The Unicorn Perspective

What happens when you have no experience and no money, but a mission for peace and the confidence to execute? You create a business that is impacting people across the globe. Matthew Griffin of Combat Flip Flops did just that. On this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective he tells me about his journey and his purpose. We also talk about foreign affairs, failures and goods made from materials previously used for war. About the guest: Matthew Griffin is the co-founder and CEO of Combat Flip Flops, a footwear and apparel company that sells goods manufactured in conflict and post-conflict zones. Griffin founded Combat Flip Flops in 2006, after graduating from West Point and serving four tours of duty as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan and Iraq. The company uses their profits to aid the areas in which they are made as a part of Griffin’s mission to encourage peace through trade and “business over bullets.”Connect with Matthew on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combatflipflops.griffWhat you’ll learn:-The importance of fixing the cause rather than the symptom-How China is making friends with foreign countries around the globe (and how the US is not)-Why confidence is essential for entrepreneurship-How to build true joy through purpose

Do you think Facebook will still exist 10 years from now? It’s hard to envision a world without it, but think of how drastically the digital world has changed in the last 10 years. This week on The Unicorn Perspective, my guest Brendan Gahan and I discuss how we think Facebook and other giant players will adapt in the coming years, what social media users are looking for, turning down clients as an agency owner, and so much more.About the guest: Brendan Gahan is Partner & Chief Social Officer at independent creative agency Mekanism.Gahan has been at the forefront of social & influencer marketing since 2006, developing social campaigns for brands such as Mountain Dew, Unilever, Amazon, 20th Century Fox, and The Olympics. Brendan was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2012 and his agency was recognized as Digiday’s Digital Video Agency of the year in 2017.Gahan is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur and has recently been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, The Guardian, and Ad Age for his expertise.Connect with Brendan:https://brendangahan.com/newsletter/https://twitter.com/brendangahanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brendangahan/https://www.tiktok.com/@brendangahanWhat you’ll learn:How brands are using audience segmentation nowWhy knowledge gaps are essential for the success of new businessesWhat online “campfires” are and why users seek themHow your biggest strength is your biggest weakness

You can’t sell to everybody in just one way. So on this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective, returning guest Ryan Levesque and I talk about how to truly move the needle by customizing content through using quiz funnels. About the guest:Ryan Levesque is the Inc. 500 CEO of The ASK Method® Company, an entrepreneur, and the #1 national best-selling author of the books Choose and Ask. ... He is also a co-founder and investor in bucket.io®, a leading quiz funnel software for entrepreneurs used by over 30M people each year.Visit https://www.quizfunnelworkshop.com/notify-me/?affiliate=1871 for details. What you’ll learn:-How to customize the products or content your potential customers see-The most common mistakes people make in their quiz funnels-Why you should own your own data

After a career of spending tens of millions on Facebook ads and teaching over 10,000 others how to profitably advertise on the platform while also preaching the power of the ads on the biggest stages around the world this is what I get...a permanent ban without any explanation or warnings leading up to it amid any kind. Eventually there will be a tipping point for Facebook or they continue down this path, especially given the increased competition from Apple and governments around the world targeting big tech. Let me know if you agree in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more content like this!

This week on The Unicorn Perspective I had the chance to speak with Andrea Lake about her time on The Apprentice, her successes as an entrepreneur, how she is investing in crypto, her opinions on wages and so much more.About The Guest: Early internet maven. First web company in 1999. Andrea has started 14 companies, including: StickerJunkie, YogaJunkie, Delinquent Distribution (which owned the sales rights for merch on Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, The Walking Dead, and more), Quarantini, and Power Chick Mafia. She or her companies have been featured in Wired, Inc., Entrepreneur, Forbes, as well as on television on: Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey show, among others. Speaking Credits include Summit, YPO, CU Boulder, and Harvard. She is also known for her deep run as a contestant on The Apprentice.What you’ll learn: -What it was like to be a woman on a famous reality tv show-How employers views on personal social media content is shifting-Why patience is essential when it comes to investments-The benefits of both minimum wage and  living wageMentioned during the episode:https://teeacher.com/Coupon code: unicorn

On this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective, returning guest and performance marketing pro Nick Shackelford and I tackle topics like Apple’s so-called privacy updates, financial literacy, the time it takes to truly be an expert, and more. Nick has been in the performance marketing world for over 6 years. Before that, he worked with legacy brands like Pepsico and Apple, but he realized his talents lay in marketing directly to consumers with viral products (think fidget spinners). He now has a proven track record of scaling socially focused campaigns consistently past 8-figures through programmatic buying, influencers, e-mail and Adwords. He has a passion for learning and for growing businesses in this ever changing age of customer acquisition.Connect with Nick:https://www.instagram.com/iamnickshackelford/ What you’ll learn-Why you should be more like Ben Franklin-How both consumers and ecommerce businesses will need to adjust Apple’s new policies-The benefits of avoiding instant gratification-Why studying history can help your business acumen

It can be so difficult to keep up with the changes in crypto. On this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective, I chat with Sean Kelly about the emotional rollercoaster that is investing, bull markets, changes in taxation of capital gains, the liquidity of Altcoins, and more. Please note: we are not financial advisors and this is not financial advice.About the guest: Sean Kelly is a young and talented entrepreneur and is the Founder and CEO of the company Jersey Champs, an online marketplace which provides unique jerseys that feature interests other than sports. Connect with Sean:https://www.instagram.com/seanmikekellyWhat you’ll learn:Why it can be valuable to think long term when in comes to crypto and its volatilityWhat may be next in the crypto market The benefit of starting to invest when you’re young

Opportunities today are in niche markets & unique value propositions. Marketing genius Troy Osinoff explains how to take advantage of these opportunities on this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective. We also cover right place and time successes, looking at the use case behind what you invest in, legacy media adaptations and more.Troy Osinoff is the Co-founder of JUICE, an NYC-based digital marketing agency credited by Facebook as being a top 1% agency and fastest-growing in NY, where he has helped clients such as Kenneth Cole, Paris Hilton & Illesteva Tommy Bahama and scaled successful multi-platform marketing campaigns. Prior to JUICE, Osinoff helped a bankrupt shoe company reach profitability, grew a Grammy-winning recording studio, created a viral media site called Make A Dare (featured on Dr. Phil), co-founded a media company with 1.7M visitors daily ($0 paid promotion), and created a viral Tumblr that was turned into a nationally sold book (published by Penguin, sold to FOX). Osinoff also lead digital marketing for the largest HVAC company in the world ($4.2B annual sales), created a group of eCommerce stores grossing 7 figures of revenue, and was Head of Customer Acquisition at BuzzFeed.Get in touch with Troy: https://twitter.com/yohttps://instagram.com/troyhttps://www.thinkjuice.com/What you’ll learn: How forced adoption of technology has shifted consumer behaviorThe pros and cons of data collectionThe importance of financial literacy, especially in today’s world of crypto and NFT

In today’s world of influencers and TikTok stars, it seems like every person is just one post away from fame. Why do we as humans seek that? This week on The Unicorn Perspective, returning guest Marc Ensign and I talk about how cancel culture, extreme opinions, the major desire for power, and how all of those issues are affecting our communities. Marc Ensign's story began way back when he was a kid who wanted to change the world. Upon realizing that it might take a little longer than anticipated, he got sidetracked and found himself playing bass on Broadway with the Tony Award Winning show Rent. He was completely unqualified (his words, not mine) but had a gift for marketing himself and the rest is Broadway history.  Fast forward a bunch of years later and Marc is now "The Big Cheese" at LoudMouse, a personal branding agency specializing in making some of the world’s most inspiring speakers, authors, coaches, and entrepreneurs impossible to ignore. Through their 1 in 10 initiative, Marc and his team have a goal of reaching one billion people in ten years through the work of their clients. If you are reading this, they are one person closer. Visit https://marcensign.com/ for more info.What you’ll learn: The difference between content that is worthwhile versus content that others think is worth sharingHow to overcome an environment that feeds on "overnight success"Why people who don’t feel heard end up with more extreme beliefs

As a CEO do you ever get to relax? Is keeping track of income going to be tougher with the increasing popularity of cryptocurrency? Should companies be required to make political statements? All questions I ask returning guest Vinnie Fisher on this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective. About the guest: Vinnie is the founder and CEO of Fully Accountable, which is an outsourced accounting and finance firm for small and medium sized eCommerce and digitally based businesses. Their mission is to provide eCommerce and digital business owners with better data, so they are able to make better decisions. As an extension of your team, Fully Accountable will do the hard work. You will be provided with clear, concise, and easy to understand analysis advice on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.Get better data so that you can make better decisions. Save time, money, and stay consistent in your business with digital accounting experts!Connect with Vinnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinniefisher/What you’ll learn: -How those who have the gold make the rules-The importance of controlling the narrative when it comes to doing your taxes-Why CEOs should develop leadership for the next generation-How looking to history can improve your business acumen

None of the “sexy” and big risks your favorite influencers are taking are real. Your big payoff will come through investing your time and energy in your work, then investing those profits. This week on The Unicorn Perspective I chatted with longtime friend and digital marketing wizard Ezra Firestone about deliberately building audiences and finances through consistency, the UFC, Formula 1 racing, how Joe Rogan has built his empire, and more. About the guest:Ezra is the CEO and co-founder of a massive cosmetics line called BOOM by Cindy Joseph, CEO and Co-Founder of Zipify Apps, a SAAS company focused on Shopify. He also founded Smart Marketer, which is an industry leader in digital marketing. Connect with Ezra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ezrafirestoneWhat you’ll learn:The benefits and pitfalls of being very disciplinedHow startups can no longer be nimble when they reach a certain sizeThe difference between “I’ve got something and I wanna make it better” customers versus “I’ve got nothing and I want something” customers

Choosing revolution over money. Collecting art versus NFTs. Turning significance into a legacy. Brian Burt, leading mind & educator to Amazon & digital marketing entrepreneurs, and I get into all of these topics this week on The Unicorn Perspective. We also talk about the battle between corporations and creative minds, neural implants, the idea of the dollar and more. About the guest:Brian Burt is a New Jersey native, but spent the majority of his life in Arizona and Chicago before moving to Austin to launch CANOPY Management. As a lifelong Entrepreneur, Brian has founded (more than a handful) of 7 to 8 figure businesses & is a successful Amazon Seller himself. As the Founder of the Leading Amazon ‘Done-For-You’ Agency, a five-time 2 Comma Club Award Winner, three-time Amazon Seller Award Recipient, and an Eight Figure Award Winner - Brian is recognized as a Leading Mind & Educator to Amazon & Digital Marketing Entrepreneurs. Connect with Brian at www.canopymanagement.com What you’ll learn:-How everything in life is about momentum, whether it is positive or negative-What Brian thinks Amazon and Google will look like in 10 years-The importance of having “the string to your kite”

Dog-Chasing-It’s-Tail environment. Hustle culture. Toxicity. Akbar Sheikh and I talk about the dark side of entrepreneurship and internet marketing on this episode of The Unicorn Perspective. We also address how eliminating the value ladder has brought success to Akbar and those around him, how we often overlook the happiness factor, the fake it ‘til you make it mentality and more. About Akbar:Akbar Sheikh is a #1 International best-selling author, a global keynote speaker on stages such as Tedx, master of ethical principles of persuasion, has helped 11 funnels hit seven figures, a father of two, and a philanthropist with a concentration on building water wells for the needy, sponsoring underprivileged orphans and giving the gift of vision back to blind children.An avid user of the Clickfunnels platform and top 1% earner in the world - Akbar spends his time finding ways to better serve his clients through a unique 7 on 1 coaching program designed to get coaches, consultants, course creators, agencies - or anyone with that offers ongoing support calls with their clients, get to 6 and 7 figures without ad spend.He has been awarded multiple 2-Comma-Club awards, has been featured in multiple entrepreneurial focused publications, and most recently was awarded the IUBCCI Trust Mark Seal Award from The International Union of Bilateral Chambers of Commerce and Industry. This award is for being one of the best business training platforms in the world and proven to be trustworthy by bringing awareness and creating confidence in individuals that want to excel in personal business or become a successful coach. His mission: Help people make more, so they can give more to their favorite families, charities, and communities, thus making the world a better place.Connect with Akbar:https://www.facebook.com/coachakbar/akbarsheikh.com/giftWhat you’ll learn:-Why you should continue to “chase” customer after they make a purchase-The difference between a hustle culture and a giving culture-How to look at profitability holistically

I sat down with Dee Deng, the co-founder and CEO of Right Hook Digital, to discuss the seismic changes coming in how commerce and content works. We also talked about traffic channel strategies, what retargeting and data evaluation may look like in the future, and the importance of focusing on brand development instead of marketing schemes. What you’ll learn:Why you should consider email list rentals over Facebook and Google adsHow an inability to pivot and pivot quickly enough could cause major issues for Big Tech and for your own businessWhy shifting your focus from your ad sets to the quality of your offer is necessaryAbout the guest:Dee Deng is the co-founder and CEO of Right Hook Digital - an eCommerce growth & performance marketing agency; managing millions in ad spend for their growth clients across Australia and the USA.Obsessed over 'delivering wow' - Dee leads his agency team of 80+ while sharing his team's learnings & insights; educating founders & brand owners on how to scale profitably and sustainably.Most recently, Right Hook has been listed as one of Australia's Fastest Growing Companies of 2019/2020 by the Australian Financial Review.Connect with Dee:https://instagram.com/realdoseofdeehttps://twitter.com/realdoseofdeehttps://linkedin.com/in/deedenghttps://fb.com/growgreat.tv https://fb.com/realdoseofdee

Entering the world of digital marketing and dropshipping is easier than ever. But what does that mean for new entrepreneurs and the world as a whole? Brand-builder, author and friend, Martyn Cook joins me this week on The Unicorn Perspective to talk about the current and future state of ecommerce. About the guest:Martyn Cook has been marketing and selling online since the age of 14 when he learnt to build websites to impress a girl (it didn’t work!). Since then he’s sold everything from dog collars to houses leveraging the internet.Martyn Co-Founded a Software company, Built multiple highly successful Ecommerce Brands, Co-Founded a High-Level Digital Entrepreneur Mastermind that hosts luxury meet-ups around the world, has spoken from stages around the world and still somehow found the time to self-publish two books.Martyn’s latest project, http://noobru.com/ , a cognition drink, is on a mission to fortify 1 Billion meals by 2025, helping to tackle the 2 billion person, worldwide malnutrition problemMartyn absolutely loves connecting with interesting Entrepreneurs and he regularly does that via his Smarter Destiny Podcast and Community.Connect with Martyn:https://smarterdestiny.comfacebook.com/smarterdestinyinstagram.com/smarter_destinyWhat you’ll learn:-Why this time of uncertainty is exciting for entrepreneurs -The importance of brand loyalty in your ecommerce business-How selling online has changed between 2014 and 2021-What the blockchain economy might look like in the future

How do successful entrepreneurs balance work and family life? Especially when they have five children? Learn from Depesh Mandalia, agency owner and dad, on this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective. We get into work-life balance, freedom versus finances, leaving a legacy, and more. About the guestDepesh Mandalia is an International speaker, educator, agency owner and Founder of The BPM Method. He believes successful advertising relies on simply getting four thing working effectively: your Product, your Audience, your Offer and your Funnel. His "Advertising Core-4 Model" was developed over 15 years and is responsible for delivering over $100M through Facebook ads alone.Learn more here: https://depeshmandalia.com/What you’ll learn-How to schedule your day to make sure you are making the most or both your personal and professional life-What you can do to help your children find their path-The ways in which marketing professionals should shift as platforms become more unstable-How your reputation is more important than your revenue

This week I sat down with my mentor and friend Rich Schefren for the third time on The Unicorn Perspective! We discussed the major issues surrounding Big Tech, Wall Street, and repeating history. Rich also talks about his latest project, The Coalition To Save Internet Business. About the guest:Known as the Guru to the Gurus because he's the coach behind many of today's top online marketers early in their careers i.e Russell Brunson of Clickfunnels, Ryan Deiss of Digital Marketer, and countless others (all names you'd recognize). He's the only consultant on the planet with a $1 billion dollar testimonial for his work with Agora Publishing, and in total has been responsible for his clients raking in an additional $15 Billion in increased sales, all it of documented. The name of his company is Strategic Profits, where he offers coaching programs in marketing and business growth, and has a free daily email named Daily Insider Secrets.What you’ll learn:-Why you should be concerned about Big Tech today-What you can do to help mitigate potential damages caused by Big Tech-The importance of looking at the cost of a course versus what you’re losing by not having the skills that course teaches

This week on the Unicorn Perspective, I sat down with marketing and SaaS expert Eric Siu. We talk about how acquiring new businesses should be considered part of leveling up, how plans for expansion and exit strategies are vital, and how gaming can create excellent leaders. About the guest:Eric Siu is the CEO of content intelligence software ClickFlow, which helps you grow your traffic while looking like a genius. He also owns ad agency Single Grain and has worked with companies such as Amazon, Airbnb, Salesforce and Uber to acquire more customers.He hosts two podcasts: Marketing School with Neil Patel and Leveling Up, which combined have over 30 million downloads to date.He also speaks frequently around the world on marketing and SaaS.Learn more by visiting www.levelingup.comWhat you’ll learn:-Why you should be willing to defer income for investments-The importance of sacrifice to build an excellent brand-What characteristics ideal internet marketers have-How video games can build good leadership skills

On this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective, podcasting pro Jeremy Slate joins me to talk about all things media. Is podcasting too popular now? What makes a podcast engaging? Is Clubhouse worth the time users are spending on it? Will there be democratization of social media?Books we referenced:Hate Inc. by Matt Taibbi#deleted by Allum BokhariDon't Burn This Book by Dave RubinAbout the guest:Jeremy Slate is the founder of the Create Your Own Life Podcast, which studies the highest performers in the world. He studied literature at Oxford University, specializes in using podcasting and new media to create celebrity and was ranked #1 in iTunes New and #78 in the iTunes top 100. He was named the #1 Podcast to Listen to by INC Magazine in 2019, as well as being named a Top Influencer by Forbes.After his success in podcasting, Jeremy Slate and his wife, Brielle Slate, founded Command Your Brand to help entrepreneurs get their message out by appearing as guests on podcasts.Connect with Jeremy:https://commandyourbrand.com/https://www.jeremyryanslate.com/https://twitter.com/JeremyRyanSlatehttps://www.facebook.com/Jeremyryanslate/https://www.instagram.com/jeremyryanslate/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-ryan-slate-bb7b284a/What you’ll learn:-If Clubhouse is actually worth it-Why certain podcasts stand out-The problem with constantly seeking instant fame-How and why the media keeps us angry

How can we handle work-life balance? The onslaught of notifications we receive every day? Up and coming technology? Bridging the divide between people who don’t agree? Derek Thurston and I answer these questions and more on this week’s episode of The Unicorn Perspective. About the guest:Derek has been an ecommerce entrepreneur since 2013, having driven more than $130 million in revenue. He is currently enjoying building a pet brand, BarxBuddy, launched in Summer 2019. Coming from a finance and accounting background , he is passionate about analytics and understanding every nuance of ecommerce operations and how they drive financial success. Prior experience in his career included Big 4 public accounting, CFO roles as well as outsourced CFO and financial consulting, and M&A transactions.Connect with Derek:Instagram - @djt813LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/derekthurston/What you’ll learn-How to help productivity while working from home-Why purpose is important to our society-How focus shifts as you age-The importance of objectivity in journalism