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Creator Lab - interviews with entrepreneurs and startup founders

Revealing conversations with the leading creators of our time. From proven entrepreneurs building the companies of the future, to non-profit founders creating change and the artists shaping our culture - we go beyond the surface to find the nuance in what it takes to turn your ideas, into action.
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Creator Lab - interviews with entrepreneurs and startup founders
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Now displaying: February, 2021
Feb 25, 2021

Ana Lorena Fabrega is an EDUpreneur and former teacher known by little ones as Ms. Fab.

She's currently the Chief Evangelist of Synthesis School, an innovative online enrichment club started by the director of Elon Musk’s experimental school at Space X.

Synthesis helps students build decision-making & problem-solving skills through games.

Let us know what you think on Twitter:
@bzaidi & @anafabrega11

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Fo_CM01BNTQ

After listening to this conversation, you'll understand:

  • why the current education system needs an overhaul
  • the skills we should be developing in kids
  • unlearning & the future of education
  • the role of technology in learning
  • forest schools, micro-schools & alternatives for parents to consider
  • how games can be good for your kids
  • the lindy effect & ideas that will stick around in education
  • remote vs online education
  • recommended books for kids

Ana's Fab Friday Newsletter:
https://afabrega.com/

Book Recommendations:

Feb 18, 2021

Nick Huber is a real estate entrepreneur, self-storage owner & operator.

His commercial real estate portfolio is approaching $30mil in assets (as of 2021) & he's built a name for himself by championing "sweaty startups" aka unsexy businesses.

Nick has built a 100k following on Twitter by transparently sharing the lessons learned from his time in business & by simplifying concepts in the real estate game.

Let us know what you think of this convo on Twitter:
@bzaidi and @sweatystartup

Watch and subscribe on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/s9Wgw1GN9-k

After listening to part 1, you'll understand:

  • the equation for getting wealthy in the real estate game

  • the difference between creating vs growing wealth

  • categories of real estate beyond what 99% of people invest in, from self-storage, to cemeteries & tiny homes - you'll learn about niche opportunities with less competition

  • how real estate investors can make millions & legally pay little in taxes with depreciation, bonus depreciation & 1031 exchanges

  • Nick's unique approach to finding upside from day one in commercial real estate

  • why 100% occupancy rates aren't always a good thing & what Nick looks for in deals

In part 2, "behind the mind" (starting at 48min) Nick & Bilal discuss:

  • tribes, relationships & what truly matters in life
  • growing up, dealing with bullying & insecurities
  • choosing who you compete with
  • unique ways to connect with aging parents
  • why having kids is underrated & the importance of a supportive spouse

Timestamps:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:03:41 Who is Nick Huber?
  • 00:11:00 What is a Cash-Out Refinance?
  • 00:13:26 Growing Up in a Small, Rural Town
  • 00:14:28 Having A Chip on Your Shoulder
  • 00:18:28 Building vs Growing Wealth
  • 00:20:31 Alpha vs Beta In Real Estate
  • 00:21:02 Initial 700k Nest Egg
  • 00:25:03 Initial Investment - Rule Of Thumb
  • 00:27:25 Real Estate Investing On The Side
  • 00:29:24 Nick's Real Estate Framework
  • 00:33:55 100% Occupancy Isn't Always Good
  • 00:36:45 Zero Income Tax With Depreciation & 1031 Exchanges
  • 00:44:22 Conservation Easement
  • 00:46:35 Real Estate Professional Status
  • 00:47:52 Capital Gains

  • 00:48:32 Part 2: Behind The Mind
  • 00:51:02 Is Chasing Your Passions A Bad Idea?
  • 00:55:35 "I Wanted To Call My Mother And Cry In Her Arms"
  • 00:59:20 Giving Up Is Often The Best Choice There Is
  • 01:01:38 Miami + Austin
  • 01:02:48 "Nobody Cares About You Apart from A Handful Of People"
  • 01:05:23 Google Maps Trick - Connecting With Parents
  • 01:07:20 Dad's Twitter Post Went Viral
  • 01:09:42 Having Kids is Underrated
  • 01:12:29 The Tribe Makes The Place
  • 01:15:04 Virtual Communities
  • 01:19:48 Dealing With Bullying + Racism
  • 01:23:43 The Importance of a Supportive Spouse
  • 01:25:44 Advice For A Successful Relationship
  • 01:28:13 Being An Opportunist
  • 01:31:22 Wrap-Up
Feb 10, 2021

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is the founder of Ness Labs, a community for knowledge workers to be more productive and creative while taking care of their mental health.

She's an ex-Googler and holds a MSc in Neuroscience from King's College London. Her work has been featured in WIRED, Rolling Stone, and more.

Let us know what you think on Twitter:
@bzaidi
@anthilemoon

 

In this conversation, you'll learn about:

  • focused vs diffused learning
  • common misconceptions about the brain
  • networked thought + idea sex
  • the Feynman technique
  • lucid dreaming + psychedelics
  • how to build a thriving community as an individual creator

Timestamps:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:03:49 Who is Anne-Laure Le Cunff?
  • 00:06:49 Ness Labs Revenue Breakdown
  • 00:09:18 Transition From Consulting
  • 00:12:09 French Dad + Algerian Mother
  • 00:13:36 London
  • 00:15:31 Knowing When To Leave Your Job
  • 00:17:34 Ness Labs Flywheel
  • 00:20:28 If Starting From Scratch Today
  • 00:22:54 Introvert vs Extrovert
  • 00:25:24 Monetization
  • 00:27:38 Part 2: Behind the Mind
  • 00:27:50 Focused vs Diffused Thinking
  • 00:31:42 Sleep + Learning
  • 00:32:40 There's No Such Thing as "Learning Styles"
  • 00:35:35 Tackling Procrastination
  • 00:37:10 Chunking
  • 00:37:56 Process vs Product
  • 00:41:01 The Feynman Technique
  • 00:45:07 Lucid Dreaming
  • 00:50:38 Neuromyth 1: Using 10% of Your Brain
  • 00:53:18 Neuromyth 2: Left Brain vs Right Brain
  • 00:54:37 Neuromyth 3: IQ Tests
  • 00:58:36 Networked Thought
  • 01:00:16 Roam Research
  • 01:03:25 Idea Sex
  • 01:06:50 6 Factors of Happiness
  • 01:09:16 Wrap-Up
Feb 3, 2021

Watch the full convo and Q&A on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/gSVQHw-da5s

This is part 2, the Q&A of the live convo with Jack Butcher from Visualize Value. Listen to the previous episode to hear our live convo on the evolution of the creator economy & unique ways to monetize.

Who Is Jack Butcher?

Jack is the founder of Visualize Value, a company that builds content, community & courses for building independent income on the internet.

His Twitter + Instagram accounts have grown to 400k+ followers in 2yrs & his business earned $1mil+ in 2020.

This was Jack's second appearance on Creator Lab. This time, Jack & Bilal co-hosted a live recording with a virtual audience.

To join the next one, sign up at:
https://www.creatorlab.fm/live

Let us know what you think on Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/bzaidi
https://www.twitter.com/jackbutcher

Q&A Timestamps:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:00:40 "A Niche Picks You"
  • 00:02:55 Personal Brand vs Company Brand
  • 00:04:21 Repurposing Across Platforms
  • 00:13:21 Photographer - How To Productize a Service
  • 00:15:23 "Why should I care?"
  • 00:20:23 Music Industry example
  • 00:21:00 Minimize Risk
  • 00:24:07 Tactics To Get Momentum On A Project
  • 00:26:11 Social Proof
  • 00:28:32 Managing Relationships At Scale
  • 00:32:53 Jack-of-all-trades
  • 00:39:11 Wrap-up
Feb 3, 2021

Watch the full convo and Q&A on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/gSVQHw-da5s

Jack Butcher is the founder of Visualize Value, a company that builds content, community & courses for building independent income on the internet.

His Twitter + Instagram accounts have grown to 400k+ followers in 2yrs & his business earned $1mil+ in 2020.

This was Jack's second appearance on Creator Lab. This time, Jack & Bilal co-hosted a live recording with a virtual audience.

To join the next one, sign up at:
https://www.creatorlab.fm/live

Let us know what you think on Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/bzaidi
https://www.twitter.com/jackbutcher

After listening to this conversation, you'll understand:

  • the evolution of the creator economy from 1000 true fans to 100 true fans
  • importance of "1 true fan"
  • content/product machine + "the factory is the product"
  • why an audience is like a stem cell
  • unique examples of creator monetization
  • the importance of packaging, owning phrases & outcome-based marketing
  • Jack's 2020 revenue breakdown

Part 2, the live Q&A is in the next episode (look in your podcast feed)

Timestamps:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:04:26 What is the Creator Economy?
  • 00:07:49 Succeeding With A Smaller Audience
  • 00:08:39 1000 vs 100 True Fans
  • 00:10:03 Jack's 2020 Revenue Screenshare
  • 00:11:38 1 True Fan + Hedging
  • 00:14:51 The Permissionless Apprentice
  • 00:22:25 Audience ≠ Distribution
  • 00:27:49 Concentration vs Diversification Of Focus
  • 00:34:34 Downsides of Building a Public
  • 00:36:41 "The Factory is the Product"
  • 00:40:41 Employee = 1 Customer
  • 00:44:00 Packaging + Owning Phrases
  • 00:47:52 Outcome-Based Marketing
  • 00:49:47 Unique Examples of Creator Monetization
  • 00:50:45 Audience is like a Stem Cell - Shaan Puri Example
  • 00:51:54 Investing As A "Knowledge Influencer"
  • 00:55:35 Reps, Consistency + A-Side Tracks
  • 01:01:18 The Value of Services vs Ads
  • 01:06:37 Social Impact + Charity
  • 01:10:22 Strategic Partnerships + Distribution
  • 01:13:55 Choosing Partners Is Like A Marriage
  • 01:16:51 SMS + New Channel Experiments
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