Episodios

  • #770 You Don’t Have an Operations Problem. You Have a Sales & Marketing Problem.

    #770 You Don’t Have an Operations Problem. You Have a Sales & Marketing Problem.
    Sep 5 2024
    Many founders think they have an operations problem - delivery, trust, staffing, leadership. But Dan thinks you might actually have a sales & marketing problem. Dan & Ian also talk about becoming better leaders and how to fight against the erge to control your team. Last but not least, Dan shares the invaluable relationship advice he learned from President Barack Obama and reflects on the benefits of owning a lifestyle business when it comes to parenting. Want to work through your current challenges with Dan & Ian? TMBA listeners can apply to get business coaching from Dan & Ian live on the pod (it’s free). Apply here. (https://14sd8k3d6c1.typeform.com/to/aX9YfmGH) Get access to Dan & Ian’s business resources that they use with their coaching clients when you sign up for the newsletter. Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) This week’s episode brought to you by Remote First Recruiting (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/). Hire your next team member in 30 days or less. Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: $30K a Month on Upwork in Less Than 2 Years (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/30k-a-month-2-years) $100K MRR in 12 Months… Can They Do It? (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/100k-mrr-12-months) “Lifestyle Business” vs “Real Business” (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/lifestyle-vs-real-business) Only 3 Ways to Grow…What Would Plato Do (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/three-ways-grow-business)
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    27 m
  • #770 $30K a Month on Upwork in Less Than 2 Years

    #770 $30K a Month on Upwork in Less Than 2 Years
    Aug 29 2024
    This founder started an Upwork agency less than 2 years ago and is making $30K a month… JUST on Upwork alone. We talk about how to take it to $80K a month and beyond in the next year. In this week’s newsletter, we include our ICP exercise. Your next breakthrough in under 30 minutes. TMBA email subscribers can also apply to get business coaching from Dan & Ian live on the pod (it’s free). Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Today’s guest is Phil Kuehnen, founder of Rev Gravy (https://hey.revgravy.com/welcome). Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction and Overview (00:00:35) Current Revenue and Pricing (00:05:11) Financial Goals and Challenges (00:05:32) Strategies for Revenue Growth (00:05:40) Acquiring and Retaining Customers (00:07:11) Key Value Proposition and Benefits (00:07:33) Identifying Obvious Growth Opportunities (00:10:50) Creating a High-Ticket Front-End Offer (00:12:37) Focusing on the Business Model (00:19:33) The Importance of Sales Calls (00:21:12) Building a Machine for Growth Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: “1,000 Customers from One Channel” (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/1000-customers-one-channel) “Lifestyle Business” vs “Real Business” (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/lifestyle-vs-real-business) Only 3 Ways to Grow…What Would Plato Do (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/three-ways-grow-business)
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    28 m
  • #769 - $100K MRR in 12 Months… Can They Do It?

    #769 - $100K MRR in 12 Months… Can They Do It?
    Aug 22 2024
    These co-founders want to more than triple their revenue in the next 12 months. Despite stagnation the past few years, they believe they can get there. Dan & Ian dissect their plans to achieve this goal and offer some counterintuitive advice. They cover repackaging a product for a higher cost, focusing on your premium customers, and how to lead a sales call. In this week’s newsletter, we include our favorite resources for getting started with sales calls. TMBA email subscribers can also apply to get business coaching from Dan & Ian live on the pod (it’s free). Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Today’s guests are Elburz Sorkhabi and Colin Gibson, founders of The Interactive & Immersive HQ (https://interactiveimmersive.io/). Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction and Overview (00:04:40) Financial Goals and Challenges (00:06:07) Current Revenue and Pricing (00:07:51) Strategies for Revenue Growth (00:10:13) Acquiring and Retaining Customers (00:12:45) Key Value Proposition and Benefits (00:14:36) Identifying Obvious Growth Opportunities (00:16:06) Repositioning the Product for Customer Goals (00:18:32) Repositioning and Repackaging for Revenue Generation (00:24:17) Creating a High-Ticket Front-End Offer (00:34:02) Focusing on the Business Model (00:39:40) The Importance of Sales Calls (00:44:00) Building a Machine for Growth Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: “3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/3-million-death-zone) “Lifestyle Business” vs “Real Business” (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/lifestyle-vs-real-business) Only 3 Ways to Grow…What Would Plato Do (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/three-ways-grow-business)
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    47 m
  • #768 “Lifestyle Business” vs “Real Business”

    #768 “Lifestyle Business” vs “Real Business”
    Aug 15 2024
    Go from being trapped in the job you’ve built for yourself to building a wealth-generating machine. Dan & Ian challenge service businesses to determine their LTV to CAC ratio so they can improve their cashflow and run a “real” business that gives them the lifestyle they want. Calculating the LTV to CAC ratio may sound hard (and boring), but it’s no harder than solving all those other things you’re struggling with in your business. Also, Dan’s hot take on the digital nomad ratio and being “relatively” wealthy. Plus, one lucky listener (and email subscriber) will win a free ticket to this year’s DCBKK (over $1,000 value) in October. Details on how to enter in this week’s newsletter. Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Chapters: (00:01:00) Free Ticket to Our Next Event (00:04:49) Business Breakdown Series (00:06:50) Understanding the LTV to CAC Ratio (00:08:08) Scaling a Service Business (00:18:33) Lifestyle Business vs Real Business (00:20:40) Easier to Run a Real Business (00:26:00) Understanding Key Metrics (00:29:47) High Fidelity Problem-Solving (00:35:03) The Digital Nomad Ratio (00:36:10) Living Like the Wealthy Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: “3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/3-million-death-zone) The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Acquisition (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/anti-agency-high-roi) The Secret Weapon to Pricing Power (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/secret-weapon-pricing-power)
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    38 m
  • #767 “1,000 Customers from One Channel”

    #767 “1,000 Customers from One Channel”
    Aug 8 2024
    Dan & Ian talk to a listener who’s running a SaaS business that within one year got to $8K MRR. The business is full of potential and opportunities, but the risks involved with having all of your customers come from one channel looms heavily in the background. They discuss topics like how to build relationships with customers, increase average cart value, how to grow your business when you’re not a sales and marketing expert, and more. Dan & Ian brainstorm ideas about how this founder can future-proof his business while still maintaining his ideal lifestyle. TMBA email subscribers can submit their business to be reviewed with Dan & Ian on the pod. Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Today’s guest is Pavel Schoffer, founder of Beaver Codes (https://beaver.codes/#:~:text=My%20name%20is%20Pavel%20Schoffer,our%20CTO%20and%20founder%20%E2%80%93%20Pavel.). Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Chapters: (00:00:13) Introduction and Background (00:08:23) Building a Successful Lifestyle Business with Beaver Codes (00:09:50) Navigating Platform Risk and Diversification (00:11:04) Expanding the Business: Leveraging the Passionate Customer Base (00:13:34) Reaching Out to Customers and Gathering Insights (00:23:49) Managing Online Reviews and Filtering Options (00:25:50) Automating Review Responses and AI Integration (00:33:59) Balancing Platform Risk and Diversification (00:35:41) Upselling Premium Features to Existing Customers (00:37:39) Identifying Personal Passion and Building Relationships (00:42:02) Recognizing Expertise and Hiring for Growth (00:42:52) Bringing in Talent and Sharing Wisdom (00:44:28) Maximizing Personal and Business Potential Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: “3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/3-million-death-zone) The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Acquisition (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/anti-agency-high-roi) The Secret Weapon to Pricing Power (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/secret-weapon-pricing-power)
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    49 m
  • #766 “I’m Scared to Raise the Price”

    #766 “I’m Scared to Raise the Price”
    Aug 1 2024
    Dan & Ian talk to a listener who’s running a $1M D2C e-commerce business about the challenges and opportunities he faces as he plans for future growth and a potential exit down the road. They discuss topics like decreasing customer acquisition costs, increasing profit margins, the absolutely essential role of a CFO, and not letting your passion for the product get in the way of your growth. At the end of the call, Dan & Ian will recommend key next steps this founder should take in order to scale their business effectively and aggressively. TMBA email subscribers can submit their business to be reviewed with Dan & Ian on the pod. Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Check out the fluora plant (https://fluoraplant.com/) we discuss on today’s show. Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Chapters: (00:00:27) Introduction and Business Overview (00:02:18) Transitioning to D2C E-commerce (00:05:59) Scaling and Future Plans (00:13:11) Becoming a Software Company (00:14:17) Challenges and Future Growth (00:18:06) The Role of a CFO in Financial Management (00:28:28) Developing an Expensive Product for Customers (00:32:48) Improving Profit Margins and Considering Tax Implications Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: “3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/3-million-death-zone) The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Acquisition (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/anti-agency-high-roi) The Secret Weapon to Pricing Power (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/secret-weapon-pricing-power)
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    37 m
  • #765 Only 3 Ways to Grow…What Would Plato Do

    #765 Only 3 Ways to Grow…What Would Plato Do
    Jul 25 2024
    Tackling one of the biggest problems entrepreneurs struggle with: separating their business from their own narrative and looking at it with fresh eyes. This episode will uncover the simple but hard truths to every business and reveal the three (and only three) ways to grow any business. We talk about customer acquisition, order value, retention, risk-free offers, and more. TMBA email subscribers will get access to the platonic business calculator discussed on today’s show. Subscribe to the TMBA newsletter. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIa (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan)n or ian@tropicalmba.com Chapters: - (00:00:45) Introduction - (00:02:24) The Platonic Ideal of a Business - (00:04:18) Simplify, Focus, Execute - (00:10:27) The 3 Essential Ways to Grow a Business - (00:12:47) Understanding the Numbers - (00:29:07) Better-Than-Risk-Free Offers - (00:32:53) Conclusion Useful links: Connect with other entrepreneurs (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) Coaching for $250K+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-accelerator) Community for 1M+ founders (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: Winning and losing Millions with Nathaniel Eliason (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/winning-and-losing-nathaniel-eliason) Less Than 5% of Businesses Get to 1MIL+ - A Process to Reach the Goal (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/process-to-reach-goal) The Secret Weapon to Pricing Power (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/secret-weapon-pricing-power)
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    35 m
  • #764 The 5 Approaches for Getting Rich + Budgeting for Wealth

    #764 The 5 Approaches for Getting Rich + Budgeting for Wealth
    Jul 18 2024
    We speak to hundreds of entrepreneurs every year through one-on-one coaching and live events. Many of those entrepreneurs have gone on to become very wealthy, and throughout our conversations with those people, we have found some common threads to the ways that wealthy people behave. This was one of our most popular episodes of 2019 so we’re bringing it back with updated thoughts. This week, newsletter subscribers will get Dan’s personal monthly budget template. Sign up for our newsletter to receive TMBA-exclusive business-building resources weekly. (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) Chapters ● (00:02:20) Every Dollar Has a Job ● (00:09:30) Deals. People. Energy. Luck. ● (00:14:42) Strategic Identity Creation ● (00:21:22) Comprehensive Arbitrage ● (00:29:03) Old Man River ● (00:33:15) Shovel Stamper Connect with us: Dan: @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) or dan@tropicalmba.com Ian: @AnythingIan (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan) or ian@tropicalmba.com (ian@tropicalmba.com) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal Additional episodes you might enjoy: Winning and losing Millions with Nathaniel Eliason (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/winning-and-losing-nathaniel-eliason) Less Than 5% of Businesses Get to 1MIL+ - A Process to Reach the Goal (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/process-to-reach-goal) The 7 Most Common Money Mistakes for Bootstrappers (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/7-money-mistakes)
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    42 m