The Going Deep with Aaron Watson podcast is a forum for having meaningful, deep conversations about the passions, fears and problems of people from all walks of life. Guests talk about entrepreneurship, sports, finance, comedy and lifestyle design.
530 Shark Tank & Men’s Cosmetics w/ Jon Shanahan (Stryx)
Jon Shanahan is the cofounder and Chief Marketing Officer for Stryx, a cosmetics and skincare company focused on serving men. Jon has helped the company earn over 120 million organic views on TikTok, scale to millions in revenue, and launch in major retailers including Target, Nordstrom, and CVS. Prior to founding the company, Jon built a brand and YouTube channel called The Kavalier focused on men’s fashion where he reviews menswear and helps his viewers look great. In this episode, Jon and Aaron discuss the vision of Stryx, how he’s blended skills to market & sell, and how he pitched on Shark Tank. Jon’s Challenge; Try something new that makes you uncomfortable. Connect with Jon Shanahan TikTok Instagram Linkedin Twitter Website If you liked this interview, check out episode 386 with Jon where we discuss his first breakthrough on tastes, trends and style through his website The Kavalier. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
529 How to Write Great YouTube Titles w/ Creator Hooks’ Jake Thomas
Jake Thomas is an expert at writing YouTube video titles. He has parlayed his experience writing more than 4,000 titles into his company, Creator Hooks. Prior to founding Creator Hooks, Jake helped build a channel from 70 to 200k subscribers After leaving to start his firm, he landed clients that include Hubspot cofounder Dharmesh Shah's personal channel and The Infographics Show. In this episode, Jake and Aaron discuss his framework for writing a title, how to create more curiosity, and the power of owning a niche. Jake Thomas’ Challenge; Develop your Model 100. Create a spreadsheet of the hundred channels with a similar style to yours. Connect with Jake Thomas Twitter Website If you liked this interview, check out episode 386 with Jon Shanahan where we discuss YouTube strategy and men’s fashion. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
528 Adam Haritan on Trees & Finding Purpose (part 2)
Listen to Adam Haritan, founder of Learn your Land, discuss getting lost in a bog and hearing your calling.
528 Understand Trees, Understand Everything w/ Adam Haritan
Adam Haritan is the founder of Learn Your Land, as well as a wild food enthusiast, researcher, and forager. He is launching a new course, Trees in All Seasons. He learned the value of wild food foraging while studying nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh, where he discovered just how beneficial wild foods could be in optimizing human health. Wild plants, on average, are more nutritious than their cultivated counterparts (i.e. wild blueberries vs. domesticated blueberries, wild lettuce vs. iceberg lettuce). The wild food diet is the diet that we, as Homo sapiens, have been consuming for the majority of our time on this planet, and it is the diet that we are most adapted to consume. Today, very few Americans consume any wild foods, and instead subsist on nutrient-deficient products that scarcely resemble anything real or natural. It’s no wonder that degenerative diseases like cancer, diabetes, and chronic inflammation are so prevalent. We have abandoned our natural diet and are suffering as a result. In this episode, Adam and Aaron discuss trees, his new course, and commitment to quality. Adam Haritan’s Challenge; Find a tree growing close to your home and identify it. Connect with Adam Haritan Twitter Youtube Website Trees in All Seasons If you liked this interview, check out when Adam visited Piper Creative to talk about business strategy. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
527 Wealth Advising & Goal Setting w/ Matt Blocki
Matt Blocki is the founder and CEO of Equilibrium Wealth Advisors. Matt is also a co-founder of Wealth Advisor Training, which was founded in 2022 to help provide resources to the top wealth advisors around the country. Wealth Advisor Training gives advisors a comprehensive education platform to give better proactive advice and develop systems to scale their business. Matt regularly speaks in the financial planning industry, including to top firms Thrivent and Mass Mutual. In this interview, Matt and Aaron discuss Matt’s career trajectory, how to attract great clients, and their plans for WealthAdvisorTraining.com. Matt Blocki’s Challenge; Rate all facets of your life and do the requisite work to improve the lowest rated pieces. Connect with Matt Blocki Linkedin Facebook WAT Website If you liked this interview, check out our conversation with Brent Johnson where we discuss Dollar Milkshake Theory and his early career at Credit Suisse. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
526 Nuclear Energy w/ Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson is the managing director of the Radiant Energy Fund, which advises governments, nonprofits, and industry about nuclear energy. Mark works tirelessly to prevent early closures of nuclear plants around the world a nd has attended the UN climate conference in Glasgow as a delegate from the American Nuclear Society. His efforts span the globe, working to save nuclear plants from Germany to California. Mark holds an MPhil in Nuclear Engineering from Cambridge University and degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Russian Language and Literature from Oklahoma State University. In this episode, Mark and Aaron discuss the differences between France & Germany, the complexity of the US electric grid, and reasons for hope. Mark Nelson’s Challenge; Find out where you get your power from, what nuclear plants are nearby, and communicate to politicans that you don’t want them shut down. Connect with Mark Nelson Linkedin Twitter Website If you liked this interview, check out our past episodes w/ Dr. Rita Baranwal about nuclear energy and the government and Doomberg about coming shortages of food and energy. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
525 Naval Ravikant’s Wisdom w/ Eric Jorgenson
Eric Jorgenson is the author of the Almanac of Naval Ravikant, a GP in the seed investment-focused Rolling Fun, and the creator of the course Building a Mountain of Levers. Eric also has a podcast called Jorgenson’s Soundbox and was part of the founding team of Zaarly, proximity-based, real-time, buyer-powered market platform. Eric has condensed the wisdom of Naval, a prolific entrepreneur and investor, into a concise and poignant book. That book has opened doors for him and represents a clever method of accelerating one’s career. In this conversation, Eric and Aaron discuss Naval’s advice for creating wealth, how to build the skill of being happy, and how to get started creating leverage for yourself. Eric Jorgenson’s Challenge; Find and implement one new automation to create more leverage in your life. Connect with Eric Jorgenson Twitter Website If you liked this interview, check out episode 46 with Taylor Pearson where we discuss writing the End of Jobs and creating better career opportunities. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
524 Human-First Artificial Intelligence w/ Christopher Nguyen
Christopher Nguyen is the CEO and cofounder of Aitomatic, where he aims to redefine how companies approach AI in the context of life-critical, industrial applications. As a multiple-time tech founder, Christopher has played key roles across a wide range of technology startups. He has also operated in large corporations where he has built the first flash memory transistors at Intel and spearheaded the development of Google Apps as its first Engineering Director. Today, he’s become an outspoken proponent of the emerging field of “AI Engineering” and a thought leader in the space of ethical, human-centric AI. In this episode, Christopher and Aaron discuss AI’s shortcomings, the mission of Aitomatic, and how diverse experiences keep life engaging. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Christopher Nguyen’s Challenge; Separate the what and the why when problem solving. Connect with Christopher Nguyen Linknedin Aitomatic Website If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Tom Galluzzo where we discuss GPT-3, robotics, and entrepreneurship. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
523 Simplicity Takes Courage w/ Brandon Grbach (Steel City)
Brandon Grbach is the CEO and cofounder of Steel City. Steel City is a family-owned boutique offering Pittsburgh-inspired, vintage tees, sweatshirts & accessories. Grbach started designing t-shirts for his friend’s skate shop, but when the shop shut down, he continued on his own. Now, he and his wife own a thriving business with over 20 employees, a distinct brand, and a habit of growing ~50% every year. In this interview, Brandon and Aaron discuss how he has learned to drive towards simplicity for customers, opening a second location, and how the brand got big in Japan. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Brandon Grbach’s Challenge; Ask, “what's one decision you're putting off?” Then, stop putting it off. Connect with Brandon Grbach Linkedin Instagram Website If you liked this interview, check out our interview with TJ Fairchild where we discuss how to scale a coffee shop, designing soulful spaces, and how a philosophy degree prepares you for business. Book Recommendation Raving Fans : Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service by Ken Blanchard Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
522 Bootstrapped Startups w/ Rob Walling
Rob Walling is an investor, writer, podcaster, and serial entrepreneur. His last startup, Drip, was an email marketing software company that was bought by Leadpages for millions in 2016. He also has been helping bootstrapped startup founders since 2005 and now runs the first startup accelerator for SaaS bootstrappers, TinySeed. Rob also hosts the podcast “Startups for the Rest of Us”, which has over 10 million downloads Rob and Aaron discuss how to level up in entrepreneurship, the personal growth required to take bigger swings, and the balancing act of parenthood & entrepreneurship in this interview. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Rob Walling’s Challenge; Consume your audiobooks and podcasts at over 1x speed. Add the video speed controller to your browser. Connect with Rob Walling Linkedin Twitter Personal Website TinySeed MicroConf If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Andrew Gazdecki about MicroAcquire, building Saas companies, and the fun of business. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
521 How Sam Parr Builds Businesses
Sam Parr founded The Hustle, which he eventually sold to Hubspot for tens of millions of dollars. The Hustle was born from a conference he started, called Hustle Con, that showcased non-technical startup founders and their strategies for success. The Hustle ended up garnering an audience of millions of subscribers and was able to operate profitably as a new media startup that was not overburdened by outside capital In this interview, Sam and Aaron discuss the early stages of Sam’s career, his tips for selling, and finding meaning after selling your company. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Sam Parr’s Challenge; Monday night, make a list of 50 people who you wish you could get in a room with and develop a strategy for reaching out to them consistently. Connect with Sam Parr Linkedin Twitter Instagram The Hustle If you liked this interview, check out this video we made about the Morning Brew. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Instagram Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
520 Energy is Life, So We’re in Some Trouble w/ Doomberg
Doomberg is the anonymous publishing arm of a bespoke consulting firm. Their firm provides advisory services to family offices and c-suite executives The firm’s principals apply decades of experience across heavy industry, private equity, and finance to deliver innovative thinking and clarity to complex problems. They maintain their anonymity to ensure the privacy of their clients, the sovereignty of their personal lives, and the In this episode, Doomberg and Aaron discuss the idea that energy is life, forthcoming instability in major nations, and the optimism required to make a difference. They also cover the principles of prepping your home for calamity. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Doomberg’s Challenges; Tell yourself, “Something bad might happen to me, but it’s not going to be today” Skill development is the best investment you can make. Connect with Doomberg Twitter Substack If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Tucker Max where we discuss Doomer Optimism and our interview with Mike Green where we discuss Bitcoin. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
519 30 Years in Business w/ Richard Aulenbach
Richard Aulenbach founded RPA Engineering in 1989. He has run the firm for over 30 years and expanded to a team of over 70 people. RPA Engineering serves a wide variety of markets including pharmaceuticals, power, and government. Richard has had extensive experience in landing large deals, recruiting technical talent, and surviving bad business partners. In this interview, Richard and Aaron discuss lessons from 30 years in business, how to win bigger deals, and the challenges that come from growing team size. Connect with Richard Aulenbach Linkedin RPA Engineering If you liked this interview, check out our interview with Steve Muck where we discuss acquiring a construction company, negotiating with labor, and differentiating your construction company. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
518 Optimize Your Processes like it’s 2022 w/ Jennifer Smith (Scribe)
Jennifer Smith is the cofounder and CEO of Scribe, a modern software solution for documenting and teaching company processes. After graduating from Harvard Business School, Jennifer joined McKinsey where she helped the largest companies on the planet implement better processes. With an appetite for efficiency, she searched far and wide for a solution that reduced the friction between finding a better process and sharing it across an organization. When she realized that the market was not producing a sufficient product, she decided to take matters into her own hands and found Scribe. In this interview, Jennifer and Aaron discuss how her obsession led to a great product, the perspective of a former venture capitalist as a founder, and the challenges of being a parent & executive. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Jennifer’s Challenge: Drop the things you don't want to do from your calendar. Connect with Jennifer Smith LinkedIn Scribe Twitter If you liked this interview, check out episode 492 with Joe Percoco where we discuss the step-by-step process of building a fintech startup. Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Instagram Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify
517 Blogging w/ Artificial Intelligence Rytr Abhi Godara
Abhi Godara is the founder of Rytr, a content marketing startup that uses artificial intelligence to help marketers with their content. He has been working in the digital marketing industry since 2006 as a writer, content strategist and SEO professional. Previously, he worked as an operator VC at TLabs, India's biggest early-stage startup accelerator, where he recruited and assessed 1000+ transactions and oversaw portfolio investments. Because of his knowledge when it comes to sourcing, he worked with over 40 businesses and 150+ founders on product, design, growth, and business development. Sign up for a Weekly Email that will Expand Your Mind. Abhi Godara’s Challenge; Come up with a business idea and launch a website where you write content about it. Connect with Abhi Godara Linkedin Twitter Rytr.me Website Underwritten by Piper Creative Piper Creative makes creating podcasts, vlogs, and videos easy. How? Click here and Learn more. We work with Fortune 500s, medium-sized companies, and entrepreneurs. Follow Piper as we grow YouTube Instagram Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | Spotify