Leveling Up with Eric Siu Eric Siu

It is often said that niching down and making your offer specific to a particular need and section of the market is the key to success. Rick Carlson, our guest today believes that this idea is still under-appreciated. Rick is the CEO of SharpSpring, an all-in-one marketing automation platform that has experienced great success in its young life. We hear from Rick about his career in the marketing sphere, what he has chosen to give his attention to and the events leading up to the founding of SharpSpring. We chat about the company's base in Florida and why Rick decided to keep the company in his home state instead of one of the other startup hubs in the US. From there, Rick takes us through how SharpSpring approaches customer acquisition and their own marketing before we talk about finding the right type of customers and how he does this. The conversation ends off with the customary questions, with Rick opting to share his favorite business podcast instead of a book! For all this and a whole lot more from someone who is making great waves in the marketing world, and doing things slightly differently, join us on Leveling Up today!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:42] Rick's background in sales, marketing and products, and his experiences in the field. [02:18] The strange story of how SharpSpring became a publicly-traded company.  [04:14] Rick's life in Florida; why he chose to base his company in his hometown. [06:22] SharpSpring's current client base and how they shape up next to their peers. [07:30] SharpSpring's target market and the interesting tactics they use for capturing. [09:01] Rick's tips for getting out there, finding market-fit and working with agencies.  [10:29] The effort that goes into connecting with the right companies and partners. [12:44] Focussing on a specific niche — the reasons for SharpSpring's success.  [14:37] Rick's favorite business podcast, article and tool! [15:55] Why Rick chooses to focus on his own work over following other companies and founders.  Resources From The Interview:
Rick Carlson SharpSpring  AVG   Marketo  Act-On Eloqua  Pardot HubSpot Datanyze  
Must listen podcast: Manager Tools  
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What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed  
Connect with Eric Siu: 
 
Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter  
 

In a world that seems almost fully-focussed on online and digital marketing, it may come as a surprise to some that physical means are still used to grow companies and for them to become known. PostcardMania is a very successful company in this line of work, using direct mail marketing to help their clients get the word out on their offers. They are a really great example of how older techniques and styles of marketing can still work in a contemporary context. The company was founded 21 years ago by Joy Gendusa, who we are so happy to welcome to the show today. They mostly serve small businesses and are up to about 60 million in revenue this year! Their pricing model is competitive but not comparatively cheap, and Joy explains how she pegs this. We talk about the history of the company and the organic growth that Joy has experienced over the last decades. She opens up about her target audience and the ways that have provided her with the biggest opportunities to scale and grow her team. Joy credits a lot of her success to her team, believing she leads a group of superheroes! We discuss their company culture, important practices and some of the perks and facilities at the office. So for all of this great stuff and to learn about a slightly different model for marketing, be sure to listen in!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:05] Joy's journey with PostcardMania and her learning curve with marketing. [03:11] The client-base for the company and the services they offer to them.  [04:52] Some of the important numbers from PostcardMania and how much mail they send. [06:36] The fee-structure at PostcardMania and the ways in which they make money. [07:46] The areas in which the company experiences the most growth and best results. [09:39] Struggles over the years; leading the ship through rough waters. [12:28] Joy's thoughts on CEOs’ groups, a bad experience she had and her love for her team. [14:48] Growing and evolving with the company; Joy's philosophy towards progress.  [51:52] PostcardMania's company culture and the unique perks that Joy offers her employees. [16:42] Monday meetings and the agenda for these weekly events at the company.  [18:06] Entrepreneurship and marriage; the benefits of a personal partnership with overlap. [19:40] Joy's growth practices; books, conversations, and pivoting. [20:42] A selection of a favorite business book and tool of Joy’s. [21:23] Why Joy is not really following any particular companies or founders currently. Resources From The Interview:
Joy Gendusa  
PostcardMania   
Everywhere Small Business Free Zapier Subscription  Leveling Up 6c Postcard Special Shark Tank Alibaba Wade Foster
 
Inc. Magazine  Measure What Matters TedTalk    
Basecamp
 
Postcard Marketing In An Online World: Success Simplified! Must read book: Measure What Matters  
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What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed  
Connect with Eric Siu: 
 
Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter  
 

Before thinking of building a Amazon or Apple, you have to think of your business as a 'launchpad' first. That's because even if you have a rocket, you can't go to space without a launchpad. We'll talk about the concept and how to do it.

When it comes down to it, SaaS businesses are valued on their ARR, but surprisingly, some still choose to manage the metrics and analytics that come as a byproduct of their order to cash process themselves. What they need is a platform, because having a single source of truth that drives all these metrics can’t be understated. Today’s guest is Tim McCormick, CEO of SaaSOptics, a platform that provides this very service. Specifically, SaaSOptics is a subscription management platform that provides early-stage and growth SaaS businesses with subscription billing, revenue recognition, financial reporting, and robust SaaS analytics. In our conversation with Tim today, we get into his career in tech running SaaS businesses in the security and energy management space, and the multiple exits he has orchestrated. He then dives into what SaaSOptics does and how they run their business to keep seeing such big growth. He gets into how SaasOptics automates the order to cash process, effectively sitting between the CRM and the general ledger. Tim talks about the metrics SaasOptics provides, their value-based pricing model, and how they balance marketing and sales in order to grow. We hear about the structure of their sales team, and their model of product cycles based on market changes too. There are around 30 000 B2B SaaS businesses globally thus the services SaaSOptics provides can’t come at a better time, so tune in to find out what it's all about!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:31] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:47] Tim’s career in marketing and exits in SaaS tech to founding SaaSOptics. [02:41] Why Tim keeps on exiting out: loving operating and helping the younger generation. [03:41] Vulnerability scanning and how it bridged Tim’s work in security and energy managing. [05:40] What SaaSOptics do to automate revenue recognition for smaller SaaS businesses. [08:00] Metrics SaaSOptics provides to help their clients get financing. [09:45] How SaaSOptics makes money by billing proportionately to clients’ revenue. [12:16] Ways SaaSOptics is growing: a blend of marketing/sales, and an account-based model.  [13:35] The structure of the SaaSOptics sales team and their service cycles. [14:35] Which revenue point customers start using SaaSOptics at: immediately if they’re smart!  [17:05] The relationship between product innovations and watching the market. [19:07] How Tim conducts his market research by assessing potential clients’ systems. [22:16] Tim’s favorite books: The Lean Startup, Good to Great, The Millionaire Next Door, etc. [22:44] A favorite business tool of Tim’s: FullStory. [23:59] Companies Tim is following: Tesla, Pendo, and Salesloft. Resources From The Interview:
Tim McCormick SaasOptics Traction Conference Internet Security Systems IBM Tom Noonan Cisco David Ryan Netsuite Quickbooks Salesforce  
The Mom Test  
FullStory Tesla Pendo Kyle Porter SalesLoft
 
Must read book:  The Lean Startup, Good to Great, The Millionaire Next Door  
Leave Some Feedback:
 
What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed  
Connect with Eric Siu: 
 
Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter  
 

Tune in to hear some incredible tactics to get your consulting business up off the ground! These strategies will apply for agencies and consultants alike.

We talk about why community is the ultimate unfair advantage and why now is the best time to build one!