Money Lab

Discussing the strategic approach to building a lasting brand in a niche market, using Swim University's 18-year journey as a case study.

Discover essential principles of effective website design, including key elements like color choices and typography. Learn how to prioritize user needs while simplifying navigation. The speaker emphasizes creating a cohesive brand identity focused on the audience, ensuring that messaging is clear and user-friendly. This deep dive into design principles offers valuable resources for enhancing both app and web experiences.

I turned an empty room in my home into a shipping bay for my book business.

Pre-production is more important than post production.Write a script (even if you don’t say it verbatim).Make it shorter.Make it so a 4th grader can understand.Test for resonance.Listen to the repeatable asks from your audience (or your competitors).Editing and post-production can give you a slight edge. But you can make a crappy visual go viral if the content is gold.

What would I do if I were starting from zero as a YouTuber in 2025? No equipment experience, making thumbnails, camera experience, knowledge of editing videos, and so on. What software and pieces of equipment would I stick to so the production quality isn’t poor, and how would I eventually monetize things?

A deep dive into my proven email sequence for sales campaigns and why each message serves a specific purpose.Teaser email (optional): Sent in advance of the sale, a teaser email can generate excitement and anticipation with a sneak peek into upcoming discounts, products, or exclusive offers. Announcement email: Sent on the day the sale begins. The goal is to get people to start buying ASAP.Testimonial/FAQ email: This email is meant to answer any customer objections and provide social proof.Reminder email: A reminder email letting people know that the sale is almost over. Remember to include details such as the sale duration, highlighted products, and unique value. Include a prominent call to action with a direct link to the sale landing page. Closing email: Toward the end of the sale, a closing email serves as a final opportunity to drive urgency. Messaging should emphasize that it’s the last chance to take advantage of the sale. Include a strong call-to-action and a link to the sale page.

Given what you know now that you didn't when you started, do you think you could have grown Swim University's revenue faster? If not, why? If so, how?

A candid look at a major marketing initiative that failed and the expensive lessons learned.Facebook advertising with zero trackingPaying for backlink serviceHiring too many writers and it not paying off

Have you thought about that for your own company? Do you just consider a percentage for every person who’s trained? or one price to train 100 people for instance?

I took a massive break at the end of 2024. And here's what I learned from that mental recharge.