
Leveling Up with Eric Siu
Leveling Up is a weekly interview series with entrepreneurs and marketers on the latest in business and marketing. Learn actionable strategies & tactics on how you can make your business grow and mistakes to avoid during your journey. Learn from individuals who have founded billion dollar companies to best-selling authors. Entrepreneur and host Eric Siu also shares insights and learnings along the way.
Latest episodes

5 snips
Mar 16, 2024 • 29min
How Your Business Can Stay Relevant in an AI-Run World (From Greg Isenberg's YouTube Video)
Discussion on pay-for-performance agencies and AI agents in customer service. Opportunities in finance and hospitality. Role of smart contracts in marketing. Gamification in various aspects of life. Importance of focus for agency businesses.

39 snips
Mar 14, 2024 • 1h 39min
How I Built A 9 Figure Network At 17 Years Old
Eric Siu interviews Greg Isenberg, a master in community building, discussing the future of programming and the power of social media. They explore AI in entrepreneurship, challenges of diversity, and the importance of design skills. Greg shares stories of attending parties with PayPal co-founders and starting businesses as Twitter accounts or Discord communities.

8 snips
Mar 6, 2024 • 1h 2min
$200M Founder's Unusual Approach to Relationships
Patrick Campbell discusses the importance of alignment in relationships and shares insights on conducting off-site retreats with partners. He reflects on finding peace in life, the challenges of navigating wealth, and unconventional marketing strategies. The episode also covers the value of frugality for entrepreneurs and the impact of personalized email campaigns on engagement and conversion rates.

4 snips
Feb 28, 2024 • 1h 38min
Why Young People Are Poorer Than Ever | Humphrey Yang
Humphrey Yang discusses financial challenges for young people, emphasizing saving, investing in index funds, and reaching $100K net worth. He talks about owning assets, diversification, avoiding new car purchases. Also covers money-saving hacks, living at home benefits, mindset's impact on money, and gaming in life and business.

17 snips
Feb 21, 2024 • 1h 7min
How He Cracked the Money Making Secrets of Wordpress | Syed Balkhi
Syed Balkhi and Eric Siu discuss compounding goodwill, mastering frustration coefficient, and passing on generational wealth. They highlight the power of masterminds, self-awareness, and learning from historical patterns. Syed advises building networks early, embracing radical candor, and recognizing enduring principles.

10 snips
Feb 15, 2024 • 1h 16min
The $300M Founder That Lives on a Farm and Flies Planes | Nathan Barry
Nathan Barry, founder of ConvertKit, shares his journey from software designer to content creator to software founder. With ConvertKit now sending 2.5 billion emails per month and generating $40 million in revenue, Nathan discusses the power of building an audience and leveraging it to create long-term enterprise value. He also delves into his passion for flying and the parallels between flying and entrepreneurship. Nathan emphasizes the importance of having goals outside of work and optimizing for the journey rather than just the destination. Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/vuwfio0Uw4Y Don’t forget to help us grow by subscribing and liking on YouTube!TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
(00:00) Nathan Barry introduces himself and his journey from software designer to software founder
(02:57) Nathan Barry discusses his passion for flying and the process of getting a pilot's license
(06:43) Nathan Barry expresses his goal of using flying for both personal and work-related purposes
(08:14) Nathan Barry discusses the limitations and considerations of owning a larger plane
(09:49) Eric asks Nathan about the payment structure for the pilot.
(12:30) Nathan talks about his podcast and the journey of building an audience.
(14:02) Nathan shares the story of Mark Sisson and the value of redirecting audience attention to a product.
(15:08) Nathan explains the power of an audience in promoting and selling products.
(16:03) Nathan discusses the success of Mark Sisson's Primal Kitchen and the value of an audience.
(18:19) Nathan talks about the three rules for building an audience and creating enterprise value.
(19:46) Nathan shares his experience building ConvertKit and its long-term enterprise value.
(20:05) Nathan Barry and Eric Siu discuss the potential of agencies as successful businesses.
(21:25) Nathan Barry shares his perspective on monetization options for creators.
(25:52) Nathan Barry talks about the current growth and future potential of newsletters.
(29:46) Nathan Barry shares a story about how having an audience can shortcut career paths.
(31:24) Transitioning from personal brand to building a business
(32:22) Using personal brand to drive attention to other businesses
(34:21) Debate on the success of creator-led agencies
(39:15) Strategies for growing Twitter following
(42:09) Repackaging and reposting content for maximum reach
(45:47) Nathan Barry is transparent about his financials to inspire others.
(52:59) Nathan Barry discusses the flywheel strategy for growing a newsletter.
(55:30) Advertising as a loop closer drives new subscribers for sponsorships.
(57:54) Growing the newsletter audience leads to book sales and more opportunities.
(59:59) Building network effects between creators through the Creator Network.
(1:01:36) Convertkit's Creator Network and Spark Loop acquisition.
(1:06:09) Nathan suggests using partnerships with other blogs to promote the subscription service and increase email sign-ups.
(1:07:38) Eric asks Nathan about his quote "making money is a skill" and Nathan explains that building a successful business requires developing a range of skills.
(1:11:37) Nathan shares where people can find him online, including his podcast and newsletter.
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What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.
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28 snips
Jan 31, 2024 • 2h 13min
Making A Million Bucks in 48 Hours? | Noah Kagan
Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo, discusses the importance of internal satisfaction, hiring elite advisors, reaching out to prefluencers, and balancing multiple projects. They also explore changes in team structure, strategies for promotion and goal-reaching, facing fears, and thinking in decades. They touch on content team structure and budget, recognizing advantages, creating platforms for success, and analyzing patterns among billionaires.

Jan 24, 2024 • 1h 13min
How I Overcame My Anxiety and Addiction | Jimmy Zhang
Jimmy Zhang, a successful content creator with 1.5 million subscribers, opens up about overcoming anxiety and addiction. He shares his immigrant upbringing, unique dating perspectives, and entrepreneurial ventures. Topics include personal growth, self-discovery, innovation in content creation, and recognizing children's strengths.

43 snips
Jan 17, 2024 • 1h 7min
He Can Make Anyone Look Good | Chris Do
Chris Do, personal branding expert and mastermind scaler, discusses the power of personal branding, vulnerability, and storytelling. He shares insights on scaling his mastermind and finding the right mentor for personal growth. The podcast also touches on self-love, healthy relationships, and the importance of coaching.

9 snips
Jan 10, 2024 • 1h 26min
The Bank Where Subscribers Are Your Credit Limit | Eric Wei
Eric Wei, co-founder of Karat, discusses challenges creators face in the financial ecosystem. Karat provides tailored financial services for creators. They focus on organic marketing and trust-building. Karat aims to be a central ecosystem for creators' financial needs. They discuss monetization strategies, blurring lines between creators and businesses, and behaviors that separate successful creators. Importance of finding content market fit. They explore the inspiring journey of Alexandra Botez, a successful chess streamer. The hosts emphasize the importance of effective management and finding fulfillment in pursuing passions. Strategies to handle stress and make the most of what you have. They discuss their learning stack and the concept of freedom. They address equality, leadership stereotypes, and inspiring the next generation.