The Nickolas Natali Show

The Nickolas Natali Show
  • 4.9 (273)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

High achievers and ambitious weirdos — welcome. On The Nickolas Natali Show, Nick shares no-BS strategies to help you get jacked, make bank, and build real relationships. Featured in Business Insider, Nick went from living in a '86 Suburban to building a six-figure media agency — with some wild stories in between. Each week: solo episodes and interviews with creators, entrepreneurs, and top performers who’ve actually done the thing. No fluff, no fake gurus — just real tools for high achievers ready to win.

  1. 2d ago

    Why AI Won’t Replace Humans the Way You Think

    Need help marketing your business? Talk to Nick:  https://calendly.com/nickolasnatali/unlimited-content-consult In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali welcomes back Chris Penfold to discuss agentic AI, governance, systems design, robotics, and the future of work. Chris explains the differences between chatbots, copilots, and AI agents, and why giving AI the ability to act creates both major opportunities and serious risks. He shares why businesses should avoid automating broken processes, how bounded autonomy can reduce risk, and why companies need to match the right AI model to the right task. They also explore token costs, local versus cloud-based models, the changing role of business leaders, Claude’s internal reasoning, robotics, biohacking, and opportunities in slow-moving industries like automotive. The episode closes with Chris’s perspective on fulfillment: understanding yourself, knowing what brings you joy, and intentionally pursuing more of it.  Takeaways Agentic AI can take actions, not just respond to prompts. Businesses should fix broken workflows before automating them. Ask what AI should not be allowed to do, not just what it can do. Higher-risk AI actions require stronger guardrails and human oversight. Expensive, high-reasoning models are unnecessary for many simple tasks. Leaders need strategic AI understanding, not deep technical expertise. AI may shift work toward higher-value human judgment and interaction. Fulfillment comes from understanding yourself and pursuing what genuinely brings you joy. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Future of AI and Work 04:19 Chatbots, Copilots, and AI Agents 09:16 AI Security and Prompt Injection Risks 19:18 How Businesses Should Start Using AI 25:37 What Should AI Not Be Allowed to Do? 30:06 Choosing Models and Managing AI Costs 38:17 Leadership and the Future of Work 53:34 Claude, Robotics, and Biohacking 1:02:40 AI Opportunities in Automotive 1:06:25 What Makes a Fulfilling Life Chris Penfold’s Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-penfold-cap https://refinedautonomy.ai/  Want to work with Nick and his team?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    Why AI Won’t Replace Humans the Way You Think

  2. 6d ago

    Health Scare at 34 - Fitness Saved His Life

    Need help marketing your business? Talk to Nick: https://calendly.com/nickolasnatali/roas-engine-audit In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali sits down with Darnell Hardy, coach, athlete, metabolic testing expert, and founder of Optimize VO2. Darnell shares how suffering a stroke at 34 reshaped his views on fitness, identity, gratitude, faith, and coaching. They also break down VO2 max, Zone 2 training, VT1 and VT2, lactate thresholds, wearables, fuel utilization, recovery, and race performance. Darnell explains why many athletes train too hard on easy days, why wearable data should be treated as a trend rather than absolute truth, and how a stronger aerobic base can improve both performance and recovery. The conversation closes with practical advice on fueling before fatigue hits, training for the actual goal instead of chasing metrics, and building a fulfilling life around faith, purpose, natural strengths, and community. Takeaways Fitness gave Darnell a physical reserve he believes helped him recover from his stroke. Focus on becoming your next best version instead of trying to reclaim your past self. Use wearables to track trends, not as perfect measures of physiology. VO2 max reflects cardiovascular capacity, not total athletic ability. Many athletes train Zone 2 too hard because they rely on feel instead of physiology. Frequent Zone 2 work builds aerobic efficiency and improves recovery. Training should match the specific performance goal, not just chase popular metrics. In longer races, fuel before you feel like you need it. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:58 Darnell’s Stroke at 34 07:51 Identity, Faith & Recovery 15:32 Wearables & Heart Rate Accuracy 18:38 What VO2 Max Really Means 22:47 VT1, VT2 & Fuel Use 29:38 The Truth About Zone 2 44:53 Building Your Aerobic Base 01:04:47 VO2 Max Intervals & Norwegian 4x4 01:09:14 Race Fueling, Fatigue & Fulfillment Darnell Hardy’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/dhardy.ig https://www.instagram.com/powermonkeyfitness https://www.instagram.com/optimizevo2 https://www.optimizevo2.com/ Want to work with Nick and his team?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    Health Scare at 34 - Fitness Saved His Life

  3. Sep 18

    Most Companies Are Using AI Completely Wrong

    Need help marketing your business? Talk to Nick: https://calendly.com/nickolasnatali/roas-engine-audit In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali sits down with Christian Ulstrup, founder of GSD (recently rebranded as Caritas Venture Co.), where he helps companies use AI to create measurable business outcomes rather than simply adopt new tools. Christian brings nearly a decade of applied AI experience across startups, medical devices, venture-backed companies, private-equity-backed companies, media, and government, along with experience as an MIT Sloan MBA, former MIT AI conference co-chair, startup executive, and patent holder. Nickolas and Christian explore why AI should be viewed less as a replacement for people and more as a tool for dramatically expanding what capable people can accomplish. They discuss AI agents, identifying the right processes to automate, creating measurable business outcomes, and why human judgment, relationships, and goal-setting become more important as execution gets cheaper. Christian also shares how his company structures outcome-based engagements, aligns incentives through shared upside and downside, and uses "digital exhaust" from meetings, emails, and customer conversations to uncover hidden opportunities and risks. They also examine AI power users, shadow IT, evolving compensation models, and how service businesses can avoid commoditization. The conversation closes with a broader idea: technology may change how work gets done, but creating value still begins with taking a genuine interest in other people and helping them move closer to their goals.  Takeaways AI is most valuable when it expands the scope of what people can accomplish rather than simply attempting to remove humans from the process. Leaders should begin AI initiatives with customer outcomes and business bottlenecks, not with the technology itself. The best automation opportunities combine measurable ROI with strong buy-in from the employees closest to the work being transformed. When AI frees employee capacity, that time can be redirected toward relationships, customer conversations, opportunity spotting, and higher-value work. Outcome-based pricing can better align incentives, but putting 100% of compensation at risk can reduce client commitment and create unnecessary risk. AI power users are often experienced, verbally fluent employees who understand their work deeply, not necessarily the people leadership expects to be the most technical. Meeting transcripts, sales calls, emails, CRM data, and other digital exhaust can help surface patterns, risks, and opportunities that would otherwise remain difficult to see. AI should generate hypotheses and make information more legible, but humans still need to apply judgment, collaborate, set goals, and decide what is actually worth pursuing. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Christian Ulstrup and the Future of AI 02:00 Why AI Cannot Simply Replace Human Workers 10:11 What AI Agents Actually Look Like in Practice 17:00 How to Decide What Your Business Should Automate 26:04 What Happens When AI Frees Up Employee Capacity 33:15 Outcome-Based Pricing and Aligning Incentives 44:26 Finding and Developing AI Power Users 50:07 Mining Digital Exhaust for Hidden Business Insights 01:04:26 How Service Businesses Can Avoid Commoditization 01:08:10 Building a Fulfilling Life Through Service and Relationships Christian Ulstrup’s Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianulstrup/ https://www.instagram.com/culstrup/ Want to work with Nick and his team?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    Most Companies Are Using AI Completely Wrong

  4. Sep 11

    How to Build a Career That Actually Lasts | Brimstone

    Need help marketing your business? Talk to Nick: https://calendly.com/nickolasnatali/roas-engine-audit In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali sits down with Brimstone, a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur and entertainer whose career spans professional wrestling, radio, podcasting, acting, voice acting, comic books, music, food, licensing, philanthropy, and more. Five years after his first appearance on the show, Brimstone returns to unpack what it actually takes to build a lasting career rather than experience a brief moment of success. He and Nickolas explore work ethic, reinvention, authenticity, branding, self-promotion, relationships, collaboration, and the importance of continually creating new opportunities. Brimstone explains why he prefers building across multiple interconnected ventures rather than staying in a single lane, sharing how wrestling naturally led to comics, voice acting, food content, products, podcasts, and eventually the upcoming Stan Lee Presents podcast. He also opens up about the costly consequences of trusting the wrong business partners, why authenticity has been one of his greatest advantages, and how strategic unpaid collaborations can create long-term opportunities. The conversation ultimately comes back to fulfillment: doing meaningful work, building relationships, helping others, pursuing what makes you happy, and leaving behind a legacy your family can be proud of. Takeaways Lasting success comes from consistent work, not short-term virality. Strong branding and self-promotion are essential if you want to stay relevant and memorable. Building multiple interconnected ventures can create more opportunity and reduce dependence on one career path. Trusting the wrong people can be one of the most expensive mistakes in business. Authenticity, competence, and strong relationships are major drivers of long-term success. Strategic free work and collaborations can lead to valuable relationships, exposure, and future paid opportunities. Fulfillment is about meaningful work, family, contribution, happiness, and leaving a legacy, not just money. Chapters 00:00 Introducing Brimstone 01:29 Building a Lasting Career 10:39 Succeeding Across Multiple Ventures 18:30 Branding, Self-Promotion & Staying Memorable 23:00 Turning One Opportunity Into the Next 36:23 Brimstone’s Biggest Business Lessons 43:01 Authenticity, Criticism & Playing the Long Game 57:21 What It Means to Live a Fulfilling Life Brimstone’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/therealbrimstone/ https://www.therealbrimstone.com/ https://x.com/entrancetohell https://www.linkedin.com/in/entrancetohell/ Want to work with Nick and his team?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    How to Build a Career That Actually Lasts | Brimstone

  5. Mar 20

    The Most Honest Season Finale We’ve Done Yet

    In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali welcomes back Grant Singer for the season finale. As tradition goes, this episode blends reflection, humor, and honest conversation about the year behind them and the one ahead. Grant shares a major exclusive. He reveals plans to launch a boutique guitar pedal company inspired by his recent solo trip to Japan, where he sourced rare vintage components in Tokyo’s famous Akihabara district. He explains the creative vision behind the brand and why 2026 will be a defining year for him. The conversation also dives into the rapidly changing entertainment industry. From Netflix potentially acquiring Warner Brothers to the Oscars moving to YouTube, Grant gives a candid update on his independently produced feature film and what the future may look like for filmmakers navigating consolidation and uncertainty. Nickolas reflects on a year defined by sacrifice, business growth, endurance milestones, and stress. From completing a Half Ironman to preparing for a 100-mile race, he shares lessons on focus, boundaries, and ambition. It is an honest, thoughtful, and entertaining close to the season. Takeaways Do not fall in love with your vacation. Travel is not the same as real life. Clarity creates power in business, relationships, and creativity. Focus is not about adding more. It is about removing distractions. Social media often gives the illusion of control while quietly draining time and energy. Stress can signal growth when building something meaningful. The entertainment industry is consolidating rapidly, and independent creators must adapt. Release strategy shapes culture. Weekly releases build anticipation in ways content dumps cannot. Massive corporate mergers may permanently reshape film and television. Passion-driven businesses tend to last longer than purely opportunistic ones. Big swings require vulnerability and risk. Entrepreneurship exposes uncomfortable truths about markets and incentives. Growth, whether athletic or professional, requires sacrifice. Chapters 00:00 Intro and Season Finale Disclaimer 01:20 Grant Returns and Anniversary Reflections 05:30 Japan Trip and Mount Fuji Economics 11:30 Solo Travel and Creative Inspiration 12:30 Soft Launch of the Guitar Pedal Company 16:45 The 100-Mile Race Challenge 25:30 Film Update and Independent Production 28:30 Industry Shakeup and Corporate Consolidation 34:00 Apple Versus Netflix Release Strategy 43:00 Business Growth, Sacrifice, and Stress 46:45 Starting a Niche Business and Industry Pushback 53:00 Word of the Year: Clarity 57:00 Identity and Introversion 1:00:00 Lessons from Pain and Big Swings Ahead  Want to work with Nick?: ⁠https://allthingsmediallc.com/⁠ Free Resources Made by Nick: ⁠https://nickolasnatali.gumroad.com/⁠ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): ⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali⁠ Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali⁠ What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): ⁠https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt⁠ DM Nick on Instagram:  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    The Most Honest Season Finale We’ve Done Yet

  6. 12/27/2025

    You’re Not Behind, You’re Just Not Doing Enough Reps

    In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali breaks down one of the most misunderstood advantages in business, content, sales, and personal growth: repetition. Instead of chasing shortcuts, hacks, or surface-level optimizations, Nickolas explains why real winners build moats through volume, feedback, and iteration. He introduces the “Reps Moat Flywheel,” a practical framework that shows how volume creates feedback, feedback fuels iteration, iteration builds skill, and skill compounds into leverage and capacity. Drawing from business examples, sports analogies, and his own current Half Ironman training, Nickolas highlights how unseen, consistent work is what separates durable operators from stalled performers. The episode covers what activities deserve repetition, what behaviors to eliminate, and how to structure a 30-day repetition sprint across content, sales, pipeline, product, faith, and health. Nickolas also addresses a critical risk most people ignore: burnout. He shares reminders on batching, templating, systemization, and rest rhythms that allow volume without chaos. This episode is a tactical blueprint for anyone feeling stuck, overthinking execution, or watching momentum fade. If you want more leads, better skills, and sustainable growth, this is a call to stop tweaking and start shipping. Takeaways Repetition, not talent, is the true competitive advantage in business.Volume creates data, and data enables better decisions.Most people stall because they wait too long between reps.You only see a fraction of competitors’ actual effort behind the scenes.The Reps Moat Flywheel compounds skill into leverage and capacity.Core money skills deserve the most repetition.If an activity moves leads, revenue, or retention, it earns reps.Single-variable testing prevents catastrophic inefficiency.Endless planning and vanity metrics kill momentum.Tracking daily output accelerates improvement.Doubling down on winners matters more than fixing losers.Sustainable volume requires systems, batching, and rest rhythms. Chapters 00:00 Why shortcuts fail and repetition wins 00:21 The real problem behind stalled growth 00:39 What a business moat actually is 01:12 The Reps Moat Flywheel explained 01:50 Lessons from elite athletes and unseen work 03:20 How repetition applies to business execution 03:49 Half Ironman training as a repetition case study 04:34 What to repeat in your business 05:13 What to kill: planning traps and vanity work 05:29 The 30-day repetition sprint framework 06:31 Tracking metrics that actually matter 07:06 Weekly reviews and doubling down on winners 07:21 Anti-burnout rules for high-volume execution 08:06 Final action step and implementation challenge Want to work with Nick?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Free Resources Made by Nick: https://nickolasnatali.gumroad.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    You’re Not Behind, You’re Just Not Doing Enough Reps

  7. 12/19/2025

    How to Build a Follow-Up System That Doesn't Depend on You

    In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali delivers a no-fluff, operator-level breakdown of how to turn appointment setting into a predictable, scalable system instead of a founder-dependent scramble. This is a solo episode built for founders who are tired of watching leads go cold, calendars empty out, and pipelines rot due to slow response times and inconsistent follow-up. Nickolas walks through a complete, plug-and-play framework covering a 7-day CRM cadence, a 7-day Instagram DM cadence, and the exact rules for when and how to hire an appointment setter. Drawing from real-world execution inside GoHighLevel and social DMs, he explains why speed to lead under 60 seconds is non-negotiable, how multi-channel follow-up dramatically increases booking rates, and how clean pipeline ownership prevents revenue drop-offs when the founder gets busy. The episode also dives into compensation structures, KPIs that actually matter, and a step-by-step hiring and onboarding plan designed to get setters productive fast without burning founder time. If you want fewer no-shows, higher show rates, and a calendar that fills consistently without you chasing every lead yourself, this episode lays out the exact operating system to make it happen. Takeaways Speed to lead under 60 seconds massively increases close rates.Most founders lose deals due to lack of cadence, not lack of leads.A clear CRM pipeline prevents leads from falling through the cracks.Multi-channel follow-up (call, text, email, DM) is mandatory.Aim for at least 10 touches across 7 days for every new lead.Binary questions make it easier for prospects to respond.Personalized Looms should be reserved for high-fit prospects.Dead leads are not dead—30/60/90-day reactivation campaigns revive pipeline.No-show follow-up requires urgency and immediate outreach.Instagram DMs are powerful because prospects are active daily.Hire a setter when speed to lead slips or follow-up exceeds 6 hours/week.Clear KPIs and structured onboarding are critical for setter success. Chapters 00:00 Why Most Leads Die 01:28 CRM Pipeline Fundamentals 02:15 The 7-Day CRM Cadence 03:56 Messaging That Gets Responses 05:15 Loom Videos & Personalization 06:19 Dead Leads & Reactivation 07:10 No-Show Rescue Strategy 08:38 Instagram DM Framework 10:56 Inbound vs Outbound DMs 11:45 When to Hire an Appointment Setter 12:40 Setter Compensation Models 13:15 Hiring, Training, and KPIs 14:40 Final Action Plan Want to work with Nick?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Free Resources Made by Nick: https://nickolasnatali.gumroad.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    How to Build a Follow-Up System That Doesn't Depend on You

  8. 11/29/2025

    Which Offer Model Makes You More Money: Custom, Templated, or Hybrid?

    In this episode of The Nickolas Natali Show, Nickolas Natali dives deep into one of the most common dilemmas service providers face: whether to offer custom packages, templated packages, or a hybrid model. Drawing from personal experiences working with agencies and consulting clients, Nickolas introduces the “Offer Fit Matrix,” a scoring framework designed to help entrepreneurs determine the ideal delivery model for their business based on factors like outcome variance, ICP maturity, sales cycle, and margin volatility. He breaks down three offer models—custom, package, and hybrid—and shows you how to choose between them depending on your business complexity and client type. Nickolas also shares a compelling analogy from a massage experience in Bali to highlight how perceived customization can maintain client satisfaction without sacrificing scalability. Whether you're an agency owner, freelancer, or founder, this episode equips you with practical tools like pricing guardrails, delivery systems, and even a 30-day action plan to transition smoothly into a new offer structure. Takeaways Feast-or-famine cycles often stem from offer problems, not marketing issues.Custom packages win high-value clients but often drain operational capacity.Templated packages boost speed and margins but may not serve complex buyers well.Hybrid offers—80% productized with 20% modular customization—balance scale and personalization.The “Offer Fit Matrix” helps determine which model fits your business, based on 8 scoreable criteria.Score 0–6 → use packaged offers; 7–11 → go hybrid; 12–16 → lean custom with controls.Use pre-set “modules” to create change orders without slipping into scope creep.Custom work should follow phase-gated milestones and bill in 40/40/20 or similar structures.Personalization ≠ custom—letting clients choose options (like in a Bali massage) can feel custom while remaining scalable.A/B test your offer presentation: templated first, then reposition as custom if needed for big clients.Introduce pricing tiers for packages and cap hybrid modules to three for operational clarity.Follow a 4-week transition plan to test and measure offer fit before overhauling delivery models. Chapters 00:00 Feast or Famine Is an Offer Problem 00:35 Balancing Margin vs Momentum 01:28 Real Client Story: Productizing from Chaos 02:50 The Offer Fit Matrix Breakdown 04:55 When to Choose Custom, Package, or Hybrid 06:30 Bali Massage Story: Personalization Without Complexity 07:38 Pricing and Guardrails for Each Model 08:50 Your 30-Day Transition Plan 09:58 Advanced Hybrid Strategy (Sales Call Repositioning) 11:00 Final Thoughts and Action Steps Want to work with Nick?: https://allthingsmediallc.com/ Free Resources Made by Nick: https://nickolasnatali.gumroad.com/ Nick’s Podcast Equipment, Training Equipment and More (Affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/shop/nickolasnatali Support The Nickolas Natali Show on Patreon⁠:  https://www.patreon.com/nickolasnatali What We Use For Virtual Interviews (Affiliate): https://tinyurl.com/42h624wt DM Nick on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nickolasnatali

    Which Offer Model Makes You More Money: Custom, Templated, or Hybrid?
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4.9
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About

High achievers and ambitious weirdos — welcome. On The Nickolas Natali Show, Nick shares no-BS strategies to help you get jacked, make bank, and build real relationships. Featured in Business Insider, Nick went from living in a '86 Suburban to building a six-figure media agency — with some wild stories in between. Each week: solo episodes and interviews with creators, entrepreneurs, and top performers who’ve actually done the thing. No fluff, no fake gurus — just real tools for high achievers ready to win.

Information

  • Creator
    The Nickolas Natali Show
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    229
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Nickolas Natali Show
  • Show Website
    The Nickolas Natali Show