Startup Stories - Mixergy

Today’s entrepreneur started a business and I’m impressed by what they built. But he was booted out. I don’t know how he dealt with it but he picked himself up and started a new business. That’s what we’re here to talk about. Matt Cyrankiewicz is the Founder of HooKooeKoo which is a branding, UX and UI design consultancy company. Matt Cyrankiewicz is the Founder of HooKooeKoo which is a branding, UX and UI design consultancy company. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is a Mixergy listener who moved to San Francisco and is the founder of multiple companies. His latest is NOSON, a technology company that makes it easy for travelers to park at the nearest airport. I have questions about the future of this company considering things like autonomous vehicles, UBER and other alternatives. Still, he’s built this company incredibly quickly and built the revenue up. I want to talk about how he did it. Patrick Murray is the founder of NoSon, a company whose products include on-airport parking, off-airport parking, and transportation. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest was in medical school when he noticed something was very broken in how patients were receiving information about their health. It was a big enough problem that he left his passion to create a company to solve the pain. Dr. Rami Cohen is the founder of Telesofia which makes medical information clear for patients. I want to find out how the business is doing and how he’s getting medical clients in board. They are not the easiest clients to get; I want to find out how he’s doing it. Dr. Rami Cohen is the founder of Telesofia which makes medical information clear for patients. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest recognized that the wedding dress shopping experience could use a refresh. But what makes her different is that she had the guts to create a brand new way of doing something old fashioned. Straight from the factory to the bride. Leslie Voorhees Means is the co-founder of Anomalie which brings customized wedding dresses straight to the consumer. I want to find out how she built this business. Leslie Voorhees Means is the co-founder of Anomalie which brings customized wedding dresses straight to the consumer. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is a Mixergy listener and I’m excited to have him on to talk about his business. JT Marino is the founder of Tuft and Needle, an e-commerce mattress company. If you are starting to see online ads for mattresses and on podcasts, I believe today’s guest started all that. I invited him here to learn how he knew there was a problem with buying mattresses, how he started this business and where it is today. JT Marino is the founder of Tuft and Needle, an e-commerce mattress company. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is an entrepreneur who figured out email marketing for businesses back when people were just using email to connect with their friends and co-workers. He understood that email marketing can be highly personalized for relationship building that is timely, relevant and valuable. He started with a consulting company and it took off and he sold it for millions pre-IPO and exit to Oracle for $1.6 billion. Then he burned out. We’ll hear the story in this interview. Barry Stamos is a co-founder of INBOX Marketing which was acquired by Responsys. Barry is now the the co-founder of 1heart.com, a startup studio birthing conscious companies. Barry Stamos is a co-founder of INBOX Marketing which specializes in the strategic optimization of email marketing programs and has also recently launched 1heart.com which is a startup studio birthing conscious companies. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results. If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I’ve never been in a pickup truck my entire life. But that’s no excuse to not know about the company today’s guest built and sold. Scott Bintz is the founder of RealTruck, an e-commerce pickup truck accessory company. He sold it to TruckHero. In the e-commerce space, we can learn a lot from a company who is selling large, unwieldy, physical things like truck accessories. I invited him here to talk about how he did it. Scott Bintz is the founder of RealTruck, an e-commerce pickup truck accessory company. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

This interview is a little different. Today’s guest is with the guy who has been selling ads here at Mixergy. He took this thing that never worked, that I never cared about, and turned it into something that really matters. As an experiment I wanted to show you who we are here at Mixergy and how we operate so I invited him here to talk about selling ads and how we’ve evolved as a podcast. Sachit Gupta helps entrepreneurs like me grow profitable platforms. Sachit Gupta helps entrepreneurs, podcasters, and authors build and grow profitable platforms. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I always thought that once you build a successful company that everything just ends up working out for you. I thought the world would beat a path to your door to give you money, work for you, and buy your product. Well, it turns out that’s not the way that always works. Today’s guest came up with an idea, brought it to life and took it public. It recently sold for $5 billion dollars. And yet when he sought funding for his next business idea, his past actually worked against him. Gaurav Dhillon is the founder of SnapLogic which is the leader in self-service application & data integration. Gaurav Dhillon is the founder of SnapLogic which is the leader in self-service application & data integration. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest is the founder of Easyship, which gives e-commerce sellers the ability to ship worldwide. His name is Tommaso Tamburnotti and his business is the invisible part that keeps other businesses going. I find that infrastructure companies like Easyship often outlast the businesses that are built on them. We have to study the companies that are invisible to most people and that’s what today’s interview is about. Tommaso Tamburnotti is the founder of Easyship, which gives e-commerce sellers the ability to ship worldwide. Use this link to create an Easyship account and receive a $20 shipping credit. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I don’t understand how today’s guest has generated so much revenue with his business. Michael Rader is a Mixergy listener and his company is Brandroot. Brandroot helps entrepreneurs name their company, service or product. I invited Michael here to find out how he did it. Michael Rader is the founder of Brandroot, which helps entrepreneurs name their company, service or product. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

I can’t tell when a user is wincing while looking over my website. I can’t tell because I’m not in the room with that person. Today’s guest created a set of tools that allows websites to understand how a user is experiencing a page. He encountered a few failures before finally getting it right with his current business. We’ll find out about that and so much more in this interview. David Darmanin is the founder of Hotjar, analytics and feedback tools that allow you to see how your site is being used. David Darmanin is the founder of Hotjar analytics and feedback tools that allow you to see how your site is being used. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

The beauty industrial complex has never spoken to me but I found a shampoo that I freaking love. I’ve been told when I interview founders I really admire, my questions can lose their edge and I don’t push as hard. I don’t want to do that today. Today’s guest is Susan Griffin-Black, the co-founder and Co-CEO of EO Products which is a collection of body and hair products made with active botanicals and pure essential oils. Susan Griffin-Black is the co-founder and Co-CEO of EO Products which is a collection of body and hair products made with active botanicals and pure essential oils. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Today’s guest was fired and he told our producer he was actually proud of it. He said he deserved it. As a result he went on to start his own company. His business has a lot of competitors, many of whom I’ve interviewed before. I want to understand how he’s doing as well as he is with all the competition he has. Fred Stevens-Smith is a Co-Founder and CEO of RainforestQA which offers modern testing for web and mobile apps. Fred Stevens-Smith is a Co-Founder and CEO of RainforestQA which offers modern testing for web and mobile apps. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

A while back I got the iPhone 7 Plus because I wanted the big screen. The problem was it was so big it was difficult to use. I started doing research to see what cases I could get to make it easier to use. And then I found the Popsocket. Well, today I have the founder of the company that created a product I freaking love. David Barnett is the founder of Popsockets, which makes expanding device grips and mounts. I want to find out how he did it and how he got what seems like every celebrity to use his product. David Barnett is the founder of Popsockets, which makes expanding device grips and mounts. Sponsored byToptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now. HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint