Startup Stories - Mixergy

Today’s guest created a company called GrandCentral which sold to Google and became Google Voice. It was his second foray into voice over IP. Before that, he had one of the pioneering companies that he led in voice over IP, called Dialpad. Their mission was to do free web-based phone calls, and they pivoted and adjusted. We’ll talk about how he helped turn that business around and sold it to Yahoo. We’ll also talk about why he founded GrandCentral next and then sold it to Google less than two years later. Craig Walker is the founder of Google Voice, Dialpad and GrandCentral Communications. Sponsored byOuterknown – Outerknown is a new company founded by pro-surfer Kelly Slater. Outerknown has comfortable clothes that still let you look professional. The thing I love about this company is that their clothes make you look like you belong everywhere. Go to Outerknown.com and enter the code “MIXERGY” to get 25% off your entire order. Setapp – Setapp for Teams is a leading platform offering over 150 Mac apps in one pack. Get rid of the license fuss and save time for business equipping your team with all the key tools from a single account. Sign up, invite your teammates, and you are all set. Mixergy listeners get an extended 60-day free trial by going to Setapp.com/mixergy More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is an entrepreneur who tried so many different things. And a lot of them failed. I think most people would just have said, “All right. This isn’t for me.” I don’t know what kept him going. I don’t know why he persisted, but he did persist and he eventually ended up coming up with this company called PhraseApp. Frederik Vollert is the co-founder of Phrase, a translation software. Frederik Vollert is the co-founder of Phrase App which is a translation software. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Shaan Patel is the founder of Prep Expert, an ed-tech company that specializes in online SAT & ACT preparation. I’m going to ask him what it was like to shake hands with Mark Cuban for the first time on national television. I also want to find out what being on Shark Tank meant for his business and how it has exploded since. Shaan Patel is the founder of Prep Expert, an ed-tech company that specializes in online SAT & ACT preparation. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. Bubble – You don’t need to be a coder to build software. Bubble is a code-free programming language that lets you build and host web applications without engineers. Anyone who wants to try it right now is going to get 40% discount for the first three months. Go to Bubble.is/mixergy to sign up and start using it immediately. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me today is a Mixergy listener who has built a company so big that I’m lucky to have him on here. Matt Symes is the founder of Simplicity, a service business that helps organizations get out of their own way and scale. If you’re listening to me and you’re running a company, we’re going to talk about a lot of tactics you can use for your business. Matt Symes is the founder of Simplicity, a service business that helps organizations get out of their own way and scale. Sponsored byHostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is someone who teaches entrepreneurs how to build their businesses. And I have to be honest with you, I was skeptical. And then I started to read up on his background and I talked to our producer about his background. He had this company that had a mission of helping people stay healthy. And it seems like one of these altruistic missions that actually won’t go anywhere, and it actually did go somewhere. But that’s not the end of the story. We’ll find out what happened in this interview. Michael Dermer is the founder of LonelyEntrepreneur.com, an extensive online learning platform that provides a framework for entrepreneurs to learn what they need to know. Michael Dermer is the founder of LonelyEntrepreneur.com, an extensive online learning platform that provides a framework for entrepreneurs to learn what they need to know. Sponsored byHostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

We get a lot of email. We get a lot of online communication. So whenever you get something physical in the mail, it stands out and the person who sent it feels a little bit more real to you. Well, today’s guest realized this a while back and said, “You know what? I’m going to start a company around this.” And it started with just coffee and it moved on to almost anything you can imagine. Kris Rudeegraap is co-founder of Sendoso, a fully integrated direct mail and gifting solution which enables companies to acquire target prospects and retain customers. Kris Rudeegraap is co-founder of Sendoso, a fully integrated direct mail and gifting solution which enables companies to acquire target prospects and retain customers. Sponsored byClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. Outerknown – Outerknown is a new company founded by pro-surfer Kelly Slater. Outerknown has comfortable clothes that still let you look professional. The thing I love about this company is that their clothes make you look like you belong everywhere. Go to Outerknown.com and enter the code “MIXERGY” to get 25% off your entire order. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is someone who is taking on Google by offering an alternative. If your interested in how entrepreneurs survive in a world of these giants, I think you’ll find his story valuable. I also like that he’s a product person but not a hardcore developer. He’s not a geek; he actually used to be a drummer. Dominic Joseph is the founder of Captify, which offers a search retargeting service that enables advertisers to focus on users to match their desired audience with inventory. I want to find out how he built this company up to such an impressive business. Dominic Joseph is the founder of Captify, which offers a search retargeting service that enables advertisers to focus on users to match their desired audience with inventory. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. Bubble – You don’t need to be a coder to build software. Bubble is a code-free programming language that lets you build and host web applications without engineers. Anyone who wants to try it right now is going to get 40% discount for the first three months. Go to Bubble.is/mixergy to sign up and start using it immediately. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is an entrepreneur who created a company called Compare. I feel like he should be really boastful the fact that he got one of the toughest domains out there. Andrew Rose is the founder of Compare.com, a place to compare auto insurance prices. We’re going to find out how he came up with this idea, how he raised money for it, how he got customers, how he actually stood out in a world where Geico spent $1.7 billion in marketing last year. Andrew Rose is the founder of Compare.com, a place to compare auto insurance prices. Sponsored byHostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. Outerknown – Outerknown is a new company founded by pro-surfer Kelly Slater. Outerknown has comfortable clothes that still let you look professional. The thing I love about this company is that their clothes make you look like you belong everywhere. Go to Outerknown.com and enter the code “MIXERGY” to get 25% off your entire order. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

In preparation for this interview, I went into a YouTube rabbit hole, learning about people who struggle with obsessive-compulsive behaviors. What I learned is that some people are really struggling with this stuff. We’ll go into what kinds of problems that I’m talking about but today’s guest created a bracelet that goes on their wrists and actually helps them avoid it. That’s what we’re finding out about today, how she created it, how she turned it into a business, how it’s helping people’s lives, and more importantly, if we’re creating physical products what we can learn from her. Aneela Idnani is the founder of HabitAware, a smart bracelet that uses custom gesture detection and awareness training to help people with unwanted habits. I want to find out how she turned this into a real business. HabitAware is a smart bracelet that uses custom gesture detection and awareness training to help people with unwanted habits. Sponsored byActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results. If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is a guy who came to New York to be a musician and ended up falling in love with a woman. But the woman came from a family that was doing really well and he said, “What am I doing here? I’m a schlub. I’ve got to do better.” So he decided to start a company. He started a moving company where, day and night, he was a mover, a schlepper, moving other people’s stuff in an industry where there have been movers forever. He ended up making a name for himself and I couldn’t believe his numbers. Lior Rachmany is the founder of Dumbo Moving and Storage. Lior Rachmany is the founder of Dumbo Moving and Storage. Sponsored byHostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

A while back I saw a Q&A on CNN with today’s guest, Ryan Smith, where he was asked, “What’s the most important company we’ve never heard of?” His answer was Qualtrics. And I’ve thought about this company several times since I saw that. Well, I finally got an opportunity to interview that founder. Ryan Smith is the co-founder of Qualtrics. A lot of articles describe them as a survey company, but I bet he does not see himself as a survey company. I’m going to ask him how he went from starting this company in his dad’s house back in 2002 and selling it to SAP in 2018. Ryan Smith is the founder of Qualtrics, an experience management platform. Sponsored byActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results. If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is Shama Hyder. She is an entrepreneur who does social media and other earned media for her clients. They also do paid media. I invited her here to find out how she built up her agency, how she got clients, how she’s promoting them using online media. If you are building a business and doing online promotions you’ll want to hear this interview. Shama Hyder is the founder of Zen Media, a new media communications firm. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today I’m joined by Scott Gerber, the CEO of The Community Company and founder of YEC and Forbes Councils. I want to find out how he grew beyond YEC and built a huge community out of what started as a Facebook Group. Scott Gerber is the CEO of The Community Company and founder of YEC and Forbes Councils. Sponsored byActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results. If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I’ve been fascinated by YEC since the beginning. I’ve known them for a long time but I admire them much more so as the years have gone on. So, I wanted to interview some entrepreneurs who are part of that organization. Joining me is someone whose brother I interviewed already. He was the co-founder of Trainual and I was fascinated by how that business started as a service company that helped chaotic businesses organize themselves. I remember how chaotic Mixergy was when I started. We weren’t following up with guests properly. We weren’t booking guests properly. We weren’t doing anything in an organized way because there was no process. Today’s guest and his brother co-founded an agency that actually did that for companies. Jonathan Ronzio is the cofounder of Trainual, a company and software that helps growing businesses organize the chaos of onboard and training. Jonathan Ronzio is the cofounder of Trainual, a company and software that helps growing businesses organize the chaos of onboard and training. Sponsored byActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results. If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign. ClickFunnels – Anyone in my audience who goes to clickfunnels.com/mixergy will get a couple of things that I’m excited about. Number one is a free trial so you can actually try it and use it. Number two, you’ll get the funnels that we created to build our business. Use it as a template which you can improve for your business. Go to ClickFunnels.com/mixergy to get started. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I’ve been fascinated by this organization called YEC and I want to get to know the entrepreneurs who are part of it. YEC does a big screening process and then they work with those entrepreneurs to help them grow their companies. So joining me today is one of those entrepreneurs. Shilpi Sharma recognized the problem that I recognize as someone who does ads in my podcast. A lot of people are listening to my ads, love the products that I’m talking about but they forget to go to the “/mixergy” URL and so when they sign up I don’t get credit for it. The bigger problem is for bigger brands where there’s a lot of conversation happening online, a lot of ads that get seen by their customers that influence the purchase decision, and then they don’t know which of these ads actually led to a sale. Big brands don’t know what’s working and what’s not. Well, Shilpi said, “I think we can solve it.” The company that she created to solve that is called Kvantum. We’ll find out about it in this interview. Shilpi Sharma is the founder of Kvantum, which builds technology that changes the way that brands measure the marketing impact on sales. Sponsored byHostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results. If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint