Foundr Magazine Podcast: Recent Episodes
Nathan Chan
We interview hard to reach entrepreneurs. (Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John & many more). Unlike most podcast interview series Nathan Chan literally started from knowing nothing. He was just an average guy working in a 9-5 job he utterly hated. He knew nothing about entrepreneurship, nothing about startups, nothing about marketing, and nothing about online or how to build a business. So from launching Foundr Magazine he's gone out and spoken to some of the most successful entrepreneurs and founders in the world in the world to find out exactly what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, so YOU can learn from them. Why this podcast? Because we're asking the same questions you want to know as an entrepreneur on their journey to building an extremely successful business. We're on the front-lines facing the daily battles you are. How do I get more customers? How do I scale my business? I want to start a business, but just don't know where to start? How did this person get millions of customers and make millions of dollars and have a such a massive impact on the world? Some of these entrepreneurs are very well known, and some not known at all and that’s the cool part! Here we will share with you our best interviews from Foundr magazine showcasing this persons processes, failures, critical lessons learnt and actionable strategies showing YOU how to build a successful business. This is NOT your AVERAGE everyday entrepreneurship podcast.
Ashik Ahmed doesn’t like the term “tech unicorn.” As the CEO and cofounder of Deputy, a homegrown workforce management solution, Ashik’s priority is creating impact for their customers. To date, the company has partnered with 250,000 workplaces across 100 countries. Ashik is aiming for more. In this episode of the Foundr podcast, Nathan Chan chats with Ashik to discuss: Why Deputy’s goal is to have 1 million on their platform by 2023 How to get investors to chase you Why founders are like LeBron James The biggest marketing expense in their first seven years How Deputy bounced back from the pandemic and aims to grow their staff by 40-50% And much more... Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs. For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform: Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine
Tommie Powers is a legend in digital paid advertising. He's consulted on $100+ million in ad spend, including $30 million on YouTube ads alone. So when Tommie talks about paid YouTube ad strategies, we listen. In a recent interview on the Foundr podcast, Tommie talked with us about everything from diversifying ad spend to crafting a powerful message to calculating ROAS (spoiler: most people are calculating ROAS all wrong). Check out the latest episode of the Foundr podcast as Tommie tells us how he taps into YouTube's 2 billion monthly active users to bring in his downright mind-blowing ROAS. Get FREE, actionable advice from legitimate founders on starting and growing ANY Business… https://www.foundr.com/freetraining And… If you are enjoying the Foundr Podcast’, please leave us a 5-star review and let us know who you want to see next. Website: http://www.foundr.comSuccess Stories: https://foundr.com/success-stories Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ YouTube: http://bit.ly/2uyvzdt Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast: http://www.foundr.com/podcast Magazine: http://www.foundr.com/magazine
How does someone launch a $200 million beverage company with zero experience and four children under the age of six? Just ask super-mom, author, and Hint Water empire CEO and Founder, Kara Goldin. Goldin was first inspired to launch her beverage company as an alternative to other unhealthy drinks on the market. Not only did Goldin manage to build a company that is now the largest privately owned non-alcoholic beverage company in America, but she placed Hint on the shelves of her local Whole Foods on the same day she went into the delivery room. Revealing all of the ups and downs of her journey in her new book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubt And Doubters, Goldin speaks to Foundr’s Nathan Chan about relentless pursuit of your dreams, and overcoming fears and self-doubt along the way. Key Takeaways How Kara Goldin first began her mission of creating a healthier option for drinking water Facing challenges everyday, and Goldin’s commitment to learning all she could about an entirely new industry Why Goldin believes the best thing anyone can do for themselves is continue to learn and grow Dealing with naysayers and doubters, and how Goldin decided to instead use their feedback to hone her business vision
In 2011, Hiroki Takeuchi launched his first business GoCardless with his co-founders. Just under one decade later, they are processing over $15b in payments every year! Takeuchi’s first business began as a service to help streamline the messy process of collecting payments informally. Over the next several years, funding, scaling, and pivoting led him to create a simple service that helped collect recurring and one-off payments from customers. Takeuchi’s approach to business is inspiring. Not only was he a first-time entrepreneur scaling a global business without experience, but he also knows the pains of imposter syndrome and anxiety over hiring overqualified experts. This interview with Nathan Chan serves to remind us all that greatness isn’t just past experience, it’s the willingness to learn that makes someone a great entrepreneur. Key Takeaways How Takeuchi launched GoCardless in 2011 as his first business, and how he developed the idea Evolving the initial business idea from something that sought to solve the problem of collecting payments informally, to a global fintech empire The importance of having a complimentary co-founder, and how Takeuchi first began planning with his co-founders Why Takeuchi decided to leverage existing services in order to streamline launch Demo day, and overcoming getting 64 “no’s” before they got a “yes” The importance of focus on a singular product, especially in a global powerhouse like finances and payment How Takeuchi approached scaling, planning, and proactive growth in a high-demand industry The challenges faced by an international business and scaling How Takeuchi tackles imposter syndrome, and how he continues to focus on learnings The importance he places on his team and the people Takeuchi surrounds himself with What you need to ignore if you want to hire the best of the best for your business Why you should never underestimate the length of the journey ahead of you, and why you need to be ready for the challenge of being an entrepreneur
If you want to start a business, you sure as hell better be made of the right stuff. Because Joe De Sena is here to tell you that in business, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”, and you need to be mentally tough enough to handle it. In this Foundr interview like no other, Nathan Chan speaks with Spartan Race creator, best-selling author, and badass CEO Joe De Sena on why you need manufactured adversity. De Sena has faced mountains of failure in business and continues to rise, everything from losing someone during the first ever race and finding them marooned on a desert island a week later, to not turning a profit for 15 years. Nevertheless, this machine of a man bounces back and continues to rise. This interview is just a snapshot of what you can expect in Foundr’s newest course, Mental Toughness. Touted as the ultimate entrepreneurs field guide to building mental toughness, this is not one to be missed. Find out why the Olympic wrestling teams are sent to De Sena shape up, why billionaires send their children to him to learn discipline, and why active military personnel flock to him to learn grit.
Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder, The Magic Spoon In this yummy episode, Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder of The Magic Spoon, sits down with Nathan Chan to discuss his journey from founding the revolutionary EXO protein snack made from crickets, to dominating the $40billion a year cereal industry. Listen in as Lewis reveals how he managed to get Tim Ferris and Nas as angel-investors onboard for EXO snacks, his journey into the competitive world of cereal, and how Magic Spoon continues to stay ahead of the competition. In this deep-dive interview, you’ll find out why Lewis swears by agencies, the opportunities in influencer marketing, and why product-fit is an absolute essential for any founder. Lewis’ incredible journey from crickets to cereal is a not-to-be-missed lesson in entrepreneurship and the importance of saying “no”. Key Takeaways How Lewis started Exo Protein, selling cricket protein bars Recognizing the paleo food trend and targeting that market How Lewis got angel investors such as Tim Ferris and Nas His decision to sell the company and launch Magic Spoon cereal Why Magic Spoon is a direct-to-consumer product and the advantages of ecommerce The successful launch of Magic Spoon and the power of influencers Why product-market fit is the most important aspect of launching a business How Magic Spoon was affected by Covid and the evolution of hiring and scaling The decision to not sell Magic Spoon on Amazon, and the power of customer-brand loyalty Why Lewis believes that a high-quality product is the most important aspect of any business Lewis’ advice to others that as a founder, you should never be distracted, and why your job is to say “no”
In this interview, Nathan Chan sits down with GT Dave, Founder and CEO of GT'S Living Foods. GT discusses how he built a $1B empire from his bedroom and his journey of being the first seller of Kombucha in the United States. In this interview, GT Dave discusses how he first began selling Kombucha, entering the market with a completely new category of product, and the challenges he faced in educating the market on what his product was. GT Dave is a firm believer in passion before profit, and his integrity and commitment to health shine through as he discusses his childhood and nutrition, how Kombucha helped his mother through medical issues, and the proven benefits of Kombucha. With a personal net worth estimated at $1Billion, GT Dave’s journey will inspire you to follow your passion and begin building your future, today. Key Takeaways How GT Dave found an interest in Kombucha and how he began marketing it Launching his company from his bedroom, and selling his product using his Dad’s Amex card The challenge of entering the market with a new product and how he went about educating others on an unfamiliar health beverage How GT Dave helped Kombucha to become the global trend it is today GT Dave’s commitment to passion over profit, and what health means to him The importance of validating your product and communicating with consumers His key advice to those who are just getting started, and the questions you need to ask yourself
In this epic roundup episode, we took our favorite moments from every interview this year and combined them to create our most jam-packed episode yet: Foundr Best of 2020! That’s right, in this very special episode, you’ll hear valuable insights from: Drew Houston, CEO and founder of DropBox: On problem-solving, his formula for success in business, and how he— as a billion-dollar CEO — still learns every single day. Dylan Mullen, Founder, and Director of Happy Skin Co. Mullen reveals how he built a $20 million dollar company in 24 months, and how they’re acquiring their customers. Alexa Von Tobel, Founder of Learnvest, & Inspire Capital: Why you shouldn’t spend a dollar on marketing, and what it takes to be a ‘good entrepreneur’. Gretta Van Riel, 4x Multi-Milion Dollar Founder. Van Riel discusses why she would spend $500k on a post from Kylie Jenner, and her $1.3m manufacturing horror story. Henrik Werderlin, founder and CEO of Barkbox, and the strategy that Apple and Amazon have used to build global, beloved brands. You’re about to learn the mistake that every new entrepreneur makes, as discussed by Alex Osterwalder, the Swiss business theorist who developed the “business model canvas”. Author Kamal Ravikant reveals why you don’t need a mentor (from someone who’s been down the road a few times). Christina Stembel, founder of Farmgirl Flowers on how she managed to turn $49,000 into almost a million dollars in 3 years— all thanks to the success of her company. Here’s Skillshare founder Malcolm Ong… who’s about to reveal the one word that will make you a better entrepreneur. Thor Ernstsson, Founder of Strata. The 2 tips that every single entrepreneur needs to hear. One of the internet’s greatest pioneers, cofounder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg on what motivates him. GT’s living foods founder, GT Dave. He reveals to us the key to staying on your path, and not losing your identity. Andy Frisella, founder of 1st Phorm with one of the most fired up conversations of the year. Enjoy this snippet where he’s going to tell you why building a brand is important, and the issue with comparing yourself to Steve Jobs.