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Kent Yoshimura - The TikTok Strategy That’s Printing MILLIONS right now

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Jun 5, 2025

Guest

Kent Yoshimura

Kent Yoshimura, Co-Founder & CEO of Neurogum, reveals how he turned TikTok into a powerhouse for his brand, driving over $100 million in revenue. He shares insights on a data-driven content strategy that emphasizes genuine creator partnerships. The discussion also dives into maintaining strong employee retention through effective hiring practices and the pivotal role of mental endurance in entrepreneurship. Kent details the challenges of retail expansion and the impact of their viral marketing tactics, making for an inspiring conversation on innovation and growth.

01:46:06

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Episode notes

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ADVICE

Consistency is TikTok's Secret

Build your TikTok content strategy around consistency and constant posting every day.
Establish strong hooks and deeply understand the platform to drive creator engagement effectively.

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ADVICE

Cultivate Creators Deeply

Create a comprehensive SOP and onboarding for creators including product knowledge and hooks.
Cultivate creators deeply with community and feedback to iterate and improve content.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Build Tiered Creator Community

Build a tiered creator community using channels like Discord to foster culture and loyalty.
Reward top creators with special prizes and experiences to motivate sustained performance.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Building Influence on TikTok

02:41 • 14min

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Harnessing TikTok for Strategic Marketing

16:25 • 9min

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Navigating Social Media Monetization and Consumer Insights

25:33 • 3min

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Leveraging Data and Endurance in Marketing

28:14 • 17min

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Transforming Hiring Practices

45:43 • 10min

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From Nootropics to NeuroGum: A Journey of Innovation

55:38 • 17min

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From Ghost Towns to Retail Giants: The Journey of a Unique Brand

01:12:21 • 3min

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Navigating Retail Strategy in Entrepreneurship

01:14:52 • 17min

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Lessons from an Underwhelming Investment Experience

01:31:50 • 2min

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Navigating Legal Turbulence Post-Shark Tank

01:33:26 • 4min

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Scaling Success: Strategies for Growth

01:37:07 • 3min

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The Interconnection of Martial Arts and Entrepreneurship

01:40:34 • 3min

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Celebrating Entrepreneurial Influence and Future Aspirations

01:43:04 • 3min

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Breath

The New Science of a Lost Art

James Nestor

In 'Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,' James Nestor delves into the history and science of breathing, revealing how modern humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly. The book takes readers on a global journey to ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, and other unusual locations to uncover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo. Nestor collaborates with pulmonary experts to test long-held beliefs about breathing and presents evidence that slight adjustments in breathing can significantly improve athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, and alleviate various health issues such as snoring, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.

Deep

Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves

James Nestor

In *Deep*, James Nestor explores the sport of freediving, delving into its dangers and the profound physiological changes humans undergo underwater. The book also delves into the mysteries of marine life, including the communication methods of whales and dolphins, and reflects on the human relationship with the sea. Nestor's personal journey to learn freediving adds a compelling narrative to the scientific exploration.

High Output Management

Andrew S. Grove

High Output Management is a seminal book by Andrew S. Grove that outlines his management and productivity concepts developed during his tenure at Intel. The book introduces the 'management by objectives' approach, also known as the objectives and key results (OKR) framework. It covers techniques for creating highly productive teams, methods of motivation, and the importance of measurable processes, performance reviews, and training. Grove emphasizes the role of managers in leading and motivating teams, and his book is praised for its practical advice and timeless relevance in various professions and industries.

Who

The A Method for Hiring

Geoff Smart

Randy Street

In 'Who: The A Method for Hiring', Geoff Smart and Randy Street offer a comprehensive and structured approach to hiring top talent. The book outlines a step-by-step method to ensure that the right candidates are selected, emphasizing the importance of defining the job, finding A players, and conducting effective interviews. It also provides strategies for avoiding common hiring mistakes and ensuring long-term success.

Crucial Conversations

Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Crucial Conversations provides tools and strategies for handling difficult conversations where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. The book focuses on creating a safe environment for candid discussions, using techniques like STATE (Share, Tell, Ask, Talk, Encourage) and CRIB (Commit, Recognize, Invent, Brainstorm) to ensure productive and respectful communication. It underscores the importance of shared understanding, mutual purpose, and active listening in achieving successful outcomes in crucial conversations.

Crossing the Chasm

Geoffrey Moore

In 'Crossing the Chasm', Geoffrey A. Moore explores the Technology Adoption Life Cycle, which includes innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. He highlights the significant gap or 'chasm' between early adopters and the early majority, where early adopters are willing to sacrifice for the advantage of being first, while the early majority waits for evidence of productivity improvements. The book provides strategies for narrowing this chasm, including choosing a target market, understanding the whole product concept, positioning the product, building a marketing strategy, and selecting the most appropriate distribution channels and pricing. The third edition includes new examples, strategies for digital marketing, and connections to Moore's subsequent works like 'Inside the Tornado'.

⚡️ BTS & More: https://openresidency.com/kent-yoshimura

In this episode, I sit down with Kent Yoshimura, Co-Founder & CEO of Neurogum, to unpack how the brand became one of TikTok’s fastest-growing success stories and scaled to over $100 million in revenue.

We dive into:

- The TikTok strategy that transformed Neurogum’s growth

- How the team shifted their marketing mix to make TikTok their top-of-funnel channel—while maintaining a 52x ROAS on Amazon with zero ad spend

- Their strategic approach to partnerships

- A hiring process that’s led to 98% employee retention over three years

- The origin story—and how they've sustained a competitive edge through patented manufacturing

This one’s packed with gems. Enjoy the conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Trailer

01:11 How to Crack TikTok

03:54 Neuro's Content Creation Pipeline

04:17 Coaching Creators on Engagement and Voice

06:09 The Culture Behind a Creative-Driven Brand

07:59 Anatomy of a Scroll-Stopping Hook

12:02 TikTok’s Untapped Power for Brands

15:15 The Best Influencer Strategy

16:43 Building a Full-Funnel Marketing Engine

27:00 Turning Customer Insights into Growth

32:06 Creating Content with AI

38:25 Fast Operators vs. Scalable Operators

39:32 The Masogi Challenge: Mental Toughness in Business

42:55 Running Ultra Marathons as Mental Training

45:55 How Kent Hires Creators and Builders

57:13 The Wild Origin Story of NeuroGum

01:01:06 What’s in NeuroGum? A Dive into Nootropics

01:12:11 Retail Distribution: Wins and Pivots

01:15:21 Why Data Shapes Every Decision

01:21:16 What It Takes to Be a Founder

01:34:15 What Shark Tank Didn’t Show

01:35:36 Lightning Round

🎙 Guest: Kent Yoshimura, Co-Founder & CEO of Neurogum- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kentaro/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentyoshimura/- Website: https://neurogum.com

📬 Get in Touch:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/- Website: https://openresidency.com/- Contact: info@openresidency.com

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