Episodes
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In today’s episode, I sit down with investor, entrepreneur, and content creator, Sahil Bloom (in front of a live audience) to unpack the key strategies and lessons that will help you achieve longevity and sustainability in the creator economy.
Sahil has had a fascinating journey, transitioning from the world of private equity to making a name for himself in the creator economy (his bi-weekly newsletter alone has more than 400K subscribers). Upon entering this new sector, Sahil found himself occupied with the question of how to ensure longevity and set about putting together the ideal business operating system for content creators.In today’s conversation, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how Sahil built a thriving ecosystem as a content creator by acquiring businesses that would resonate with his audience and partnering with the right collaborators. You’ll also hear Sahil’s answers to live audience questions where he sheds light on finding the right partner, knowing when to pivot, and the future of the creator ecosystem.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How Sahil became one of the first people to popularize the use of long-form on TwitterWhy to focus on building an audience with whom your work resonates rather than chasing vanity metricsHow to figure out if you're creating inspiration-driven content operation-focused content (and where you lie on the spectrum)How to escape the need to create new content daily by putting strategies in placeHow to use flywheels as the operating system for your businessHow to find the right collaboratorsHow Sahil uses agencies to turn cost centers into profit centersWhen to pivot on a project or companyHabits for creating and managing your time as a creatorLinks & Resources:
The Sweaty Startup
Wait But Why
Justin Welsh
Tim Ferriss
Sahil Bloom Links:
Sahil’s websiteFollow Sahil on LinkedIn
Follow Sahil on Twitter
Follow Sahil on Instagram
Follow Sahil on YouTube
Follow Sahil on TikTok
Subscribe to Sahil’s newsletter
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Today, I talk to Darrell Vesterfelt, who is a longtime friend who helped grow ConvertKit in our craziest growth times (from $100,000/mo when he joined to $500,000/mo in just over a year).
Darrell is one of the best marketers I know. He is the Founder and former CEO of Good People Digital, the Co-Founder of Homestead Living, and Co-Founder and COO of the School of Traditional Skills.
In this episode, Darrell breaks down the goal and execution of an online summit that accumulated an astonishing 101,000 attendees as a brand-new brand! Tune in to find out why you can’t have a marketing strategy without value and vice versa.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Darrell’s transition from New York to homestead; how his marketing skills translate to homesteading.The importance of authenticity in the homesteading world.A rundown of Darrell’s various businesses.The publication and publishing house, Homestead Living: what inspired it and where it’s going. The structure, marketing strategy, execution, and conversion rate of the School of Traditional Skills Summit.The best marketing strategy according to Darrell.Links & Resources:
Homestead Living
Homestead Living on Instagram
School of Traditional Skills
Homesteading Family
Good People Digital
Everything Worth Preserving
Darrell Vesterfelt Links:
Darrell’s website
Follow Darrell on LinkedIn
Follow Darrell on Twitter
Follow Darrell on Instagram
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Missing episodes?
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In today’s episode, I’m joined by PJ Taei, Founder and CEO of Uscreen, an all-in-one video monetization platform for content creators that helps them build their brands and grow their businesses.
The creator economy has changed a lot since PJ first founded Uscreen in 2015. And in that time PJ has managed to grow Uscreen to $20 million a year in revenue, representing sought-after clients and their channels, like Yoga with Adrienne and Justin Rhodes’s streaming platform, Abundance Plus.
Our conversation gets into some pretty fascinating topics, like what to do when major competitors enter your field, the trial and error involved in getting your pricing right, and why true fans are so valuable for content creators looking to monetize. PJ also sheds light on what motivated him to bootstrap his company and expands on why it’s so important to stay in touch with the needs of your customers as you grow!
In this episode, you'll learn:
How Uscreen supports creators by helping them sync their offerings on one platform.What helped PJ recognize the need for a service like Uscreen.When to fear a major competitor coming in and why you should never underestimate a small company.The importance of continued focus on the customer as you grow along with actionable advice on how to stay in touch with their needs.How to find the right balance between trial periods, free content, and attracting paying customers.Why PJ decided to bootstrap instead of pursuing funding and what he has learned from the experience.Links & Resources:
Uscreen
Uscreen on YouTubePJ Taei’s Links:
PJ’s website
PJ’s email
Follow PJ on LinkedIn
Follow PJ on Twitter
Follow PJ on YouTube
Listen to PJ’s Podcast
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In this episode, I talk to Susie Bulloch, who runs Hey Grill, Hey, which started as a wildly successful food blog (to the tune of a million dollars or more a year in revenue). Then she did something that I absolutely love: she used her online business to kickstart a physical products company. Her sauces and rubs company in the barbecue space is now about to overtake the blog in revenue.
The online world of content creation is vastly different to the product manufacturing space, and as Susie explains, she is grateful that she didn’t know too much before she made the transition. Her top piece of advice for anyone interested in doing the same thing is to make products with the intention of fulfilling a need, not just because you have an audience online.
Susie describes herself as “terrifyingly driven,” and during our conversation, she talks about how she went from “I could never” to doing it all, the importance of celebrating business milestones, the value of having someone ask you, “Why?” regularly on your entrepreneurial journey, and her goal of increasing the representation of women-owned brands in the barbeque space!
In this episode, you'll learn:
The value in working for other people before starting your own company. Why it’s always worth taking the time to be grateful for the journey you are on and celebrating your achievements.What the life of a “terrifyingly driven” entrepreneur looks like. How to build trust within your community so they are happy to pay for your offerings.The only piece of advice Susie would give to someone interested in transitioning from online content creation to product manufacturing.Links & Resources:
Hey Grill, Hey
The Grill Squad
‘The Billion Dollar Creator’
Susie Bulloch Links:
Follow Susie on Twitter
Follow Susie on Facebook
Follow Susie on Instagram
Follow Susie on YouTube
Subscribe to Susie's Grill Squad
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Today, I sit down with the Head of Deliverability at ConvertKit, Alyssa Dulin, to shed some light on the often mysterious game of getting your email into the right inbox. Alyssa's expertise about what creators need to focus on and the most recent developments in the email marketing space can truly take your company's reach to the next level!
Deliverability has always been a huge part of what we offer at ConvertKit, and Alyssa unpacks the most important pieces of this puzzle, covering sender reputation, effective cadences, and setting and delivering on expectations. As with so much of our philosophy, it is all about playing the long game over short-term wins and shiny statistics.
You’ll get a look behind the scenes at how the world of email actually operates and evolves, the important conversations that happen between providers, as well as some helpful practical tips and common mistakes to avoid. Be sure to join Alyssa and me for this illuminating chat.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The biggest factors that contribute to reaching your audience's inbox.A simple and comprehensive definition of deliverability.How to think about the important aspect of reputation management. The real value of custom domains and dedicated IPs.Links & Resources:
ConvertKit's Creator Network
Eventbrite
Warby Parker
Emma
CM Group
Tim Ferriss
Susan Cain
James Clear
Bitly
Spamhaus
M3AAWG
Figma
Substack
SparkLoop
Alyssa Dulin Links:
Follow Alyssa on Twitter
Listen to Alyssa's podcast
Subscribe to Alyssa's newsletter
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Today I’m talking with Thomas Frank. Thomas built a YouTube channel called College Info Geek to over a million subscribers. Since then, he’s rebranded and grown the channel to nearly 3 million subscribers. He’s also built a massive business around courses and Notion templates.
In this episode we talk about making a pivot as a creator. Thomas has an interesting and understated approach that’s worked quite well. We also talk about the Notion templates he’s selling, the YouTube productivity channel he started strictly about Notion, and how it’s driving hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales per month.
Thomas also explains why it’s easier getting started on YouTube today than it was 10 years ago, and I get Thomas’ candid thoughts on how Gumroad’s new pricing has affected his business and creators in general.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why now is a great time to get started on YouTubeHow to pull off a successful rebrand of your creator businessWhy your subscriber count isn’t as important as you thinkWas Gumroad’s price increase a mistake?Thomas’ Links (H5)
Thomas’ websiteFollow Thomas on TwitterSubscribe to Thomas’ YouTube channelDownload Thomas’ Notion templatesCheck out Thomas’ Notion YouTube channelThomas’ Nebula.tv contentFollow College Info Geek on TwitterThomas’ Skillshare page -
In this episode I talk to Brian Feroldi. Brian is an incredible creator in the investing space. He Tweets about money, investing, and self-improvement. He also has a free newsletter with over 40,000 subscribers.
Today Brian talks about his recent experience migrating his newsletter to ConvertKit. He’s also a member of the ConvertKit Sponsor Network. I haven’t said much about the Sponsor Network, so Brian shares how he’s using it to book sponsors.
The bulk of our conversation, however, is about Twitter and how he’s grown his account to over 400,000 followers. Brian has an interesting idea using your Twitter profile as a sales page, and he explains why conversion rates are important. We also pull up my Twitter profile and Brian gives it a tear down live on the show.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to get more followers on TwitterTwitter profile strategies that increase your conversion rateWhy your Tweets aren’t getting more impressionsHow to write Twitter threads that people will shareLinks & Resources (H5)
ConvertKit Sponsor NetworkSahil BloomJames ClearTim UrbanBlake BurgeAustin LiebermanBrian’s Links (H5)
Brian’s newsletterFollow Brian on TwitterConnect with Brian on FacebookBrian is on InstagramCheck out Brian on YouTubeBrian’s LinkedIn page -
The podcast is back! Today I’m talking with Turner Novak. Turner is someone I’ve followed for a long time. He has an amazing Twitter account where he drops hilarious memes, talks about life as an investor, and makes fun of venture capitalists and founders.
He also posts deep dives on companies like Snapchat about how their earnings work, what’s going on in TikTok ads, and a lot more. It’s an interesting balance, and he does all this while investing in early-stage companies as a venture capitalist.
In today’s episode Turner and I talk about how he creates content. We get into how he uses his funnel to raise capital, and how to generate the highest return on investment (ROI) for your audience. We also talk about how he grew to 130,000 followers on Twitter, why he failed to get a job in venture capital and had to start his own firm, and how to create a successful newsletter.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Easy ways to grow your newsletter audienceHow Turner varies his content to get more engagementWhy getting to know your audience is so importantHow Turner used writing to expand his venture capital networkTurner’s Links & Resources (H5)
Subscribe to Turner’s newsletter, The SplitFollow Turner on TwitterBanana Capital’s websiteFollow Banana Capital on Twitter -
In this episode I talk to Katelyn Bourgoin. Katelyn is a creator and entrepreneur. She’s built several successful companies and agencies, and built a consultant company that she later sold.
We dive into why customers buy, and how to market and sell to them through the Jobs-to-be-Done framework. Katelyn has a wealth of marketing knowledge she shares with us today.
We talk about different business models. We get into why you should focus on selling checklists, cheat sheets, and outcomes rather than the traditional video courses. We also talk about how she grew her newsletter to 10,000 subscribers, and got to over 50,000 followers on Twitter.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Tips and strategies for acquiring more usersA subtle mindset shift to make your marketing more effectiveWhat content should be free, and what should be paid forWhy Katelyn transitioned away from launches and coursesLinks & Resources
Episode 061: Rachel Rodgers – Simple & Consistent: How To Build an 8-Figure BusinessApril DunfordNathan Barry: AuthorityKatelyn Bourgoin’s Links
Customer CampFollow Customer Camp on TwitterThe Why We Buy newsletterJobs-to-be-DoneThe Trigger TechniqueTwitter thread about The Trigger TechniqueFollow Katelyn on Twitter -
In this episode I talk to Laura Roeder. Laura and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve learned so much from her, and it’s great to have her on the podcast.
Laura started an online community and a course called Creating Fame. She’s done a bunch of stuff in the internet space. She’s one of the people who’s been doing it since the early days.
She got into software with a company called MeetEdgar, which is a social media scheduling service, and grew it into a successful company before selling it. She recently started another company called Paperbell. Paperbell is the all-in-one software that solves all the problems of running a coaching and consulting business.
There’s so much to learn from Laura. I love her direct, blunt style. She’s given me great advice over the years, and you get to tune in as we jump on a call, hit record, and start catching up.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Benefits of choosing a narrow niche for your businessCommon branding mistakes to avoid when starting outLaura’s advice for writing great copyTradeoffs between hiring freelancers and employeesLinks & Resources
Mama GenaMeetEdgarLaura Roeder’s Links
Laura’s websiteFollow Laura on TwitterLaura is on InstagramPaperbellFollow Paperbell on TwitterPaperbell is on InstagramFollow Paperbell on FacebookCheck out Paperbell on Pinterest -
In this episode I talk to Justin Moore. Justin is a Sponsorship Coach & the founder of Creator Wizard, a school & community that teaches you how to find & negotiate your dream brand deals.
In today’s episode Justin reveals how narrowing in on sponsorship coaching was a huge boost for his business. We talk about him growing multiple audiences between different YouTube channels (he and his wife, April, have well over a million combined followers on YouTube).
My favorite part of the episode is when we dive into From Boise, my side project newsletter. Justin breaks down what we’re doing wrong with sponsorships, how we should be selling them, and how there’s quite a bit more to be earned. We also dive into the way he runs his newsletter and how he’s grown it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The differences and similarities between sponsorships and newslettersJustin’s tips for starting your newsletter and getting tractionHow a simple change in Justin’s Twitter headline led to amazing growth for his brandWhy you need to charge your sponsors different amountsLinks & Resources
Deepak Malhotra: Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and BeyondJustin Moore’s Links
Justin’s websiteJustin's newsletterFollow Justin on TwitterJoin Justin’s group on FacebookJustin’s TikTokJustin is on InstagramCheck out Creator Wizard on YouTubeTrending FamilyAprilJustinTV on YouTube -
In this episode I’m joined by Kaya Yurieff. She is the Creator Economy Newsletter writer for The Information. It’s the publication I read when I want to know what’s going on in startups and funding, learn about Spotify’s latest launch, find out what’s going on with Instagram, and things like that.
Kaya has a great approach. I love her writing. I love the way she profiles both individual creators and the moves happening from big businesses in the creator space.
We talk about her writing process and her system for publishing four days a week. We talk about how they’ve grown the newsletter and what they pay attention to for monetization. We also talk about what it means to be a creator through crises like the pandemic, the social justice issues of the last few years, and now the war in Ukraine.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Tips for finding your niche in a crowded fieldHow to get more paid subscribersBenefits of adding visual content to your newsletterHow to balance free content and paid contentLinks & Resources
EmbeddedKate Lindsay’s post on Embedded: You don't need to post through a crisisKaya Yurieff’s Links
The Information’s Creator Economy NewsletterFollow Kaya on Twitter -
In this episode I talk to Wes Kao, co-founder of altMBA. Her latest startup is called Maven, and it's all about cohort-based courses.
Wes is fantastic at course design. Before Maven, she did a bunch of amazing things working with a lot of different creators.
We talk about the State Change Method, which is something I use to make my presentations much more interesting. We talk about building an audience on Twitter. We also talk about course design, cohort-based courses, and a lot of other fun things.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Tips for writing short-form content that boosts engagementA big advantage Twitter gives you over other platformsHow to know if your content is ready to publishWhy cohort-based courses are so lucrativeLinks & Resources (H5)
Seth GodinaltMBAGagan BiyaniWes Kao’s Links (H5)
MavenWes’ websiteFollow Wes on TwitterWes’ blog post: Course Mechanics Canvas: 12 Levers to Achieve Course-Market FitWes’ blog post: The State Change Method: How to deliver engaging live lectures on Zoom -
On today’s show I’m talking with Brennan Dunn. Brennan is a longtime friend. He's been around since the very early days of ConvertKit. He helped me review pull requests from our very first developers.
These days Brennan is an expert in all things email marketing and automation. He’s fantastic at segmenting lists, personalizing content, using Liquid, and other advanced techniques to create a custom experience for subscribers.
We talk about some of the ways you can gradually get into automation. We go over some examples of the advanced things Brennan does with Liquid and snippets to create custom experiences for subscribers. We also talk about how you can earn more money from email with these systems, and much more.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Strategies for tailoring your website to boost engagement & salesHow to free up more time so you can focus on growing your audienceBrennan’s tips for creating and sharing the right content for your audienceHow to make your repurposed content feel fresh & relevantLinks & Resources
ConvertKitShopify’s LiquidRightMessageBrennan Dunn’s Links
Create & SellCreator Email Template PackDouble Your FreelancingBrennan’s book: Double Your Freelancing RateMastering ConvertKitFollow Brennan on Twitter -
In this episode I talk to Sahil Bloom. This is Sahil’s second time on the show. He’s doubled his audience from an already large number since then, and he’s now a full-time creator.
Sahil is someone I’d love to have on the show every six months or every year. He’s putting out incredible content. I’ve probably learned more from Sahil in the last few months than I have from any other person.
We talk about Twitter growth, monetization, growing a podcast, and newsletters. I also try to sell him on switching to ConvertKit. You can be the judge of how well I did to convince him.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Two game-changing habits that can lead to big resultsHow Sahil categorizes his content for more engagementSahil’s strategies for growing a new podcastHow Sahil monetizes his newsletterLinks & Resources (H5)
James ClearShane ParrishThe Generalist (Mario Gabriele)Greg IsenbergThe Tim Ferriss Show, episode 362: Talent Is the Best Asset Class — Graham DuncanSahil Bloom’s Links (H5)
Follow Sahil on TwitterListen to Sahil’s podcast, Where It HappensVisit Sahil’s website -
On today’s show I talk to Isa Adney, a resident storyteller at ConvertKit.
Isa came to ConvertKit as our webinar producer. You get to hear the arc of what she was doing before, how she joined the team, and how it morphed into her current role.
Isa is very good at systems. She shares how she uses systems to free up time for creative activities. We also talk about reusing content, and how to create systems and flywheels to make one piece of content work across many platforms.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to connect with popular creators you admireThe best medium for building a relationship with your audienceIsa’s advice for hosting workshops and webinarsHow Isa utilizes systems to create content across multiple mediumsLinks & Resources (H5)
ConvertKitConvertKit podcastsDon Hahn: Brain Storm: Unleashing Your Creative SelfKimberly BrooksThe Nathan Barry Show 053: Kimberly Brooks – Taking Intentional Breaks To Reignite CreativityHarlem's Fashion Row (HFR)The Nathan Barry Show 026: Khe Hy – How You Can Do $10,000/Hr WorkConvertKit Creator StoriesIsa Adney’s Links (H5)
Follow Isa on TwitterIsa is on InstagramFollow Isa on TikTok -
In this episode, I talk to Ellen Hyslop, Co-Founder of The Gist.
The Gist is a newsletter all about sports, written entirely by women. Ellen and her co-founders have scaled a massive team to 20 people. They’ve grown The Gist to almost 400,000 subscribers, and they’re earning fantastic revenue from it.
Ellen talks about how they grew The Gist in the early days. She also talks about their process of testing, how they launched with a launch party, and a bunch of other things.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to get subscribers when you’re first starting outWhy you need to create a style guide for writing your newsletterTips for growing your newsletter to 400K subscribersWhen niching down can lead to more revenueLinks & Resources
The Gist Co-Founder Jacie deHoopThe Gist Co-Founder Roslyn McLartyEllen Hyslop’s Links
The Gist websiteThe Gist newsletterThe Gist of It podcastFollow Ellen on Instagram -
In this episode I talk to Rachel Rodgers. Rachel is an attorney turned business coach. She’s someone I’ve admired and respected for a long time. She helps small business owners understand contracts and the legal side of running a business, and helps them scale their business.
Rachel is a lot of fun, and she’s brilliant at business. She’s my hero because of the way that she approaches scaling a massive and successful business, and how she thinks about brand and everything else.
On today’s show we talk about why business partnerships are a bad idea. Rachel shares her keys to building a successful membership community, and the benefits of publishing a book. We also talk about why you should take expensive vacations, how to build a great team, and much more.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why offering more products can hurt you in the long runRachel’s clever method for scaling a businessThe relationship between current events and a successful creator businessHow Rachel builds an effective teamLinks & Resources (H5)
Nathan Barry: AuthorityDenise Duffield-ThomasConvertKitRachel Rodgers’ Links (H5)
Hello SevenThe Hello Seven podcastWe Should All Be Millionaires: The ClubWe Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide To Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic PowerSmall Business BodyguardFollow Rachel on TwitterRachel is on Instagram -
In this episode I talk to Reid DeRamus. He comes from the video streaming world of Hulu, HBO Max, and Crunchy Roll. His background in data analysis helped these companies grow their streaming services.
Now he’s taking what he learned into the creator space to help people with their paid newsletters and courses, bringing these growth habits and growth techniques into their solo or small team creator businesses.
We spend this episode riffing on business models, and the analytics that you should pay attention to as an individual creator. We also discuss branding, positioning, and local meetups. It’s a fun episode that I think you'll enjoy.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Tips for developing your brand and communityReid’s process for curating contentHow to get your work in front of an audienceThe path to over 500K subscribersLinks & Resources
PatreonWait But WhyCrash Course on YouTubeminutephysics on YouTubeMinuteEarth on YouTubeReid DeRamus’s Links
Follow Reid on TwitterYem -
In this episode, I talked to Samir Chaudry. Samir is the co-host of the popular YouTube channel, Colin and Samir. He and his business partner, Colin Rosenblum, have built a really interesting enterprise. It’s been fun getting to know them.
We talk about how they built and structure their entire business, and what drives revenue. Then we get into storytelling, and at the end we even talk about designing the perfect day, what’s driving growth on YouTube, and much more.
They’ve got a show, they’ve got a newsletter, a bunch of different stuff. It’s a fun story of two people who were shining in a specific niche, took what they learned from that experience, and are serving the broader community with their knowledge and wisdom.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to avoid being overwhelmed as a creatorHow Samir & Colin developed a culture around their contentTips for curating your contentThe journey to over 500K subscribers on YouTubeLinks & Resources
ConvertKitSamir Chaudry’s Links
Follow Samir on TwitterColin and Samir on YouTubeThe Colin and Samir Show on Apple PodcastsThe Colin and Samir Show on SpotifyThe Publish Press newsletterColin and Samir on Instagram - Show more
