Startup Stories - Mixergy

Joining me is an entrepreneur whose story I had read about. He built his company up to $25M but something happened and revenue went down to zero. The story doesn’t end there. He built the company back up, sold it to WeWork and wait until you hear what happened next. Seth Besmertnik is the founder of Conductor, a search and content intelligence platform that helps marketers create and optimize content to improve visibility online. Seth Besmertnik is the founder of Conductor, a search and content intelligence platform that helps marketers create and optimize content to improve visibility online. 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. Overpass – Transform your sales with the only platform for hiring remote sales experts, monitoring and managing your team, tracking outcomes and measuring success. Think of your sales reps on Overpass as an “in-house” team that works remotely and cost-effectively. The result is faster recruitment time, a shorter learning curve, greater rep longevity, and a healthier bottom line. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

When I talked to today’s guest before we got started, he told me about some of the difficulties that he had starting a business. There was one word he used that described how he did it: ambition. We’ll talk about what that means in this interview. Santi Bibiloni is the founder of COR, the #1 project profitability tool. Santi Bibiloni is the founder of COR, the #1 project profitability tool. Sponsored byOverpass – Transform your sales with the only platform for hiring remote sales experts, monitoring and managing your team, tracking outcomes and measuring success. Think of your sales reps on Overpass as an “in-house” team that works remotely and cost-effectively. The result is faster recruitment time, a shorter learning curve, greater rep longevity, and a healthier bottom line. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is yet another entrepreneur who got into marketing automation software. I’m going to ask him if thinks someone getting into the space today could still have a viable business. Sean Leonard is the founder of JumpDemand, a customer acquisition automation system. Sean Leonard is the founder of JumpDemand, a customer acquisition automation system. 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. Overpass – Transform your sales with the only platform for hiring remote sales experts, monitoring and managing your team, tracking outcomes and measuring success. Think of your sales reps on Overpass as an “in-house” team that works remotely and cost-effectively. The result is faster recruitment time, a shorter learning curve, greater rep longevity, and a healthier bottom line. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Joining me is someone whose software you’ve probably interacted with. Maybe you were frustrated by it. Maybe you admired it. Maybe it was a combination of both. I’m about to take you behind the scenes of the business behind it. Guillaume Moubeche is the co-founder of lemlist which allows you to personalize cold emails and automate follow-ups. Guillaume Moubeche is the co-founder of lemlist which allows you to personalize cold emails and automate follow-ups. 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. Overpass – Transform your sales with the only platform for hiring remote sales experts, monitoring and managing your team, tracking outcomes and measuring success. Think of your sales reps on Overpass as an “in-house” team that works remotely and cost-effectively. The result is faster recruitment time, a shorter learning curve, greater rep longevity, and a healthier bottom line. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Andy Bilinsky is the co-founder of Lensabl, which offers vision benefit plans and online prescriptions. I want to find out how his time at HauteLook inspired him to launch an eyewear brand and leveraged the growth enabled by flash sale sites. But flash sale sites trended down right as Warby Parker came to the market. We’ll hear how he decided to copy his well-funded competitor and pivoted to DTC.   Andy Bilinsky is the co-founder of Lensabl, which offers vision benefit plans and online prescriptions. Sponsored byVervoe – If you’re considering hiring, use Vervoe to find the best candidate based on performance. Vervoe uses skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate so you can make better hiring decisions. Mixergy listeners who sign-up for the free three-month trial will also get a 30-min complimentary consulting session with our Customer Success team member. 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

For years, I’ve used the software that today’s guest created. A lot of companies claim that they are powered by AI. This company is actually using it. Oli Gardner is the founder of Unbounce, which allows you to create landing pages without coding. Oli Gardner is the founder of Unbounce, which allows you to create landing pages without coding. 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. Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales tools and help you reach the right people and produce the right content. Mixergy listeners who sign up will get one month free with 100,000 emails by entering the coupon code SIBMIX at checkout. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today I have two guests who have tried for years to solve problems they ran across but they didn’t know how to sell. Well, after going through the wedding ring shopping experience, they found a pain so obvious that they knew it would sell itself. John Ruggiero and Michelle Luchese are the founders of Manly Bands, unique wedding bands for men. I invited them on to find out how they built it with no outside funding. John Ruggiero and Michelle Luchese are the founders of Manly Bands, unique wedding bands for men. Sponsored bySEMrush – If you’re doing content marketing of any kind, you need to know about SEMrush. Explore 40+ SEMrush tools and reports to find the best solution to your challenges. Find and fix SEO issues, track your daily ranks for any keyword, manage your editorial planning, discover the top content in your niche, and so much more. Mixergy listeners get to try their GURU level for two weeks, no credit card required. Just go to Mixergy.com/SEMrush to start getting insights for your content marketing. 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 and his co-founder were all rejected from YC with earlier ideas. Eventually they got together and came up with the idea for SMS marketing for Shopify stores. That idea got them into YC and eventually $40m in funding. I want to find out how he did it. Alex Beller is the founder of Postscript, SMS marketing for growing Shopify stores. Alex Beller is the founder of Postscript, SMS marketing for growing Shopify stores. Sponsored byToptal – Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on demand. Toptal serves thousands of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups, delivering expertise and world-class solutions at an unparalleled success rate. With elite freelancers in over 100 countries, Toptal connects the world’s top talent with leading companies in days, not weeks. Plus, every new engagement begins with a no-risk trial period, so clients only pay if satisfied with the work. Get started hiring with Toptal today. 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 sold his company for $2,000,000,000. But he didn’t stop after the exit. He went on to build several other companies including Lola and Moonbeam. I want to find out how he did it. Joining me is Paul English, the founder of Kayak, the online travel agency and metasearch engine. Paul English is the founder of Kayak, an online travel agency and metasearch engine. Sponsored bySEMrush – If you’re doing content marketing of any kind, you need to know about SEMrush. Explore 40+ SEMrush tools and reports to find the best solution to your challenges. Find and fix SEO issues, track your daily ranks for any keyword, manage your editorial planning, discover the top content in your niche, and so much more. Mixergy listeners get to try their GURU level for two weeks, no credit card required. Just go to Mixergy.com/SEMrush to start getting insights for your content marketing. 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

Especially after COVID, people began taking remote learning seriously. Today I invited an entrepreneur who was ahead of this trend. Vivian Shen is the co-founder of Juni Learning, online coding classes for kids. I want to find out about not only the impact of COVID on her business but also the future of online education. Vivian Shen is the co-founder of Juni Learning, online coding classes for kids. 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. Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales tools and help you reach the right people and produce the right content. Mixergy listeners who sign up will get one month free with 100,000 emails by entering the coupon code SIBMIX at checkout. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I can’t believe that the solution today’s guest came up with didn’t already exist. You can hire a remote developer; you can hire a remote EA; so why couldn’t you hire a remote sales person? Lavie Popack is the founder of Overpass, which allows you to hire and manage a remote sales team. I invited him here to find out how he built it. Lavie Popack is the founder of Overpass, which allows you to hire and manage a remote sales team. Sponsored bySendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales tools and help you reach the right people and produce the right content. Mixergy listeners who sign up will get one month free with 100,000 emails by entering the coupon code SIBMIX at checkout. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

For years I’ve been wanting to write a book but I could never sit still long enough to write it. I even tried to hire somebody to sit and write with me. It was too awkward to write together. I tried to hire someone to write for me. I didn’t like their writing. Finally, over COVID, I used something called Focusmate and I freaking wrote the book! Today I invited the founder of Focusmate to find out how he built it. Taylor Jacobson is the founder of Focusmate, virtual coworking that helps you get things done. Taylor Jacobson is the founder of Focusmate, virtual coworking that helps you get things done.   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. Vervoe – If you’re considering hiring, use Vervoe to find the best candidate based on performance. Vervoe uses skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate so you can make better hiring decisions. Mixergy listeners who sign-up for the free three-month trial by going to Vervoe.com/mixergy will also get a 30-min complimentary consulting session with our Customer Success team member. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could know ahead of time if a new hire would do well in their role? Well, today’s guest is trying to solve that problem. Omer Molad is the founder of Vervoe, which predicts job performance using skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate. Omer Molad is the founder of Vervoe, which predicts job performance using skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate. 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. Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales tools and help you reach the right people and produce the right content. Mixergy listeners who sign up will get one month free with 100,000 emails by entering the coupon code SIBMIX at checkout. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

How does an email software company compete in a world of Mailchimps and Constant Contacts? Steffen Schebesta is the co-founder of Newsletter2Go which was acquired by Sendinblue. In this interview we’ll find out how he built Newsletter2Go and the interesting thing that happened after he sold it. Steffen Schebesta is the co-founder of Newsletter2Go which was acquired by Sendinblue. 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. Vervoe – If you’re considering hiring, use Vervoe to find the best candidate based on performance. Vervoe uses skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate so you can make better hiring decisions. Mixergy listeners who sign-up for the free three-month trial by going to Vervoe.com/mixergy will also get a 30-min complimentary consulting session with our Customer Success team member. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I invited today’s guest because he willing to talk about something that so few entrepreneurs want to talk about which is how freaking hard it is to start a company. Rory O’Connor is the founder of Scurri which provides software that connects and optimizes the eCommerce ordering, shipping and delivery process. I’m going to ask him how he built it up and how he survived after nearly running out of money so many times. Rory O’Connor is the founder of Scurri which provides software that connects and optimizes the eCommerce ordering, shipping and delivery process. Sponsored bySendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales tools and help you reach the right people and produce the right content. Mixergy listeners who sign up will get one month free with 100,000 emails by entering the coupon code SIBMIX at checkout. 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