How Nate Grahek Built A 7-Figure Business In Just 2 Years

The 7-Figure CEO Podcast

In this episode of The 7-Figure CEO Podcast, Casey sits down with Nate Grahek, CEO and founder of Sticky Albums. Hear how Nate took his hobby and turned it into a profitable business, crossing the 7-figure mark in just two years. Nate talks about the decisions that were most critical to his success, and his biggest wins and failures along the way.

Nate was working in Corporate America and running a small photography business on the side, when he had a ‘lightbulb’ moment. In order to market his business to potential customers Nate created an app that could showcase his work on the go using only his phone. It wasn’t long before Nate’s app drew the attention of other photographers, and in 2012 Sticky Albums was officially in business designing and selling software for photographers worldwide.

Critical Decisions

• Find the right business partner, by leveraging your network and finding someone who aligns with your core values.

Time Management

• Marketing and getting the word out is worth your time especially early on.
• Trying to do customer support, marketing, and sales by yourself does not work. Hiring someone to support customers will allow you  to focus on what only you can do.
• Don’t be the bottleneck for your top performers.

Hiring

• Let employees audition during the hiring process. Hire contractors and treat their project like an audition.
• Keep your expectations in check. One hire is not going to solve all of your problems.

Process

• Listen to the customers who are actually using your product or service well. That group will give you insight into how best to improve your product and business.
• Customers who don’t value their time, won’t value your time.
• Recording calls with customers became a productivity hack, and helped to create content for marketing.

Finances

• Compounding churn is a problem for software businesses. You can’t fix churn when people are leaving, it’s too late by then.
• The way you fix churn is to assist your customer’s during their implementation of your product/service.

Personal Growth

• Try to learn from people who have done what you are trying to do, and who have been where you want to be.

Links

www.stickyalbums.com

www.allgravy.io

www.caseygraham.com

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