The Nathan Barry Show

In today’s episode, I sit down with investor, entrepreneur, and content creator, Sahil Bloom (in front of a live audience) to unpack the key strategies and lessons that will help you achieve longevity and sustainability in the creator economy. Sahil has had a fascinating journey, transitioning from the world of private equity to making a name for himself in the creator economy (his bi-weekly newsletter alone has more than 400K subscribers). Upon entering this new sector, Sahil found himself occupied with the question of how to ensure longevity and set about putting together the ideal business operating system for content creators. In today’s conversation, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how Sahil built a thriving ecosystem as a content creator by acquiring businesses that would resonate with his audience and partnering with the right collaborators. You’ll also hear Sahil’s answers to live audience questions where he sheds light on finding the right partner, knowing when to pivot, and the future of the creator ecosystem. In this episode, you'll learn: Links & Resources: The Sweaty Startup Wait But Why Justin Welsh Tim Ferriss Sahil Bloom Links: Sahil’s website Follow Sahil on LinkedIn Follow Sahil on Twitter Follow Sahil on Instagram Follow Sahil on YouTube Follow Sahil on TikTok Subscribe to Sahil’s newsletter

Today, I talk to Darrell Vesterfelt, who is a longtime friend who helped grow ConvertKit in our craziest growth times (from $100,000/mo when he joined to $500,000/mo in just over a year). Darrell is one of the best marketers I know. He is the Founder and former CEO of Good People Digital, the Co-Founder of Homestead Living, and Co-Founder and COO of the School of Traditional Skills. In this episode, Darrell breaks down the goal and execution of an online summit that accumulated an astonishing 101,000 attendees as a brand-new brand! Tune in to find out why you can’t have a marketing strategy without value and vice versa. In this episode, you'll learn: Homestead Living Links & Resources: Homestead Living Homestead Living on Instagram School of Traditional Skills Homesteading Family Good People Digital Everything Worth Preserving Darrell Vesterfelt Links: Darrell’s website Follow Darrell on LinkedIn Follow Darrell on Twitter Follow Darrell on Instagram

In today’s episode, I’m joined by PJ Taei, Founder and CEO of Uscreen, an all-in-one video monetization platform for content creators that helps them build their brands and grow their businesses. The creator economy has changed a lot since PJ first founded Uscreen in 2015. And in that time PJ has managed to grow Uscreen to $20 million a year in revenue, representing sought-after clients and their channels, like Yoga with Adrienne and Justin Rhodes’s streaming platform, Abundance Plus. Our conversation gets into some pretty fascinating topics, like what to do when major competitors enter your field, the trial and error involved in getting your pricing right, and why true fans are so valuable for content creators looking to monetize. PJ also sheds light on what motivated him to bootstrap his company and expands on why it’s so important to stay in touch with the needs of your customers as you grow! In this episode, you'll learn: Links & Resources: Uscreen Uscreen on YouTube PJ Taei’s Links: PJ’s website PJ’s email Follow PJ on LinkedIn Follow PJ on Twitter Follow PJ on YouTube Listen to PJ’s Podcast

In this episode, I talk to Susie Bulloch, who runs Hey Grill, Hey, which started as a wildly successful food blog (to the tune of a million dollars or more a year in revenue). Then she did something that I absolutely love: she used her online business to kickstart a physical products company. Her sauces and rubs company in the barbecue space is now about to overtake the blog in revenue. The online world of content creation is vastly different to the product manufacturing space, and as Susie explains, she is grateful that she didn’t know too much before she made the transition. Her top piece of advice for anyone interested in doing the same thing is to make products with the intention of fulfilling a need, not just because you have an audience online. Susie describes herself as “terrifyingly driven,” and during our conversation, she talks about how she went from “I could never” to doing it all, the importance of celebrating business milestones, the value of having someone ask you, “Why?” regularly on your entrepreneurial journey, and her goal of increasing the representation of women-owned brands in the barbeque space! In this episode, you'll learn: Links & Resources: Hey Grill, Hey The Grill Squad ‘The Billion Dollar Creator’ Susie Bulloch Links: Follow Susie on Twitter Follow Susie on Facebook Follow Susie on Instagram Follow Susie on YouTube Subscribe to Susie's Grill Squad

Today, I sit down with the Head of Deliverability at ConvertKit, Alyssa Dulin, to shed some light on the often mysterious game of getting your email into the right inbox. Alyssa's expertise about what creators need to focus on and the most recent developments in the email marketing space can truly take your company's reach to the next level! Deliverability has always been a huge part of what we offer at ConvertKit, and Alyssa unpacks the most important pieces of this puzzle, covering sender reputation, effective cadences, and setting and delivering on expectations. As with so much of our philosophy, it is all about playing the long game over short-term wins and shiny statistics. You’ll get a look behind the scenes at how the world of email actually operates and evolves, the important conversations that happen between providers, as well as some helpful practical tips and common mistakes to avoid. Be sure to join Alyssa and me for this illuminating chat. In this episode, you'll learn: Links & Resources: ConvertKit's Creator Network Eventbrite Warby Parker Emma CM Group Tim Ferriss Susan Cain James Clear Bitly Spamhaus M3AAWG Figma Substack SparkLoop Alyssa Dulin Links: Follow Alyssa on Twitter Listen to Alyssa's podcast Subscribe to Alyssa's newsletter

Today I’m talking with Thomas Frank. Thomas built a YouTube channel called College Info Geek to over a million subscribers. Since then, he’s rebranded and grown the channel to nearly 3 million subscribers. He’s also built a massive business around courses and Notion templates. In this episode we talk about making a pivot as a creator. Thomas has an interesting and understated approach that’s worked quite well. We also talk about the Notion templates he’s selling, the YouTube productivity channel he started strictly about Notion, and how it’s driving hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales per month. Thomas also explains why it’s easier getting started on YouTube today than it was 10 years ago, and I get Thomas’ candid thoughts on how Gumroad’s new pricing has affected his business and creators in general. In this episode, you’ll learn: Thomas’ Links (H5) websiteTwitterYouTube channelNotiontemplatesNotionYouTube channelNebula.tv contentCollege Info GeekTwitterSkillshare page

In this episode I talk to Brian Feroldi. Brian is an incredible creator in the investing space. He Tweets about money, investing, and self-improvement. He also has a free newsletter with over 40,000 subscribers. Today Brian talks about his recent experience migrating his newsletter to ConvertKit. He’s also a member of the ConvertKit Sponsor Network. I haven’t said much about the Sponsor Network, so Brian shares how he’s using it to book sponsors. The bulk of our conversation, however, is about Twitter and how he’s grown his account to over 400,000 followers. Brian has an interesting idea using your Twitter profile as a sales page, and he explains why conversion rates are important. We also pull up my Twitter profile and Brian gives it a tear down live on the show. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources (H5) ConvertKit Sponsor NetworkSahil BloomJames ClearTim UrbanBlake BurgeAustin LiebermanBrian’s Links (H5) newsletterTwitterFacebookInstagramYouTubepage

The podcast is back! Today I’m talking with Turner Novak. Turner is someone I’ve followed for a long time. He has an amazing Twitter account where he drops hilarious memes, talks about life as an investor, and makes fun of venture capitalists and founders. He also posts deep dives on companies like Snapchat about how their earnings work, what’s going on in TikTok ads, and a lot more. It’s an interesting balance, and he does all this while investing in early-stage companies as a venture capitalist. In today’s episode Turner and I talk about how he creates content. We get into how he uses his funnel to raise capital, and how to generate the highest return on investment (ROI) for your audience. We also talk about how he grew to 130,000 followers on Twitter, why he failed to get a job in venture capital and had to start his own firm, and how to create a successful newsletter. In this episode, you’ll learn: Turner’s Links & Resources (H5) The SplitTwitterwebsiteTwitter

In this episode I talk to Katelyn Bourgoin. Katelyn is a creator and entrepreneur. She’s built several successful companies and agencies, and built a consultant company that she later sold. We dive into why customers buy, and how to market and sell to them through the Jobs-to-be-Done framework. Katelyn has a wealth of marketing knowledge she shares with us today. We talk about different business models. We get into why you should focus on selling checklists, cheat sheets, and outcomes rather than the traditional video courses. We also talk about how she grew her newsletter to 10,000 subscribers, and got to over 50,000 followers on Twitter. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources Simple & Consistent: How To Build an 8-Figure BusinessApril DunfordAuthorityKatelyn Bourgoin’s Links Customer CampTwitterWhy We BuynewsletterJobs-to-be-DoneThe Trigger TechniqueThe Trigger TechniqueTwitter

In this episode I talk to Laura Roeder. Laura and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve learned so much from her, and it’s great to have her on the podcast. Laura started an online community and a course called Creating Fame. She’s done a bunch of stuff in the internet space. She’s one of the people who’s been doing it since the early days. She got into software with a company called MeetEdgar, which is a social media scheduling service, and grew it into a successful company before selling it. She recently started another company called Paperbell. Paperbell is the all-in-one software that solves all the problems of running a coaching and consulting business. There’s so much to learn from Laura. I love her direct, blunt style. She’s given me great advice over the years, and you get to tune in as we jump on a call, hit record, and start catching up. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources Mama GenaMeetEdgarLaura Roeder’s Links websiteTwitterInstagramPaperbellTwitterInstagramFacebookPinterest

In this episode I talk to Justin Moore. Justin is a Sponsorship Coach & the founder of Creator Wizard, a school & community that teaches you how to find & negotiate your dream brand deals. In today’s episode Justin reveals how narrowing in on sponsorship coaching was a huge boost for his business. We talk about him growing multiple audiences between different YouTube channels (he and his wife, April, have well over a million combined followers on YouTube). My favorite part of the episode is when we dive into From Boise, my side project newsletter. Justin breaks down what we’re doing wrong with sponsorships, how we should be selling them, and how there’s quite a bit more to be earned. We also dive into the way he runs his newsletter and how he’s grown it. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and BeyondJustin Moore’s Links websitenewsletterTwitterFacebookTikTokInstagramYouTubeTrending FamilyYouTube

In this episode I’m joined by Kaya Yurieff. She is the Creator Economy Newsletter writer for The Information. It’s the publication I read when I want to know what’s going on in startups and funding, learn about Spotify’s latest launch, find out what’s going on with Instagram, and things like that. Kaya has a great approach. I love her writing. I love the way she profiles both individual creators and the moves happening from big businesses in the creator space. We talk about her writing process and her system for publishing four days a week. We talk about how they’ve grown the newsletter and what they pay attention to for monetization. We also talk about what it means to be a creator through crises like the pandemic, the social justice issues of the last few years, and now the war in Ukraine. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources EmbeddedYou don't need to post through a crisisKaya Yurieff’s Links Creator Economy NewsletterTwitter

In this episode I talk to Wes Kao, co-founder of altMBA. Her latest startup is called Maven, and it's all about cohort-based courses. Wes is fantastic at course design. Before Maven, she did a bunch of amazing things working with a lot of different creators. We talk about the State Change Method, which is something I use to make my presentations much more interesting. We talk about building an audience on Twitter. We also talk about course design, cohort-based courses, and a lot of other fun things. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources (H5) Seth GodinaltMBAGagan BiyaniWes Kao’s Links (H5) MavenwebsiteTwitterCourse Mechanics Canvas: 12 Levers to Achieve Course-Market FitThe State Change Method: How to deliver engaging live lectures on Zoom

On today’s show I’m talking with Brennan Dunn. Brennan is a longtime friend. He's been around since the very early days of ConvertKit. He helped me review pull requests from our very first developers. These days Brennan is an expert in all things email marketing and automation. He’s fantastic at segmenting lists, personalizing content, using Liquid, and other advanced techniques to create a custom experience for subscribers. We talk about some of the ways you can gradually get into automation. We go over some examples of the advanced things Brennan does with Liquid and snippets to create custom experiences for subscribers. We also talk about how you can earn more money from email with these systems, and much more. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources ConvertKitLiquidRightMessageBrennan Dunn’s Links Create & SellCreator Email Template PackDouble Your FreelancingDouble Your Freelancing RateMastering ConvertKitTwitter

In this episode I talk to Sahil Bloom. This is Sahil’s second time on the show. He’s doubled his audience from an already large number since then, and he’s now a full-time creator. Sahil is someone I’d love to have on the show every six months or every year. He’s putting out incredible content. I’ve probably learned more from Sahil in the last few months than I have from any other person. We talk about Twitter growth, monetization, growing a podcast, and newsletters. I also try to sell him on switching to ConvertKit. You can be the judge of how well I did to convince him. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources (H5) James ClearShane ParrishThe GeneralistGreg IsenbergTalent Is the Best Asset Class — Graham DuncanSahil Bloom’s Links (H5) TwitterWhere It Happenswebsite

On today’s show I talk to Isa Adney, a resident storyteller at ConvertKit. Isa came to ConvertKit as our webinar producer. You get to hear the arc of what she was doing before, how she joined the team, and how it morphed into her current role. Isa is very good at systems. She shares how she uses systems to free up time for creative activities. We also talk about reusing content, and how to create systems and flywheels to make one piece of content work across many platforms. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources (H5) ConvertKitpodcastsBrain Storm: Unleashing Your Creative SelfKimberly Brooks053: Kimberly Brooks – Taking Intentional Breaks To Reignite CreativityHarlem's Fashion Row (HFR)026: Khe Hy – How You Can Do $10,000/Hr WorkCreator StoriesIsa Adney’s Links (H5) TwitterInstagramTikTok

In this episode, I talk to Ellen Hyslop, Co-Founder of The Gist. The Gist is a newsletter all about sports, written entirely by women. Ellen and her co-founders have scaled a massive team to 20 people. They’ve grown The Gist to almost 400,000 subscribers, and they’re earning fantastic revenue from it. Ellen talks about how they grew The Gist in the early days. She also talks about their process of testing, how they launched with a launch party, and a bunch of other things. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources Jacie deHoopRoslyn McLartyEllen Hyslop’s Links websitenewsletterpodcastInstagram

In this episode I talk to Rachel Rodgers. Rachel is an attorney turned business coach. She’s someone I’ve admired and respected for a long time. She helps small business owners understand contracts and the legal side of running a business, and helps them scale their business. Rachel is a lot of fun, and she’s brilliant at business. She’s my hero because of the way that she approaches scaling a massive and successful business, and how she thinks about brand and everything else. On today’s show we talk about why business partnerships are a bad idea. Rachel shares her keys to building a successful membership community, and the benefits of publishing a book. We also talk about why you should take expensive vacations, how to build a great team, and much more. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources (H5) AuthorityDenise Duffield-ThomasConvertKitRachel Rodgers’ Links (H5) Hello SevenpodcastWe Should All Be Millionaires: The ClubWe Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide To Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic PowerSmall Business BodyguardTwitterInstagram

In this episode I talk to Reid DeRamus. He comes from the video streaming world of Hulu, HBO Max, and Crunchy Roll. His background in data analysis helped these companies grow their streaming services. Now he’s taking what he learned into the creator space to help people with their paid newsletters and courses, bringing these growth habits and growth techniques into their solo or small team creator businesses. We spend this episode riffing on business models, and the analytics that you should pay attention to as an individual creator. We also discuss branding, positioning, and local meetups. It’s a fun episode that I think you'll enjoy. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources PatreonWait But WhyYouTubeYouTubeYouTubeReid DeRamus’s Links TwitterYem

In this episode, I talked to Samir Chaudry. Samir is the co-host of the popular YouTube channel, Colin and Samir. He and his business partner, Colin Rosenblum, have built a really interesting enterprise. It’s been fun getting to know them. We talk about how they built and structure their entire business, and what drives revenue. Then we get into storytelling, and at the end we even talk about designing the perfect day, what’s driving growth on YouTube, and much more. They’ve got a show, they’ve got a newsletter, a bunch of different stuff. It’s a fun story of two people who were shining in a specific niche, took what they learned from that experience, and are serving the broader community with their knowledge and wisdom. In this episode, you’ll learn: Links & Resources ConvertKitSamir Chaudry’s Links TwitterYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotifynewsletterInstagram