Startup Stories - Mixergy

Joining me is an entrepreneur who wanted to get into clothing—specifically undergarments. I wonder how she can build a real business while competing with all the brands that feel intimidatingly large. But she’s growing and recently expanded to activewear which means she’s now competing with Lululemon and NIKE and other giants. Megan Grassell is the founder of Yellowberry which specializes in undergarments and apparel for tween girls. Megan Grassell is the founder of Yellowberry which specializes in undergarments and apparel for tween girls. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest looked around at the payday loans space, saw how many people are going to get payday loans at exorbitant rates, and he said, “There should be a solution.” So he came out of retirement to start a new business and solve the predatory payday loan problem. I wonder how his solution conflicts with people who have an interest in seeing the problem continue. We’re going to find out all that and how he built up his business. Safwan Shah is the founder of Payactiv which is a financial wellness platform that enables employers to provide their workers instant relief from their between-paychecks financial headaches. Safwan Shah is the founder of Payactiv which is a financial wellness platform that enables employers to provide their workers instant relief from their between-paychecks financial headaches. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today for my marathon series has brought me to Singapore. Abhishek Gupta is the co-founder of Circles Life, which provides a modern mobile experience. The reason I’m excited about this interview is that it isn’t just a SaaS that could be created by one person on a computer. Abhishek had to come up with the idea, find partnerships with established companies and convince customers to switch carriers. None of those things are easy. I want to find out how he did it. Abhishek Gupta is the co-founder of Circles Life, which provides a modern mobile experience. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is entrepreneur who started his company back in 1999. It was a period of raising money, changing the world, and being changed by the world. There was a lot of evolution and a lot of obstacles in Germany at the time. I want to understand how today’s guest built a company in that environment. Eckhard Ortwein is the founder of several companies, but the company we’re focusing on today is a company called Paybox Solutions. They set out to make money a mobile experience at the same time PayPal was launching. They decided people should be able to pass money to each other, to businesses using mobile phones. That world exists today but back then it was ahead of its time. They raised money and we’ll find out in this interview what happened. Eckhard Ortwein was a co-Founder of Paybox Solutions which helps people send and receive payments via mobile. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is an entrepreneur who demystified content marketing for me. I see these companies on Instagram that have beautiful photos and I’m amazed. I think, “They must have a full-time creative directors and photographers.” Well, today’s guest showed me how it really works. And how companies like his make brands look REALLY good. Corbett Drummey is the co-founder of PopularPays, a marketplace that connects brands and creators. Corbett Drummey is the co-founder of PopularPays, a marketplace that connects brands and creators. 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. COO Alliance – If you want your second in command to have a tribe, check out Cameron Herold’s COO Alliance. COO Alliance gives access to mentorship to run ideas by and guide your COO, VP of operations, general manager, or president. If you want them to have that kind of help from Cameron directly and from others, see if it’s a good fit for you or that second in command by going to COOAlliance.com/mixergy More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest saw an old technology and said, “What if I modernize it?” Instead of forcing people to remember the company name on a billboard, their phone number, write it down, and go buy it. “What if I create a web page where anyone can go and buy like they buy anything else?” I care about his story. But I’m also thinking in my head, “What else is outdated that we can modernize using some of the things that we already know?” And as you’ll see, he started out very basic the way that you can when you come up with something that you want to modernize. Matt O’Connor is the founder of AdQuick, a marketplace to buy and sell outdoor advertising. Matt O’Connor is the founder of AdQuick, a marketplace to buy and sell outdoor advertising. Sponsored byCOO Alliance – If you want your second in command to have a tribe, check out Cameron Herold’s COO Alliance. COO Alliance gives access to mentorship to run ideas by and guide your COO, VP of operations, general manager, or president. If you want them to have that kind of help from Cameron directly and from others, see if it’s a good fit for you or that second in command by going to COOAlliance.com/mixergy Trainual – Trainual is a SaaS that helps businesses automate their onboarding and training by documenting every process, policy, and procedure in one simple, searchable, teachable system. Trainual is on a mission to make small business easier by automating training manuals for busy companies around the world. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

My marathon series has brought me here to Singapore and I’ve got an interview with an entrepreneur I’ve really been looking forward to meeting. His name is Arrif Ziaudeen. He is the founder of Chope. Chope lets you book a reservation at a restaurant, but you also have the backend stuff that we’ll talk about in this interview. Arrif Ziaudeen is the founder of Chope, a real time restaurant-reservation booking platform that connects diners with its partner restaurants. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Stash is a mobile first investment platform that helps people simplify their investing and banking through education and user experience. I don’t think even that description does it justice. Users are really happy that they invested $200 or $300. Most finance companies don’t get excited about their users who have $200 or $300. Stash seems to be drawing them in. I want to know if you can actually build a business that way. We’re going to find out how he is changing investing and changing banking in this interview. Brandon Krieg is the co-founder of Stash, a mobile-first investment platform that helps people simplify investing and banking through education and user experience. 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. 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

When I was a kid, aspiring to be an entrepreneur, I remember hearing that Howard Hughes was addicted to something that let him work through the night. Frankly, it was a handful of entrepreneurs who had that and in my head, I said to myself, “I’d be willing to make that trade-off. If I could take a drug that would make me work harder through the night, I’d be absolutely willing to do it. Yeah, my health would suffer, but you know what? Life makes your health suffer. I’d be willing to do it.” My biology doesn’t allow me to get into drugs. But it turns out that it’s not some kind of superpower, at least according to Michael Dash’s experience. He is an entrepreneur who built an HR company called Parallel HR Solutions, grew it. We’ll find out how big he got it. And along the way was addicted to Adderall. Most entrepreneurs will not talk to me about it here. They will talk to me about it in private. Michael Dash is willing to do it, so we’re going to talk to him about that. Michael Dash is the author of Chasing the High which chronicles his journey through addiction and lawsuits. Sponsored byCOO Alliance – If you want your second in command to have a tribe, check out Cameron Herold’s COO Alliance. COO Alliance gives access to mentorship to run ideas by and guide your COO, VP of operations, general manager, or president. If you want them to have that kind of help from Cameron directly and from others, see if it’s a good fit for you or that second in command by going to COOAlliance.com/mixergy Trainual – Trainual is a SaaS that helps businesses automate their onboarding and training by documenting every process, policy, and procedure in one simple, searchable, teachable system. Trainual is on a mission to make small business easier by automating training manuals for busy companies around the world. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me today is an entrepreneur I’m especially excited to talk about for a few different reasons. Number one, he’s a Mixergy listener. He’s somebody who’s listened just like you and has had these stories embedded in his head. Number two, he is outside the United States. He is in India where I’m seeing more and more entrepreneurs are doing killer stuff. The problem he saw is people don’t like forms. People like people. And so you’re going to get a lot of drop off when leads don’t want to fill in your form and give you their email address. That means you are losing people that you paid money for or you worked hard to create a site to cater to. Ish Jindal is the founder of TARS which helps businesses boost their PPC conversion rates through Conversational Landing Pages. Ish Jindal is the founder of TARS which helps businesses boost their PPC conversion rates through Conversational Landing Pages. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Oswald Yeo is the founder of Glints, a tech-enabled recruitment platform. I want to find out in this interview how he started with a niche and grew the company out. Oswald Yeo is the founder of Glints, a tech-enabled recruitment platform. 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

How many freaking email marketing companies are there out there? And how could so many of them be doing well? Joining me today is an entrepreneur who said, “I see that there are people sending out email. I see that there’s software to do it. I’m going to jumping in and do it too.” And the reason that he was able to do it, he says, is because he saw a problem that nobody else addressed. He was dealing with a market that other people weren’t familiar with. Rytis Lauris is the founder of Omnisend, an omnichannel marketing automation tool for e-commerce. He’s doing well and I want to find out how. Rytis Lauris is the co-founder of Omnisend, omni-channel marketing automation tools for e-commerce. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me today is an entrepreneur who, while in school, had Steve Jobs come into his class and rock his world. He ended up doing business with someone who worked with Steve Jobs, as you’ll hear in this interview. Nicholas Vandenberghe is the founder of Chili Piper, which helps qualified leads automatically book a meeting or start a phone call right after they fill out a form on your site. Nicholas Vandenberghe is the founder of Chili Piper, which helps qualified leads automatically book a meeting or start a phone call right after they fill out a form on your site. 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. HostGator – 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. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is an entrepreneur coming at us straight from Moscow in Russia. Nikita Obukhov is a guy who realized it’s really hard to build websites. We need to make it easier. And so he created a company called Tilda. It’s a website builder that doesn’t require you to use any code. I want to find out how he bootstrapped it. Nikita Obukhov is the founder of Tilda, a website builder that doesn’t use any code. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today I’m in Singapore and there’s so much that has blown my mind while I’ve been here. I want to talk to today’s guest about that and so much more. Oliver Tan is the founder of ViSenze, which does visual search recognition. I want to understand how he came up with this technology and how he got his first customers to trust him. Sometimes I feel I’m missing out on software by being limited to the U.S. This company is a perfect example of that. We’ll find out more about it in this interview. Oliver Tan is the founder of ViSenze, which does visual search recognition. 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. COO Alliance – If you want your second in command to have a tribe, check out Cameron Herold’s COO Alliance. COO Alliance gives access to mentorship to run ideas by and guide your COO, VP of operations, general manager, or president. If you want them to have that kind of help from Cameron directly and from others, see if it’s a good fit for you or that second in command by going to COOAlliance.com/mixergy More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint