Startup Stories - Mixergy

I usually focus on revenue in these interviews but I do care about other indicators of size. So when I heard that Michael Krivicka from Thinkmodo was available to do an interview I wanted to get him on here. What Michael does is create viral videos. A lot of people use that term for videos that are popular but he had created truly viral content. I want to talk to him about how he does it. Michael Krivicka is the co-Founder of Thinkmodo which has created some of the most watched and shared viral videos in the world. Michael Krivicka is the co-Founder of Thinkmodo which has created some of the most watched and shared viral videos in the world. 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 you’re building a business it’s easier to grow faster if you connect with larger businesses that already exist. Today’s guest did that. Jon Ferrara is the founder of Nimble which is a social sales, and marketing CRM for individuals and teams. He connected to LinkedIn and he connected with Facebook. Life was good. And then what happened to him was the danger of building your business on top of others. He got shut off. He had to rebuild and the way he did it was through relationships. I want to find out how he did it. Jon Ferrara is the founder of Nimble which is a social sales, and marketing CRM for individuals and teams. 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

There was a while where content sites were becoming less successful than SaaS and other platforms. Well, today’s guest created an addictive experience with a content site and turned it into a real business. Evan Varsamis is the founder of The Gadget Flow which is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. I want to find out it’s profitable and how he did it. Evan Varsamis is the founder of The Gadget Flow which is a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. 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 a former music industry executive who said, “The world is changing. Artists are starting to record in their bedrooms and find their audiences on YouTube and Spotify.” He knew the music industry had to understand how to work with them in a new way and he came up with that way. Conrad Withey is the founder of Instrumental, an online talent discover specialist which focuses on the music industry. Frankly, I feel there are so many music startups and I want to find out how he’s made Instrumental so successful. Conrad Withey is the founder of Instrumental, an online talent discover specialist which focuses on the music industry. 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. If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

One of the things I love about entrepreneurs is that they are not afraid to take on big competition. Today’s guest is someone I’ve admired for not only taking on a behemoth but also doing it well. Jerry Hum is the co-founder of Touch of Modern which is focused on discovery of unique and noteworthy products. I invited him here to find out how he’s continued to grow and how he’s getting all these sales. Jerry Hum is the co-founder of Touch of Modern which is focused on discovery of unique and noteworthy products. 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. Regus has built an unparalleled network of office, co-working and meeting spaces for companies to use in every city in the world, an infrastructure to support every business opportunity. Their network of workspaces enables businesses to operate anywhere, without the need for set-up costs or capital investment. It provides our customers with immediate cost benefits and the opportunity to fully outsource their office portfolio. It’s a network designed to enhance productivity and connect 2.5 million like-minded professionals: an instant global community, and a place to belong. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Most of us are in tech so it’s not a surprise that when we go to websites to create an account often times the login process and account management is outsourced to someone else. And many times that outsourced company is Auth0. They are the company behind the companies you use. Eugenio Pace is the co-founder of Auth0 which is a universal authentication and authorization platform for developers, web, mobile and legacy applications. I invited him here to find out where he came up with the idea, how he got customers, and how he’s grown the business. Eugenio Pace is the co-founder of Auth0 which is a universal authentication and authorization platform for developers, web, mobile and legacy applications. 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. If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is Michael Jackness. He’s a guy who gave up online poker and got into e-commerce. He did it despite the existence of Amazon. Michael Jackness is the founder of Terran.com which owns and builds amazing brands and content sites. Michael Jackness is the founder of Terran.com which owns and builds amazing brands and content sites. 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’s guest took e-commerce and added a subscription model to it. I’ve always been a fan of subscription because it gives you predictable revenue and a long-term relationship with your customers. Matthew Gallagher is the founder of Watch Gang, a monthly watch club. I’m going to ask him how he built this company, about his revenue, and so much more in this interview. Matthew Gallagher is the founder of Watch Gang, a watch club. 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

A thing that many entrepreneurs are embarrassed by is the fact that their bookkeeping sucks and they blame themselves. Well, if you’re not organized, you’re not the only one. It’s an issue I’ve talked about for years. Today’s guest saw the same pain point. But instead of just talking about it, he actually set out to solve it. Waseem Daher is the founder of Pilot which is an online bookkeeping service. Waseem Daher is the founder of Pilot which is an online bookkeeping service. 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. Regus has built an unparalleled network of office, co-working and meeting spaces for companies to use in every city in the world, an infrastructure to support every business opportunity. Their network of workspaces enables businesses to operate anywhere, without the need for set-up costs or capital investment. It provides our customers with immediate cost benefits and the opportunity to fully outsource their office portfolio. It’s a network designed to enhance productivity and connect 2.5 million like-minded professionals: an instant global community, and a place to belong. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

This is not an interview where I ask someone else questions. Instead, Pat Flynn, the founder of Smart Passive Income interviewed me for his podcast. I thought the questions he asked me about my interview process were interesting so I asked him if I could publish our conversation. So that’s what I have for you today. Pat Flynn is the founder of Smart Passive Income, podcasts, tutorials, videos, and other how-to articles on growing your business. 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

You all know I get personal in my interviews. Well, today’s guest is someone who really opened up with me in private and when I invited him on to talk about his company a few months ago he got really personal about alcoholism, depression and suicide. We never got around to talking about his company! He’s back today to do that. John Saddington is the co-Founder of The Iron Yard a coding School and bootcamp which he sold. John Saddington is the co-Founder of The Iron Yard a coding School and bootcamp which he sold. 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. Regus has built an unparalleled network of office, co-working and meeting spaces for companies to use in every city in the world, an infrastructure to support every business opportunity. Their network of workspaces enables businesses to operate anywhere, without the need for set-up costs or capital investment. It provides our customers with immediate cost benefits and the opportunity to fully outsource their office portfolio. It’s a network designed to enhance productivity and connect 2.5 million like-minded professionals: an instant global community, and a place to belong. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

If you’ve ever gotten a sales call in the middle of your day from an insurance company, for example, you know that is not an experience you want for your own customers. It’s very disruptive. Well, today’s guest is an entrepreneur who came up with a solution for that. Aaron C. Evans is the founder of Drips which uses conversational text messaging to help their clients contact users when it’s convenient for the users. A.C. Evans is the founder of Drips which uses conversational text messaging to help their clients contact users when it’s convenient for the users. 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. If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

The people you trust to find out what’s going on with products in the tech industry go to iSuppli for their market research. I’m proud to have the founder on today. I want to find out how they’ve become such a staple for publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. I want to find out how they established such credibility with the media. Derek Lidow is the Founder of iSuppli which was a market research firm which was sold in 2010 for $100M to IHS. Derek Lidow is the Founder of iSuppli which was a market research firm which was sold in 2010 for $100M to IHS. 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

Sherri Langburt is founder of Babbleboxx which places your products in the hands of heavyweight influencers by delivering customized experiential and contextual marketing campaigns. I invited her here to talk about how she has built this company. I want to find out how someone who considers herself to be very shy has reached out and built relationships with so many people and brands. Sherri Langburt is founder of Babbleboxx which places your products in the hands of heavyweight influencers by delivering customized experiential and contextual marketing campaigns. 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. Regus has built an unparalleled network of office, co-working and meeting spaces for companies to use in every city in the world, an infrastructure to support every business opportunity. Their network of workspaces enables businesses to operate anywhere, without the need for set-up costs or capital investment. It provides our customers with immediate cost benefits and the opportunity to fully outsource their office portfolio. It’s a network designed to enhance productivity and connect 2.5 million like-minded professionals: an instant global community, and a place to belong. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is on a mission to bring people together through games all while accepting the fact that we are all connected to our devices. Alex Fleetwood is the founder of Sensible Object which builds inclusive social games augmented by software. I invited him here to talk about his ideas and how he turned them into a REAL business. Alex Fleetwood is the founder of Sensible Object which builds inclusive social games augmented by 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. Regus has built an unparalleled network of office, co-working and meeting spaces for companies to use in every city in the world, an infrastructure to support every business opportunity. Their network of workspaces enables businesses to operate anywhere, without the need for set-up costs or capital investment. It provides our customers with immediate cost benefits and the opportunity to fully outsource their office portfolio. It’s a network designed to enhance productivity and connect 2.5 million like-minded professionals: an instant global community, and a place to belong. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint