What happens when a 20-year software developer jumps back into code after years away and finds AI waiting for him?

James Curran spent two decades climbing the corporate software ladder before walking away to become a funnel builder. He helped hundreds of entrepreneurs migrate from ClickFunnels Classic to 2.0, built his reputation as the linchpin guy, and thought he was done with software forever.

Then one call with Dave Woodward in Italy changed everything.

Dave told him to build something with AI, and James had an epiphany: he could create the automated funnel monitoring tool he'd been thinking about for years, but this time without hiring a team of developers. AI bridged the gap between his old skills and the current landscape, and within months he'd shipped a product that checks funnels for speed, correctness, dead links, and invisible revenue leaks.

But James isn't just building tools. He's helping funnel builders navigate the fear that AI will replace them by showing them how to add more value instead. He's using AI to generate multiple funnel designs in minutes, split test at scale, and connect ad data directly to landing page creation.

In this episode, James breaks down how he's using Claude, the Model Context Protocol to pull Meta ad data into AI sessions, why ClickFunnels will always be the backend infrastructure even if front ends change, and why the future of funnel building isn't about replacement but speed and iteration.

If you're a funnel builder worried about what's coming, or an entrepreneur wondering how AI fits into your marketing stack, this is the conversation you need to hear.

⭐ If you want to network, connect with future JV partners, find your next business partner, or just be surrounded by the sharpest entrepreneurs in the world… there's no better room than this one.

Secure your seat now and join us LIVE at FHL Encore: The A.I. Era: https://www.funnelhackinglive.com/cfr

What if you could sell a product before you ever bought it?

Trey Lewellen has done over $100 million in e-commerce sales. He's been using ClickFunnels longer than almost anyone. And when Russell Brunson needs an e-commerce sounding board, Trey is his first call.

But before the warehouses and the team, Trey proved you could test products without owning them. That method is still how he validates every product today.

His breakthrough? 100 flashlights gathering dust in a closet. He listed them at $12 on a funnel, buying them for $5 on Amazon. They sold. He kept raising the price: $25, $35, $45, then $56. At $56, while Amazon sold the same flashlight for $5, he moved over 500,000 units in two and a half months. He used Amazon as his warehouse, only buying inventory after customers paid him. If the funnel flopped, he'd lose nothing.

That's still his method. Test first. Invest second. Never marry a product until you know people will buy it.

In this episode, Trey breaks down:

How he sold 500,000 flashlights at $56 each (while they cost $5 on Amazon)

The one phone call that doubled his conversions overnight by adding a single word to his headline

His Amazon arbitrage testing method and why he never buys inventory before he has sales

Why 98% of Shopify traffic leaves without buying and how funnels flip that conversion rate

The two-step opt-in system that captures leads even when people don't purchase

Why he calls people who don't buy (and how those calls give him better copy than any AI)

The belly button ring guy who went from 50,000 SKUs to one product and scaled faster than ever

Why most e-commerce owners focus on ads, products, and niches but never question if their store is the problem

This episode is for anyone who's been waiting for the "right time" to start selling online. Trey's testing method proves you don't need inventory or a perfect plan before you make your first sale. You just need proof people will buy.

Ready to build your funnel? Get 3 months of the ClickFunnels Scale plan for just $99: https://www.clickfunnels.com/cfradio-yt

⭐ If you want to network, connect with future JV partners, find your next business partner, or just be surrounded by the sharpest entrepreneurs in the world… there's no better room than this one.

Secure your seat now and join us LIVE at FHL Encore: The A.I. Era: https://www.funnelhackinglive.com/cfr

What happens when you build a $20M business... and then lose it all?

Stephen Diaz didn't just survive — he rebuilt from scratch using the exact same playbook that got him there the first time.

Stephen started as a wedding photographer. After discovering the power of funnels and the challenge model, he and his wife Chelsey built Rainmaker Family into one of the fastest-growing coaching companies in America — 120 employees, $3M months, Inc. 5000 #148. Then three things hit at once: a public disparagement campaign, their Instagram account got taken down, and tariffs tanked demand in their market overnight. He went from $20M/year to $1M in debt, laying off 100 people in the process.

What he did next is the whole point of this episode.

In this conversation Stephen breaks down:

• How he found the ClickFunnels playbook and scaled to 8 figures with a challenge funnel

• The three punches that nearly bankrupted a $55M business

• What it was like to lay off 100 people — and have 44 of them volunteer to come back for free

• How he rebuilt an entirely new business in under a year using AI

• The "earlier is better" funnel principle that doubled his opt-in rate

• His 30/30/30 rule for keeping margins healthy as you scale

• Why he believes the same funnel framework works in any market

This one is raw, honest, and packed with real numbers. If you're building something right now — or rebuilding — this episode is for you.

🔧 Get 60 free credits on Stephen's 8 Figure AI Toolkit (exclusive for CFR listeners): https://go.8fig.ai/cfr

🚀 Ready to build your funnel? Get 3 months of the ClickFunnels Scale plan for just $99: https://www.clickfunnels.com/cfradio-yt