Cubicle to CEO

Ellen Yin
  • 5.0 (567)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

We ask founders the business questions you can't Google. Cubicle to CEO® brings you weekly "behind the business" case-study interviews with leading entrepreneurs and CEOs who share a specific growth strategy they've successfully tested, how they implemented it, and what the results (and revenue) were. Host Ellen Yin also shares transparent insights about her own journey bootstrapping a media company from a $300 freelance project into millions in revenue.

  1. 14h ago

    Bonus: How to Win Black Friday Without Discounting Your Offers

    Most business owners write off Black Friday because they assume it means offering heavy discounts their margins can't absorb. However, Stephanie Paradiso calls Q4 "spendy season" and argues the opposite: some of her clients earn 50% of their annual revenue in these months, without relying on discounts. Stephanie is a certified marketing strategist and founder of Inspired Social Collective, a creative agency built on studying what big brands do and adapting it for small businesses. In this bonus episode, Stephanie breaks down how every business type can capitalize on “spendy season,” why October is the month to float a low-risk "micro offer" before Black Friday, and the underrated buyback strategies to implement in January that turn holiday buyers into repeat customers. Connect with Steph Paradiso: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredsocialco/ https://www.instagram.com/stephparadiso/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://inspiredsocialco.myflodesk.com/h1sw2nbe3b Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: How to Win Black Friday Without Discounting Your Offers

  2. 2d ago

    353. (Subscriber Q&A) Ellen’s Side Quests, Investments, Reflections on Descaling The Business 1 Year Later

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (1hr 15min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo This week, Ellen and our producer Sabrina sit down for a subscriber-led Q&A, answering the questions premium subscribers submitted in subscriber-only group chat. From taking the show behind a paywall and restructuring to a leaner team, to angel investing, imposter syndrome, and protecting a life outside of business, Ellen shares the candid, behind-the-scenes answers listeners were curious to know. Want YOUR questions answered in a future Q&A episode? Join Ellen and the community as a premium subscriber before the price increases! Links mentioned in the episode: Premium Podcast introduction episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7d9pwJYrLapKqWFZYFGECW?si=yi288S_RRLWjYInkaKEgRA Time saving boundaries episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0iCPbMq1WL2SQfQec7dLDy?si=pNYZqqq-Rby1qwrME6TRtQ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    353. (Subscriber Q&A) Ellen’s Side Quests, Investments, Reflections on Descaling The Business 1 Year Later

  3. Aug 12

    Bonus: The Buyer-Brain Test That Makes AI Copy Actually Convert

    AI can write a hundred emails in a minute, and your audience will scroll past every one. Prerna Malik has spent 15 years writing words that make people buy—minus the sleaze, the fake countdowns, and the "only 2 spots left" theatrics. As the conversion strategist behind Profitably Yours (formerly Content Bistro), she blends buyer psychology with AI and has taught close to 1,000 business owners to sell more while working less. In this bonus episode, Prerna breaks down why most AI-written copy is costing you sales, the buyer-brain test every piece should pass before you hit send, and how she turned that test into Copy Quality Guard, a free Claude Skill that runs the sales psychology for you. Faster copy isn’t the goal. Copy that converts is, and that comes from writing for the buyer's brain instead of an algorithm. Connect with Prerna: Website: https://profitablyyours.com/ Newsletter: https://profitablyyours.com/newsletter ⁠⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profitably_yours/ Grab Copy Quality Guard, Prerna's free AI Skill that catches the AI tells and weak spots costing you sales, so every email and sales page sounds human and actually converts: https://claudemadeeasy.com Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: The Buyer-Brain Test That Makes AI Copy Actually Convert

  4. Aug 10

    352. Who Keeps What & Pays Who? Untangling IP From a Multi-Million Dollar Brand & Business Partnership To Launch Her Independent Company

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (55 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo What happens to your IP when it’s published under someone else’s name? Adrienne Dorison built the operations frameworks behind Clockwork—a book that’s sold more than 300,000 copies—yet her name never made the cover. Then a solo seven-figure consultant when author and later business partner Mike Michalowicz began interviewing Adrienne for his book in 2016, their collaboration eventually turned into a years-long partnership and a multi-million dollar company and brand, Run Like Clockwork. This case study explores the before, during, and after of a major business partnership involving shared IP. Adrienne gives us full transparency into the negotiation process and financial structure of how her and Mike shared the Clockwork IP, as well as the untangling of assets and IP after dissolving their partnership recently to launch her own brand, Level11 Leaders.   Connect with Adrienne: Want to go out-of-office without anything in your business breaking? Book your FREE, 45 minute call with Adrienne to get clarity on your next move: level11leaders.com/bookacall level11leaders.com/exit level11leaders.com/podcast @adriennedorison If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    352. Who Keeps What & Pays Who? Untangling IP From a Multi-Million Dollar Brand & Business Partnership To Launch Her Independent Company

  5. Aug 5

    Bonus: The Hybrid Business Model That Made Client Work Optional

    Ellen Mackenzie built a booked-out social media agency, then deliberately burned it down. The six-figure client roster she'd spent years filling had become the thing she wanted out of, so she dismantled it on purpose and rebuilt around a model where 1:1 client work is now optional. Founder of Dishing Up Digital, Ellen runs a multi-six-figure business from Auckland, New Zealand, stacking digital products, a flagship coaching program, a small mastermind, and brand partnerships with Canva, Rella, and Logitech. That mix has grown to 1,300+ students, a 50,000+ subscriber YouTube channel, and an 11,000-person email list. In this episode, Ellen breaks down what each income stream actually generates, why she'd rather run a hybrid business than a pure agency or a pure course model, and where a fully-booked service provider should start when their own success begins to feel like a trap. Connect with Ellen: ⁠Website: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com ⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee ⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC8iN8jdZISR6W6gVOgcebPA Dishing Up Digital Podcast: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/podcasts/dishing-up-digital-with-ellen-mackenzie-social-media-management-strategy Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: The Hybrid Business Model That Made Client Work Optional

  6. Aug 3

    351. Flipping 900+ KnockOffs Into an 80% Sales Spike (How To Turn CopyCats Into a Marketing Campaign)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (44 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo ⁠ When a copycat company rips off your IP, sometimes the best course of action isn’t to challenge them, but rather to spotlight them. Sounds counterintuitive, but that’s exactly the approach that created an explosive marketing campaign for Ceres Chill, the original breastmilk chiller. In today's case study, founder and inventor Lisa Myers breaks down Ceres Chill's Dupe Drop: a campaign inviting customers to trade in knockoff chillers for the real thing. The results speak for themselves: the campaign reached 72,000 people (75% of them brand new to Ceres Chill), over 900 dupes were traded in, and Ceres Chill saw an 80% jump in orders — all accomplished organically. Lisa didn't out-lawyer her competitors. She out-marketed them, and let their own knockoffs do her selling for her. To continue our series on leveraging IP in your business, this episode is a reminder that your IP isn’t just a legal shield, it's a growth lever. Connect with Lisa: Cereschill.com IG: @cereschill Look at Lisa's patent drawings: https://www.cereschill.com/pages/patent-info If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    351. Flipping 900+ KnockOffs Into an 80% Sales Spike (How To Turn CopyCats Into a Marketing Campaign)

  7. Jul 29

    Bonus: The Collaboration Stacking Strategy That Generated $800K Without Social Media

    A former architect turned marketing strategist, Hope Trory swapped blueprints for business systems, but her collaborative thinking stayed the same. As founder of HOPEWORKSDESIGN, she built her signature ACE Framework around a simple bet: social media hustle isn't the only path to visibility. Instead, she leans into podcast guesting, workshops, and what she calls "collaboration stacking."  That approach helped one architecture client generate more than $800K in new revenue opportunities without a single ad campaign. In this episode, Hope breaks down what collaboration stacking actually looks like, why it beats treating partnerships as one-off wins, and the alternative visibility strategies available to anyone exhausted by constant content creation. Connect with Hope: https://hopeworksdesign.com www.linkedin.com/in/hopetrory https://summit.hopeworksdesign.com/collab-map Loving our bonus content and want more Cubicle to CEO in your ears? Join us every Monday on our subscriber-only premium feed for case study–style interviews with successful entrepreneurs debriefing their real-time growth experiments and results. Subscribe to get insider access to what's actually been working for businesses in the last 3-18 months: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bonus: The Collaboration Stacking Strategy That Generated $800K Without Social Media

  8. Jul 27

    350. Licensing Your Service IP to Create 5-Figure Cash Injections + New Distribution Channels In Your Business

    This is a free preview of a paid episode (38 min), exclusively available on our subscriber-only premium feed. Become a premium subscriber to tune into the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cubicletoceo.co/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Questions about our premium podcast subscription? Send us a DM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo Lyrik Fryer once got a licensing check so large her bank had to split it into three payments — proof your IP can be packaged up as a lucrative asset other businesses will pay to use. Lyrik is the co-founder and CEO of WorkPlay Branding, whose flagship $497/month content system sold directly to clients is also licensed out to agencies and authors. Through this, she has figured out how to sell her IP at full price while also turning it into a branding and major distribution play. In our full-length interview available exclusively to our premium subscribers (click here to join for only $17/month), Lyrik breaks down her most unexpected licensing deal yet: how author Selena Soo bundled a WorkPlay shoot into her book launch, turning her self-published book into a USA Today bestseller and generating $166K in total revenue. Licensing isn't just an extra revenue stream, it's a distribution army you don't have to spend advertising dollars on. Connect with Lyrik: https://workplaybranding.com/ IG: @workplaybranding IG: @lyrikanselmo If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Post a screenshot & key takeaway on your IG story and tag us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cubicletoceo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so we can repost you. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our premium feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for case-study style interviews every Monday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    350. Licensing Your Service IP to Create 5-Figure Cash Injections + New Distribution Channels In Your Business
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5
out of 5
567 Ratings

About

We ask founders the business questions you can't Google. Cubicle to CEO® brings you weekly "behind the business" case-study interviews with leading entrepreneurs and CEOs who share a specific growth strategy they've successfully tested, how they implemented it, and what the results (and revenue) were. Host Ellen Yin also shares transparent insights about her own journey bootstrapping a media company from a $300 freelance project into millions in revenue.

Information

  • Creator
    Ellen Yin
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    459
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Ellen Yin Media LLC
  • Show Website
    Cubicle to CEO