How I Bought an $8 Million Company with a $1 Hat | Kevin Espiritu

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Mar 20, 2024

Kevin Espiritu shares his journey of building Epic Gardening into a multi-million dollar business, discussing aspects like SEO, content strategy, acquiring other gardening blogs, and the importance of email marketing. He also touches on topics like scaling with high-quality talent, playing poker as an entrepreneur, and the parallels between gardening and business growth.

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ANECDOTE

Wearing A Hat Won The Deal

Kevin wore the same Epic Gardening hat constantly to show genuine fandom during the Botanical Interests acquisition process.
The founders said that visible enthusiasm and cultural fit mattered more than the highest bid when choosing a buyer.

INSIGHT

Match Channel To Content Strategy

Different YouTube channels require distinct strategies: search-based evergreen tutorials versus for-fans, recommendation-driven content.
Use short-form platforms to validate ideas, then push cross-platform hits to YouTube long-form for durable audience value.

ADVICE

Test Shorts Cross-Platform First

Test short-form content across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook first, then escalate cross-platform winners to YouTube.
Treat TikTok as a rapid test bed and reserve YouTube for polished, high-value audience experiences.

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Kevin Espiritu, founder of Epic Gardening, shares his journey from starting a gardening blog to building a multi-million dollar business. He discusses the growth of his YouTube channel, the importance of SEO and content strategy, and the acquisition of other gardening blogs to expand his reach.

Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/dticDXdRuh8

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

(00:00) Wearing the hat: winning the biggest deal
(01:01) Building epic gardening
(03:47) The botanical interests deal
(05:14) How wearing the hat made a difference
(06:06) The angle of the botanical interests deal
(09:28) Getting into gardening
(10:54) Finding a hobby outside of business
(12:44) Going all-in on epic gardening
(20:33) Acquiring blogs for growth
(25:48) The future of SEO
(27:09) The importance of email marketing
(28:49) Testing offers and opt-in rates
(30:12) The role of a president in scaling
(31:35) Finding the right operations guru
(32:04) Recruiting and hiring 10X talent
(33:00) The role of private equity in business growth
(33:26) The benefits of executive recruiting and acquisitions
(34:15) The value of learning from others in business
(34:41) The parallels between poker and business
(35:37) Why entrepreneurs should consider playing poker
(36:07) Lessons learned from playing poker
(37:27) Exploring mold toxicity and health
(37:56) Getting into gardening and wood carving
(40:12) The journey of epic homesteading
(41:30) The beginner's approach to gardening
(42:27) The benefits of growing citrus trees
(43:30) The connection between gardening and business
(43:59) The analogy of asparagus and long-term thinking
(48:10) The importance of mental models in entrepreneurship
(49:47) The need for action and real-world testing
(52:23) The shift from reading to doing
(53:46) The revolt against short-form content
(54:45) The purpose of the personal YouTube channel
(57:00) The importance of health and wellness for entrepreneurs
(58:21) The value of long-form content and building relationships

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