014 : The User Doesn’t Always Need It Easy with Mona Patel

Mona Patel Motivate DesignYou probably have an idea for an app or website, and you think that people would use it, but how can you find out what will really happen when you put your product out into the world? The field of user experience is about way more than laying out websites so they’re easy to use — it’s a combination of design, psychology, and science. You have to do research, create a hypothesis, test your hypothesis, and change accordingly. You have to figure out what the user really wants to do.

This week on the podcast, I talk to Mona Patel, the founder and CEO of Motivate Design and UXHires. We talk about what it’s like to found and run a UX agency and what entrepreneurs can do to instantly improve their user’s experience. We even peer out into the future a little, and Mona shares why she thinks virtual reality will completely change the way people experience the world. She says something I have never even thought about that completely blew my mind.

This episode will help you stop building products and start building products that people will actually use.

Continue reading

013 : It’s not just SEO, it’s building a brand with John DeFeo

John DeFeoSearch engine optimization (SEO) can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. We all know the results of SEO — your website gets launched to the front page of Google search results, but very few know what to do to make that happen. Everyone knows that they should be doing it, but they don’t know what it is.

And then there’s some people, like John DeFeo, who do this stuff for a living. I invited John on the show to share his knowledge and passion for marketing and branding. We talk about the best practices for both launching a new site or fixing your current site, and he shares why getting to the front page of Google is about so much more than collecting back links.

If you want to build a visible online business or market your product on the web, this is an episode you need to hear.

Continue reading

012 : Making Sex Tech Mainstream with Cindy Gallop

Cindy Gallop There’s a technology sector that has the potential for insanely high returns, yet no investor wants anywhere near it. On this week’s podcast, I talk to Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn.tv (adult content), about the challenges of creating a sex-tech startup and the benefits of removing shame and stigma from the national conversation about sex.

Just a warning, today’s episode contains both adult language and content. This is also one of the most important episodes of the podcast I’ve ever released. The things Cindy Gallop is doing are absolutely amazing, and I’m so honored to have her on the show to share her story. I’ve been a subscriber to MakeLoveNotPorn.tv since seeing her TED talk, and she continues to pave the way towards making the world a better place.

This is one episode you won’t want to miss.

Continue reading

011 : Using Adwords for Rapid Business Growth with Brian Kaldenberg

Brian KaldenbergSuccessful entrepreneurs aren’t the people who come up with brilliant, unique ideas. Instead, they’re the ones who solve people’s problems. If you’re banging your head against your desk trying to think of a good idea, you’re doing it all wrong. Talk to people, find out where they’re struggling, and ask them about their ideal solution. BAM! They’re giving you real and proven ideas.

My guest today is neither a writer nor an editor, yet he’s the founder of ProofreadingPal. Brian Kaldenberg is a wildly successful problem solver. He found a specific need (proofreading services), did keyword research to investigate the market, and built a minimum viable product. Now his company is almost four years old and rapidly growing.

We discuss the early days of ProofreadingPal and how Brian grew his business to where it is today. He also shares his Adwords tactics — invaluable information for people trying to drive online traffic.

Continue reading

010 : Getting Investor-Ready with Einas Ibrahim

Einas Ibrahim pictureDo you have an app or a business? Are you trying to find an investor? Do you really need an investor? Where can you even find an investor? What would you say to an interested investor? What’s the value of your company? How do you know the value of your company? What on earth are you doing with your life? 

Einas Ibrahim of Talem Advisory is here to lead you through the darkness. She was a developer before getting into finance and then finally taking on the startup world. She works with early stage ventures and small businesses, providing strategic and financial advisory and getting them investor-ready. Basically, she’s pretty amazing.

On this episode, we discuss how to turn a product into an actual business, as well as explore the world of angel investing and venture capital. If you’re wondering what ABC’s Shark Tank looks like in the real world, here it is.

Continue reading