Frugalpreneur: Building a Business on a Bootstrapped Budget Sarah St John

💡 Guest bio
Matt Peet is a videographer who started his business straight out of college in 2014. He initially focused on wedding videography and built a successful career in that field for 8 years. During his second year in the industry, he listened to a podcast called Entrepreneurs on Fire and became inspired to work with the host, John Lee Dumas. Matt took a bold step and offered to shoot a video for Dumas for free, and this initiative led to an exciting opportunity for his career.
ℹ️ Introduction
In this episode of the Frugalpreneur podcast, we feature a bootstrapped entrepreneur, Matt, who shares his journey of starting a videography business fresh out of college. He explains how his pivotal experience of working with a well-known entrepreneur led him to discover the power of funnels, significantly transforming his business. Matt delves into his frugal bootstrap methods using a WordPress website and offers valuable insights into leveraging ClickFunnels to bootstrap a business. He candidly discusses his biggest success and failure in business, and provides practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Tune in as Matt shares his journey and imparts valuable tips and techniques for bootstrapping a business.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Blog sells wedding videography, uses application funnel.
05:14 Targeted ads lead to better results.
07:29 Earn through ClickFunnels, then promote your business.
09:35 "Enjoyed episode? Implement nugget, share your story!"
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary Topic: Matt's Entrepreneurial Journey
- Matt's journey from college to entrepreneurship
- Start as a wedding videographer
- Encounter with John Lee Dumas
- Transition to working with John and others
- Discovery of the power of funnels
- Dive into the world of funnels
- Building funnels for others
- Formation of a mastermind for funnel builders
- Bootstrap Strategies
- Use of a WordPress website and blog
- Application funnel for selling services
- Transition to using ClickFunnels
Primary Topic: Success and Failures
- Major Success
- Building a powerful funnel for a client
- Realization of the power of funnels
- Major Failures
- Ineffective use of ads
Primary Topic: Recommendations for Bootstrapping
- Utilizing ClickFunnels and the Affiliate Program
- Significance of ClickFunnels Affiliate program
- The potential to earn through affiliate sign-ups
- Importance of the One Funnel Away Challenge
- Encouragement to join the One Funnel Away Challenge
- Free access and additional bonuses
- The impact of the challenge on business transformation
- Recap and Promotion
- Encouragement to join the One Funnel Away Challenge
- Benefits of taking the challenge
Primary Topic: Conclusion
- Sarah St John's closing remarks
- Invitation to potential guests for the show.
❓ Questions
1. What strategies did the entrepreneur in this episode use to bootstrap his business, and how effective were they?
2. How did the entrepreneur utilize funnels to grow his business, and what impact did it have on his revenue and growth?
3. What was the entrepreneur's biggest success in business, and how did it shape his mindset and approach to business?
4. What was the entrepreneur's biggest failure while bootstrapping his business, and what lesson did he learn from it?
5. How did the entrepreneur use affiliate marketing as a strategy to offset the costs of tools like ClickFunnels, and how effective was this approach?
6. What are the key factors that the entrepreneur attributes to the success of using funnels in his...

💡 Guest bio
John was not initially inclined to take risks and start his own business, but after his father was let go from his job, he vowed to never work for anyone else again. With little money to start with, John and his father began their own business with just a desk, a typewriter, and a phone. This experience taught John the value of hard work and independence, and ultimately led him to become a successful entrepreneur.
ℹ️ Introduction
Welcome to the Frugalpreneur podcast! In this episode, we have a special showcase featuring John, a successful bootstrapped entrepreneur. John shares his inspiring journey of building a business with minimal resources and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. From starting with almost nothing to achieving $5,000,000 in sales, John's story is a testament to the power of frugal entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the importance of running a lean operation, maintaining strong cash flow, and leveraging personal connections for business growth. John also reflects on his biggest failure and most rewarding success, offering practical advice for fellow entrepreneurs. Join us as we dive into John's remarkable insights and experiences on the Frugalpreneur podcast!
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Entrepreneur shares risk-taking journey with family roots.
03:44 Declare miles, sales calls are effective methods. Keep cash flow and bills current.
08:20 Customer feedback led to MBA, business education.
09:29 Best job led to book, Lifeline to a Soul.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary topic: Introduction to the podcast and guest
- Showcase episode featuring a bootstrapped entrepreneur
- Brief background of guest's journey as an entrepreneur
Primary topic: Starting a business with minimal resources
- Joining father's company with minimal assets
- Initial skepticism about risk in entrepreneurship
- Learning valuable lessons from father's experience working in sales
Primary topic: Bootstrapping tips for business success
- Importance of keeping overhead costs low
- Utilizing independent contractors
- Prioritizing face-to-face sales calls over advertising
- Focus on cash flow management
- Keeping business lean until identifying target market
Primary topic: Lessons from failures and successes
- Biggest failure: neglecting proper bookkeeping and getting audited for sales tax
- Biggest success: receiving referrals from satisfied customers
- Emphasizing the value of personal relationships in business
Primary topic: Practical advice for bootstrapping
- Avoid hiring employees until necessary
- Cash flow management as a priority
- Face-to-face networking for customer acquisition
- Continual self-education and staying updated with business practices
Primary topic: Transition into teaching and writing
- Pursuing an MBA to stay updated in the business world
- Opportunities to speak to entrepreneurship classes
- Teaching at a minimum security prison and writing a book
- Promotion of the book Lifeline to a Soul on the podcast
Primary topic: Conclusion and call to action
- Thanking the host for the opportunity
- Inviting listeners to visit the website and request an autographed copy of the guest's book
❓ Questions
1. How has John's experience with a risky job transition shaped his perspective on entrepreneurship?
2. John emphasized the value of keeping overhead low and using independent contractors. How has this approach contributed to the success of his business?
3. What was the pivotal role played by a referral from a satisfied customer in John's business? How can entrepreneurs cultivate these types of relationships?
4. John highlighted the importance of proper...

💡 Guest bio
Madhu's journey to becoming a conscious business coach and mentor began on his 18th birthday when he chose to become a monk. His curiosity about ancient sciences led him to study physical, mental, and spiritual health over the next five years. After leaving the monastery, he began offering holistic services to others but struggled financially, making less than $20,000 a year. Determined to make a change, he delved into sales, marketing, and business, ultimately finding success and making a difference in the lives of others. Now, Madhu has many years of experience and over $100,000 worth of sales and marketing training under his belt.
ℹ️ Introduction
Today's episode is a showcase featuring Madhu, a conscious business coach and mentor who embarked on a unique journey from becoming a monk at 18 to navigating the world of sales, marketing, and business. Madhu shares insights into how he transitioned from struggling financially to building a successful business. He delves into the foundational steps of purpose-driven work, packaging services, and falling in love with sales as a service. Madhu also discusses his measure of success, emphasizing service, and reveals lessons learned from financial missteps. He presents the "monk mindset method" as a key to achieving success and controlling the mind, a theme central to both personal and business growth. If you're seeking guidance on business success while maintaining integrity and serving others, Madhu's journey and wisdom will provide valuable takeaways for your own entrepreneurial endeavors.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Transitioned from health to business, helping others succeed.
03:05 Package services to resonate and drive action.
07:02 Visualize, plan, schedule, address obstacles, persist consistently.
09:27 Contact us at info@madhu.life for support.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary Topic: Personal Journey and Transition to Business
- Madhu's decision to become a monk and study ancient sciences
- Transitioning to offering holistic services after leaving the monastery
- Financial struggles and the realization for the need to change
- Delving into learning about sales, marketing, and business
- Transitioning from health services to business coaching to help struggling wellness professionals
- Focusing on helping others and the impact of doing so
- Steps taken to get the business to its current state
Primary Topic: Business Success and Measures
- The importance of purpose-driven work
- Monetizing the improvement of quality of life for others
- Packaging and messaging services to resonate with ideal clients
- Embracing sales as a way of serving
- Scaling and serving more people while maintaining quality
- Measuring success through service and the impact made on others
Primary Topic: Successes and Failures
- Success in training others to change lives
- The significance of receiving financial reciprocation for the value delivered
- Balancing cool successes with the acknowledgment of past failures
- Financial mismanagement and the lessons learned
Primary Topic: The Monk Mindset Method
- Five steps to achieve success: want, claim, identify behaviors, set a consistent schedule, and address stressors
- The importance of controlling the mind to achieve business success
- Offer for additional support and access to free materials
Primary Topic: Additional Tools and Resources
- Emphasis on the importance of controlling the mind
- Use of systems, processes, and automations
- The conscious closing system for sales without manipulation tactics
- Offer for additional support and access to free courses and materials
❓ Questions
1. What are some key takeaways...

💡 Guest bio
Anna spent 18 years in the corporate world, working in client services in the financial services industry before pursuing a career at Patagonia, where she networked her way to the top of the corporate headquarters in California. After deciding to leave that industry, she returned to financial services but lost her job and was unemployed for 14 months.
ℹ️ Introduction
In this episode of the Frugalpreneur podcast, our guest Anna shares her journey from the corporate world to becoming a bootstrapped entrepreneur. After experiencing unemployment and pivoting through various business ideas, she found her passion for coaching and connecting with individuals one-on-one. Anna's story is a testament to the determination required to build a business from the ground up without taking out loans or seeking investors. She offers insights into the importance of saying no to unnecessary expenses, getting clear on what you love doing, and persisting through the challenges of entrepreneurship. Tune in to hear Anna's valuable tips for fellow frugalpreneurs and discover how she helps entrepreneurs align their businesses with their dreams.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Dislike led to new business passion discovery.
04:47 Entrepreneurs learn to say yes and no.
06:19 Persistence led to success, but finances suffered.
09:50 Identify what you love, apply it throughout.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary Topic: Anna's Entrepreneurial Journey
- Anna's background in the corporate world
- Pursuing entrepreneurship after feeling the desire for autonomy and financial independence
- Transitioning from a failed lingerie design business to a coaching business
- Bootstrapping the business by self-funding and working part-time jobs
- Learning to say no to unnecessary expenses and investments in other programs
Primary Topic: Successes and Failures in Bootstrapping
- Success: Learning to say no and avoiding unnecessary expenses
- Failure: Almost depleting her savings to invest in a program, which led to financial struggles and the need for a full-time job
Primary Topic: Tips and Tricks for Bootstrapping
- Getting crystal clear on what she loves doing in her business
- Leveraging her love for 1-on-1 conversations in marketing and networking
- Aligning front-end and back-end business activities with what she loves doing
- Noticing problems and having the ability to solve them for profit
- Emphasizing the importance of persistence and personal development in entrepreneurship
Primary Topic: Inviting Listeners to Engage
- Encouraging listeners to reach out for a 30-minute free consultation on her website
- Promoting her podcast series on essential entrepreneurship knowledge
- Expressing appreciation for the audience's time and interest in her work
❓ Questions
1. How did Anna transition from the corporate world to starting her own business? What were the key factors that led her to pursue entrepreneurship?
2. What was the initial business idea that Anna pursued, and why did she ultimately pivot away from it? How did she discover her true passion for meeting people one-on-one?
3. How did Anna bootstrap her business? What financial strategies and sacrifices did she employ in the early stages of her entrepreneurial journey?
4. What were some of the challenges Anna faced while building her business, and how did she navigate them? How did she decide when to say "yes" or "no" to investment opportunities such as courses and programs?
5. Can you discuss Anna's biggest success and failure in bootstrapping her business? What lessons did she learn from these experiences?
6. What are Anna's tips and tricks for successfully bootstrapping a business? How did she leverage her...

💡 Guest bio
Carole is a seasoned entrepreneur who has always been in the business of building and launching new services and products. With the extra time during the COVID pandemic, she decided to pursue her dream of creating a sustainable line of design furniture for cats that also appeals to humans. This led her to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Through this experience, she discovered a passion for entrepreneurship and began working with other entrepreneurs as a strategic advisor and mentor. Carole now serves as a fractional CMO, offering her expertise in marketing and growth to start-up companies.
ℹ️ Introduction
In this episode of Frugalpreneur, we feature Carole, a seasoned entrepreneur who shares her journey of bootstrapping a sustainable business, focusing on design furniture for cats that humans can also enjoy. Carole discusses her experience launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and her transition to becoming a fractional CMO, offering strategic and marketing support to startups. She opens up about her successes, such as reaching her Kickstarter goal and building valuable partnerships, as well as her challenges, like underestimating production and shipping costs. Carole also provides valuable tips and tactics for fellow entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of finding a supportive network, leveraging social media platforms, and remaining curious and vulnerable. Tune in to discover Carole's inspiring entrepreneurial journey and gain insights for your own bootstrapped business endeavors.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Entrepreneur develops furniture for cats, mentors startups.
03:53 Reached out to brands for collaboration, success.
09:30 Entrepreneur offers services as interim CMO.
11:04 Numerous free resources available for inspiration and networking.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary Topic: Introduction to Carole's Entrepreneurial Journey
- Carole describes her background as an entrepreneur, developing departments, launching new services, and a side hustle during COVID.
Primary Topic: Becoming a Fractional CMO
- Carole details her decision to work with entrepreneurs as an adviser and mentor, eventually becoming a fractional CMO to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses.
Primary Topic: Crowdfunding Campaign
- Carole explains her decision to create a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for sustainable design furniture for cats and humans, detailing the success and market validation she achieved.
Primary Topic: Tactics and Techniques for Bootstrapping
- Carole discusses how she approached influencers, built partnerships, and reached out to professionals to help spread the message about her product.
- Reaching out to influencers
- Partnerships and cross-promotion
- Collaboration with professionals in the pet industry
Primary Topic: Successes and Failures
- Carole shares her biggest successes including reaching her Kickstarter goal and failures such as underestimating the cost of production and shipping.
Primary Topic: Tips and Tricks for Entrepreneurs
- Carole provides advice for entrepreneurs based on her experiences, such as finding a community of fellow entrepreneurs, utilising online resources, leveraging social media, putting shyness aside, and staying curious.
Primary Topic: The Journey of Entrepreneurship
- Carole reflects on the journey of entrepreneurship, the need for introspection, and how it led her to offer services as a fractional CMO.
Primary Topic: Closing Thoughts
- Carole encourages sharing experiences, leveraging free resources, and networking events to get inspired.
These topics and sub-topics cover Carole's entrepreneurial journey, her strategies for success and overcoming challenges, as well as her...

💡 Guest bio
Chad has been in the investment business for 16 years, initially thinking he would be managing investments, only to realize it's more about managing investors. He is passionate about helping people become better investors, which requires behavior change, coaching, and relationships. Coming from a household with a financial advisor, Chad saw firsthand how changing someone's finances can also change the trajectory of their entire life.
ℹ️ Introduction
On this episode of Frugalpreneur, we dive into the journey of Chad, a bootstrapped entrepreneur who has navigated the world of managing investments and investors for the past 16 years. Chad shares his insights on the importance of behavior change, coaching, and relationships in helping individuals become better investors. He also discusses his experience with living frugally, taking small risks, and patiently waiting for the right clients in order to grow and thrive. Chad reflects on his biggest failure as an entrepreneur and offers valuable advice on identifying ideal clients and taking meaningful action towards business goals. Tune in to hear Chad's inspirational story and actionable tips for your own bootstrap business journey.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Dad's impact inspired meaningful financial career success.
04:51 Overcoming fear of rejection is key. Focus on target audience in marketing efforts.
07:15 Be clear on your audience and actions.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary Topic: Introduction to the Podcast Episode
- Host introduces the episode as a showcase featuring a bootstrapped entrepreneur
- Purpose of the showcase episode is to provide valuable takeaways for listeners in their own business journey
Primary Topic: Chad's Entrepreneurial Journey
- Chad's original intention was to manage investments but learned that the role involved managing investors and coaching for behavior change
- Saw the impactful work of his father, a financial advisor, in changing people's lives through financial management
- Currently works with firms like Dave Ramsey to apply financial principles and guide people towards meaningful change and growth
Primary Topic: Bootstrapping Strategies
- Started the business with no debt, few resources, and minimal liabilities
- Acted as the "chief everything officer," taking on all roles and responsibilities
- Took small, intentional risks and made small investments initially, as advised in "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
- Patiently waited for the right clients, living frugally on both personal and business levels
- Survived difficult periods due to intentional budgeting and lack of debt
Primary Topic: Overcoming Failure and Fear
- Chad's biggest failure was the fear of facing rejection and waiting for the concept of "perfect" before putting himself and his services out there
- Realized the power of offering himself and his services directly to potential clients rather than relying solely on advertising and marketing
- Overcoming the fear of rejection became pivotal to his success
Primary Topic: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics
- Importance of knowing the ideal client and customer, rather than spreading effort and energy everywhere
- Emphasized the power of getting crystal clear about who you're trying to serve and creating marketing tailored to a specific, ideal client
- Recognized the tendency of entrepreneurs to create busy work that looks important but is actually procrastination, and the need to focus on high-impact actions instead
Primary Topic: Conclusion and Gratitude
- Chad expresses gratitude to the host for the opportunity to share his experiences and hopes it was valuable and encouraging for the audience
❓ Questions
1. How did Chad's initial perception