The Builders

In this episode of The Builders Podcast , host Matt Levenhagen welcomes Nick Jain, CEO of IdeaScale, to discuss the intricacies of introducing new features to established products. Kicking off Season 2, the episode shifts focus to the building processes behind enduring digital products and the innovation required to seamlessly integrate new functionalities. Through engaging dialogue, the conversat...

In this milestone 200th episode of The Builders podcast, Matt Levenhagen celebrates a remarkable journey of nearly four years on air. Emphasizing a season of evolution, Matt introduces exciting shifts as the podcast gears up for its second season. This introspective episode delves into a rich history of diverse topics, highlighting Matt's passion for interviewing builders from various fields—wheth...

In this episode of The Builders , Matt welcomes Edwin Carrion to discuss strategies for thriving in challenging economic climates. Edwin dives into the art of scaling businesses, creating systems, and leveraging mentorship to achieve sustainable success. Through personal anecdotes and actionable advice, Edwin explains how to view economic downturns as opportunities, the importance of robust proces...

In this engaging episode of "The Builders," host Matt Levenhagen welcomes Eric Burns, founder of Flowers Capital, to dive into the journey of entrepreneurship and real estate investment. With a unique background in finance and firefighting, Eric shares his pivot toward real estate and the powerful lessons he's gathered along the way. Central to the conversation is the concept of "failing forward,"...

In this episode, host Matt welcomes back Nicky Billou to explore the transformative power of podcast guesting as a business growth strategy. With over 650 podcast guest appearances, Nicky shares his journey from business challenges to generating substantial revenue by appearing on other podcasts. He explains the importance of aligning podcast appearances with your business goals, creating a strong...

In this episode of The Builders , Brad Buccieri, co-director of Sensemaker, explores the art of creating a truly unique business identity by aligning deeply with purpose and personal narrative. Known as a "Sense Maker," Brad sheds light on how founders can dissolve competition by crafting brands that resonate emotionally and stand alone in the marketplace. Through powerful stories, like helping an...

In this episode of The Builders , financial expert Gary Brode dives into the economic challenges that are squeezing businesses and individuals alike, with a spotlight on the real threat of inflation. He traces the roots of today's financial environment back to key historical events, including the creation of the Federal Reserve and the U.S. decision to abandon the gold standard. Hosted by Matt, th...

In this episode, Matt Levenhagen shares his personal story of overcoming email chaos in his agency. This solo episode of The Builders takes listeners through Matt’s transition from managing multiple inboxes, struggling with scattered communications, and searching for a more efficient system to finally discovering Front . The episode highlights the difficulties he faced with previous tools like Zen...

In this episode, Matt sits down with father-daughter duo Steve and Suzy Kirch to explore how AI can transform small businesses. Drawing from Steve’s extensive experience in business coaching and Suzy’s technical expertise in AI, they break down the practical ways artificial intelligence can revolutionize business operations, especially for knowledge workers. The conversation highlights why busines...

In this episode of "The Builders," Matt sits down with Nancy Zare, the "Sales Whisperer," for an insightful discussion on the power of softer selling through understanding buyer personalities. Nancy, a psychologist turned sales expert, shares her journey and reveals why the Platinum Rule— Treat others the way they want to be treated —is the cornerstone of her Likeability System. Built on 35 years...

Welcome to another enlightening episode of The Builders podcast! In this episode, host Matt engages with Bob Taylor, founder of Copybean, to delve into the nuances of copywriting versus content writing, and how businesses can optimize their websites for conversions. Bob shares his insights on creating copy that not only draws in potential customers but also guides them towards taking specific acti...

In this engaging episode of "The Builders," host Matt Levenhagen welcomes back AJ Saunders for a rich discussion diving deep into the nuances of SEO, content optimization, and strategic marketing. Their conversation is not just a theoretical overview but is filled with practical advice drawn from real-world experiences and case studies that make SEO a tangible and actionable practice for...

In this solo episode of The Builders podcast, Matt shares the real-life story of a weekend website meltdown that turned into a lesson-packed experience. Two of his websites went down due to unexpected memory issues on the server, forcing him to dive headfirst into troubleshooting mode. Throughout the episode, Matt walks you through the steps he took to identify the problem, solve it, and most impo...

In this insightful episode of "The Builders," host Matt invites Roger Einstoss , co-founder and CEO of Braintly, to discuss the nuances of the nearshore software development industry. With years of entrepreneurial experience, Roger shares his journey from a software developer to a successful business owner, highlighting the advantages of hiring software talent from Latin America. Roger e...

In this episode of The Builders , I’m excited to welcome back Per Sjofors, the renowned "Price Whisperer." Per shares profound insights into the art and science of pricing strategies, using compelling real-life stories to illustrate how businesses can harness pricing power to boost profitability and attract ideal customers. Throughout our conversation, Per explains the significance of un...

In this transformative episode of The Builders, I sit down with Joel Salomon, a finance and mindset expert, to dive deep into navigating turbulent economic times with a blend of practical strategies and powerful mindset techniques. Joel, a seasoned prosperity coach and best-selling author, shares actionable insights on how to thrive financially even when the market is volatile. Joel introduces us...

In this episode of "The Builders," I had the pleasure of speaking with Bob Taylor, founder of Copybean.co.uk and self-proclaimed "Persuasive Word Nerd." Bob’s story is a powerful testament to the resilience and determination it takes to carve out a successful career in an entirely new field. From his beginnings as an introverted insurance salesperson to becoming a thriving free...

In this engaging solo episode, Matt Levenhagen delves into the critical importance of list building for online success. He shares personal anecdotes and lessons from his early days in internet marketing forums, emphasizing the need to capture customer details and build lasting relationships. Matt recounts a pivotal moment from 2005 where he realized the missed opportunities of not capturing buyer...

In this engaging episode of The Builders , host Matt Levenhagen interviews Nick Barrett, the founder of CordBrick. Nick candidly shares his entrepreneurial journey from humble beginnings to creating a successful cord management solution. He delves into the developmental challenges, early validation stages, and eventual market success of CordBrick. Listeners get a first-hand account of Nick's i...

In this enlightening episode of "The Builders," host Matt Levenhagen welcomes Umar Rana, a pioneering figure in the realm of e-commerce and technology solutions. Umar shares his dynamic journey from working for renowned companies to becoming a successful entrepreneur. His story is filled with strategic experiments, innovative solutions, and an unwavering commitment to solving problems, m...

In this episode of "The Builders," we explore the dynamics between makers and managers with executive coach Dave Bates. With a wealth of experience from IBM to venture capital, Dave sheds light on the importance of respecting each team member's deep work and how managing interruptions effectively can lead to better team communication and higher performance. We discuss the critical ba...

In this enlightening solo episode, Matt Levenhagen dives deep into the topic of business specialization in business; whether that's an agency or any business. He shares his experiences in refining his agency's services, highlighting the importance of finding a niche and sticking to it to achieve greater efficiency and higher quality results. Matt provides practical insights and recounts st...

In this solo episode of The Builders Podcast, I’m diving deep into my latest ventures and sharing how all my digital projects interconnect. This episode is all about transparency—what I’ve been up to, how I envision the flow of traffic across my various sites, and the overarching strategy that binds them together. I discuss the intricacies of balancing multiple projects, from agency work to develo...

In this solo episode, Matt Levenhagen delves into the intricacies of building strong business relationships, focusing on his new lead magnet, "Outsourcing Fit." He kicks off the discussion by sharing the inspiration and process behind creating the guide, emphasizing the importance of developing a lead magnet that aligns with your passion and business vision. Matt transitions into a thoro...

In this engaging episode, host Matt sits down with Danny Nathan, the forward-thinking founder of Apollo 21. They delve into the world of product development, customer-centric innovation, and the significance of lean customer development. Danny shares his professional journey from the realm of traditional advertising to becoming a key player in the innovation sector, emphasizing the importance of b...