303: Ballsy’s Adam Hendle Talks Community Engagement, Customer Acquisition, And Leaning Into The Pandemic

Carlos "Los" Silva is rightfully considered today one of the top business marketing trainers in the world. After a 10-year entrepreneurial journey, he finds himself at the helm of multiple, million-dollar businesses that aim to teach other entrepreneurs different ways they can achieve startup success. His advice is sought after by master entrepreneurs in their own right, with his client list boasting names like Disney, Ryan Deiss, Kent Clothier, and many more. Which is why we're super excited to be sharing this interview with you today, and delivering his secrets on Internet marketing and what it takes to build a local customer base and successful startup. And alas, Foundr family, this will be our final post for 2015 as we head into the holidays. We'll be taking a much-needed break during the next week to spend some precious time with our own families, and we hope you do the same. We'll be back in a week with more amazing content. See you all in 2016, and until then, enjoy the interview! In this interview you will learn: How E-commerce helps on your startup and how to identify opportunities on the e-commerce space. Why social media plays a huge role in selling your digital products. The different tools that you need to help grow your business online. The importance of building good relationships and business partnerships that can help support your system. The process to increase your email list and get more people to join your webinar and Techniques in Educating buyers about your products. & much more!

22 Dec 201550min

During one of Guy Kawasaki’s first marketing assignments in the early 1980s, he would knock on the doors of startup software companies across Silicon Valley armed with a stack of non-disclosure agreements and a prototype computer in a bag. “We would say, ‘If you sign this, we’ll show you what’s in the bag,’” he says. The prototype, Kawasaki explains, was a top-secret project that, if knowledge of it was widespread, would cannibalize sales of their main computer hardware product. It’s name? Macintosh—a project run by a team of developers at Apple, headed up by Jef Raskin and a then 29-year-old Steve Jobs. As far as marketing a computer is concerned, “it was hand-to-hand combat.” Of course, Kawasaki was successful in his efforts marketing the Macintosh, and the rest is history. Today, Guy Kawasaki is a famed tech startup guru who notoriously spearheaded the marketing cause for Apple in 1984, before going on to work on a number of startups, a venture capital firm, and a stint at Google. It’s a title that stands out because when you think evangelist, the image that often pops into mind is that of a middle-aged man with slick hair, a pink suit and a Texan accent on late-night television, prancing about on a stage and shouting about the bible. In Kawasaki’s case, that couldn’t be further from the mark. At 61, Guy Kawasaki comes off as a truly decent human being, affable, humble and easy-going. The sort of guy you’d be happy chatting with at a friend’s barbecue for hours without having to fake a bathroom visit to get away. In this interview you will learn: How to inspire and convert your audience. Learn the importance of Visual Marketing. The importance of building your brand's social media platform. Techniques on how you can evangelize for your startup without a huge budget. Learn about the Two simple ‘tests’ to apply to any content your company shares on social media to ensure that it has maximum traction online and has the maximum benefit for your business.

15 Dec 201531min

There’s a simple rule that all entrepreneurs live by: Aim for disruptive change. Everything you need to know about being an entrepreneur lies in that beautifully simple rule. Yet, as many entrepreneurs will tell you, it’s easier said than done. But that’s exactly what Lisa Q. Fetterman went ahead and did as the co-founder and CEO of Nomiku. Nomiku takes it name from “nomikuii” a Japanese word which means to eat and drink- a perfect name for the revolutionary kitchen appliance that’s finding homes in professional and personal kitchens worldwide, creating disruptive change as it simplifies the science of gastronomy for food-lovers everywhere. Lamenting the fact that she couldn’t create restaurant quality food at home because of the lack of a sous vide machine, she sought to change that. Ever since that simple idea in 2010, Nomiku has amassed over $1 million between their two Kickstarter campaigns. Gaining the distinction of having raised the highest amount of money for any product within their category with just their first campaign alone, they raised nearly $600,000 within 30 days. They then went on to break their own record by raising $750,000 with their next project. Today the Nomiku sees itself in kitchens from the White House to Michelin starred restaurants around the world. Nomiku is an entrepreneurial success story that can only exist within the 21st century. Fetterman has tapped into the power of hackerspaces, accelerator programs and crowdfunding in order to be invited to the White House as a “White House Honored Maker”, listed on Zagat’s 2014 “30 under 30”, and listed again as “30 under 30” in 2015, this time on Forbes. Why it's important to love what you do. How to utilize social media, blogger and word-of-mouth to generate buzz and excitement for your product. The important strategies in launching a crowdfunding campaign. The resources that you need when investors aren't listening. How to have a product development strategy to overcome the struggles of manufacturing.

8 Dec 201540min

Building a startup is hard, from generating an idea, to developing an MVP, to launching a product, and eventually growing a business. It's just really hard. But what if I told you that it's entirely possible to launch a startup in 7 days and build a profitable business almost instantaneously? Sounds crazy right? Well tell that to Dan Norriss of WP Curve who went ahead and did just that. After seven years of trying his hand at various business, it wasn't until 2013 that Dan struck gold with WP Curve. A worldwide team of Wordpress developers providing constant support for small business of every kind 24/7. Today he impressively manages a worldwide team and just started his craft beer brewery, and there's no sign of slowing down. He shares with us the lessons he's learned through his career as a serial entrepreneur and as an award-winning content marketer. Teaching us everything from the importance of content marketing in today's world of startups to managing a remote team and what it's like to be in the modern tech industry. In this interview you will learn: How to start your own website from scratch The importance of getting all the opportunities to get press release in launching your ideas How to manage a huge remote team around the world using different online tools What content marketing is and how to build and grow a business with it Why you should be producing awesome evergreen content & much more!

3 Dec 201558min

How can you attract top talent, and create a workforce that goes the extra mile for the company? The answer – surprisingly – isn’t salary, perks or bonuses. It’s culture. Making the effort to build and invest in a positive business culture can drain time, resources and money. But research suggests that the ROI on a happy workforce can be measured in dollars as well as satisfied, secure staff. According to The Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, good culture-building activities successfully cultivate a companywide commitment to satisfying customers. Other benefits include enhanced performance, reduced staff turnover, increased job satisfaction, greater employee engagement, fewer errors and enviable status as a workplace of choice. The jury is officially in: happy and healthy employees cost companies less. A 2011 academic study through the London School of Economics found that for costs spent promoting well-being in the workplace represented a substantial annual return on investment of more than 9 to 1, with increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. And it doesn’t just happen. If you’re a business owner, creating culture is up to you, with former MIT professor Edgar Schein once commenting that the only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture. So how do you create a good workplace culture? CEO of Mindvalley, Vishen Lakhiani, is the man officially standing at the intersection of mindfulness and business and has workplace culture down to a fine art. In this interview you will learn: How to turn the power of meditation into your superpower What it takes to build a great company culture and keep top talent The benefits of having a great looking office and how it can double your employee's performance How to strip back the perks but still keep an amazing company culture The process Vishen uses when it comes to hiring A-players & much more!

23 Nov 201541min

Scott Jordan is no wall flower. He is a force to be reckoned with – and when he became frustrated with carrying devices and wanted something better than a man bag or a fanny pack he quit his job as a lawyer at a startup and launched SCOTTeVEST– a travel clothier that specializes in multi-pocket clothing specifically built around the tech gear we all carry. That decision, fourteen years ago, was made based on a philosophy that has guided much of his entrepreneurial journey – anything worth doing is worth doing now. Scott Jordan’s first product, the eVest 1.0, has morphed into a full line of clothing for men and women and a company that has landed on Inc.’s Fastest Growing Companies List three consecutive years. With global sales exceeding $10 million and Board of Advisors that includes Steve Wozniak (yes, the Steve Wozniak) and Kenneth “Hap” Klopp (co-founder of North Face), SCOTTeVEST has traversed the startup desert and reached the land milk and money. In this interview you will learn: How to use the power of storytelling to sell a product no one's ever heard of The power of PR and spin, how to make the best out of a bad situation and come out on top What is controversy and why it isn't always a bad thing Answer to the question of whether or not you should bootstrap or go after investors The strategies that Scott used to get his name and his business on the map & much more!

19 Nov 201549min

However great it is, entrepreneurship is hard. It can mean disappointment. It can mean exhaustion. It can mean frustration. It can mean failure. Starting a business is less smooth sailing and more stormy seas, often with waves of worry even as you tack toward horizons glowing with promise. “If you’re obsessed about this product that you want to bring to life, this business that you want to create, you’ll get through it,” Feld says. “If you’re not, you won’t.” He would know. Feld has been open about grappling with depression and dealing with the difficulties of a demanding job, yet he’s worked obsessively over dozens of years to get to where he is today. In 1987, he built a profitable software consulting company. Six years later, he sold it. He soon began investing money in other startups, a path that would lead him to co-found two venture capital firms, including Foundry Group, where he works today. He also co-founded Techstars, a massive startup accelerator. Feld has heard pitch after pitch—both successful and not. He has invested in company after company—including Harmonix, Zynga, and Fitbit. Pair those facts with his first-hand experience running a business, and it becomes clear that Feld knows how to get things done. In this interview you will learn: What makes, and breaks, an true entrepreneur The importance of finding balance when it comes to work and your personal life What to do when you hit those roadblocks and feel like giving up The key to rockstar pitches and how to impress investors How to blend short-term and long-term thinking in order to become a successful entrepreneur & much more!

12 Nov 201540min

Joanna Wiebe isn't someone that's focused on money, a statement that some of entrepreneurs would be horrified by. However what she is passionate about is words, the power of them, and their ability to inspire, convince, and persuade. It's this passion for writing that has led her to create one of the most premiere copywriting services in the world where her skill as a wordsmith is sought after by hundreds of businesses. She doesn't do this by making good copy, she does it by making GREAT copy. If you've ever wanted to learn how to separate yourself from the pack and have your voice get noticed then you need yourself some great copy. Which is why you'll absolutely love this episode where Joanna takes us through the ins and outs of how to make great copy, and how you can use it to convert like crazy. In this interview you will learn: The building blocks of what makes great copy How to use the power of words to instantly grab someone's interest, turn then into a friend, and make them a customer The power of using the right words, how to find out what your customers are saying and take advantage of it Why you the last thing you want to be is just like everyone else A full breakdown of how Foundr's own copy stacks up from the master! & much more!

4 Nov 201555min