Join Rami El-Ashi as he spends some time chatting with Founders & CEOs from across the globe. He asks them specific questions to learn exactly how they built and launched their businesses.
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Bryan proudly claims that he's the laziest hard working person you'll ever meet. 2. Spend time and compete in local SEO - it will pay off in the long-run. 3. If he was to start from scratch today, he'd build a SaaS Enabled Marketplace in the Services Industry. e.g. Home Cleaning Services. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The E Myth by Michael E. Gerber" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Travis Kalanick" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Trello" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Learn the power of delegation sooner! - How to weed out people that are not good fits." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "8 - 9 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-80-bryan-clayton-co-founder-ceo-greenpal
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Most people don't know that Sam used to be a competitive swimmer. 2. Sam raised $2.6M and now generates an annual revenue in the low 8 figures. Furthermore, Cozymeal is profitable. 3. His biggest issue is hiring the best possible talent. He's currently hiring for every position possible. Go and apply today! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Lean Startup by Eric Ries" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Reid Hoffman" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Google" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Start a company sooner." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-79-sam-nasserian-founder-ceo-cozymeal
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Every morning (without fail), John goes on a 2.5 mile walk with his dog, followed by a home gym session, a 30 minute IR sauna and completed with a cold plunge. 2. The first 16 chapters of John's book teach you how to make money. His favorite chapter is 17 (how to keep your money once you've made it). 3. John advises budding podcasters to ask their guests about challenges, then provide a solution to succeed. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "No." 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "ScheduleOnce" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Life is long." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "8 hours. Tracked with an Oura Ring" Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-78-john-lee-dumas-founder-host-entrepreneurs-on-fire
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Amit is a sports enthusiast. He's passionate about badminton & squash. 2. He got his first non-referred customers via initial adopters, online marketing: Google Ads, Facebook Ads and no parking stickers (No parking. No broker). 3. Don't be complacent at all - Customer preferences keep changing and are changing faster and faster - Keep a eye out for what your customers want after they have used your product/service, so you can be the first to offer them that. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Archit Gupta - Founder & CEO - ClearTax India" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Google AdWords" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Start investing early." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-77-amit-kumar-agarwal-founder-ceo-nobroker-com
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Nate is an avid fly-fisherman - he somehow manages to find time with 4 kids running around. 2. He got his first non-referred customers via organic LinkedIn posting along with being a guest on podcasts. 3. He wants entrepreneurs to know that when thinking about investing your funds in your business, organic always trumps paid advertising. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Nick Francis - Help Scout, Ross Hudgens - Siege Media" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Asana" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Everyone's trying to figure it out as they go. I was much more normal than I thought." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6.5 - 7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-76-nate-turner-co-founder-ceo-ten-speed
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Michele's morning routine in Singapore consists of riding a bike to the train station to get to work - no car. 2. $20M in AUM in the 1st yr. by creating a waitlist from friends of team members. Facebook, popup shops at malls and train station ads were key initial marketing channels. 3. Personal investing is incredibly important. Make sure your money is consistently working for you. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Radical Candor by Kim Scott" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Jeff Bezos" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Slack" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Going slower sometimes means going faster. Take your time to do things right!" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6-7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-75-stashaway-co-founder-ceo-michele-ferrario
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Joost doesn't go for a regular walk, he goes SUP-Boarding on the river every morning. 2. When writing a blog post: Get to the point straight away (7 sentences intro). Keep paragraphs very short. 3. You don't need a big team to start a business - No investors needed - He launched with €800 The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "John Carmack - CTO of Oculus VR" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Google" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Don't waste your time - law of diminishing returns - should have started side projects earlier." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6-8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-74-websitegecko-founder-joost-boer
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Hesam has 3 masters degrees - mechanical engineering, material science & business. 2. Make sure your business is fun and motivating, create something new and be creative. 3. Don't confine yourself. Look around. Do the things that you like to do and passion will take you there. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Elon Musk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "LinkedIn" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Be more patient." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "5-8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-73-boonoob-founder-ceo-hesam-jafari
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Anthony is obsessed with old Magic: The Gathering cards. He may even start a fund around this. 2. He used Twitter to find people talking about 'Fantasy Sports' and airdropped free tokens on Ethereum to get them on his platform. 3. Crypto is a hot topic and there is plenty of money being made, but be careful, there is a serious dark side with bad actors and criminals. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Whatever You Think Think the Opposite by Paul Arden" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Richard Craib - Founder - Numerai" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "SEO/Google Adwords" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Health is more important than wealth." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-72-rotohive-founder-anthony-adams
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Matt is a single dad - Raised 5 kids on his own - Wrote a book about it (Leader of the Pack). 2. To get customers, you need to look really important - Be active on social channels and be direct (ask for what you want) 3. If you have an idea for a business, go for it! You have to want it badly to succeed equally! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Elon Musk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Email" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Don't get married." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-71-insurious-co-founder-ceo-matt-sweetwood
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Now is a good time to start a business. 2. If you're a student or working, you just need to start. 3. You need to be patient, give it 2-3 years to learn and grow. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Steve Jobs" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Shopify" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Practical learning is fundamental. Work hard, learn and implement." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7-8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-70-loom-solar-founder-amod-anand
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Kareem studied philosophy of religion. 2. Don't be afraid to pivot a few times. 3. Don't give up! Try many things and keep growing. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Life's A Pitch by Roger Mavity and Stephen Bayley" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "None" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Facebook" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Be who you are." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-69-fillmarket-founder-ceo-kareem-youssef
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. We get rich by being an entrepreneur - when you get wealthy you need to maintain that wealth. 2. Lock your profits with private companies - own a piece of a private company. 3. Keep building wealth - don't sit on profits. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Elon Musk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Twitter" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "To make quicker decisions. Live to live not live to wait." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6-7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-68-coinlinked-com-founder-ceo-jenny-ta
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Rony works until 1-2AM then watches another 30-40 minutes of Netflix to clear his mind before the next day. 2. Make sure you do something you love. (You don't work a single day in your life if you love what you're doing). 3. Be persistent! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Elon Musk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Slack" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Keep on pushing and 1 + 1 = 2 but so does 0.5 + 0.5 + 1 you need to be creative!" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-67-doodeo-founder-ceo-rony-hage
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Blake started his own company in 2010 and attempted to sell it on Flippa.com 6 years later! 2. We are living in challenging times. But this is an opportunity to own your future! 3. There has never been a better time to own your own business. Flippa can help you do that. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success by Matthew Syed" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, Inc." 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Flow XO" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Keep going! It gets a lot more exiting!" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6-7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-66-flippa-com-ceo-blake-hutchison
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. The Social Contract of "finish university, get a job" is not for everyone - there are different paths! 2. Bob was born in Silicon Valley - A mile away from Apple headquarters. 3. Working hard will put you at the same level of people who are naturally smart. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Art of War by Sun Tzu" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Jordan Greenhall, Chairman/CEO/Co-Founder, Divx Inc." 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "LinkedIn" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "The Social Contract of "finish university, get a job" is not for everyone - there are different paths!" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-65-everest-co-founder-ceo-bob-reid
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Measure what you're doing everyday carefully. 2. See if what you're measuring matches your trajectory and adjust accordingly. 3. Create a "Not-To-Do" list. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The E Myth by Michael E. Gerber" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Edwin Catmull, President of Walt Disney Animation Studios" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Followerwonk" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "I'd ask my 20 year old self for advice" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-64-judicious-inc-founder-sean-work
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Remote is the new normal. 2. Try out various platforms (like Prakya). 3. If you're in the position of leading, then make sure you're creating more leaders! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Gary Griffiths" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "LinkedIn" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "To be a giver & trust my instincts." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-63-prakya-founder-ceo-raghu-konka
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Think about your audience and try to view things from their perspective. 2. The more you sell, the LESS your audience or potential clients will engage. 3. Instead, find a way to start off by giving your potential customers some value, then wait to see if the door opens. They need to trust you to give you their business. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Joe Biden" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Aidentified" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Enjoy the hair! Always think in terms of Business Development." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-62-opt-in-media-founder-ceo-adam-shapiro
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Many times you'll get punched in the face, stand up and push forward. 2. Every market is saturated, you need to learn to stand out - even if its saying "Hola" instead of "Hello". 3. If you'd like to learn more about LinkedIn Boolean Strings - visit Linkedprospect.com The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Elon Musk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Google Analytics" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~ Aristotle 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6-8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-61-kas-andz-marketing-group-founder-kas-andz
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Allow yourself to act intuitively 2. A 100% remote workforce is the new trend since the pandemic 3. Structure your validation process to ensure your success The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "GitHub: Founders - Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, Scott Chacon, P. J. Hyett & CEO - Nat Friedman" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Confluence" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Trust your intuition." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "6-9 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-60-teamway-co-founder-ceo-søren-nørgaard
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Listen to your customers - talk to them to validate your idea! 2. Find out WHY they want your product/service! 3. Find Product Market Fit and Choose who you serve, wisely. The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Disciplined Entrepreneurship by Bill Aulet" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "No. But he reads Annual Reports to learn business strategies." 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Facebook + Google Ads." 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "To listen to yourself and everyone else's advice and make a decision on your own." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7-8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-59-formsable-founder-pavel-titov
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster and a journey. 2. There are gonna be ups and downs. You gotta stick with it to be successful. 3. Outsourcing VAs for a 1/3 of the cost in the U.S. should not be considered as cheap labor. The cost of living abroad is much lower! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "No." 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "Appsumo (Noah Kagan)" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Be more academically oriented and quit the rat race sooner." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7-8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-58-extend-your-team-founder-ceo-matthew-yahes
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Use a Validation/Process Checklist to ensure that you're on the right track 2. Use a Rubric to decide which of your ideas are worth pursuing 3. Your first customers are those that are in your immediate network (if they don't like the idea, why should anyone else?) The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "No." 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "LinkedIn." 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Keep the bitcoin man." 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-57-volley-founder-ceo-josh-little
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Rules don't matter! 2. If they say, "you gotta have an office" - YOU DON'T! 3. If they say, "you gotta raise capital" - YOU DON'T! - You just need to solve a problem! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Subscribed by Tien Tzuo" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Gary Vaynerchuk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "LinkedIn" 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Leave the U.S. and move to China" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "7 hours tracked on a fitbit" Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-56-seo-turbo-booster-founder-dan-gudema
Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Hire people you get along with. You spend a 3rd of your life working, you might as well do it with people you call friends. 2. Don't try to do it on your own, it's extremely difficult! 3. Don't let money be the goal, let the freedom to do what you want, when you want, where you want be the goal! The Famous Five: 1. What's your favorite business book? Answer: "Stratechery by Ben Thompson (Online News Letter)" 2. Is there a CEO you're following or studying? Answer: "Elon Musk" 3. What's your favorite online tool for growing your business? Answer: "MS Teams" (Daily) - "LinkedIn" (Marketing) 4. If you could give your 20 year old self a piece of advice, what would it be? Answer: "Don't be an arrogant little sugar lump!" 5. How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Answer: "I try to get 8 hours." Episode Information: https://www.takingyoutothetop.io/episodes/episode-55-visible-pathway-co-founder-ceo-mark-cotgrove
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
