Unscalable

Sarah Noel Block is the founder of Tiny Marketing and believes that you don't need a big team to have effective marketing. If you have the right marketing strategy, even TINY teams can have great results. And she's proven this over the last 7 years by stepping in to help small B2B companies grow with less.In this episode, we talk about:* How to grow an audience when you're starting at zero* The big marketing mistakes you're probably making* What an effective marketing system looks like* The Tiny Marketing Framework* The best AI prompts to use in your marketing* How to adopt video in your marketing strategy

Brittany Garlin and Alexus Brittain are both on the Marketing Team at Vista Social. Brittany is the Head Of Marketing and Alexus heads up Social Media. Vista Social is a social media management platform, similar to Sendible that seemingly came out of nowhere in the last year and now has over 1.4 million social profiles under management.In this episode, we talk about:* How Vista Social got started* How they leveraged community to boost their growth* How they position themselves in an extremely crowded market* How they've been able to iterate so quickly on new trends like AI and TikTok* AI and its impact on the future of social media

Jonathan Swead is the founder of EVD Analytics. In this episode, we chat about the key sales and marketing analytics that your business should be tracking. We also talk about how Jonathan is using video to acquire new clients. And of course, we touch on AI and how it's likely to affect SEO in the next few years.

My wife, Martine Hammar joins me on the pod for a special episode. She has recently published a children's book and I chatted to her about the process.In this episode, Martine talks about:* What inspired her to write a children's book.* What message she hopes to convey through her book.* Why she decided to self-publish.* The process of writing a book, from idea to bookstores. * The challenges she faced during the process and how to avoid them.* Resources you can use to write your own book.Links mentioned on the show:* A Little Piece Inside Me Is Missing* StoryPrompt: Video Engagement Platform

Tim Bennetto is a software developer and indie hacker. He's the founder of a social media scheduling platform called Pallyy with over 24,000 users and 700 paying customers.In this episode, Tim talks about:* How DMs helped Pallyy grow by 10X after 2 years.* His approach to acquiring new customers.* The importance of knowing your customers, not just listening to them. * Why you don't need a unique idea to start a business.* How staying small he helped him grow Pallyy.

Melissa is the Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar, an automated webinar solution that helps customer success teams deliver personalized training and onboarding at scale.Melissa has spent twelve years in startups and built three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her previous startup, a real estate tech company, was acquired in 2019.In this episode, Melissa talks about:The lessons she learned from her last company, Spacio, that she's bringing with her to eWebinar.Building a business as a non-technical founder.The reason she's choosing to stay bootstrapped.How she went about bringing on her first 100 customers at eWebinar.Why she believes you need to work more creatively.The future of sales.Links mentioned on the showeWebinarMelissa's LinkedIn profileGavin's LinkedIn profileThanks to StoryPrompt (our sponsor).  StoryPrompt is the easiest way to send and collect personal videos. Capturing stories, testimonials, and updates is as simple as sharing a link. Sign up for free. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Jeremy Moser is an entrepreneur and CEO of uSERP, a 35+ person SEO firm serving high-growth technology companies like Monday.com, Robinhood, and more.In this episode, Jeremy talks about:How he went about getting case studies for uSERP in the early days.How his agency increased Monday.com's traffic by 1,570% with SEO.The new marketing trends he's most excited about.How SEO and short-form video works together.Links mentioned on the showuSERPJeremy's Twitter profileGavin's LinkedIn profileThanks to StoryPrompt (our sponsor).  StoryPrompt is the easiest way to send and collect personal videos. Capturing stories, testimonials, and updates is as simple as sharing a link. Sign up for free. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Kate Bradley Chernis is the Founder & CEO of Lately, which uses AI to generate high-engaging content in your unique brand voice that is customized to target any audience. As a former rock 'n' roll dj, Kate served 20 million listeners as Music Director and on-air host at Sirius/XM.In this episode, Kate talks about:How Lately uses AI to help customers produce content.How she helped Gary Vee get a 12000% increase in engagement.How Lately achieves a 98% sales conversion rate.What she would do differently if she were starting a new tech company now.Her thoughts on the future of AI.

Tobias Günther has been an entrepreneur and a CEO for almost 20 years. He started 4 companies, including Tower, a Git Desktop Client with over 100,000 customers, that he sold in 2021.He is now focused on the human side of business and how we can make our work lives not only successful, but also sustainable and meaningful.In this episode, Tobias talks about:Where the idea for Tower came from and why he decided to sellThe benefits of selling your company through a broker vs going directWhat he means by the human side of business (and why he's so obsessed with it)How to build a culture of trust in a remote-first worldWhy small companies are such beautiful places to workWhy Gavin wants to keep StoryPrompt smallWhy we struggle so much as founders as our companies get biggerHow to hire for cultural fit in a smaller organizationLinks mentioned on the showTobias.coCulture Code Reinventing Organizations Connect with TobiasLinkedInConnect with GavinLinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Shaun Clark is the Co-founder and CEO of HighLevel, a full suite of white label software solutions and services for agencies and marketers. In this episode, Shaun talks about:The pros and cons of white labelling your productThe impact white labelling has had on High Level's successAdvice for other SaaS founders considering white labelling their productsThe challenges of white labelling and how to overcome themConnect with ShaunLinkedInConnect with GavinLinkedInLinks mentioned on the showHighLevelSendible's Social Media White Label SolutionStoryPrompt This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Farzad Rashidi is the lead innovator at Respona. Respona is the all-in-one digital PR and link building software which combines personalization with productivity. Farzad was also the first marketing hire at Visme, where he helped the company gain over 12 million users.In this episode, Farzad goes deep into SEO strategies and talks about:How to determine whether SEO is the right acquisition channel for youHow to discover “opportunity” keywords for SEO using the "Farzad formula"How to write content that's optimized for SEOThe podcast outreach strategy he uses to get backlinksHow to get a particular content piece to rankHis advice for founders who are considering whether to invest in SEOPlus, he walks me through the step-by-step process I can use to help StoryPrompt rank for “video testimonial software”.Connect with FarzadLinkedInConnect with GavinLinkedInLinks mentioned on the showOutreach Strategy HubVisme Marketing StrategyResponaVismeStoryPrompt: Collect video testimonials in seconds This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Kelly Cardenas is a Forbes contributor, Author, Podcaster, Founder-CEO of a National multi-million dollar brand, and a cultural efficiency Coach. Kelly is the go to when it comes to cultivating a culture that will bring sustained success to your business. In this episode, Kelly talks about: Cultural efficiency and how to measure itHow to bring true happiness to your teamsHow to hire for the right cultural fitWhere to begin when it comes to revamping your cultureHow to develop systems that produce resultsHow much time you should allocate to culture--Connect with Kelly:https://www.kellycardenas.comhttps://instagram.com/therealkellycardenas This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

If you follow me on LinkedIn, or you subscribe to my newsletter, you'll know that a few weeks ago, I announced my new startup, StoryPrompt. In this episode, I talk about: My approach to announcing StoryPromptWhy I underestimated the responseWhy it's getting harder to attract new customers to your businessHow to use storytelling to capture your customers' attentionTrust-based marketing and how it worksHow to produce high-converting content at a low costHow to bypass the StoryPrompt early access queue--Connect with Gavin on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinhammar/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Rob Balasabas is the Head of Partnerships at Uscreen. Rob was previously at TubeBuddy and is well known for his expertise in video marketing. In this episode, Rob talks about: How your business can stand out in a crowded space using videoWhy video is the best vehicle to connect with your customersHow to get comfortable on videoThe storytelling formula that "just works" on videoPlus, Rob shares his process for coming up with new video ideas every week.--Connect with Rob on LinkedIn and YouTubehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfqqB7r1PEOaLVY43i-KEfA This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Uyi Abraham is the founder of Vonza.com. Vonza is an all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses. In this episode, Uyi talks about: How he's ensuring that his bootstrapped startup keeps up with HubspotThe most successful thing he did to propel Vonza forwardHow your businesses can sell without selling and cut through the noisePlus, Uyi shares the unscalable tactic he used to achieve a $10 million valuation as a bootstrapped company – in just 15 months.--Connect with Uyi on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/uyiabraham/Vonzahttps://vonza.com/  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Sendible nearly didn't happen. After accidentally giving away 10% of the business for $0, I lost motivation and started working on something else. But my wife, Martine, gave me the courage I needed to buy back my company and keep going.  Like so many founders' wives, she stood by her husband's side and made numerous sacrifices that allowed me to pursue my dreams.  This is her story.In this episode, I chat to Martine about: The sacrifices she had to make as my wifeThe moment I told her my idea for SendibleWhy she insisted that I spend all our savings to buy back the companyWhen she started helping out part-timeWhat she'll miss most about SendibleWhat she'll be doing next--Connect with Martine on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinehammar/Connect with Gavin on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinhammar/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Tim Schmidbauer is the founder of Inlytics, a LinkedIn Analytics tool for personal profiles. Tim has a background in growth hacking and before founding Inlytics,  he was helping companies find innovative, new ways to attract more customers. In this episode, we get tactical about: How Tim was able to generate millions of impressions on UnsplashThe exact steps you need to take to generate brand awareness using UnsplashHow non-photographers can take good photos that do well on UnsplashThe framework you can use to discover other growth tactics like thisGeneral advice for other early stage founders trying to find traction--Connect with Tim on LinkedIn. The Growth Lab: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1puJDv4MNjg05AqCgIqFGNRqAIAM_Et1U0gzFaq1-H-Q/edit?usp=sharing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Mike Quinn is a co-founder and CEO of Boost, with a mission to power the growth of Africa's 100 million informal retail entrepreneurs.  Prior to Boost, Mike was a co-founder and CEO of Zoona, one of Africa's earliest fintechs. In this episode, Mike talks about: How to avoid the same hurdles and failures he suffered while building ZoonaWhy he left Canada to build an ambitious startup in Africa in the first place The failure that taught him the most about entrepreneurshipHow first time founders can reduce the risk of failure How to prototype and test before writing your first line of codeWhy you should build with the fewest right people--Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.  Failing To Win By Mike Quinn (Amazon link) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Daniel is a serial entrepreneur, B2B marketing expert and is co-founder and CEO of Oktopost, a social media platform designed for B2B companies.  Oktopost recently raised $20M in growth equity.In this episode, Daniel talks about: How he validated that positioning his company for B2B organisations would pay offHis most effective channel for acquiring B2B customersHow businesses can use employee advocacy to amplify their marketing effortsHow an unscalable mindset helped to grow Oktopost in the early days--Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Lee Gladish is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Airborneapp and Reply.  His latest company, Airborne, was recently acquired by Demand Science in July 2021. In this episode, we geek out on all things entrepreneurship and startups. So, if you're thinking of starting a business, or you're about to launch one, then this episode is for you.  In this episode, Lee talks about:How to overcome the fear of launching your productHow to decide on a target market and why it's important to pick a niche How to attract early adopters to your startupHow  to get on the radar of a potential acquirerWhy it's important to start marketing before buildingWhy you should consider raising a seed roundPlus, Lee shares his thoughts on the future of sales.--Connect with Lee on LinkedIn.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Hiten Shah is the co-founder of Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics. He is currently on his 3rd startup, which was previously called FYI – and now Nira.  In this episode, we dig into the lessons he learnt after starting FYI and then pivoting to Nira. In this episode, Hiten talks about:How he realised he needed to pivot the companyWhy he decided to rename the business after the pivotWhat he might've done differently early on to avoid the need to pivotThe different types of pivots a company goes throughPivots vs hopsPlus, Hiten shares mental models and frameworks to help you decide whether it's time to pivot your own business.--Connect with Hiten on LinkedIn and Twitter.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Phil Starkovich is co-founder of TubeBuddy, a productivity tool for YouTube. TubeBuddy was acquired in October 2020 and Phil attributes a lot of their success to the fact that he operated the business in a very generous way.  Instead of maximising revenues, he chose to give discounts and free upgrades. As a result, TubeBuddy attracted the attention of YouTube experts and educators who helped them reach exponentially more customers.In this episode, Phil talks about:Why he decided to start TubeBuddy back in 2014What led to him deciding to sell the company The mental models he adopted to face this life-changing eventThe pivotal things he did as CEO that resulted in TubeBuddy's successWhat he'll be doing nextPlus, Phil shares why he put his energy into building real relationships in an unscalable way and how it led to TubeBuddy's amazing growth. --Connect with Phil on Linkedin.Install TubeBuddy to grow your YouTube channel faster. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

An area that's often overlooked in the workplace is wellness. We all know we need to pay attention to our employees. Yet so often, we ignore the warning signs and are surprised when we receive a letter of resignation – seemingly out of the blue. Martine spoke to Leora Mofsowitz, a Functional Medicine Health Coach, to learn how we can take better care of ourselves and our teams.In this episode, Leora talks about:How a health coach can help your businessWarning signs that an employee is about to resignThe role work-life balance plays in productivitySuperhero status and its flawsHow to scale wellness in the workplacePlus, Leora shares her 4 core principles that can be applied to everyone's belief system.--Connect with Leora on Linkedin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

If you're thinking about starting a podcast, then this episode is for you! Matt Halloran is Partner and Chief Relationship Officer at ProudMouth, where he helps clients use the power of podcasts to create an online presence where their customers and fans come to them – no ads or sales pitches needed! In this episode, Matt talks about:Why ads and sales pitches are no longer effectiveThe benefits of starting a podcastHow to use a podcast to accelerate your influenceHow to grow your podcast audienceHow to measure ROI for a podcastHow to start your own podcastPlus, Matt shares why he adopts an unscalable, human-centric approach to serving his clients.  --Connect with Matt on Linkedin or subscribe to his podcast, Top Advisor Marketing Podcast, where he teaches you how to become a prolific online influencer, attract more ideal clients and grow your business. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Eric is a successful marketer, investor, and businessman.  He recently released the book Leveling Up, where he shares a fun new approach to unlocking your potential for greatness.In this episode, Eric talks about:How he famously bought his agency for $2Why he tries to view business with a long-term lensHow he evaluates investment opportunitiesWhether SEO is still relevantThe future of advertisingHow to stand out in an incredibly crowded marketThe marketing channels that have led to his biggest successesPlus, Eric shares the secret he uses to scale his content production across so many different channels.--Mentioned on the showMicroAcquireThe Snowball: Warren Buffet and the Business of LifeBuy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup GameHBR Guide to Buying a Small Business: Think Big, Buy Small, Own Your Own CompanyThe Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers Agile M&A: Proven Techniques to Close Deals Faster and Maximize ValueEric on The Pump PodcastPeople Analyzer--Eric is an incredibly successful marketer, investor and businessman.  He is also the chairman of the agency, Single Grain and has worked with companies such as Amazon, Uber and Salesforce. Eric hosts two podcasts, Marketing School with Neil Patel, and Leveling Up. Order Eric's new book at Leveling Up or connect with him on Twitter and Instagram.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, we're joined by Ryan Born, co-founder and CEO of Cloud Campaign to discuss their recent $5M Series A fundraise.  Ryan talks about:Why Cloud Campaign chose to go the VC route vs remain bootstrappedHow to approach a VC and how these firms typically workHow to ensure you have product-market fitWhen you know if it's the right time to hireWhy it's so hard to hire developers right nowAnd much more!--Connect with Ryan on Linkedin. Follow him on Twitter and Medium. --The story behind Cloud Campaign's Series A:Following Significant Growth, Cloud Campaign Raises $5M to Scale, Hire This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

Gavin founded Sendible back in 2009 and after the company took off, Martine quit her teaching job to join him in the company.In this episode, recorded prior to Sendible's acquisition, we talk about:Why Gavin broke the "no friends and family rule" to allow Martine in. Why Gavin created a fake employee and made Martine use her maiden name at work. Some of the mistakes Gavin would've made if Martine hadn't been involved. The rules Gavin put in place to ensure Sendible didn't become a family business. The pros and cons of working with your spouse. And much much more...We want to hear from youSend an email to hello@unscalable.fm or leave us a voice message!Connect with Gavin on Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, Gavin is joined by Giles Palmer to discuss the story behind Brandwatch's recent $450M sale to Cision.  Giles talks about:How he celebrated the dealWhy he decided to sell the company after 14 yearsHow the team reacted to the newsHis most challenging period as CEOWhy he loves competitionThe operating system he used to scale Brandwatch to 550 employeesPlus, Giles shares how he used an unscalable approach to maintain a strong company culture.--Giles is the founder and former CEO of Brandwatch, a leading social media listening tool. He built Brandwatch from nothing to a team of over 500 employees with 2000 customers and over $100m in ARR. After launching the company almost 14 years ago, Brandwatch was recently acquired by Cision for $450 million.Connect with Giles on Linkedin and Twitter.--The playbook that Giles used to scale Brandwatch's operations: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

We often talk about trust-based marketing and how doing unscalable things to delight your customers can lead to massive gains over time.  But, if you regularly spoil your customers, they suddenly start to expect that level of service or of delight from every interaction they have with you. And this can have the opposite effect.In this episode, we talk about expectation bias and what you can do to avoid it. If you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send an email to hello@unscalable.fm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, we're joined by Rand Fishkin for a candid discussion about his time at Moz, his biggest regret, and how it felt to start over with SparkToro. Rand also talks about:How to build a repeatable flywheel to make marketing a competitive advantageWhy buying ads is just boulder-pushingThe importance of SEO (or lack thereof)His advice on team building (or choosing not to)Plus, Rand shares the unscalable tactics that he is using to fuel SparkToro's growth.--Rand Fishkin is co-founder and CEO of audience research startup SparkToro. He's dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through his writing, speaking, startups, and his book, Lost and Founder. When Rand's not working, he's usually cooking a fancy meal for the love of his life, author Geraldine DeRuiter. If you bribe him with great pasta or great cocktails, he'll spill big tech's dark secrets. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, we talk about why it's no longer enough to simply deliver what your customer expected. If you believe in the power of trust-based marketing, you need to find ways to create moments of delight and deliver an experience that makes them want to tell the story. We show you how it's done. The video we discussed on the show:https://fb.watch/5UrSOIGttH/ If you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send an email to hello@unscalable.fm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, we talk about second-order thinking and show you how this mental model can lead to massive gains in the long term, particularly when it comes to trust-based marketing. -- Help Martine answer this week's ice breaker question:https://storyprompt.com/reply/Y76fIrRl7A3F6XscHO1xFor a great resource on this topic:https://fs.blog/2016/04/second-order-thinking/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, we reflect on a personal story to illustrate why you shouldn't sit around waiting for that big customer to come along.  Instead, you should be focused on turning your smallest customers into your biggest advocates so they can go out and bring you those whales you're after. If you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send an email to hello@unscalable.fm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, Gavin and Martine discuss the recent acquisition of Sendible.After finally closing the deal and making it public, Gavin talks about the thought process, negotiation timeline, and addresses some of the questions he's received since the announcement, including what he'll be doing next.Mentioned in this episode: Gavin's letter to customersGavin's newsletterIf you have any questions about Sendible or the acquisition, we'd love to hear from you!Send an email to hello@unscalable.fm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

When Gavin launched Sendible back in 2008, he ran the site off a server he purchased for £10 from his old boss. He plugged it into his home router and Sendible was born! In this episode, Martine and Gavin reminisce about the early days and the challenges of getting a bootstrapped company off the ground.Connect with Gavin:Connect with Gavin on LinkedInFollow Gavin on Twitter  We want to hear from youSend an email to hello@unscalable.fm! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

In this episode, we talk about why it's become so difficult to attract new customers using traditional marketing tactics and share some "unscalable" advice on how to build a company where the customers come to you. -- Help Martine answer this week's ice breaker question:https://storyprompt.com/reply/ysfhqg3KHI2TSqu4rKLrIf you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send an email to hello@unscalable.fm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me

We live in a world where everyone is trying to gain a competitive edge through automation, bots, and AI. But, since launching Sendible 13 years ago, we've discovered that to truly stand out, the best strategy is to focus on the more human things – the "unscalable".  So, if you're looking for a fresh perspective on how to be truly memorable in a noisy world, then this is the podcast for you.  Join us every week for short, actionable, and unscalable tactics that you can use in your business today.  Here's what you can expect:Anecdotes, mental models, and strategies that are easy for you to adopt, and can provide a high degree of leverage.Interviews with other founders who are adopting an "unscalable" approach to building their businesses.A behind-the-scenes look at  how we're putting these lessons into practice while we get our new venture off the groundMake sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unscalable.me