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If you want to start a business, you sure as hell better be made of the right stuff. Because Joe De Sena is here to tell you that in business, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”, and you need to be mentally tough enough to handle it.  In this Foundr interview like no other, Nathan Chan speaks with Spartan Race creator, best-selling author, and badass CEO Joe De Sena on why you need manufactured adversity.  De Sena has faced mountains of failure in business and continues to rise, everything from losing someone during the first ever race and finding them marooned on a desert island a week later, to not turning a profit for 15 years. Nevertheless, this machine of a man bounces back and continues to rise. This interview is just a snapshot of what you can expect in Foundr’s newest course, Mental Toughness. Touted as the ultimate entrepreneurs field guide to building mental toughness, this is not one to be missed.  Find out why the Olympic wrestling teams are sent to De Sena shape up, why billionaires send their children to him to learn discipline, and why active military personnel flock to him to learn grit.

Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder, The Magic Spoon In this yummy episode, Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder of The Magic Spoon, sits down with Nathan Chan to discuss his journey from founding the revolutionary EXO protein snack made from crickets, to dominating the $40billion a year cereal industry.  Listen in as Lewis reveals how he managed to get Tim Ferris and Nas as angel-investors onboard for EXO snacks, his journey into the competitive world of cereal, and how Magic Spoon continues to stay ahead of the competition. In this deep-dive interview, you’ll find out why Lewis swears by agencies, the opportunities in influencer marketing, and why product-fit is an absolute essential for any founder.  Lewis’ incredible journey from crickets to cereal is a not-to-be-missed lesson in entrepreneurship and the importance of saying “no”. Key Takeaways How Lewis started Exo Protein, selling cricket protein bars Recognizing the paleo food trend and targeting that market How Lewis got angel investors such as Tim Ferris and Nas His decision to sell the company and launch Magic Spoon cereal Why Magic Spoon is a direct-to-consumer product and the advantages of ecommerce The successful launch of Magic Spoon and the power of influencers Why product-market fit is the most important aspect of launching a business  How Magic Spoon was affected by Covid and the evolution of hiring and scaling The decision to not sell Magic Spoon on Amazon, and the power of customer-brand loyalty  Why Lewis believes that a high-quality product is the most important aspect of any business Lewis’ advice to others that as a founder, you should never be distracted, and why your job is to say “no”

In this interview, Nathan Chan sits down with GT Dave, Founder and CEO of GT'S Living Foods. GT discusses how he built a $1B empire from his bedroom and his journey of being the first seller of Kombucha in the United States. In this interview, GT Dave discusses how he first began selling Kombucha, entering the market with a completely new category of product, and the challenges he faced in educating the market on what his product was.  GT Dave is a firm believer in passion before profit, and his integrity and commitment to health shine through as he discusses his childhood and nutrition, how Kombucha helped his mother through medical issues, and the proven benefits of Kombucha. With a personal net worth estimated at $1Billion, GT Dave’s journey will inspire you to follow your passion and begin building your future, today. Key Takeaways How GT Dave found an interest in Kombucha and how he began marketing it Launching his company from his bedroom, and selling his product using his Dad’s Amex card The challenge of entering the market with a new product and how he went about educating others on an unfamiliar health beverage How GT Dave helped Kombucha to become the global trend it is today GT Dave’s commitment to passion over profit, and what health means to him The importance of validating your product and communicating with consumers His key advice to those who are just getting started, and the questions you need to ask yourself

In this epic roundup episode, we took our favorite moments from every interview this year and combined them to create our most jam-packed episode yet: Foundr Best of 2020! That’s right, in this very special episode, you’ll hear valuable insights from:  Drew Houston, CEO and founder of DropBox: On problem-solving, his formula for success in business, and how he— as a billion-dollar CEO — still learns every single day.  Dylan Mullen, Founder, and Director of Happy Skin Co. Mullen reveals how he built a $20 million dollar company in 24 months, and how they’re acquiring their customers.  Alexa Von Tobel, Founder of Learnvest, & Inspire Capital: Why you shouldn’t spend a dollar on marketing, and what it takes to be a ‘good entrepreneur’.  Gretta Van Riel, 4x Multi-Milion Dollar Founder. Van Riel discusses why she would spend $500k on a post from Kylie Jenner, and her $1.3m manufacturing horror story.  Henrik Werderlin, founder and CEO of Barkbox, and the strategy that Apple and Amazon have used to build global, beloved brands.  You’re about to learn the mistake that every new entrepreneur makes, as discussed by Alex Osterwalder, the Swiss business theorist who developed the “business model canvas”.  Author Kamal Ravikant reveals why you don’t need a mentor (from someone who’s been down the road a few times). Christina Stembel, founder of Farmgirl Flowers on how she managed to turn $49,000 into almost a million dollars in 3 years— all thanks to the success of her company. Here’s Skillshare founder Malcolm Ong… who’s about to reveal the one word that will make you a better entrepreneur.  Thor Ernstsson, Founder of Strata. The 2 tips that every single entrepreneur needs to hear. One of the internet’s greatest pioneers, cofounder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg on what motivates him.  GT’s living foods founder, GT Dave. He reveals to us the key to staying on your path, and not losing your identity.  Andy Frisella, founder of 1st Phorm with one of the most fired up conversations of the year. Enjoy this snippet where he’s going to tell you why building a brand is important, and the issue with comparing yourself to Steve Jobs.

Ever wondered what traits and characteristics Google looks for in a founder? Wonder no more, because in this interview, Nathan Chan sits down with CapitalG Founder, David Lawee, to discuss the journey of finding the next $1B Unicorn Business. David is Google's Lead Investor, and has over 13 years of experience under his belt working for one of the largest companies on the planet.  Prior to joining Google, Lawee has been a serial entrepreneur. His biggest takeaway from the experience was how to successfully scale companies, and during the interview he finally reveals exactly how to do it.  Lawee shares what he believes it takes to create a billion-dollar company. Lawee reveals all the traits and characteristics he looks for in founders when it comes to investing billions of dollars, and exactly what the company needs to look like. Key Takeaways How David Lawee found himself working for Google, CapitalG, and what he learned during his time as a serial entrepreneur The characteristics and traits that he looks for when it comes to investing The difference between an ordinary company, and the billion dollar unicorn Lawee’s advice for those looking to open more doors  The change in the market, and an insider's view into Google investment world Lawee discusses how to align your company with investors’ needs

Meet Thor Ernstsson. The founder of global giants such as Alpha, Strata, and lead architect for Zygna responsible for Farmville, Ernstsson knows business and products.  In this interview, Nathan sits down with Ernstsson to discuss his journey from Zynga game developer, to creating a company that serves half of the Fortune 500. Honest and candid, Ernstsson reveals his decision-making processes behind some of the company's largest pivots, changes, and challenges.   While most people would shy away from the idea of launching a business during a global crisis, Ernstsson is perhaps living proof that not only is it a good decision, it’s the best business decision one can make. Key Takeaways Thor Ernstsson discusses how he first began working at Zygna, and how he felt about the global success of Farmville His next business ventures, including Alpha and Strata Why he decided to pivot the company The importance of “now”, and why starting a business during a crisis is a good idea The decision to launch a business that aimed to connect people, while it was the start of the pandemic  How to change the world, and why you should always aim to solve a problem that won’t change The importance of customers and why they need to be invested in your business’ success

Faced with 104 rejections, zero-funding, and the prospect of launching a new business during an economic downturn, Christina Stembel has not only grown her company Farmgirl Flowers to a $65m empire, she has also done it completely bootstrapped.  Stembel’s journey from bootstrap to business mogul is nothing short of inspiring. What began as $46k savings and a 2-year window to achieve her goal, her ecommerce flower business saw 5x growth in the first 2 years. As Stembel says,  “the fact that I was able to bootstrap without running out of money is the biggest accomplishment of my life” In this interview, listen in to discover how Stembel marketed and advertised her brand on a shoestring budget, the importance of word-of-mouth and how that helped her achieve her first million, and why she views FarmGirl Flowers as the workhorse among unicorns. Key Takeaways How Stembel started FarmGirl Flowers, and why she gave herself 2 years Marketing on a shoestring budget Complications she faced selling perishable products Why she views FarmGirl Flowers as a workhorse among unicorns The importance of product-quality, and why she believes that a good quality product will outsell any level of marketing The future of FarmGirl Flowers and reaching her first billion

As someone who has pioneered the tech industry with his open-source software, and boasts 38% of the internet using his product, Matt Mullenweg is still one of the most humble and inspiring entrepreneurs we’ve ever met.  In this insightful interview, Mullenweg discusses the biggest challenges faced by companies today, and the importance of looking after your team and people. As a company that has operated remotely since it’s beginnings, Mullenweg stresses the importance of team-building, and why he took his entire company to Disneyland.  Mullenweg touches on some key issues faced by entrepreneurs the worldover - chronic dissatisfaction in progress, and that whatever you do is never enough. He says instead of saying to yourself that it’s not enough, entrepreneurs need to say “it is enough, and there’s more to do!”  From the acquisition of powerhouses such as Tumblr, WooCommerce, and his dedication to supporting others, Mullenweg discusses his life’s plan to create as much open-source software as possible and encourage creativity across the globe.  This interview will leave a smile on your face and give you the motivation and drive to work towards a better future for all.  Key Takeaways How Mullenweg founded WordPress, and operating as a remote-working business in the early 2000s Mullenweg’s beliefs on company culture and the importance of in-person team-building activities especially for remote workers The future of the office and why he believes it will be obsolete post-Covid Mullenweg reveals that as an angel investor, the key things he looks for in a business or founder The future of web development and WordPress The biggest challenges faced by companies today and the importance of looking after your team and people Chronic dissatisfaction as a founder and why needs to become a more positive drive  

In this week’s Foundr podcast interview, Nathan Chan sits down with Lisa Spiden, CEO of Workforce Analytics and Foundr of Fibre HR to discuss everything a team leader needs to embody in order to help their team do their best work.  Spiden discusses key tactics and methods that team leaders can adopt to help lead their teams through any crisis. Not only does this mean offering support for them during the work-from-home culture shift, but also taking the time to understand and adapt for each individual's needs and workflow.  With something for every team leader, this interview will help you to understand how to build a culture within your team, hiring strategies, and top-talent selection. Key Takeaways How Spiden found herself working in HR, and the origins of Fibre HR and Workforce Analytics Spiden discusses tactics to keep team morale high during forced WFH Why staff motivation is the key to staff retention Team standups, retros, and other remote team bonding exercises Addressing top-talent selection, and whether pro-culture or pro-skills is best for your business Building a great culture inside and office, and how to build on it strategically Understanding what your team wants, what drives them, what motivates them

Ever wondered how the elite pros do Facebook ads? This week’s interview with course instructor Nick Shackelford is just that: a no-holding back, all inclusive, step-by-step discussion on running successful Facebook ads.  Returning again to Foundr’s exclusive podcast, Shackelford discusses his learnings on media buying, running facebook ads that convert, and exactly what he learned from spending a ridiculous amount of money on fb ads.  This interview dives deep into the nitty-gritty of all the lessons Shackelford learned doing media buying for Apple, including the budgets he worked on for the launch of the iPhone 7, iPad Pro, and the Apple Watch (and we are talking huge budgets).  Shackelford also discusses how he single-handedly popularized the Fidget Spinner by using Facebook Ads, and how he started his own agency, Structured Social.  In this interview, not only will you discover why Shackelford’s Structured spends close to $20million per month on Facebook ads, you’ll also hear first-hand tips and strategies to success in FB ads within the hardest markets, across all GEOS, for every product or service.  This is an episode you cannot miss!  Key Takeaways How Shackelford first found his way into the industry Working for Apple and what he learned from running $100 million Facebook ads The rise of the fidget spinner, $1m run rate in the first month, and the importance of opportunity How Shackelford has built Structure Social, and now spends close to $20million a month and has over 50 employees The biggest lessons he has learned over the years, including the intricacies of media buying, copywriting, positioning, and creative  Why you only have 3-seconds to make an impression with your ad Shackelford’s key advice for those looking to grow their business through Facebook ads

Mental toughness isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you learn and practice and develop over time. And Andy Frisella is living proof of that.  The Founder of 1st Phorm, the “Real AF podcast host”, 75Hard program creator, and all around badass Andy Frisella knows discipline and mindset, and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.  It’s no secret that Foundr is a huge fan of Frisella’s work with developing mental toughness and discipline (in fact, most of our team has completed his 75Hard challenge!) and after listening to this interview, you’ll be a fan too.  Frisella is raw, real, and straight to the point with everything he believes in with mental health, building a brand, company values, and aspiring to become the best version of yourself possible.  Key Takeaways Frisella discusses how he has always been an entrepreneur at heart Frisella reflects on how he began his first business, the struggles, the journey, and how he stayed focussed Company values and how Frisella recognises greatness and celebrates it within his team The importance of being a good leader and why you need to communicate values with your team Why Frisella still compares himself to others above him, and why this is a driving force in success The struggle of finding the right support at high-levels of success How to push through discipline blocks and shake off burnout The evolution of 75Hard and what Frisella is most excited for as a legacy

Yancey Strickler, Author and Kickstarter Co-Founder In this inspiring podcast interview, Nathan Chan sits down with Kickstarter co-founder and author Yancey Strickler to discuss his 'Bento Box' method for making better decisions, how his company Kickstarter found it’s feet, and our unhealthy obsession with “financial maximization”.  Strickler was working as a music journalist in New York when a chance encounter with future co-founder Perry Chen in a restaurant led to the creation of Kickstarter, and crowdfunding as a category-defining player in a new field.  A writer at heart, Stickler used his time post-Kickstarter to write the groundbreaking This Could Be Our Future. An in-depth look at our current obsession with financial gain, and how society has conditioned us to always choose whatever will make the most money. Making the right choices in life is a mission close to Strickler’s heart. As such, he created the revolutionary “Bento Box” framework, an inspiring and humbling process for individuals and businesses alike to frame and structure their decisions. This podcast is one of our most inspiring insights into human nature and the importance of caring for our future selves and our future business.  Learn from Strickler as he gives you the secret Bento Box method to help you make the right decisions in life. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss! Key Takeaways Strickler discusses how the idea for Kickstarter came about in 2005 while working in the music industry Why it took Strickler close to 4 years for the idea to be executed The conscious decision to frame Kickstarter as a funding method for passion projects and new ideas rather than a charity platform Why Kickstarter was originally called “Kickstartr” Pitching the idea of Kickstarter and the initial investors, and getting Andy Baio onboard with the project How they went from unpaid developers to profitability in 14 months The effect of being a category-defining player in a new field  Stepping down from his position at Kickstarter Strickler’s new book “This Could Be Our Future” and our current obsession with Financial Maximisation: whatever makes the most money is the right decision Strickler’s Bento Framework Now Me: profitability  Future Me: as a business, your values Now Us: stakeholders, employees, suppliers, etc. Future Us: the bigger idea of what you want to be Key Resources From Our Interview  https://www.ystrickler.com/book

Kamal Ravikant, Author and Founder, Venture Capitalist In this special podcast interview, Nathan Chan sits down with renowned author and founder Kamal Ravikant to discuss his thoughts on mentorship, entrepreneurs, and everything in between.  Ravikant traces his journey back to a point in time most entrepreneurs face: he was doing too much and he was burnt out. In fact, it took losing everything for him to realize what he needed to change: his mindset. Throughout his journey, the ups and downs, the lows and highs, Ravikant is a master of maintaining a balance between persistence and open-mindedness in everything he does.  Listen in as Ravikant discloses the powerful reason he chose to write his bestselling book: 'Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It', and how the book developed from a self-published book to a global success spreading joy and love published in 16 languages.  This podcast is raw, honest, and a deep insight into personal growth. Learn from Ravikant as he discloses the universal importance of loving yourself, being humble, and caring deeply. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss! Key Takeaways Ravikant holds the honor of being the fourth ever podcast interview by Foundr back in 2014 His beginnings riding the wave of the internet boom  Why it took losing everything to realize he needed to change his mindset His ideology that you should build a business by identifying a problem and creating a solution first The power investors hold over entrepreneurs, and what drove him to become a doer Why he believes in having a strong entrepreneur mindset His re-launch of the global bestseller Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It published in 16 languages worldwide Ravikant discusses his upcoming projects and behind-the-scenes of funds Ravikant addresses the changes in Silicon Valley, and what advice he would give to upcoming entrepreneurs Why you need to be humble and care deeply, always.

Joanna Griffiths CEO Knixwear CEO of global intimates brand Knixwear Joanna Griffiths sits down with Nathan Chan to reveal how she took $20k to and made $50m in revenue last year.  In this wonderfully inspiring episode, Griffiths’ discusses how she became an “accidental entrepreneur” with Knixwear. Initially begun as a passion project to create high-quality leak-proof intimates, Griffiths’ put aside her initial goal to run her own media company and instead decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.    In school, her business plan won a competition, and she used the $20k prize to begin chasing her dream of solving a universal problem. After years of trials and errors, including a first-time sample order of 40,000 pairs of underwear, Knixwear quickly found it’s feet and is now a $50m a year company. Knixwear has 85 employees globally, and Griffiths’ still reels at the idea that her company sells an item every 6 seconds.  Listen in as Griffiths’ discusses the lows and the highs of being a first-time business owner, TV advertising, and why she always chooses the path of risk so she doesn’t look back and wonder “what if”.  Key Takeaways How Griffiths’ original plan to run her own media company led her to pursue her MBA How her intimates brand Knixwear began as high-quality leak-proof underwear Why Griffiths dedicated her time to solving this universal problem, and why she feels she is an accidental entrepreneur as a result Why she chose to take a chance rather than risk looking back with regret Griffiths’ discusses her initial business funding: she won a business plan competition at school and received $20k  How she used the $20k for product development, launching, and crowd-funding Griffiths’ reveals that the first order was the biggest mistake, but she values progress over perfection Knixwear has passed $50m annual revenue, and that they sell an item every 6 seconds Griffiths’ discusses the early days of wholesale business, and the struggles first-time entrepreneurs face How she identified her target market and shaped her product accordingly

Ulrich Boser, CEO, The Learning Agency Founder and CEO of The Learning Agency, best-selling author, and Foundr course Instructor Ulrich Boser sits down for an in-depth discussion on becoming a better learner, the misinformation surrounding information, and the big secret to mastering any skill (and we mean any skill).   The ability to absorb and retain information effectively is often thought of as some sort of elusive skill that you’re born with, but Boser seeks to dispel this once and for all. The ability to learn effectively isn’t something assigned at birth, no one has a “set learning” style, and your ability to absorb information ultimately comes down to how you decide to approach everything. Author of the best-selling Learn Better, Boser reveals to Foundr’s Nathan Chan why he started his company, why feedback is crucial, and why he believes everyone should throw away their highlighters if they want to learn better.  In this conversation, Boser takes everything you thought you knew about learning and spins it on its head. If you have any questions about Boser’s upcoming course, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.  Key Takeaways Boser discusses how his childhood sparked his passion to hone and master the ability to pick up skills effectively Why Boser began The Learning Agency Boser discusses the prevalence of learning myths Common learning myths and why they impact learning Why active learning will always overshadow passive learning How to engage with the material; quiz yourself, and identify gaps in your knowledge  Why previous knowledge on a topic will boost your learning The importance of feedback on your learning

Malcolm Ong has never shied away from change. In fact, his ability to adapt is what has given him a front-row seat to multiple business transformations—first as the co-founder of education platform Skillshare to now as the Head of Product at South China Morning Post. After launching Skillshare in 2010, Ong led the business through a significant pivot—from being a completely offline, in-person model to one that’s now membership-based and 100% online. In the process, he also witnessed the massive growth of the online education industry, which has only been sped up by the Covid-19 pandemic. After leaving Skillshare, Ong joined South China Morning Post, a global, English-language news media company owned by Alibaba. His job has been to transform this company from a traditional, local newspaper into a more modern, global media empire. A task that he has exceeded, as he’s grown their number of monthly active users from 4 million to over 50 million and significantly expanded the outlet’s readership beyond Asia. In this conversation, Ong gives us a deeper dive into these milestones throughout his fascinating career and shares his best recommendations on how to transform a business. If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.  Key Takeaways Why Ong decided to tackle the education industry How Skillshare launched as a 100% offline education platform  What contributed to Skillshare’s success The scalability issues that Skillshare faced, and how this led to the company transitioning online Ong’s advice when it comes to pivoting your business Why Ong eventually left Skillshare in 2016 What intrigued Ong about the job offer from South China Morning Post (SCMP) Ong’s experience living in Hong Kong, and how it has given him the front seat to many historical events How Ong has helped SCMP transform from being a traditional media company to a cutting-edge product and customer-focused business Ong’s advice to entrepreneurs about trying on different hats Key Resources From Our Interview With Malcom Ong Visit the SCMP website Follow Ong on LinkedIn and Twitter

John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market Right now, every company needs strong leadership to guide them through these challenging times. Thankfully, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO John Mackey is well versed on the principles of leadership and is launching his latest book, Conscious Leadership, this month to help other founders put those ideas into practice.    In addition to the book, people can see Mackey’s approach to leadership in action with Whole Foods. While Mackey is grateful that his stores are still in full operation during Covid-19, he doesn’t try to hide the fact that circumstances have been extremely challenging—from rapidly scaling its supply chain to accommodate the sudden demands of customers to generating almost no revenue as a result of all the sanitation products the business has had to invest in.   But these obstacles don't bother Mackey. As a conscious leader, his priority is making sure that every single one of their 100,000 team members has access to the resources they need to stay safe at work. He has also raised every in-store worker’s pay by $2 per hour, provided two extra weeks of sick pay for those who have to quarantine, and is giving unlimited callouts during this time.    In this conversation, Mackey shares more about what it means to lead with love, how founders can attract and retain great talent in this challenging environment, and so much more. If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.  Key Takeaways An overview of Mackey’s best-selling book, Conscious Capitalism A sneak peek into Mackey’s latest book, Conscious Leadership, and what inspired him to write it The two most important pillars of leadership Why Mackey believes in leading with love  How Mackey is putting conscious leadership into action during the pandemic The challenges Whole Foods has been dealing with from a supply chain and revenue perspective  Why being an Amazon subsidiary adds a layer of complexity to the Whole Foods business How to attract and retain great people during these challenging times  What Mackey has done to support Whole Foods employees during Covid-19 Why Mackey believes in the win-win-win mindset, and how this attitude can guide your business decisions  The importance of leading by example  Key Resources From Our Interview With John Mackey Get your copy of Conscious Leadership here

Kurt Seidensticker, Former NASA Engineer & Founder and CEO, Vital Proteins How did Kurt Seidensticker go from being a NASA engineer to the founder of one of the biggest protein brands in the world? Believe it or not, his career path has been a perfect culmination of experiences—one that has led him to his current position as the CEO of Vital Proteins, a brand that was recently acquired by Nestlé and is expected to generate a quarter of a billion dollars in revenue this year.    Even when Seidensticker was working at NASA as an aerospace engineer, he was constantly running his entrepreneurial brain and thinking up new projects to undertake. After several years of working in a diverse array of industries—from cellular phone systems to high-speed internet—he decided to strike out on his own and started his own data center company and ecommerce platform.    Despite appearing to be completely unrelated businesses, these two companies served as the launching pad that allowed Seidensticker to start Vital Proteins in 2013. His ingestible collagen product took the protein market by the storm and saw over 300% YOY growth in its early days.   In this podcast episode, Seidensticker discusses what led to the incredible growth of Vital Proteins—from having first-mover advantage to finding negotiating power when dealing with retailers. He also shares his best recommendations when it comes to influencer marketing, moving fast, and so much more.    If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.  Key Takeaways Why Seidensticker decided to become an aerospace engineer  The business ideas Seidensticker had while working at NASA and worked on space programs, underneath was entrepreneurial drive How Seidensticker came to work on pivotal projects in the cellular phone systems and high-speed internet space Why Seidensticker decided to strike out on his own How the data center company and ecommerce platform he built became a launching pad for Vital Proteins The experience that led Seidensticker to explore the world of protein, and how he created a whole new category around ingestible collagen How Seidenstricker and his team approach influencer marketing differently  Seidensticker’s school of thought when it comes to the power of product vs. marketing The benefits of operating under the radar and having first-mover advantage How Vital Proteins educated consumers and drove the market for collagen  Why Seidensticker recommends going online before retail, and how he gained negotiating leverage with retailers Details about Vital Proteins’ partial acquisition by Nestlé Why Seidensticker believes in progress over perfection Key Resources From Our Interview With Kurt Seidensticker Visit the Vital Proteins website Find Seidensticker on LinkedIn 

Mike Michalowicz, Author & Co-Founder, Profit First Professionals Right now, every entrepreneur has the same question on their mind: how do I recover or maintain my company’s profit levels during Covid-19?   That’s why we were so eager to sit down with Mike Michalowicz, who is a serial entrepreneur, author, and creator of the Profit First system. Our own CEO and founder, Nathan, used Michalowicz’s teachings to completely change the way he manages Foundr’s finances. And now we want to bring you the same level of knowledge to help you through these challenging times.   In this conversation, Michalowicz shares his best recommendations on how to manage your cash flow, financial priorities, and more during a pandemic. If you have any questions on how to take a profit-first mindset right now, this episode is for you.     If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com. Key Takeaways What Michalowicz learned from building and selling his first two businesses How going into bankruptcy changed the way that Michalowicz views entrepreneurship Michalowicz’s path to becoming a small business author, and how running two of his own companies contributes to his books What’s happening during “The Great Big Shift” How to manage cash flow during the pandemic The difference between sales issues vs. profit issues Michalowicz’s tips to organize your financial priorities during Covid-19 Why Michalowicz recommends pulling off the bandaid instead of chipping away when it comes to tough decisions An overview of the Profit First methodology and framework Parkinson’s Law, and how it applies to toothpaste Why Michalowicz recommends trusting wallets over words Key Resources From Our Interview With Mike Michalowicz Visit Michalowicz’s website

Mikael Yan, Co-Founder and CEO, ManyChat When Mikael Yan launched ManyChat in 2015, other messaging apps were trying to impress investors with their fancy AI and NLP technologies. But not him. Instead, he made it clear to investors that his app was solely meant to solve a business problem: helping companies better communicate with and market to their customers.    Investors who were initially interested in ManyChat immediately lost interest. But not for long. Even though Yan and his founding team initially had to bootstrap their product, investors eventually recognized the potential behind their vision and got on board.    Today, ManyChat has over one million Facebook pages connected to its platform in over 190 countries. The company also recently raised its Series A from Bessemer Venture Partners. Given that 2020 is the first time in history that the number of messaging app users will surpass the number of social media users, it’s clear that ManyChat is just getting started.   Listen to this interview to learn more about Yan’s thoughts on the future of messenger marketing, the global mobile industry, and the importance of mindset as an entrepreneur.    If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.  Key Takeaways Why Yan, after years of dabbling in the consumer space, turned his eyes to B2B  How ManyChat made timely use of Telegram Messenger’s API in 2015 and introduced the world of messenger marketing The rise of private vs. public channels  Yan’s analysis on why China is so ahead when it comes to mobile and messaging apps Why Yan believes in being product obsessed and understanding the customer experience above everything else  How Yan avoided the trap of building a product for the “cool” factor (and initially lost investor interest as a result)  The power of self belief in entrepreneurship, and how to cultivate this mindset  Yan’s personal glass ceiling  A look into the future of ManyChat and what Yan is most excited about when it comes to the messenger app industry  Key Resources From Our Interview With Mikael Yan  Visit the ManyChat website Follow Yan on Instagram