Foundr Magazine Podcast | Learn From Successful Founders & Proven Entrepreneurs, The Ultimate Startup Podcast For Business

Including thank you cards in your packaging could hurt your business. Find out why from Hero Packaging’s Anaita Sarkar as she discusses the myths around sustainable and eco-friendly packaging with Nathan Chan. Plus, she’ll share advice from starting two companies from scratch, covering TikTok marketing, packaging, demand generation, and more. Sarkar is the CEO and co-founder of Hero Packaging, author of Sell Anything Online, and ecommerce advisor.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Anaita’s backstory from accountant to eBay seller to founder  About her book, Sell Anything Online Anaita’s sales formula  Why TikTok is the best way to get brand awareness  Her 15-minute TikTok creation strategy  Why your bio link needs multiple pathways That you don’t need to show your face in content Why sustainable packaging is easier than it seems About the thank you card debate The importance of demand and cash flow How to not get overwhelmed with AI tools And much more small business advice…  Who do you want to

Marketing is expensive. But you can get your brand in front of people much cheaper–by giving something away for free. In Neil Patel’s return to the podcast, he’ll share lessons from years of marketing consulting and explain why free products are cheaper for your business in the long run. If you haven’t seen Patel on social media, he’s the co-founder of Crazy Egg and Hello Bar and helps companies like NBC, GM, HP, and Viacom grow their revenue. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to generate leads using referrals  Why Neil believes “growth at all costs” is wrong How to prioritize profitability in your business  That giving away a free product works  How to make marketing financially viable Patel’s AI tools for data and content production  Why AI isn’t a magic solution to business problems What’s difficult about implementing AI And much more marketing and AI advice…  *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023.  Who do you want to see next on the podc

Forgetting to hit record, the power going out, meeting heroes, and gaining friends. 500 episodes in, and Nathan Chan is still hungry for the next open-book conversation. In a special 500th episode of the Foundr Podcast, Chan lays everything on the table for a special AMA (ask me anything) from his favorite founders–YOU!  In this episode, you’ll learn:  The workplace horror story that shaped Nathan The origin of the podcast  What makes the best and worst interview guest  About successful founders who’ve started from nothing  Awkward and funny moments from 500 podcast episodes The most common advice from guests  How Nathan got comfortable in front of the camera Nathan’s daily routine and habits  Ecommerce advice from Nathan And much more behind the scenes of the podcast… Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get ex

If Noah Kagan hadn’t gotten fired at Facebook, his stock would be worth millions. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. In his return to the podcast, Kagan and Nathan Chan commiserate over shared founder struggles, hot takes on entrepreneurship, and how to get out of the way of your own success.  Noah Kagan founded AppSumo, a digital marketplace where you can discover, buy, and sell the products you need to grow your business. He’s also the author of the book Million Dollar Weekend and runs a popular YouTube channel with a million subscribers.  In this interview you’ll learn:  Kagan’s notorious firing from Facebook Overcoming his fears as a CEO How to get a connection with anyone Why Kagan and Chan are jealous of Alex Hormozi How to make a business on a weekend Why sticking with a business is so hard The importance of three customers in 48 hours Examples of ripe industries to start a business And many more entrepreneurship hot takes… Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us

How do you go from zero to 100,000 followers in 30 days? By removing ego. After multiple failed business ideas, Domenic Ashburn ran an AI experiment to gain 100K social followers in 30 days. He did it in 22 days. By sharing his learnings, Ashburn developed a cult following and placed himself as an influencer in AI implementation. He is also the founder of Grateful Labs, an AI teaching platform. Nathan Chan talks with Ashburn, AKA Mr. Grateful, about embracing AI and using it to change your life.  In this interview, you’ll learn:  Why Domenic doesn’t think he has a job How he used AI to get 100,000 followers in 30 days His steps to build a million-dollar business using AI Why AI is the co-founder of his business Making $100,000 from FounderGPT Why humans are the problem with AI  The suite of AI tools Domenic uses Why listening to your own AI voice is better for learning Domenic’s takes on AI advancements  Why you should be grateful for this era  And much more AI advice… Who do you want to see ne

Whether you like it or not, your competitors use AI to sell on Amazon. Melisa Fong says don’t get left behind. Vong is a founder, mentor, and investor in multiple 6-figure and 7-figure ecommerce brands. She’s also the instructor of our Infinite Amazon course. Vong returns to the podcast to teach how to incorporate AI into your Amazon strategy.  In this interview, you’ll learn: The state of Amazon selling in 2024  Why you have to build a brand to make money How to do a photoshoot for super cheap with AI Why being a small business is an advantage  AI tools to maximize your Amazon listings Why it will be easier than ever to launch a business Amazon AI prompts to help your business Why Bing is underrated  And many more Amazon tips and tricks… *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023. Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you

Ronnie Teja has a strong personality, and he knows it. That’s why he’s not afraid to give his opinions on the state of SEO. Teja returns to the podcast to break down how to use SEO to gain traffic and the AI tools to scale at speeds. He is a self-taught digital marketer, entrepreneur, and founder of Branzio watches, with a portfolio of 14 other brands. In this interview, you’ll learn:  The state of SEO marketing  Why Google is valuing old-school forums  To use Bing and ChatGPT to create SEO content  How to use a test site to learn what Google likes Ranking locally using pillar pages Why TikTok Shop is significantly cheaper than Amazon About Facebook’s Advantage+ shopping campaigns The basic AI tools you should be using And much more…  *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023. Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enj

How did two former co-workers turned content creators find themselves partying at Elon Musk’s house? Listen to find out. ​​ Cody Ko and Noel Miller are the creators of the Tiny Meat Gang Podcast as well as the production company TMG Studios. The duo first rose to internet fame on Vine. They’re now some of the most successful YouTubers in the world, with close to 12 million subscribers across their channels. We chatted with the content creators to learn how they navigated the past decade of internet entertainment to build a business on laughs.  In this interview, you’ll learn: How Cody and Noel started making videos on their lunch breaks The financial strategies to become a full-time content creator What brand partnerships are the best fit Why Cody and Noel started a podcast network  The technical challenges and benefits of a network  The business behind entertainment content  How Cody and Noel view data and trends  One crazy fan’s unusual gift  And much more content creator talk… Who do you wan

Phoenix Ha says media buying is like dating because there’s so much noise. So, how can you create an ad that makes the audience feel like they’ve found the one? Get ready for a media buying crash course. Phoenix Ha is the CEO of Ad Beacon, a leading data company that helps founders stop burning ad spend and start scaling faster in a post-iOS 14 environment. She’s also one of the new instructors of our updated course, How to Run Facebook Ads 2.0.  Listen to Nathan and Phoenix discuss: The trend of deep discounting  How to win in media buying Building up valuable first-party data  The differences in attribution and tracking tools  Find the quiet with ad creative  Why static is on the comeback  Ad variations and A/B testing  How to make ads outside the box  AI tools for paid media  Why we’ll never go back to ads before iOS 14 And much more media buying advice… *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023. Who do you want to see next on the podcast?

We last chatted with Richard Li, the founder of the luggage brand July, right before the pandemic changed travel forever. In Li’s return to the podcast, we’ll hear how he survived the past three years and created a luxury brand coveted by travelers. He’ll also break down how to implement AI tools in your ecommerce business and why brand is your strongest competitive advantage.  Listen to Nathan and Li discuss:  Losing 100% of their revenue in 2020 Why retail is cheaper than digital ads  Nailing product color and style  Why July isn’t on Amazon  How branding can reduce acquisition costs  Using AI to build forecast models  Maintaining the personal touch of customer satisfaction  How do you make a great offer if you don’t discount? Why brand is the strongest competitive edge  And much more DTC branding advice… *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave

Listener favorite Nick Shackelford returns to the podcast to share the current state of paid ads and how to incorporate AI in building them. Shackelford is the co-founder and managing partner at Structured Social, co-founder of Brez, and co-founder of Constant Creative. He’s spent the last ten years immersed in the performance marketing world. After working with legacy brands Pepsico and Apple, he quickly found his groove, going direct consumer with viral products like Fidget Spinners and Magnetic Eyelashes. Listen to Nick and Nathan discuss:  Nick’s origin story as a professional goalkeeper  Why Nick’s How to Run Facebook Ads course stands the test of time How Nick is walking the walk with his CDB beverage company, Brez The state of paid advertising  How Nick uses AI for his clients and business The four core areas of AI implementation  Using Canva and ChatGPT’s integration  What’s looming in 2024 for advertising  The challenges of transitioning from click to brick  How AI can help with customer s

Trinny Woodall returns to the podcast for a deep dive into AI and how she’s evolving Trinny London in a changing DTC landscape. Woodall is confident, direct, ambitious, and fabulous before fabulous was cool. She knows what she’s doing because she knows her customers. After a 20-year career in television and styling, she established Trinny London as a brand that gives everyone the tools they need to feel their best. Since launching in 2017, Trinny London has had 120% year-over-year growth, sells in 180 countries, and has a team of 200 employees. Woodall’s long-term goal is to eventually exit as one of the largest beauty brands in the world.  Listen to Nathan and Trinny discuss Why she built a brand targeting women over 35 The origin of Trinny Tribes and encouraging an organic community Why customer retention is such an essential building block The changing landscape of retail and D2C brands  Tapping into TikTok to reach future customers  The pros and cons of being a celebrity founder  Why she still per

Nat Choprasert, founder of Brand Nat and Future AI Lab, is an AI and automation specialist for businesses on a mission to demystify AI. After starting and exiting her successful ecommerce tea business, she's now helping companies implement "Humanized Automation" to save time and grow revenue. Nat has 400,000 followers across her platforms.  Listen to Nathan and Nat discuss:  Starting her tea business and the loneliness of solopreneurship  Gaining organic momentum by sharing business advice on TikTok  How one of her videos on ChatGPT gained a million views Growing to 400,000 followers across social platforms  Using a 60/40 percentage mindset with using AI  How to add the human touch to AI work Implementing AI and automation for beginners   How to use ChatGPT as a business coach  Using Claude for marketing hooks and ad creative  The common challenges of using AI for business And more AI tool recs for ecommerce… *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25,

Talia Datt returns to the podcast to share how her agency uses AI to produce viral content on TikTok. Talia Datt is the CEO and founder of The Social CliQ, a full-service digital marketing agency with a social media-first approach to online platforms. They leverage their group of 3,000 TikTok creators worldwide via their sister agency, The Content CliQ, to help plan, create, and execute so founders can easily harness the fastest-growing social media platform in the world. She’s also the instructor of a new Foundr course on creating a content marketing engine.    Listen to Nathan and Talia discuss: The TikTok algorithm’s AI foundation  Starting your strategy by consuming Proactive vs reactive content  The importance of using the native editor  Quality over quantity for content  Using AI for hooks and captions  Feeding ChatGPT for better outputs What tools her agency uses  Principles of a viral product video on TikTok ChatGPT email hacks  And more TikTok and AI strategies… *This interview was part

Brittany Stewart returns to the podcast to share how she’s building one of the fastest-growing ecommerce businesses in the United States using a stalwart ambassador program. Stewart co-founded BURST Oral Care, which sells double-digit millions on Amazon, has 30,000 ambassadors, and 800,000 members to their subscription program. Burst is currently stocked in 2,000 Walmarts and is launching in CVS this year. Listen to Nathan and Brittany discuss: How Brittany teamed up with her co-founder Hamish  Why their ambassador program is an R&D and acquisition channel  Launching their business at a dental convention  The ins and outs of building an authentic ambassador program How do you define the success of an ambassador  The difference between brand and financial results  Low-cost tools to get an ambassador program up and running Why AI is turning A players into A+ players What AI tools BURST is using And much more ambassador advice…  *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place

Michael Fenech is ready to give back. After decades of building ecommerce businesses and getting mentorship from top executives, he’s passing on his wisdom to people like you. Fenech is an Australian entrepreneur, writer, startup advisor, and ecommerce expert. Fenech is the co-founder of SKUdrop, and VoiceByte, and an official member of the Fast Company executive board and Entrepreneur.com, where he writes about ecommerce and tech startups and shares his insights and experience for entrepreneurial success. Listen to Nathan and Michael discuss:  How SKUdrop helps founders save on supply chain costs  Improving bullet points and product descriptions with AI Using ChatGPT to turn negative reviews into positive reviews  Using the Merlin extension to create formulas for efficient spreadsheets Generative AI tools to edit, improve, and describe product images  Why you need to be inquisitive as an entrepreneur Using AI to start an ecomm business from scratch What AI will not replace in business The danger of

Sourcing specialist Kian Golzari returns to the podcast to share how to use AI tools when sourcing and developing products. Golzari has sourced over 3,000 products, and his global clients include the NBA, Olympics, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Tesco, Argos, and Aldi. He’s also an instructor on our foundr+ platform, teaching courses on product sourcing and product development.  Listen to Nathan and Kian discuss: The difference between innovating and imitating products  Sourcing products for the NBA, Steph Curry, and Neymar Jr.  How to use AI to scrape and summarize product reviews and pain points The necessary human element of product sourcing How to verify the top factories on Alibaba How not to get overwhelmed with the amount of AI tools Why relationships will always matter When to use and not use chatbots Why the Canton Fair is Disneyland for Kian And much more product sourcing advice... *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023.  Who do you want to

Why start from scratch when you replicate what’s already working? Tony Matusiak is the founder of Velocity, an AI ecommerce savant with over a million followers on social media. Since dropping out of college in 2019, he’s built nearly a dozen ecommerce brands selling everything from TikTok lighting to eco-friendly straws. He’s also developed a method for using AI to quickly adapt, launch, and scale ecommerce businesses using AI.  Listen to Nathan and Tony discuss:  Dropping out of school to pursue entrepreneurship Building his first ecommerce business How to spot trends using AI tools  His adoption method with TiKTok creators  How to use short-form video to grow your business  Replicating and combining ideas that have already worked  Validating and researching products through TikTok  How to start a business using AI  Why AI won’t replace creativity And much more ecommerce advice…  *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit from October 2023. Who do you want to see next on the podca

Sabri Suby returns to the podcast to share what’s working in digital marketing right now and his advice for early-stage ecommerce founders taking the first steps in digital marketing. Suby is the founder of Australia’s fastest-growing digital marketing agency, King Kong, and a featured Shark on Australia’s Shark Tank. In 10 years, King Kong has generated over $7.8 Billion in sales for its clients in 136 different countries.  Listen to Nathan and Sabri discuss: How his humble upbringing gave him the entrepreneur bug The number one problem that all businesses face Why all marketing starts with storytelling Why content marketing is like cold calling  Why founder-led content is fundamental  What’s working in paid advertising for ecommerce  King Kong’s most successful ads Interruption based marketing The power of native content video  AI tools and the future of AI And much more ecommerce marketing advice...  *This interview was part of the Foundr Ecomm-AI Summit that took place October 23 - 25, 2023.

The D’Amelio family—Marc, Heidi, Dixie, and Charli — have taken their social media fame and passion for content creation and parlayed it into a lifestyle media empire. The family members have a combined Instagram following of 72.1 million and 228.7 million on TikTok (and counting). They recently launched their own venture and cross-platform company, D’Amelio Brands, with their first brand launch, D’Amelio Footwear, debuting in May with plans to launch a skincare line ZitsAllright soon.  Listen to Nathan and the D’Amelios discuss: Charli and Dixie’s rise to fame through TikTok  Why their family was primed for success on the platform The virality of being authentic   How to build a community on TikTok Being family and business partners Partnering with the right brands  Building their product business  What's next for the family And much more... Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's m