• Leveling Up
  • Posts
  • The $300M Founder That Lives on a Farm and Flies Planes | Nathan Barry

The $300M Founder That Lives on a Farm and Flies Planes | Nathan Barry

+ New Webinar Announcement

Author

Eric Siu
February 16, 2024

Leveling Up

Welcome back to Leveling Up.

Thanks for all the feedback on our recent newsletter changes. Overall, the feature you most love is participating in new polls and seeing the results. 

And a special shoutout to Ana M., who wrote:

“Your content is highly valuable and presented in a practical way. I'm a solopreneur with very little time for reading e-mails, so I appreciate your work very, very much. Thank you!!”

I’ve got a lot to share in today’s email. Let’s get right to it.

- Eric Siu :)

New Webinar

3x Your Web Traffic with These 3 Tactics

Next week, I’m co-hosting a live call you don’t want to miss. We’re breaking down three case studies to show you how you can 3x your site visits this year.

I’m joined by a special guest:

  • Adam Robinson: Founder and CEO of Retention.com will share why they’re going all in on “Pull Marketing” this year – and how you can too.

Interview Highlights

The $300M Founder That Lives on a Farm and Flies Planes | Nathan Barry

Nathan Barry, founder of ConvertKit, shares his journey from designer to content creator to software founder.

With ConvertKit now sending 2.5 billion emails per month and generating $40 million in revenue, Nathan discusses the power of building an audience and leveraging it to create long-term enterprise value.

Here are the key insights:

Entrepreneurial Success and Strategy

  • 💰 Nathan Barry built ConvertKit to be worth over 300 million, while living on a farm and spending plenty of time with his kids.

  • 🛩️ Using a professional pilot for added safety and efficiency in flying is worth the investment, as there is always more to learn and improve in aviation.

  • 🥑 Nathan Barry's example of starting a physical products business with a strong audience base shows the power of leveraging an existing community for success.

  • 📈 Building a business with long-term enterprise value, selling products rather than attention, can lead to lasting success and recurring revenue.

  • 🔥 Balancing short-term cash flow with long-term equity is crucial for sustainable growth and success in business.

  • 🛫 Building an audience can shortcut your path to success and open up more opportunities than traditional routes.

  • 📈 Nathan Barry has built up creator-focused agencies with a combined run rate of $10 million a year, demonstrating the potential for building Enterprise Value beyond a personal brand.

  • 💡 Transparency about numbers and conversations about money are important for negotiating fair salaries and understanding financial value.

  • 🚀 The goal is to increase annual revenue per employee to a million, highlighting the potential for significant growth.

Monetization and Audience Building

  • 💰 The best way for creators to monetize in today's day and age depends on their goals, with digital products being the best for short-term cash flow.

  • 💰 The margins on selling courses for $300 to $3,000 are just so good.

  • 💰 Two people with small audiences made $6,000 and $8,000 in the first 48 hours after launching their eBooks, showing that it's achievable for anyone.

  • 🧠 The quality of the network is way higher because of the integration with 18 different email providers, allowing creators to target higher revenue per subscriber and compete with established brands.

  • 🔄 The open nature of the network leads to higher quality creators and brands, creating a virtuous cycle of better leads and higher revenue per subscriber.

Balancing Work and Personal Life

  • 🏞️ The love of flying provides a goal outside of work, allowing for a balance between physical and intellectual pursuits.

  • 🎥 Starting a YouTube channel around his journey allowed Trent to set his own rates, have more students, and refer students to other flight schools, ultimately giving him more opportunities and control over his career.

What do you think is the most effective strategy for entrepreneurs to achieve a work-life balance?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Tweet of the Day

To your growth
- Eric Siu

Ps: We have a ton of free content to help your business grow: