335: From 0 to $65m: With Farmgirl Flowers' Christina Stembel

One common trait among successful entrepreneurs is a sense of urgency—spotting a need and responding without hesitation in order to address and capitalize on it, even when that means taking a risk. Deonna Monique is a prime example. As a consumer of hair extensions, she had long struggled with finding the right product, and what she saw as a lack of authenticity in the market. But when she realized through social media that the problem was much bigger than her own, she started a company. “I thought I was on to something,” Monique tells Foundr. “So a week after I opened my business, I quit my job. I just went for it.” Despite some serious tests of faith along the way, Monique stuck with her company Boho Exotic Studio, and ended up earning seven figures in that first year, she says. Now approaching three years in business, and she has a strong foothold, all with her chief channel of marketing being social media platforms like Instagram. Monique’s lack of hesitation, no-nonsense approach to connecting with her customers, and faith in the quality of her product and service, have added up to a stunningly fast ascent, all in the face of serious business and personal hurdles. In this interview you will learn: How to let your customer be the face of your company What to do when it feels like you've hit rock bottom as an entrepreneur The best ways to hack social media marketing to further your brand and grow your audience The perils and benefits of diving straight into building a business as a new entrepreneur The importance of looking past all the doubters and believing in yourself and your dreams & much more!

16 Feb 201655min

No matter how you crunch the numbers, starting your own business is expensive. In fact one of the first crossroads moments you'll encounter as an entrepreneur, among many, is trying to figure where you're going to get that funding. Do you self-invest and bootstrap it? Or do you start talking to investors? Raj Sheth goes deep on that issue in our interview today, as he openly talks about how he and his co-founders funded their way to the top with Recruiterbox. Nearly five years since its launch, Recruiterbox is used by more than 1,500 customers, with next-level businesses like Groupon, Couchsurfing, and Crunchbase praising the SaaS that Sheth has created. In one of our most insightful interviews to date, Sheth talks about the lessons he's learned throughout his entrepreneurial journey, from being the founder of two failed startups, to using SEO as a source of customer acquisition. In this interview you will learn: Bootstrapping 101: How to start a software business on a tight budget The importance of having a well-rounded founding team Do's and don'ts of building any kind of software product Top strategies on how to utilise SEO with the right kind of content What to do to get your name out there and have top-level influencers and companies use your platform & much more!

9 Feb 201652min

In just a few short years Steve Kamb has successfully created a multimillion dollar business by orchestrating one of the most intriguing communities online. As the founder of Nerd Fitness Kamb has positively influenced and empowered thousands of people in the world into living a healthier lifestyle. By looking past the stereotypes and the norm, Kamb has managed to break through the highly competitive fitness market and find a niche that was looking for the answer that only he could provide. However the key to his success? Being able to speak the language of his target market, in this case geeks and nerds. The average joes and desk jockeys who want to look like Captain America but aren't sure where to start. By putting his community first and realising that there's more to fitness than the latest bodyweight exercise, or the different flavours of protein, Kamb has managed to gamify fitness and, in doing so, win the loyalty of every member of his community. In this interview you will learn: How to start a multimillion dollar business in the online fitness industry Strategies on writing successful articles to target a specific market of readers and culture Not only the importance of an engaged community but the secrets to building one Ideas on how to start on writing and publishing your own self-help book Important health tips for the busy entrepreneur & much more!

3 Feb 201648min

Finding the right startup idea is difficult even for lifelong entrepreneurs. But when it comes down to it, the best approach is to take a long hard look at what you're passionate about and try to figure out a way to share that with the world. By sharing her passion for graphic design to anyone who was interested, Melanie Perkins was able to become a certified tour de force in the entrepreneurial world. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, in just under two years her company has grown to 8 million users, is now valued at $233 million dollars, and has the backing of heavyweight investors like Guy Kawasaki, Bill Tai, and Lars Rasmussen, just to name a few. As the CEO and founder of Canva, Perkins knew that everyone had a little bit of an artist's streak inside them. The trouble was, the tools to bring that out were either too expensive or too clunky to learn. So she did what every good entrepreneur does. She made a product that took the complex and made it simple. Responding to the rapid expansion of social media and the growing importance of being able to communicate visually, Perkins has made it possible for anyone to pick up her product and start making visually striking images. With an eye for even loftier heights along with her keen eye for design, Perkins shares with us her lessons on how to turn your passion into a multi-million dollar success story. In this interview you will learn: The tools that you need to kickstart your own graphics design company The importance of finding and empowering the right people on your team for maximum results Why you need to fundamentally believe in what you're trying to achieve with your startup How to get people to use your platform and software in a crowded market What you need to do develop your team's focus, decision making, and leadership skills so your business works for you & much more.

26 Jan 201634min

For some, being an entrepreneur is the only life to live, and it means essentially not having a job. For others, working for yourself, always hustling and without a dependable paycheck, sounds insane. Today's guest is firmly in the former camp, and very proud to say that he's never had a job in his life. There have been some part-time gigs, some casual work here and there, but Yaro Starak has only ever seen one side of the fence, and it's always been green. While there are those out there who will insist that you're unlikely to turn your passion or hobby into a successful business, they've never met Starak, the quintessential lifestyle entrepreneur. Armed with a truly entrepreneurial spirit, Starak has managed to turn almost each and every one of his hobbies into an immensely profitable business. While it may be impressive to say that you've made it big in the e-commerce field, it's truly impressive if you can say you've been doing it for more than 10 years! As one of the original dot-com entrepreneurs, Starak has made a living working from nothing but just a laptop and an Internet connection. While others crashed when the market folded, Starak simply adapted. But the one constant throughout his experiences with e-commerce has been the power of blogging. With his blog, Starak has generated millions of dollars in revenue whether sitting at home or traveling the world. And here's how he did it. In this interview you will learn: Everything you ever needed to know about the importance and power behind blogging in the e-commerce world What to look for when you want to capitalize on any niche How to quickly grow and monetize your email list The ins and outs of internet marketing and how to crush it Secrets being building an epic sales funnel online & much more!

19 Jan 20161h 7min

Anyone can have a great idea, any entrepreneur can get lucky and make it big, but it takes something really special to turn your startup into something that lasts. For the past 27 years that's exactly what Darrell Wade has done with IntrepidTravel. It all started in 1988 when two friends went on a trip to Africa and came back with an idea, something that would revolutionize the travel industry forever. Despite the lack of confidence from the banks and everyone telling them otherwise, Wade and his cofounder knew that there was a market being underserviced out there. So channeling his own passion for traveling, he created a startup where, for more than four years, his salary was only a third of his previous job. Since then, IntrepidTravel has turned into a $300 million business and has successfully transported 350,000 travelers around the globe in the previous year alone! Despite hardships, Wade vigorously reinvested back into his business, focusing on building the best product he could possibly offer, and creating a company with staying power to support it all. Today IntrepidTravel is one of the premiere travel agencies in the world and it all started with a passion and desire to change. In this episode you will learn: How to start a business in the travel industry How to make your business grow on a tight budget and learn about the risks that you have to take for your startup travelling business The advantages of re-investing to make your business grow Unique ideas and Actions items to get a lot of travellers book with your agency The importance of mutual respect when it comes to leadership and your organization How to identify the leverage points where you can scale up in your business & much more!

12 Jan 201648min

There is a quintessential moment that every entrepreneur will face at some point in his or her life. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re running, or what kind of niche you’re in, there's a particular experience unique to those who dare to try their hands at entrepreneurship. It’s the moment when you look in the mirror and realize that you’re not happy doing whatever it is you’re doing. You decide that the system doesn’t work for you, so instead you’re going to go out there and create something for yourself. For John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur on Fire, that didn’t happen until he was 32 years old. “I gave myself my own job and that's what I kind of love about it, because I've been asking, begging, pleading for jobs really for the first 32 years of my life,” Dumas says. “I said, ‘You know what? It's time to get out there and create my own job, a job that I want, that I'm actually excited and passionate about.’” You’ll likely know Dumas as the founder and host of Entrepreneur on Fire, a podcast in which, for the past four years, he’s been interviewing the top entrepreneurs in the world and in the process building a multimillion dollar business. Today, Entrepreneur on Fire boasts 1.3 million listens a month, making it one of the most popular business podcasts in the world. But it took more than 10 years of trial and error for Dumas to get to where he is today. In this interview you will learn: How to create a business podcast from scratch. The importance of seeking out courses and communities that will teach you what you want to learn. Learn how to take methods and strategies from experienced entrepreneurs and learn what works for you. Why it is good to be authentic and transparent as possible to your podcast audience. Learn about the marketing concept on how to build and retain a loyal audience and following.

5 Jan 20161h 12min

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