Beyond A Million

Amy Simmons is the founder of Amy's Ice Creams—a beloved Austin institution with 19 locations built over 41 years—not through franchising or rapid expansion, but through deep community roots, creative culture, and an unshakeable commitment to people first. In this conversation, Amy shares how she grew the company without franchising, avoided national rollout, and even allowed each store to operate with its own personality. We get into the role theatrical customer service plays in the brand, how open-book management teaches financial literacy and strengthens decision-making, and why staying regional became a strategic advantage. We also talk about real estate, vertical integration, and how hyper-local partnerships helped turn Amy's into a fixture of Austin rather than just another ice cream shop. If you're interested in the kind of business that grows deeper instead of wider, Amy's story offers a very different—and very successful—approach to scale. Key Takeaways 00:00 Intro 01:10 What Makes Amy's Ice Cream Different 02:54 Small Community Gifts That Drive Big Returns 04:01 Why 350 Rotating Flavors Actually Work 08:39 Prioritizing Customer Feedback Over Sales Data 11:32 The Secret Behind Amy's #1 Top-Selling Flavor 13:52 Managing Supply Chain Shortages Without Losing Quality 15:14 The One Flavor Austin Refused to Let Her Remove 16:05 Hiring With Creativity: The Paper Bag Application 19:14 How Amy Identifies the Right People for Her Culture 21:15 The Experience Matters More Than the Ice Cream 21:47 How Showmanship Became an Amy's Trademark 24:44 The System Behind Amy's Creative Culture 27:55 The Power of Open Financials in a Small Business 33:53 The ROI of Teaching Money Skills to Employees 36:27 Why Amy Refused to Franchise or Expand Globally 46:35 Growing Deeper, Not Wider: Amy's Approach to Expansion 52:59 How Your Business Can Increase Real Estate Value 57:22 The Moat That Protects Amy's From National Chains 58:43 Advice for Entrepreneurs Facing Imposter Syndrome 1:00:00 Amy's Take on Austin's Growing Pains Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gU5eigqFtns Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

Most founders dream of selling their company once. John Arrow sold the same company twice. He bootstrapped a mobile product development firm (Mutual Mobile) in college, scaled it to 300 people, and pushed nearly $50M a year in revenue. But the real unlock came from one bold decision: moving upstream into enterprise clients. Prior to that, his model was unsustainable. He and his co-founders made the decision to fire all of their customers and only work with companies with a spend of at least $1M/year. That's when their company took off. In this episode, John breaks down the decisions that unlocked explosive growth, the typical traps most founders never see coming, and why selling a services company is far more about timing and terms than topline revenue. You'll hear why he and his co-founders turned down a $100M offer, the minority deal that allowed him to take chips off the table, and how John was able to come back as CEO years later to orchestrate an 8-figure exit. Key Takeaways 00:00 Intro 01:05 How He Started & Scaled Mutual Mobile 02:55 Why Shifting to Enterprise Clients Changed Everything 07:48 What Uber Taught Him About Testing Ideas Fast 09:34 The Pros & Cons of Using AI and No-Code to Prototype 11:04 The Life-or-Death App That Validated Their Model 14:20 How Mutual Mobile Found Its Identity Along the Way 16:47 The 2nd Dumbest iPhone App of All Time 20:22 An Unusual That Attracted Enterprise Deals 24:56 Why Austin's Tech Scene is a Recruiting Goldmine 29:22 The Real Economics of Owning a Private Plane 44:47 How He Ended Up Selling the Same Company Twice 53:06 The Earnout Terms That Actually Matter 55:43 Creating AI Software with Zero Censorship 57:42 Why Operators Make Better Investors 58:57 When (And When Not To) Invest in Side Ventures 01:01:50 John's Advice for Entrepreneurs in the AI Era Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zHnqoPxen0k Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

Robin Alex, co-founder of HighLevel, shares insights on how the marketing automation platform skyrocketed to over two million users without a traditional sales team. He discusses the importance of simplifying agency tech stacks and leveraging a white-label model for fast growth. Robin highlights innovations like AI-driven customer support, the structured approach to feature selection, and the significance of community feedback. He also offers valuable advice for agencies on finding new opportunities by avoiding overcomplication.

For nearly two decades, Pat Flynn has been creating content. What's interesting is how that work has fueled multiple 7-figure businesses. Over the years, he's launched and scaled companies across education, media, software, community, and physical products—from Smart Passive Income and SwitchPod to niche websites, podcasting tools, and more recently, a Pokémon YouTube channel that pulls in 10 million views a day. What ties all of these ventures together is the way Pat builds them. Through his Lean Learning philosophy, he's able to use content to test ideas, reduce risk, and explore a wide range of opportunities while still staying super focused. In this episode, you'll learn exactly how Pat's able to start so many ventures, his approach to mastering any skill, the merger that freed up his time and allowed SPI to scale, and the viral short-form content strategy that's driving millions in both views and revenue.= Key Takeaways 01:16 Finding the Fun That Fuels Momentum 03:41 Why Pat Abandoned Blogging 04:47 The Problem With Audio-Only Podcasts 05:30 10M Views/Day from Pokémon Short-Form 07:21 Letting Data Drive Your Content Strategy 11:46 The Mental Shift That Separates Creators Who Win 15:32 The 20% Rule Powering Pat's Side Ventures 22:14 The 12-Minute Workflow Generating $25K–$40K Videos 25:30 The Smart Acquihire That Became SPI Media 33:25 Designing Your Business Around the Life You Want 36:21 Just In Time Learning vs. Just In Case Learning 43:12 How Community 3.5x's Your Odds of Success 47:03 Micro-Mastery to 10X Results in ANYTHING 54:12 Using Voluntary Force Functions to Take Massive Action 1:03:02 Pat's Advice to New Entrepreneurs 1:03:53 What No Longer Works in Content Creation Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hFRAiXt4lAU Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

Too many business owners are trying to use AI as a shortcut to fire people instead of using it to multiply the output of their best people. And that mindset is killing their growth. Matt Leitz has been building automation systems for 7- and 8-figure companies long before AI went mainstream. He's seen inside the machines powering 9-figure brands… and the truth is simple: automation isn't optional anymore. If you want to scale, you need a business that compounds output without requiring more of your time. Matt breaks down how to use AI as leverage — not as a crutch. He shares where founders get stuck, which systems create the highest ROI, how to turn funnels profitable even when ads lose money on day one, and how to build automations that drive revenue for years. If you've been trying to figure out how to integrate AI without breaking your business, this conversation will completely reset your framework. Key Takeaways 00:00 Intro 01:36 You're Thinking About AI All Wrong 02:54 AI Agents and Chatbots 05:24 Start With Strategy, Not Technology 08:09 Why You Shouldn't Automate Reporting 11:22 Prompt Engineering is Easier Than You Think 16:04 How To Build & Leverage Custom GPTs 20:41 Collaborating With AI For Better Results 27:10 AI Tool that Boosts Sales Rep Performance 30:06 Why Tool-Hopping Slows Your Growth 31:50 Why Automation Is Required To Scale Big 35:35 Are Traditional Marketing Funnels Dead? 41:03 When to Focus ON or IN the Business 45:42 The Real Path To Scaling Ad Spend 54:03 Lead Offers vs. Maximizer Offers 01:02:06 Protecting Your Time Above Everything Else Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/F96ncjHK8jI Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

This is a clip from the Beyond A Million podcast where I talked to Steve Sims – entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and bestselling author, best known as the creator of the world's first luxury concierge service. Here Steve shares a killer strategy for getting the attention of high-level people (like billionaires or big-time investors). His approach is simple, but a bit unexpected… and it definitely doesn't involve pitching or pretending to be someone you're not. He also tells a wild story about how this exact move led to a long-term consulting deal with a serious player in Silicon Valley. If you want to start real conversations with people who seem out of reach but aren't sure how, this is the tip for you. Enjoyed this clip? Check out our full interview with Steve: https://youtu.be/f6SMUx45gB8

Starting a business is hard. Starting a beverage company is almost impossible. With a 95% failure rate in year one and 99% by year five, most founders never make it out alive. That's what makes Aaron Hinde's story so compelling. As the Co-Founder of FITAID, a clean-ingredient beverage brand now valued north of $100M, he's navigated a landscape that destroys nearly everyone who steps into it. In our conversation, Aaron breaks down the truth behind building in one of the harshest categories in consumer goods, from the retail relationships that quietly drain millions to the dozens of moments his company nearly went bust. If you're building a brand, scaling a team, entering a competitive market, or simply trying to figure out how to keep going when the pressure of entrepreneurship hits, this episode will reframe what's possible. Key Takeaways with Aaron Hinde 00:00 Intro 01:40 The Hidden Retail Fees That Kill Beverage Brands 05:09 The Most Important Metric Beverage Founders Should Track 07:56 The Real Differentiator Behind FITAID Energy Drinks 10:34 "Clean" Energy Brands That Aren't Actually Clean 12:16 Deciding When to Launch (or Kill) a Product Line 17:13 Why Entrepreneurship Isn't for Most People 21:12 Dean Jackson's Framework for Defining Success 24:01 Resourcefulness, Persuasion, and Relationships at Work 31:29 How to Save Your Company When the Market Collapses 35:36 How Great Leaders Keep Their Teams Aligned 38:59 Facing Your Blind Spots As a Leader 45:24 The Non-Negotiable That Would Kill a $500M Offer 48:28 What He'd Do Differently If He Started Again 52:06 The Freedom That Comes From Dropping the Mask 53:39 Aaron's Advice for New Entrepreneurs Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wSrXlTixjCc Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

"If Apple CEO Tim Cook needs a board of directors to help him make decisions, what makes you think you can do it all by yourself?" That's the question Brian Will – serial entrepreneur with multiple exits under his belt – poses in this clip from Beyond A Million. Brian explains why letting go of ego makes it easier to grow your business. He talks about how financial stability helps you become less reactive, more collaborative, and why failing without learning is just wasting time. If you've been stuck in perfectionism, control, or thinking you need (or worse – have) all the answers, this one is to remind you that the best leaders listen more than they talk. Enjoyed this clip? Check out our full interview with Brian: https://youtu.be/7e1gid6rMWI

Collin Ship built his YouTube channel for one purpose: drive qualified leads into his business. He wasn't trying to grow an audience or chase viral moments. He wanted a predictable system that pointed people toward his offer. And it proved how effective a small channel can be when it's built the right way. Collin took an "unsexy" niche (blogging) and paired it with a search-driven YouTube strategy built entirely around keywords, intent, and simple videos that matched what people were actually looking for. That combination led to a multi-7-figure business powered by steady, targeted traffic. In this episode, Collin breaks down the framework that fueled early traction, the surprising advantage YouTube gives new creators that Google doesn't, and why staying niche made sponsorships and affiliate deals far more lucrative. Key Takeaways 00:00 Intro 01:22 Blogging Isn't Dead - $1.2M in 18 Months 05:23 Why Personal Branding Holds You Accountable 09:56 Using YouTube Strictly for Lead Generation 12:35 YouTube Keyword Strategy That Drove Early Growth 15:17 Does Going Broad on YouTube Hurt Lead Quality? 17:47 YouTube Publishing Frequency – The Sweet Spot 18:18 Why Long YouTube Videos Build Massive Trust 19:11 Make Your Free Content Better Than Paid 19:46 The Four Pillars of YouTube Monetization 21:35 YouTube Channels That Land Affiliates & Sponsors 26:19 Intent vs. Interruption Content Marketing 27:12 Using Paid Ads AND Organic Content to Scale 28:16 How to Run YouTube Ads Without Being Punished 31:20 Getting 6,000+ Leads per Month From YouTube 32:45 The Pros/Cons of Becoming Internet Famous 34:12 Where AI Fits in Your Content System 39:54 The Biggest Mistake People Make with AI 40:49 How He Revived His Offer With an AI Rebrand Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/li6jI6YsT3A Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

In this clip, Brad Sumrok talks about why apartments have turned out to be one of the most dependable ways to invest in real estate. Some properties look good at first, but fall apart when the market shifts. Apartments tend to stick it out. Brad's not hyping anything. He's just explaining what's worked over 20 years of doing deals – and why more investors are starting to take notice. If you've ever wondered where real estate actually holds up long-term, this is a good place to start. Enjoyed this clip? Check out our full interview with Brad: https://youtu.be/l1NP4NWlcLw