Nerv with Ryan Williams

Derek Sivers is writer, entrepreneur, programmer, musician, and student. He lived in NYC as a musician before creating and founding CD Baby in 1998. CD Baby eventually went onto be a leading seller of independent music online and he sold the company ten years later, in 2008 for $22 Million. And what did he do? He gave the proceeds to a charitable trust for music education.

The Influencer Economy Archives --> Sign-up for our email list and I'll send you a free "how to start a podcast" tip sheet: http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Derek Sivers has one of the most popular TED Talks "How to Start a Movement," which alone has amassed over 5 million views. In his TALK he details how we all focus on leadership in life and business, but in reality it's about being "the first follower," and that following is critical when starting a movement. If you haven't watched the video, it's worth a view: https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=en

After amassing over $100 Million in sales at CD Baby for over 150,000 musicians, Derek sold the company and currently lives in New Zealand. He is both a father and business man and we candidly talk about both family and work. 

We talk about how people can find "the compass in your gut," and that you need to be honest with yourself about what works for you. That compass can move in two directions and often people don't take inventory about what is 1) thriving in their life or 2) what is draining them. 
 
After selling CD Baby in 2008, Derek realized that he had spent the better part of his life focused on making money. And that when we focus on different parts of our lives, like making money, finding romance, pursuing a skill, freedom or seeking intellectual stimulation - sometimes things change and that he needed to update his priorities.
 
For him, making money had runs its course. It was something that he focused on from the ages of 18-38, and he had to break the habit of doing things for money. Which is of course a great problem to have. Now at 42, he is a father and his priorities have changed.
 
Derek believes that we all have control of our lives. At CD Baby over 85 people reported to him and he was frustrated about life. And his friend called him out and say "you don't have to do anything in life. There will be consequences, but you don't have to do anything." And Derek felt a deeper understanding that he could control his life. He believes that people who feel trapped need to realize they have control of their life.
 
Derek is a writer and his book "Anything You Want" is a universal best-seller. Derek puts himself out there as a blogger and writer, and has written over 34 books. He first got into writing when musicians asked him for advice when he was at CD Baby. He started writing and found his voice over time. 
 
Overall his writing is conversational in tone and Derek aims to be useful to other people. It's easy to lay low and hide out and not put yourself on the line, but that's not very useful to others. People often lay low and wonder why the world isn't rewarding them with cash an fame. Overall you need to put yourself out there and add value to the world.

https://sivers.org/

https://sivers.org/a

 

Direct download: Derek_Sivers_79_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:28pm PDT

Paul Jarvis is a writer, podcast host, author of multiple best-selling books, creator of online courses that have made hundreds of thousands of dollars and a master of empowering people to kick themselves in the butt to harness their creativity.

 Paul calls himself a freelancer evangelist. In the 1990's he launched a freelance web design business that has survived several economic downturns. He's worked with companies like Microsoft, Yahoo and MTV, plus entrepreneurs with massive digital empires, including Danielle LaPorte, Alexandra Franzen, Marie Forleo and Kris Carr (and a whole bunch of big-time folks in between).

Sign-up for our Influencer Economy Newsletter: http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Over time Paul was hungry for more creative work, defining his professional time on his own terms. He started writing and grew an audience of readers. Outside of publishing best-selling books like "Everything I Know," and "Write and Sell Your Damn Book," Paul publishes a weekly email to his email list about creativity. 

His writing reaches over 100,000 people every month and now he teaches creative freelancers how to run their businesses better through Creative Class—with over 1,600 students, increasing daily.

He also has pet rats, tons of tattoos and lives in a remote island in Canada. This was a fun conversation, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Direct download: Paul_Jarvis_78.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:55pm PDT

James Altucher is an entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and blogger. He is the author of the best-selling book: Choose Yourself: Be Happy, Make Millions, Live the Dream. He also hosts two successful podcasts:  "The James Altucher Show" & "Ask Altucher" show with his wife and co-host Claudia Azula Altucher.

James is an honest and open book with his writing. He speaks equally about falling on his face in business as much as he talks about winning and making a lot of money.  

In this episode of Stories from The Influencer Economy, we talk in depth about James views on business, giving, helping others, building relationships.  We also dive into the process of how James wrote Choose Yourself, and the principles of the book.

Ultimately James and his values fit into The Influencer Economy. It's an era where disruption is ripe in business and it's up to us as creative people to survive. If we want work, we have to make our own career. If we want a career we have to build the relationships with the right people. It's all on us.

James has also written for TechCrunch, the Wall Street Journal and his blog JamesAltucher.com has attracted more than 20 million readers since its launch

Choose Yourself on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Yourself-James-Altucher/dp/1490313370/

Ryan Williams on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Sign-up for our Influencer Economy email list for a FREE chapter of The Influencer Economy book:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

 

 

Direct download: James_Altucher_Ep77.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:56pm PDT

Chris Yeh is an entrepreneur, investor, blogger and author of the best-selling book: The Alliance. He wrote the book with Founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman and Ben Cassanova.

The connected technology world is changing constantly. We are needing to think like entrepreneurs if we want to survive. And the The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age is all about trust, honesty and partnering with your employer to succeed.

Chris talks about a "tour of duty" where you work on a project with a company, versus working at a company your entire life. Employers are not your family because they can lay you off at any time. You need to partner with your employer if you want to win as an entrepreneurial thinker.

There is a new project-based era for work, and Chris teaches how The Alliance book's framework empowers people to work with your boss and also is important for managing your employees.

Chris shares advice for anyone who owns their own company or wants to start a startup.

He advice is to NOT quit your day job if you're building a startup. Oftentimes when you work a full-time job you can create runway for your startup to launch and build the company's Product Market Fit over time.  Quitting your day job only gives you 4 hours extra a day, not 8 hours a day. Because it's often you are daydreaming about your startup for 4 hours a day while at your day. And it’s rare that the thing you set out to do is the final thing you build.

His advice is to make and keep promises to your employees if you want to build trust as a founder and boss.  Building trust is the key to building long term relationships in life and business...

Chris Yeh's Blog:  http://chrisyeh.blogspot.com/

The Alliance Book website: http://www.theallianceframework.com/

Buy The Alliance Book:  http://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked-Age-ebook/dp/B00JTJ84EW/

 

Direct download: Chris_Yeh_The_Alliance_2.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 11:43am PDT

Ep. 75: Billions of YouTube Views & Bigger Than Fox News and MSNBC with Cenk Uygur from The Young Turks News network.

Cenk Uygur is the main host and co-founder of the American liberal political and social news network, The Young Turks (TYT). They are a massively successful YouTube network and recently raised over $400,000 to crowdfund their recording studio in Los Angeles, where I went to interview Cenk.

Cenk is a former MSBNC Commentator, CurrenTV host and founded Young Turks in 2002. How does someone build a YouTube Channel for over 2 billion views? We talked in depth about their strategy and execution for growing a monster YouTube network. And how they galvanize and build their fan-base.

The Young Turks online:

http://www.tytnetwork.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks

https://twitter.com/TheYoungTurks

https://twitter.com/CenkUygur

 

Direct download: Young_Turks_Cenk_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:02pm PDT

Troy Carter is a well-known manager of artists like John Legend and Meghan Trainor, as well as a new guest 'shark' on Marc Cuban's TV Show Shark Tank, and the founder and CEO Atom Factory investment and talent management company in Los Angeles.
 
This is a new segment called The Prequel, where we get the pre-story where we talk to someone well-known about what life was like before they were successful. 
 
In this case Troy Carter talks Philly, technology, getting kicked-out of L.A., investing in startups like Uber and Lyft, managing John Legend, hearing a hit song in the studio, the soulful connection between entrepreneurs and musicians, and much much more. 
 
Quote from Troy:
 
"In life in general, there are no guarantees.  Failures are a part of life.  As cliche as it may sound, the way I look at it as there are no rewards without taking risks.  We take a risk every time we step out the door, every single day.  Life is full of risks and failures, but at the same time life is full of triumphs and happiness."    
 
Follow Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill
 
Troy Carter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/atomfactory
 
 
 
Influencer Economy website: http://www.influencereconomy.com/
 
Meghan Trainor: http://www.meghan-trainor.com/
 
Direct download: TroyCarter_ThePrequel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:37pm PDT

The Loud Speakers Network is an awesome podcast network, featuring prominent voices of the hip-hip generation, and Chris Morrow is the CEO and co-founder. This week he joins me on Stories from The Influencer Economy.

Chris Morrow and Combat Jack (Reggie Osse) started Loud Speakers Network together and quickly they have become a podcast force. Morrow started as a fan of Combat Jack, and later after realizing that they had friends in common, they hit it off. Now they have over 15 podcasts as a part of their growing mini-empire. Combat Jack is like the Dick Cavett or Charlie Rose of hip-hop. It's an interview show that often has old school rappers on as guests. 

Morrow has also published 4 books with Russell Simmons, including multiple NY Times best-sellers.  He first met Russell in 2005, and we talk about what it's like co-authoring books with Russell, and their creative process in authoring books.

Chris has worked in radio and bee in a writer for years. Chris's success as an entrepreneur and the Loud Speakers Network co-founder comes from his ability to under-sell and over-deliver. He also strives for #authenticity when looking for talented podcast hosts, and focuses on being real in business and in life.

 
Links about what we talked about:
 
LoudSpeakers Network Podcasts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LSNpodcasts
 
Combat Jack Show:  http://thecombatjackshow.com/
 
Loudspeaker's Network: http://loudspeakersnetwork.com/
 
Chris Morrow on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/mrchrismorrow
 
Loudspeaker's Network on Twitter:  
 
Chris Morrow's website:  chris-morrow.com
 
 
 
 
 
Direct download: LoudSpeakersNetwork_Chris_Morrow.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:31pm PDT

In this episode of The Pivot: A series documenting the stories of tech startup founders who pivot their careers from another industry, I speak with Farbod Shoraka, founder of BloomNation a technology startup based in Los Angeles, which is similar to Etsy but for flowers.

Farbod is a reformed former investment banker who pivoted his career into launching his company, taking part in the Mucker Lab Accelerator and raising venture capital from firms like Andreesen Horowitz

Farbod changed careers after seeing a larger gap in the flower market. When working as a banker, he did a business deal in the flower industry, and he was shocked that the industry was so inefficient.

After talking to his Aunt Sharine, who was in the floral industry…He realized that he could solve a big problem in the industry that large companies like 1-800-Flowers were not adequately meeting.

With seed funding that came from a co-founder who was a world class poker player, Farbod and 3 friends jumped into the tech economy.

I hope some of what we discussed surrounding his "pivot" can help you, whether trying to pivot yourself, working with start-ups or already a start-up.

In less than three years, more than 2,500 florists in about 3,000 cities have signed up to use the site.

The company is a marketplace for local florists to list their labors of love -- and for consumers to purchase them directly from these designers.  The emphasis is on local and handcrafted. Think of it as Etsy, but for flowers

I recently visited BloomNation’s new headquarters in Santa Monica to talk to Farbod, the CEO of the company. The space overlooks Third Street Promenade, bustling with shoppers and street performers. Inside though, it’s a picture of calm and playfulness. A ping pong table is the first thing you see walking in. There are flowers everywhere, not exactly a surprise.  

And part of the conference area is laid with Astroturf. Farbod Shoraka said they did that to make people feel like they are outside while they are inside the office.  To create a place where people can sit on the grass, have a conversation, to get their creative juices flowing. When we sat down to chat, I first asked Farbod to tell me more about him and his cofounders, and how they got the idea of BloomNation off the ground

What we learned: 

  • How Farbod went to speak with local florists all around Los Angeles proving their idea out for Bloom Nation
  • How important it was Farbod to get feedback from his potential users before he built the product
  • How non-coders can launch an internet tech business
  • How the founders of BloomNation raised their initial funding from a poker match at the Commerce Casino
  • How a startup accelerator can help your startup

 

 

 

 

Direct download: Farbod_Bloom_Nation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:34pm PDT

Brad Feld is an author, blogger and he invests in early stage technology companies. In fact he has invested in over 1,000 companies between his Techstars accelerator, his Foundry Ground investment firm, and his own deals. He is our guest on The Influencer Economy podcast this week.

Imagine a world where the only media channels were TV, radio, print magazines, and newspapers. And if you were a start-up entrepreneur, you had to do P.R. in order to get someone's attention for an article or any media coverage. When Brad started his first company Feld Technologies in 1987, while an undergrad student at MIT in Cambridge, that was the world for Brad to gain any media coverage for his company.

This is one of the reasons why Brad was an early adopter for blogging back in 2004. In this episode Brad details his early motivations for blogging and writing on the web. In addition to his how and why he wrote his first book: Venture Deals.

We talk about how often people think too much about their goals and sometimes it's worth starting something to figure out if it's a good idea or bad idea. When he started Techstars with his 3 other co-founders he had no idea if it would work, but figured it was worth a shot. And at the very least he would make some new friends. We chat about how people need to experiment as start-up founders, bloggers, podcasters and sometimes when you don't reach your goals, another less obvious goal emerges which can lead you down the right path.

Brad and I both believe in the "Give Before You Get" model and helping people is all about giving in the system. And that oftentimes we meet people who are takers and over time you realize you spend less time with people who take. Often when Brad meets startup founders, he develops relationships with the founders in advance of investing. And he gives to founders before realizing if he'll invest in their ideas or not.

Brad also pursues 20% of his life where he allocates his days to random things. He'll do a fake VC Day or a fake CEO day where he does stuff that allows his universe to be open to different connections.

Brad's Blog Feld Thoughts: http://www.feld.com/
TechStars:  http://www.techstars.com/
Sqord:  https://www.sqord.com/
SXSW: http://www.sxsw.com/
Jeff Ullrich and Earwolf:  http://www.earwolf.com/person/jeff-ullrich/

Direct download: Brad_Feld_Techstars.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:44pm PDT

This week Nerdist Industries President, Adam Rymer stops by the podcast. Adam runs the media company founded by pioneering Nerdist podcast host, Chris Hardwick.
 
In 2015 geeks and nerds are kings and queens of the internet and Nerdist Industries at the center of this geek cultural revolution. Everyone who watches a Nerdist video or listens to one of their podcasts has a geek passion, whether it playing Minecraft, watching the latest Batman movie, or attending ComicCon in full cosplay mode (costumes). 
 
Often on the internet, bullies and jerks can rule the comment sections of websites. And Nerdist works hard to avoid that type of fall-back. The focus of Nerdist is to avoid the lowest common denominator of the internet by not acting like a jerk. People who not only work at Nerdist but also their fans have ben bullied in the past. They get it. Nerdist embraces the positivity of being a geek.
 
Adam is a UPenn MBA with a focus on finance, and also went to Undergrad at Harvard. And now he runs business strategy and the company Nerdist. We live in an awesome world....
 
 
Adam on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NoRymeNoReason
Nerdist's website:  http://nerdist.com/
 
Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/
Direct download: Nerdist_Adam_Rymer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:08pm PDT

Omar Zenhom from the $100 MBA Show stopped by The Influencer Economy Podcast this week. He's at the forefront of education and entrepreneurship and we talked at length about his story.
 
Omar dropped out of Wharton Business School to start $100 MBA, after talking to a teacher who inspired him to start his own company.  The $100 MBA is a podcast and online educational resource that helps people build their own entrepreneurial businesses. As a former teacher, Omar leverages his educational background to give business people a playbook for building their own companies.
 
Graduate school and MBA's are very expensive in 2015 and often people go into debt to pay for a graduate degree. Programs like Omar's are super-relevant while also up and coming as they give people a chance to learn a lot through more inexpensive ways.
 
Additionally Omar loves a good webinar and as a firm believer in the medium. he and his partner Nicole Balduni launched a company WebinarNinja recently launched and I attended his conference this weekend. 
 
Webinar Ninja: http://webinarninja.co/
 
$100 MBA: http://100mba.net/show/
 

 

The Influencer Economy site:

http://www.influencereconomy.com/  

Direct download: 100_MBA_Omar_Zenhom.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:22pm PDT

Jim Louderback stopped by The Influencer Economy this week. Jim a world-class CEO, and former Head of Revision3, a pioneering online video company. He currently runs the industry and track of VidCon, the 20,000 person online video geek conference in Anaheim, CA.

Jim is an expert at the intersection of geek communities and business. He understands the culture of online geeks, and how to build companies and support business around people's passions and interests.

Jim's Revision3 company was acquired by Discovery Networks in 2007, and Jim worked at Discovery prior to his time at VidCon.

What we talked about:

  • How VidCon connects the "virtual space" to the "meet space" where online communities can connect IRL (in real life)
  • It's not about the fanbase anymore, but about the 'friendbase'
  • How YouTube creators are the fulcrom for online communities, ut not necessary the focus
  • How VidCon is as much about community members meeting other community members, as fans meeting the creators.
  • How everyone on the internet has a home and there are people 'like them' around their geek passions
  • How Revision3 built-out hugely popular geek communities online, and how Discovery acquired their network

 Jim on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jlouderb?lang=en

 Jim's website: http://louderback.com/

VidCon:  http://vidcon.com/

Influencer Economy website: http://influencereconomy.com/

 

Direct download: Jim_Louderback__VidCon.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:22pm PDT

This week I talk to Brendan McDonald, producer of WTF with Marc Maron. We talk about the finer points of producing a world-class podcast, including booking the President of the United States, Barack Obama on their show.
 
Brendan is the yin and Marc is the yang in making WTF get made. Brendan explains in details of the operations and production around creating their podcast, how they work together, and how booking President Obama was a year in the making.
 
Additionally we learn about how collaboration is key when building a successful podcast, and how having no agenda when creating a show like WTF is what makes it stand-out in the podcast world.
 
Great quotes from Brendan
 
“Having the White House reach out to us is the reason that (the interview) happened. We wouldn’t have been so bold as to go the other way. I think that was just a huge win for podcasting in general. He has his pick of media outlets, a lot of options at the disposal of the President if he wants to communicate to the country and the world. So it’s very validating to know that podcasting had achieved a level of acceptance in the media landscape.

“That kind of yin and yang makes the relationship work—not just as professional colleagues. We’ve been friends for eleven years now.”

“In the six hundred plus episodes we’ve done, we won’t do promotional interviews for the full episode... Mark will graciously have his friends over sometimes and do ten minutes at the beginning of an episode to help somebody that has a book out or a movie out, or something like that. His feeling about that is it’s kind of like an everybody can help everybody out situation. It’s not that we go requesting promotional stuff. It’s that people were gracious enough to appear on our show, which helped raise our tide quite a bit, so of course we’re going to pay the favor back.”

Find out more about The Influencer Economy book:
 
http://www.influencereconomy.com/

 

Direct download: Brendan_McDonald_WTF_Ep67.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:53am PDT

Scott Belsky knows the secret for making your ideas happen. And today I chat with him about his book "Making Ideas Happen," his company Behance (that sold to Adobe) and his passion for helping to empower the creative world. Scott offers insights and advice for anyone aiming to launch and executve their ideas.

Come see The Influencer Economy Live at The Apple Store Santa Monica. RSVP Here for September 22nd: https://concierge.apple.com/events/R051/tbd/6042760684243419656/en_US

In the influencer economy we all have ideas. And every day we are all executing on our businesses ideas, while also building ourselves as businesses. Scott and I discuss how there is no such thing as "idea meritocracy" and that ideas don't happen by accident. Ideas happen by a series of forces. While big ideas happen when a team executives and sticks together.

We also dive into the importance of building a solid team and how Scott executes his ideas like the 99u conference. In the end, Scott oversee roughly 70 employees at Adobe/Behance and his team is critical to getting his ideas to happen.

In the world where everyone and anyone can launch a product, blog, podcast or new company, why do some people's ideas succeed? While others' ideas fail? We talk about Scott's advice for early idea creation. Scott advises "to make something that needs to exist." And know the difference between a feature and a business. He also suggests bootstrapping your idea "incrementally" can behoove you and your business. Rather than going to raise a bunch of investment money.

Like many in the influencer economy, Scott is mission-centric and his ideas manifest in different products, but the message is always the same. Behance, 99u and Making Ideas Happen have the same values and are all cut from the same cloth. That helps him launch many ideas in different mediums. I know it sounds obvious, but unless you see it in action it, it's easier said then executed on.

To get book announcements, FREE chapters, and exclusive videos - sign-up here:  http://www.influencereconomy.com

We covered a lot of ground:

  • We talk about doers and dreamers - and how they need to collaborate with one another
  • And how doers need to kill off 97% of new ideas for companies and groups brought by dreamers
  • How you need to build the right team in order to make your ideas happen
  • How Scott launched the 99u conference and makes it happen because of his team
  • How the 99U is a conference NOT about ideas. It's about making your ideas come to life and talking about how you made your idea.
  • Why Scott thinks business school is overrated
  • How "Genius is "1% inspiration and 99% Perspiration" (A famous Thomas Edison quote) 
  • How creative people have great ideas but they look for media attention or raise outside capital too early and their idea fails.
  • The Creative Compromise
  • How we all have the ability to make our ideas happen

 

Quotes from Scott:

"Creativity is genuine interest combined with initiative."

 "When you optimize for (Press/Media) headlines, you will optimize yourself to the ground."

"You have to build something sustainable that has its own culture and spirit. That's what takes the team coming together."   

"We get too involved in ideas themselves. We are fascinated or too much in love with ideas themselves. We need to declare war against excessive creativity."

Scott on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/scottbelsky

Behance:   https://www.behance.net

99u:  http://99u.com

Direct download: ScottBelsky_Ep66.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:19pm PDT

Hey everyone, I have never done a solo podcast before and thought I'd give it a try for this episode. Hope it sounds good. :)

Firstly, I'm inviting everyone in Los Angeles to the Apple Store Santa Monica on September 22nd. I'll be hosting a very special event called:  "How to Launch a Start-up in Los Angeles" featuring an old friend Scott Dudelson. Come to the show and afterwards we'll all go out for drinks. I'll be bringing the live show to more cities this summer - please email me if you would like the show to come to your town.

To upvote our SXSW Panel by Friday Click here:  http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/48622

I'm also making a few key decisions involving The Influencer Economy book & podcast that I wanted to announce. Thanks for everyone's support already.

I'll soon be re-naming and re-branding The Influencer Economy podcast later this month. Take a listen to hear more about what's happening. If you have any name suggestions - I'd love to hear them. There's a few we are throwing around now.

Overall, thanks for everyone who's given the show a listen, it's been amazing to have you along in this journey. Nothing much will change on iTunes, Stitcher, etc. - but a new name will be coming soon!

The archives: http://www.influencereconomy.com/

My email:  Ryan@influencereconomy.com

 

Direct download: Ep_65_SoloEpisode.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:36pm PDT

For the archives and to sign-up for book updates:

 

http://www.influencereconomy.com/book/

 

Brian Koppelman joined Stories From the Influencer Economy as this week's guest. I originally recorded this episode at Brian's office in New York City last fall.  We talked in detail about creativity, podcasting, and finding that curiousity for what gets you motivated and inspired.

 

Brian is the co-writer of films such as Rounders and Ocean's Thirteen, as well as the co-director of the Emmy Award winning "30 for 30," film on Jimmy Connors This is What They Want. 

 

Brian is an avid podcast listener and"loves the intimacy of the conversations ." He talks about how Marc Maron's WTF inspired him to get into podcasting. Brian also details how he connected Bill Simmons and Dave Jacoby of Grantland, and how The Moment podcast came to be.  

 

He was invited on the show to talk about his creative process around filmmaking, and his embracing of social media in the digital age.  As a creator, he has launched many big ideas online...

 

Brian also created the extremely popular "Six Second Screenwriting Tips" on Vine.  The Vine series came out of questions received from Twitter.  He created one Vine every day (for 300 days), and one Vine has over 20 million loops.  The videos were focused on the idea of “giving yourself permission to create.” 

 

He recently completed a TV series with Paul Giamatti for Showtime called Billions.  Billions, the setting is the financial industry in New York.  He collaborated with his long time writing/directing partner David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin. 

Quotes:

 

“I’ve never calculated one part of my work. I’ve always just led with what fascinates me.  That’s why having the conversations is easy too. That’s what led to every movie… All this came from only being obsessed with chasing down my passions and being unrelenting with the desire to be able to tell my children that I fought to live the creative life I wanted to live and that they could do the same.” 

   “I want all the things that I say to be things that I believe and have some value.”

   “I actually don’t think that there is such a thing as remarkable people; people are the result of the actions that they take and then how they process the feedback from those actions.”   

   "A blocked artist is probably a bad wife or husband.”   

 

Connect:

   Brian on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/briankoppelman

   Brian on Vine:  https://vine.co/briankoppelman

   Brian's website:  http://briankoppelman.com

 

   At the end of the show, he suggests that you watch his film Solitary Man: http://www.solitarymanmovie.com

Direct download: Brian_Koppelman_Moment.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:35pm PDT

Sign-up for exclusive content and announcements for The Influencer Economy Book due out December 2015:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/book/

We are really excited to share this interview with Nir Eyal that I recorded a few months back. Nir was in Los Angeles for a start-up speaking engagement, where he explained the Hooked Model to 100 + entrepreneurs in Santa Monica. I was lucky enough to chat with him right before he went on stage.

His Hooked Model has changed the game for product creation and product management. We talk at length about the 4 principles of the Hooked Model and how it applies to everyone building products.

The average person checks their cell phone over 100 times per day. And Nir explains why we are all so obsessed with Facebook, WhatsApp and Pinterest. His expertise is in consumer psychology and applying principles from writer's like B.F. Skinner to modern technology. 

Nir also self-pubished his book, blogged for years and eventually launched Hooked as a NY Times best-seller. He shares what it's like seeing your book at an airport bookstore.

 

Nir's website and his Twitter:  http://www.nirandfar.com/ https://twitter.com/nireyal

 

  • How Nir started writing his blog to answer his own questions about how products create habits
  • How hearing Mark Zuckerberg speak when Nir was in Stanford business school inspired his curiosity around the hooked model
  • How Facebook & WhatsApp nailed the Hooked model
  • The difference between vitamins (nice to have) and pain killers (must have) when building products
  • A guide to the 4-Step Hooked process: 1) Trigger 2) Action 3) Reward 4) Investment
  • How podcasts apps. like Stitcher form habits for their listeners
  • The GEM model (Growth, engagement, monetization)
  • How Nir’s career transitioned from entrepreneur into story-teller
  • How Nir reach the NY Times best-seller list with the help of his community of blog readers

 

Direct download: Nir_Eyal_Hooked.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am PDT

As mentioned on the podcast intro. Please vote! For our SXSW Panel on podcasting.  My friends Jemele Hill and Tom Merritt and I are trying to host a panel "Podcasts Grow-Up:  Community and Monetization.  They are both great people and former guests of The Influencer Economy.  If we get enough votes, then we'll be at SXSW next year.

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/48622

For this week's episode, I spoke to Alan Sepinwall the writer of the wildly popular online TV recap column, What's Alan Watching?" and the best-selling book "The Revolution Was Televised.  On this week's show, Alan details how he originated his career as a TV writer, how he wound-up writing for Hitfix.com, and the keys to his successful self-published book.

Funny when I listen to this episde, I realize how much better I have improved at interviews. But what strikes me the most proud is that I stayed focus with Alan and got the conversation that I hoped for. He was a fun and insightful guest and we had a lot of ground to cover in 1/2 an hour. Hope you enjoy this!

Listen to our archives:  http://www.influencereconomy.com  Follow Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Alan's history as a TV writer dates back to the 1990's. He's a pioneer in the TV journalism industry, specifically in defining and shaping the category of online TV Show recaps.  He is a great example of a successful creator in The Influencer Economy, as he self-published his book, selling it directly to his community.  He has built an incredibly loyal following from writing online, and was able to deliver a book that his community wanted to read.  He details his unique model of self-publishing which we can all learn from. 

Alan's column:  http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching

Alan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sepinwall

Alan's original What's Alan Watching blog:  http://sepinwall.blogspot.com

From this episode you'll learn:

  • How Alan launched his writing career writing online in the 1990's about NYPD Blue
  • The history of Alan's "What's Alan Watching?" TV Recap column
  • The background of how Alan went from working for the NJ Times Ledger to writing for the entertainment website Hitfix.com
  • The secrets of how Alan self-published his book and got the attention of traditional publishers
  • The origins of Alan appearing on Bill Simmons' BS Report

 

 

Direct download: Alan_Sepinwall_Influencer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:32pm PDT

Harrison Barnes grew-up in Iowa, played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and is now an NBA player for the Golden State Warriors. This past June he won an NBA Title, when the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers.

He is a world champion.

I spoke to Harrison before he won the title, during the Warriors regular season. We had a candid converation about sports, fans, media, college, SnapChat, United Airlines customer service, and much more. 

There's a lot of great stuff in here, for fans and listeners alike who want to hear a modern day athlete's persepctive about the media landscape in 2015.  We originally aired this episde last fall.

Sign-up to buy The Influencer Economy book:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/book/

Harrison Barnes on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/hbarnes

Harrison on Instagram:  https://instagram.com/hbarnes/

Direct download: Harrison_Barnes_Warriors_Fin.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 1:00pm PDT

Super-influencer and connector John Corcoran had me on his Smart Business Revolution Podcast a few months ago. John is one of the smartest guys in the business podcasting game. He was gracious enough to give me the podcast to post on The Influencer Economy feed.

We talk about how Adam Grant's book Give and Take has both affected our busineses. We even dive into how my childhood in Iowa and attending boarding school helped inspire The Influencer Economy.  We also chat all things marketing and social media.

John has spoken to people like Dan Pink, Michael Port, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marie Forleo and Guy Kawasaki on his podcast. And it's an honor to be in a class with that group.

John's Smart Business Revolution is: "A Top 10 Podcasts for Entrepreneurs to Learn Personal Finance From" from Inc. Magazine and a "Top 100 Small Business Podcasts 2014" from Small Biz Trends.

I'd like to thank my Mom for listening to my interview with John, who planted the seed for me to re-post this episode for everyone to hear.

John's website:

http://smartbusinessrevolution.com/

John's podcast:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-business-business-revolution/id573440689

Direct download: Smart_Business_Revolution_TIE60.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 8:59pm PDT

Somethings in life start with a great dance party and for Amy Poehler and Meredith Walker, that's how they began the start of their Smart Girls company. Meredith is a veteran of Saturday Night Life and met Amy, her best friend while both were working on the show. Meredith was a talent executive and Amy was a cast player.

I met Meredith Walker, Co-Founder of Amy Phoehler Sart Girls, for literally seconds at SXSW this year. We were both at the Nerdist Party down in Austin, and I was lucky enough to chat for just a moment with her. We clicked and she's the guest this week on the podcast.

What's inspiring about Smart Girls is how they are cultivating a positive community for content around Smart Girls, while also actively speaking to young people around the world.

You'll learn how best friends Meredith Walker and Amy Poehler’s were inspired for Smart Girls.  How Meredith Walker met Amy Poehler while working together at Saturday Night Live and the story behind the company. 

They have an inspired look at life, and are helping to shape awesome web content for girls and boys of all ages. And don't forget importance of dance parties.

Their website:  http://amysmartgirls.com/

 

Direct download: MeredithWalker_SmartGirls_.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:34pm PDT

Tom Scharpling is an OG radio host and podcaster. He started to host and produce a radio show called "The Best Show" on WFMU back in 2003. The show featured call-ins from listeners, stories and special guests like comedian Patton Oswalt.

In 2014, The Best Show went off the air, and re-launched as a podcast.

Tom has paved the way with his old WFMU show for Marc Maron and WTF, to Chris Hardwick of Nerdist, and many other comedy podcasts in the modern day.

Listen to the Best Show:  http://thebestshow.net/podcast/

Buy Tom's Best Show merch and tickets to his live show:  http://stereolaffs.com/

Buy Rock, Rot and Rule:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QZUBKS

What we learned on the show:

  • The origins of The Best Show
  • How he and John Wurster collaborate on The Best Show
  • How hosts like Howard Stern inspired Tom
  • Where Tom sees the future of The Best Show going
  • What it's like transitioning from radio to podcasting

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Follow me on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill 

Direct download: Tom_Scharpling_BestShow.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:32am PDT

Jonah Keri came on the podcast in December and he was a fantastic guest. He was so good, that I wanted to re-publish this episode for all the new listeners to the show.

He's a writer at ESPN's Grantland, NY Times best-selling author, and one of the smarter minds around baseball analytics in journalism.

We get into a lot o great topics here.  Specifically how he started his journalism career, where he got his first big break as a writer, and how Bill Simmons picked him to write for Grantland.  Side note, I interviewed him when Bill Simmons still worked for ESPN, so I wasn't able to ask him about Bill's recent exit!

Subscribe and Leave a review:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-influencer-economy/id820744212?mt=2

Our archives:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Jonah Keri's website:  http://jonahkeri.com/

Direct download: Jonah_keri_FIN2.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:58pm PDT

I was really excited to sit down with Cenk from The Young Turks. He's one of the pre-eminent political voices online, and his TYT YouTube network is a mini empire on YouTube.  I went to his office and studio in Culver City to speak to him on the podcast. They were kind enough to host me in their newly built studio, on The Young Turks set.

What's remarkable about Cenk and his team, is how deep their community connection runs. In many ways, their community is an additional host and correspondent on the Young Turks Network. The Young Turks have a continual open dialogue with their audience and it's destroying the TV model of network filtered news. 

Cenk is building the next CNN, but better and much improved. We talk at length about their shows, political beliefs and the old networks and out-dated models in news and politics.

Our older acrchives:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes: 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-influencer-economy/id820744212?mt=2

The Young Turks:  http://www.tytnetwork.com/

Find the TYT on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks

Cenk:  https://twitter.com/cenkuygur

Cenk's background:

Cenk Uygur is the host and co-founder of The Young Turks online which is the largest news show on the Internet.

Uygur is the former host of The Young Turks on Current TV, MSNBC Live and has appeared numerous times on CNN, CNN Headline News, E! Entertainment Channel, Al Jazeera, ABC News, Voice of America, NPR and even Fox News Channel. He is one of the most popular bloggers on The Huffington Post, and also a contributor to Daily Kos and Politico.

Uygur is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and Columbia University Law School. He worked as a lawyer, television writer and television host before co-founding The Young Turks.

Direct download: Cenk_The_YoungTurks.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:10pm PDT

What if you were a writer who let it all hang-out.  What if you wrote about failure and not just success. And what if you approached topics such such as wishing that your daughter becomes a lesbian or listing your business failures for all to learn from.  That's what James Altucher does.  James is a writer, investor, start-up founder, podcast, father, and literally an open book when it comes to his creation.

I was excited to have him on the show to discuss all things Choosing Yourself and the art and science about how he professionally self-published his own best-selling book.

In this episode you'll learn:

  • How James embraces failure and success when living his life
  • How James asked former Twitter CEO Dick Costello to write the forward for his book Choose Yourself
  • Why it's important to choose yourself in the modern economy
  • The art of asking people for help and favors (and why it can be agonizing)
  • The importance of joining part of a "scene" where you have peers and partners when it comes to your creative and entrepreneurial endeavors
  • Why James writing sometimes invokes criticism from friends and non-friends

Our archives:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

James on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jaltucher

James' website:  http://www.jamesaltucher.com/

James' book "Choose Yourself": http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Yourself-James-Altucher-ebook/dp/B00CO8D3G4 

 

Ideas and people mentioned:

  • James Hadfield on James' podcast:  http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2015/06/the-benefits-of-being-a-total-zero/
  • AJ Jacobs Global Family Reunion:  http://globalfamilyreunion.com/
  • Tucker Max's Book in a Box:  http://bookinabox.com/
  • Jayson Gaignard MMT:  http://www.mastermindtalks.com/
  • Adam Grant's Give and Take:  http://www.giveandtake.com/

 

 

Direct download: James_Altucher_Ep55_.mp3
Category:management and marketing -- posted at: 11:17am PDT

Jemele Hill is a podcast host, TV show host, and modern day multi-platform journalist. She works at ESPN, hosts the His and Hers TV show and podcast with her show partner Michael Smith. And she's an overall social media maven and an old pal from SXSW and other digital sports event.  

Note: We had some static on the skype line during parts of the episode with Jemele. We worked hard to edit out the reverb as much as possible and spent considerable time touching it up. We think this is an episode that you'll enjoy, and thanks again for listening.

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Follow Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Jemele on Hill:  https://twitter.com/jemelehill

Jemele at ESPN:  http://search.espn.go.com/jemele-hill/

What we talked about: 

  • How she hosts and created a TV show: His and Hers while also hosting a podcast of the same name
  • The importance of accuracy in journalism
  • The importance of being natural in your podcast
  • The secrets of success for the Her and Hers Podcast and TV Show
  • What it's like working at ESPN when big athletes come by the campus
  • How she interviews guests like Triple H on His and Hers
  • The art of using Twitter to go off on tangets, cracking jokes, and hanging out on Twitter.
  • Building chemistry like Stockton and Malone with her co-host Michael Smith
  • #BlackTwitter and the shared experience and levity of the community on Twitter
  • How she started working in journalism after graduating Michigan State, and how she wanted to be a journalist at a young age
  • How podcasts are all about authenticity while the TV show is about grabbing people's attention in 5 minutes
  • How she builds her own culture around her podcasts, and how she avoids talking about sports 
  • Why The Roots are her Spirit Animal in finding the right audience for her podcast (and being cool with if not everyone listens or messes with your show)
  • How to get people to believe your podcast, and how the essence of podcasting is truly getting to know someone and getting an entry point in their lives
  • Her top hip-hop artists of all-time (she doesn't lke these questions but answered it anyway!)

Links we mentioned:

Blogs with Balls:  http://blogswithballs.com/

Anthony Saleh:  https://twitter.com/dude_br0

 

Direct download: Jemel_Hill_His_and_Hers.mp3
Category:management and marketing -- posted at: 12:59pm PDT

John Corcoran is a lawyer, former writer for The White House, and even had a stint working in L.A. in the entertainment industry. He is now the purveyor of Smart Business Revolution, a multi-media business company. His work as at the forefront of the new generation of business media brands, where people actually help each other succeed.

John or "The Relationship Doctor" as I like to call him, is one of the most well-networked people in the podcast business community. He's part of a new breed of entrepreneur, building his company off of his content. He sells online classes on "How to Connect with VIP's," offers webinars on connecting with influencers, hosts a weekly podcast, has an immensely popular email newsletter, and is the ultimate business connector.

John shares stories about how he make $1000 from a single Tweet, how he snowballs his income buy selling products to his audience, and he years of secrets to connecting with VIP's and influencers. 

John's website: http://smartbusinessrevolution.com/

 John on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/johncorcoran

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Follow Ryan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Direct download: John_Corcoran_business_podcast.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:22pm PDT

Greg Goodfried joined the show this week for Episode # 52.  

 

Greg was a trailblazer in the online "viral video" world back in 2006, when he created the epic online videos series: LonelyGirl15. This was back when "viral videos" were a big thing. He then went onto be a founder of EQAL, one of the first digital media companies to partner celebrities with major brands. 

 

He's now a digital agent at UTA in Los Angeles, and we stopped by the his office to this week for Stories From the Influencer Economy.

 

Greg is passionate about partnering with YouTubers, Viners, and Instagram creators, and helping them grow and monetize their business opportunities.  He manages online talent, helping them to build out long term financial opportunities from their work.  

 

We talked in detail about how YouTubers and online creators collaborate build their audiences and what habits make a successful YouTuber. We also talk about how the normal person can grow their own social media and video followings. And we agree that "being a good" person goes a long way to create success in the online world. Greg also shares stories about working with YouTubers like Shane Dawson and iJustine, and how he created a web phenomenon with LonelyGirl15

 

Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

 

Influencer Economy website: http://www.influencereconomy.com/

 

Greg on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/GregGoodfried

 

Greg on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggoodfried

 

Listen to all our The Influencer Economy episodes and subscribe on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-influencer-economy/id820744212?mt=2

Direct download: Greg_podcast_business.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:22am PDT

Our buddy Flula came on the podcast last year. He was a favorite guest of the show, and even prouced our intro theme music. He's also featured in Pitch Perfect II, so we thought we'd re-post the episod for everyone to learn more about Flula!

lula in Germany is here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxKivzjCFNg  

Flula on YouTube:  http://youtube.com/flula Flula on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flula Flula on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/flula Flula on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/flula  

Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Ryan on Instagram:  http://instagram.com/ryanjwill 

 

Direct download: New_Flula.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 12:08pm PDT

I was excited that Veronica Belmont stopped by to talk about her hit shows Sword and Laser and Vaginal Fantasies, while diving into her overall creative process. She's an old school podcaster and we talk about how she got her career start after graduating from Emerson College back in the day. 

 

Veronica on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/veronica

Sword and Laser:  http://swordandlaser.com/

Vaginal Fantasy:  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/62938-vaginal-fantasy-book-club

Direct download: VeronicaBelmont051915.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:40am PDT

AJ Jacobs is a N.Y. Times best-selling author and hosting the world's largest family reunion. He's also cousins with both Hilary Cinnton, Barack Obama and Kevin Bacon. He's probably cousins with you too and out to show the world we have a lot more in common than we may realize.

In this podcast, we dive into AJ's writing process, book history, and his upcoming family reunion. 

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Ryan on Twitter:https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Please leave a review on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/influencer-economy-ryan-williams/id820744212?mt=2

AJ on Twitter and his Global Family Reunion Website

https://twitter.com/ajjacobs

http://globalfamilyreunion.com/

 

 

Direct download: AJJacobs051815.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 8:18am PDT

Adam Grant is world class. Not only is a successful professor at Wharton, a best-selling author of the book Gook Give and Take, but he has proven that givers succeed more in life than taker.

Adam's book Give and Take has shaped my business philosophy more than any book in recent memory.  I learned a lot from this interview and decided to re-post it for new listeners to hear. We originally recorded this a year ago.  Enjoy!

Ryan Williams on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Influencer Economy archives: http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Leave a podcast review on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/influencer-economy-ryan-williams/id820744212?mt=2  

Adam Grant's website:  http://www.giveandtake.com/

You can read the first chapter of Give and Take: http://media.wix.com/ugd/955681_868b6e15f9384955b6206c41fd73483e.pdf

 

Direct download: AdamGrant050515.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 11:36am PDT

Hey guys, I had Jeff Ullrich on the show for this week's episode. I'm excited to be re-publishing this episode from last year, where I interviewed Jeff.  Earwolf and Midroll media are two the pioneering companies in the podcasting biz and I wanted everyone to hear Jeff's story.

Jeff's passion in the world that intersects media, entrepreneurship and art is unparalled in the new world of the influencer economy.  If you haven't heard this episode yet, it's a good one IMO. (Remember it originally aired last year, but it's still 100% relevant now)

 

Our site: http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Please review and sub in iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/influencer-economy-ryan-williams/id820744212?mt=2

Jeff on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jeffullrich

Earwolf:  http://www.earwolf.com/

Direct download: Jeff_Ullrich_043015.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 11:39am PDT

Anthony Saleh is a talent manager, investor and avid sports fan. He manages artists like Nas and also serves as a founder of Queensbridge Ventures investment firm. We talked a lot about the culture around investing, managing talent and how in life there is no reward for being a jerk.

We talk a lot of sports on top of our philosophies around business.  

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Follow Ryan:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Queensbridge Ventures:  http://qbvp.com/

Anthony on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Dude_Br0 

 

Direct download: Anthony_S_TEST1.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 8:34pm PDT

We are excited to have Tom Merritt on the show this week. He's a host, producer and a modern day renaissance man in the video and audio world. He is an old school radio guy and now hosts among his many popular podcasts:  The Daily Tech News Show, Sword and Laser, and Cord Killers.

Tom is in inspiration to many in the world of DIY creators, we can all and should learn from him.

He hosts the popular Daily Tech News Show

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Follow Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

The Daily News Tech Show:  http://www.dailytechnewsshow.com

Tom on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/acedtect

Direct download: TomMerritt040715.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 12:46pm PDT

Bryan Alvarez is the hardest working man in the wrestling and MMA audio business. And we were excited to have him join the show this week.

Bryan is a former wrestler who he started making internet radio back in 1999. In other words he is old school in the podcasting business.

Bryan's work covers the world of the WWE and MMA and he covers those topics like no one else online  His background story is inspiring and I can't wait for you to hear it.

We also talk 80's and 90's  wrestling from Hogan to Andre the Giant to the Hart Foundation.  It was a fun one to record, and we're excited to post it for everyone to hear.

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Bryan's website: http://www.f4wonline.com/

Bryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bryanalvarez

 

Direct download: Ep_44_BryanAlvarez_040115.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:46am PDT

We took this week's show on the road and attended an event called #Tubeathon in Hollywood, CA.  Shira Lazar, the host of this charity event, is an old friend of the show, and we covered the red carpet (or blue carpet actually).

We talked to some heavy hitter YouTube creators asking them the secret to success as a YouTuber. We got some insightful and smart answers, as well as getting some fun conversations around the YouTube space. I even freestyle rapped with DeStorm on the red carpet.

We also supported a great cause at #tubeathon. Every time someone hashtagged #tubeathon on a social media, $1 was given to the Covenant House homeless shelter in Los Angeles.

We try to answer - "What is a YouTuber," "How do YouTuber creators make money?," "How do brands work with YouTubers," and "What is the future of YouTube?"

http://www.influencereconomy.com/

 

Direct download: Tuebeathon_Fin_033815.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:44am PDT

Sarah Weichel is one smart cookie.  She manages some of the biggest YouTube creators on the planet and helps them build-out long term businesses.  She is extremely wise and there is a lot to learn from her. As a business manager (talent manager) for some of the biggest YouTuber creators in the world (like Hannah Hart), she has executed some amazing things.  This includes helping Hannah's book "My Drunk Kitchen" become a NY Times best-seller.

This was a fun episode, hope you enjoy it. Sarah is an optimistic person who is paving the way for YouTube creator's launching big companies and big ideas.

The first 2 people who email me ryan@influencereconomy.com - I'll send a FREE copy of the book My Drunk Kitchen to:  ryan@influencereconomy.com

Our website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com

Please subscribe on iTunes and leave a review.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-influencer-economy/id820744212?mt=2

Want to start a podcast?

Email ryan@influencereconomy.com for his "Podcast Marketing Tip Sheet"

Direct download: SarahWeichel_Fin_032315.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 11:37am PDT

Hey guys - thanks again for downloading the show.  If you want a free podcast marketing tip-sheet - email me: ryan@influencereconomy.com

Please subscribe on iTunes and our website is:  http://www.influencereconomy.com 

 

Direct download: EzraCooperstein.output.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:59am PDT

For this week's episode, we go back to where it all began:  Episode 1 with Burnie Burns. It's only appropriate to re-post the Burnie episode, which kicked this whole podcast off.  Burnie's company Rooster Teeth is an online video and media juggernaut.  He is an inspiration to many creators like Barbara Dunkelman (who works at Rooster Teeth), Adam Kovic & Bruce Greene (who now work at Rooster Teeth), Freddie Wong, and Shira Lazar - all who are past Influencer Economy podcast guests. 

We talked about the origins of Rooster Teeth, Red vs. Blue, and his advice to up and coming creators.  This is one you won't want to miss.

I also spend the first few minutes talking about the past year of the podcast, where it's going and what I've learned.  And my baby daughter gets a few shout-outs.

Subscribe on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-influencer-economy/id820744212?mt=2

Sign-up for our email list and get a free podcasting guidebook:  ryan@influencereconomy.com 

Direct download: Burnie_Repost_021915.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:32am PDT

For a free podcast marketing tip sheet:  ryan@influencereconomy.com

Tucker Max details his successful career as a book author in this episode. He also gives advice to aspiring authors and talks about his new business venture:  Book in a Box. Tucker opens up in this interview, and you won’t want to miss it. Tucker has been sued about his blog, was initially rejected by the publishing industry and has even been cheap-shotted by Shane Battier during a pick-up basketball games. He talks about it all.

Download and Subscribe on iTunes

Did you know that only 3 writers have ever had 3 books on the NY Times best-seller list at the same time? Tucker Max, Malcom Gladwell, and Michael Lewis are the only authors to have reached such a level of success.

Tucker pioneered the model of “owning your audience and controlling your book sales distribution” when he published his first best seller “I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell” in 2006. Back then, writing on the web for free was frowned upon by the publishing world. Now it’s the norm.

In 2015 everyone wants to write a book. Smart business people see the value of a book serving as a ‘calling card.’ Books can promote your business, help increase your public speaking rates, and even develop one’s authority in a business category – it’s never been this easy to write and publish.

We talk about why people should write books, the current state of self-publishing, Amazon, and even when and how Tucker was sued by Miss Vermont a few years ago.

What you can learn from this episode:

  • What it’s like taking cheap shots from Shane Battier in a pick-up game
  • The importance of luck and hard work in his writing success (and how many people don’t talk enough about luck)
  • The current state of book publishing and professional self-publishing
  • How Tucker would have started his career if Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitter existed when he became an author (hint –he wouldn’t be a writer)
  • What happens when he advises start-ups in taking venture capital from “the man”
  • Why you’re better off wearing sweat pants than a really bad suit in a meeting
  • Why having a book sends signals to people and why the amount of copies you sell doesn’t matter

Links mentioned the conversation

 

   Book in a Box: http://bookinabox.com/

   Tuckermax.me (Tucker’s blog)

   All of Tucker Max’s books on Amazon

   Tucker Max on Twitter | LinkedIn

   Machinima;  www.Machinima.com

   David Marquet’s Turn the Ship around:  http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Ship-Around-Turning-Followers/dp/1591846404

   Ben Horowitz’s The Hard Thing about Hard Things: http://www.amazon.com/The-Hard-Thing-About-Things/dp/0062273205

   Bethany Motta:  https://www.youtube.com/user/Macbarbie07

   Nir Eyal’s Hooked:  http://www.nirandfar.com/hooked

   Adam Grant’s Give and Take:  http://www.giveandtake.com

Direct download: TuckerMax021915.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 9:45am PDT

Sign-up for the email list ryan@influencereconomy.com 

Jordan Harbinger – From #1 Business Podcast to the Art of Charm Academy

 

Jordan Harbinger details how he started The Art of Charm podcast, and built a successful media company around his show. He shares how he launched the Art of Charm Boot Camps in Los Angeles, helping men to gain confidence socially and in business.   College is becoming less relevant when it comes to defining what career you want to have and Jordan’s education alternative is part of an emerging industry of cool ways to learn. 

We chat about the podcasting industry, how to market your podcast, and the BS that comes with marketing your content on Twitter.

 

  • How Jordan turned his podcast into a big media brand
  • The secrets of how Jordan helps ordinary guys become extraordinary men via the Art of Charm
  • Why Twitter is over-rated in marketing your web content
  • Why podcasts have 10x more conversion than other media properties
  • How the podcast helped Jordan launch his Art of Charm Academy and Bootcamps
  • How Jordan built a school and bootcamp around the Art of Charm
  • The importance of helping correct people’s mindsets
Direct download: ArtofCharm.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 12:19pm PDT

For a free "how to launch your podcast" tipsheet:  http://www.influencereconomy.com or email ryan@influencereconomy.com  or me on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Paul Jarvis is a best-selling author, writer, web designer, podcast host and also the chief of “giving you a gentle kick in the pants” to get over your fears.  Paul Jarvis dropped by the show to talk about creativity, building audience and working on your own projects. He details his writing process, online course creation and general theories about finding your “rat people” in your community. 

 

 

What you can learn from the show:

  • How to create a process for making a living from being creative
  • The important steps in getting from idea to execution
  • How to make money based on the skills that you have
  • How people can shape the future of online learning and education
  • The framework for making a living from your art
  • How habits create constancy and how Paul writes for ½ hour a day every day, 7 days a week
  • The importance of building an audience before selling a product
Direct download: Paul_Jarvis.output.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:09am PDT

Sign-up for the email list and I'll send a FREE podcast marketing tip-sheet:  http://influencereconomy.com/

Guest ideas, want to attend a marketing/podcast seminar, or just want to reach-out?  ryan@influencereconomy.com 

Dan Pashman details how he buit the Sporkful podcast into a massively successful food brand. He recently partnered with WNYC for his show, and also has written a best-selling book:  Eat More Better.  I even got the chance to pretend like i was on the show, talking about L.A. BBQ. And he gives a hit-list for how to create something that people will love. 

The Sporkful:  http://www.sporkful.com/

 

Direct download: Dan_Sporkful_Part2.output.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 3:36pm PDT

Sign-up for a free "How to Launch Your Podcast Guidebook:  http://influencereconomy.com/

Subscribe on iTunes:  http://bit.ly/1CNwfWV

ryan AT influencereconomy dot com

Dan Pashman, host of the podcast The Sporkful and author of the book Eat More Better stopped by the show.  Dan details the secrets of how he built his successful food podcast that is ‘For eaters, not foodies.”

Dan says that every meal is an opportunity for greatness, and his quirky and irreverent style has won over millions of listeners on iTunes.  Dan was an independent podcast creator, up until last year when the legendary public radio station WNYC picked-up the show. 

Direct download: DanFINAL.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 2:00pm PDT

Jayson Gaignard dropped by to detail how he created his MasterMind Talks Series, and has built lifelong connections by introducing influencers and experts via "Mastermind Dinners."

Jayson is a black belt in networking, building community and relationships. We go deep into the value of connecting like-minded indviduals and helping others always comes back to you.  Jayson is adding a deep knowledge-base for listeners, and will help you understand the value of buiding bridges for others.  Learn how you can book your own influencer dinners and cultivate more meaningful long term relationships in this episode.  

Stories From the Enfluencer Economy website:  http://www.influencereconomy.com

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

What we learned this episode:

  • How a Seth Godin talk changed Jayson's life
  • How relatiionships and people are the safest things you can invest in
  • How Jayson lives his life "in business you either stand for something or you stand for nothing"
  • The wealth of relationships and connecting people
  • The benefits of the "anchor guest" model and "The moving up the food chain" strategies for planning influencer dinners
  • How Jayson follows Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger's advice to:  "Eliminate one area of ignorance every year"
  • How money is the derative of the value you give people
Direct download: Jayson_Mastermind_FIN.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 10:45am PDT

Author Nir Eyal joins the podcast for a discussion around his NY Times best-selling book “Hooked:  How to Build Habit Forming Products.”  Nir explains the 4-step process around building products that capture people’s attention.  From Facebook to WhatsApp to Pinterest – Nyer has spent years contextualizing academic research, applying it to help entrepreneurs build habit-forming products. 

Our website with all the archives:  http://www.influencereconomy.com/

Nir is a pioneer when it comes to self-publishing.  He details the journey of his book becoming a best seller and how his blog, community, and self-published e-book helped land his book on the NY Times list.  It’s an amazing story that all writers can learn from.

  • How Nir started writing his blog to answer his own questions about how products create habits
  • How hearing Mark Zuckerberg speak when Nir was in Stanford business school inspired his curiosity around the hooked model
  • How Facebook & WhatsApp nailed the Hooked model
  • The difference between vitamins (nice to have) and pain killers (must have) when building products
  • A guide to the 4-Step Hooked process: 1) Trigger 2) Action 3) Reward 4) Investment
  • How podcasts apps. like Stitcher form habits for their listeners
  • The GEM model (Growth, engagement, monetization)
  • How Nir’s career transitioned from entrepreneur into story-teller
  • How Nir reach the NY Times best-seller list with the help of his community of blog readers

Nir's website and connectig wtih him on Twitter:  http://www.nirandfar.com/ https://twitter.com/nireyal

Ryan on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ryanjwill

Sign-up to receive Ryan's "How to Guide for Launching Your Podcast" - http://influencereconomy.com/

 

 

 

 

Direct download: Nir_Episode_FIN.mp3
Category:careers -- posted at: 11:06am PDT

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