First Class Founders: Creators | Solopreneurs | Personal HoldCo

E25: Do you currently have a side-hustle that you enjoy building? Or, do you WISH you had a side hustle? How do you make your first million dollars from it? I'm going to tell you exactly that - how to make your first million dollars from your side-hustle. On this episode, we'll cover how to CHOOSE a suitable side-hustle, how to BUILD your side-hustle, and finally, how to MONETIZE your si...

E24: Today, we're talking to Arvid Kahl, the co-founder of FeedbackPanda, a SaaS startup that was acquired by SureSwift Capital. Arvid shares insights about selling his SaaS business, and then more importantly, his current content strategy, which he seems to be slowly building into another successful business venture, this time as a creator. On this episode, we touch upon a wide range of topi...

E23: Do you already have 50-100 subscribers for your newsletter? Do your subscribers LOVE the content you’ve been putting out? Are your subscribers frequently sharing the content you send in your newsletter? And yet, if the number of subscribers for your newsletter doesn’t seem to be growing the way you thought it would and you just can’t figure out a way to grow your newsletter’s subscriber numbe...

E22: Emails. They seem so old-school, right? You have to first write who you are sending them to. Then you write why you're sending them. Then you write what it is all about… So boring! And yet, as of November 2021, Substack had over a million paying subscribers and the top 10 authors on Substack collectively make $20 million per year. If that alone doesn't change your perception of regu...

E21: Having an audience doesn't necessarily translate into building your business. So how do you find your audience, then nurture them into paying customers? What about enhancing your offers to your existing customers to increase customer lifetime value? Today, we're talking about your your discovery engine, your trust engine, and last but not least, your offer value ladder: what it is,...

E20: In this episode, I talk to Jim James of the UnNoticed Entrepreneur Podcast about the struggles I had during the early days of launching my first business, Urban EDC. I also discuss a mini framework for those who are just starting out that will help you grow right off the bat. Lastly, I share with you the one thing every business needs to increase loyalty with your customer base and succeed ov...

E19: Kevon Cheung is the author of Find Joy in Chaos: How to Build Your Twitter Presence So Connections and Opportunities Come Find You. He's widely recognized as a thought leader in finding your voice and making meaningful connections online. Kevon has a unique framework called the PIERS framework, which he uses as a personal identity guideline for developing his online persona. He'll b...

E18: Today, we are debunking the myth of solopreneurship. Yes, there are a lot of benefits to being a solopreneur. But nobody talks about the downsides of solopreneurship. I'm here today to expose the truth. I know because I was also a solopreneur when I first started my own business back in 2015. But since then, I've scaled up my team and my company has grown with it. By the end of this...

E17: We're talking about a growth strategy that not a lot of creators are taking advantage of to help you grow. I'll tell you what it is and how you can do it effectively to grow your audience and increase your authority at the same time. This is a powerful tactic that I'm using personally in my own e-commerce business to supercharge our growth. By the end of this episode, you'...

E16: Most of us know already that personal habits are important in our daily lives. But as a creator, how important are daily habits to master your skills? Having the right habits in place ensures that you're always moving towards accomplishing whatever you want to achieve. I'll reveal the most effective methods to form good habits and break bad ones. These are tried and true tactics tha...

E15: Sandy is the Founder of Spotted By Humphrey, a dog boutique curating playful dog goods for good dogs. The shop has grown tremendously since its launch in 2018. Sandy and Humphrey were even invited down to Los Angeles for a segment on Shopify's YouTube channel. This was a professional studio set with camera crew, backstage make-up artists, and real actors and actresses on the set. Sandy&a...

E14:  Today, I'm sharing a framework called the 'I / We / They' framework that I developed to help me gain clarity on what I need to work depending on the stage of my business. I wish that someone had taught me this framework 7 years ago when I first became an entrepreneur. *** TOPICS: I / We / They Framework (2:09) There are 3 parts to this framework: Experimental, Operational, and...

E13: I'm taking you on a personal journey of how I moved to the Bay Area 11 years ago with just one suitcase. I had no job and no place to live. So how did I bootstrap my business to where it is today? *** TOPICS: First Side Hustle (2:46) My first side hustle was in freelance writing. I wrote for a popular personal finance blog. I was paid $25 per article. One Way Ticket to San Francisco (8:5...

E12: The creator economy has exploded. It's more important than ever to build an audience. I've built a simple 5 step framework to help you find, nurture, and grow your audience. By the end of this episode, you will know how to build your audience AND grow a loyal following through engaging content. I'll break down what type of content you need to post for which segment of your audi...

E11: Podcasting has seen continued growth year over year and it looks like the growth is here to stay. I'm here to tell you my top 5 reasons for why everybody should consider having a podcast whether that's for your own business or for your own personal brand. *** TOPICS: Podcast Growth Statistics (1:26) Since 2006, there's been a steady rise of Americans who have listened to a podc...

E10: What exactly is luck? Luck is commonly defined as, "success or failure brought on by chance rather than through one's own actions." In other words, luck is a matter of chance. It's the element of unpredictability in life. And it's something that we can't control. Or can we? Some people seem to be luckier than others. Is it possible to create your own luck? The an...

E9: How do you level up from millionaire to billionaire? We discuss the 5 mindset differences between a millionaire and a billionaire. By the end, you'll have the playbook for jumping from a millionaire to a billionaire. *** TOPICS: Impact Over Money (1:40) Billionaires measure their success in units of impact vs. units of money. They are motivated to hit a certain milestone whether that&apos...

E8: Gather up your to-dos for the week! We'll go over the Eisenhower Matrix, finding your lead domino, timing your tasks, blocking & tackling, and last but not least, we'll discuss how you can multiply your time. Ready? *** TOPICS: Eisenhower Matrix (1:31) The Eisenhower Matrix will help sift through which tasks you're supposed to be working on so that you can make the most out...

E7: How do you create that perfect customer experience? Also, should you ever fire your customers? What about the popular saying "the customer is always right"? Plus, I introduce a simple framework for customer service that will change the way you think about customer experience. *** TOPICS: Who is Your Customer? (1:36) A customer is any person or business that is paying for your product...

E6: What do Patagonia and Richard Branson have in common? Likewise, how about Amazon and Elon Musk? We'll compare these two companies and two remarkable billionaire entrepreneurs. I'll also discuss strategies on how to differentiate yourself when you're a bootstrapped company by referencing Seth Godin's purple cow concept. Last but not least, we'll introduce and apply the...

E5: When does it make sense for you to bootstrap your business? And when should you raise funding? We're talking about the classic question of bootstrapping vs. fundraising. After making this important decision myself, these are the main considerations that you need to know and they may not be what you think. *** TOPICS: Stakeholders Deciding Your Company's Future (1:22) Who are the deci...

E4: Constraints vs. Bottlenecks - what's the difference? Knowing the differences between these two and understanding how each of them can impact your business both positively or negatively depending on how you look at it. *** TOPICS: Bottlenecks vs. Constraints Overview (0:53) Constraints allow you to create boundaries and rules in which you can unleash your creativity. Bottlenecks are found...

E3: Time can either be your friend or an enemy depending on how you utilize it. So how can you tell if time is working for you or against you? Let's discuss the power of compounding and how important it is to have time on your side. *** TOPICS: Four Types of Leverage (2:21) Labor, Capital, Code, Media. Labor and Capital requires permission. Code and Media are permission less. Time as Amplifie...

E2: Can you guess what the single most important indicator of success for companies is? Let's take a deep dive into the concept of the 20 Mile March from business thought leader Jim Collins and how it can become an absolute game-changer for your company. *** TOPICS: Intro to 20 Mile March (1:03) Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, while others do not? The most important c...

E1: How do you turn your passion into a business? Today, we discuss frameworks that might help you identify your passion and turn it into your next side hustle. And who knows? Maybe it might grow into something much bigger than you imagined. *** TOPICS: Concept of Time & Money (0:49) Time and money are the two most influential forces in our daily lives. Changing our perspectives on these two c...