The UpFlip Podcast

Bree Hartman, a self-storage owner and investor with over 100,000 sq ft in her portfolio, shares how she transformed from personal trainer to self-storage mogul. She explains the advantages of self-storage over residential rentals, including lower expenses and less hassle. Bree reveals her 'Market Rule of Fives' for selecting ideal locations and demonstrates effective Google Maps sourcing for off-market deals. Plus, she discusses targeting Mom and Pop owners for instant appreciation and offers insights on seller financing, automation, and the realities of passive income.

Jesse Vasquez, an entrepreneur who pivoted from a $200k salary to become a mid-term rental expert, discusses the lucrative world of 30-day stays. He reveals how his portfolio earns over $170,000 monthly by working with hospitals and corporate clients. Jesse shares tips on securing profitable contracts, including leveraging rental arbitrage and strategic outreach to recruiters. Discover practical steps for launching your own mid-term rental business and learn why understanding guest needs is crucial for success.

John Stewart Hill, founder of The Good Contractors List, shares a transformative journey from a heart attack to building a billion-dollar business. He discusses how faith motivated him to leave a stable job with just one paycheck left. Hill reveals his unique approach to guarantee contractor work, creating a community-focused model that prioritizes integrity over profit. He also offers valuable insights on distinguishing your true calling, the importance of purpose in business decisions, and practical advice for entrepreneurs navigating their journey.

Two former corporate sales stars ditch their six-figure jobs to dive into the waste management industry, turning a borrowed truck into a $1 million/month business. They reveal the power of B2B contracts, explaining how owning customers through recurring revenue is key. With a patented app enhancing transparency and the math behind their 'Bigger Trucks, Better Pricing' strategy, they share their secrets to high margins. Plus, they discuss the grit required to build a successful franchise versus taking a quick buyout.

Ryan Emmons, founder of Waiakea, a sustainable bottled water company, shares his remarkable journey from a U-Haul startup to challenging industry giants. He emphasizes the importance of a triple bottom line—People, Planet, Profit—and how this model drives loyalty and differentiation. Learn about his innovative consignment strategy for retail success, the benefits of sustainability for cost efficiency, and the significance of incorporating mission into corporate structure. Emmons also discusses the fearless naivety that fuels entrepreneurial spirit.

Clay Lawrence, the founder of Review Harvest, shares his inspiring journey from running a generalist marketing agency to creating a $35K+/month SaaS. He discusses the risks he took by firing all his clients to focus on automating Google reviews for home services. With a focus on trench knowledge and narrow messaging, Clay reveals how he harnessed customer insights to build a thriving business. He also dives into the anatomy of high-converting sales calls and effective ad strategies that fueled his impressive growth.

Eddie Hartman co-founded LegalZoom with a simple but radical idea: legal documents are just information, and information belongs online. Despite facing an industry of lawyers who wanted to sue the company out of existence, Eddie pushed forward to help launch one out of every four small businesses in California. Today, as a partner at Simon-Kucher, he advises global giants like Uber and Airbnb on pricing strategies, proving that the secret to success isn't just building things people want—it's building things people want to pay for.In this interview, Eddie sits down with Ryan Atkinson to deconstruct the psychology of the founder mindset. He explains why entrepreneurs need to be "insane in a specific way" to overcome the fear of failure and how to avoid the "single engine trap" of leaning too heavily on your natural strengths. Eddie breaks down the critical difference between chasing market share versus wallet share and explains how to become a "profitable growth architect" rather than just another business owner with a cool idea.If you are struggling to monetize innovation or wondering if your business model is built to last, this episode is a masterclass in strategy. You’ll learn how to price your product to get to "yes," why you should embrace the fear of failure, and the specific steps you need to take to scale your business from a startup concept to an industry disruptor.Takeaways:- Build for Payment: Don't just build what people want; build what they are willing to pay for.- The Single Engine Trap: Avoid over-relying on your natural strength (like sales) while neglecting other business needs.- Growth Strategy: Successful companies chase market share and wallet share simultaneously.- Founder Psychology: You need "specific insanity"—the fear of failure combined with the certainty of success.- Price First: Validate the price point and willingness to pay before you build the product.- Strategic Packaging: Don't offer one price; create tiers to capture different customer segments.- Fear as a Shield: Use high barriers to entry (like fear of lawsuits) to keep competitors away.- Sales vs. Customers: A one-time transaction (especially a discounted one) is not a loyal client.- Stamina Over IQ: Success is often determined by the ability to "not stop" rather than raw genius.- Leverage Imposter Syndrome: Use the fear of not being good enough as fuel to outwork everyone else.Tags: Startup, Entrepreneurship, Pricing Strategy, Business Mindset, Small Business,  LegalZoomResources:Grow your business today: https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Connect with Eddie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-hartman 

Teague Egan faced every founder’s nightmare: payroll was due, and a massive investment deal with General Motors was stalled. With his back against the wall, Teague sold his house for $2 million and wired the cash to his company just to stay alive. That "all-in" gamble paid off, securing the partnership and positioning EnergyX to revolutionize the global energy transition.It all started on a Bolivian salt flat, where a chance comment sparked an obsession with lithium. In this interview, Teague sits down with Ryan Atkinson to reveal how he went from a tourist to a founder partnering with industry titans. He breaks down the crucial pivot EnergyX made when their initial licensing model hit a wall, proving that agility is just as important as innovation.You’ll learn the grit required to survive the "valley of death" in startup funding and how to execute cold outreach strategies that land billion-dollar partners. We also dive into high-stakes risk management and the mindset needed for enterperenurs to set bold visions. Whether you are raising capital or scaling a business, Teague’s story offers a masterclass in resilience.Takeaways:- Teague sold his own house for $2 million and wired the funds to the company to cover payroll and bridge the gap while waiting for the General Motors investment to close.- Great business ideas often come from stepping outside your bubble, as Teague’s "aha moment" happened while traveling on a salt flat tour in Bolivia, not in a boardroom.- You do not need prior industry experience to start; Teague entered the lithium space with zero knowledge but bridged the gap through obsessive reading and research.- Networking is often a chain reaction where one contact leads to another, so you must be willing to send cold emails and attend conferences just to meet a single person.- Entrepreneurs must be agile enough to pivot their entire business model if the market resists, just as EnergyX switched from licensing technology to vertical integration when resource owners were too slow to adopt their tech.- The stress of entrepreneurship remains constant regardless of the dollar amount; whether the risk is $50,000 or $50 million, the only way to manage the anxiety is to focus on the daily work you can control.- Securing strategic partnerships with established giants like General Motors provides not only capital but also the institutional credibility needed to scale industrial technology.- Founders should set "unrealistic" and massive visions because bold goals are more effective at rallying employees and investors than modest, safe targets.- Timing can dictate your business model; if your technology is too early for the market to trust, you may have to build the infrastructure yourself to prove it works.- You must be the most confident person in the room regarding your execution, as investors and partners rely entirely on your belief to validate their own risk.Tags: Startup, Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, EnergyX, Teague Egan, Sustainable Energy, Business ScalingResources:Grow your business today: https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Connect with Teague: https://www.instagram.com/teagueegan/?hl=en

Richard Gould, founder of a rapidly growing painting franchise, shares his transformational journey from high school dropout to business mogul. He reveals how to launch a painting business for under $1,000 using simple marketing strategies like door hangers and low-ticket services. Gould emphasizes tracking essential financial metrics for profitability and offers tips for generating Google reviews. He discusses the importance of effective networking and offers insights on reinvesting profits wisely to scale a home service business.

Michael Sutton, the founder of Grill Hero, shares his incredible journey from a university student cleaning grills door-to-door to running a thriving franchise. He reveals how selling before mastering the service helped land five customers on day one, despite a disastrous first job. Sutton discusses the importance of hiring right, preferring employees for quality control, and his strategic pivot to franchising after initial failures. He emphasizes high-value pricing and targeting premium customers, offering insights into building a scalable home service business.