Creator Lab - interviews with entrepreneurs and startup founders Bilal Zaidi
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- Business
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Conversations with leading entrepreneurs, non-profit founders, award winning designers, educators, artists and everything else in between.
We dig deep into their stories, have honest conversations about how they made their ideas come to life and the lessons learned along the way.
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Zaid Admani // 100mil+ Views, Going Viral On TikTok, Creative Spirit vs. Slave To Algo
Zaid Admani is a creator and part-time Civil Engineer. He creates content on finance and business that is both educational and entertaining. He has built up a following of ~400k people & has generated more than 100 million views across social media.
Subscribe & watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/j-he_V_V5nY
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) - Intro (00:04:14) - Zaid’s Creator Journey (00:21:04) - Zaid’s Civil Engineering Background (00:32:04) - Zaid’s Content Style (00:43:39) - Creating Viral Content vs. Meaningful Content (00:57:12) - Sponsor: LinkedIn Jobs (00:58:23) - Balancing Educating and Entertaining (01:00:26) - Inside Look at Zaid’s Content Creation Process (01:33:33) - Quantity vs Quality (01:39:43) - Why TikTok Live (01:49:40) - Monetization
Links Mentioned:
Zaid’s Twitter Zaid’s TikTok Timm Chiusano’s TikTok Descript
Thank you to our sponsors:
Linkedin Jobs - helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post a job for free on https://linkedin.com/creator
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Suneel Gupta // Finding Purpose, Dealing With Burnout, 85% Rule & The Music Mindset
Suneel Gupta is a writer and entrepreneur. He studies leaders from around the world to discover and share simple, actionable habits that enhance performance and deepen ones state of well-being.
Subscribe & watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/kZwbKcnsdbY
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:49) - Suneel’s Backstory (00:03:35) - What is Dharma? (00:17:38) - The Arrival Fallacy (00:24:44) - The Ambition Paradox? (00:32:51) - Sponsor: LinkedIn Jobs (00:34:02) - Searching for Meaning (00:42:37) - The Importance of Recovery (00:46:06) - The 85% Rule (00:50:58) - Tools for Finding Dharma (01:00:56) - Music Mindset (01:04:33) - Staying Connected to your Essence
Links Mentioned
Suneel's Book - Everyday Dharma WSJ Article on One Medical Acquisition of Rise Tel Ben-Shahar Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning Thank you to our sponsors:
Linkedin Jobs - helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post a job for free on https://linkedin.com/creator -
Kallaway // 100mil+ Views, Growing on TikTok & Vertical Video Deep Dive
Kallaway is creator with a passion for producing content centered around tech and cult brands. He has generated over 100 million views and amassed a large following across social media.
Subscribe & watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/etQpm_bQJH8
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:22) - Kallaway’s Backstory
(00:17:07) - Distribution is King
(00:20:57) - Why Short-Form Video?
(00:28:56) - Actionable Advice on Creating Content
(00:44:53) - Sponsor: LinkedIn Jobs
(00:46:04) - Comedy & Storytelling (00:52:41) - Why Writing is the Most Important Skill
(01:03:33) - Inside Look at Kallaway’s Script Layout
(01:05:59) - Kallaway’s Equipment
(01:10:24) - Kallaway’s Editing Process
(01:32:35) - Psychology of Creating Content
(01:44:57) - How to go viral
(01:49:37) - Newsletter Insights
(01:55:26) - Thoughts on Monetization
(01:59:52) - Becoming a Full-Time Creator
Links Mentioned
Kallaway’s Personal Website
Kallaway’s Twitter
Espresso Letter
TikTok Example 1
TikTok Example 2
TikTok Example 3
Camera
Lens
Capture Card
Microphone
Recording Software
Youtube Downloader (Downie)
Premiere Keyboard Shortcuts
Thank you to our sponsors:
Linkedin Jobs - helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post a job for free on linkedin.com/creator
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Mario Gabriele, The Generalist // Emerging Tech, ChatGPT vs. Google, Contrarian Views & Raising A $15mil Fund
Subscribe & watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/zJBc0-rsnVo
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Start 00:04:26 - What VCs do & how it overlaps with Mario’s experience 00:08:00 - Why Be A Generalist vs. Specialist? 00:11:32 - Surprising characteristics of “who becomes an entrepreneur”? 00:15:52 - Average age of entrepreneurs - fact vs fiction 00:17:58 - Emerging Tech (AI, Crypto, Health) 00:22:34 - Valuations in 2023 00:24:53 - Feelings After FTX & Luna Crash 0:33:24 - Web 2.5 Companies 00:35:45 - Neo Banks vs Traditional Banks 00:37:30 - Fintech Overlap w/ Crypto 00:38:33 - ChatGPT vs. Google 00:41:55 - Types of searches & AI co-pilots 00:44:34 - Hype Cycles: Football vs. Tech 00:48:22 - Sponsor Break: Virtual Gurus 00:49:25 - Monetizing AI & Google vs. Microsoft 00:56:59 - Satya Smashing It At Microsoft 01:02:36 - What Running A $15mil Fund Looks Like 01:16:19 - Behind The Mind 01:17:08 - If you weren’t doing the generalist what would you be doing? 01:18:26 - Contrarian Opinions 01:23:08 - Subcultures, Reality TV & The Day of Judgement 01:26:14 - People That Have Impacted Your Thinking Links Mentioned
https://www.generalist.com/briefing/all-the-answers https://www.generalist.com/briefing/josh-wolfe https://www.generalist.com/briefing/the-casino-and-the-genie Thank you to our sponsors:
The Virtual Gurus - if you’re looking for talented remote staff on a budget, book a free consult at thevirtualgurus.com/creator -
Timo Armoo, Fanbytes // 8-Figure Agency Sale, Influencer Marketing & Expertise Gap Opportunities in 2023
Subscribe & watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/c1vgzbouoXY
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:24) - Start Of Interview (00:06:43) - Selling Companies & Expertise Gap (00:15:40) - Expertise Gap in 2023 (00:20:18) - Selling Company: Strategic vs Financial Buyers (00:23:50) - Getting New Clients & Figuring Out Pricing (00:39:29) - Sponsor Break: Virtual Gurus (00:40:32) - Press, Scaling Beyond Yourself & Dealing With Ego (00:56:42) - Best In Class Influencer Marketing (01:04:00) - Priorities & Long Term View On Business Thank you to our sponsors:
The Virtual Gurus - if you’re looking for talented remote staff on a budget, book a free consult at thevirtualgurus.com/creator -
James DeJulio, Tongal // Future of Hollywood & Advertising, Impact of AI on Creative Work & Who Wins The Streaming Wars?
Subscribe & watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/FNCgWJNR9ok
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:24) - Start Of Interview (00:01:55) - What Is Tongal? (00:04:07) - Types of Content: Branded, Original + Advertising (00:07:08) - Scale Of Tongal (00:12:14) - Background in Hollywood (00:24:57) - The Company Before Tongal (00:34:54) - Power of Cold E-mail (00:36:53) - Company Origin Story (00:41:12) - Sponsor Break: Virtual Gurus (00:42:12) - Getting First Few Customers (00:46:49) - Finding Product Market Fit (00:52:19) - Scaling + Growth Levers (01:02:43) - Pricing Model Change (01:08:14) - Looking Ahead (01:13:35) - How AI Will Impact The Creative Work Force? (01:15:44) - Streaming Wars (Netflix, YouTube, HBO, Tiktok)
Thank you to our sponsors:
The Virtual Gurus - if you’re looking for talented remote staff on a budget, book a free consult at thevirtualgurus.com/creator
Customer Reviews
One of my go to Podcasts
Love the conversations and the guests! Keep up the great work Bilal 🙌🏻
Good Honest Storytelling
Love the conversational style and the way the presenter brings out the honesty in his guests. Very cool!