Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Today, we are going to talk about how Bitcoin is continuing to skyrocket and why it's here to stay. So as of this recording, Bitcoin is at about 18.5 K right now, which is an all time high, but the, I think there's a couple of things to look at here. In this episode we'll dive in and talk about both sides.

If you want to build a community you have to focus on how you can provide value to them, but once you have one you can save a lot of money on marketing. Connecting people is Lloyed Lobo’s superpower, and today we talk to him about how he built a community of over 60,000 people and the returns this investment of his time is producing. Lloyed is Co-Founder and President of Boast.AI, and he is also one of the Co-Founders of the amazing Traction Conference. Before getting into the topic of community, Lloyed gives us the rundown of how Boast fuels the growth of innovative companies by automating R&D tax applications and more. From there, Lloyed talks about how the aims at Boast, to serve their clients, grew into early community-building events that evolved into the Traction Conf. We hear tips and tricks from Lloyed about the best ways of building a community, key learnings he had on his journey, and about the incredible conference Traction has evolved into. Lloyed highlights that a community-building strategy should only be used if you are prepared to give without expecting anything in return and if connecting people is truly your passion. For all you need to know about bringing people together and the power of leveraging networks as a secret marketing weapon, tune in today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:04] An overview of Boast’s services automating R&D tax applications and more. [00:40] How the mission to expand Boast and build a community birthed Traction. [04:36] The complexities of the R&D tax credit system in the U.S and Canada. [09:50] How Boast is using a fund to offer R&D returns quarterly. [11:12] Boast’s model for making money by taking a percentage of R&D returns. [11:35] Key learnings Lloyed had on the road to building Traction. [16:36] The last few years of Traction, how it has evolved and what it involves. [17:35] How Lloyed built Boast and his community using a philosophy of giving, not marketing. [19:43] The time it took to build Traction from its less formal stages to where it is now. [20:01] Community building tips: Email lists, in-person events, cadence, and a passion for connecting. [23:30] The return on investment of building a community. [24:47] The key to building a successful business and the steps to building a community. [28:28] Using Nir Ayal’s Hooked model to keep communities engaged. [29:39] Lloyed’s favorite book and different sources he gets his knowledge from. [31:07] Brilliant webinars Lloyed has recently engaged with.   Resources From The Interview:   Lloyed Lobo Lloyed Lobo Email Boast.AI Launch Academy Salesforce Twilio TechStars Founder Institute Startupfest Mars Eventbrite Josh Fechter Blitzmetrics Dennis Yu on Twitter Matt Epstein Nir Eyal Rippling Zenefits Must-read books: Hooked, Blitzscaling   Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

As Eric prepares to release his new book, Leveling Up, he takes this opportunity to spill the beans on his inspiration and motivation for writing it! Eric talks about the time he has spent on its creation over the last five years, the publishing model he selected, and how he aims to tap into the discourse around habits, with his own take on improvement and and progress. Tune in to hear it all from the man himself!  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:25] When the book was started and the time it has taken to write it. [01:22] The reason that Eric decided to write and publish Leveling Up.  [02:35] Servicing the huge gaming community across the world! [03:23] The idea of the 'power-up', and relating it to the conversation around habits. [03:41] The main goal for the book: Refining the messaging and helping people.   Resources From The Interview:   World of Warcraft EverQuest Street Fighter Atomic Habits The Power of Habit Page Two The Coaching Habit   Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

In this episode, Eric shares the lessons that he learned from losing $200,000 trying to start a coaching program. He talks about not having sales nailed down, why good marketing alone is not enough to sell a product, and other key lessons he learned from this loss. To hear more, tune in today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:38] The benefits of doing a post-mortem after you complete a project. [01:10] What prompted Eric to start a training program when the pandemic hit.  [01:50] How the campaign for the program was received. [02:15] The problem Eric faced by not having a sales team for the program. [02:50] Some of the things that went really well for Eric. [03:50] Lessons learned from the failure of the training course.  [05:27] If you don’t have passion for your product, don’t pursue it.   Resources From The Interview:   Traction Leveling Up   Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

In this episode, Eric talks about giving away free content and why it can be such a successful business model. We hear about some examples of brands who have done this and why delaying gratification, if you can, will help you win. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:22] What Eric means by “the business of free content”. [00:50] Fortnite’s business model, giving away free content, and why this is so effective.  [02:14] If possible, try to prolong giving away free content as long as you can. [03:02] How MrBeast has leveraged the free content model successfully. [04:10] Eric’s approach to monetizing Leveling Up and Marketing School. [05:12] Deferring gratification will put you in a better spot than most.    Resources From The Interview:   Mr Beast MrBeast on Twitter MrBeast on YouTube Fortnite Tim Sweeney Joe Rogan Bill Belichick Leveling Up   Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

In this episode, we talk about the importance of being patient in business. As entrepreneurs, it is easy to fall into the comparison trap and want to move as quickly as possible. Eric talks about the similarities between compound interest and business success and why a slow and steady approach is the best-kept secret out there.  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:29] The comparison trap that many entrepreneurs tend to fall into. [01:27] Avoid comparing yourself with someone who has been in business for longer than you.  [01:40] The magic number of years it takes to really see success and gain traction. [03:08] Experience compounds in the same way interest does, so be patient! [03:53] What Eric has learned from trying to achieve things too quickly. [04:59] There is no such thing as quick success, despite how it may appear.  [05:39] Pre-order Eric’s book from your favorite bookseller.   Resources From The Interview:     Albert Einstein Warren Buffett Chai with Pabrai     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Welcome to Growth Bites, a shorter format of Leveling Up, where Eric provides daily insights to help you step up your game. In this episode, we talk about why copywriters are the best hire you can make, the contributions they make to your business, and where to find the best ones in the business. Be sure to tune in today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:52] Why Eric believes the best hire you can make is a copywriter. [01:18] Hear about some of the skills that copywriters have.  [02:11] Eric’s positive experience of working with copywriters. [03:25] Some of the best copywriting books out there, according to Eric. [03:53] Words are what help products to sell. [04:25] Advice for those looking to find the best copywriters out there.  [05:30] How to get your hands on the first chapter of Eric’s upcoming book.   Resources From The Interview:   Marketing School Podcast Agora Financial   Breakthrough Advertising The 16-Word Sales Letter   Ben Settle Leveling Up   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Email productivity ranks highly on the list of desirable outcomes for business owners, and today we have Rahul Vohra on the show, the brains behind the fastest email experience available, Superhuman! Rahul explains the philosophy behind the company and why the product has created its own buzz, more than anything. We get into some of the early periods of their story and the work that Rahul did before founding Superhuman too. Rahul does a great job sharing some of the secret sauce that has gone into the success he and his company have experienced, giving a detailed rundown of their marketing funnel and the important conversations he had with customers early on. We touch on the power of word of mouth, gaining the attention of the right investors, and how a history in game design has informed the way that Rahul thinks about email. Their tool is such a great example of finding a need in the market and servicing it with almost pinpoint accuracy, and the way that Rahul and his team have gone about this is truly inspiring, you will not want to miss this! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:46] Rahul's backstory leading up to his work on Superhuman. [01:23] How Rahul's company, Rapportive, was acquired by LinkedIn.  [04:24] Some interesting financial and business metrics of Superhuman! [06:04] The marketing strategy around the launch and waitlist model of Superhuman. [07:49] The methods that Superhuman used for customer development and how they generated such intense loyalty. [11:30] The power of word of mouth marketing combined with small paid experiments.  [13:04] Efficient customer meetings and injecting a company into the news cycle. [19:21] Clarifying the customer funnel at Superhuman!  [21:00] Rahul's reflections on working with Marc Andreessen. [24:02] Getting the attention of big venture capital firms; different routes to explore.  [27:28] The influence of game design on Rahul's philosophy towards Superhuman. [30:39] The exciting future of Superhuman that has Rahul looking forward! [31:20] Business trends that Rahul is currently excited about as an angel investor. [32:09] The music tool that keeps Rahul on track and productive! [32:32] Two great book recommendations from Rahul. [33:13] Connecting with Rahul online and on social media.   Resources From The Interview:   Rahul Vohra on LinkedIn Superhuman Rahul Vohra on Twitter Andreessen Horowitz Netscape Marc Andreessen  Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund Brain.fm  Must read books: The Art of Game Design, Gardens of the Moon   Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter

Today we have Melanie Deziel, the founder and chief content officer at StoryFuel, a company that equips marketers, creators, and sales professionals with the skill and strategies that they need to tell better brand stories. Because human beings are storytellers by nature, we connect far better with stories than cold, hard facts, and Melanie helps people to leverage brand narratives to promote their businesses by speaking to people’s emotional side. For her, good content marketing is audience-centered and focuses on their needs and wants, so you should consider content that educates or helps them through a certain process – that’s why good DIY videos get so many views! In this episode, Melanie talks about her background working for large media brands, why she decided to go on her own to pursue entrepreneurship, and the different ways they teach brands about content marketing. She dishes out some tips for finding inspiration and creating captivating brand stories and how they help people to get past their limiting beliefs and start producing the content they have always talked about. Also, be sure to check out her new book The Content Fuel Strategy in which she shares all her expertise and best practices!  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:52] Melanie’s background in journalism and how she got involved in content marketing.  [02:24] Hear about the big media companies she worked for, including The Huffington Post. [03:00] Discovering that going on her own would offer her far more business opportunities. [03:33] Their focus on educating brands about creating and leveraging content for marketing.   [04:40] How they make their money through speaking engagements, consulting, coaching, etc. [05:53] Where most people fall short with content marketing – not putting the audience first.    [07:12] Why brand stories will always be relevant to the impression we make on others.  [08:20] Examples of how our everyday experiences can be rich sources of inspiration.  [09:08] Using process-focused, ‘how to’ content, and other advice for telling better brand stories. [11:14] The advantages of thinking like a journalist and how to apply it to content marketing.  [12:56] How ‘content therapy’ helps people conquer their limiting beliefs about creating content.  [14:08] Melanie talks about The Content Fuel Framework and what readers will get out of it.  [16:07] Hear how the Inbox When Ready plug-in can help you keep control of your inbox.  [17:42] How the books Exactly What to Say and How to Be Antiracist changed her life.  [18:26] The best people to teach you about using Twitter and the entrepreneurial journey.     Resources From The Interview:   Melanie Deziel on LinkedIn StoryFuel The Content Fuel Framework AnswerThePublic The Huffington Post The New York Times They Ask You Answer Content Marketing Institute Native Advertising Institute HubSpot Inbox When Ready Rand Fishkin on Twitter Must-read book: Exactly What to Say and How to Be Antiracist    Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter