. Garrett is the founder and Chief Wealth Architect at The Wealth Factory, which empowers its members to build sustainable wealth through financial efficiency and organization leading to clarity, peace of mind and financial confidence. In this conversation, we talk about Killing Sacred Cows, adding value and getting paid for it, and getting really, really good at hiring. Now, let’s hack… Garrett Gunderson.

My guest today is a former national journalist turned PR guy and a story obsessive entrepreneur. Back in 2010, along with his wife, they started Arc Seven Communications, a PR agency focused on the health care industry. With their agency running smoothly, he wanted to help entrepreneurs and startups tell their story. So they created Class:PR to democratize PR and help businesses tell their stories. I this conversation, we discuss how to write a press release, the value of perseverance, and paying attention to the details. Now, let’s hack… Alistair Clay.

My guest today started his current business while still in college, and after struggling for three years with hardly any growth his determination is finally paying off. He is the co-founder of Interact quiz builder. This year alone, it looks like the sacrifices required to build a business are paying off, as they have seen a 300% jump in growth and are anticipating 500% by the end of the year. In this conversation, we talk about finding a coach, how to choose your marketing channels, and being relentless. Now, let’s hack… Josh Haynam.

  In 2009, my guest co-founded and was Director of Analytics at Loudpixel, a successful social analytics company. After many successful years, she realized it wasn’t quite what she wanted to be doing, so she made a change. Today my guest is an independent wedding and lifestyle photographer. In a market that most people struggle to start a business in, my guest has managed to build a business to where she works part-time and makes a full-time income. This allows her time to spend with her 1-year old daughter. She also runs an interview podcast series for photographers called Photo Field Notes and teaches in Michigan State University’s Advertising Department. Now, let’s hack… Allie Siarto. In this 35-minute episode Allie Siarto and I discuss: The need to take calculated risks in business and life Brushing off failures and embarrassment (and how your biggest embarrassment can help you) How putting your goals out to the world can help fulfill them Finding what makes you happy and building a business to suit tha

https://hacktheentrepreneur.com/convert My guest today is an author, teacher, and the founder of Convertkit. In 2013, he launched Convertkit, email marketing to professional bloggers. He spent a couple years trying to get traction and dealing with friends telling him to give up and try another product. Convert kit now has serious traction with a team of 28 fully distributed employees and over $500k in monthly recurring revenue. In this conversation, we discuss paying attention to things that don’t scale, user onboarding, and teaching everything you know. Now, let’s hack… Nathan Barry.

My guest today is an author, speaker, and coach with one goal: Help your business be better off than it was before you found him. He is working to accomplish this goal in several ways: One, he sends a daily marketing tip to his newsletter. Two, he has written three books. And One, he sends a daily marketing tip to his newsletter. Two, he has written three books. And three, he coaches freelancers in the craft of marketing and selling. This is a super fun conversation that covers positioning, the sunk cost fallacy, and evaluating new business ideas. Now, let’s hack… Kai Davis.

My guest today has gone from a sales position in the concrete industry to running a successful eCommerce business from his home office. Back in 2009, while still working in the construction industry, my guest decided to start a website called ConcreteHelper.com. His plan was to help the industry, and in turn, help his career. Instead, he realized he hated his job. Fast forward to today, and my guest is running a successful Amazon FBA company and has published an extremely useful journal and goals tracking book called The Sweet Ass Journal. In this episode, we discuss morning routines, online arbitrage, and habit tracking. Now, let’s hack… Heath Armstrong.  

My guest today is the founder of School Spirit Vending. But he wasn’t always an entrepreneur. He spent the first nine years of his career as an Air Force pilot before entering the corporate world. Despite being a top performer, he had a long-term desire to start his own business and be his own boss. After a random conversation with a friend about the gumball machines his family owned, the seed was planted for what would eventually become School Spirit Vending. School Spirit Vending started with a single gumball machine, and now spans the United States with hundreds of locations run by a small army of franchisees. Now, let’s hack… Matt Miller.  

Today’s guest is a podcaster, coach, and currently the founder of two successful companies. Back in 2010, he brought Pure Bookkeeping to life in Canada, and they have recently grown and expanded into the US. Pure Bookkeeping is a system for helping bookkeepers manage, grow, and scale their businesses. He is also the co-founder of eCircle Academy, where he helps coaches and consultants grow their businesses. He is also the host of the Thought Leaders podcast. Now, let’s hack… Michael Palmer.

My guest today is the founder, host, and executive producer of The Pitch podcast. Earlier this year, The Pitch podcast was acquired by Gimlet Media and is currently publishing its second season. Back in 2011, when my guest was still in college, he started an online iPad and iPhone repair company called iHeart Repair. After growing it rapidly for three years, my guest sold the business to MTechRepair. In this conversation, we discuss the value of cold emailing, why follow-up is essential, and deciding whether to push ahead or quit. Now, let’s hack… Josh Muccio.

My guest today sold his first business at just 15 years old, and spent the past 41 years building, growing, and selling countless others — both his own and for clients. He is currently the founder and CEO of Zero Limits Ventures, a small and middle market Mergers and Acquisitions Firm. In this conversation, we discuss how to understand what drives the value of a business, why an exit strategy is more about the strategy than the exit, and spinning up an area of expertise. Now, let’s hack… Steve Little.

Landon Ray of OntraPort is a serial entrepreneur. He has unparalleled perseverance and has failed more times than most. At the age of 25, with money he got from his father, my guest made the transformation from a street vendor of flowers, into a top securities day trader, in only 12 months. This alone is a brilliant story, but just the beginning. After beating the odds on Wall Street, my guest has taken his team-building skills and personal experience, to create a family of products that reflect his passion for educating and supporting entrepreneurs. Landon Ray is the founder and CEO of ONTRAPORT, an award-winning, all-in-one marketing and business automation platform to help entrepreneurs start, systemize, and scale their businesses. Now, let’s hack… Landon Ray.

Sean Smith of Simple Tiger is a marketer, writer, strategist, and an entrepreneur. His career began in SEO by consulting for multiple Fortune 500 companies and 17 years old. Just two years later, he joined his first agency, Gravity Free, where he and spent two and a half years running SEO campaigns for leading brands like Holiday Inn and Best Western. He is now the cofounder and VP of Simple Tiger, where they are building a killer team to help brands – from startups to Fortune 500's – better tell their story to customers.  Now, let’s hack… Sean Smith.

My guest today has led a fascinating journey as a musicologist, professional DJ, and an entrepreneur. At just 16 years old, he got started as a professional DJ with a goal of working in the epicenter of electronic music — Ibiza, Spain — which he accomplished when he became resident DJ for six years at Pacha Ibiza. He also worked as a consultant and crafted 24-hour playlists for restaurant and retail clients. During this time, he found himself profoundly frustrated by the tools available to him, as he plumbed his knowledge for unique, flowing track lists. So he set out to solve this problem and created the world’s first AI DJ with an algorithm and app called Muru Music. And he determined to change the world through music. Now, let’s hack… Nicc Johnson.

My guest today is an Iranian immigrant inspired by the freedom and power at our fingertips through the power of entrepreneurship — a freedom we sometimes take for granted. My guest is the creator of Finish Line Thinking, where he is a mindset coach to high performers in sport and business. He is also the co-founder of The Business of Thought Leadership podcast and the author and co-author of several books. Most notably, he Mark McKoy's Gold Medal Fitness Secrets, which he co-wrote with Olympic gold medalist Mark McCoy. Now, let’s hack…   Nicky Billou.