Beyond A Million

Latest Episodes:

048: Making Multi-8-Figures with Mushroom Coffee - with Tero Isokauppila Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Tero Isokauppila is the Founder and CEO of Four Sigmatic, an omnichannel CPG brand specializing in nutrient-dense foods like mushroom coffee and plant-based protein.

Founded in 2012, Four Sigmatic is predominantly bootstrapped with under 40 employees and has grown into a multiple 8-figure business.

In this episode, Tero tells the story of growing up on his family's farm in Finland, where his grandparents brewed mushrooms during the Second World War when coffee beans were scarce. He learned to appreciate off-the-beaten-path ingredients—like Chaga—and leaned into that experience to share his Finnish traditions with an American market eager to explore healthier coffee alternatives.

You'll hear the direct-to-consumer path he took to gain traction early on in the US market, his process for collecting real-time consumer feedback, and how he streamlined operations by outsourcing manufacturing and fulfillment.

Key Takeaways from Tero Isokauppila

The origin story of how Four Sigmatic started and scaled to multiple 8-figures.
Pivoting from retail to direct-to-consumer (sub $10M) and the early warning signs that Four Sigmatic had something special.
Is doubling revenue every year with a physical product sustainable?
How Tero used influencer marketing to gain traction early on in the US market.
Tero's process for optimizing a product offering by collecting real-time consumer feedback—and why too much feedback can sometimes do more harm than good.
The difficulty of starting and operating a CPG business and why Tero decided to outsource manufacturing and fulfillment from day one.
A pro tip on how to find great mentors.
Formulating your own product versus white-labeling.
Shocking facts about ingestible supplements and foods that most consumers don't realize. Hear Tero's helpful tips for buying safe and reliable products.
A simple hack for conducting competitive research for your business.

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047: Scale to $209M with Viral Core Values - with Darius Mirshahzadeh Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Darius Mirshahzadeh is a serial bootstrapper, podcaster, bestselling author, and the Founder of The Real Darius.

While he has started, scaled, and sold multiple 7 and 8-figure businesses, his largest company to date, was as CEO and Co-Founder of The Money Source—a mortgage lending business that he grew from 30 to 1,000 employees and $209M in annual revenue. He exited the company in 2020.

Throughout his years as an entrepreneur, Darius has ranked #9 on Glassdoor's list of Top CEOs of Small and Medium Companies in the US, was named "#3 Best Place to Work" by San Francisco Business Times, and landed #40 on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies.

He's the host of The Greatness Machine podcast and author of The Core Value Equation: A Framework to Drive Results, Create Limitless Scale and Win the War for Talent.

In today's episode, Darius shares stories, strategies, and insights from building companies and hiring 5,000+ people over his lifetime as an entrepreneur.

You'll learn how he filters for top talent when hiring, the systems he uses at different stages of company growth, and how he leverages core values to increase ROI and scale 7, 8, and 9-figure businesses.

Key Takeaways from Darius Mirshahzadeh

Growing from 30 to 1,000 employees and $209M in annual revenue in 3 years.
Managing the ups and downs of the super volatile mortgage industry and why Darius sees himself as the Lebron James of scale.
How to build the scaffolding to support different levels of company growth.
Designing an environment to scale and using systems to measure and manage performance.
3 important responsibilities of a high-performing CEO.
Intentionally filtering for core values when hiring.
Why "good" is not good enough when hiring for higher level roles.
Hiring and grooming from within versus hiring externally.
At what point in your business do you need to build core values?
Darius's 3-step framework for designing core values that people actually follow.
Who needs to be part of the process of designing a company's core values? Can the core values change over time?

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046: Leveraging Social to Build & Scale Multiple 8-Figure Businesses with Ryan Pineda Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Ryan Pineda is a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor who started flipping houses in 2015. In the span of 2 years, he built a social media following of over 1.5 million people, teaching others how to build wealth and freedom.

He now owns 500+ rental properties and has bootstrapped 9 different businesses, each generating 7 to 8-figures per year in revenue.

In today's episode, I join Ryan in his Las Vegas studio, where he shares how he went from flipping couches on Craigslist to building a growing ecosystem of multiple 8-figure brands. You'll learn that the consistent throughline to Ryan's success is his unwavering belief in what he sets out to accomplish.

In this episode, we dive into a number of topics around how he starts, scales, and structures his companies, along with how each venture builds and feeds off one another.

We also talk about his expertise as a content creator and how he leverages social media to funnel leads into businesses to generate more sales.

Key Takeaways with Ryan Pineda

How Ryan hired 100+ people and leveraged technology to bootstrap and scale 9 different businesses generating multiple 8-figures.
Creating an ecosystem of businesses that support and uplevel one another.
Hear how Ryan structures his leadership team across his various companies.
How to start new ventures without getting distracted.
The high-margin, low-risk industry that Ryan is doubling down on.
Owning versus partnering.
Profit sharing, perks, and incentivizing employees.
The advantages of a holding company.
Long-term vision versus playing day-to-day.
Ryan's outlook on meeting and connecting with the most influential entrepreneurs and celebrities.
The #1 trait that Ryan believes you need to win as an entrepreneur.
The content creation playbook Ryan uses to warm up his audience, generate leads, and make more sales.
A breakdown of Ryan's entire content team and social media strategy
The trend toward unscripted and authentic content.
Evergreen content versus trending topics.
Hear about Ryan's early years as an entrepreneur, from barely scraping by as a realtor to flipping 50 homes in a single year.

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045: The $100M Phone Case Startup That's Unf*cking The Planet with Matthew Bertulli Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Matthew Bertulli is the CEO of Pela—a green tech company founded by Jeremy Lang that creates consumer products from environmentally sustainable materials.

The company was ranked #9 on the list of fastest-growing companies in Canada and earned a valuation of $100M in 2020.

Matthew and Jeremy carved out a new market category when they launched Pela Case, the world's first 100% compostable, eco-friendly phone case; now a multiple 8-figure brand. They continued to expand their product line and more recently launched Lomi, their electric kitchen composter that turns food waste into dirt.

According to their website, Pela's customers have prevented the equivalent of 48,433,866 plastic bags from entering our oceans.

In this episode, I talk with Matthew about his experience starting and scaling companies. Interestingly, his first business was steadily bootstrapped over 10 years, eventually selling to a PE firm for 8-figures. On the flip side, Pela is VC funded and rapidly growing.

You'll get to hear his strategies for building a brand people want to talk about, why the investors on your cap table matter, and how he applies a bootstrapped mindset to running a VC-backed company.

Key Takeaways with Matthew Bertulli

Bootstrapping and scaling his first company (Demac Media) and the private equity acquisition deal that resulted in an 8-figure exit.
How Matthew helped develop an entirely new market category by commercializing the world's first compostable phone case. Pela Case is now a multiple 8-figure business.
Launching Lomi—a home appliance by Pela that magically turns food waste into dirt.
Deliberately crafting a marketing message so that other people will repeat it.
The factors that influenced Matthew and his partner to transition from a bootstrapped company to venture-backed.
The Employee Stock Ownership Plan Matthew's company uses to incentivize employees.
How becoming financially independent impacts how Matthew makes business decisions as an entrepreneur.
Why Matthew believes that the experience gained through bootstrapping makes you a better entrepreneur.
Does the credibility of your VC investors impact how much you can raise?

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044: Helping Over 1,900 Experts Scale through Acquisition with Adam Lyons Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Since launching The S.M.A.R.T Blueprint in 2020, Adam Lyons has helped over 1,900 entrepreneurs scale their businesses through acquisition.

He talks about his 5-part framework to leverage customer data and uncover new opportunities, aiming to give business owners a way to generate additional revenue without new leads.

Today, I'm talking with Adam about how he went from working as a janitor to becoming a serial entrepreneur who owns over 16 active companies. You'll hear him explain his no-money-down approach to acquiring new businesses and his method for hiring people to run them.

We also talk about why he deliberately decides to stay small, the science of generating upsells, and his strategy for overcoming objections and boosting future sales.

Key Takeaways from Adam Lyons

Teaching over 1,900 students (in 2 years) a proven framework to scale businesses through acquisition.
Why do so many founders who exit between $10M-$20M end up depressed?
The no-money-down strategy Adam used to acquire a CRM business that earned him 2x what he paid for it.
The process Adam uses in all of his businesses to create new streams of revenue and increase customer lifetime value.
How Adam uses surveys to uncover key consumer insights—and a story of how this strategy made his client $500k in a single morning.
How to find out the biggest reasons why a prospect didn't buy. Use this tactic to overcome objections and make more sales.
Why an expert who doesn't know marketing will rarely beat the non-expert, who does.
Being deliberate about where you spend your time and how much you really want your business to grow.
Why Adam will often just acquire a business that does the thing that he needs rather than pay another company to do the thing.
How does Adam get the right people on his team to run the businesses he acquires?
Why an ineffective upsell strategy, means you're only operating at a maximum of 30% capacity.

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043: Turning Trash into a $600M/Year Junk Removal Empire with Brian Scudamore Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

Brian Scudamore is a serial entrepreneur recognized for building 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a junk removal company operating 2,000 trucks and generating $600M/year in revenue.

He is the founder and CEO of O2E Brands, an umbrella company that includes 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, and Shack Shine. Since 1999, O2E has expanded to 254 franchise locations and employs nearly 500 people.

In this episode, Brian shares the story of dropping out of school to bootstrap a junk hauling company from the ground up. While it took him 8 years to hit the $1M mark, you'll hear how he systematized the business and used the franchise model to scale to $600M/year in revenue.

We also talked about his process for hiring high-quality people, the PR strategy he used to get the attention of major media outlets, and his tips for building a brand that people will never forget.

Key Takeaways with Brian Scudamore

People don't fail; systems do. Brian explains how he systematized his business and used the franchise model to scale 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.
The interviewing process Brian used to hire nearly 500 people.
How to create a vision that inspires amazing people to work for you.
How Brian used storytelling to get free PR from major media outlets like The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more.
The power of branding and how to measure its effectiveness.
The parallels between running a family and running a business.
Dropping out of college to continue growing his junk removal business.
Why hitting the $1B mark may be easier than reaching $100M, $10M, or even $1M in revenue.

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042: Bootstrapping an $80M/Year Medical Device Company Out of his Garage with Jeremy Perkins Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

Jeremy Perkins started Precision Medical Products in 2010 out of his garage and became one of the top 25 CEOs in the medical device industry within 10 years. His fully self-funded company has scaled to 300+ people (primarily contractors) and hit $80M in revenue last year.

Before getting into the medical device industry, Jeremy really didn't excel at anything professionally. He always thought he wanted to be a stockbroker, but after 2 years of trying, he realized he sucked at it.

In this episode, you'll hear how he went from being "bad at sales" to becoming one of the top medical device sales reps in the nation—and how this led to bootstrapping and scaling the #1 Fastest Growing Company in the Sacramento region, 2 years in a row.

We talk about the importance of having a conviction for what you're selling, how he leverages 1099 contractors to speed up the sales cycle, and his framework for thinking big and accomplishing audacious goals.

Key Takeaways with Jeremy Perkins

From a stockbroker who couldn't sell anything to becoming one of the top medical device sales reps in the nation.
Jeremy explains the competitive advantage that led to Precision Medical Products becoming the #1 Fastest Growing Company in the Sacramento Region.
Setting a goal to help 20 people within his company become millionaires.
How Jeremy leverages 1099 contractors to distribute and sell his products.
Why passion and desire are critical factors to succeeding in sales.
Creating a vision, setting specific goals, and building a life by design.
Find out why Jeremy has the largest swimming pool in California.
The magic of thinking big and why nothing's impossible.
Is there such a thing as work/life balance? Jeremy explains how he practices Intentional Imbalance to be purposeful about how and where he spends his time, energy, and effort.
The power of mentors and tips for getting them to say YES.

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041: Rewriting The Rules of Business with Yanik Silver Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

Yanik Silver is a serial entrepreneur, author, digital marketing expert, and visionary leader redefining how business is played in the 21st century.

By the time he was 31, he had reached his goal of becoming a millionaire and produced more than half a dozen 7-figure online businesses.

We jump into this episode by talking about some of his earliest entrepreneurial wins, including Instant Sales Letters®—an info marketing business that built fill-in-the-blank sales letter templates for any niche. You'll hear how he started and scaled this business during the rise of the internet on the back of a 40,000-person affiliate network that he built from scratch.

This company was the catalyst for how Yanik thinks about business. He explains how entrepreneurs often get so hung up on the details and metrics that they lose the curiosity and joy that comes from pursuing ideas and figuring things out as they go. Following his heart and focusing on the ideas that interest him, without knowing the outcomes, has been a consistent throughline in all of his ventures.

You'll get to hear how this mindset has built several companies, including Maverick1000, The Cosmic Journal, and Evolved Enterprise.

Through his stories of building companies, you'll learn how Yanik is rewriting the rules of business and cultivating a culture that creates more profits, more fun, and more impact. He believes that business can become one of the biggest levers for good, while also being good for business.

Key Takeaways with Yanik Silver

Making the difficult decision to listen to his gut and quit the family business.
Yanik shares the story of building his first information product business, Instant Sales Letters—a company that made him money while he slept.
Following your curiosity and pursuing ideas that interest you, even if you're unsure where they will lead.
Why intentionality is more important to Yanik than setting specific goals.
How almost going out of business helped Yanik create a better blueprint for what success looks like and gave him the direction to turn his Maverick1000 mastermind group into a thriving company.
How Yanik builds businesses around Growth, Impact, and Fun and cultivates a culture that protects those values.
Creating a die-hard community that cares deeply about your purpose and mission.
The ethos behind Evolved Enterprise™ and why businesses can make an impact without compromising profits.
Diving into the Evolved Profits business model—a no-cost opportunity for companies to reduce expenses while also making an impact in the world.

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040: Scaling eCommerce Startups to $10M and Beyond with Ryan Moran Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

Ryan Daniel Moran is a serial entrepreneur, investor, author, and the founder of Capitalism.com, responsible for creating over 100 millionaires, many in 12 months or less.

While Ryan's specialty is helping entrepreneurs make their first million, that's only a small piece of his overall business model. The company acts as an incubator for entrepreneurs with high growth potential. In return for a 30% equity stake in their business, Ryan provides them with funding, mentorship, and access to his network. Essentially, the community he coaches is a pipeline for future deal flow. His goal is to help them reach the $10M mark, exit within 3-5 years, rinse and repeat.

In this episode, not only do we talk about Ryan's business model, but he explains how he uniquely structures the company to increase valuations, raise capital, and incentivize employees.

We also dig into how he built Sheer Strength Labs, a muscle-building supplement brand that led to a $15M exit for him and his partner. Unfortunately, the private equity firm that bought it drove it into the ground. They took it from a million dollar per month top line revenue with multimillion-dollar EBITDA to a company that did just over $1M per year in sales and took home no profit.

Five years later, Ryan bought the company back for pennies on the dollar. You'll learn why the existing company failed to scale, how exactly he was able to re-acquire it, and his plan to reposition the brand to bring it back to life.

Key Takeaways with Ryan Moran

How Ryan built and sold a $15M supplement brand, and why he bought it back 5 years later at a major discount.
How Ryan's company, Capitalism.com, invests in entrepreneurs early on and takes a 30% equity stake in their businesses by agreeing to help them reach the $10M mark.
Ryan's roadmap to reposition an existing brand, revitalize the product line, and acquire customers, so he can scale from $1M to $10M.
Why good communication and understanding people is a superpower in your business.
One of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs fail to scale between the $1M-10M mark.
Why taking as much off the table as possible when exiting a company is so important.
Ryan explains how putting out content leads to incredible community and connections.
How to structure your company in a way that allows you to attract and retain top talent.
Defining your customer avatar and creating product lines that serve them at different stages of life.
The power of self-talk and how to use it to accomplish anything.
What Ryan believes is the most effective sales strategy in the entire world.
How your beliefs determine the filter through which you see the world.

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039: Billion Dollar Brand Building with Tom Shipley Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Tom Shipley is a serial entrepreneur, eCommerce investor, strategic advisor, and speaker who has become one of the leading experts in omnichannel brand building.

In 2005, Tom and his partner launched Atlantic Coast Brands and grew it into one of America's largest direct-to-consumer multi-brand companies. They generated over $2 billion in sales before successfully exiting in 2021.

More recently, Tom co-founded two other companies, including Foundry, an e-commerce and Amazon brand aggregator, and AVA, which aims to acquire and scale 30 advertising agencies annually.

In this episode, Tom shares his entrepreneurial journey and his process for building successful businesses. We dig into his mental frameworks and how shifting his operating assumptions and everything he thought he knew about growing a company led to him raising $100M in 18 months.

You'll also discover why some companies never scale despite having the full potential and how to think like a billion-dollar brand builder, so you can reach levels of success you never imagined were possible.

Key Takeaways with Tom Shipley

How to become a category king by creating purple ocean opportunities—and an example of how Tom used this strategy to build his first billion-dollar brand.
Want to buy a business with no money or track record? This is exactly how Tom acquired a $15M/year business when he was out of cash and fully leveraged.
Tom went from $800k/month net positive to losing $600k/month six months later. Find out how he used Massive Imperfect Action to climb his way back to profitability.
How Tom challenged his preconceived ideas of what was possible and grew from $35M to $100M in 18 months—all during the pandemic.
Tom's framework for removing blinders, thinking big, and making the "impossible" a reality.
What his company AVA is doing to disrupt how agencies grow. Learn about their process to scale at speed through acquisition and organic growth.
The importance of expanding your product line.
Understanding when it's okay to overpay for a deal.
Return on relationship versus return on investment.
Pulling enough money out of your business so you always have a plan B.

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