Growth Everywhere | Entrepreneurial Stories | Business Lessons

In today’s episode, Eric gets together with Alex Taub, co-founder of Upstream, a no-code all-in-one DAO builder. He is also the co-founder of Illuminati, an NFT project that has sold over $11.5M in NFTs, all while running his startup. Tuning in you’ll hear all about Upstream, what first inspired it, and how it helps its users build and manage DAOs by being accessible and easy to use. Get a sneak peek at what Upstream has planned in the coming weeks, their marketing strategy for the company, and what it means to be a leader in the Web3 space. We also delve into the founding of Illuminati, how Alex balances it with his work at Upstream, and what it’s taught him about Web3 and marketing. Hear the story of how they first marketed their Illuminati NFT project using intriguing pins, the concept of a secret society, and an established Twitter handle. Alex also describes what he loves about playing in the NFT space, why he believes play-to-earn is going to explode in 2022, and why Twitter is such a useful networking

In this video, we will discuss 5 NFT marketing strategies that will help you sell out your NFT Project. Find out why it's imperative to go for a long-term NFT strategy instead of doing it for cash grabs! [00:00] - 1. Your NFT Project’s Mission and Vission [01:38] - Is your NFT greed-based or community-based? [06:14] - Finding your own NFT Artist [06:38] - 2. Building relationships and NFT collabs [08:15] - 3. Building your own NFT Team (Hiring People) [10:46] - 4. Think about how you blitz [13:28] - 5. Work begins after your NFT launch Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

In this episode, we are going to talk about 7 deadly mistakes when launching an NFT based on our own journey! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [01:16] - NFT Messaging “Keep It Simple and Stupid” [01:52] - Having not enough offer [03:33] - Not Launching NFT with PFPs [05:10] - Waiting “Too Long” to Launch [06:09] - Not enough collaboration [07:26] - Working with the wrong person! [08:00] - Not enough content (Youtube, Podcasts, Twitter Spaces)   Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

In this episode, we are going to talk about how you can make money with NFTs and what are the crucial things you need to consider when investing in one! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:32] - My own NFT Wallet (Ft. Space Doodles, WOW, 8sian) [01:34] - Buying and Verifying NFTs [02:30] - Long-term hold  [03:17] - Invest what you can afford to lose! [04:12] - NFT Project checkbox [08:00] - (Veefriends) Do I believe in Gary V? [11:00] - Get involved!   Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

In this episode, I’m going to show you my NFT portfolio that contains cool NFTs like Cryptopunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, Veefriends, World Of Women, and more!  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [01:05] - My NFT Wallet [02:00] - Cryptopunks’ Historical Relevance [02:27] - Why I like my Bored Ape Yacht Club [05:04] - My VeeFriends NFT by Gary V [06:49] - My World Of Women NFT [07:40] - My Tom Bilyeu NFT [08:36] - Some of my Coolest NFTs (Cameo, Steve Aoki)   Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

In today’s episode, Eric talks with Alejandro Navia about co-founding NFT Now, a media company that is helping put power in the hands of creatives. We discuss the impressive growth that NFT Now has experienced after only one year, their 700,000 followers, and what some of their best methods have been for growing their reach organically. Alejandro shares how he first became interested in the NFT space, and how he and his Co-Founders saw a need for an objective voice on the topic for those who were curious about NFTs as well as those who are well-versed and active in the space. Hear how being omnichannel has worked for them, why it’s dangerous to rely on one platform, and why owning your own domain is so important. Tuning in you’ll learn more about Alejandro’s work as an executive coach. He explains why making the decision to find a coach is a huge step, and how to use the interview process to find a coach who is right for you. We also explore Alejandro’s impromptu move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and why we all

In today’s episode, we welcome back Bob Glazer, to discuss how marketing is changing, and to explore some of the key methods for layering performance marketing into one’s growth strategy. Bob is a Serial Entrepreneur, Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker, and is the Founder and Chairman of the Board at Acceleration Partners. He is also the author of the new book Moving to Outcomes, about why partnerships are the future of marketing. Tuning in you’ll hear Bob break down the meaning of affiliate partnerships, why it is often poorly defined, and how they can provide some of the most effective outcomes in marketing. He delves into the topics he covers in his new book, including some of the problems it solves for leaders as well as long-term marketing strategies. Bob discusses how Affiliate Partners has grown since it first started, why he describes them as a partner management recruiting specialist firm, as well as the benefits they’ve experienced from working remotely over the past ten years. He also shares some

In today’s episode of Leveling Up, Eric talks with Brett Malinowski about how he grew his YouTube channel to 122 000 subscribers in 90 days, sold out $1.7M in NFTs in 17 minutes and built a Twitter following of 176 000 subscribers. In our conversation, Brett shares the details of his NFT journey, from first becoming involved with crypto in 2014, to working in film production, to the creation of a hugely successful NFT project. Hear how Brett built the Magic Mushroom Clubhouse Project, the huge profit they made, and why he has reinvested his profits into building NFT projects. Brett explains his passion for NFTs, why he created The NFT Academy, and how his projects are helping businesses leverage the power of NFTs to prepare for Web3. We also discuss why community is much more successful than influencer marketing in the NFT and Web3 space, and the value of platforms like discord for forming valuable networks. To learn more about Web3, NFTs, and how to grow your YouTube channel in a record amount of time, tune

In this video, I will discuss why NFTs have more incentive alignment and why all marketers need to use this in their growth playbook. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:54]  We are all driven by incentives [01:42]  NFT = More incentive alignment [03:45]  Gary Vaynerchuk and Vee Friends [05:32]  Brett Malinowski [06:32]  Web 3 is being able to own [07:20]  Brands using NFT (Nike, Heineken, Gucci)   Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

Any incumbent YouTuber will tell you that getting your content to stand out above the rest has become infinitely more competitive than in the early days of YouTube. As a result, individuals and businesses often become discouraged when they don’t see their audience grow in the way they expected within the first few months, or even years, of their channel. Today on the show we get together with Jake Tran, an up-and-coming YouTuber who creates in-depth business video essays on money, power, and crime, to uncover exactly what it takes to be a successful YouTuber, and some of the business strategies that can help you achieve it. We talk with Jake about how he became a YouTuber, why slow growth is normal, and the one video topic and subsequent share that had a massive impact on his total number of views. Jake unpacks his economic model for us, as well as some of the recent changes he’s made, and explains why he is dedicated to providing more value than subscribers pay for. He also delves into some of the business c

In this episode, we will discuss some NFT marketing mistakes based on our own experience to help you avoid them!  TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:58]  1. Not blitzing hard enough with Promotions [01:35]  Still, we had an amazing NFT collab with “friends”  [02:51]  2. Not having unique PFPs  [04:55]  3. Launching two tiers at the same time [06:45] 4. Not hiring a full team ready   Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

Today on Leveling Up we are joined by Brian Dean to share updates on Backlinko and Exploding Topics. As many of you know, Brian recently sold Backlinko to SEMrush, and in our discussion we hear about how he started the SEO blog, how he excelled in a red ocean with it, some of the most successful SEO strategies he came up with, why course creators are an attractive acquisition for software companies, and lessons he learned during the acquisition. Exploding Topics is Brian’s newer project, and we get to hear how it evolved from an early personal trend spotting project to an acquihire that he subsequently grew. Brain talks about the work he has put into Exploding Topics, shares some numbers around its current success, and also talks about how he approached acquiring the business from Josh Howarth who is now his CTO. In this conversation, we also talk to Brian about life in Lisbon, hear about all the grunt work he did to get ahead, and also get some behind-the-scenes insights into his longstanding relationship wi

In this video, learn how Alex Lieberman of Morning Brew accidentally launched a podcast and what is the most challenging thing in his "Founder's Journal" journey. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Intro to “Alex Lieberman and The Founder’s Journal Podcast” [00:30] - What is The Founder’s Journal  [02:51] - The hardest thing in Alex’s podcast journey  [04:50] - Outro Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

In this video, learn what are the key things you need to know in selling out your NFT Project and how you become a person of value! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [01:41] - Build for the long-term [02:00] - Key things: Proven Team and Road Map [03:06] - Read $100M Offers - Alex Hormozi [03:33] - Collabs with “Top Influencers” [05:53] - Building NFT Project is like a Start-Up [07:23] - Hiring People Carefully [08:55] - Be A Person of Value [10:20] - Join Communities   Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

The world has experienced a tremendous amount of change in the past two years and as a result, we are currently in an ongoing state of flux. Making sense of the social landscape we find ourselves in is integral to how we navigate our lives and our careers. It is especially important for anyone involved in investing, marketing, and optimizing new business ventures. We cover some fascinating topics in today's conversation so make sure you tune in to hear it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:15] Today’s topic: Bootstrapping a $50M+ Business, Growing a Twitter to 120K+ Followers with Romeen Sheth. [00:53] An overview of Sheth’s career and the function of Metasys. [03:08] How Sheth recognized a need for a company like Metasys to support the rapidly growing gig economy. [05:48] A breakdown of Sheth’s workflow and how he integrates his business with his investment activity. [07:51] What Twitter means to Sheth and how he has recently grown his following. [09:27] Why Sheth approaches Twitter as if he were buildi

As the world of crypto continues to evolve and grow, there is a vast array of associated new possibilities that are available to investors on a regular basis. On the show today, we welcome Josip Rupena, the CEO and Founder of Milo, a company that is bringing together the worlds of digital assets and real estate. Milo is here to give all of our listeners a few reasons why you should consider this avenue for yourself! We speak about the company's focus, what exactly they are trying to provide for their customers, how their application process works, and who is best suited to work with Milo. We also get some great book and tool recommendations from Josip and hear about his own real estate investment aspirations, so join us today to hear it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:10] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:51] Josip's professional background and foundation in financial services. [01:40] Our guest explains the interest rates associat

In today’s episode, we continue our NFT compilation series where we take a nuanced look at NFTs, the implementation of Web3, and how it will affect business and marketing in the future. For today’s installment, we get together with Matt Colon, Global President of Music at YMU, to talk about his work with Steve Aoki, the documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, and the launch of A0k1verse NFTs. In our conversation, Matt gives an overview of how NFTs feature in the music industry, why it’s so much more complex than NFTs that are made to trade visual art, and how the concept of ownership has transformed in the digital era. Tuning in you’ll hear Matt break down how they built a tokenized membership community, their long-term vision for the project, and how NFTs are connecting audiences and musicians in a novel and unprecedented way. Matt describes the future ecosystem he envisions, how digital passports would work, and some of the artists who are already involved. He also delves into his thoughts on Web3, the import

For decades the music industry has been wildly imbalanced, with only a fraction of the 40-billion-dollar industry going towards musicians. Today’s guest is on a mission to disrupt the status quo and give fans the power to directly participate in the careers of their favorite artists. Many of our listeners will be familiar with Justin Blau, also known as 3lau, a famous DJ, electronic dance music producer, and the CEO and co-founder of Royal, a music investment platform that allows fans to easily invest in artists and earn royalties alongside them. As part of our NFT compilation series, we sat down with Justin to discuss his new company, the Web3 space, and why he is so excited about it. In our conversation, Justin breaks down his journey, from studying finance to dropping out to pursue his fast-growing DJ career, to founding Royal. He unpacks some of the lessons he's learned, why he never expected to sell his NFT for 11.7 million dollars, and some of the challenges Royal is expected to face as it grows. He als

In this video, I am going to talk about my NFT investing strategy and why utility is more important than art for me! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Intro to my NFT investing strategy! [00:27] - Some of my NFTs (Cryptopunk, BAYC, Doodles, Etc) [01:00] - Steve Aoki’s NFT (Design, Brand, Utility) [02:44] - The Community (A0K1VERSE) [03:17] - Leveling Up Heroes [04:30] - Long-term mindset in investing [05:55] - Let us know your strategy! [06:20] - Outro Leveling Up Heroes NFT:

Whether you’ve already invested in NFTs, are skeptical of the crypto movement, or getting ready to market in the burgeoning Web3 space, it’s undeniable that a lot of change is happening. This week on the show Eric gets together with Justin Kan (Cofounder of the mega streaming platform, Twitch, and Cofounder of the new gaming NFT marketplace, Fractal) to talk about his career in Silicon Valley, the most important lessons he’s learned, and how focusing on internal goals have transformed his life. TTune in as we chat with Justin about everything from gaming NFTs, to how he chooses to angel invest, to why he continues to love building startups, and so much more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:15] Today’s topic: Selling Twitch for $1B, Creating a Gaming NFT Startup, Leveling Up in Life with Justin Kan of Fractal. [00:21] Introducing today's guest, Justin Kan. [01:10] Justin’s career in Silicon Valley and how he founded Fractal, a gaming NFT marketplace. [02:06] Why Justin predicts that gaming NFTs will be even b