The Nathan Barry Show

I’ve always been fascinated by how some companies manage to create not just customers, but passionate communities who become true advocates. My guest today, Russell Brunson, has mastered this, building ClickFunnels to a staggering 100,000+ users *without any outside funding*. In our conversation, Russell broke down the exact framework he used to achieve this, a framework born from studying thousands of successful movements across history, politics, and even religion. If you've ever wondered how to inspire loyalty that goes beyond a simple transaction and transforms your audience into a committed tribe, this episode reveals the secrets to building a movement, not just a business.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:16 Studying Successful Movements
03:30 From Educator to Movement Leader
04:58 The Three Core Elements of a Movement
06:25 The Attractive Character (The Guide)
07:05 The New Opportunity (Not Just an Improvement)
09:24 The Future-Based Cause
12:12 Universal Principles in Movements
13:17 The Power of Positioning
18:47 Crafting the New Opportunity
27:12 The Importance of Customer Alignment
28:16 Cutting Through the Noise with Your Message
33:23 The Power of Customer Stories
35:12 Why General Messaging Can Be More Powerful
46:17 Milestones and Awards for Motivation
50:50 Creating Belief and Encouraging Progress
52:33 Scaling with Progressive Achievement
59:55 Where to Learn More from Russell Brunson
If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.
Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show
Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Follow Russell:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/russellbrunson
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2qUDKqTsz00csykCYgdLuA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellbrunson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/russbrunson
X: https://x.com/russellbrunson
Website: https://russellbrunson.com
Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Expert Secrets: https://expertsecrets.com
ClickFunnels: https://www.clickfunnels.com
Highlights:
06:09 – Every Movement Needs a Guide
11:00 – The Power of a Future-Based Cause
24:50 – The Importance of Actively Choosing Your Dream Customer
47:50 – The Two Comma Club: Gamifying Entrepreneurial Success
57:20 – Why People Care More About a Plaque Than Money

Can you truly break through your own limitations and achieve what seems impossible? Today, I sit down with my friend Nir Eyal, the author of three bestselling books, including his latest, *Beyond Belief*, which just hit the New York Times bestseller list. Nir recently blew my mind when he told me he doesn't "believe in jet lag" after flying from Europe to Asia, and that was just the appetizer for our conversation. In his typical science-backed style, Nir reveals the surprising research behind why some people persist where others quit, and how our beliefs—not always our circumstances—are often the key to unlocking our full potential. He shares practical, data-driven strategies I'm already applying in my own life and creative work, and I think you will too.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Belief and Placebos
05:25 Why Placebo Effect is Getting Stronger
06:59 When Pain is Not Suffering
10:10 Hypnosedation and Unlocking Potential
15:35 Applying Beliefs to Creative Process
19:10 Chasing Happiness vs. Decreasing Suffering
21:47 Why Positive Thinking Can Be Harmful
26:34 Applying Belief-Shifting to Relationships
31:03 Changing Your Mind and Beliefs
35:35 Belief Problems, Not People Problems
37:25 High Expectations, Low Control Leads to Burnout
40:03 Internal vs. External Locus of Control
44:27 The Rat Experiment and Persistence
47:47 What's Next for Nir Eyal

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.

Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com

Follow Nir:
Website: https://www.nirandfar.com
X: https://twitter.com/nireyal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal
Beyond Belief: https://www.nirandfar.com/beyondbelief

Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Beyond Belief: https://www.nirandfar.com/beyondbelief

Highlights:
01:31 – How belief separates suffering from symptoms
06:17 – Why I don't want to hear about side effects
15:06 – How I stopped suffering in my creative process
25:29 – Visualizing how to deal with discomfort
30:39 – Who I become when I hold onto a belief
38:40 – Formula for burnout: high expectations, low control
44:45 – How a change in belief increased a rat's persistence

What actually makes a bestseller? My two guests this episode, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling book of the last decade, knows a thing or two about it. I also sit down with Madeline McIntosh, CEO of Penguin Random House US, where she's overseen the publication of over 1000 books. Together, James and Madeline have co-founded Authors Equity, a publishing model that completely inverts how authors are typically paid and how books are brought to market. In our conversation, they break down everything you need to know about publishing today, what works, what's broken, and how they're revolutionizing the industry with a win-win approach for authors.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:21 Publishing transformations Madeline has witnessed
02:59 Madeline's motivation for founding Author's Equity
05:14 The Author's Equity model compared to traditional publishing
09:20 Why the author's equity model is beneficial
14:03 The power of aligned incentives
18:22 Author pain points solved by Author's Equity
21:00 Selecting custom teams for each book
24:45 Author's Equity's willingness to learn from authors
28:22 Self-published authors joining Author's Equity
31:07 Who Author's Equity is not for
34:00 The win-win philosophy of Author's Equity
36:05 Crafting books that sell for years
39:00 The importance of building an audience as a nonfiction author
41:40 The timeless desire and new vessel for delivering information
46:00 Getting your best work in front of readers
50:08 What makes books keep selling in year two and beyond
53:10 Leveraging seasonal buying and promotional efforts
55:22 The New York Times Bestseller list: commercial vs. psychological
1:00:30 The most accurate bestseller list
1:02:10 Reaching out to Author's Equity
If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.
Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show
Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com
Kit: https://kit.com/?utm_campaign=29661554-nathan_barry_show&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=nathanbarryshow&utm_content=youtube_description
Follow James:
Website: https://jamesclear.com
X: https://twitter.com/JamesClear
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesclear
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesclear
Follow Madeline:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemcintosh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madmci
Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Authors Equity: https://authorsequity.com/
Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Highlights:
01:21 – Publishing before the internet and email
09:20 – Authors no longer have to choose
21:00 – Hand-selecting custom teams for each book
31:07 – Avoiding books with a short shelf life
47:03 – Value in the push and pull of ideas
50:28 – The book has to sell itself
1:00:30 – The most accurate bestseller list

How do you break through that elusive $1 million revenue ceiling in a creator business? That's the question I dove into with two incredible founders on this episode: Grant Baldwin of The Speaker Lab and Bryan Harris of Growth Tools. Both have scaled their businesses far beyond that mark, not with flashy tactics, but by building fundamentally great businesses. We chat about the counter-intuitive strategies that got them there, why simplifying your offer is often the fastest path to growth, and how tracking actual customer outcomes is a superpower that most businesses ignore. It's a candid conversation about the foundational shifts that unlock real, sustainable growth.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Building a business without being the "dancing monkey"
06:40 The million-dollar ceiling for creators
12:01 Bryan's first million: simplifying to one core product
16:21 Overvaluing sales and marketing vs. a great offer
22:04 The "steakhouse vs. buffet" analogy for niche
26:58 The shift in the creator economy with AI
31:47 The future of SaaS and the role of relationships
37:13 Bryan's shocking AI experience saving thousands
42:33 Navigating the opportunities and concerns of AI
48:08 The problem with tracking success rate
53:29 Less information, shorter path, higher success rate coaching
01:00:07 The importance of product and rallying a team
01:06:52 The near-death experience of a refund-based guarantee
01:13:51 Bryan's mistake: stopping getting your hands dirty too soon
01:21:40 Grant's decision to wind down his business
If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.
Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show
Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com
Kit: https://kit.com
Follow Bryan:
Website: https://growthtools.com/nathan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrisbryannash
Follow Grant:
Website: https://grantbaldwin.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbaldwin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-baldwin
Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Rework: https://basecamp.com/books/rework
Stop Guessing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59388878-stop-guessing
Wealth, Riches, and Money: https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Riches-Money-Kingdom-Principles/dp/0984183864
Highlights:
06:10 What's the outcome if I stay on this path?
12:01 SImplifying to one core product made everything easier.
15:47 A great offer makes sales and marketing easier.
31:12 When AI solutions are fundamentally 10x better.
39:09 People's number one competitor is quitting.
01:01:09 Track your outcomes to be in the top 0.01%.
01:13:51 You need to keep your hands dirty as a founder.

What's the secrets to unreasonable hospitality? That's what I wanted to find out when I sat down with Will Guidara and Brian Canlis. Will spent over a decade running Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant voted number one in the world, and Brian is the force behind Canlis in Seattle, one of the most respected fine dining institutions in the country. Their insights on hospitality extend far beyond the restaurant world, and I was particularly struck by how they've systematically approached building meaningful connections, both online and off. Their approach to "unreasonable hospitality" has completely reshaped how I think about every customer touchpoint in my own business, and there are so many actionable ideas here for any creator or entrepreneur.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:07 How Will and Brian started working together
03:07 The first big project they worked on
04:47 Brian's "friend internship" and meeting his wife
05:56 Brian's career running Canlis
08:26 The vision for their current business
14:16 Shifting from consulting to creative studio
16:18 The broad applicability of hospitality
30:53 Chewy's pattern recognition and customer experience
35:16 "What would have to be true?" for seemingly impossible goals
45:40 Mapping every tiny guest interaction
54:19 The value of "fresh eyes" and notebook feedback
1:07:47 Why doing the "right thing" matters long-term
1:09:15 The 95/5 rule for managing resources
1:11:49 Opportunities to elevate the Kit platform experience
1:15:16 Making powerful tools accessible and fun
1:18:18 Celebrating user milestones and personalized moments
If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.
Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show
Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com
Kit: https://kit.com
Follow Will:
Website: https://unreasonablehospitality.com
The Field Guide: https://uhthefieldguide.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wguidara
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willguidara
Follow Brian:
Website: https://unreasonablehospitality.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcanlis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-canlis-2820122a6
Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Unreasonable Hospitality: https://unreasonablehospitality.com
Unreasonable Hospitality Field Guide: https://uhthefieldguide.com