Podcast appearances and mentions of Geoff Cook

A groundbreaking approach to making healthcare affordable and effective is combining GLP-1 medications with a powerful behavior change platform. In this episode, Noom's Geoff Cook, CEO, and Cody Fair, Chief Commercial Officer, discuss their mission to help people live healthier, longer lives through behavior change and accessible healthcare solutions like Noom. They highlight their new initiatives, such as partnerships to reduce GLP-1 medication costs and an innovative AI body scan that measures lean muscle and fat composition, empowering employers to offer sustainable health benefits even for high-cost medications. Geoff and Cody explore the critical role of behavior change, emphasizing protein tracking and AI-powered food logging to enhance outcomes. They delve into leveraging wearable tech and AI to remove friction and personalize health interventions, preventing muscle loss and future health risks like sarcopenia.  Lastly, Geoff and Cody also stress the importance of democratizing healthcare by offering end-to-end solutions that integrate medication, coaching, and data-driven insights for chronic disease management. Tune in and learn how these bold innovations are transforming weight management and chronic disease prevention while making healthcare more accessible and affordable! Resources: Connect with and follow Geoff Cook on LinkedIn. Connect with and follow Cody Fair on LinkedIn. Follow Noom on LinkedIn and visit their website.

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We discussed a few things including:1. Their career journeys  2. The Meet Group3. Noom4. New book Designing Success and female entrepreneurship5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re health, wellness and techGeoff is the CEO of Noom. He is also a serial entrepreneur and long-time public company CEO.He co-founded The Meet Group, a NASDAQ-listed social dating and live-streaming company connecting millions of active users globally. Geoff served as The Meet Group's CEO from 2013 to 2023, leading it through its sale for $500 million in 2020.Geoff grew a live-streaming video & creator economy revenue stream from $0 to in excess of $200 million annualized. Post-acquisition, Geoff also served as co-CEO of the parent company ParshipMeet Group, which includes a portfolio of dating apps including eharmony, MeetMe, Tagged, Lovoo, Skout, Growlr, among others.Under Geoff's leadership, The Meet Group was early to social networking, mobile apps, live-streaming video, and creator economy. A driving force of industry consolidation, Geoff acquired 4 companies and was acquired twice.With smart viral marketing, Geoff grew MeetMe from nothing to millions of active users. With product and strategic vision, he acquired and turned Tagged into a live-streaming video leader. With Livebox, he created a successful enterprise Creator Economy service powering some of the top-grossing social apps in the US.Leveraging product and technology to transform the user experience, Geoff successfully transitioned The Meet Group from an advertising model to a fast-growing live-streaming video & creator-economy solution, ultimately attracting tens of thousands of Creators and powering some of the largest social apps in the world.Under Geoff's leadership, the video Platform-as-a-Service enterprise product that he conceived of — Livebox — launched and grew to power 6 of the top 50 social apps in the US by revenue.Geoff is an expert in building culture across disparate teams. As CEO of The Meet Group, he acquired and integrated 4 companies: Tagged, LOVOO, Skout, and Growlr, into one cohesive culture.While building culture, Geoff also drove efficiency, realizing major cost synergies while growing top-line revenue at every acquisition target, through a combination of off-shoring and building a single shared services platform to power multiple apps.Geoff is the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region.Geoff graduated from Harvard University in 2000 with a BA in Economics.------Catherine Connelly is an entrepreneur, engaging speaker, and author of Designing Success: Lessons from 20 Years as a Female Tech Entrepreneur. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM9C9CC4Catherine co-founded The Meet Group, a NASDAQ-listed social dating and livestreaming company connecting millions of active users globally. The Meet Group was acquired in a $500 million sale in 2020.Catherine's nearly two decades of entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding myYearbook at fifteen, creating what would eventually become The Meet Group, and leading brand strategy and marketing for The Meet Group through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and rebrands.Catherine graduated from Georgetown University and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region in 2011.  Catherine has been featured on CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, MTV, ABC News, Fox News, CosmoGIRL, BusinessWeek, the San Francisco Chronicle, and CBS. Catherine writes the newsletter Growing Up Startup, sharing lessons inspired by her entrepreneurial journey.  Subscribe and learn more about Catherine's free office hours at: cconnelly.me.#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

About Geoff Cook:Geoff Cook is a seasoned entrepreneur and the CEO of Noom, with a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. As the former CEO of The Meet Group, he led the NASDAQ-listed company to a $500 million acquisition in 2020, building a live-streaming and creator economy revenue stream exceeding $200 million annually. Geoff spearheaded industry consolidation by acquiring and integrating four companies into a cohesive, efficient culture. A Harvard Economics graduate, he has deep expertise in scaling platforms, leveraging technology to enhance user experiences, and creating enterprise solutions like Livebox, which powers top-grossing social apps globally.About Cody Fair:As Head of Employer Sales at Noom, Cody Fair leads a team focused on helping brokers, consultants, and enterprise employers transform lives through Noom's blend of psychology, technology, and coaching. Passionate about continuous improvement, Cody emphasizes the importance of refining sales and leadership skills through ongoing learning and development. By fostering a growth mindset within the team, he ensures a focus on controllable factors to drive success. There's nothing more fulfilling to Cody than inspiring others to embrace this mentality and achieve their personal and professional goals.Things You'll Learn:New programs provide employers with cost-effective ways to offer GLP-1 medications, reducing financial barriers for both employers and employees.GLP-1 medications work best when paired with lifestyle adjustments, such as protein tracking and exercise, to prevent muscle loss and long-term health risks.Employers can now provide affordable weight management programs through supplemental benefits or employee-paid paths.AI-powered tools simplify food tracking, letting users log meals by taking a picture of their plates.By focusing on cost-effectiveness and impactful results, these initiatives aim to disrupt high-priced healthcare models.Resources:Connect with and follow Geoff Cook on LinkedIn.Connect with and follow Cody Fair on LinkedIn.Follow Noom on LinkedIn and visit their website.

Today, I'm joined by Geoff Cook, CEO of Noom. Combining human coaching, AI support, and prescription medications, Noom is on a mission to help people make lasting lifestyle changes and lose weight for good. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of the company's digital health platform. We also cover: • Adding GLP-1s • Entering the longevity sector • Merging wellness and healthcare Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Noom's website: https://www.noom.com/ Noom's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/noom Geoff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-cook-0a35ba3/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/noom Facebook: https://facebook.com/noom Newsroom: https://www.noom.com/press-and-media/ - The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities.  Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/ Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/ Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:40) Jeff's Journey to Becoming Noom's CEO (04:02) Challenges and Strategies in Prescription Era (08:00) Noom's Holistic Approach (10:30) Navigating the Wellness and Healthcare Landscape (12:02) Behavior Change and Medication Integration (24:42) Compounded Medications and Regulatory Challenges (35:28) Future Roadmap (38:44) Conclusion

Subscriber-only episodeSend us a textResources for the Community:___________________________________________________________________https://linktr.ee/theplussidezpodcast Ro - Telehealth for GLP1 weight management https://ro.co/weight-loss/?utm_source=plussidez&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=comms_yt&utm_content=45497&utm_term=55______________________________________________________________________The Plus SideZ Podcast: Cracking the Obesity CodeHosts: Kim Carlos & Kat CarterSpecial Guest: Geoff Cook, CEO of NoomIn this episode of The Plus SideZ Podcast, hosts Kim Carlos and Kat Carter sit down with Geoff Cook, CEO of Noom, to discuss the evolving landscape of obesity treatments, lifestyle changes, and the intersection of traditional diet culture with modern medical advancements.From Noom's founding principles to its advocacy for affordable GLP-1 medications, Geoff provides an insider perspective on how the company is adapting to the shift toward treating obesity as a chronic disease rather than a willpower issue.We tackle questions about Noom's recent campaigns, the challenges of redefining a brand traditionally associated with dieting, and how Noom's approach to GLP-1-guided lifestyle support stands apart from competitors like Weight Watchers. Geoff also shares insights on the company's collaboration with businesses and lawmakers to ensure accessibility and affordability for weight management tools.Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of obesity care, societal changes in perception, and what's next for Noom.Learn More:Find Noom at Noom.com or follow them on social media.Tune in to this important discussion and take a step toward understanding the future of obesity treatment and advocacy______________________________________________________________________⭐️Mounjaro Stanley⭐️griffintumblerco.Etsy.comUse code PODCAST10 for $ OFF______________________________________________________________________Join this channel to get access to perks:   / @theplussidez______________________________________________________________________#Mounjaro #MounjaroJourney #Ozempic #Semaglutide #tirzepatide  #GLP1 #Obesity #zepbound #wegovy Kim Carlos, Executive Producer TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dmfkim?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dmfkimonmounjaro?igsh=aDF6dnlmbHBoYmJn&utm_source=qr Kat Carter, Associate Producer TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@katcarter7?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrskatcarter?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Have a Packaging Question? DM here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eveliomattos/ In this episode of Packaging Unboxed, host Evelio Mattos explores the transformative power of packaging with Base Design's Geoff Cook and Anthony Franklin. The discussion illuminates how packaging extends beyond mere product protection, serving as a vital component in shaping a brand's identity and engaging its audience on multiple levels. By examining Base Design's comprehensive and world-building approach, the episode provides valuable insights for brands seeking to create cohesive and impactful experiences. Throughout the conversation, Evelio Mattos, along with his guests, delve into the multi-faceted role of packaging in reinforcing brand storytelling and community engagement. They emphasize the importance of consistent visual identity across platforms, discussing how strategic design decisions, such as color and typography, forge memorable brand experiences. Highlighting Base Design's recent work with Bonjournie, the group illustrates how rebranding can renew an institution's image while maintaining its core values, ultimately strengthening its market presence and appeal. The dialogue also touches upon the evolving role of designers within branding agencies. Anthony Franklin reassures that there's a place for lifelong graphic designers who prefer to remain hands-on, emphasizing that career growth can be about honing one's craft rather than rising up the corporate ladder. This episode serves as a thought-provoking resource for students, agency leaders, and designers seeking to deepen their understanding of brand storytelling and packaging's strategic impact. Guests: Evelio Mattos is the Creative Director at IDP Direct, specializing in high-end packaging for the fashion, tech, and luxury markets. He is also the host of Packaging Unboxed, sharing insights from top designers to provide a deeper look into the creative processes behind brand-defining packaging. Geoff Cook partner at Base Design, an international branding agency. He brings a strategic focus to identity and brand development, working with diverse sectors such as fashion, food, and luxury. His notable projects include rebranding efforts for giants like Apple and H&M. Anthony Franklin is a partner at Base Design, specializing in transforming the brand image for companies across various industries. With a keen eye for detail and a strategic mindset, Anthony has played an instrumental role in rebranding prestigious institutions and aligning them with modern consumer expectations. Key Takeaways: Packaging is more than a protective layer; it is a strategic tool for storytelling and brand identity building. In branding, consistent use of color and design elements across all platforms creates a cohesive and memorable brand experience. Rebranding efforts require a balance between honoring a brand's history and modernizing its image to stay relevant to contemporary consumers. Designers can choose to focus on skill refinement and stay actively involved in creative processes rather than pursuing management roles. Successful brands foster engaged communities by using storytelling to build strong, emotional connections with their audiences. Connect and learn more about Base Design at: https://www.basedesign.com Learn more about IDP Direct at:  https://www.IDPdirect.com

Rev Dr Geoff Cook is the chairman for the Diocese of East Anglia's Diocesan Commission for Dialogue and Community which advise the Bishop on matter relating to ecumenical dialogue and interfaith relations. He shared with listeners about his growing up as an Anglican, becoming Catholic and following his call to the permenate Deaconate. He shared how his journey led him to his current role and how Christian Unity has grown and evolved since the 1970s.

In this episode of the "@OhShipShow," we're joined by Geoff Cook, the co-founder of The Meet Group, who takes us on an enthralling journey through the evolution of social networking, live streaming, and digital dating. From the humble beginnings of myYearbook.com to the global success of apps like MeetMe, Skout, and Tagged, Geoff shares his personal odyssey in the tech industry. Listen in to discover the inspiration behind The Meet Group's inception, the intricacies of managing a global team, and a glimpse into the future of live streaming and social apps. Geoff also delves into the complexities of company acquisitions, the importance of product impact, and the core values that have been his compass throughout this entrepreneurial voyage. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a digital enthusiast, this episode is a treasure trove of insights from one of the industry's luminaries. Join us as we embark on an enlightening voyage with the "@OhShipShow."

You know that feeling you get when you get a match on tinder? This week, Kirsten and Bey talk with expert Dr. Alina Liu about how the video game style structure of dating apps affects our psyche. Later, we hear from Geoff Cook, the founder of the famous dating platform MeetMe. Geoff shares how using live streaming video breaks the artificial barrier that usually comes along with dating apps. Finally, we finish this episode hearing from an ACTUAL couple about their relationship story. Links for this episode: Learn more about https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/alina-liu-san-francisco-ca/928810 (Dr. Alina Liu) Learn more about https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-cook-0a35ba3/ (Geoff Cook) Read a https://beyond.fi.edu/?post_type=podcast_transcript&p=3504&preview=true (transcript) of this episode

In this week's episode I speak with Geoff Cook, co-founder of Base, a design studio with huge clients from all industries, including The New York Times, MoMA, ING Bank and large-scale projects like JFK's Terminal 4 and the Meatpacking District in New York. Geoff hopes to soon add crypto to the list. He recently wrote an article stating that "For Crypto, Branding Could be the Highest Currency” as the success of these projects will rely on communicating complex concepts and features to gain mass adoption. We discuss that crypto is in its teenage years in terms of branding: crypto, and especially DeFi projects, are rebelling against traditional finance and web2, but they're still seeking to belong to a group and are not expressing their own individual characteristics and values. This is making all DeFi brands look alike. Geoff says that a company, or in the case of crypto, a protocol, that wants to build a powerful brand needs to figure out the story they want to tell. Thanking our sponsors: Matcha, which routes orders across DEXs on Ethereum, Polygon, BSC, fantom, and Avalanche to provide the best possible prices without taking any commissions. Tracer Perpetual Pool tokens, leveraged tokens that can be put into cold storage OR used as collateral throughout the DeFi economy without worrying about liquidation risk, or margin requirements Balancer, one of the leading DeFi automated market makers (AMM) for multiple tokens. Dive into their pools here! Kraken, consistently rated the best and most secure cryptocurrency exchange, which can get you from fiat to DeFi

Inspirational stories plus practical takeaways from the entrepreneurship world.Today's guest is Geoff Cook, the founder of the Meet Group which was acquired by ProSieben for $500m. They created the popular apps of MeetMe, Tagged, Skout, LOVOO, and Tagged. He's now the Co-Ceo of the Parship Meet Group. He didn't go from 0 to $500m though and built up several companies beforehand, each one progressively larger.  We hope enjoy the episode and don't forget to share it with others. You can learn more at entrepreneurshandbook.co.1:08 Ev Williams mention1:27 Geoff Cook's story of starting and selling a $10m, $50m, and $500m company9:00 What's more important for startups: data or storytelling?13:22 The future of the dating industry18:43 Live streaming video as a strategy for brands27:50 How to turn an idea into income31:50 How to know when to pull the plug and walk away35:22 Myth you find yourself dispelling often38:02 Most recommended book42:17 What's served you more — discipline or passion?42:50: What contributes to success more — obsession or balance?44:21: What makes you feel most alive?46:18 Closing remarks

This special episode, co-sponsored by The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, features a session recorded during the CogX Festival 2021. Host Tiffany Xingyu Wang moderates a discussion with user safety leaders including David Hall of LEGO Group, Geoff Cook of The Meet Group, Angela Johnson of Dentsu, and Amit Shetty of IAB. These industry veterans discuss how trust and safety issues are playing an ever more important role in considerations of their online brands, and how technology is helping them to protect their online communities and brands from harm.

Geoff Cook is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group, a social dating and livestreaming company. He has been on the board of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET) since 2011 until its sale in 2020. Geoff sold the company for $500 million in September 2020 -- one of the last large public deals prior to the declaration of a global pandemic by the WHO. He started his first company from a Harvard dorm and sold it for millions of dollars at age 24 in the year 2002. He sold his second company for $100 million in 2011. You will discover: - How he started his first company and exited it for millions - If selling the company changed the way he approached business - The surprising tactic that led to myYearbook surpassing a million users in nine months - The clever way he figured out to build a live streaming feature into his dating apps - What's trending in China Geoff Cook is the Founder and CEO of The Meet Group. Show Mentions - Geoof's Wired Article - Foundr Interview - vPaaS - Fav app: Clubhouse SPONSORS Want to scale your growth faster? GamesBoost42 gives you early access to your App Store revenues allowing you to multiply your growth without losing equity. See how they can help by visiting GamesBoost42.com. B7DEV.com is the app development firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs go from app idea to success because they understand startups and don't charge you huge fees just to get your app off the ground. Learn more at B7Dev.com *************** Follow us: YouTube: AppMasters.com/YouTube Instagram: @stevepyoung Twitter: @stevepyoung Facebook: App Masters *************** --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/app-marketing-podcast/message

Geoff Cook, CEO and Co-Founder of The Meet Group, leads the charge in dating platform innovation. Listen as he joins Brand Safety Exchange to talk about his experience as a serial entrepreneur and how early investments in trust and safety and live streaming technology have evolved The Meet Group into a social and entertainment powerhouse. Geoff also discusses why brand and user safety is so critical for his industry, he outlines the content moderation policies and practices for TMG's brands, explains how they seamlessly rolled out live streaming capabilities to multiple platforms, and much more.

Geoff Cook is a serial entrepreneur and currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and live streaming company. You may have heard of some of their platforms, like MeetMe, LOVOO, Skout, Tagged, and Growlr. He recently sold the company for $500 million in September of 2020. He started his first company from his Harvard dorm room and sold it for millions of dollars at the age of 24, he sold his second company for a hundred million dollars in 2011, he's done a ton of stuff in the entrepreneur space, the dating space, and in the live streaming space. We discuss both how to acquire companies, and how to get acquired as an entrepreneur! Join Our community of thousands of entrepreneurs at https://entre.link/EntrepreneurShow Follow us on social media @joinentre --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

An app growth is always on the radar of every app developer or a brand. Eavesdrop any app marketing team brainstorming session and you'll hear them avidly discussing  how to gain more loyal app users and what user acquisition channels to focus on. Now, dating apps have a special place in the app industry and in our lives. No matter where you live, your age, or your gender, you probably use mobile apps to connect with others and dating apps is surely one way of doing that. Today's guest is Geoffrey Cook, CEO of The Meet Group. Meeting other people to socialize or date is simply part of human nature. The Meet Group is the largest provider of live streaming dating apps. Today's Topics Include: ✔️  Five Dating Apps: MeetMe, SKOUT, Tagged, LOVOO, and GROWLr ✔️  Dating Community: 15 million monthly users mostly in United States and Europe ✔️  Live Streaming Solution: Monetizes via users giving each other virtual gifts ✔️  COVID Impact: Created significant increase in dating game usage in past five months ✔️  Management Tools: Shift to remote work using Zoom, Slack, and more for productivity ✔️  Marketing Channels: Singling out pricing power to acquire new users for growth strategy ✔️  Types of Content: Create user-generated content in form of chats and messages ✔️  Live Streaming: Consumption and production offers connection during social distancing ✔️  Videos: More efficient, more information available, and less risk swiping left or right ✔️  Android or iOS? iOS ✔️  Favorite App(s): Medium ✔️  What's Geoffrey looking forward to with app technology in the future? Authenticity and AI Links and Resources: Geoffrey Cook on Medium The Meet Group Veronica and the Volcano Quotes by Geoffrey Cook: “The way we think of ourselves is really as the mobile version of the bar, the coffeehouse, this social gathering place.” “What we've been doing that's fairly unique is adding live streaming video to dating since 2016. And lately, we've been aiming to make everyone the star of their own dating show.” “We, essentially, use all the same tools we used before the pandemic. We just use them more given that there is no in-person contact.” “Marketing is always a challenge. Year over year, we're seeing rates (cost per registrations) go up as it costs more to acquire users.” Follow the Business Of Apps podcast Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

An app growth is always on the radar of every app developer or a brand. Eavesdrop any app marketing team brainstorming session and you’ll hear them avidly discussing  how to gain more loyal app users and what user acquisition channels to focus on. Now, dating apps have a special place in the app industry and in our lives. No matter where you live, your age, or your gender, you probably use mobile apps to connect with others and dating apps is surely one way of doing that. Today’s guest is Geoffrey Cook, CEO of The Meet Group. Meeting other people to socialize or date is simply part of human nature. The Meet Group is the largest provider of live streaming dating apps. Today’s Topics Include: 

Welcome to Episode 67 of Building My Legacy.In this podcast, serial entrepreneur Geoff Cook talks about his journey – from his first business, which he started while he was still a student at Harvard, to his more than 20 years of success creating and selling multiple online businesses. Geoff believes there is no downside to failure because, even if a business fails, you’ll learn from that experience. His current social apps, operating under The Meet Group portfolio, use live streaming video to help people forge meaningful connections, which have become even more important in the present COVID-19 environment.Much of Geoff’s success comes from his natural curiosity and his ability to specify a product and have a vision for it. Like most successful entrepreneurs, Geoff sees “opportunities that aren’t yet realized” and then leads a group of people to “realize them.”So if you want to know:– Why “just getting started” is the most important step to becoming an entrepreneur– When it’s time for an entrepreneur to find something new– Why entrepreneurs must “embrace the change”– How the COVID-19 virus has shortened the timeline for goals– Why reading only business books won’t help you come up with the “great idea”About Geoff CookGeoff Cook, serial entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of The Meet Group, created his first business when he was a sophomore at Harvard. With a $600 advance against his credit card, he started a “little editing business” that was generating revenue in the millions when he sold it a few years after his graduation. He has founded and sold a number of online companies and is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group, a portfolio of mobile social entertainment apps that leverage live-streaming video to forge meaningful connections. A thought leader in building safer dating apps, Geoff has won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Greater Philadelphia and has also received the “Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania” award on behalf of his company. He graduated from Harvard University in 2000 with a BA in Economics. About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching: https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-67-geoff-cook-shares-his-entrepreneurial-journey-building-my-legacy-with-lois-sonstegard

Welcome to Episode 67 of Building My Legacy.In this podcast, serial entrepreneur Geoff Cook talks about his journey – from his first business, which he started while he was still a student at Harvard, to his more than 20 years of success creating and selling multiple online businesses. Geoff believes there is no downside to failure because, even if a business fails, you’ll learn from that experience. His current social apps, operating under The Meet Group portfolio, use live streaming video to help people forge meaningful connections, which have become even more important in the present COVID-19 environment.Much of Geoff’s success comes from his natural curiosity and his ability to specify a product and have a vision for it. Like most successful entrepreneurs, Geoff sees “opportunities that aren’t yet realized” and then leads a group of people to “realize them.”So if you want to know:– Why “just getting started” is the most important step to becoming an entrepreneur– When it’s time for an entrepreneur to find something new– Why entrepreneurs must “embrace the change”– How the COVID-19 virus has shortened the timeline for goals– Why reading only business books won’t help you come up with the “great idea”About Geoff CookGeoff Cook, serial entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of The Meet Group, created his first business when he was a sophomore at Harvard. With a $600 advance against his credit card, he started a “little editing business” that was generating revenue in the millions when he sold it a few years after his graduation. He has founded and sold a number of online companies and is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group, a portfolio of mobile social entertainment apps that leverage live-streaming video to forge meaningful connections. A thought leader in building safer dating apps, Geoff has won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Greater Philadelphia and has also received the “Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania” award on behalf of his company. He graduated from Harvard University in 2000 with a BA in Economics. About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching: https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-67-geoff-cook-shares-his-entrepreneurial-journey-building-my-legacy-with-lois-sonstegard

Welcome to Episode 67 of Building My Legacy.In this podcast, serial entrepreneur Geoff Cook talks about his journey – from his first business, which he started while he was still a student at Harvard, to his more than 20 years of success creating and selling multiple online businesses. Geoff believes there is no downside to failure because, even if a business fails, you’ll learn from that experience. His current social apps, operating under The Meet Group portfolio, use live streaming video to help people forge meaningful connections, which have become even more important in the present COVID-19 environment.Much of Geoff’s success comes from his natural curiosity and his ability to specify a product and have a vision for it. Like most successful entrepreneurs, Geoff sees “opportunities that aren’t yet realized” and then leads a group of people to “realize them.”So if you want to know:– Why “just getting started” is the most important step to becoming an entrepreneur– When it’s time for an entrepreneur to find something new– Why entrepreneurs must “embrace the change”– How the COVID-19 virus has shortened the timeline for goals– Why reading only business books won’t help you come up with the “great idea”About Geoff CookGeoff Cook, serial entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of The Meet Group, created his first business when he was a sophomore at Harvard. With a $600 advance against his credit card, he started a “little editing business” that was generating revenue in the millions when he sold it a few years after his graduation. He has founded and sold a number of online companies and is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group, a portfolio of mobile social entertainment apps that leverage live-streaming video to forge meaningful connections. A thought leader in building safer dating apps, Geoff has won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Greater Philadelphia and has also received the “Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania” award on behalf of his company. He graduated from Harvard University in 2000 with a BA in Economics. About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching: https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-67-geoff-cook-shares-his-entrepreneurial-journey-building-my-legacy-with-lois-sonstegard

Geoff Cook is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Meet Group, an online meet up site which they claim is “the magic of human connection”. As a result of the pandemic, there was a dramatic increase of livestream and people who were not used to doing livestream are now using it more frequently. The crisis has “pulled the future forward” so now The Meet Group is looking to be a filter before the real life meet up in person. The Meet Group has 5 different apps that are recognized all over the world so connecting with others is much more valuable and easy. Interacting with others in video is richer than using other media, so this form is a great way to date prior to making a deeper connection. A video chat ahead of time just makes more sense. In the future, people will likely rely upon this system, so it is an exciting time to enter the dating scene - and it is mostly online at this point! Even though there is a verify tab, the virtual meet up just confirms that the person is who they say it is. Also, Blind Date is an online show that this company started, and more exciting projects are on their way to production such as a show when you earn a prize when you connect with people. The Meet Group promotes a high level of safety employing 500 people to assess the content that might pose a risk. A clear code of conduct has been created and is enforced by educating the users, and when someone crosses a boundary, inappropriate content is also regulated by AI and algorithms. They also have partnered with FaceTech, a company that can help regulate abusive users that try to create new profiles that also estimates the age of the streamer to ensure they are not underage. Questions we asked: -Is the coronavirus affecting the dating industry? Affecting your apps? -What are you doing to change how people date during a global pandemic? -Do you see differences across the world in video dating? -What is the future of live streaming and dating? - How can livestreaming help with mental health in times of isolation? -What kinds of things are people doing on dating apps during a pandemic? Website: https://www.themeetgroup.com/ Social media tag: @MeetMe Apps: MeetMe, Growler, Tags, Scout, Levoo AdvancingHumanityPodcast.com

Dating is fun... dating apps should be fun too! Bibi and Miranda chat to Geoff Cook, CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group. What does the future of online dating look like? Stay in touch with the girls on social media: http://www.twitter.com/goodsexbadsexxx http://www.instagram.com/goodsexbadsex

My podcast guest, Geoff Cook, joined me for a fascinating conversation on the future of live streaming on dating apps. He is a serial entrepreneur, and CEO of The Meet Group. In this episode: - The future of live streaming and dating - Fascinating ways to make dating fun on the apps using live streaming - How video dating is helping people get closer

Right now, you're probably longing for real, human contact and you might be feeling stressed out and lonely. Moving to socialize online as you're observing ever-shifting distancing guidelines can be daunting, but you may have a better opportunity virtually to connect with others than ever before!    EPISODE 146 of The Charisma Quotient Podcast is titled:  Digital Dating Trends And Social Connection:  Interview With Geoff Cook     This week, Kimmy addresses this issue with an authority on the topic of virtual connection, serial entrepreneur Geoff Cook. Geoff is the CEO and co-founder of Meet Group, a social dating and live streaming company behind Meet Me, Tagged, and Growlr. Kimmy and Geoff jump right in to talk about how people are using technology differently to connect, date and find sustained love.    Kimmy asks Geoff to shed some light on the major trends in the virtual dating space and how our current reality of physical distance has created a space for fun new ways to connect. You'll hear some fascinating stats on how the increased desire for virtual and video options across all age groups. Plus, Geoff delves into the future of virtual dating. You may be surprised to find out that video and live streaming are here to stay, even after quarantine -- listen in to hear why!  Kimmy highlights the importance in combining technology, first impression management and conversational skills training in order to be a successful dater today.  This discussion is incredibly informative and will help broaden your perspective about how to navigate the dating landscape now and in the future.    If you are feeling disconnected and you want to know how to make a great first impression online to meet someone, reach out to Kimmy for help. You can sign up for a complimentary call with Kimmy here: meetme.so/kimbreakthrough It's one thing to swipe through matches at a record pace, and it's another to understand how to make a real, genuine connection online. All it takes is one call to start your journey to meet this new reality.   EPISODE 146 of The Charisma Quotient Podcast is titled: Digital Dating Trends And Social Connection:  Interview With Geoff Cook.  The Charisma Quotient Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many of your other favorite podcast channels. ⁣ ************************************************⁣ The Charisma Quotient Podcast: Building Confidence, Making Connections, and Finding Love from the Outside In is hosted by Kimmy Seltzer. ⁣ ************************************************⁣ Kimmy Seltzer is a Confidence Therapist and Authentic Dating Strategist implementing targeted style, emotional and social intelligence to your life. ⁣ ************************************************⁣ Sharing a wide array of relational topics, The Charisma Quotient Podcast focuses on the themes of building confidence, making connections, and finding love from the outside in.⁣ ************************************************⁣ This Podcast is available on:⁣ Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/Charisma_Quotient ⁣ Libsyn: https://charismaquotient.libsyn.com/⁣ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mLh5AwLC0xryeKzKyph2g And many other podcast sites. ************************************************⁣ Would you like to connect with Kimmy?⁣ Website: https://kimmyseltzer.com/⁣ Chat: https://meetme.so/kimbreakthrough⁣ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimmyseltzer/ ⁣ Facebook: https://facebook.com/kimmyseltzer/   Join her FREE Facebook Group Love Makeover Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovemakeovers

In this edition James, in conversation with Geoff Cook, former CEO of Jersey Finance, explores how the double-whammy of the pandemic and Brexit will affect the UK’s relationship with its overseas territories. Is it all doom and gloom, or is there a realistic opportunity of a ‘new dawn’?

Since the coronavirus pandemic ended social lives as we knew them, anything that took us within six feet from another person is out the window. That includes dating and meeting people, for love or recreation. But apparently we haven't given up on dating entirely -- Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group says video dating has risen dramatically on all of his company's dating apps since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Today on KYW In Depth, Cook talks about the dating changes people have made in response to social distancing and how COVID-19 could result in far reaching changes to dating culture.

Base is an international network of studios located in cities including Brussels and Geneva. For years the outfit has enjoyed a powerful form of creative chemistry with the likes of the New York Times and Milk. We joined Base partners Geoff Cook and Min Lew to explore what makes the agency so special.

Geoff Cook (@geoffcook) is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and live-streaming company with a $400+ million market cap. He started his first company from a Harvard dorm and sold it for millions of dollars at age 24. He sold his second company for $100 million and is the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region.To listen to the entire episode, visit: https://disruptors.fm/112-how-to-save-social-media-and-livestreaming-from-itself-and-why-podcasting-is-the-future-geoff-cook/

Geoff Cook is a serial entrepreneur and public company CEO. He started his first company from a Harvard dorm and sold it for millions of dollars at age 24. He sold his second company for $100 million. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and livestreaming company with a $400+ million market cap. He has spent $200 million in the last 3 years buying 4 companies, including most recently, Growlr, a dating app for gay bears. Geoff also runs the leading podcast player, Podcoin, and can drive thousands of listening hours and hundreds of subscribers to podcasts on which he appears. Geoff is the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region. He is also a children's book author and a mentor at Princeton University's Keller Center. He lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife, two daughters, and son. Website: https://www.themeetgroup.com/ https://www.podcoin.com/ Twitter: @geoffcook @themeetgroup @podcoinapp LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/meetme https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-cook-0a35ba3 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themeetgroup/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetmeapp/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MeetMeVideos

Jason Hartman talks with Geoff Cook, co-founder and CEO of MeetMe and The Meet Group, about the creation of his company that has created a $400 market cap. MeetMe is a dating app like many others, but has differentiated itself by using live streaming. Geoff and his team have noticed that people are segmenting their personalities across brands rather than trying to change their privacy settings on one platform, and was able to take advantage of that. Key Takeaways: [1:49] How live streaming made Geoff's dating app revenue explode [4:48] Deciding to go forward with live streaming was an all in bet for the company [7:34] The problem right now with video on dating apps is that many people don't want to be in a video [10:21] People share different aspects of their life with different brands Website: www.MeetMe.com

Jason Hartman talks with Geoff Cook, co-founder and CEO of MeetMe and The Meet Group, about the creation of his company that has created a $400 market cap. MeetMe is a dating app like many others, but has differentiated itself by using live streaming. Geoff and his team have noticed that people are segmenting their personalities across brands rather than trying to change their privacy settings on one platform, and was able to take advantage of that. Key Takeaways: [1:45] How live streaming made Geoff's dating app revenue explode [4:44] Deciding to go forward with live streaming was an all in bet for the company [7:30] The problem right now with video on dating apps is that many people don't want to be in a video [10:17] People share different aspects of their life with different brands Website: www.MeetMe.com

A Digital Meet Cute  How Geoff Cook linked up dating apps and live-streamed video to form a happy and profitable relationship. Geoff Cook has built a small empire of successful meeting and dating apps—beginning long before anyone ever swiped right on Tinder—by following a philosophy of fearlessly trying new things.  “Ten years from now, what will I have regretted—losing half a million dollars or not having done the thing that I wanted?” Of course, the fact that he has a half a million dollars to lose in the first place should be some indication that a lot of those risks have paid off. Thanks to a series of auspicious business decisions, starting with a profitable essay and resume editing business he launched as a sophomore at Harvard, Cook is living proof that experimentation lies at the heart of a successful startup career. While his fellow Harvard-attendee Mark Zuckerberg was busy refining Facebook, Cook launched his own spin on a social media platform. Rather than focusing on adding friends that users already knew in real life, his platform would be geared toward meeting entirely new people. So myYearbook was born. Today, myYearbook has evolved, changed hands, and expanded to encompass a whole collection of meeting and dating apps, all housed under The Meet Group, where Cook serves as CEO. “I tend to be a tinkerer,” he says. “I’ll push forward an idea even if it seems strange, just because it’s an itch and just keep moving the ball forward. Sometimes, opportunities fall out of that, and sometimes you just lose a lot of money. But it’s an itch I had to scratch.” In this instance, Cook’s itch proved to be so much more. Extracurricular Activities  Cook started his first business in 1997 when, while still writing college essays of his own, he decided to put his economics classes to work and start a small side hustle editing his classmates’ papers and resumes. But in astoundingly short order, EssayEdge and ResumeEdge had scaled to millions in revenue, and the Thomson Corporation was knocking at his door with an acquisition offer. So Cook sold his first business in 2002, and just like that, he had the seed money to begin his first post-grad venture. But it wasn’t until he was in his mid-20s, when the social media era had just begun, that the light bulb flicked on. “The thought was that there needs to be a place to connect to people you don’t know,” he says. “It seemed both MySpace and Facebook were heavy into connecting to your real life friends.” Teaming up with his brother and sister, who were both still in high school, he created a social network designed to introduce rather than deepen existing friendships. Using games and his search algorithm, making new connections was simple. All they needed now were users. Luckily, the Cooks had the perfect in. At Montgomery High School in Skillman, NJ, where both of the younger co-founders were still in school, myYearbook rolled out in 2005. In the first two weeks, there were hundreds of users. Within nine months, there were over a million. But the road to a million required some clever maneuvering. “I think we built a pretty good mousetrap in the beginning, but we had nobody in it,” he says, laughing. “What really helped it take off was…we were able to create this great quiz app that ended up getting millions of users every month.” Reminiscent of today’s Buzzfeed quizzes, users would take a quiz to determine what Seinfeld character they were most similar to. They would then share their results on their MySpace profile, and when a friend—intrigued to learn whether they were an Elaine or a Kramer—clicked on the link, it whisked them away to myYearbook where they were invited to register. “Quizzes are a very high-uniques business,” Cook says. “You get a lot of uniques, but you get very few page views per unique, because you only basically need to see the quiz and the quiz result. So we turned that business from two page views per user to closer to two or three hundred, because we brought them into a very social experience.” Once the former MySpace users began chatting with the new people they met through myYearbook, the platform blossomed. “That was when we were basically off to the races,” Cook says. But unfortunately, “the races” had an expensive entry fee. ‘The Servers Were Melting’  “We had to raise some money,” Cook says. “The servers were melting. The traffic was growing. The expenses were going up.” So, in 2006, to keep their rapidly growing platform afloat, Cook and crew decided to begin their first round of funding. The success of this venture round left them with enough money to put a team and an office together. The social media website continued to flourish, and in 2008, they began a Series B round of funding that enabled them to raise $12.8 million just before the financial crisis laid waste to the economic landscape.  Grateful for their luck, but tired of raising capital, they vowed that this second round of funding would be their last, which meant only one thing: it was time to monetize. Luckily, Cook had a rapt audience at his disposal. “I’m of the belief that if you can amass a big enough audience…you can monetize it,” he says, “especially if it’s an engaged audience that’s spending 10 or 20 or 30 minutes a day with you.” In 2011, revenue was up to around $25 million to $30 million, and Cook was thinking long term. What was next for his company? When he was introduced to Quepasa—a company similar to myYearbook but for South America, and the first publicly traded social network—he knew he’d found a fit. The two companies merged, transforming myYearbook into a publicly traded company, and Cook thought the time had come to rename the company, as well. “We were always a social network for meeting new people, but the name [myYearbook] to people who didn’t know that made people think of Classmates.com,” he says. “It was not really what we were about, so we changed the name to Meet Me.” As part of the merger, Cook stepped into the role of COO with the intention that he would soon move back into the CEO role. In 2013, he made his return as CEO of the company, a position he has held since. When asked how the job of CEO at a private, venture capital-funded company differed from that of a publicly traded company, he says that the two roles are far more similar than they are different. In a privately owned, venture-backed company, he says, the CEO answers to several large investors who are knowledgeable about the industry and who demand growth. It’s the same for a CEO whose company goes public, he says. There are just a whole lot more investors to keep happy. Cook says it can be difficult to know when the time has come to take a company public, but he did offer some insight for founders. “I think the best time to be public would be when you have a lot of insight into your future revenues and profits,” he says. “One of the key differences of a public versus private company is that…you offer some guidance for the year—or even long-term guidance—on how the business is going to go, and then you’re measured to a quarterly yardstick on that.” Without a degree of foresight, he says that going public would be an extremely difficult task. “If you don’t have enough insight into your business to know your revenues except within a very wide range, or to know your profits except within a very wide range, that’s probably not the best candidate to be public,” he says. “You’re just setting yourself up to have some very bad quarters. In other words, the key is predictability. But he reminds business owners that even the most predictable companies can present a challenge. “You’re never gonna know everything, and there’ll always be some surprises, because things happen,” he says. But despite the added pressures and challenges, Cook insists that there are many advantages to being publicly traded. “There’s definitely pros and cons of being public,” he says, “but I would say we’ve had more pro than con.” And the primary advantage of going public for Cook was a clear path toward acquiring other companies.  Forming the Group  Not long after myYearbook became Meet Me, the business was renamed The Meet Group, the moniker it’s known by today. Because the business encompassed more than a single app, the name change was apt, and it only became more appropriate as the years passed. In late 2016, The Meet Group acquired Skout, a meet-up app that was approaching its 10th birthday. Then in 2017, they acquired Tagged, the San Francisco-based meeting app with high engagement in the African-American community, and Lovoo, a European dating app. And this year, The Meet Group also acquired GROWLr, a dating app geared toward the gay community. But Cook says all of these acquisitions stemmed from a strategy inspired by one popular Chinese dating app. The company decided to start building a live-streaming video product after seeing its success at a Chinese dating platform called Momo.  Cook felt the app was somewhat similar to Meet Me, and when Momo added live streaming, he says that about 90 percent of Momo’s revenue was a result of that service. The Meet Group wanted to give it a try. “We were also kind of clear-eyed enough to know that building a live-streaming business is a big commitment,” Cook says. “It’s essentially kind of an all-in sort of company bet.” It was the kind of bet Cook was comfortable making. So they dove in headfirst and got to work building up the infrastructure, talent, and moderation capabilities they would need to execute their plan. And it paid off in tens of millions. Cook says that their annualized live video revenue grew from $0 to $82 million in just 16 months. This became the inspiration behind their acquisition of meeting and dating apps—to integrate video and watch as revenues skyrocketed. “If we believed in our story enough to make that bet, well, then we could make that bet again and again,” he says. “There’s no reason not to double down, triple down, quadruple down on it.” As they acquired social apps and fitted live-streamed video into them, they noticed that the engagement on those apps markedly increased. “In meeting- and dating- and chat-oriented communities, there’s often periods of time where you just don’t have any inbound chats,” he says. “So, it’s kind of boring.” But rather than exiting the app, the users of the video-fitted apps can simply hop into the tab labeled “Live” during those gaps. “Our users are coming to us for human connection,” he says. “Meeting new people is kind of all about that. Interactive live video is actually human connection, right?” Cook says that around 20 percent of their users visit the live streaming sections of the apps each day and that those users, on average, spend 20 minutes more a day on the app. Users can watch popular streamers, send them comments and witness their reactions. They can also buy and send digital gifts to the streamer. “They do this because they want the attention of the streamer,” he says. “It’s almost like buying someone a drink at the bar. You don’t have to, but if you want a better shot, you maybe should.” Cook is pleased with the success The Meet Group has found by incorporating live streaming into the apps—but he still has his eyes on Momo. Thirty percent of the Chinese app’s users visit the live section daily, a goal that Cook wants to push toward. He also wants to continue pushing the boundaries of live video and sees one-on-one live video and various video dating experiences in the company’s future. As the social media landscape continues to coalesce around a select few apps, this self-proclaimed tinkerer believes that the unique nature of his business will allow it to keep flourishing. After all, as long as there are people searching for connection, there will always be a need to meet someone new. Interview by Nathan Chan, feature article reprinted from Foundr Magazine, by Erica Comitalo Key Takeaways How Cook’s resume editing side hustle at Harvard eventually led to an acquisition offer Why Cook decided to take a different route from MySpace and Facebook The surprising tactic that led to myYearbook surpassing a million users in nine months How Cook approached the funding and monetization of myYearbook The road to becoming a publicly traded company and the lessons learned How The Meet Group was born Why an investment in the live-streaming business changed the game What Cook has his eyes on for the future of The Meet Group

He sold his first business at age 24 for millions and then sold his second business for $100m! Today, he's a serial entrepreneur making waves in the app world. We talk about what it takes to succeed in the app world.

Company of one and other wisdom is on the cards today in the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast. Lets start with some major words to get into your head. When we're young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here's your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph Yes. Hello. Good morning. Good morning everyone across the world. How are you welcome to Join Up Dots. Yes, the global hit show, the business motivation conversation, inspirational show, that is literally driving you guys to success. Its driving you guys forward. And for a long while it was driving me into an early grave. But I'm things things are a lot more on an even keel.   This Week In Join UP Dots This week's been a bit of a bit of an unusual week, because I've been away. I often say that I'm very good at disconnecting. But it's very hard to 100% disconnect. It's very hard not to just go "Oh, I'll go on the internet, I just do this. And I just do that." This week, I've been trying my hardest to really be free from everything, not knowing what's going on in the news, not knowing what the football result are. And Im about 80% achieving my aim. I needed to do that because I started to feel myself getting a little bit frazzled by the amount of work I was taking on. That's kind of what I'm going to be talking about today. Because when you start your online business, when you start any business, more often than not, you go for the dream. I suppose the dream isn't what the dream ends up being. Because first of all, you start with a tiny little dream thinking "Oh, as long as I can get x y Z, then ill be alright". It's a kind of scraping through kind of dream. Which is perfectly acceptable, because you haven't moved through to the next stage where you you've had the proof. As my wife always says, "When I see it, I'll believe it. "   When I See It I'll Believe It And so that's what happens in Join Up Dots and everyone that I coach  have to have that moment of realisation that this can work. Now, when they're starting to build it, you set a ceiling on what you need. More often than not, I call it my keeping the lights on figure. That point when you can get to a certain point where you go, "Yeah, we're okay now. I'm actually earning the income. That means that the bills are paid, but I've got free time and everything is good." But of course, of course, things get a little bit greedy. It's very hard not to go out and just squeeze in another client, or just do another little bit of this and a little bit of that. I found myself falling into that trap where I was actually starting to think, "Oh my god, I need to do this and then I need to do that. " In many ways, it wasn't becoming fun. It wasn't when I was connecting with people and thinking, "I'm really looking forward to this" It was like what I need to get this done because I got another person straight afterwards. So I've tried to clear the decks, I've gone back to basics with Join Up Dots where I'm doing the bare minimum. But what I need to do to actually sort of make a living. And if you can make a living, that's great. If you make a greedy living then more often than not, it comes with certain sort of restraints.   Matt Devella And Minimalism  You know, along that line, when I did dip into the internet, I saw this video now there's a guy that I've mentioned on the show called He's on YouTube, and he does a lot of lifestyle design videos, and they're very good. They're very professional. But as with most things, once you've seen a few of them, you start to think, "okay, you're kind of repeating yourself." It must be very hard as it is with Join Up Dots . I'm sure after 1500 shows, you guys are going "God, he's talking about the same thing. He's constantly telling us Yes, you can go out and do it." And I'm gonna keep on doing that. I will keep on doing that until the last breath is in my body. And I'm laying there. And I say," Did it work? Did it work? " And we open the window.and if I hear crying and mourning across the globe, and I'm hoping Yes, it's worked and join up dots delivered what I was hoping for. Anyway back to Matt Devella, as these are really good videos. And one of the ones I watched this week was a minimalist approach to business. Now I like minimalism, although I am more into , which I will actually talk about later. But is how you reduce everything in your life to that which you need. You don't need to be out having to work to support them. Now, it's a long standing principle, really, so many people are going to work just to pay for that car loan, which they don't actually get a chance to use because they're going to work to pay for it. They have a big mortgage too, and they're supporting a lifestyle that isn't conducive to having life experiences.   Life Is About Having Your Breath Taking Away I saw a sign in the pub the other day. It said something like, "Life isn't about the amount of breaths you take. It's about the amount of moments that your breath is taken away." That's brilliant, isn't it, where it's all about having those experiences and those moments when you say "Oh, my God, that is wonderful." I think most of us don't get many of those because we're so busy just living a life and sort of moving on. Now, Matt, the minimalist guy. He done that. H has stripped his life down. He's made it very basic. He was talking to a guy called , who's got a book out which I jumped onto Amazon and bough.  I bought his book "Company of One", which is saying, staying small is the next big thing for business. The principle which is building minimalism into your business. So not to think to yourself "Right? I want to have a million pound a month." Instead saying "If I can get to my keep the lights on figure, and then double it. That's good enough. That's, that's fine." So if I could get like two clients a month, and that gives me what I need, and then double, why go for five clients and 10 clients? Why get staff and employees? You keep it all stripped back. Now one of the things he was talking about is how so many people people start paying for employees. When you're better off is having people on contract that only get paid when you need them. So they're kind of non paid employees. So if you're sort of struggling with your website design and your email marketing list, have somebody that is ready, and you've signed them off, and you know them and you trust them. You can say, "Jane, Jane, I need you to do that today." And she does it. When you pay her, it's not an employee, but it's a contracted worker to keep your business small, meaning that you can just focus in on what you're doing. Well when I was watching that video i was thinking "Yeah, I think that's what I need to do." Because I've taken on so many client, which is brilliant, me, my 30 day business coaching course, has been flying, and which is great. But as I say you get a bit frazzled. And you think to yourself, "Actually, I can't do this. And I can't do that, because I've got this person to speak to"   Building Your Own Company Of One So that's what I've been doing. If you jump onto YouTube and look for that Company of One, why staying small, it's the next big thing in business by Paul Jarvis and Matt, they develop a very interesting conversation. The other thing that I'm going to say is I want to read an email. Now I won't give this guy's name, but I'm going to be speaking to him live tomorrow. I just wanted you guys to hear somebody out there who's listening to the show. I will tell you that his name's Scott, nothing else, nothing else. But I will tell you, he's named Scott. And I'm going to be speaking to him live tomorrow. He's connected with me. And I'm gonna, I'm going to try to help him on his way. He said me? I'm Scott. Good morning David massive fan of the show. Thank you for the effort you put in, I know you're a busy guy. So out of 12 months anyway, so I'll be brief. I'm totally into your way of thinking. My goal is to create an online business, that I can operate from anywhere and spend more time doing what I want, when I want, who I want with, just don't tell the wife. The issue is I'm totally lost as to what the business will be. The more podcasts and videos I watch, the more lost I get. I totally understand that. You can go into sort of analysis paralysis, as they say where every single person's got a point of view. I always say to people find two or three people that you really believe in and ignore everybody else. Now, I still got the same two. But I look at all the time. One of the guys is Pat Flynn from Smart Passive income. And the other is a guy called . He's taken his podcast into seven figures. It would be stupid for me not to at least go over every now and again and have a look at what he's doing and how he's structuring it. Everybody else I ignore, got no interest in them. I just go for the two guys I believe in and I trust and you should do as well. Now, Scott says, "The issue is I'm totally lost as to what that business will be. And the more podcasts and videos I watched the more Lost I get. Digital marketing, affiliate marketing, FBA, God knows, I'm just getting stressed trying to figure out what way to go. I'm open to anything, I just need to be shown the path and not told I'm going to be worth a million quid in a week's time. Now that is one of the thing I loved about this email. And that's why I decided to connect with him. Because I hate these things where you see somebody next to their infinity pool. It's not their bloody infinity pool. They've just gone on holiday and said to somebody else "Can I make a video and jump into the infinity pool?" Or they walked past a jet while they're trying to get into EasyJet, and they taken a quick photograph of themselves. So it looks like their lifestyle. I don't believe any of it. I really don't. I think most of it is total rubbish out there. I'd much rather see somebody wearing, you know, a pair of jeans and a T shirt and saying, you know, I live my life. I go and pick the kids up from school, I come home, I do three hours work. And I make a full time income. To me that is far more doable, and far more believable than what these people are saying "Yes, if you follow me, you can be a millionaire in a week's time, total total rubbish. " Scott also says "I don't need a Lamborghini, Chelsea and New York homes, I'd be happy knowing every month the bills are paid no matter where I am in the world". And that is totally doable. It really is. And there's three ways you've got to think about how to do this.   The Three Ways To Build A Company Of One You've really got to stop thinking about affiliate marketing. It's great, but it's small potatoes. You've got to step more into the bigger part of the business. If you've got something that you can do, and believe me, you will have something that you can do that somebody else wants, you can become that product and that service . You then making more money. Now what you then need to do is obviously separate yourself from the business by training somebody up to be able to do what you do so that you can then service two people. You can scale it and it doesn't mean that you're trapped in the business. It's just you have to get the ball rolling. Now there was a guy on the show the other day called Geoff Cook, who is the founder or Growlr, the Gay Bear app. Yeah I bet Yogi's having a great old time in the woods. The was saying that at the beginning, he started a CV resume business in college. He was doing all the work himself.  He had to until he could find people that would help him. And then his issue was about how to make sure those people remain good. Keeping the quality up. So there's certain issues at the beginning. But the strategy really is if you can put yourself into the service, first of all, you're going to start making more money.   Why My Company Of One Was An Early Failure  I think with Join Up Dots I screwed up on that. I kind of thought that you could just make a podcast, be like a radio host and make a million pounds. But of course that's not the case. You've got to be more in your business than out of your business. Now Scott also says "I'm a builder of 25 years working self employed and although massive potential in the industry, I fell out of love with it and the desire for the online business lifestyle you dangle" Yes, my dangling out, I dangle in front of him every week. "I know that there's a shitload of work ahead of me. And that's something I don't have a problem with at all. Please help or show me where to start maybe. So I love that email. There's realism, there's understanding that it takes work. There's understanding, that you aim to pay your bills. There's understanding that yes you could be a millionaire but who wants to you know? I used to want to be a millionaire. And now when somebody says to me, "David I'm going to Be a Millionaire Next year, I just go Yeah, go and go for it." # Because making a million pounds online, does happen. But it's difficult, more difficult than making a replacement income from what you've got at the moment to where you want to be. But you've got the free time, you've got the choices, you've got all that kind of stuff. That is totally doable. That is a company of one. So I suppose in a summary of blending this podcast in with the company of one, why staying small is the next big thing for business, and Scott's honest realization of what it takes. I think that I was on the wrong track recently, I think I've started to go for certain points of business. Well, as I said, I'm aiming for a million listeners. Now I am I'm still aiming for a million listeners, because that's part of my overall strategy. That doesn't mean that I've got to do any more work, I've just got to do the right things behind the show. Totally doable, and will bring me a lot of rewards. Lovely, lovely, lovely. But on the other side, I can have too many clients, which means that I am restricted from having a life and feeling frazzled. Wanting to disconnect and hide out online. Can't do that, because that's not going to be good for me. You got to think about that right at the very beginning. You got to think about how much you're willing to put in. But always having that ability to separate yourself, you know, don't trap yourself, paint yourself closer to the door, but then leave yourself on the other side of the door that you can close it up behind you and disappear. I can literally turn off for months at a time my business will still operate I close it up. I'd say I'm not going to take any more coaching clients any more mentoring clients and then I'll come back in August or September or whatever and then I will go again totally controllable. That is the company of one, I am heading for.

Geoff talks the future of video, the development of one-to-one live streaming and the rise of audio. In discussing how the mediascape has evolved over the past 15 years, Geoff describes how he has grown a social network by leveraging the power of users as marketers in today’s network society.

Introducing The Growlr Founder Geoff Cook Today's guest joining us on the Join Up Dots business coaching is a serial entrepreneur and public company CEO. He started his first company from a Harvard dorm and sold it for millions of dollars at age 24. He sold his second company for $100 million. Of all the guests that have appeared on Join Up Dots he is one of the hardest to research. Most have a fixed talent base that they spin their ventures around. However our guest seems more than most to be an "idea" man who has an idea, finds an audience and then BOOM business time. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and live-streaming company with a $400+ million market cap. He has also spent $200 million in the last 3 years buying 4 companies, including most recently, Growlr, a dating app for gay bears.   How The Dots Joined UP For Geoff Cook If you have no idea what a Gay Bear is (I do as I Googled it) this will of course become clear in today's show. Geoff also runs the leading podcast player, , which is an app that pays a digital currency called Podcoin to listen to podcasts. Geoff is the Winner for the Philadelphia Region. He is also a children's book author of "" and a mentor at Princeton University's Keller Center. So as you can see this interview can literally go in any direction, with any question fitting perfectly. I suppose a great one to start with is what is his definition of an entrepreneur, and is this a title that is earnt or actually born with? And do the ideas come more and more easily once the first shoots of success occur in a business? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr. Geoff Cook.   Show Highlights During the show we discussed such weight subjects with Geoff Cook such as: Geoff revealed how he never claimed the badge of an entrepreneur when he first started earning his own cash. It was just something that he did. Geoff talked about his early stages in business and how he knew that he would need to scale as soon as possible We discuss about Product Market fit, and why it is so important to try you best to fit three key strategies - entertainment, status and utility. And lastly...... Why Geoff feels that the Live Streaming is still in its infancy and is ready to explode in all our lives. Watch out NBC and CBS!

Geoff Cook (@geoffcook) is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and livestreaming company with a $400+ million market cap. He started his first company from a Harvard dorm and sold it for millions of dollars at age 24. He sold his second company for $100 million and is the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner for the Philadelphia Region.On the side, Geoff's also a children’s book author and a mentor at Princeton University’s Keller Center and leads Podcoin, the podcast player that pays you for listening.You can listen right here on iTunesIn today's episode we discuss:* How Facebook and social media have screwed up and what they could have done to avoid the problem* The future of dating, and online dating* Why Geoff is worried about screentime and constant notifications clashing with our humanity* How to build a $100M company with your brother and sister...* The reason Geoff's excited about livestreaming, 5G, and future of video* Why podcasting may be the biggest growth platform of immediate future* How to reimagine social media for a better future* While existential AI is worth worrying about* The brain drain going to advertising and attention economy* What the commoditization of sex is doing to our speciesMake a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support The DisruptorsMake a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support The DisruptorsThe Disruptors is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.Donate  

Geoff Cook is a serial entrepreneur and public company CEO. He started his first company from a Harvard dorm and sold it for millions of dollars at age 24. He sold his second company for $100 million. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and livestreaming company with a $400+ million market cap. He has spent $200 million in the last 3 years buying 4 companies as well as launching a NEW podcast app called Podcoin. During our interview we discuss: - Geoff shares how and why he started his first company out of his Harvard dorm room. - We discuss how he started his first social networking site, MyYearBook.com and later sold it for $100 million to a publicly traded company. - He shares how his new podcast app, Podcoin, works and how it is disrupting the podcast industry. - We talk about 4 things they did to quick ramp up the new Podcoin app to over 1 million minutes per day listening minutes. - He shares his theory on user retention and why it is so important to success with an app like Podcoin. - Geoff shares his favorite growth tool/software. - He shares one of his favorite books. Geoff's website: Twitter www.geoffreycook.com Download Podcoin -------------------------------- If you enjoyed this episode, please RATE / REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE to ensure you never miss an episode. Connect with Dennis Brown  AskDennisBrown.com LinkedIn Twitter  

There is more money coming into Podcasting and Geoff and David Cook are hoping to get some of it by building a podcast app that focuses on helping you find new podcasts, integrate social ingredients (likes, etc), and pay you one podcoin (1-4 cents) for every 10 minutes. I wanted to find out more about this app. Podcoin was created by David Cook who credited the idea to a speech his brother Geoff Cook gave to Princeton University in April 2018. It’s not the first time they’ve been business partners. David and Geoff previously co-founded myYearbook with their sister Catherine in 2005. The trio then sold the company to Quepasa for $100 million in 2011. It's been around since January of 2019 and currently has 15 million users that are consuming 1,500,000+ Listening Minutes PER DAY For more information see https://www.podcoin.com/audience Find the app on Apple and Android Fixing Mistakes In Your Podcast You are listening back to your podcast and there is a mistake you HAVE to fix. Here are your options when using Libsyn Thank you for contacting Libsyn Support It gets tricky with Spotify, and Google Play Music. If you upload a file with the same file name, all the other directories and apps up EXCEPT the two above. There are two options Strategy 1 If you go to content > previously published > edit the episode Then click on the Scheduling Tab and go to the advanced sub-tab You will see the destinations. Uncheck Spotify, Google Play Music and click Publish (which acts as a save button). Then rename your episode file, go to content > add new episode Then click on the Scheduling Tab and go to the advanced sub-tab You will see the destinations. Make sure to UNCHECK ALL of the destinations EXCEPT Spotify, Google Play Music and click Publish (which acts as a save button). 670 This will create a version of that episode just for those destinations, and the original version never goes offline. Strategy 2 Go to Content > Previously Published > Edit Rename your original file and use the replace option and click Publish (which acts as a save button). The current apps will have a small amount of time when the file will not play (as the apps update they will see the new file name, but there may be people who go to play the file and it won't work (as it's still looking at the old name). This can take up to 24 hours. But the episode will update on all platforms. What If I'm Not Using Libsyn? The bottom line is if you upload the new file with the same name, then it won't update on Spotify or Google Play Music because they make Question of the Month What is your biggest pain in podcasting? Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact and upload your file or use the speakpipe button by 5/24/19 Start Your Podcast Today www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Rob Bell interviews Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group.

Geoff Cook, CEO & Co-founder of the Meet Group responsible for many cutting edge dating apps joins Damona to talk about new developments in the dating tech landscape. Millennial dating and love life coach, Evin Rose, returns to co-host and give her insight on new dating app features. This week's headline: Should you use Instagram to find dates?   Do you like this short format Dates & Mates? Leave us a review and let us know!   Follow Evin on Instagram! You're invited to join Evin's free Empowered Dating Community, and get access to game-changing insight, inspiring real talk, and endless encouragement here!   Follow Geoff on Twitter and watch out for all of The Match Group's Latest updates!    There are over a hundred million people online worldwide. If you're not finding love there, we might have a problem. Luckily Damona has your solution! Go to profilestarterkit.com to get your COMPLETELY FREE guide to writing a profile that will attract quality dates to you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Cook is the Co-founder & CEO of MeetMe and The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET), a social dating and live streaming company with a $400+ million market cap; Geoff has spent $200 million in the last 3 years buying 4 companies, including most recently, Growlr, a dating app for gay bears. Geoff is also the CEO of myYearbook--a social network to meet new people. Geoff Cook helped raise $20 million and grew myYearbook to profitability with 100+ employees and $30+ million in revenue. Geoff started his first companies EssayEdge and ResumeEdge from a Harvard dorm and sold them to The Thomson Corporation for millions of dollars at age 24. He sold his second company for $100 million. He also runs the leading podcast player, Podcoin, and can drive thousands of listening hours and hundreds of subscribers to podcasts on which he appears.   Podcast Highlights   Who is Geoff Cook? Geoff is a husband and father in addition to an entrepreneur. He started his entrepreneurial life in school because he didn’t want to get a job making only a few dollars an hour. Before then he didn’t really have any ideas about being an entrepreneur. Geoff realized that if he wanted to really make some money, selling your time wasn’t going to cut it because it has a linear relationship. You need to create something that isn’t tied directly to your time. He thought that instead of working a regular job, he could create something and potential make nothing, but also potentially make way more money, and at the very least have some fun. Geoff’s first venture was an attempt to just solve a problem, in his case essay and resume editing. He built a website from scratch and slowly grew his business from $10k a year in his first year in college to over $300k a year by the time he graduated. His second business was the social network myYearbook, within 9 months he had acquired over a million users to the site by leveraging existing platforms like Myspace. How much did your education contribute to your business success? In the early days of his first business, Geoff’s education did actually help him figure out what to charge and better tailor the experience to certain people. But it’s hard to draw a straight line from his education to everything that has happened since. Growing a Business Geoff runs a public company called the Meet Group which has a heavy focus on live streaming video. The cost to execute live streaming lead to them start acquiring other apps so they could leverage the infrastructure they already had. In the early days of Myspace and Facebook, creating a viral campaign that acquired email addresses was much easier and very powerful. Today you need to either buy it or build it, in the case of building it you need novelty in order for it to grow. Instead of relying on a lucky strike of a marketing campaign, another strategy to grow is to just buy companies that have already acquired the audience you want to reach. Why is live streaming such an important tool? Regular media like photos are very flat, where live video is much more interesting and interactive. The interaction is key and in the next few years, the quality and quantity of live streams available is only going to go up. Live streams are becoming part of many more traditional broadcasts as well. Podcoin Live streaming video is a lean in media, it’s very interactive and keeps your attention. Audio is the opposite, most people consume audio media while they are doing other things, it’s more passive. Podcoin was born out of the idea of “what if we paid people to listen to podcasts?” It allows the listener to share in the rewards of the organization that they are directly generating. The hardest pr

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Geoff Cook, the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEET)--the company that markets the MeetMe, Lovoo, Skout, Tagged and Growlr--joined me for a conversation about the social impact of dating apps and the challenges of entrepreneurship. Click the following link to learn my insider secrets to media publicity for social impact: http://bit.ly/75offmedia.

Geoff Cook, the CEO of The Meet Group, chats with us about The Meet Group and how it’s becoming a key player in the Western live streaming industry. In the interview, Geoff shares with us: -Why The Meet Group got into live streaming -Why he feels it is important to pay attention to live streaming trends in China -How The Meet Group got the nickname the “MOMO of the West” and what that means -The advantage of the dating/social networking + live streaming model vs. the traditional pure-play live streaming model -The future of the live streaming industry in the West If you’d like to learn more about the topic of today’s interview, check out the article: “MOMO of the West" (https://medium.com/themeetgroup/momo-of-the-west-9abd688145ed) and to stay on top of global live streaming trends, follow our Medium blog: https://medium.com/themeetgroup

Michael Fleischner, co-host of the AudioPub podcast interviews Geoff Cook, author of middle-grade book Veronica and the Volcano, revealing interesting growth hacks to reach schools and drive positive reviews on Amazon. In this interview, Geoff reveals powerful strategies for getting your book written, navigating the publishing process, and the best ways to promote your book. Don't miss this exciting inaugural episode of the AudioPub podcast.