The SaaS Academy Podcast

“Every word that leaves your mouth is helping or hurting - nothing is neutral.”🧠 Want to learn more SaaS growth strategies? Join our free SaaS Summit newsletter for exclusive insights and tactics from top founders.➤ https://www.saasacademy.com/jointhesummitJoin Matt Verlaque in a dynamic conversation with Phil M Jones - author of Exactly What to Say and creator of the most listened-to audiobook in Audible’s history. From building his first business at 14 to training leaders in over 800 industries, Phil unpacks the psychology of influence, the power of “magic words,” and how intentional language can reshape teams, sales, and leadership. This episode is packed with frameworks, practical scripts, and a new way to think about conversations - at work and in life.--Timestamps00:00 – Meet Phil M Jones: Master of Language & Influence04:12 – Why His Audiobook Broke Records09:38 – The Psychology of a Tiny Book with Big Impact14:45 – Custom Editions and Scaling Like Tabasco Sauce19:30 – From Car Washing to Leadership at 1825:20 – Finding the “Magic Words” That Stick31:55 – Big Ideas vs. Proven Methods38:00 – The “Three Options” Framework for Decision-Making44:40 – The Power of Labels in Communication51:13 – How to Build a Culture of Trusted Feedback58:03 – Influence Without Authority: Do This First1:04:11 – Progress Over Finish Lines1:11:45 – Master the Moment, Not the Words--Check out Matt on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.mattverlaque.com/➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/mattverlaque➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattverlaque/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-verlaque/Check out Johnny on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.thejohnnypage.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnypage13/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnypage/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saasacademy/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/saasacademy➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/➤ Website: https://www.saasacademy.com/➤ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1718719323➤ Spotify: https://spotify.com/show/05gCHHhhpmDxaFacza6Qpo

“I didn’t have a Stanford degree. I had a garage, a beanbag, and a dream.”🧠 Want to learn more SaaS growth strategies? Join our free SaaS Summit newsletter for exclusive insights and tactics from top founders.➤ https://www.saasacademy.com/jointhesummitJoin Matt Verlaque as he sits down with Matt Prados, founder and CEO of Review Wave (now Aloha), to unpack his bootstrapped journey, lessons from venture debt, and how AI is reshaping the future of healthcare practices.--Timestamps00:00 – Meet Matt Prados: CEO of Aloha02:37 – The Pain and Power of Being an Entrepreneur05:55 – Core Values or Bust10:04 – Selling the Vision (Without Selling It)13:42 – Who You Become > What You Build17:58 – Learning in Public22:11 – Dan Martell and the $500K Education25:39 – Building the Business Beyond Reviews29:43 – The Aloha Era Begins34:48 – When AI Proves You Wrong39:21 – Why He’s Launching a Fund43:47 – A Legacy He Can Be Proud Of--Check out Matt on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.mattverlaque.com/➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/mattverlaque➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattverlaque/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-verlaque/Check out Johnny on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.thejohnnypage.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnypage13/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnypage/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saasacademy/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/saasacademy➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/➤ Website: https://www.saasacademy.com/➤ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1718719323➤ Spotify: https://spotify.com/show/05gCHHhhpmDxaFacza6Qpo

"You just have to ask."🧠 Want to learn more SaaS growth strategies? Join our free SaaS Summit newsletter for exclusive insights and tactics from top founders.➤ https://www.saasacademy.com/jointhesummitJoin Matt Verlaque as he sits down with Chris Ronzio, founder and CEO of Trainual, to discuss celebrity partnerships, Facebook ad strategies, and his journey from a failed launch to SaaS success.--Timestamps00:00 Meet Chris Ronzio: Founder of Trainual02:30 Landing Daymond John + Celebrity Influence 10109:20 From $10K MVP to SaaS Struggles16:45 The 2018 Relaunch That Changed Everything23:10 Winning With Facebook Ads + Small CAC Thinking30:40 B2B Doesn’t Have to Be Boring36:50 The Power of Creative Risk + Founder-Led Marketing--Check out Matt on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.mattverlaque.com/➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/mattverlaque➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattverlaque/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-verlaque/Check out Johnny on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.thejohnnypage.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnypage13/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnypage/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saasacademy/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/saasacademy➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/➤ Website: https://www.saasacademy.com/➤ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1718719323➤ Spotify: https://spotify.com/show/05gCHHhhpmDxaFacza6Qpo

"The magic is creating the container for relationships."📖 Join the Wait List for our new book! ➤ https://softwarebook.com/Join Dan Martell, Johnny Page, and Matt Verlaque as they sit down to discuss the launch of their new book, what running a 10/10 event looks like, and the future of SaaS Academy.--Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the New Book Launch00:47 The Importance of Customer Conferences05:52 Strategies for Successful Event Planning11:50 Leveraging Customer Experiences for Content18:03 Creating Community and Connection23:51 Common Mistakes in Event Planning29:51 Final Thoughts and Encouragement--Check out Matt on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.mattverlaque.com/➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/mattverlaque➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattverlaque/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-verlaque/Check out Johnny on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.thejohnnypage.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnypage13/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnypage/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube  @SaaSAcademy  ➤ Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ )➤ [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy)➤ [Twitter / X] (https://x.com/saasacademy)➤ [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/)➤ [Website] (https://www.saasacademy.com/)➤ [Apple] (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...)➤ [Spotify] (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)

"If you talk to an outsource company and they can kick off development for you or kick off a project next week, that's a massive red flag for me."👉🏻 Want a 3-step action plan to help scale your SaaS?Book a FREE growth session (https://www.saasacademy.com/scalenow?...)Join Johnny Page and Graeme Barlow, Founder and CEO of Iversoft, a world-class software development agency that specializes in mobile and emerging technologies.This episode dives deep into 🚀 - The good, bad, and best practices of Outsourced Development.- How a founder’s job is to find the people who will solve the problems, not to solve it themselves.- How to clear product ownership and spend time on preparation before starting development.- The best way to build a network of trusted technical advisors....and more.--Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage02:10 The Good, the Bad, and Best Practices of Outsourcing Development03:36 When to Consider Outsourcing and Different Engagement Models08:21 Choosing the Right Engagement Model16:57 Building a Successful Relationship with an Outsourced Development Team24:08 Beware of Agencies Promising Quick Turnaround Times25:06 Learning from Mistakes25:25 The Importance of Outsourced Development Teams28:15 The Current State of AI and Its Impact32:42 Building with No Code Solutions38:56 Avoiding the Linchpin Trap--Check out Graeme on:➤ Personal Website: https://www.graemebarlow.com/➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/graemebarlow➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graemebarlow/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemebarlowCheck out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube  @SaaSAcademy  ➤ Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ )➤ [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy)➤ [Twitter / X] (https://x.com/saasacademy)➤ [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/)➤ [Website] (https://www.saasacademy.com/)➤ [Apple] (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...)➤ [Spotify] (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)

"You're going to have to hire great people."👉🏻 Want a 3-step action plan to help scale your SaaS?Book a FREE growth session (https://www.saasacademy.com/scalenow?...)Join Matt Verlaque and Geoff Roberts, CEO and founder of Outseta, The all-in-one platform to build SaaS and membership businesses.This episode dives deep into 🚀 - How staying small allows for less bureaucracy and politics in a company.- How they manage a remote and asynchronous team.- How Outseta is able to pay their team $210,000/yr while allowing the team to work between 1 and 5 days a week....and more.--Timestamps00:00 Staying Small and Hiring Great People11:06 Outseta's Unique Compensation Model19:03 Supporting Early-Stage SaaS Businesses26:28 The Power of Ownership28:37 Enriching Lives and Operating with Minimal Meetings32:48 Rhythms and Asynchronous Work36:56 Pricing Model and Challenges41:35 Bootstrapping and Near-Death Experiences53:43 Success: $10 Million Business and Impact--Check out Geoff on:➤ Company Website: https://www.geoffsmarketingexperiments.com/➤ Marketing Experiments: https://www.geoffsmarketingexperiments.com/➤ Personal Website: https://geoffrobertswrites.com/➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/geofftroberts➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrobertsmarketing/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube  @SaaSAcademy  ➤ Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ )➤ [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy)➤ [Twitter / X] (https://x.com/saasacademy)➤ [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/)➤ [Website] (https://www.saasacademy.com/)➤ [Apple] (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...)➤ [Spotify] (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)

"I think you can do more with less these days."👉🏻 Want a 3-step action plan to help scale your SaaS?Book a FREE growth session (https://www.saasacademy.com/scalenow?...)Join Johnny Page and Scot Chisholm, CEO and Founder of Classy, a fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations that got acquired by GoFundMe in 2022. Over the course of 10 years as CEO, he grew the company from $0 to $1B+ in valuation; managed a 300 person team, and raised over $200M from investors.Timestamps--Check out Scot on:➤ Website: https://joinhighland.com/➤ Personal Website: https://scotchisholm.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotchisholm/?hl=en➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotchisholm/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube @SaaSAcademy ➤ Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ )➤ [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy)➤ [Twitter / X] (https://x.com/saasacademy)➤ [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/)➤ [Website] (https://www.saasacademy.com/)➤ [Apple] (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...)➤ [Spotify] (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)

"Let the market pull you. You have to be so nimble. You're lucky if you can block a punch in the beginning."👉🏻 Want a 3-step action plan to help scale your SaaS?Book a FREE growth session (https://www.saasacademy.com/scalenow?...)Join Matt (@mattverlaque) and Dan Uyemura, CEO and Founder of PushPress, a complete gym management platform built by gym owners, for gym owners. At PushPress, they're sole focus is providing painless member management and billing solutions to CrossFit gyms, boutique gyms, and personal trainers.Timestamps00:00 The Journey of Pushpress07:31 The Challenges of Being a Founder19:03 Building Trust and Providing Value25:19 The Process of Evaluating Ideas31:35 Pricing and Packaging Strategy33:33 Pricing Strategies for Customer Retention36:52 Building a Strong Team and Culture37:51 The Keeper Test: Identifying Valuable Employees45:45 Building Long-Term Value: The Key to Success51:31 Finding the Right Investors: Alignment is Key--Check out Dan on:➤ Website: https://www.pushpress.com/➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielsan/➤ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danuyemura/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube  @SaaSAcademy  | Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ ) | [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy) | [Twitter / X](https://x.com/saasacademy) | [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/) | [Website](https://www.saasacademy.com/) | [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...) | [Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)

"Great writing starts from a great brief, which starts from great strategy."👉🏻 Want a 3-step action plan to help scale your SaaS?Book a FREE growth session (https://www.saasacademy.com/scalenow?...)Join Matt (@mattverlaque) and John Doherty, founder of EditorNinja, a content editing agency that edited 3,000,000+ words in its first 18 months on how to write copy that makes MILLIONS of dollars.Timestamps00:00 The Importance of Strategy and Briefs in Great Writing05:44 Finding the Right Pricing Model for Agencies06:13 The Key to Entrepreneurial Success09:07 Managing Performance and the Person19:23 The Power of Storytelling and Vivid Language in Writing22:50 Crafting Captivating Headlines25:17 Effective Call-to-Action Language33:10 The Importance of a Great Brief and Strategy34:57 Hiring and Managing Writers36:45 The Value of Paid Test Projects38:06 The Misconception of Ready-to-Publish Content41:36 The Cost of Hiring Writers43:03 When to Hire a Dedicated Writer44:22 The Role of a Marketing Manager in a Small SaaS Company48:37 Budgeting for Marketing50:03 The Need for a Cash Buffer53:19 The Significance of Gross Profit in Pricing Decisions54:42 The Drawbacks of Hourly Pricing55:12 The Benefits of Project-Based Pricing57:30 Using Pricing as a Funnel Filter01:03:07 Considerations for Offering Services in a SaaS Business--Check out John on:➤ Twitter: https://x.com/dohertyjf➤ Website: https://editorninja.com/➤ Personal Website: https://www.johnfdoherty.com/➤ LinkedIn: https: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfdoherty/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube/ @SaaSAcademy | Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ ) | [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy) | [Twitter / X](https://x.com/saasacademy) | [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/) | [Website](https://www.saasacademy.com/) | [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...) | [Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)

"When you get clear on what a dream buyer looks like, now you have a filtering mechanism for who would I even entertain because it has to look like X."--👉🏻 Want a 3-step action plan to help scale your SaaS?Book a FREE growth session (https://www.saasacademy.com/scalenow?...)--Join Johnny Page (@johnnypage13) and Matt (@mattverlaque) as they sit down with Kevin McArdle, Co-Founder & CEO of Big Band Software: a holding Company acquiring excellent B2B SaaS businesses.📌 In this episode we dive deep into a few things like...➡ The drivers of enterprise value include things like profitability, net negative churn, and the rule of 40.➡ How businesses take on the personality of their founders, making cultural alignment between the buyer and founder crucial in acquisitions.➡ How Big Band Software operates as a holding company that buys and holds software companies, providing flexibility and optionality for long-term growth.--Timestamps:00:00 The Importance of Cultural Alignment in Acquisitions09:19 The Flexibility of a Holding Company Model18:25 Drivers of Enterprise Value in SaaS29:56 The Need for Annual Exit Planning36:11 The Importance of Annual Exit Planning41:47 Finding the Dream Buyer45:36 Understanding Different Types of Compensation53:25 Navigating the Emotional Aspects of Selling56:42 Managing Stress and ExpectationsCheck out Kevin on:➤ Twitter: https://x.com/kevin_mcardle➤ Website: https://bigbandsoftware.com/➤ LinkedIn: https: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-mcardle-6bbb296/Check out SaaS Academy on:➤ YouTube/ @SaaSAcademy | Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/saasacademy/ ) | [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saasacademy) | [Twitter / X](https://x.com/saasacademy) | [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/SaaSAcademy/) | [Website](https://www.saasacademy.com/) | [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast...) | [Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/05gCHHh...)