In today’s episode, I sit down with investor, entrepreneur, and content creator, Sahil Bloom (in front of a live audience) to unpack the key strategies and lessons that will help you achieve longevity and sustainability in the creator economy.Sahil has had a fascinating journey, transitioning from the world of private equity to making a name for himself in the creator economy (his bi-weekly newsletter alone has more than 400K subscribers). Upon entering this new sector, Sahil found himself occupied with the question of how to ensure longevity and set about putting together the ideal business operating system for content creators. In today’s conversation, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how Sahil built a thriving ecosystem as a content creator by acquiring businesses that would resonate with his audience and partnering with the right collaborators. You’ll also hear Sahil’s answers to live audience questions where he sheds light on finding the right partner, knowing when to pivot, and the future of the creator ecosystem.In this episode, you'll learn:How Sahil became one of the first people to popularize the use of long-form on TwitterWhy to focus on building an audience with whom your work resonates rather than chasing vanity metricsHow to figure out if you're creating inspiration-driven content operation-focused content (and where you lie on the spectrum)How to escape the need to create new content daily by putting strategies in placeHow to use flywheels as the operating system for your businessHow to find the right collaboratorsHow Sahil uses agencies to turn cost centers into profit centersWhen to pivot on a project or companyHabits for creating and managing your time as a creatorLinks & Resources:The Sweaty StartupWait But WhyJustin WelshTim FerrissSahil Bloom Links:Sahil’s websiteFollow Sahil on LinkedInFollow Sahil on TwitterFollow Sahil on InstagramFollow Sahil on YouTubeFollow Sahil on TikTokSubscribe to Sahil’s newsletter

Today, I talk to Darrell Vesterfelt, who is a longtime friend who helped grow ConvertKit in our craziest growth times (from $100,000/mo when he joined to $500,000/mo in just over a year).Darrell is one of the best marketers I know. He is the Founder and former CEO of Good People Digital, the Co-Founder of Homestead Living, and Co-Founder and COO of the School of Traditional Skills.In this episode, Darrell breaks down the goal and execution of an online summit that accumulated an astonishing 101,000 attendees as a brand-new brand! Tune in to find out why you can’t have a marketing strategy without value and vice versa.In this episode, you'll learn:Darrell’s transition from New York to homestead; how his marketing skills translate to homesteading.The importance of authenticity in the homesteading world.A rundown of Darrell’s various businesses.The publication and publishing house, Homestead Living: what inspired it and where it’s going. The structure, marketing strategy, execution, and conversion rate of the School of Traditional Skills Summit.The best marketing strategy according to Darrell.Links & Resources:Homestead LivingHomestead Living on InstagramSchool of Traditional SkillsHomesteading FamilyGood People DigitalEverything Worth PreservingDarrell Vesterfelt Links:Darrell’s websiteFollow Darrell on LinkedInFollow Darrell on TwitterFollow Darrell on Instagram

In today’s episode, I’m joined by PJ Taei, Founder and CEO of Uscreen, an all-in-one video monetization platform for content creators that helps them build their brands and grow their businesses. The creator economy has changed a lot since PJ first founded Uscreen in 2015. And in that time PJ has managed to grow Uscreen to $20 million a year in revenue, representing sought-after clients and their channels, like Yoga with Adrienne and Justin Rhodes’s streaming platform, Abundance Plus. Our conversation gets into some pretty fascinating topics, like what to do when major competitors enter your field, the trial and error involved in getting your pricing right, and why true fans are so valuable for content creators looking to monetize. PJ also sheds light on what motivated him to bootstrap his company and expands on why it’s so important to stay in touch with the needs of your customers as you grow!In this episode, you'll learn:How Uscreen supports creators by helping them sync their offerings on one platform.What helped PJ recognize the need for a service like Uscreen.When to fear a major competitor coming in and why you should never underestimate a small company.The importance of continued focus on the customer as you grow along with actionable advice on how to stay in touch with their needs.How to find the right balance between trial periods, free content, and attracting paying customers.Why PJ decided to bootstrap instead of pursuing funding and what he has learned from the experience.Links & Resources:UscreenUscreen on YouTubePJ Taei’s Links:PJ’s websitePJ’s emailFollow PJ on LinkedInFollow PJ on TwitterFollow PJ on YouTube Listen to PJ’s Podcast

In this episode, I talk to Susie Bulloch, who runs Hey Grill, Hey, which started as a wildly successful food blog (to the tune of a million dollars or more a year in revenue). Then she did something that I absolutely love: she used her online business to kickstart a physical products company. Her sauces and rubs company in the barbecue space is now about to overtake the blog in revenue.The online world of content creation is vastly different to the product manufacturing space, and as Susie explains, she is grateful that she didn’t know too much before she made the transition. Her top piece of advice for anyone interested in doing the same thing is to make products with the intention of fulfilling a need, not just because you have an audience online. Susie describes herself as “terrifyingly driven,” and during our conversation, she talks about how she went from “I could never” to doing it all, the importance of celebrating business milestones, the value of having someone ask you, “Why?” regularly on your entrepreneurial journey, and her goal of increasing the representation of  women-owned brands in the barbeque space!In this episode, you'll learn: The value in working for other people before starting your own company. Why it’s always worth taking the time to be grateful for the journey you are on and celebrating your achievements.What the life of a “terrifyingly driven” entrepreneur looks like. How to build trust within your community so they are happy to pay for your offerings.The only piece of advice Susie would give to someone interested in transitioning from online content creation to product manufacturing. Links & Resources:Hey Grill, HeyThe Grill Squad‘The Billion Dollar Creator’Susie Bulloch Links:Follow Susie on TwitterFollow Susie on FacebookFollow Susie on InstagramFollow Susie on YouTubeSubscribe to Susie's Grill Squad

Today, I sit down with the Head of Deliverability at ConvertKit, Alyssa Dulin, to shed some light on the often mysterious game of getting your email into the right inbox. Alyssa's expertise about what creators need to focus on and the most recent developments in the email marketing space can truly take your company's reach to the next level!Deliverability has always been a huge part of what we offer at ConvertKit, and Alyssa unpacks the most important pieces of this puzzle, covering sender reputation, effective cadences, and setting and delivering on expectations. As with so much of our philosophy, it is all about playing the long game over short-term wins and shiny statistics. You’ll get a look behind the scenes at how the world of email actually operates and evolves, the important conversations that happen between providers, as well as some helpful practical tips and common mistakes to avoid. Be sure to join Alyssa and me for this illuminating chat. In this episode, you'll learn:The biggest factors that contribute to reaching your audience's inbox.A simple and comprehensive definition of deliverability.How to think about the important aspect of reputation management. The real value of custom domains and dedicated IPs.  Links & Resources:ConvertKit's Creator NetworkEventbriteWarby ParkerEmmaCM GroupTim FerrissSusan CainJames ClearBitlySpamhausM3AAWGFigmaSubstackSparkLoopAlyssa Dulin Links:Follow Alyssa on TwitterListen to Alyssa's podcastSubscribe to Alyssa's newsletter

Today I’m talking with Thomas Frank. Thomas built a YouTube channel called College Info Geek to over a million subscribers. Since then, he’s rebranded and grown the channel to nearly 3 million subscribers. He’s also built a massive business around courses and Notion templates.In this episode we talk about making a pivot as a creator. Thomas has an interesting and understated approach that’s worked quite well. We also talk about the Notion templates he’s selling, the YouTube productivity channel he started strictly about Notion, and how it’s driving hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales per month.Thomas also explains why it’s easier getting started on YouTube today than it was 10 years ago, and I get Thomas’ candid thoughts on how Gumroad’s new pricing has affected his business and creators in general.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why now is a great time to get started on YouTubeHow to pull off a successful rebrand of your creator businessWhy your subscriber count isn’t as important as you thinkWas Gumroad’s price increase a mistake?Thomas’ Links (H5)Thomas’ websiteFollow Thomas on TwitterSubscribe to Thomas’ YouTube channelDownload Thomas’ Notion templatesCheck out Thomas’ Notion YouTube channelThomas’ Nebula.tv contentFollow College Info Geek on TwitterThomas’ Skillshare page

In this episode I talk to Brian Feroldi. Brian is an incredible creator in the investing space. He Tweets about money, investing, and self-improvement. He also has a free newsletter with over 40,000 subscribers.Today Brian talks about his recent experience migrating his newsletter to ConvertKit. He’s also a member of the ConvertKit Sponsor Network. I haven’t said much about the Sponsor Network, so Brian shares how he’s using it to book sponsors.The bulk of our conversation, however, is about Twitter and how he’s grown his account to over 400,000 followers. Brian has an interesting idea using your Twitter profile as a sales page, and he explains why conversion rates are important. We also pull up my Twitter profile and Brian gives it a tear down live on the show.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to get more followers on TwitterTwitter profile strategies that increase your conversion rateWhy your Tweets aren’t getting more impressionsHow to write Twitter threads that people will shareLinks & Resources (H5)ConvertKit Sponsor NetworkSahil BloomJames ClearTim UrbanBlake BurgeAustin LiebermanBrian’s Links (H5)Brian’s newsletterFollow Brian on TwitterConnect with Brian on FacebookBrian is on InstagramCheck out Brian on YouTubeBrian’s LinkedIn page

The podcast is back! Today I’m talking with Turner Novak. Turner is someone I’ve followed for a long time. He has an amazing Twitter account where he drops hilarious memes, talks about life as an investor, and makes fun of venture capitalists and founders.He also posts deep dives on companies like Snapchat about how their earnings work, what’s going on in TikTok ads, and a lot more. It’s an interesting balance, and he does all this while investing in early-stage companies as a venture capitalist.In today’s episode Turner and I talk about how he creates content. We get into how he uses his funnel to raise capital, and how to generate the highest return on investment (ROI) for your audience. We also talk about how he grew to 130,000 followers on Twitter, why he failed to get a job in venture capital and had to start his own firm, and how to create a successful newsletter.In this episode, you’ll learn:Easy ways to grow your newsletter audienceHow Turner varies his content to get more engagementWhy getting to know your audience is so importantHow Turner used writing to expand his venture capital networkTurner’s Links & Resources (H5)Subscribe to Turner’s newsletter, The SplitFollow Turner on TwitterBanana Capital’s websiteFollow Banana Capital on Twitter

In this episode I talk to Katelyn Bourgoin. Katelyn is a creator and entrepreneur. She’s built several successful companies and agencies, and built a consultant company that she later sold.We dive into why customers buy, and how to market and sell to them through the Jobs-to-be-Done framework. Katelyn has a wealth of marketing knowledge she shares with us today.We talk about different business models. We get into why you should focus on selling checklists, cheat sheets, and outcomes rather than the traditional video courses. We also talk about how she grew her newsletter to 10,000 subscribers, and got to over 50,000 followers on Twitter.In this episode, you’ll learn:Tips and strategies for acquiring more usersA subtle mindset shift to make your marketing more effectiveWhat content should be free, and what should be paid forWhy Katelyn transitioned away from launches and coursesLinks & ResourcesEpisode 061: Rachel Rodgers – Simple & Consistent: How To Build an 8-Figure BusinessApril DunfordNathan Barry: AuthorityKatelyn Bourgoin’s LinksCustomer CampFollow Customer Camp on TwitterThe Why We Buy newsletterJobs-to-be-DoneThe Trigger TechniqueTwitter thread about The Trigger TechniqueFollow Katelyn on Twitter

In this episode I talk to Laura Roeder. Laura and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve learned so much from her, and it’s great to have her on the podcast.Laura started an online community and a course called Creating Fame. She’s done a bunch of stuff in the internet space. She’s one of the people who’s been doing it since the early days.She got into software with a company called MeetEdgar, which is a social media scheduling service, and grew it into a successful company before selling it. She recently started another company called Paperbell. Paperbell is the all-in-one software that solves all the problems of running a coaching and consulting business.There’s so much to learn from Laura. I love her direct, blunt style. She’s given me great advice over the years, and you get to tune in as we jump on a call, hit record, and start catching up.In this episode, you’ll learn:Benefits of choosing a narrow niche for your businessCommon branding mistakes to avoid when starting outLaura’s advice for writing great copyTradeoffs between hiring freelancers and employeesLinks & ResourcesMama GenaMeetEdgarLaura Roeder’s LinksLaura’s websiteFollow Laura on TwitterLaura is on InstagramPaperbellFollow Paperbell on TwitterPaperbell is on InstagramFollow Paperbell on FacebookCheck out Paperbell on Pinterest