Learn from HoldCo legend Michael Girdley about building a successful HoldCo using the 'Right People, Right Structure, Right Mission' framework. Discover how to set up your business, find the best people, and get everyone excited about the same goal. Explore the joy of building a career around passion and joy and how to connect with like-minded operators for your personal HoldCo.

Discover how entrepreneur Tim Stoddart transformed his troubled past into a multimillion-dollar business empire. Learn about finding purpose, effective writing online, choosing businesses, and replicating models for success. Explore Tim's journey from Sober Nation to Copy Blogger, his unconventional investment strategy, and criteria for business investments. Unveil the secrets behind his wealth creation and lead generation success.

In this podcast, the host shares 8 unconventional truths he learned in 8 years of entrepreneurship, including the importance of growth vs preservation, hiring the right people, and building a strong business ecosystem. He discusses the mindset for business growth, tapping into opportunities during uncertainty, and the insights gained from his entrepreneurial journey.

Learn from Andrew Gazdecki about successful business exits, how to structure deals, find the right buyer, and sell a startup in as little as 30 days. Discover insights on business acquisitions, strategic vs. financial buyers, and preventative measures for startup sale disappointments. Explore deal-making challenges, the importance of transparency, and Acquire.com's innovative approach to simplifying startup acquisitions.

E71: How do you design a personal brand that truly reflects you, stands out, and captivates your audience?Do you find yourself lost in the sea of design choices? Not sure how to align your website elements with your personal brand values?Today, host Yong-Soo (@YongSooChung) is joined by talented designer, Nate Kadlac (@kadlac). Nate will guide us through the crucial elements of your personal brand identity: Logo, Font, Color, Elements & Motifs, and Visual Layout. Nate will also tell us how to make key design decisions that align with our brand values for each of these elements.On today’s episode, you’ll learn:- The Four Key Elements- The G.E.O.S. Framework- How to Make Key Design Decisions- How to Design a Great Personal Brand WebsiteLet's get down to business!***SPONSORS: Riverside - If you have a podcast, do yourself a favor and check out Riverside. It's 100% free to start. Get 20% off using code FIRSTCLASS.Spotted by Humphrey - If you have a dog, sniff out the DEAL$ and wag-worthy finds at Spotted by Humphrey. Use code FIRSTCLASS15 to get 15% off your next order. ***EXCERPTS:Choosing Fonts for Personal Branding: "They don't have to be the same. I think it's it's really about what appeals to you, what speaks to you. It's just one thing to kind of know about these things that people will feel a certain way. Not that you need to make a choice based on what people feel." — Nate Kadlac (19:04)Design Tips from Experts: "A designer's secret is that most of us never use pure black or pure white. Our eyes read better like text that's just slightly off that black end is is a little bit more readable because it's not high contrast. High contrast tires our eyes out and we want to use it for design to kind of like grab attention." — Nate Kadlac (28:31)*** LINKS: Don't Make The Same Mistakes I Did — What I Wish I Knew About Content Creation and Personal BrandingApproachableDesign.JOIN: First Class Founders Premium MembershipDOWNLOAD: Hyper-Visuals For Our Episodes (Free)***FOLLOW / REVIEW:- Follow - Leave 5-star review***CONNECT W/ YONG-SOO:- X- Threads- LinkedIn- Newsletter***First Class Founders is a show for indie hackers, bootstrapped founders, CEOs, solopreneurs, content creators, startup entrepreneurs, and SaaS startups covering topics like build in public, audience growth, product marketing, scaling up, side hustles, holding company, etc. Past guests include Arvid Kahl, Tyler Denk, Noah Kagan, Clint Murphy, Jay Abraham, Andrew Gazdecki, Matt McGarry, Nick Huber, Khe Hy, and more. Episode you might like:Future of Newsletters with Tyler Denk, Founder & CEO at BeehiivFrom Zero to 100K Subscribers: How to Grow Your Newsletter like a Pro with Newsletter Growth Expert Matt McGarry...

E70: Who doesn't like free or cheap stuff? Imagine getting more customers without spending money. Today, host Yong-Soo (@YongSooChung) is joined by an expert in PR and earned media, Christina Nicholson (@ChristinaAllDay), an award-winning journalist.  Christina will discuss why small businesses should start with local media and why earned media's credibility is its most powerful asset. She also discusses how to obtain free (or affordable) PR and how to pitch the media to get coverage.On today’s episode, you’ll learn:- How To Do Effective PR for Free- The Power of PR for Businesses- How to Spot Scammy PR Pitches- How to Pitch the Media to Get CoverageDon't miss out on this game-changing episode that could redefine your approach to marketing!***SPONSORS: Spotted by Humphrey - If you have a dog, sniff out the DEAL$ and wag-worthy finds at Spotted by Humphrey. Use code FIRSTCLASS15 to get 15% off your next order. ***EXCERPTS:Strategic Business Approach: "You need to be patient, and you need to trust the process, and you need to be very focused on who your audience is and what you're putting out there, and then be ready to turn that publicity into profit because a lot of people think it just ends with the publicity." — Christina Nicholson (18:01)Monetizing Influence: "If you are somebody who is of influence and you wanna start charging to make money, there's nothing wrong with that. You just have to tell people why you're charging what you're charging when you do offer that to them." — Christina Nicholson (27:33)*** LINKS: The Art of Storytelling: How Parker Worth Went from Broke to a $22,000 Course LaunchBecome a Media Maven PodcastJOIN: First Class Founders Premium MembershipDOWNLOAD: Hyper-Visuals For Our Episodes (Free)***FOLLOW / REVIEW:- Follow - Leave 5-star review***CONNECT W/ YONG-SOO:- X- Threads- LinkedIn- Newsletter***First Class Founders is a show for indie hackers, bootstrapped founders, CEOs, solopreneurs, content creators, startup entrepreneurs, and SaaS startups covering topics like build in public, audience growth, product marketing, scaling up, side hustles, holding company, etc. Past guests include Arvid Kahl, Tyler Denk, Noah Kagan, Clint Murphy, Jay Abraham, Andrew Gazdecki, Matt McGarry, Nick Huber, Khe Hy, and more. Episode you might like:Future of Newsletters with Tyler Denk, Founder & CEO at BeehiivFrom Zero to 100K Subscribers: How to Grow Your Newsletter like a Pro with Newsletter Growth Expert Matt McGarry...

Noah Kagan, CEO of AppSumo, discusses his book 'Million Dollar Weekend' and shares strategies on validating ideas, scaling businesses, and finding profitable customer bases. He emphasizes patience, persistence, and effective experimentation for long-term success in entrepreneurship.

Jay Abraham, America’s Highest Paid Marketing Consultant, discusses the power of relational capital. He shares stories of creative partnerships, the 8 types of deals, and how to pitch to potential partners. Relational capital is underrated but can lead to hidden profits. Don't miss out!

Learn the importance of finding a reliable operator for a personal holding company, balancing ownership and loyalty, the role of mentorship in attracting top talent, building trust with operators, and the pros and cons of promoting from within or hiring from the outside for great operators.

Hunter Hammonds, Co-Founder & CEO of Assembly Ventures, shares his growth playbook of going from $0 to $10M ARR in six months. Topics include building long-term relationships with creators, focusing on quality over mere publicity, and structuring teams and operations effectively. The podcast also touches on scaling businesses successfully, partnering with large content creators, and the three pillars of team operation.