On Subscriptions: Scaled, we talk about all of the different facets of successfully running a subscription business, including how to build them, how to grow them, and how to scale them from a startup to something bigger. Topics include: SaaS subscriptions, subscription boxes, growth tactics, technical challenges of a subscription company, compliance challenges, and business strategy for subscription companies.
Subscription Analytics and Reporting with Melanie Stout of Optimized Payments, Jay Matthews of Yahoo and Melissa Shields of Dotdash Meredith
In today's episode, we dive into global payments and subscriptions, featuring insights from Melissa Shields, Executive Director of Payments and Strategic Operations at Dotdash Meredith*, Jay Matthews, Director of Global Payments and Subscriptions/Retention at Yahoo, and Melanie Stout, Head of Recurring Services at Optimized Payments. The trio emphasizes the critical role of detailed analytics in understanding subscriber behavior, and how strategic reporting can drive better decision-making for subscription-based businesses. The conversation covers practical approaches to leveraging data for optimizing subscription models and enhancing customer retention.*Since recording the interview, Melissa Shields has moved to Starbucks, where she is Director, Payments Strategy & Operations. Key Takeaways:(3:31) Personalized communication for improving customer engagement.(7:16) Discussion on scaling challenges, focusing on operational solutions and data-driven strategies.(12:15) The impact of regional payment preferences on global subscription models.(18:29) Strategies for reducing churn and boosting subscriber retention through payment operations optimization.(24:47) The importance of using analytics for trend identification and strategic decision-making in payment strategies. (30:54) The future of payment technologies and their revolutionary potential for the subscription industry.(35:12) The integration of new payment methods to reach a broader audience and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Resources Mentioned:Melissa Shields -https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagruener/Jay Matthews -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymatthews/Melanie Stout -https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniestout/Dotdash Meredith -https://www.dotdashmeredith.com/Yahoo -https://www.yahoo.com/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAdRipKTIpg_xTlqJe45aw5ti5WopyTbkFgpuZq-IIksH1z6El14PDDsU_O34UQ7TUbENp8BE-gSaHUDT_yWhR_94JnQLv7DAZj8vrOUjt2GsdZO-VtBefnQcJsdzuTy0PNN1Y41Wx7oaCV4SGxjenhIFCpjEFfoA421KJH2P-kLOptimized Payments -https://optimizedpayments.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
2/5/2024 • 43 minutes, 35 seconds
Fraud and Chargeback Management with Christine Wade of Payment Operations Group, Mandi Grimm of Etix and Scott Adams of Fraud Deflect and CNPMentors
On this episode, we welcome Christine Wade, Co-Founder and Consultant of Payment Operations Group, LLC; Mandi Grimm, Director of Fraud Prevention of Etix; and Scott Adams, Founder and CEO of Fraud Deflect and CNPMentors. Together, we explore the complexities of chargeback management and fraud prevention. Each of them shares their expertise as we discuss current challenges and strategies in the industry. Key Takeaways:(06:22) Discussing the evolving nature of payment operations and its business impact.(12:15) Insights into the latest fraud prevention trends and techniques.(18:40) Exploring the influence of technology in combating online transaction fraud.(24:55) The role of customer behavior analysis in enhancing fraud detection.(31:07) Perspectives on the future of digital payments and their security measures.(37:19) Highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in fraud mitigation.(43:30) The necessity of ongoing education and awareness in payment security. Resources mentioned:Christine Wade -https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjwade/Payment Operations Group, LLC -https://www.linkedin.com/company/payment-operations-group-llc/Mandi Grimm -https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandigrimm/Etix -https://www.linkedin.com/company/etix/Scott Adams -https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakerscotteadams/Fraud Deflect -https://www.linkedin.com/company/fraud-deflect/CNPMentors -https://www.linkedin.com/company/cnpmentors/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
1/29/2024 • 58 minutes, 3 seconds
Retention, Dunning and Revenue Recovery with Kristen Vandendriessche at Optimized Payments and Kevin Salerno at Newfold Digital
On this episode, we dive into retention and revenue recovery in subscription-based businesses with the help of our guests, Kevin Salerno at Newfold Digital and Kristen Vandendriessche at Optimized Payments. Key Takeaways:(01:28) The impact of retention in subscription businesses.(03:51) An in-depth look at churn in subscription models, and strategies to manage it effectively.(09:06) Technical causes of involuntary churn and methods to improve payment collection.(16:36) The benefits and necessity of having multiple payment processors for successful payment authorizations.(24:11) Innovative strategies for simplifying customer payment updates and enhancing the recovery process.(31:02) The legal and regulatory considerations in payment recovery and retention strategies. Resources Mentioned:Kevin Salerno -https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-salerno-156530/Newfold Digital | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/newfold/Newfold Digital | Website -https://newfold.com/Kristen Vandendriessche -https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-vandendriessche-pcip-7b16924/Optimized Payments | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimized-payments/Optimized Payments | Website -https://optimizedpayments.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
1/22/2024 • 38 minutes, 59 seconds
Payment Processing Fundamentals with Melanie Stout of Optimized Payments and Brian Kehn of HomeServe USA
Join us in a compelling discussion with Brian Kehn, Vice President Operations and Director of Payments at HomeServe USA, and Melanie Stout, Head of Recurring Services at Optimized Payments. We explore essential aspects of subscription payment processing and offer practical insights for businesses in this sector. Key Takeaways:(03:03) The importance of seamless customer experience in subscription billing.(04:49) The necessity of data management for successful billing.(07:30) Advice for startups on outsourcing payment processing.(12:18) Understanding decline codes in payment processing.(17:08) The improvement in approval rates with network tokens.(23:52) How different payment methods affect customer lifecycle and business strategy.(33:26) Insights into the role of fees, and strategies for their management.(42:23) The significance of data analytics in monitoring payment processing performance. Resources Mentioned:Brian Kehn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-kehn-b5a1804/HomeServe USA -https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/Melanie Stout -https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniestout/Optimized Payments -https://optimizedpayments.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
1/15/2024 • 50 minutes, 57 seconds
Subscription Fundamentals Podcast Series Introduction with Josh Mathers of Rebar
We’re excited to introduce our new podcast series, Subscription Fundamentals. As the name implies, we will be diving into the essentials of the subscription business, including enrollment, billing, payments, fraud, chargebacks and more. Nick Fredrick will be joined on this series by co-host Josh Mathers, Vice President of Product at Rebar Technology, to guide you through the subscription process from the point at which your customer signs up for your product. Key Takeaways:(03:24) The absence of formal training in subscription billing and the importance of experience and networking in this industry.(04:35) The basics of subscription payment flows and the necessity of understanding the enrollment and transaction processes.(05:24) The centrality of customer retention and engagement in subscription models and strategies to increase lifetime value.(06:12) The challenges of maintaining customer expectation continuity in the face of new marketing channels and subscription models.(06:53) Insights into fraud and chargeback management, including prevention strategies and understanding different types of fraud risks.(08:54) The critical role of data in the success of billing programs, focusing on trends in payment acceptance and chargeback rates. Resources Mentioned:Josh Mathers -https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamathers/Rebar Technology -https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebar-technology/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
1/15/2024 • 12 minutes, 41 seconds
The Intersection of Data and Decision-Making with Brian Comiskey of the Consumer Technology Association
On today’s episode, we welcome Brian Comiskey, Director, Thematic Programs of the Consumer Technology Association. Brian delves into various topics including data-driven decision-making, cybersecurity and smart home innovations. Key Takeaways:(02:44) Brian's background in international relations and his transition to media analytics and technology.(12:16) Evolving customer engagement strategies and the importance of maintaining touchpoints in a digital world.(17:29) The role of standards in technology development and innovation.(26:35) The importance of market research in understanding macroeconomic forces in technology.(33:00) Cutting-edge trends in various industry verticals, especially artificial intelligence.(34:18) Sustainability and alternative power sources as key elements in future technology trends.(43:00) Resources available at the Consumer Technology Association for further research on technology trends. Resources Mentioned:Brian Comiskey -https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-comiskey15/Consumer Technology Association research -https://www.cta.tech/Resources/Research Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
1/8/2024 • 43 minutes, 36 seconds
Cultivating Success in Online Retail with Neil Dudley of Pederson’s Natural Farms
In this episode, we talk with Neil Dudley, Vice President of Pederson’s Natural Farms, about the journey and challenges of transitioning from traditional business models to a direct-to-consumer and subscription-based approach. Key Takeaways:(02:00) Pederson’s Natural Farms’ shift toward direct-to-consumer sales and subscription models.(3:13) Understanding consumer needs for recurring deliveries.(07:40) Challenges faced in handling perishable goods and finding the right fulfillment partner.(11:07) The significance of subscriptions in building a sustainable customer base and the benefits of achieving scale.(14:50) Exploring different technology solutions for e-commerce, such as Shopify, and the continuous evolution of these platforms.(18:28) Transitioning from relying solely on traditional retail channels to adopting an omni-channel approach.(23:19) Plans for continuing to build the brand and servicing consumers through e-commerce channels. Resources Mentioned:Neil Dudley -https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecowboyperspective/Pederson’s Natural Farms | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/pederson's-natural-farms/Pederson’s Natural Farms | Website -https://pedersonsfarms.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
12/18/2023 • 27 minutes, 45 seconds
Pioneering a Revolution in Flossing with Samantha Coxe of Flaus
Samantha Coxe, Founder and CEO of Flaus, shares her unique journey from being a mergers and acquisitions attorney to spearheading innovation in oral care with the world's first electric flosser. Key Takeaways:(04:20) Samantha's transition from a legal career to entrepreneurship, identifying a significant market gap.(07:25) Launching a crowdfunding campaign, marking a pivotal moment in Flaus' journey.(09:42) Choosing a direct-to-consumer model, and its evolution over time.(16:51) Emphasizing environmental responsibility in product packaging and recycling.(29:01]) Dealing with a 20% defect rate in the first batch of product.(30:28) Raising capital for product innovation and retail distribution.(38:04) The decision to incorporate as a public benefit corporation.(39:20) Striving for sustainability as a startup and the minimum viable product approach. Resources Mentioned:Samantha Coxe -https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthacoxe/Flaus | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/goflaus/Flaus | Website -https://goflaus.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
12/11/2023 • 41 minutes, 17 seconds
Redefining Puzzles With Creativity and Business Acumen with Kaylin Marcotte of JIGGY
Join us on the latest episode as we talk to Kaylin Marcotte, Founder and CEO of JIGGY. Kaylin delves into her journey of creating a puzzle brand with a unique subscription model, blending art and business.Key Takeaways:(05:30) The origins of JIGGY and how personal experiences shaped its business.(10:24) Challenges of introducing a subscription service in the puzzle market.(15:08) Using customer feedback to improve JIGGY's products and services.(21:03) JIGGY's growth and the pursuit of the right partnerships for on-demand, high-quality, personalized puzzle production and fulfillment.(28:49) Balancing creativity with business demands.(32:17) The impact of social media and marketing on JIGGY's growth.(39:05) Future directions and plans for expanding subscriptions. Resources Mentioned:Kaylin Marcotte -https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylin-marcotte/JIGGY | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/jiggy/JIGGY Puzzles website -https://jiggypuzzles.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
12/4/2023 • 33 minutes
Crafting a Blooming Business with John Tabis of The Bouqs Company
On this episode, we’re joined by John Tabis, Founder and Chairman of the Board of The Bouqs Company. John shares his start-up journey, including the decision to build his technology platform to offer customers a unique and flexible subscription model.Key Takeaways:(16:55) The flexibility of offering adjustable subscription options and the ability to deliver faster have been key to the success of the business.(29:52) Building a robust technology platform in-house was a pivotal decision that allowed for scalability and efficient management of the supply chain.(36:08) The company's expansion into physical retail stores has enabled it to offer additional products and target new markets.(50:53) The decision to transition from CEO to executive chairman allowed the founder to focus on his strengths and bring in a more capable CEO, leading to better overall leadership.(58:08) Self-reflection and understanding one's strengths and weaknesses as a founder/CEO is crucial for personal growth and success within a company. Resources Mentioned:John Tabis -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtabis/The Bouqs Company | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebouqsco/The Bouqs Company | Website -https://bouqs.com/Rebar Technology | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebar-technology/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
11/20/2023 • 42 minutes, 1 second
Driving Growth in E-Commerce with Sasha Siddhartha of Thrive Market
On this episode, we talk with Sasha Siddhartha, Co-Founder and CTO of Thrive Market, delving into the growth, strategies and technological innovations propelling the e-commerce grocery platform. We discuss the shift in consumer behavior, the emphasis on personalized shopping experiences and how AI and large language models are setting the stage for a revolutionary leap in online retail.Key Takeaways:(03:59) Membership advantages include better cash flow and opportunities for reinvestment.(07:08) Initial funding and marketing from health influencers instead of traditional VCs.(15:06) A membership model is crucial for maintaining low prices and encouraging a sense of investment and community among users.(18:06) Engagement and loyalty are measured by monitoring order frequency, basket size and renewal rates, with a notable consistent activity from initial user groups.(24:48) Custom tech development has been vital for meeting specific operational needs.(28:18) Evolving tech from a single system to flexible microservices for greater agility.(34:19) Language models are set to refine customer interactions with intuitive product suggestions. Resources Mentioned:Sasha Siddhartha -https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashasiddhartha/Thrive Market | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/thrivemarket/Thrive Market | Website -https://thrivemarket.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
11/13/2023 • 35 minutes, 10 seconds
Harnessing the Power of Community with Lloyed Lobo of Boast
On this episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we delve into an insightful conversation with Lloyed Lobo, Co-Founder and Board Member of Boast and Co-Founder of Traction. Lloyed sheds light on the immense power of community in business. He talks about how brands evolve and the crucial role of human connections and addresses the nuances of building a community-driven brand.Key Takeaways:[01:30] The importance of concentrating on tasks that spark joy while delegating the ones that don't.[11:00] The significance of proactive outreach: How cold emailing can lead to significant opportunities.[13:45] To master a skill you need to immerse yourself in environments that demand its constant use, such as sales-enhancing communication.[29:01] How Traction identified three community types and built its tribe before having a product or customers.[41:32] Transitioning from audience to community — achieved through curated startup events, leading to large conferences and a substantial online presence.[52:18] Harley Davidson prioritized community, which became its key to success; True brand value lies in human connections. Resources Mentioned:- Lloyed Lobohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyedlobo/- Boast | LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/boast-ai/- Boast AIhttps://www.boast.ai/- Traction Conferencehttps://www.tractionconf.io/- From Grassroots to Greatness - Lloyed's Bookhttps://www.lloyedlobo.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
11/6/2023 • 55 minutes, 28 seconds
Building Authentic Brand-Influencer Relationships with Bradley Hoos of The Outloud Group
On this episode, we explore influencer marketing with Bradley Hoos, CEO of The Outloud Group, a leading agency in the influencer and content marketing space. Bradley shares invaluable insights into brand partnerships, risk management and the future landscape of influencer marketing.Key Takeaways:(03:16) The concept of influencer marketing and the strategy of paying creators to promote brands to their organic audiences.(12:26) Influencer marketing often drives more consumer purchases than directly recorded.(16:50) Customers acquired through influencer marketing show higher retention rates, likely due to the trust and relatable content shared by influencers.(26:53) Brands need to shift from controlling brand voice to allowing creators' personal expression in influencer marketing.(30:54) The influencer marketing industry will grow, requiring better accountability and influencer authenticity discernment. Resources Mentioned:Bradley Hoos -https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyhoos/The Outloud Group | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/theoutloudgroup/The Outloud Group | Website -https://www.outloudgroup.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
10/30/2023 • 28 minutes, 45 seconds
Exploring the Software and Fintech Landscape with Roi Ben Daniel of Received
In this episode, we sit down with Roi Ben Daniel, the Founder and CEO of Received. Roi shares valuable insights into the world of software and fintech, discussing everything from the evolution of SaaS to the future of AI in finance. Join us as we dive into the trends and challenges shaping the finance and software industries.Key Takeaways:(04:27) The challenges of applying subscription solutions to sales-led organizations with complex pricing and bespoke contracts. (12:07) The importance of customer interviews, BI and effective communication in determining custom pricing. (16:40) Transitioning away from cloud-based services may not be practical due to the complexities of managing servers and software patches.(27:00) Companies are growing smarter about their SaaS investments and embracing consolidation as a response to potential “SaaS fatigue.”(30:07) The fintech industry is going through an identity crisis as it evolves, and the future is uncertain. Resources Mentioned:Roi Ben Daniel -https://www.linkedin.com/in/roibendaniel/Received | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/getreceived/Received | Website -https://www.received.ai/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
10/23/2023 • 33 minutes, 32 seconds
Brewing Authenticity in E-Commerce with Shunan Teng of Tea Drunk
On this episode, Shunan Teng, CEO and Founder of Tea Drunk, discusses the authentic world of Chinese tea. She offers a glimpse into the blend of passion and business that has brewed the success of Tea Drunk, while also sharing her fascinating knowledge of Chinese tea culture. Key Takeaways:(04:01) Identifying and addressing issues with mobile website usability and customer purchase difficulties.(08:00) Shifting the website’s color scheme from dark to light to reflect a luxury, friendly brand image.(14:18) Enabling Tea Club members to skip a month to manage their accumulated product, while also revising Tea Club strategies to boost experiences and revenue.(20:08) Shunan emphasizes the importance of understanding and sharing the story behind each tea.(23:56) Retention rates of recurring customers are notably high at 70%.(24:41) Around 50% of web traffic comes from people directly typing the Tea Drunk URL, indicating a strong brand recall.(27:46) Approximately 20% of Tea Drunk's customers are from outside the United States and Canada, revealing a diverse, international customer base. Resources Mentioned: Shunan Teng -https://www.linkedin.com/in/shunanteng/Tea Drunk | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/tea-drunk/Tea Drunk | Website -https://www.teadrunk.com/Tea Drunk Academy Website -https://www.teadrunkacademy.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
10/16/2023 • 28 minutes, 49 seconds
Tackling International Expansion Challenges with David Pinkus of Pvolve
On this episode, we sit down with David Pinkus, Chief Technology Officer of Pvolve, as he navigates the challenges of international expansion and the intricacies of online platforms like Shopify. David offers insights into the growth and adaptation strategies that have defined Pvolve’s journey. For businesses considering expansion, especially into international markets, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways and reflections on learning from past missteps.Key Takeaways:[06:20] David Pinkus highlights the importance of digital transformation and innovation for businesses, especially during the pandemic.[08:34] The challenge of selling both physical equipment bundles and digital memberships in the same transaction due to e-commerce platform limitations. [17:45] The challenges of ensuring teams have a consistent problem-solving framework as they get more distant from direct budget control.[19:00] The importance of establishing high levels of trust and emotional safety within teams, as highlighted by Google's Project Oxygen.[28:52] The necessity of adhering to GDPR and data protection laws when expanding businesses internationally, ensuring user trust and compliance.[33:25] The impact of celebrity endorsements on a product and the importance of refining product polish and detail in light of such endorsements. Resources Mentioned:David Pinkus -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpinkus/Pvolve | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/pvolve/Pvolve’s Website -https://www.pvolve.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
10/9/2023 • 38 minutes, 27 seconds
Building a Pet-Centric Brand with Chad Kauffman of Kitty Poo Club
On today’s episode, Chad Kauffman, Co-Founder and the driving force behind Kitty Poo Club, shares his journey and insights into the world of subscription-based businesses, particularly in the pet industry. For pet lovers and entrepreneurs alike, this discussion is an insightful glimpse into optimizing product delivery and the art of evolving to meet the demands of the customer.We dive deep into the challenges and solutions of delivering timely products and look at the strategy behind expanding product lines, and we also discuss the big vision for Kitty Poo Club’s foray into the retail space.Key Takeaways:[01:00] What sparked the idea for Kitty Poo Club and its eco-friendly angle, and the scoop on the monthly use of the eco-friendly, toss-out litter box.[06:01] The company’s secret sauce.[17:24] Listening to the crowd: how customer feedback shaped the business.[22:21] Kitty Poo Club’s typical yet effective referral program. [29:07] Branching out and eyeing opportunities in the dog market.[29:43] Looking ahead at Kitty Poo Club’s plans to step into retail. Resources Mentioned: Chad Kauffman -https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadkauffman/Kitty Poo Club | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/kitty-poo-club/Kitty Poo Club | Website -http://kittypooclub.com/ Interested in checking out the innovative solutions Kitty Poo Club offers for your feline friends? Head to kittypooclub.com or explore their comprehensive FAQs and videos to see the product in action. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
10/2/2023 • 31 minutes, 59 seconds
Unlocking Success in Learning Subscriptions with Guilherme Martins of Sandbox Experiences
On this episode, we talk to Guilherme Martins, CEO of Sandbox Experiences, a London-based group operating a network of learning businesses featuring 18 different brands. Key Takeaways:[3:47] Guilherme co-founded Leiturinha, a Brazilian book subscription company, to encourage reading in children.[6:03] Subscription models were relatively new in Brazil in 2013-2014, and Leiturinha aimed to create regular reading habits.[9:19] Leiturinha introduced subscription payments on a six-month or annual basis, leveraging installment payments and bank guarantees due to high credit card interest rates in Brazil.[17:44] The use of digital advertising, such as Facebook and Google, for customer acquisition.[25:56] Differences in consumer behavior and perceptions between the UK/European market and Brazil require tailored marketing strategies.[33:26] The company maintains a core family audience but is open to exploring opportunities that align with its expertise and business model, with the potential of expanding into different age ranges and industries. Resources Mentioned: Guilherme Martins -https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghcmartins/?originalSubdomain=brSandbox Experiences -https://www.linkedin.com/company/sbx-group/Sandbox Group -https://sbxgroup.com/Leiturinha -https://leiturinha.com.br/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
9/25/2023 • 38 minutes, 36 seconds
Uncovering Genuine Customer Interest with Benjamin Katz of Happy Head
On this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Katz, Chief Executive Officer at Happy Head. Our discussion takes us on a journey through the intricacies of starting a venture, discerning between genuine market demand and mere vocal enthusiasm, as well as giving some invaluable pointers. As Benjamin shares his wisdom, we learn the nuances of focusing on the right markets and the potential pitfalls of conflating passion with business.Key Takeaways:[03:42] Benjamin touches on the importance of confronting and managing fear, knowing that entrepreneurs often face uncertainty and must navigate uncharted waters.[06:30] Benjamin emphasizes the need to secure a genuine commitment from potential early users or partners. [20:05] The importance of securing an initial investment to gather feedback.[38:22] The significance of showcasing genuine effort, building trust, and establishing a reputation in B2B settings to foster long-term relationships.[43:25] The joy of watching a team evolve and produce results beyond one's expectations. [44:00] An insight into why it's essential to think about the vastness of the market when planning a business venture. Resources Mentioned: Benjamin Katz -https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetbenkatz/Happy Head | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/hihappyhead/Happy Head Website -http://www.happyhead.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
9/18/2023 • 46 minutes, 32 seconds
Leading Toy Sustainability with Catherine Bhattachar at Tiny Earth Toys
On this episode, Catherine Bhattachar, Chief Operating Officer at Tiny Earth Toys, provides insights into the innovative and environmentally-conscious business model that sets their brand apart in the toy industry. Utilizing a subscription service, Tiny Earth Toys is at the forefront of sustainability by counteracting toy waste and offering families a more eco-friendly approach to children’s play. Key Takeaways:[17:15] Tiny Earth Toys’ unique subscription model combats toy waste.[20:22] The company values adaptability and a go-getter attitude, and encourages everyone, regardless of position, to voice innovative ideas.[21:08] Embracing a hybrid work model post-Covid to facilitate collaboration.[22:08] Core values of Tiny Earth Toys include proactive transparency and fostering an environment where everyone’s voice is valued.[23:49] Future aspirations include improving the customer experience and potentially extending service offerings. Resources Mentioned: Catherine Bhattachar -https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-krege-bhattachar/Tiny Earth Toys | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/tiny-earth-toys/Tiny Earth Toys | Website -http://www.tinyearthtoys.com/Tiny Earth Toys on Social Channels:Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/tinyearthtoys/Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/tinyearthtoys/TikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@tiny.earth.toys Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
9/11/2023 • 26 minutes, 1 second
Optimizing Operations Through Data with Ben Fisher at Rodeo
In today’s episode, Ben Fisher, Co-Founder and Technical CEO of Rodeo, joins us to discuss tech solutions and effective consumer engagement in subscription-based businesses. This chat is a must-listen for anyone interested in e-commerce, as it delves into how Rodeo is revolutionizing its customer experience through tech-forward design and strategic decision-making.We cover topics including fine-tuning subscription plans, leveraging data in your operations and reducing friction in the customer journey.Key Takeaways:[02:47] Ben Fisher’s journey from starting Rodeo to its current position in the market.[07:45] The essential elements that drive growth in tech enterprises.[14:52] The importance of aligning business goals with technological advancements.[20:25] Strategies that Rodeo employed to tackle early challenges and how they evolved over time.[26:00] The critical role of understanding and anticipating customer needs in the tech industry.[36:28] Perspectives on the ever-evolving digital landscape and its influence on businesses. Resources Mentioned:Ben Fisher -https://www.linkedin.com/in/skinnyandbald/Rodeo -https://www.linkedin.com/company/hey-rodeo/“Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krughttps://sensible.com/dont-make-me-think/“Who” by Geoff Smart and Randy Streethttps://whothebook.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
9/5/2023 • 41 minutes, 21 seconds
Customer-Centricity in Subscriptions with Zarina Bahadur at 123 Baby Box
In this episode, CEO and Founder Zarina Bahadur of 123 Baby Box joins the discussion to unpack the challenges and strategies surrounding the company’s rapid growth and retention. She highlights the necessity of regular communication with customers, emphasizing its significance when dealing with failed payments.The subscription market is changing. It’s vital to understand if cancellations are due to pricing or product quality. An important discussion point is the value of giving customers flexibility. This includes the option to pause subscriptions during tough times.The dialogue underscores the role of top-notch customer service and genuine empathy in retention. Above all, treating customers with the same respect you expect for yourself, is fundamental for business success. Resources Mentioned:Zarina Bahadur -https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarina-bahadur-14a907123/123 Baby Box | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/123babybox/123 Baby Box | Website – Zarina’s company specializing in baby subscription boxeshttp://www.123babybox.com/Instagram: @123babybox – Stay updated with the latest offerings and news Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
8/28/2023 • 29 minutes, 14 seconds
Building a Luxury Accessory Rental Business with Adriel Darvish, Co-Founder and CEO at Switch
On this episode, we talk to Adriel Darvish, Co-Founder and CEO at Switch, a luxury handbag and jewelry rental membership service.The idea for their company originated from Adriel observing his mother’s experience as a jewelry designer. Witnessing a friend return a necklace after flaunting it at a party sparked the realization that jewelry, being durable and reusable, was ideal for a rental model. He and his brother launched an MVP version of Switch, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback.Their early relationships and vendor network played a crucial role in the company’s success. By viewing luxury vintage accessories as valuable assets rather than traditional inventory, they have been able to secure financing and capitalize on the rental business model. This has led to impressive returns and appreciation of their products over time.They focus on creating an exceptional offering that excites and engages their members, leading to significant organic growth and referrals, which account for about 65% to 70% of their customer acquisition.Adriel plans to build and expand the select membership levels, catering to higher-tier clients with a $4,000 average price point, and he has potential plans for even higher tiers in the future. Resources mentioned:Adriel Darvish -https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriel-darvish-1187a28/Switch | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/join-switch/Switch | Website -https://www.joinswitch.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
8/21/2023 • 29 minutes, 21 seconds
Creating Interactive Webinars with Melissa Kwan at eWebinar
On this episode, we talk to Melissa Kwan, Co-Founder and CEO of eWebinar, a platform that turns any video into an interactive webinar.Melissa is a three-time bootstrapper and entrepreneur in real estate technology. She created eWebinar to solve the problem of automating webinars and scaling content effectively, allowing businesses to engage with audiences on demand without being tied to live broadcasts.Melissa initially struggled to determine the right pricing strategy, aiming to avoid attracting undesirable customers while justifying the value of the platform. Over two years of continuous improvement and growth, the pricing tiers evolved, doubling prices for new customers. But Melissa regretted not heeding advice she was given to raise prices for existing customers, realizing in hindsight it could have supported the platform's increasing costs and facilitated company growth.Melissa talks openly about other mistakes she made along the way. For example, one of the biggest ones was not having an annual subscription plan when they started. Putting that off cost her a lot of money.Looking forward, Melissa Kwan wants to achieve more than break-even profitability. She wants to ensure that her co-founder and COO receive fair compensation for their sacrifices and dedication. Melissa plans to explore different product positioning options, focusing on on-demand webinars or interactive video platforms, aiming to find the best fit within the market for eWebinar's growth in the coming years.| Resources mentioned:Melissa Kwan -https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissakwan/eWebinar | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/ewebinar/eWebinar | Website -https://ilove.ewebinar.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
8/14/2023 • 39 minutes, 40 seconds
Growth Through Acquisitions with Matt Poleski at Gallagher
On this episode, we talk to Matt Poleski, Regional CFO/Finance Director at Arthur J. Gallagher and Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firm.Matt kicked off his career as an auditor at KPMG, working on publicly traded subscription software. In 2006, he made a move to the insurance brokerage industry.Gallagher is growing at an impressive rate, chiefly through acquisitions of smaller insurance brokers. Matt says it’s important to build solid relationships with sellers to ensure both sides benefit from the deal. Gallagher’s business model combines organic growth with strategic acquisitions. They've got their eyes on companies with good reputations, and they're diligent about examining the financials and compensation structure to ensure a good fit before making a move.Their growth strategy includes steady renewals in the insurance industry and smart acquisitions that open up new markets and capabilities. When Covid hit, they didn’t miss a beat, thanks to their smart tech investments and cost controls.Gallagher plans to keep the momentum going with more M&A action and expanded capabilities. They're adaptable to industry trends and know how to shift their focus to growing segments. It's all about leveraging economies of scale to cut costs and boost performance. Resources mentioned:Matt Poleski -https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-poleski-615a764/Arthur J. Gallagher and Co. | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/gallagher-global/Gallagher | Website -https://www.ajg.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #CustomerChurn #SubscriptionService
8/7/2023 • 23 minutes, 50 seconds
Digging Deep Into Consumer Behavior with Jeremy King at Attest
On this episode, we talk with Jeremy King, CEO and Founder at Attest, a market research company that revolutionizes market research by offering a user-friendly SaaS platform with a microservices architecture. Their automated approach eliminates guesswork, allowing businesses to obtain actionable data to inform decisions and accelerate growth.Jeremy explores various aspects of subscription businesses, focusing on understanding triggers for cancellations, strategies for winning back churned customers and attributions of blame for cancellations. They researched consumer perspectives and found that external factors — like the economy and the subscription company itself — are often blamed for cancellations. Consumers prioritize better pricing and product value when reconsidering subscriptions, while other factors, like packaging, delivery, and customization, rank lower in importance. The study provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences for subscription businesses.Some customers use the platform to track competitors and market trends, while others take a more event-driven approach, reacting to market changes or investment opportunities.Jeremy highlights a favorite example of a successful bold move made by a customer called Bloom and Wild, an online flower retailer, who delisted the top-selling SKU of red roses in the UK, leading to a significant increase in revenue and media attention during Valentine's Day. This example showcases the power of innovative ideas and informed decision-making using Attest's platform. Resources mentioned:Jeremy King -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremykingjk/Attest | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/attest-technologies-limited/Attest | Website -https://www.askattest.com/Bloom and Wild -https://www.bloomandwild.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #Churn #SubscriptionService
7/31/2023 • 38 minutes, 8 seconds
Building a Baking Subscription Business with Kristen Baileys at Bake Eat Love Box
On this episode, we talk with Kristen Baileys, Co-Founder and CEO at Bake Eat Love Box (BEL Box), a subscription company that sends monthly boxes of ingredients to members to help them become better bakers. The idea was born out of Kristen’s desire to become a better baker, something she admits she wasn’t very good at. She searched for a baking subscription service and couldn’t find one, so she decided to start one. After doing her research in 2018, Kristen decided to use the Cratejoy platform, which was perfect for her needs at the time. Today the company runs on Shopify, which isn’t necessarily a subscription platform, but it fills her needs perfectly.They started as a bootstrapped company and proudly remain bootstrapped to this day. That means tight budgets, and they rely on partnerships and SEO-driven PR for most of their marketing and customer acquisition efforts.When they launched, Kristen thought their customer base would be females in their late 20s to early 40s. While that demographic does participate, a large segment of their customers are grandparents. The bottom line is the service isn’t about baking the desserts. It’s more about sharing the experience with friends and family.Resources mentioned:Bake Eat Love BoxCratejoyShopifyReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #Churn #SubscriptionService
7/24/2023 • 29 minutes, 16 seconds
Building a Business on Content with Tim Stoddart at Copyblogger Media
On this episode, we talk with Tim Stoddart, Co-Owner at Copyblogger Media, about building businesses based on content and the importance of writing about real human experiences. Inspired by a Seth Godin interview, Tim started his first blog more than 13 years ago and didn’t tell anyone about it. He wrote about a variety of topics, and he tried to write something every day. Eventually, people found his blog, inspiring him to learn more about content marketing and SEO.He started a different blog about addiction and sobriety, which turned into another content-based business called Sober Nation. He was a big fan of a website called Copyblogger at the time, and he met the founder, Brian Clark. As his content businesses grew, he was eventually able to buy a majority stake in Copyblogger, making a dream come true.He currently has an SEO content company that focuses solely on behavioral health. The foundation of all his businesses is recurring revenue. He believes that a business that has recurring revenue that doesn’t require advertising is the holy grail of business. He has an interesting take on the rise of AI tools and how they are going to affect the popularity of human-generated content. He also shares some lessons he learned about building community-based businesses, lessons he learned the hard way. Resources mentioned:Tim Stoddart | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-stodz/Tim Stoddart | Website -https://www.timstodz.com/Copyblogger Media | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/copyblogger-media-llc/Copyblogger Media | Website -https://copyblogger.com/Sober Nation -https://sobernation.com/Circle - https://circle.so/Digital Commerce - https://digitalcommerce.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #Churn #SubscriptionService
7/17/2023 • 35 minutes, 52 seconds
Focusing on Brand Positioning with Greg Connolly at Trifecta
On this episode, we talk with Greg Connolly, Co-Founder and CEO of Trifecta, a subscription service that ships fully cooked, organic meal options to users to help them keep their fitness goals on track.Unlike other subscription food companies, Trifecta guides subscribers through the fitness process, telling customers what to eat, when to eat it and what workouts to do, making it a total health and fitness solution that includes the convenience of delivered meals.Greg and his team have had a laser focus on health and fitness from the beginning, and he advises other entrepreneurs to focus on their niche before trying to expand into a mass marketplace. Brand positioning is priority number one.One feature that sets Trifecta apart from other food-delivery companies is customized exercise and fitness programs that are tailored to work for individuals wherever they are in their fitness journey. Users follow the program in addition to eating the food for a well-rounded health and fitness experience.Greg sees more opportunities coming for Trifecta in the future, with new features in the app, including adding meal choice. That is a feature they have wanted for years. One big goal for Greg is getting the company to an IPO. Resources mentioned:Greg Connolly -https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregconnolly/?original_referer=Trifecta | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/trifecta-nutrition/Trifecta | Website -https://www.trifectanutrition.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #SubscriptionService
7/10/2023 • 35 minutes, 8 seconds
AI-Generated Social Media Scripts with Austin Armstrong at Syllaby
On this episode, we talk with Austin Armstrong, Co-Founder and CEO at Syllaby, a new subscription platform that enables customers to use the latest AI tools to develop a social media strategy and to generate scripts for any social media video platform.The Syllaby platform works best for service businesses like law firms, real estate agencies and medical practices. The algorithm uses search engine data to identify popular questions or problems people are searching for that your service could help them with. It can then automatically generate a script for a social media post that addresses those questions.Austin says that a lot of people are visual learners like him, and a 30- or 60-second video is perfect for those types of learners. Also, with video, potential customers can begin to feel a personal connection with the service provider. Austin and his team set the business up as a subscription SaaS model that starts with a free trial. His experience with having several other businesses tells him that the SaaS subscription model is easier to scale. After five months in operation, the company has more than 1,400 active subscribers with a 50% growth rate month over month. They have an impressively low churn rate of 8%, showing that the model is working. Resources mentioned: Austin Armstrong | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinarmstrong90/Austin Armstrong | YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@SocialtyProSyllaby | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/trysyllaby/Syllaby | Website -https://www.syllaby.io/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #SubscriptionService
6/26/2023 • 28 minutes, 15 seconds
Reinventing Subscription Coffee with Matthew Roberts at Cometeer
On this episode, we talk with Matthew Roberts, CEO and Co-Founder at Cometeer, a technology-driven company with a new-format coffee capsule that delivers high-quality specialty coffee in a unique, convenient format. Cometeer has taken a process dreamed up by Matt, a Massachusetts native, when he was living in Spain and missing his daily dose of Dunkin’ coffee. He started experimenting with melting coffee ice cubes back into iced coffee, and that led him to learn more about brewing a freezing coffee for optimal flavor. Education is key for customer acquisition because this is a novel approach to coffee making. Short-form social media like TikTok doesn’t work well for them, but they have seen success with established influencers on YouTube who have an audience with a longer attention span. With a majority of their customers being in an office setting, they were hit hard by the pandemic. Fortunately, people still wanted coffee, and the DTC sales went through the roof. They have a strong referral program, which includes a gifting program that generates a high rate of new customers. Great customers will gift a box to other potential great customers. Resources mentioned: Matthew Roberts -https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-roberts-35567725/Cometeer -https://www.linkedin.com/company/cometeer/Cometeer | Website -https://cometeer.com/Discount code for Subscriptions: Scaled listeners -https://cometeer.com/subscriptionsscaled Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #SubscriptionService
6/20/2023 • 36 minutes, 46 seconds
Creating the Best Video Experience With Data with Keith Zubchevich at Conviva
On this episode, we talk with Keith Zubchevich, President and CEO at Conviva, the pioneer in standards for real-time, cross-screen, end-to-end streaming media intelligence. Keith and his team started the company over sixteen years ago, back when there was basically no video on the internet. There was no YouTube and no streaming yet. The only way to consume video online was via a flash player on a PC.As video began to proliferate, his company was a pioneer in measurement of performance. Since online video was new, performance was key to success, and that performance needed to be measured.They came up with ways to analyze metrics like quality of experience, quality of service, resolution and join time to provide publishers with data that could help them improve their performance to get more views. He has seen the creation of Netflix as a streaming service, the rise of Disney as a video powerhouse, and the creation of subscription video on demand (SVOD) and transaction video on demand (TVOD). It’s been an interesting journey.Resources mentioned:Keith Zubchevich -https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithzubchevich/Conviva | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/conviva/Conviva | Website -https://www.conviva.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to https://rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #SaaS #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #SubscriptionService
6/12/2023 • 40 minutes, 58 seconds
Managing Growth in Lean Times with Robby Allen at AgentSync
On this episode, we talk with Robby Allen, Chief Revenue Officer at AgentSync, a subscription SaaS provider that helps insurance companies with compliance requirements in all 50 states.Growing up in San Francisco, Robby was exposed to the tech scene in Silicon Valley. He started his career in sales with high-growth start-ups in the B2B SaaS world. He was lucky enough to be around some companies with tremendous growth, going from zero to over $100 million in revenue. He talks about the growth mindset with companies backed by venture funds, especially the “triple, triple, double, double, double” revenue targets VCs want to see in the first five years of a company. He sees a lot more companies valuing profits over growth at all costs these days. His company works with enterprise clients, and some of those companies have been around for over 150 years. Still, he says a lot of their customer acquisition comes from word of mouth. The people in the industry know each other, and they’ll talk about vendors they like and vendors they don’t like to their competitors.Robby Allen -https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbyallen/AgentSync -https://www.linkedin.com/company/agentsync/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to https://rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #SubscriptionService
6/5/2023 • 33 minutes, 16 seconds
Building a Live Events Subscription Marketplace with Ed Vincent at festivalPass
On this episode, we talk with Ed Vincent, Founder and CEO of festivalPass, the world's first festival and events subscription marketplace across music, film, food and wine, and more.Ed has a background with companies in e-commerce, experiential marketing and B2B SaaS. A common theme throughout his career is that he worked a lot with live events, concerts, TV networks and film festivals.After spending quite a bit of time consulting for MoviePass, he decided to create a subscription business for live events, concerts and festivals based on the knowledge he gained as a consultant.The business runs on a credit system with three tiers, all under $100 a month. Users can buy tickets to festivals without the high ticket fees that are standard in the industry. They can also use credits for hotel nights.They have recently launched a lifetime membership, which they are going to sell in lots of 1,000 and cap it at 10,000 total. That membership will be a digital asset that owners can resell at a later date.Ed talks about the ways they use influencers to acquire new customers and his plans for the future.Ed Vincent | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/edvincent/festivalPass | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/festivalpass/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #Subscriptions #SubscriptionBusiness #SubscriptionService
5/30/2023 • 36 minutes, 2 seconds
Reinventing the Clean Air Business with Mike Mayer at Windmill
On this episode, we talk with Mike Mayer, Co-Founder of Windmill and builder of a connected suite of beautiful, eco-friendly, and clean-air products, starting with the window air-conditioner and a whole-home air filter subscription service.Mike co-founded the company with his brother, Danny, and friend, Ryan Figlia. The idea for building a better window AC unit came when Danny was moving apartments in New York City, and they walked into the new apartment and were faced with what Mike calls, a horrendous window AC.Taking a page from new product redesign companies like Quill for toothbrushes and Casper for mattresses, they set out to build a better AC. While Mike and Danny had no HVAC experience, Ryan comes from a multigenerational family of AC experts. They got into the subscription business by selling replacement filters that should be changed on a regular basis for their window units. They boast a 70% attachment rate on those filters, with very low churn.They are branching out into high-quality activated-carbon filters for central AC units, which is also a subscription-based business. They text customers when it is time to change filters, which keeps customers loyal and happy.Mike Mayer | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikmayer/Windmill | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/windmillair/about/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
5/22/2023 • 28 minutes, 18 seconds
Preparing for SubSummit 2023 with John Haji at the Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA)
On this episode, we talk with John Haji, Co-Founder of the Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA), an organization that helps connect and grow the global subscription commerce economy through valuable resources, data and events.John and his team are gearing up for their annual SubSummit, a subscription industry trade show that runs from May 31 to June 2, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. The gathering will feature speakers from brands like the NBA, Porsche, Mercedes Benz and the Honest Company.John’s first foray into the subscription industry dates back to starting a subscription box service called Gentleman’s Box in 2014, during the time when physical subscription box companies were booming with companies like Dollar Shave Club and Birchbox.John and his team wanted to network with people from established subscription companies like those, and the idea for SubSummit was born.John breaks down subscription businesses into six categories: Subscription Box, Subscribe & Save, Membership, Media and Publication, Digital Software and Streaming. All categories are well represented at SubSummit.John gives his thoughts and ideas about customer experience, retention strategy, and partnerships with influencers, which is something that has changed recently.John Haji | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-haji/Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA) | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/subta/SubSummit | Website - https://subsummit.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
5/15/2023 • 29 minutes, 40 seconds
It’s All About the Customer Experience with John Roman at BattlBox
On this episode, we talk with John Roman, CEO of BattlBox, a monthly subscription for receiving hand-picked outdoor, survival, EDC and other cool gear.When John started with BattlBox, he actually had another full-time job, and he got to the point where he was working 60 hours per week at each. Something finally had to give, and he went with BattlBox. He and his team believe in creating all types of content across all the major platforms, to attract new customers and provide a better customer experience. At one point they noticed that a certain customer was doing online reviews that were generating a lot of new subscribers. They reached out to that customer, and he eventually came on with the company full time.The company has four tiers, and much to John’s surprise, the top, premium tier has the most subscribers. He talks about looking at products on a need/want scale, and he thinks that their community-building efforts help make that a reality.They have a very good retention rate, and he discusses some interesting methods they use to mitigate both active and passive churn. John Roman -https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roman/BattlBox -https://www.linkedin.com/company/battlbox/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
5/8/2023 • 33 minutes, 54 seconds
Building a Subscription Community for Hunters with Chris Porter at GOHUNT
On this episode, we talk with Chris Porter, President and Co-Founder of GOHUNT, an online subscription community for hunting enthusiasts.Chris had never hunted when he co-founded the company with Lorenzo Sartini, who was actually an avid outdoorsman who brought the hunting experience to the team. They came up with the concept and wrote the business plan in 2013 and launched in 2014 as a free online hunting digital destination community. On the first of January 2015, they launched the paywall section of the website. Chris compares the value they brought to hunters with what Zillow did for real estate. Hunting is highly regulated by state and region, and hunters are highly dependent on maps. GOHUNT allowed users to enter search criteria, like bow hunting for elk in Colorado, into their tool to get all the relevant information they needed before taking that hunting trip.They use a yearly subscription model and have a very low churn rate. Chris attributes the low churn to the value they bring to hunters that can’t be found anywhere else.The company has been totally bootstrapped, and they launched three additional memberships after eight years of only having their initial. They have also launched a mobile app presence, and they are seeing a lot of traction, especially with younger hunters who don’t use PCs.Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
5/1/2023 • 28 minutes, 12 seconds
Software Solutions for Enterprise Clients with Luke Switkowski at Rooster
On this episode, we talk with Luke Switkowski, CEO of Kognitiv Inc. and Rooster. Kognitiv is a consultancy that works with enterprise clients who run the Workday HR software platform. Rooster is an interview-scheduling software platform that was developed by Kognitiv and later spun off into its own company.Rooster was built based on client needs, but not a single client. The team at Kognitiv saw a common theme with their clients, that scheduling was done differently at each company, and there were multiple headaches involved. Rooster was built to automate a lot of those processes and eliminate the problems associated with them.Because they cater to enterprise clients, the Rooster pricing model is a flat monthly rate for unlimited seats. In the recruiting world, there is a lot of movement and turnover, and doing seat management isn’t practical.Luke and his team started the development of Rooster before Covid, and when the pandemic hit and interviews moved to platforms like Zoom, it created a situation that was perfect timing for an interview-scheduling solution.In the future, Luke sees the company focusing on having a platform that solves all the scheduling use cases under one roof. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
4/24/2023 • 26 minutes, 39 seconds
Disrupting a Highly Regulated Industry with Bob DeMars at Blind Barrels
On this episode, we talk with Bobby DeMars, Founder and CEO of Blind Barrels, a blind whiskey-tasting subscription service that is disrupting the industry’s current distribution model by showcasing American craft distilleries.The distribution of alcoholic beverages is heavily regulated, with laws dating back to prohibition. Bobby’s business model is new and he describes talking with numerous alcoholic beverage control attorneys to find ways to distribute his blind-tasting concept into as many states as possible.He has a basic quarterly subscription where customers receive tasting samples delivered in custom bottles with custom caps. It also includes tasting notes and a QR code that takes the subscriber to a reveal page that tells you all about the whiskey.Like any subscription business, churn rate is always on Bobby’s radar. Their churn is much lower than the industry average. He credits a lot of that to the fact that his service provides members with access to whiskeys they couldn’t otherwise acquire.His marketing efforts rely heavily on PR, word of mouth and SEO efforts on the website. He says his bottom line is based on running his business ethically and not squeezing every ounce of profit he can from each sale.Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
4/17/2023 • 41 minutes, 18 seconds
Subscription SaaS for Residential Real Estate with York Baur at MoxiWorks
On this episode, we talk with York Baur, CEO at MoxiWorks, a comprehensive open platform system for large residential real estate brokerages.York describes himself as a serial entrepreneur or, as he calls it, a repeat offender. With his degree in computer science, he worked his way through 12 other tech companies before landing his current role at MoxiWorks in 2012.The platform was created to serve one customer, the original parent company called Windermere, which is a real estate brokerage that was an early adopter of technology to help its agents sell houses.Converting from a single company’s technology to a product that can be used by many customers created some challenges, and York was brought in to lead that transition. Windermere remains one of their biggest customers to this day.Yorks’s advice for those coming up in the SaaS industry is to avoid the temptation to take on custom projects. The temptation can be there, especially with a large prospective client, but the headache it creates isn’t worth the effort.He believes that retention is the key to subscription, and MoxiWorks does an excellent job in that department with a gross retention rate that is over 90%. Keeping customers you already have makes it much easier to maximize your growth. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
4/10/2023 • 35 minutes, 39 seconds
True Innovation Is Rare with Jim McKelvey at Square
On this episode, we talk with Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Square, Founder of Invisibly, and Author of “The Innovation Stack.”Jim opens with the interesting story of why he started Square. He was originally a professional glass blower and he lost a sale because he couldn’t accept American Express. He teamed up with Jack Dorsey, formerly of Twitter to start Square. Eventually, Amazon tried to copy Square, which is usually a fatal attack for any small business. Surprisingly, Amazon didn’t manage to kill Square and the lessons Jim learned from the experience led to him writing his book, “The Innovation Stack.”He talks about his struggles with writing the book, including hiring and firing three different ghostwriters. He ended up writing every word himself, although it took several years to complete. We also talk about his new venture, Invisibly. An app that empowers users to take control of their personal information that gets sold to marketers; resulting in the elimination of paywalls, allowing users to enjoy premium content without ads. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
3/20/2023 • 34 minutes, 58 seconds
The Rise of APIs with Ann Boyd at Stoplight
On this episode, we talk with Ann Boyd, Chief Marketing Officer at Stoplight, a platform that empowers users to design, test, mock and document APIs with a design-first approach.Ann talks about the challenges she faced when she joined Stoplight in trying to get the stories out about what their products do. The technology the company had developed was so advanced that they had to educate their potential users on how it worked.Stoplight deals with the same issues that all subscription services face, increasing customer acquisition, upgrading customers from free to pay levels, and preventing churn. Ann’s background in marketing and communications serves her well in being able to communicate with potential and existing customers in engaging ways.She sees value in flexibility, and she is always looking for new ways to offer their services and to identify gaps in the company’s offerings that might be a hindrance to growth. They rely heavily on social media to get their message across and have seen high conversion rates from it. Is there a future for generative AI at Stoplight? Ann thinks so, and she and Nick take a detailed dive into the subject. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
3/13/2023 • 37 minutes, 21 seconds
Using AI for Lead Generation with Felicia Bochicchio at Unbounce
On this episode, we talk with Felicia Bochicchio, Chief Executive Officer at Unbounce, a company that helps customers generate leads, signups and sales through AI-powered tools like landing pages, copywriting and traffic optimization tools. The needs of marketers have changed over the years. Ten to fifteen years ago, marketers wanted to spin up a landing page quickly and painlessly, get it launched and be done with it. Today’s marketers expect the page to be optimized and also want insights on how the page is performing. That’s where partners like Unbounce come in. Moving forward, AI is going to play a big role in lead generation and retention. Those intelligent tools can learn from huge data sets to provide relevant optimization insights. Felicia says the fact that businesses of all sizes, not just huge enterprise organizations, can leverage those tools, creates a democratization of data, leveling the playing field in many cases. Unbounce aims to lead the way in this endeavor. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.#Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
3/6/2023 • 38 minutes, 2 seconds
An AI Platform To Revolutionize Customer Service with Deon Nicholas at Forethought
On this episode, we talk with Deon Nicholas, CEO and Co-Founder of Forethought, a generative AI platform for customer support automation.Deon started his career as an engineer, building out products and infrastructure for companies like Facebook, Dropbox and Pure Storage. During that time, he was fascinated by the potential uses of AI technology in customer service, and in 2018 he took the leap and founded Forethought.The platform is customer-centric, with a focus on improving efficiency and experience. Customers prefer to have their problems solved through self-service these days, but when it gets elevated to talking to an agent, Forethought gives the agent as much information about the situation and possible solutions as possible.Deon believes that AI is in the most exciting place it has ever been, especially considering the media frenzy surrounding ChatGPT. The Forethought platform takes AI to the next level, letting customers customize the platform for their specific business needs.Forethought is a subscription business itself, and it is really leaning into building out new AI platforms specifically for subscription-based organizations. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
2/27/2023 • 32 minutes, 55 seconds
Growing a Food Subscription Business with Michael Salguero at ButcherBox
On this episode, we talk with Michael Salguero, Founder and CEO at ButcherBox, a subscription company that delivers high-quality meat and sustainable seafood products to its customers.Michael talks about spending seven years at a VC-backed company that never really took off, shutting that down, taking a weekend off then starting ButcherBox the next day. It was a hit from the beginning. He originally started the business as a hobby, wanting something to do on the side. This affected his decision-making at the beginning, but in a positive way. He focused solely on protein products and having the best meat and seafood he could find. Michael discusses the unexpected growth surge when the pandemic hit, so much so that ButcherBox had to limit its growth. He also talks about some of the intricacies of running a subscription food-based business through all the inflation that happened because of Covid.Part of the company’s growth strategy included using influencers, which was a way for it to become profitable from the first box. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
2/20/2023 • 38 minutes, 24 seconds
Reducing Churn with Scott Hurff at Churnkey
On this episode, we talk with Scott Hurff, Founder and CPO at Churnkey, about a hot topic in the world of subscriptions — churn. Churnkey is a subscription company that provides data and analytics to other subscription companies to minimize churn and increase customer retention.Scott spent over a decade in VC-backed subscription startups, the most famous being Tinder. After helping a friend create a simple prototype that brought churn down from double to single digits for his company, he knew he was on to something and founded Churnkey. He talks about different types of churn: involuntary (20-40% of all churn) and voluntary. Involuntary categorizes things like non-payment due to an expired card or error code.Scott points out that their most successful customers have a team in place to look at critical feedback from Churnkey and then act on it quickly. Their best customers are second-time founders because they’ve already been around the block and they’re willing to act swiftly.He also looks at the trend of moving away from app stores and taking it in-house. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
2/13/2023 • 30 minutes, 23 seconds
Pioneering HVAC Equipment Leasing for Homeowners with Luis Quiroga at HomeServe USA
On this episode, we talk with Luis Quiroga, Senior Vice President, HVAC Strategy and Growth at HomeServe USA.Luis is leading an interesting new approach to HVAC systems in the home, where the homeowner leases the equipment instead of buying their own system. The lease includes the latest, most efficient HVAC system, plus add-ons like smart thermostats. The lease also includes all maintenance and repairs for the life of the contract. The program is called the Home Serve Advantage program, and it is truly out-of-the-box thinking for American homeowners. However, Luis points out that in Canada, there are already nearly two million water heaters being leased, so the concept is proven to work for our neighbors to the north.Luis talks about their marketing strategies to get people to think differently about the equipment in their homes. He also talks about the importance of energy efficiency when it comes to your HVAC system, to reduce your carbon footprint.It’s an interesting concept that could change the HVAC business in America. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
2/6/2023 • 26 minutes, 55 seconds
Bringing Yoga Into Global Healthcare with Beth Shaw of YogaFit
On this episode, we talk with Beth Shaw, Founder and CEO of YogaFit Training Systems, about her career growth journey since starting the company over 25 years ago.Beth originally started YogaFit out of the trunk of her car and in her living room in the 90s and it has grown to be the largest Mind/Body yoga training school in the world. Today, to generate recurring revenue, it does a lot of continuity groups online, predominately groups for weight management, but also subjects like mental health and alcohol cessation. For years, the business was 100% in-person, and when the pandemic hit they had to pivot quickly to offer digital classes. They were up and running in three weeks, and had a very good year in 2020 with online instruction.At the time of the recording, Beth had just returned from two weeks in Japan, where she is working to integrate Yoga into the healthcare system. One of her goals is to do the same in the United States. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
1/30/2023 • 19 minutes, 5 seconds
Franchising Fitness with Kamille McCollum at BODYBAR Pilates
On this episode, we talk with Kamille McCollum, Chief Operations Officer at BODYBAR Pilates, a franchise pilates studio chain with a focus on reformer pilates — a popular option for those who desire to improve their fitness for a variety of health reasons.Kamille and her husband opened a BODYBAR franchise location in Fort Worth in 2016. Through working hard on their sales and marketing processes they saw rapid success. This resulted in the owner asking them to take over the franchising arm of the company. Kamille takes us through details of their rapid early expansion, which skyrocketed until 2020 when the pandemic hit. Despite the restrictions, they were able to re-open their first location in August 2020 — and the growth continues.She talks about marketing strategies, using social media and word of mouth, sign-on incentives, referral bonuses and everything in between. Kamille also explains their membership options and their philosophy on gaining and retaining new members. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
1/23/2023 • 30 minutes, 24 seconds
Increasing Sales With Technology with Shruti Kapoor at Wingman
On this episode, we talk with Shruti Kapoor, CEO at Wingman — a sales technology platform that analyzes every sales interaction to give real-time coaching and feedback to salespeople. The tool sits in on every sales call a user has, analyzes the call and gives feedback. That feedback includes coaching to help close deals and improve win rates. An added benefit is the ability to ramp new sales reps up much more quickly.When they first started, Wingman considered a couple of different payment options: a subscription based on the number of users and one based on usage, such as number of calls taken or total minutes of calls. They chose the first option because they saw the value was in the number of reps an organization has using the tool, not the number or length of calls.Shruti gives some great insight on how they believe in fairness and transparency in pricing and their partnership with Clari. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
1/16/2023 • 24 minutes, 31 seconds
Disrupting Veterinary Medicine with Joe Spector at Dutch Pet, Inc.
On this episode we talk with Joe Spector, Founder and CEO at Dutch, a subscription company that is disrupting the veterinary industry through subscription-based telemedicine for pets and their owners.Like many people, Joe adopted a dog during the pandemic, and he recognized that pet healthcare was stuck in the past. Joe has an entrepreneurial background including founding the telehealth company Hims, and he saw an opportunity to introduce telemedicine to pet care.While there are many health problems pets can face that require going to a vet clinic, there are some problems, like a rash, anxiety issues and joint pain that can be resolved through a video call. And in some cases, it is a way to buy some time until a customer can get an appointment.We dive into their choice to use a subscription model, and Joe gives some great insight on learning from customer churn to improve their business model. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
1/9/2023 • 31 minutes, 52 seconds
Content Is King with Charles Frydenborg at MarketMuse
On this episode we talk with Charles “Chuck” Frydenborg, Chief Executive Officer at MarketMuse, a company that uses data science to empower companies to create new, expert-level content that is optimized for search algorithms.With the algorithms getting smarter every day, it is essential that your content be considered “expert” on the topic you’re writing about in order to rank well and drive traffic. This can be difficult to do, and Chuck explains how his company helps with that process.Content is king these days and content marketing is becoming increasingly important in marketing efforts for large and small companies. Content is available 24/7 and it has become the means of introduction of prospective customers to the sales cycle in most industries. He also dives into his subscription model, and why it’s important for the health and future of his company. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
1/2/2023 • 37 minutes, 16 seconds
Future Subscription Trends with Eric Crowley of GP Bullhound
On this episode, we speak with Eric Crowley, Partner at GP Bullhound.Over time, consumers have been trained by companies like Netflix and Spotify to be happy with paying for digital subscriptions.Previously, companies primarily built business by monetizing with advertising — a three-way relationship between the user, the advertiser and the company.With subscriptions, it's easier to succeed in a one-on-one relationship between the company and the consumer. As a result, products keep getting better and faster.So what’s the next big opportunity for subscription services?Today, Eric covers why consumers are more comfortable with subscriptions, the opportunities companies have with bundling and partnering on subscriptions, and why the subscriptions you see today are higher quality than they have been in the recent past.Learn more about GP Bullhound at https://www.gpbullhound.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
12/12/2022 • 36 minutes, 4 seconds
Delivering a Local Philosophy on Organic Produce with Thaddeus Barsotti, Co-Chief Executive Officer at fieldTRUE
On this episode, we speak with Thaddeus Barsotti, Co-Chief Executive Officer at fieldTRUE.Home deliveries were a foreign concept in the early 2000s. Now, the idea of delivering food and leaving it on your doorstep is widely practiced. More than 90% of the fresh produce that we eat is picked by human beings. The agriculture industry has been slow to adopt technology, let alone build its own. Thaddeus and his team have put a lot of time and effort into building something specific to the fresh food industry and their work is helping to modernize local, organic food deliveries.Today, Thaddeus discusses why organic foods have exploded in popularity, how a subscription model is priced and why more businesses like this should exist in other states.Learn more about fieldTRUE at https://www.fieldtrue.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
12/5/2022 • 29 minutes, 8 seconds
Why Vinyl Album Subscriptions Make Sense with Lloyd Starr at VMP
On this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, host Nick Fredrick is joined by Lloyd Starr, President and COO of VMP (Vinyl Me, Please), a vinyl album subscription service for audiophiles who prefer the vinyl experience.Lloyd explains how he has found vinyl lovers to be a little different than people who only consume music through digital streaming. The vinyl experience is more immersive, as it includes the record itself, the cover art and the liner notes, not to mention the equipment and space required for a vinyl collection.Lloyd and his team have discovered that since their users share the same type of music experience, it is only natural that their subscriber base naturally morphs into a community.This community connection has made VMP a music curation service and music community service, which is what makes their user base perfect for a thriving subscription company.Lloyd Starr - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydstarr/VMP(Vinyl Me, Please) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/vinyl-me-please/ Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
11/28/2022 • 28 minutes, 1 second
Creating Trust With Customers with Scott Draper, Founder and Managing Member at Club Northwest
In the latest episode, we chat with Scott Draper, Founder and Managing Member at Club Northwest.Club Northwest is a world-class fitness center in Oregon that promotes total body wellness. The club offers saltwater pools, group fitness classes and a spa.The fitness center focuses on people, starting with the team and its well-being. Club Northwest invests in the right technology and the team is currently creating its own bespoke operating software.Scott and his team launched an ambassador program which has been a big success. People promote Club Northwest for $20 a month by simply placing a bumper sticker on their car and putting a sign in their yard.Today, there are hundreds of people in the ambassador program. And when you think about it, this is an incredible advertising deal for just $20 per person.At its height, pre-Covid, Club Northwest had about 10,000 members. Today the club is still going strong, with around 8,000 members.Scott Draper - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-draper-413b8b44/Club Northwest - https://www.clubnw.com/Little Brown Acorn - http://www.littlebrownacorn.com/ Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
11/21/2022 • 40 minutes, 36 seconds
Customer Retention and Engagement with Robert Skrob, President and Owner of Membership Services, Inc.
In the latest episode, we speak with Robert Skrob, President and Owner of Membership Services, Inc. Robert is a subscription consultant and author of “Retention Point.” He has worked in subscriptions for over 27 years. Today Robert works behind the scenes with some of the biggest subscription brands in the world, focusing primarily on retention and helping them grow their business by losing fewer subscribers.Robert has found that retention issues aren’t usually directly related to what a company delivers. Instead, they result from the brand's interaction and relationship with its members. As such, one of the main topics we discuss is the importance of strong engagement between brands and their subscribers.Many subscription businesses focus on acquisition, especially in their startup phase. But really, relationships are the critical driver of growth. There’s often so much focus on what to deliver as a subscription service that most businesses don’t even consider what type of relationship they’re trying to build with their members. Robert Skrob | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertskrob/Membership Services, Inc. | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/membership-services-inc-/about/Retention Point Book - https://www.amazon.com/Retention-Point-Membership-Subscription-Associations-ebook/dp/B07CZXD289 Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
11/14/2022 • 42 minutes, 59 seconds
Helping Brands Create Content-Driven Journeys with Jeff Coyle, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at MarketMuse
On this week’s episode, we chat with Jeff Coyle, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at MarketMuse. MarketMuse is a subscription-based, AI content planning and optimization software company that helps brands create content-driven journeys.MarketMuse analyzes content to show brands how well they’re telling a story at the page level and how successfully they’re building authority at the site level. They can also produce on-demand content inventories and give predictive ways to define how to invest in content.Customers gain insight into how much content they need to produce to own a particular topic, what their biggest risk pages are and what they should do to make long-term, foundational changes.MarketMuse’s target audience is brands that already have a culture of content. These are brands that understand the positive impact of producing high-quality content. They typically create at least a couple of content pieces a month and can justify investing in doing a better job.Tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Jeff Coyle, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the company to discover how content planning and optimization software MarketMuse helps customers create powerful content-driven stories.Jeff Coyle - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcoyle/MarketMuse - https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketmuse/ Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice
11/7/2022 • 35 minutes, 24 seconds
Growing a Puzzle Subscription Box During the Pandemic with Rachel Duguay and Michael Sturba, Co-Founders of Micro Puzzles
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Rachel Duguay and Michael Sturba, Co-Founders of Micro Puzzles, LLC. Micro Puzzles are mini 150-piece jigsaw puzzles delivered to customers in test tubes. The puzzles come in over 50 designs and it’s also possible to make custom, personalized versions. Rachel and Michael have been selling puzzles since 2018. The pair were both furloughed during the pandemic and, at that time, people became increasingly interested in buying puzzles. The pair discussed creating a puzzle subscription box, noting the benefits of having a consistent, recurring revenue stream. Today, you can purchase Micro Puzzles as one-off purchases or subscribe to the membership box. Subscription customers tend to be ‘super fans’ of Micro Puzzles. The team often introduces new products through the subscription box and tweaks them if necessary after receiving feedback from members. The team is currently trying out some new products and gearing up for the Christmas season, which is huge for Micro Puzzles. They’re also looking at placing other products and accessories in the subscription box to diversify it. Learn how subscription box Micro Puzzles took off during the pandemic by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled.Micro Puzzles #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/31/2022 • 38 minutes, 14 seconds
Transforming a Baking Hobby Into a Subscription-Based Business with Shelley Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO at BāKIT Box
In this week’s episode, we chat with Shelley Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of BāKIT Box - a female, minority-owned specialty baking kit service. The idea is to make baking fun, easy and accessible for everyone.BāKIT Box was founded in 2020 when Shelley grew her interest in baking during the pandemic. She realized there hadn’t been innovation in the baking space for a while and there was a gap in the market.We discuss Shelley’s career change from real estate and finance, how she transformed her hobby into a business, the extra benefits BāKIT Box subscribers receive, the company’s target demographic, and more.We also talk to Shelley about the technologies and marketing methods used for BāKIT Box. Reach out to Shelley and her team by heading to the BāKIT Box website here.Discover how Shelley Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of BāKIT Box, transformed her baking hobby into a subscription-based business by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled here. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/24/2022 • 29 minutes, 20 seconds
Innovation in the Fitness Industry with Landon Burningham, Founder, President and CEO of Physiq Fitness
In the latest episode, we speak with Landon Burningham, Founder, President and CEO of Physiq Fitness — a subscription model-based gym aiming to make fitness fun, affordable and life-changing. Physiq Fitness was founded in 2007 and started as a personal training company. People soon started signing up on a subscription basis and, eventually, the training studio was opened. Today, Physiq Fitness has four (soon to be five) big-box fitness gyms, and everything runs on the subscription model, including memberships and personal training.Physiq Fitness stands out from the competition in various ways. Landon highlights its flexibility: customers can save money with longer-term memberships or pay more for shorter-term plans. And he says the cancellation process is smooth and straightforward for customers, which is becoming increasingly important in the subscription industry.Other topics we discuss in the episode include how to best engage with customers, membership plans, social media channels used, target demographics, and more.Discover how subscription model-based gym Physiq Fitness successfully grew by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Landon Burningham, Founder, President and CEO of the company. Physiq Fitness - https://physiqfitness.com/ #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/17/2022 • 28 minutes, 54 seconds
Franchising, Retention and Subscriptions with Rob Scott, Founder of Legends Boxing
On this week’s episode, we chat with Rob Scott, Founder of Legends Boxing, about franchising, retention and subscriptions.Legends Boxing aims to provide boxing fitness classes in a fun, motivating way. Every day, brand-new, 1-hour workouts are available to customers. The franchise has 19 locations and is entirely membership driven, with several different membership options. One of their unique options is the popular legacy membership where customers pay a monthly fee and each year the annual fee drops in price.Legends Boxing focuses on acquisition and retention, and the legacy membership model helps with this. The company has members that have been with them for six years and are paying 50% less than customers who just started this month.Rob and his team are focused on tribe and culture. They’ve built a culture and environment that inspires people to work out, consequently, their retention is higher than the average boutique fitness center. #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice Learn about franchising, retention, and subscriptions by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Rob Scott, Founder of Legends Boxing. Legends Boxing - https://www.legendsboxing.com/Legends Boxing Founder Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legendsboxingfounder/Club Ready - https://www.clubready.club/ Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/12/2022 • 31 minutes, 45 seconds
Understanding Data and Analytics with Brian Eberman, Chief Executive Officer at Zeenk
In the latest episode, we speak with Brian Eberman, Chief Executive Officer at Zeenk, to discuss data and analytics. Zeenk is the first customer-centric data analytics solution designed for DTCs, e-commerce brands, and agencies.Typically, Zeenk provides actionable analytics to e-commerce brands selling on Amazon or Shopify.Understanding data and analytics is important to subscription-based brands in evaluating where to spend their marketing budget and how to retain customers.Brian has a deep background in analytics, data science and AI, and has been involved in data and AI-driven companies for over 30 years, after receiving his Ph.D. in AI and robotics.In the episode, we discuss various topics relating to data, including Zeenk’s typical customer, how each customer is evaluated, and the client onboarding process. We also talk about who benefits from the data, besides the client. Learn how understanding data and analytics affects subscription-based companies by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Brian Eberman, Chief Executive Officer at Zeenk. - Zeenk - https://zeenk.com/ #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionservice Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/6/2022 • 32 minutes, 51 seconds
Maintaining Customer Engagement with Eric Schmitz, President at California Athletic Clubs
On the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Eric Schmitz, president at California Athletic Clubs (CAC). California Athletic Clubs owns and manages health clubs throughout California.Eric has been in the subscription industry for around 35 years. He’s had plenty of experience working with the subscription model and understands what works, what doesn’t, and how it can be a great way of running a business.Unlike many other current subscription companies, California Athletic Clubs doesn’t operate with their customers solely online. CAC looks at retention as one of the main KPIs and monitors it monthly. This is because customer acquisition costs much more than client maintenance. Memberships range in price based on what type of membership people want, and CAC aims for people to utilize their subscription plan fully. Because the higher the engagement, the more likely you’ll retain customers. CAC is at a higher price point, but the services it offers are at higher retention rates.Learn how California Athletic Clubs retains subscribers and more by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Eric Schmitz, president of the company. - California Athletic Clubs - https://www.caclubs.com/- Eric Schmitz Twitter - https://twitter.com/EricwSchmitz- Eric Schmitz email - eschmitz@caclubs.com #Saas #subscriptions #subscriptionbusiness #subscriptionserviceReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/30/2022 • 34 minutes, 4 seconds
Pricing and Subscriptions with Marcos Rivera, Founder & CEO at Pricing I/O
On this latest episode, we speak with Marcos Rivera, Founder and CEO at Pricing I/O, about everything related to subscriptions and pricing.Pricing I/O is a training and coaching boutique helping high-growth B2B SaaS companies improve ARR growth and market share.On the episode, we discuss:Marcos’s background and how he got into subscriptions and pricing.The methodology Marcos uses to develop pricing.Marcos’s thoughts on various types of pricing models.Quantifying how much value customers receive from products.Pricing I/O’s processor, including where they start with a customer and how they engage them.Where many SaaS businesses go wrong with enterprise pricing.Marcos’s book, ‘Street Pricing: A Pricing Playlist for Hip Leaders in B2B SaaS’.Click on the episode below to tune in. To reach out to Marcos, head to the Pricing I/O website where you can also check out his book and the company’s services. There’s also a blog full of tips and content on topics discussed in the episode.Learn about pricing and subscriptions by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Marcos Rivera, Founder and CEO at Pricing I/O. Pricing I/O Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/16/2022 • 36 minutes, 9 seconds
Growing an Inbound Video Call and Customer Engagement Platform with Aleks Gollu, Founder and CEO of 11Sight
In this week’s episode, we speak to Aleks Gollu, Founder and CEO of 11Sight. 11Sight is an inbound video call and customer engagement platform. The platform connects customers to businesses using video, audio, or chat from anywhere on the web with just a click. In the episode, we discuss various topics, including:Why Aleks and his team built a solution to help with all stages of customer engagement, not just sales lead acceleration.The importance of renewals in the subscription business.Aleks’s previous career.11Sight and how the concept came about.Sales video engagement and why it’s uniqueThe lifecycle of 11Sight.The lessons Aleks have learned.What attracted Aleks to the subscription industry.The marketing techniques used for 11Sight. Click on the episode to tune in. And to reach out to Aleks and his team, visit the 11Sight website or the 11Sight LinkedIn page. Learn about the business model of an inbound video call and customer engagement platform by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Aleks Gollu, Founder and CEO of 11Sight.11Sight Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/9/2022 • 40 minutes, 52 seconds
Helping Subscription-Based Brands Grow Internationally with Jack Purcell, Sales Generation Lead Advisor - MyParcel at GEODIS
In the latest episode, we speak with Jack Purcell, Sales Generation Lead Advisor - MyParcel at GEODIS. GEODIS is a supply chain operator ranking among the top brands in its field in both Europe and the rest of the world. GEODIS manages customer supply chain by offering end-to-end solutions enabled by the company’s expert staff, infrastructure, processes, and systems.In the episode, we discuss:The challenges and opportunities for subscription-based businessesHow GEODIS helps merchants understand legislation and regulationsHow merchants should handle chargesHow GEODIS deals with products held up in different countriesHow to stay updated with legislation and regulations of different countries How to choose the right merchants to work withHow GEODIS can help merchants solve complex problems… and so much more.If you have questions for Jack or want to connect with him, you can reach out directly by email at jack.purcell@geodis.com.Be sure to rate, download, and subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss an episode, and we can keep creating helpful content on the subscriptions industry. Learn how a subscription-based supply chain operator works by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Jack Purcell, Sales Generation Lead Advisor - MyParcel at GEODIS.GEODIS Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/1/2022 • 27 minutes, 47 seconds
Car Subscriptions with Max-Josef Meier, CEO & Co-Founder of FINN
In this week’s episode, we speak with Max-Josef Meier, CEO and Co-Founder of FINN. FINN offers all-inclusive, immediately-available monthly car subscriptions to customers.Max is a second-time entrepreneur. He wanted to build a company in the ecommerce industry that could grow into something large, meaningful, and impactful. That’s when Max came across car subscriptions. He found the concept fascinating from both a consumer and business point of view. Max started FINN in 2019 and it is now Germany's leading car subscription company. FINN also launched in the United States earlier this year.The target group of FINN is typically those with families in their 30s and 40s. When creating FINN, the idea was to make subscribing to cars as easy as buying a pair of shoes online. When you browse FINN online, there’s a broad range of pre-configured cars. Germany has around 20 car brands and many models available to choose from. In the US, it’s still early days, but about ten models are available, which will grow in time.Once you’ve chosen a car and have reached the checkout, it’s like buying a product online. Just upload your driver’s license and you’re good to go.Learn how a car subscription company works by tuning into the latest episode with Max-Josef Meier, CEO & Co-Founder at FINN.FINN Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/24/2022 • 26 minutes, 33 seconds
Podcast Hosting with Craig Hewitt, Founder and CEO at Castos
In this week’s episode, we speak with Craig Hewitt, Founder and CEO of Castos. Castos is a podcast hosting platform designed for creators. It provides subscribers with the tools to engage their audience and monetize their content.In this episode, we learn about Castos and how it works. We also hear about Craig’s background and career journey.Castos has been in the business for around five years now. PodcastMotor, Castos’ predecessor has since been taken under the Castos umbrella. The combined service provides podcast editing and production for about 85 customers right now.Craig has been in the podcasting business and working with subscription-based revenue businesses for around seven years now. He also has a background in sales. Craig was originally in the medical field, selling disposable medical products to cardiac units and hospitals. This was when he saw the value of subscription-based models and recurring revenue.Craig was always into podcasting and this spurred him to change career paths. He had started a podcast of his own, and in doing so, realized that there must be new ways to make money in the industry. This was when Craig moved into post-production podcasting work.Learn all about podcasting hosting platform Castos’s subscription model by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Craig Hewitt, Founder and CEO of the company.CastosReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/19/2022 • 39 minutes, 25 seconds
Introducing Customers to Cool Products with Jared Hales, Chief Technology Officer at Bespoke Post
In this week’s episode, we speak with Jared Hales, Chief Technology Officer at Bespoke Post. Bespoke Post is a subscription box company that aims to introduce customers to cool products. Most of the time, these products come from small, under-the-radar brands.Bespoke Post was started in 2011 by Co-Founders Rishi Prabhu and Steve Szaronos. The pair first targeted the box toward men. The first box was whiskey-themed.The brand has expanded over the years, but the subscription box is still the bread and butter of the company. However, Bespoke Post has a full ecommerce shop stocked with thousands of items. The brand also has its own private label brands that sell both in the shop and through the subscription box.While most members are men, the box isn’t just marketed toward men now.Jared has been at Bespoke Post for eight years. He was hired when the company moved into its first offices, when the company was still relatively small.At that time, it was easy to collaborate with such small numbers. Today, the company is much bigger, with around 80 to 90 employees.Discover how unique subscription box Bespoke Post works by tuning into the latest episode of the Subscriptions Scaled podcast.Bespoke PostReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/10/2022 • 45 minutes, 38 seconds
Growing a Subscription Box for Cocktails with Mike Milyavsky and Anna Gorovoy, Co-Founders at Shaker & Spoon
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak to the Co-Founders at Shaker & Spoon, CEO Mike Milyavsky and CBO Anna Gorovoy.Shaker & Spoon is a subscription box for cocktails. Every month, three original recipes are provided from some of the best bartenders in the world, together with the ingredients. The boxes are shipped all around the U.S. Everything needed for the cocktails is included in the subscription box, apart from the alcohol. Each month focuses on a different spirit and the box recommends a brand to go with the recipes.The team manufactures the products to replicate how bartenders create cocktails in high-quality bars. Many recipes include specialty syrup cordials with unique grape-flavor profiles, made using a small-batch production method.The aim of the subscription box is for people to have the opportunity to create delicious, high-quality cocktails from the comfort of their homes.In the episode, we discuss various topics including shipping, communicating with customers, how the pair started the company, the community around the brand, the effects of the pandemic, and mistakes made in the business.Discover how cocktail subscription box company Shaker & Spoon rose to success by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Co-Founders Mike Milyavsky and Anna Gorovoy.Shaker & Spoon Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/4/2022 • 47 minutes
The Payments Maturity Cycle with Nick Fredrick and Danny Omiliak of Rebar Technology
This week we have a special episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, where we discuss planning for payments maturity as you scale. The episode is hosted by the founder of Content Allies Jake Jorgovan, who’s joined by our usual host Nick Fredrick and Danny Omiliak of Rebar Technology. In the episode, we discuss the problems that often occur with subscription payments, how you should mature with payments, and how common payment issues can be solved with Rebar Technology’s SBS Express subscription billing system.Small and medium-sized businesses often start with a high-cost yet easy-to-implement payments vendor known as a PayFac (payment facilitator) to get up and running quickly. However, problems often arise. These include higher costs because payments are sometimes integrated with other services like storefronts. And, in some cases, web developers may choose a payments vendor on the company’s behalf based on what’s easiest to implement, such as Stripe. Rebar’s SBS Express helps businesses navigate the payments world. The billing system is designed for small to medium-sized companies that require support with subscriptions pricing but also need a payment gateway with a merchant account.Discover how to mature payments in the subscriptions industry and how common payments issues can be resolved by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Nick Fredrick and Danny Omiliak of Rebar Technology.Rebar SBS ExpressRebar Technology Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
7/25/2022 • 34 minutes, 11 seconds
Creating a Niche Subscription Box with Shereen Jegtvig Lehman, Founder of Introverts Retreat Subscription Boxes
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we chat with Shereen Jegtvig Lehman, Founder of Introverts Retreat Subscription Boxes.Introverts Retreat Subscription Boxes send a book to subscribers each month. Subscribers can choose the book or the Introverts Retreat will select one. Along with the book, subscribers receive a candle, bath salts, and handmade soap with an introverted theme. A little snack is also included with the box. Introverts Retreat Subscription Boxes have been around for about five years now, and every month there’s a new theme.Shereen comes up with the themes by looking at introvert memes and jokes on social media. The idea of the subscription box is for people to gift it to introverts; ‘if you love me enough, you’ll leave me alone.’The idea of the subscription came from Shereen’s personal experience of being an introvert. She was a content writer before she ran the subscription box, working for a couple of large websites. But then she felt it was time to move in a different direction.Shereen’s daughter suggested she create a subscription box and it successfully developed from there.Discover the perfect subscription box for introverts and how it works by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Shereen Jegtvig Lehman, Founder of Introverts Retreat Subscription Boxes.Introverts Retreat Subscription BoxesChargebee Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
7/6/2022 • 25 minutes, 20 seconds
Subscriptions in the Industrial and Manufacturing Industry with Stephan M. Liozu, Ph.D., Founder & Disruptor at Value Innoruption Advisors
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Stephan M. Liozu, Ph.D., Founder & Disruptor at Value Innoruption Advisors.Value Innoruption Advisors is a boutique consulting firm focusing on disruptive approaches in value management, industrial pricing, and digital pricing strategies.Stephan has around 30 years of experience in the manufacturing and industrial space. He fell into pricing and decided to do his Ph.D. in value-based pricing and how to transition companies from cost to value.When the subscription boom happened around five years ago, Stephan thought that new pricing models should be considered by traditional industrial companies as it's a good way to diversify. Stephan uses his knowledge in value-based pricing to bring richness to subscriptions.Subscriptions are still relatively new to the industrial and manufacturing space. In 2019, Stephan published a paper showing that out of the top 500 industrial companies in the US, only around 15 to 18 percent have dedicated pricing teams.Many subscription billing platforms and companies are trying to move into manufacturing because of its huge potential. However, it’s different than selling to B2B SaaS companies. Companies need to think more about their market.Learn all about subscriptions in the manufacturing and industrial space by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Stephan M. Liozu, Ph.D., Founder & Disruptor at Value Innoruption Advisors.Value Innoruption AdvisorsReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/27/2022 • 39 minutes, 41 seconds
Helping Podcasters Get Paid with Michael Kadin, Founder and CEO at RedCircle
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Michael Kadin, Founder and CEO of RedCircle.RedCircle is a platform for podcasters, brands, and agencies looking to transact in podcast advertising. The company helps all types of podcasters distribute their shows and receive analytics on them in order to run marketing campaigns. RedCircle also helps podcasters monetize their shows. It does this with subscription payments, so podcasters can collect a few dollars from their fans and through advertising. The mission of RedCircle is essentially to help podcasters get paid. But along the way, it also provides helpful tools and technology for creators, brands, and agencies.In the episode, we learn all about podcasting and advertising. Various topics come up, including pixels, pricing, and the growth and future of podcasting. There are already four million podcasts out there, with approximately 400,000 active in a given month. With all the energy, creation, and effort that’s going into podcasting, it comes as no surprise that companies like RedCircle are so successful.Discover how podcasters can monetize their shows by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Michael Kadin, Founder and CEO at RedCircle.RedCircleReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/21/2022 • 29 minutes, 55 seconds
Helping Brands Create Subscription Services with Matthew Holman, Head of Growth at Qpilot.cloud
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we chat with Matthew Holman, Head of Growth at QPilot.cloud. QPilot.cloud consists of intelligent software for scheduled and automated purchasing and predictive supply chain management.Matthew is a growth marketer, which means he does a lot of content creation and lead generation for QPilot’s software. He also makes many audit analysis recommendations, which involve working directly with customers. This fits nicely with content creation.Before Matthew worked for QPilot, he worked for an e-commerce logistics company called Essential Hub. So he’s very familiar with the shipping and logistics space.When QPilot were looking for a marketer, they wanted someone who understood delivery and shipping outcomes. While many great platforms are built to create custom and robust billing solutions, QPilot is focused on delivery outcomes. That’s where QPilot shines and has a lot of differentiation. QPilot does a lot with direct-to-consumer marketing. The company is on WooCommerce right now but is rolling out a separate Shopify and Salesforce integration later this year. The company also works a lot with B2B wholesale.Learn all about growth marketing in the subscriptions industry and more by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Matthew Holman, Head of Growth at QPilot.cloud.QPilot.cloudWooCommerceShopifySalesforceReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/14/2022 • 37 minutes, 6 seconds
How To Consult Subscription Companies with Anthony Napolitano, Founding Partner at Triple C Consulting
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Anthony Napolitano, Founding Partner at Triple C Consulting.Triple C Consulting helps businesses create a compelling value proposition for their customers, company, and channel partners. One of the areas Triple C Consulting specializes in is direct-to-consumer subscriptions.Before founding Triple C Consulting, Anthony worked at HP for over 20 years. However, he had never worked in the core business before, and almost his entire career involved building and scaling new businesses. One of the businesses Anthony built and scaled was a subscription business. He joined the team early on in the consumer supplies space for HP, which essentially involved selling ink cartridges to consumers.But in 2015, the team wanted to take a fresh look at serving customers, so they started a subscription service. It involved selling blocks of pages monthly that customers bought as a subscription. There was an algorithm developed to monitor ink levels based on personal usage so customers would receive the paper before they ran out. Anthony was in this business for six years which gave him plenty of experience in the subscriptions industry.Discover how Triple C Consulting specializes in direct-to-consumer subscriptions by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Anthony Napolitano, Founding Partner at Triple C Consulting.Triple C ConsultingReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/6/2022 • 40 minutes, 27 seconds
How to Grow Your Podcast with Todd Cochrane, CEO at Blubrry Podcasting
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Todd Cochrane, CEO at Blubrry Podcasting.Blubrry makes podcast publishing easier with a smooth publishing platform, live customer support, straightforward migration, and helpful statistics.There are two primary plans - a standard plan at $12 a month and an advanced plan at $20 a month with a whole host of benefits. More and more features have been added over the years.Todd has been in the podcasting space since 2004 and has been building Blubrry Podcasting since around 2006. Not all customers are subscribers, but some may use Blubrry Podcasting’s PowerPress plugin.The podcasting industry has really evolved over the years. In 2005 Libsyn came onto the scene, providing hosting and allowing the space to develop. When Todd joined the industry, and began Blubrry Podcasting, he had to work hard to build his website and grow the company by word of mouth.Todd had to learn how to build his podcasting business and develop a brand. Now there are so many different tools available to help. Todd believes that it’s much easier to grow a brand than it used to be. Discover how a podcasting service subscription works by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Todd Cochrane, CEO at Blubrry Podcasting.Blubrry Podcasting Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
5/31/2022 • 46 minutes, 20 seconds
Growing a Coffee Subscription Company with Ryan Fritzky, Co-Founder & Chief Marketer at Bean Box
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Ryan Fritzky, Co-Founder and Chief Marketer at Bean Box. Bean Box delivers specialty coffee to customers every morning using a subscription-based model. The company’s mission is to become the leading direct-to-consumer brand for specialty coffee at home. Ryan Fritzky started Bean Box back in 2014, which is on the longer end of subscription businesses. His background is in product management and online marketing. Ryan has also worked at ad tech companies.In 2012, Ryan made the leap to found a company with his partner Matthew Burke. They started a mobile app business initially for sharing personal recommendations. While Ryan and Matthew were interviewing consumers about their mobile apps, they spent a lot of time in coffee shops that roast their own coffees. The pair realized the coffee tasted different from chain coffee shops and the standard coffee you’d drink.The two started sending craft bags of coffee to their friends and family, which they loved, and that’s how the idea of Bean Box began.Ten years later, Ryan and Matthew are still working together after finding inspiration from coffee.Discover how the successful coffee subscription company Bean Box was established and grown by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Ryan Fritzky, Co-Founder and Chief Marketer of the company.Bean BoxReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
5/23/2022 • 37 minutes, 53 seconds
The AI Assistant That Summarizes Meetings with Krish Ramineni, CEO at Fireflies.ai
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Krish Ramineni, CEO at Fireflies.ai.Fireflies is an AI meeting assistant and conversational intelligence platform. It includes an AI assistant named Fred that follows you around during your meetings: these include Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other major conferencing providers.The AI assistant, Fred, joins your meetings and transcribes. It takes notes and summarizes them, allowing you to search back through your discussions for analytics and insights.The goal of Fireflies is to help people be productive, eliminating the need to take notes during meetings. Krish started Fireflies in 2016 when he left Microsoft. He intended to go to grad school but started working on different projects instead.In the early days of Fireflies, the team was consulting, bootstrapping, and contracting out. It built chrome extensions, among other projects.Today’s version of Fireflies was established in 2019 and rolled out in 2020. There was a three-year period where the team experimented with machine learning, chatbots, and natural language processing. They fell in love with the voice space and decided to focus on that. When the pandemic came, everyone started using video conferencing and Fireflies became highly successful.Learn all about Fred—the AI assistant that joins your meetings, transcribes, takes notes, and summarizes them—tune in to the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, with Krish Ramineni, CEO at Fireflies.ai.Fireflies.aiReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
5/16/2022 • 38 minutes, 36 seconds
From CRM to Fire Risk Management Software with JP Werlin, Co-CEO at Pipeline
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with JP Werlin, Chairman of the Board and Co-CEO at Pipeline.Founded in 2006, Pipeline is a CRM for small and midsize businesses. It’s designed to empower sales teams across various industries to build game-changing relationships. More than 18,000 customers in 60 countries use Pipeline to gain visibility into their sales, drive opportunities, and close more deals.Pipeline was started when Ruby on Rails CRM was one of the only options out there. JP and his partner, Nick Bertolino, looked inside at their own business problems when they were running an online marketing agency. From there, they decided to focus on the e-commerce retailer space and CRM, and Pipeline was developed.Nick and JP sold Pipeline after 16 years, and the branding and vision have still been kept very much intact.JP’s next business venture in the industry is Pyrezo. The software enables users to identify, measure, and prioritize fuel mitigation efforts. Pyrezo gives people the most current status of their fuel risk profile to know how to protect their community best.Learn how JP Werlin, Co-CEO at Pipeline, took the CRM subscription company to success, by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled.PipelinePyrezoReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
5/9/2022 • 36 minutes
Developing Subscription Products with Justin Boatman, Chief Product Officer at Riskalyze
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Justin Boatman, Chief Product Officer at Riskalyze.Riskalyze has been around for 11 years, its product went to market for the first time in 2013. The company assesses the risk tolerance of an investor. When an advisor works with clients, that advisor believes that everybody has a risk number, whether they know it or not. Based on this, the advisor can construct a portfolio with a risk number to match.Riskalyze’s mission is to empower the world to invest fearlessly. When an investor understands the risk in their portfolio and knows how to react to it, they will be fearless about their finances.While Justin hasn’t been Chief Product Officer at Riskalyze for very long, he’s been at the company for seven years. However, he started on the marketing side of the brand.Since his time at Riskalyze, Justin has built a marketing team from scratch, and the company has grown significantly. In this episode, we discuss various aspects of Riskalyze, including its pricing model, user experience, marketing channels, and more.Learn how Justin Boatman, Chief Product Officer at Riskalyze, has helped grow the company. Tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled.RiskalyzeReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
5/2/2022 • 35 minutes, 54 seconds
On Reducing Churn with Joel Hughes, CEO at Right Networks
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Joel Hughes, CEO at Right Networks. Right Networks helps accounting firms and small businesses experience the value of being cloud-connected. The team combines knowledge of accounting and tax applications, innovative cloud technology, and a 24/7 US-based support organization to significantly enhance its clients work.Joel started his career as an engineer and coded for a few years. Then he started a consulting business with some friends from college in digital signal processing software for satellite communications.What’s exciting and fun about subscriptions to Joel is the visibility you can get with a business. The visibility is so much better than when Joel first started selling in his career.The issue of churn is discussed in depth in the episode and how Joel and his team work to reduce it. They are always looking at how to get people up and running on their software quickly, for example.The team often makes hypotheses about churn and retention. Then they make some changes and let them play out for at least a few months. This allows the team to see if their changes affect the churn rate. Learn how to reduce churn rates and much more by tuning in to the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Joel Hughes, CEO at Right Networks.Right NetworksQuickBooksReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/25/2022 • 39 minutes, 32 seconds
25 Years in the Subscriptions Industry with Paul Chambers, CEO & Co-Founder at SUBTA
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Paul Chambers, CEO and Co-Founder at SUBTA. SUBTA is the world’s largest DTC subscription community. It is a growing community of innovators, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and dedicated teams aiming to scale their businesses. Its mission is to help subscription companies thrive.Paul has been working in subscriptions for 25 years but not always in DTC. Paul’s first business venture was a website hosting company, so he’s always had a recurring revenue model in mind.Over time, Paul has built a variety of different businesses. Around seven years ago, he started a company called Gentleman’s Box. It was a subscription box to turn any man into ‘a true gentleman.’ At this point, Paul was still learning a lot about working in subscriptions.In 2016, Paul launched SubSummit for subscription box owners to meet one another. Since then, Paul quit Gentleman’s Box to focus on his other ventures.Over the years, Paul has encountered many learning curves and lessons regarding subscriptions. The subscription space is changing so quickly and inflation greatly impacts the industry. Subscription brands often need to think about how they can cut costs and provide more value.Learn about SUBTA CEO & Co-Founder Paul Chambers’ 25 years of experience working in subscriptions by tuning in to the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled. SUBTASubSummitReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/18/2022 • 38 minutes, 51 seconds
20 Years of Developing SaaS with David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO at Basecamp
In the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO at Basecamp.Basecamp is a project management and team collaboration software that helps keep everything from falling through the cracks. It’s a way to keep remote workers on the same page so they can organize and share information, discuss, and make decisions. The Basecamp system aims to help people prioritize meaningful work, reduce wasted time, and restore work-life balance for employees.At the beginning of the episode, we learn how Basecamp works and its competition in the company’s early days.David has worked with his partner at Basecamp for over 20 years and we learn how they’ve made it work for so long. We also find out how David has stayed disciplined in his career.The evolution of SaaS is also discussed, as the term had only just been coined after Basecamp was established.Towards the end of the episode, we discuss Basecamp’s pricing structure in detail, which is quite different from the company’s competitors. There’s a free personal plan, a business plan at $99 a month, and 15% off if you choose to do a year. We learn why this particular pricing model was chosen.Learn how popular collaboration software Basecamp has grown to success over the years by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO of the company.BasecampHey.comHigh RiseReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/11/2022 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds
The Growth Story of CRM Marketing Software with Lars Helgeson, Founder at GreenRope
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Lars Helgeson, Founder of GreenRope.GreenRope is an all-in-one CRM with marketing automation that increases growth by boosting awareness, generating leads, and driving conversions. The episode begins with Lars introducing himself and sharing how he came to start GreenRope. We learn about GreenRope and how it works, as well as how Lars has evolved the product.Lars talks about the pricing model and billing of GreenRope’s product in detail. The product is typically paid for on a monthly basis but discounts are given to customers who commit to an annual subscription. We also learn how customers typically pay GreenRope for its products.Lars discusses how the pandemic affected the business and how he had to prepare himself for the changes it brought to the company. He also talks about the churn in the labor market and how it affected his team.Toward the end of the episode, Lars talks about how he’s grown GreenRope and how he decided to make certain investments. He explains his thought process around these growth options.Discover the growth story of CRM marketing software GreenRope, by tuning in to the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Lars Helgeson, Founder at GreenRope.GreenRopeReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/5/2022 • 40 minutes, 58 seconds
Leadership and Recruitment with Taylor Desseyn of Vaco
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we sit down with Taylor Desseyn, Lead at Nashville Engineering Remote Division, Vaco.Nashville Engineering Remote Division, Vaco helps find and match top engineering talent for companies across the United States. The division has over 30 years of experience in the recruiting industry.In the episode, Taylor discusses the recruitment process in depth, talking about what makes good hiring right now and the importance of not letting an interview process drag out too long.Taylor shares some questions he thinks hiring managers should ask of a recruitment agency that can indicate a good fit.Taylor also talks about the transmission to remote work after the pandemic and how to ensure you’re still working well in a team. And a four-day workweek is also discussed.Towards the end of the episode, Taylor has advice for those who shy away from talking about themselves at an interview and those not wanting the spotlight on themselves. He stresses the importance of putting yourself out there, even if you’re shy about it, especially now that most recruiting is online.Learn how to make excellent hiring decisions and more by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Taylor Desseyn, Lead at Nashville Engineering Remote Division, Vaco. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/1/2022 • 35 minutes, 19 seconds
Ecommerce, Marketing, and Subscriptions with Dave Beasley, Former Head of Consumer Marketing, Allstate Roadside
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Dave Beasley, former Head of Consumer Marketing at Allstate Roadside. Allstate Roadside provides fast, trackable, and reliable roadside services, including tows, jump starts, help with flat tires, and lock-out assistance.Dave has been working with subscription businesses and many different brands for a number of years. He begins the episode by introducing himself and the brands he’s worked with.A lot of the conversation surrounds the challenges of working in ecommerce and digital marketing. Dave talks about some of the channels he’s used for marketing and how he’s seen the sector evolve. He explains that unlike many, he’s still a big fan of direct mail, which has seen more success since the beginning of Covid-19.Dave also talks about insurance as a sector. He explains that it's a black sheep in the subscription business because it involves selling a product that people hope not to use. Other topics discussed include churn models, acquisition costs, and the recent subscription explosion. At the end of the episode, Dave answers what he thinks are the biggest challenges for subscription brands.Discover the challenges of working in ecommerce and digital marketing by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Dave Beasley, former Head of Consumer Marketing at Allstate Roadside.Allstate Roadside Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
3/25/2022 • 38 minutes, 53 seconds
The Capital Market and the Subscriptions Industry with Robert Bennett, Chairman, LightJump Capital
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Robert Bennett, Chairman of LightJump Capital.LightJump Capital focuses on providing public market access to technology and technology-enabled brands using the Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicle (SPACS).In the episode, we discuss the capital market and what it looks like for subscription business valuation. The episode begins with Robert sharing more about himself and the business. Robert has worked in subscriptions since the 90s, and he discusses how he’s seen the sector evolve over the years.Robert has invested in many businesses in his time. He talks about some of the fundamental differences he’s seen in how subscription businesses approach sales and revenue compared to more traditional retailers.Another topic heavily discussed in the episode is deferred revenue. Deferred revenue refers to liability on a company's balance sheet representing a prepayment by its customers for products or services that have yet to be delivered.Robert also talks about marketing and where to attribute costs. Toward the end of the episode, Robert shares where he expects the subscription trend to go and what he thinks will happen over the next few years.Learn about the capital market and what it looks like for subscription business valuation by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Robert Bennett, Chairman of LightJump Capital.LightJump Capital Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
3/14/2022 • 34 minutes, 17 seconds
Entitlement with Daniel Corsaro, Founder & CEO of Bundled, Inc
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Daniel Corsaro, Founder and CEO of Bundled, Inc.Bundled Inc. builds entitlement infrastructure using a mixture of blockchain and off-chain functionality. Their solutions are built for businesses with their communities and end-users in mind. The initial goal was to lower the barrier for subscription brands to partner with each other to aggregate value, provide users easy, seamless access across various services, and drive growth.At the beginning of the episode, Daniel shares more about his background and what got him into subscriptions. One theme the episode focuses on is entitlements. We learn what it means, how entitlement works, and the challenges in the space.Daniel also discusses how Bundled, Inc. makes it easier for subscription brands to partner and bundle together. He also speaks about reducing churn and the concept of membership in the subscriptions industry.As well as this, we learn about tokenization in the industry. Tokenization is when a subscriber signs up and adds their credit card information. The credit card data passes to the payment gateway, verifying the request and processing the payment. The credit card data is stored in the payment gateway's vault. A vault token for the credit card data is assigned.Learn all about entitlement and tokenization in the subscriptions industry by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Daniel Corsaro, Founder and CEO of Bundled, Inc.Bundled, Inc Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
3/7/2022 • 42 minutes, 19 seconds
Retaining Subscribers with Jesus Luzardo, VP, Head of Global Partnerships & International Sales, Vindicia
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Jesus Luzardo, Vice President, Head of Global Partnerships and International Sales at Vindicia.Vindicia is a worldwide leader in subscription management and recurring revenue. The company provides its clients with more recurring revenue, more customer data, improved insights, and greater value throughout the subscriber lifecycle.Jesus starts the podcast by discussing how Vindicia works and more about his role at the company. Vindicia became part of the multinational software company Amdocs a few years ago and we learn about this partnership.The trend of bundling in the subscriptions industry is discussed, which refers to the selling of different items or services together as a package.Another topic of conversation is that many types of companies are currently moving toward the subscription model without much experience. Jesus shares what he sees many brands lacking or overlooking when they try to make this move.Jesus also shares the markets he believes are suitable for subscription, such as those that already have the right payments infrastructure.Towards the end of the episode, Jesus discusses some ways to retain subscribed customers.Discover how to manage and grow subscriptions from an expert, by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Jesus Luzardo, Vice President, Head of Global Partnerships and International Sales at Vindicia.VindiciaReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
2/28/2022 • 40 minutes, 36 seconds
Pricing Subscription Services with Mark Stiving, Ph.D., Chief Pricing Educator, Impact Pricing LLC
In the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Mark Stiving, the Chief Pricing Educator at Impact Pricing and author of Win Keep Grow.Impact Pricing aims to educate companies about value-based pricing, which means to charge what a customer is willing to pay. The company’s initial courses are focused on pricing and value in subscription businesses.The episode starts with Mark explaining his background and how he came to found Impact Pricing. Mark also delves into the psychology of pricing and shares his opinion on whether there are different personal behaviors in B2B decisions versus B2C.We also learn how Mark finds out about the issues his customers experience. He also explains his experiences dealing with companies he felt had priced their subscription services wrong.Mark discusses the bundling trend and whether he sees it continuing. Bundling refers to the selling of different items together as a package.Toward the end of the episode, Mark talks about the link between subscription services and loyalty. He discusses loyalty programs and whether we can expect this trend to continue.Discover more about pricing and value in subscription services by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Mark Stiving, Chief Pricing Educator at Impact Pricing and author of Win Keep Grow.Impact PricingWin Keep GrowReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
2/21/2022 • 38 minutes, 18 seconds
Entering the Fitness Industry with Lauren Foundos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fortë
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we pick the brains of Lauren Foundos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FORTË. FORTË is a fitness brand providing access to boutique studio classes coached by leading fitness experts globally. Lauren begins the episode by explaining how she first got into fitness, especially as she has a background in trading. Then we learn what led Lauren to found FORTË. She also talks about her experience establishing a subscription service for the first time. We then learn how the FORTË subscription works and what types of classes you can expect to follow.A large part of the episode surrounds the technologies Lauren uses in FORTË and the challenges she’s had with them. We also learn how Lauren decided which technologies to use for her company.Lauren goes on to discuss her customer base and also talks about using personal experience to grow the company.We also discover how the pandemic affected FORTË and how the company grew. Toward the end of the episode, Lauren gives her best advice to entrepreneurs and people thinking of building their own subscription service.Discover how Lauren Foundos of FORTË moved and succeeded in the fitness industry by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled.FORTË Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
2/14/2022 • 38 minutes, 23 seconds
Marketing and Business Valuation with Dan McCarthy, Co-Founder of Theta
In the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we speak with Dan McCarthy, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University - Goizueta Business School and Director and Co-Founder of Theta. This episode focuses on marketing and business valuation, which are Dan’s specialty areas.Theta revolutionizes the world of private equity, corporate finance, and strategic management. The brand uses customer-based corporate valuation (CBCV), an innovative, award-winning methodology for measuring and managing corporate valuation using quantitative models for customer behavior.In the episode, we learn all about Dan’s experience working at Theta and how the company works. The episode begins with Dan explaining more about his background and how he got into valuation, which is the quantitative procedure of determining the fair value of an asset or a firm.Then, Dan explains what Theta focuses on and how it uses a subscription model to operate. A large part of the conversation involves discussing how the pandemic has affected major trends in data analytics. We learn how Covid has affected the business and how Dan and his team have communicated with clients during the pandemic.We also learn about the technologies Theta uses and how they’ve evolved in recent years.Learn all about marketing and business valuation by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled, with Dan McCarthy, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University - Goizueta Business School and Director and Co-Founder of Theta.Emory University - Goizueta Business SchoolThetaReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
2/7/2022 • 37 minutes, 51 seconds
Working for a Global IT Consultancy Company with Kenny Baas-Schwegler and João Rosa, Xebia
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions Scaled, we sit down with Kenny Baas-Schwegler, Strategic Software Delivery Consultant at Xebia, and João Rosa, Interim CTO for Hire and Principal Consultant of the same company.Xebia is a worldwide, innovative IT consultancy company, operating globally. Xebia has offices in the United States, India, the Netherlands, Belgium, and many more countries.The brand designs digital customer experiences and products. The team builds new IT and data infrastructures, introduces modern processes, and challenges teams to collaborate differently. In the episode, we learn all about Xebia and how the company works. The episode begins with Kenny and João introducing themselves and sharing information about their expertise and roles at Xebia.We learn how the company operates and how it deals with working through Covid-19 and moving to a fully remote workforce.Kenny and João give their advice on building and maintaining bonds with clients. They also discuss the importance of business agility in a company.The pair also talk about major operations or themes that have stood out to them in how they see a successful subscription organization work compared to a more transactional one.Learn what it’s like working for a global IT consultancy company by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions Scaled with Kenny Baas-Schwegler and João Rosa of Xebia. XebiaReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
1/31/2022 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds
On Standing Out in the Travel Industry with Brett Norton, Founder of the Ultimate Travel Club
In the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we discuss the travel industry and club subscriptions with Brett Norton, Founder of Ultimate Travel Club.Ultimate Travel Club aims to change the way travel works. The members club charges a small subscription instead of marking up or taking a commission on bookings, so prices for trips are up to 40% cheaper than online agents and portals.The episode begins with Brett discussing his background. Then, he delves deeper into Ultimate Travel Club’s unique business model and how the brand works. He talks about the psychological aspect of feeling part of a club and how this is important for the brand’s customers.This leads Brett to discuss what the company does to make its customers feel part of a wider community.As a new company established during the pandemic, we learn that Ultimate Travel Club is currently in the pilot phase. The technology has been built and tested, and they’ve just launched a campaign to get things running.Toward the end of the episode, we learn about Brett’s plans for Ultimate Travel Club’s future, which are to become stable and grow memberships.Learn all about travel clubs and the wider industry by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Brett Norton, Founder of Ultimate Travel Club.Ultimate Travel ClubReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
1/24/2022 • 33 minutes, 40 seconds
On Building a Successful Subscription Service with Christopher George, Chairman and Co-Founder of SUBTA
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Christopher George, Chairman and Co-Founder of SUBTA.The Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA) is a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and hard-working teams aiming to scale their businesses and grow in the subscription industry.Christopher begins the episode by explaining more about SUBTA and how the organization works. We learn about the popular conference SUBTA hosts called SubSummit. Christopher also talks about the company’s experience hosting the first conference since the spread of Covid-19.We also learn Christopher’s views on driving traffic for companies running subscriptions. He talks about the importance of deep-diving into marketing strategies for the best success and how different methods work better for different companies.Christopher also discusses tracking cross-platform traffic and the concept of rewarding long-term customers of a subscription.Another key topic of conversation is how some brands build community. Christopher talks about dealing with unhappy customers, and admits it’s impossible to please everyone with a subscription service.Towards the end of the episode, Christopher shares his advice for new startups hoping to build a subscription service.Learn how to build a subscription service to success by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Christopher George, Chairman and Co-Founder of SUBTA.SUBTASubSummitReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
1/3/2022 • 37 minutes, 27 seconds
On Content Marketing with Brad Smith, Founder and CEO of Codeless Interactive
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Brad Smith, founder and CEO of Codeless. Codeless is a content marketing agency combining strategy, SEO, writing, design, and video. The company produces hundreds of long-form articles monthly for some of the biggest SaaS, service, and affiliate brands.Throughout the episode, Brad discusses the importance of producing excellent content and shares best writing practices. For example, Brad talks about an old copywriting framework called agitate solution and the current trends of exaggerating content and opinions for more engagement.Brad also talks about the social media channels Codeless finds most effective. These include Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, depending on the business and its goals.We also learn all about affinity marketing and how it works well for brands offering subscription services. In short, affinity marketing is a type of direct marketing in which a business creates a partnership with another organization to deliver goods or services in exchange for access to a new market.Midway through the episode, Brad explains the journey of Codeless in more depth, and we learn more about the company and how it works in detail.Learn all about best content marketing practices and more by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Brad Smith, founder and CEO of Codeless. CodelessReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/20/2021 • 37 minutes, 27 seconds
On the Benefits of Subscription Services with Florian André, Founder and CEO of P2S Management Consulting
In the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Florian André, founder and CEO of P2S Management Consulting. P2S Management Consulting helps companies conceptualize, launch, and grow their subscription businesses.The episode begins with Florian sharing more about his background and P2S Management Consulting.Next, Florian explains the Rolls Royce subscription model from the 60s, which was one of the first subscription models introduced to the world.A large part of the episode involves Florian sharing various benefits of the subscription model. He talks about the flexibility of subscriptions and how this is important to the younger generations. Florian goes on to talk about the recurrent revenue subscriptions bring to companies and how they help build loyalty among customers.Later on in the episode, Florian goes into more depth on how P2S works. He also explains more about the company’s target audience.Towards the end of the episode, Florian talks about the importance of creating a journey and a solution for customers throughout the subscription model. Florian believes the aim as a subscription provider is to create the best experience possible for customers. Learn how P2S Management Consulting helps companies develop, launch, and grow their subscription businesses by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Florian André, founder and CEO of the company.P2S Management ConsultingReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/14/2021 • 38 minutes, 9 seconds
On the Use of AI with Benjamin Tuttle, Chief Technology Officer of Arturo.ai
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we discuss using AI with Benjamin Tuttle, chief technology officer of Arturo.ai.Arturo empowers insurance carriers by using artificial intelligence to provide the most up-to-date property characteristics in seconds.The episode begins with Benjamin explaining Arturo’s unique business model and how the brand was first established.Then, Benjamin discusses in more detail how Arturo uses AI, before talking about the team and their roles in the company.Benjamin also talks about Covid-19 and the effects it had on how the team worked at Arturo. He also discusses the different locations the company is based in around the world.We learn about the future plans of Arturo, and Benjamin discusses the importance of having discipline, especially in the early stages of the company. We discover that while Benjamin expects Arturo to remain B2B, they wouldn’t shut down the idea of going B2C, too.Benjamin also shares how the team makes important decisions in the company.Toward the end of the episode, Benjamin discusses the importance of consumer privacy and regulation.Learn how property analytics company Arturo uses AI to empower insurance carriers by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Benjamin Tuttle, chief technology officer of Arturo.ai.ArturoHailoReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/6/2021 • 30 minutes, 45 seconds
Tools for Software Developers with Hadi Hariri, VP of Developer Advocacy at Jetbrains
In the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we sit down with Hadi Hariri, VP of Developer Advocacy at JetBrains.JetBrains creates tools for software developers on a subscription basis, and Hadi begins the episode by explaining more about the company. He then goes on to share more about his role at JetBrains.We learn how JetBrains monetizes its products, which is challenging in a world where many tools for software developers are available for free.Hadi shares more about the subscription model of the company and how the brand works. He also talks about the pricing of the subscription service and how payment works.We discover more about the typical customers of JetBrains. Hadi explains that most of the brand’s revenue comes from corporate sales, but the businesses involved are very mixed when it comes to industries.Hadi also discusses the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic had on the team and how the company had to adapt quickly to work effectively.Toward the end of the episode, Hadi talks about the value of special offers in the subscriptions industry. He discusses one offer JetBrains has and how effective it’s been at helping retain customers.Learn all about JetBrains, a brand creating tools for software developers on a subscription basis, by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Hadi Hariri, VP of Developer Advocacy of the company.JetBrainsIntelliJ IDEA Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
11/29/2021 • 30 minutes, 12 seconds
On Digital Car Insurance with Adam Fischer, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Clearcover
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Adam Fischer, chief product and innovation officer of Clearcover. Clearcover is a digital car insurance provider offering quality coverage for less.The episode begins with Adam explaining how Clearcover works and more about his role at the company. He explains how the brand hopes to go nationwide, but some states make it more challenging to work in.Adam also talks about expanding the brand beyond autos. He says that while the team is keeping its options open, autos are the company's focus.What differentiates Clearcover from its competition is also discussed by Adam in detail. Then he goes on to outline the payments and billing side of the company. Adam also talks about the hiring process and how it’s changing in today’s world. He gives advice to those hiring in technology, including information on taking risks when employing new staff members.We also learn how Covid-19 affected the workings of the Clearcover team during the pandemic.Toward the end of the episode, Adam talks more about the services Clearcover offers and how he expects the product to develop in the future.Discover how digital auto insurance provider Clearcover works, by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Adam Fischer, chief product and innovation officer of Clearcover.Clearcover Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
11/22/2021 • 41 minutes, 5 seconds
On the Growth of the Subscription Industry with Robbie Kellman Baxter, Founder of Peninsula Strategies LLC
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we discuss the subscription industry with Robbie Kellman Baxter, founder of Peninsula Strategies LLC and author of The Membership Economy.Robbie is an industry expert and is a speaker, author, and consultant on subscriptions. Throughout the episode, we learn about Robbie’s experience in the sector and her advice for brands that are currently using or hoping to use a subscription model.The episode begins with Robbie sharing why she believes subscriptions are so relevant today. She also discusses why many businesses are deciding to turn to subscriptions. Robbie also talks about the growth of subscription technology.Robbie discusses how the subscription industry has changed over the past five to ten years. She explains that thanks to new technology, creating a subscription model is easier than ever for businesses.Throughout the episode, Robbie advises businesses on best practices for creating a subscription model. She also discusses the different types of subscriptions available, including models she doesn’t believe will work particularly well.Robbie also discusses subscription fatigue. This refers to a potential 'tiring' of consumers signing up for subscriptions.Learn all about the subscription industry by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Robbie Kellman Baxter, founder of Peninsula Strategies LLC and author of The Membership Economy.Peninsula StrategiesThe Membership Economy Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
11/15/2021 • 44 minutes, 42 seconds
On Using a Discovery Coach with Teresa Torres of Product Discovery Coach
Teresa works as a product discovery coach. This means she helps product teams make better decisions about what to build to create value for customers and businesses.The episode begins with Teresa explaining her background and how she got into her product discovery coach role.She talks in-depth about her book Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value and her experience writing it during the pandemic.Throughout the episode, Teresa explains why hiring a discovery coach is so valuable for businesses planning to build a new product. She also talks about collaboration in teams and the challenges different opinions can create. And she explains the importance of helping customers figure out what they want from a product.Teresa also discusses the process of testing products and subscriptions before they are available for purchase. And she shares how she helps businesses slow down instead of jumping ahead and making quick decisions.Learn about the importance of discovery in the subscriptions industry by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Product Discovery Coach Teresa Torres.Product Discovery CoachContinuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
11/8/2021 • 38 minutes, 26 seconds
On Shifting to Serverless with Josh Murray and Scott Huff of Rebar Technology
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we discuss serverless with Rebar Technology’s Full Stack Developer Josh Murray and Senior Solutions Engineer Scott Huff.Rebar Technology hosts the Subscription: Scaled podcast. The company provides management software for customers to manage their subscriptions. The episode begins with Josh and Scott explaining exactly what serverless is. They tell us that serverless is a method of providing backend services on an as-used basis.Josh and Scott discuss the benefits of serverless and how it differs from traditional servers. We learn that everything you can do on a conventional server you can do serverless.The main reason why companies and individuals stick to a traditional server is that people are used to it and are reluctant to change. It can be challenging to convince people to move to a more efficient way of working when they’re used to a specific method.The episode wraps up with Josh and Scott sharing what they think is the main benefit of serverless. They both agree it’s the flexibility that serverless offers as it can adapt to almost any need.What is serverless? And what are the benefits of switching to serverless from traditional servers? Learn more by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Rebar Technology’s Full Stack Developer Josh Murray and Senior Solutions Engineer Scott Huff.Rebar Technology Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
11/1/2021 • 37 minutes, 31 seconds
On Subscription Discovery Sessions with Rebar Technology’s Christy Beesley and Nick Streams
This week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled is a little different than usual. This week we sit down with Christy Beesley and Nick Streams of Rebar Technology, which produces this podcast.Christy is VP of Merchant Engagement and Solutions at Rebar Technology, and Nick is VP of Solutions Engineering. Together the pair provide us with their expertise on subscriptions, particularly the importance of discovery sessions.The episode begins with Christy and Nick introducing themselves separately and explaining their roles at Rebar Technology. Then, Nick shares exactly what discovery is. Nick explains that a discovery session is an initial collaborative process with all the stakeholders of a project. In the discovery session, the attendants agree upon the project's goals and talk through the problems they’re there to solve.Christy goes on to explain why a discovery session is so important for any company wanting to start a subscriptions service.The pair then go over how a company conducts a discovery session. They also provide advice for people who want to dive into a subscription project and how to start one.Are you hoping to start a subscription service, or are you interested in learning more about the process? Then tune in to the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Christy Beesley, VP of Merchant Engagement and Solutions, and Nick Streams, VP of Solutions Engineering, who both work at Rebar Technology, to learn their expert advice.Rebar Technology Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/25/2021 • 18 minutes, 43 seconds
On Starting a Japanese Food Subscription Box Independently with Danny Taing, Founder and CEO at Bokksu
In the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we meet with Danny Taing, Founder and CEO at Bokksu. Bokksu offers premium subscription boxes of snacks, treats, and candies originating from Japan.The episode begins with Danny explaining the concept of Bokksu. He explains why he started the subscription box and shares his experience of first creating the brand alone. We learn that Danny went on to find a business partner, and he explains how this helped Bokksu grow as a brand.Danny also discusses the logistics of setting up Bokksu and the challenges it brought. We also learn about the brand’s customer base, which consists of many people who are foodies or are simply interested in learning more about Japanese culture.We learn what marketing techniques work best for Bokksu, too. Danny explains that one of the main channels they use to advertise is YouTube, and they hope to capitalize on using TikTok soon. We also learn all about the subscription model and how the team at Bokksu aims to retain customers.This episode comes to a close with Danny sharing what he thinks the future of Bokksu will look like.Discover how Danny Taing, Founder and CEO at Bokksu, started the Japanese food subscription box entirely on his own by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled.BokksuYouTubeTiktokReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/18/2021 • 33 minutes, 8 seconds
On Providing Valuable and Relevant Subscriptions with John Edelson, Founder & President at Time4Learning
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we sit down with John Edelson, Founder and President at Time4Learning.Time4Learning offers a subscription-based curriculum for students to learn, allowing them to progress at their own pace.The episode begins with John explaining more about his background and how he first established Time4Learning in his living room. He then goes on to share his secret formula to subscription success.John explains what the key differences are between students learning at school and using the Time4Learning subscription. He also describes how parents can stay involved in their children’s learning using the subscription service.Staying connected with and providing an excellent service to his customers is essential to John, and he explains how he creates and maintains a great connection with his clients. He talks about how important it is to receive feedback from parents on the subscription service to retain his customers and keep the children engaged in learning.Towards the end of the episode, John also discusses the pricing of the Time4Learning subscriptions and how the product is excellent value for what it’s worth.Discover the secrets to subscription success by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with John Edelson, Founder and President at Time4Learning.Time4LearningReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/11/2021 • 41 minutes, 56 seconds
On Selling Sticker Subscriptions with Nathaniel Vazquez, CEO of Pipsticks, Inc
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Nathaniel Vazquez, CEO of Pipsticks. Pipsticks is a subscription sticker company popular with various customers, including parents with young kids and creative types interested in activities like scrapbooking. The episode begins with Nathaniel explaining the concept of Pipsticks in detail before sharing his career background. Nathaniel then discusses the huge impact Covid-19 had on the business and the significant changes that developed from it. One of the shifts Nathaniel mentioned was the business moving from being solely a subscription company to using e-commerce transactions. From this, Nathaniel discusses the different types of customers Pipsticks attracts and the various ways people buy from the brand. He also talks about Pipsticks operating wholesale. We also learn about the different platforms the company has used, such as Cratejoy, WordPress, and Shopify. We discover how specific platforms integrate well with others. Nathaniel also discusses how the brand markets itself, using Facebook, for example. He then shares how the company retains customers looking to cancel their subscription, such as implementing win-back campaigns for those who decide to cancel.Discover the success behind sticker subscription company Pipsticks by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Nathaniel Vazquez, the company’s CEO.CratejoyWordPressShopify Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
10/4/2021 • 31 minutes, 27 seconds
On Using Machine Learning and AI with Jalem Getz, President & CEO at Wantable, Inc.
On this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we sit down with Jalem Getz, President and CEO at Wantable, Inc.Wantable is a try-before-you-buy online retailer. Personal stylists develop relationships with customers to boost their confidence with looks planned to their unique tastes, needs, and wants. The brand has been around for nine years and has approximately 250 employees.Jalem begins the episode by sharing more information about Wantable and his past career experience. We then learn why Wantable focuses entirely on apparel rather than offering a variety of products.A large part of the discussion involves using machine learning and AI in Wantable’s subscription model, and how it works effectively for the company. Jalem also talks about how they work to keep customers interested and engaged with their subscriptions.He also discusses how Covid-19 affected business during the pandemic and how the team aims to keep the business model as efficient as possible while meeting customers' needs.Jalem goes on to explain why Facebook is still the most effective way for Wantable to reach more customers. He also shares whether he sees value in partnering Wantable with other companies.Discover the unique business model of Wantable, a try-before-you-buy online retailer, by tuning into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Jalem Getz, President at Wantable, Inc.Wantable Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/27/2021 • 36 minutes, 12 seconds
On Changing how Small Businesses Think about Buying Insurance with Jay Bregman, CEO & Founder of Thimble
On this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Jay Bregman, CEO & Founder of Thimble. Thimble offers insurance tailored to businesses, allowing organizations to purchase insurance online with policies by the hour, day, week, or month. The brand sets out to change the way small business owners think about buying insurance.Jay begins the podcast by explaining his background and how the concept for Thimble came about and was developed. He goes on to share what makes Thimble so unique and how it stands out from other small business insurance companies. We also learn how Thimble educates people on its business model, showing them a new way to procure insurance.We discover how API integrations are beneficial for Thimble and all about the brand’s ideal target customer. We also learn about the different types of coverage available, including drone insurance, a relatively new kind of insurance for businesses to invest in.The episode wraps up with Jay sharing the future goals of Thimble. He expects there to be more types of coverage available on the same platform offered today, aiming to perfect the user experience.Learn how business insurance company Thimble is changing how brands think about buying insurance by checking out the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Jay Bregman, CEO & Founder of Thimble. Thimble Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/20/2021 • 31 minutes, 24 seconds
On Founding an Organic Meal Plan Service with Elizabeth Connolly, Co-Founder & President, Trifecta
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Elizabeth Connolly, Co-Founder and President of Trifecta Nutrition.Trifecta Nutrition is a meal planning service, providing delicious and nutritious meals to help people meet their health and fitness goals.The episode begins with Elizabeth explaining her background and how she ended up founding Trifecta. She then talks more about Trifecta, about their customers’ user journey, and how the company makes it easy for people to navigate their website.We learn how the individualized onboarding procedure is created and how the Trifecta team keeps customers engaged during the buying process. Elizabeth also explains how Trifecta reaches new customers and how they provide them with a nutrition resource. She also discusses how the team works to keep customers from leaving their subscription or struggling to follow their meal plan.Elizabeth also explains why the subscription model makes sense for Trifecta. One of the reasons is that people can switch up their diets or change their meal plans to suit their tastes and needs.The episode comes to an end with Elizabeth sharing what she sees in the future for Trifecta.Learn what makes healthy meal plan subscription service Trifecta so special by tuning in to the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Elizabeth Connolly, the company’s co-founder and president.Trifecta Nutrition Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/13/2021 • 30 minutes, 15 seconds
On Growing a Furniture Rental Business with Ilyse Kaplan, President & Chief Operating Officer at Feather
On this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled we speak with Ilyse Kaplan, President & Chief Operating Officer at Feather.Feather provides furniture rentals for a new generation of renters, people who are typically moving more because of changing jobs, roommates, and cities. The brand allows customers to rent furniture when they move properties, giving them more freedom and flexibility. Ilyse begins the podcast episode by explaining the concept behind Feather and their target audience, which is 25 to 40-year-olds living in big cities. Then, we learn more about Ilyse and how she started working at Feather.We soon discover how Feather works and the life cycle of the furniture items. While most of Feather’s client base are individual consumers, we learn that the company also provides services to corporate and commercial accounts.During Covid-19, Feather saw a huge increase in office furniture rentals as many people had to adapt to a home office environment.Ilyse also discusses the business model of Feather and what makes the brand so unique compared to other furniture rental companies.The episode slowly wraps up with Ilyse sharing what she would do differently at the company a few years ago if she could.Do you want to learn about the unique business model of Feather, a furniture rental company? Then tune in to the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Ilyse Kaplan, President & Chief Operating Officer at Feather.FeatherPottery BarnFloydWest Elm Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
9/7/2021 • 38 minutes, 53 seconds
Building a Community with Kim and Tim Lewis of CurlMix
On this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast host Nick Fredrick is joined by Kimberly Lewis, CEO and Co-Founder at CurlMix, and Tim Lewis COO/CTO and Co-Founder at CurlMix. Kim and Tim share their entrepreneurial journey in the founding of their company, a clean beauty brand for curly hair. After many starts and stops at the beginning, they were having trouble finding funding for their idea of a social network for women with natural hair, despite talking to numerous VCs and angels, and entering pitch competitions. Meanwhile, Kim signed Tim up for a spot on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He won $100,000 and that provided the funding they needed.The social network evolved into a subscription service for natural hair products for natural hair, but they have retained the social aspect as part of their marketing and customer retention strategy. Blog posts, live shows on Facebook, and customer testimonials all work to keep customers engaged and happy, keeping cancellations low.They share the lessons they have learned along the way to scale the business to what it is today, lessons that are valuable for any rising entrepreneur to learn from. @Tim Lewis@Kimberly Lewis@CurlMixCurlMix@NickFredrick@rebar-technologyRebar TechnologyReady to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/30/2021 • 47 minutes, 46 seconds
Bootstrapping for Success with Chris Gatbonton and Ryan Afflitto of Creation Crate
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Chris Gatbonton and Ryan Afflitto of Creation Crate join host Nick Fredrick from Rebar Technology to talk about their unique company that brings STEM education to a subscription box service. Chris talks about his frustration with education as he was growing up, and how he thought hands-on projects were a better way to teach and learn. He started Creation Crate with an idea and very little money, relying on a PR campaign to get the word out about his idea before he had his first box. That campaign resulted in enough pre-orders to fund his first box and he was off to the races. Another unique aspect of the business is that it’s curriculum-based, so new subscribers all start with the same box regardless of when they join. The current curriculum is based on electronics and programming, and customers build projects like Bluetooth speakers and weather stations. Expansion into all areas of STEM is in the works. Ryan joined shortly after Chris launched, leaving a marketing agency to focus on Creation Crate full time. Since then the company has seen tremendous growth. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/23/2021 • 42 minutes, 31 seconds
Mixing Art and Business with Reed Epstein and Brenda Galvan of Smart Art Box
On this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, host Nick Fredrick is joined by Reed Epstein and Brenda Galvan of Smart Art Box. This subscription service sends artists and art enthusiasts boxes that present different cultural influences and artistic mediums to encourage their customers to explore outside of their comfort zone.The idea for the business grew out of Brenda’s work as a volunteer with a non-profit organization that helps inner-city children who have lived through traumatic experiences deal with their emotions through art.While Brenda handles the artistic side of the business, Reed handles most of the nuts and bolts of running the business. This included dealing with the software and platforms that are necessary in the world of subscription businesses today to handle things like fulfillment, payment processing and inventory management. They have grown over the years, and they talk about how they have stayed open to constant evaluation and reassessment of their business processes as they have managed that growth. This has included moving their physical space more than once, and bringing their fulfillment in house and out of third party fulfillment centers. Click on the link below for more.@Reed Diaz EpsteinSmart Art Box@NickFredrick@rebar-technologyRebar Technology Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/16/2021 • 39 minutes, 21 seconds
On Helping Companies Launch Mobile App Subscription Businesses with Dan Burcaw, Co-Founder & CEO at Nami ML
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Dan Burcaw, Co-Founder and CEO at Nami ML. Nami ML prides itself on being the smartest service to assist you in launching, scaling, and optimizing your mobile app subscription business. There are many issues in mobile-first businesses, and Nami is there to help streamline processes and make mobile app subscription businesses run as smoothly as possible.The episode begins with Dan explaining the concept behind Nami ML, and how he ended up working at the company.Dan talks about bringing different mobile ecosystems together, such as the Google App Store, Google Play Store, and Roku.One focus of the 45-minute-long episode is discussing the changes in the subscription industry over the years. Dan claims that the opportunity customers now have to cancel subscriptions easily is a significant shift that has come about.Following on from this, Dan gives his ideas on what he expects to occur in the future in the subscriptions industry.The episode slowly finishes up with Dan speaking about the future of Nami ML as a business and what they hope to achieve and introduce to the company.Do you want to learn how a service that helps businesses launch mobile app subscriptions works? Then tune in to the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Dan Burcaw, Co-Founder & CEO at Nami ML. NamiOracleStripeReady to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/9/2021 • 41 minutes, 57 seconds
Personalizing the Customer Experience with Eric Wu of Gainful
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Eric Wu, Co-Founder at Gainful joins host Nick Fredrick from Rebar Technology to talk about his subscription-only personalized nutrition company.The concept behind Gainful started with Eric’s unpleasant experience in college as an athlete trying to untangle the uncomfortable and confusing web of hype and snake oil sales that pervades the traditional nutritional supplement retail environment.Telling his co-founder about his idea for a better way led to the founding of Gainful. Early on in the process, they decided to go to a subscription-only model, despite the fact that their testing showed that a la carte offerings had a much higher conversion rate. That decision paid off, leading them to find ways to make their personalized experience for each customer the best it could be. The result is a much higher retention rate than they would ever have achieved with a la carte sales. They have refined their customer experience as they have grown, and they now use all the data points they can collect—including direct customer conversations, polls, and surveys—to continue to improve on their customer experience, which has led to rapid growth and a bright future.Click the link in the comments for the whole conversation. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
8/2/2021 • 37 minutes, 25 seconds
On Planning Subscription Box Services with Paul Jarrett, Co-Founder & CEO at Bulu
In this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we sit down with Paul Jarrett, Co-Founder & CEO at Bulu.Bulu launches and manages hundreds of subscription box, kitting, and specialty fulfillment projects. Impressively, the company can kit up to 100,000 packages in one day. Brands working with Bulu receive plenty of perks, including order management software and shipping rate discounts.The episode begins with Paul talking about Bulu and how the company first became established. We later learn about some of the company's software and programs, and Paul discusses the benefits of using Asana as a project management tool. We also discover that Bulu has also dabbled with using VR, too.Paul explains where he thinks the subscription business is currently going, especially in a post-Covid-19 world, following many people experimenting with subscriptions while they were at home.We also learn about the marketing and planning of the subscription boxes in detail. Paul talks about how talented the Bulu team is, with many of the staff members working at the company since day one. The conversation starts to wrap up with Paul explaining Bubu’s ideal client profile. Do you want to learn how many of the country’s subscription box services are managed? Then tune into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Paul Jarrett, Co-Founder & CEO at Bulu.BuluAsanaOculus Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
7/26/2021 • 54 minutes, 59 seconds
Overcoming the Unique Challenges of Fashion Subscriptions with Avi Zolty
Starting a subscription-based company is challenging enough, but starting one in the fickle world of fashion presents its own set of challenges to overcome. On this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, host Nick Fredrick is joined by Avi Zolty, Founder of EarFleek—a subscription fashion earring platform. Avi tells Nick about the unconventional ways that EarFleek acquires customers, how it engages with them even when they aren’t receiving physical products, and how it uses customer feedback to keep costs down through more efficient product ordering and inventory control.Some of the interactive marketing and engagement techniques Avi employs would be considered wrong by many marketing experts. But he and his team are 100% data-driven in their approach, and they are not afraid to try things that may be unconventional to see what works. Avi also explains how he thinks about subscription services backward—by paying less attention to raw customer acquisition numbers and focusing more on the lifetime value of highly desirable customers who will stick around longer. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
7/19/2021 • 39 minutes, 40 seconds
On growing a tea subscription company with Jason Roos, Co-founder at Steepster
On this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Jason Roos, Co-founder at Steepster.Steepster is the world’s largest tea community. It allows members to keep track of the teas they’re drinking, receive recommendations from friends, and discover new teas. Steepster offers a tea subscription service bringing a sampling of hand-picked teas to member’s doorsteps each month. Tea lovers can try new teas sourced from around the world by a large variety of premium tea brands.In this episode, we learn all about Jason’s experience in the subscription industry and how he started working for Steepster. Jason also speaks a lot about Steepster and how the brand became so successful over the years. We learn about Steepster’s Tea of the Month Club along with the brand’s other offerings.A highlight of the conversation is the importance of businesses creating meaningful relationships with customers, and how Steepster does that. Jason also talks about the marketing and design aspects of Steepster.We also learn about the evolution of Steepster and how it’s grown over the years. Jason also touches upon the Living Social promotion the brand ran.The conversation slowly wraps up with Jason discussing other competitor subscription services on the market and how they compare with Steepster.Do you want to learn how a tea subscription service rose to success? Then tune into the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled with Jason Roos, Co-founder at Steepster.SteepsterLiving SocialReady to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
7/12/2021 • 40 minutes, 47 seconds
On Running a Perfume Subscription Service with Andrei Rebrov, CTO & Co-founder at Scentbird
On this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Andrei Rebrov, CTO & Co-founder at Scentbird. Scentbird is a subscription service that sends customers a trial-sized vial of fragrance from top brands like Prada, Gucci, Nest, Tom Ford, and more for $15.95 per month.The episode begins with Andrei talking about his background and explaining how he became a founder for Scentbird. We learn how Andrei’s role has changed over the years and what the evolution for Scentbird has been like.We also learn a lot about Scentbird and how the subscription service works. Andrei answers how he communicates to customers about changing the way they consume perfumes. He claims that most people assume others only have one fragrance, when in fact, 50% of women have five perfumes at home.Andrei also speaks about the delivery and operational aspects of Scentbird. This includes the technology of taking orders. The episode concludes with Andrei discussing how COVID-19 affected the business. He explains that they didn’t have to change much of their roadmap and, in fact, saw a rise in purchases and usage. Even during COVID-19, people wanted to keep a sense of normalcy in their day by using perfume.Do you want to learn how a perfume subscription service works? Then tune in to the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, with Andrei Rebrov, CTO & Co-founder at Scentbird.Resources:ScentbirdReady to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
7/5/2021 • 33 minutes, 33 seconds
Leveraging Data for Nutrition, Health, and Performance with Rachel Soper Sanders, CEO and Co-Founder at Rootine
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology Solutions, is joined by Rachel Soper Sanders, CEO and Co-founder at Rootine. Rootine is a consumer-driven health and human performance company whose mission is to enable users to leverage technology and personalized health data to deliver customized micronutrient formulas as well as plan and track a path to optimal health and performance. Rachel’s decade-long experience in the healthcare space led her toward a more customer-direct, data-driven, and education-centered approach. She and Nick discuss the challenges in delivering a tailored, precision product at a reasonable price and with tight turnaround time. They discuss the type of high-performance customers who have been attracted to the data-driven experience and subsequent user engagement and retention. Additionally, the increased focus on personal health during the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the type of information offered through the Rootine platform and is a timely topic of discussion. Lastly, they touch on a variety of subjects ranging from data security to the internal and external human resource philosophy at Rootine, along with challenges encountered when scaling a subscription model.To get started and learn more about Rootine and Rachel Soper Sanders, be sure to listen to the podcast and visit: Rootine @ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rootine_co?s=20Rachel Soper Sanders @ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelssanders?s=20Rootine @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootine_co/?hl=enRachel Soper Sanders’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-soper-sanders/Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/28/2021 • 30 minutes, 54 seconds
Gaining Parents’ Trust With Marshall Bex of Vooks
On this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, host Nick Fredrick sits down with Marshall Bex, CEO & Founder of Vooks, the first video streaming library of animated children's books. Marshall talks about his early career working with large brands like Nike and Gatorade, and how his experience in taking products to market has helped in his entrepreneurial journey with Vooks. In launching those new products, he learned how to observe consumer behavior in such a way to gain a deep understanding of how and why people react the way they do in a consumer setting.He applied those principles to studying how children, including his own children, react to books, games, TV, and ebooks. That was the inspiration for starting Vooks. He also talks to Nick about the challenges of having a subscription model and what they do to study consumer behavior in a way that helps them turn tire kickers into subscribers. His particular model has an additional challenge, which is that the paying customer, the parents, are not necessarily the target as the consumer, the children. He says earning the parents’ trust is a key component to them signing up for a subscription. Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/21/2021 • 37 minutes, 14 seconds
Creating a Great Customer Experience with Ajay Kori of UrbanStems
Ajay Kori is Co-Founder & Chairman of UrbanStems, a plant and flower delivery company that rewrote the book on what was traditionally a business with a reputation for a surprising number of dissatisfied customers. He joins the latest episode of Subscriptions: Scaled podcast to talk with host Nick Fredrick about how UrbanStems has disrupted the flower delivery industry by building a business from the ground up with a laser focus on creating the best customer experience possible. This meant starting from scratch building relationships with the growers, creating their own delivery system, and controlling the entire process from receiving the orders to making the deliveries.Ajay is also transparent about the mistakes he has made along the way. He underestimated how powerful and popular subscriptions would be, not only for his business but also for many customers who appreciate sending or receiving flowers on a regular basis without having to go back to the site to re-order. Tune into this episode of Subscriptions: Scaled to hear Ajay talk about all this and more at the link in the comments below. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network.@ajaykori@NickFredrick@UrbanStems@rebar-technologyUrbanStemsRebar Technology Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
6/14/2021 • 33 minutes, 18 seconds
From Direct-to-Consumer E-Com to 5,000 Retail Stores with Nik Hall, Co-Founder at Vitafive
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology Solutions, is joined by Nik Hall, Co-Founder at Vitafive. Nik shares Vitafive’s unique journey of going from subscription-only to 5,000 retail stores and back to gaining direct subscribers. Nik opens the episode talking about how he and his partner Garret got into the vitamin business. They started by offering personalized vitamin packs on their website. They were able to scale to seven figures after a few early tech hiccups Nik shares.But because of churn and cash flow issues, they looked for other ways to grow, which led them to retail sales.Nik talks about the differences between running a direct-to-consumer subscription business vs. selling through retail. He shares insights about working in a regulated market, communicating with retail customers, and how they make growth decisions.He also shared the effects of COVID-19, including why he believes they lost $500,000 in sales in 2020 working with Amazon.You can find this episode’s guest, Nik Hall, on LinkedIn. You can also find Vitafive here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show, and share this episode with your network. Resources:Shopify
6/7/2021 • 33 minutes, 46 seconds
From Hacker to Customer-Focused CTO with Joel Van Horn of PetPlate
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology Solutions, is joined by Joel Van Horn, CTO of PetPlate. PetPlate is a human-grade dog food company that ships personalized, pre-portioned meals to subscribers.Joel starts the episode sharing his journey from graphic design and product management to being a "white hat hacker." He eventually got into e-commerce consulting so he could start building things again instead of breaking things. Joel looks at technology from the user experience side, and sees it as part of the opportunity to build a relationship with customers.He talks about why custom solutions are usually the best solution for fast-growth companies, along with the angles he considers when deciding between custom and third-party solutions. Joel shares some of their strategies for balancing flexibility and efficiency to keep subscribers satisfied. He also talks about the importance of evolving subscriptions and the opportunity of "just-in-time" subscriptions. Finally, Joel talks about the challenges of payment solutions and international expansion.You can find this episode's guest, Joel Van Horn, on LinkedIn. You can also find PetPlate here. Don't forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show, and share this episode with your network. Resources:ShopifyPetPlate StripeWooCommerce
5/31/2021 • 37 minutes, 56 seconds
Considering Culture for Global Growth with Sanjyot P. Dunung, Founder & CEO, Atma Global
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology Solutions, is joined by Sanjyot P. Dunung, Founder & CEO, Atma Global. Sanjyot shares her unique experience of building a global learning platform for lifelong learners. Sanjyot opens the episode sharing how she built Atma Global starting in 2003 with CD-ROMs, transitioned to DVDs, and now hosts content on a streaming platform. Atma has journeyed from being a B2B company providing content through resellers to being a B2C direct-to-consumer company. Sanjyot touches on the shifts in the way companies view the importance of addressing global issues over the last 20 years. She shares the importance of companies understanding cultural differences and how they affect business.She shares the mistake that cost Atma three million customers and how they’re moving forward. Sanjyot also talks about launching a new platform at the start of the 2020 pandemic, the two digital marketing channels they’re using most, and the marketing strategy she would go back and use from the very beginning if she were starting again. We also discuss the technology stack, payment processors, and customer service nuances of growing a global subscription business along with much more.You can find this episode’s guest, Sanjyot P. Dunung, on LinkedIn. You can also find Atma Global here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. Resources:Atma InsightsPivotal Tracker
5/24/2021 • 38 minutes, 17 seconds
Scalable and Sustainable Subscriber Growth Through Unique Partnerships with Rogan Sage, VP of Growth at Perlego
Rogan shares a little about his background, then he jumps right into the challenges you face with a seasonal and finite demand subscription product. He discusses the data challenges as an early-stage startup, and how they improvise with a simple Google hack to make predictions and measure performance. A lot of the conversation touches on the unique ways Perlego gains new subscribers. Perlego is constantly testing new acquisition strategies, including a test where the higher cost offer gained more subscribers than the lower cost offer. Rogan talks about their typical subscribers' decision-buying process, and why paid ad strategies don't typically work for their subscribers. He also talks about the role of branding, including the perfect time for potential subscribers to think about your brand. Rogan shares some exciting partnership strategies Perlego leverages—partnerships from trusted sources that put them in front of potential subscribers early in the buying process.He also shares a new partnership they landed during the pandemic that actually pays the subscription bill for some of their subscribers. Finally, Rogan shares how they decide between using third-party tools and solutions they build themselves.You can find this episode's guest, Rogan Sage, on LinkedIn, or email him at Rogan@Perlego.com. You can also find Perlego here. Don't forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network.
5/17/2021 • 29 minutes, 17 seconds
Customer-Focused Innovation for Long-Term, Happy Subscribers with Gertrude Allen, CEO of PetPlate
PetPlate offers various meals and treats for pets, all made from human-grade ingredients in a USDA kitchen with other human food. They are the only pet food made in their facility. Gertrude begins by sharing the unique product creation and delivery strategies PetPlate uses to stand out in its niche. This includes the customization of each delivery according to the customer, and even the packaging, which all lead to advantages for buying their products. Next, she reveals a bit about her journey from working with the venture capital team invested in PetPlate to becoming the CEO of PetPlate in about six months. She also shares how the founder’s experience, insights, and passion made PetPlate a brand they wanted to invest in. Gertrude also discusses how the nature of PetPlate’s customers allows them to have predictable revenue while planning for new product launches. They’ve been a subscription service from the beginning, and Gertrude shares some of the reasoning behind their additional offers and moving into one-off purchase options.Gertrude also discusses the PetPlate strategy for getting first-time customers, obtaining repeat orders, and retaining customers for years.She shares a big pivot they made in the beginning, which went from overwhelming customers with too much information, too fast, to educating potential customers and providing custom solutions that create happy, long-term subscribers. Finally, Gertrude talks about the importance of product innovation in keeping subscribers long term, and how PetPlate operates internally between different departments to ensure everyone stays on the same page as they innovate.You can find this episode’s guest, Gertrude Allen, on LinkedIn. You can also find PetPlate here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. Resources:Ruby on RailsPetPlate
5/10/2021 • 28 minutes, 18 seconds
Maximize Revenue and Customer Retention through Streamlined Payments with Kevin Salerno, Billing and Payments Architect at Newfold Digital/Constant Contact
For the past five years, Kevin and his team have had the responsibility of streamlining a payment and billing infrastructure that supports this diverse family of companies.Kevin has had the unique challenge of merging ten different payment systems and teams into one seamless system. And his team is designing a payment system that can support new acquisitions.Kevin shares some of the challenges companies face when merging payment systems from different parts of the world. He also talks about some of the advantages of such a diverse group of teams and systems.Kevin discusses the factors he considers when prioritizing the tasks that his team focuses on in payments—and where he doesn’t want them to focus. He also discusses the essential role education plays in payments and billing for internal and external team members. Kevin wraps up the show by talking about the data that most subscription billers mistakenly measure and the more critical data that they should be measuring. You can find this episode’s guest, Kevin Salerno, on LinkedIn and at Payments Ed. You can also find Newfold Digital here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network.
5/3/2021 • 38 minutes, 1 second
Attracting Loyal Subscribers through Content Marketing with Tim Murphy, CEO at Branch Basics
Tim Murphy, CEO of Branch Basics, joins Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, in this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast. Branch Basics offers non-toxic, “human-safe” cleaning products. Tim opens the discussion with a history of the company, its brief shut down and reopening, and its commitment to educating consumers on health and wellness.Tim explains how Branch Basics has always sold direct-to-consumer via their website. As they relaunched the company, it became evident that the products had something of a cult following. Branch Basics implemented a subscription service along with one-off purchase options to improve the customer experience for loyal fans.When Covid hit, the company chose to prioritize subscribers and end single purchases. Tim believes it was the right call in hindsight—logistics, billing, and fulfillment processes were already in place and many subscribers are physically unable to use other cleaning products.Tim also discusses how the company’s commitment to health and wellness education creates a sense of community, builds consumer confidence, and transforms customer service into a profit center.The episode wraps with a discussion of implementing new technologies during a startup’s early days. Tim encourages startups to thoughtfully evaluate the business case for custom software solutions and recommends plug-and-play solutions that can grow or change as the company evolves.You can find this episode’s guest, Tim Murphy, on LinkedIn, or reach him at tim@branchbasics.com. Learn more about Branch Basics by visiting BranchBasics.com and join their health and wellness community by following @BranchBasics on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
4/26/2021 • 38 minutes, 53 seconds
Leveraging Loyalty to Scale Subscriptions with Vik Mehta, Head of Sales at Velocity Logic
Vik brings an interesting perspective to the subscription world with a focus on loyalty. He starts the episode by sharing how loyalty and subscription are great compliments to one another when it comes to creating customers that are happy to pay subscriptions.Vik talks about the real advantage loyalty programs give to subscription businesses. Including the insights that can be gained from loyalty programs and what a business can do with those insights.Vik also discusses why subscription brands need to start looking at growth opportunities from the viewpoint of the consumer. He shares how convenience stores are growing their offerings by paying better attention to their customer data and tailoring their offers based on what they’re learning.You can find this episode’s guest, Vik Mehta, on LinkedIn. You can also find Velocity Logic here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show, and share this episode with your network. Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/19/2021 • 32 minutes, 35 seconds
Custom-Tailored Subscriptions and Educating Subscribers with Coulter Lewis, Founder and CEO of Sunday
What is Sunday?Sunday is a subscription lawn care service that uses data and ag tech to help customers have a good-looking yard without a lot of work—and without all the toxic pesticides. Grass is technically America's third largest "crop", taking up 40 million acres of land, whereas organic farms only cover approximately five million acres of land.People understand the importance of not using pesticides on food, but we use about 10X the amount of pesticides on our lawns than we use on industrial farms. Sunday is on a mission to change that through plant science.Custom Subscriber SolutionsWhen a customer signs up, they get a custom-tailored "care package" for their lawn based on where they live, their soil, and the climate of the season. They even get a test kit to find out if the soil in their yard needs any special attention. Sunday makes it easy. They give subscribers exactly what they need, when they need it, without needing any knowledge of how to take care of their lawns. This allows subscribers to have beautiful lawns their neighbors admire without chemicals that harm their family.They’ve found that subscribers actually feel good when they’re empowered to take care of their property. This has led to over 2,800 online reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in about two years.Jumping From The Food Business to LawncareCoulter and his wife have run a business called Quinn Foods for the past ten years. With a mission to revolutionize food, they started with microwave popcorn. They removed the chemicals, plastics, artificial flavorings, and preservatives, and stuck with real ingredients that they could trace back to the source. To do this they spent a lot of time with farmers in their fields, literally. This led to Coulter learning a lot about agriculture, so when he started looking at the lawn care space, he looked at it through that lens. As he was trying to take care of his own lawn, he noticed the readily available solutions were mostly synthetic pesticides. The same things he was working to get rid of in his food business were his main options for upkeeping the lawn he was letting his kids play in. That led him down a path of research that resulted in what they now do at Sunday.Retail vs. Direct-to-ConsumerCoulter thought he could bring in his current retail knowledge and connections. But instead of the “Hey, buy this and good luck using it…” approach that typically happens in retail, they needed an educational direct-to-consumer online approach.They learned very quickly that 99% of people don't know much about lawn care. Offering their product online allows them to educate their subscriber base.Direct-to-consumer also gives them the value of continuous data. The clarity from the data allows them to adjust and change much faster than retail.Educating Subscribers for GrowthSunday’s solution is a mix between do-it-yourself and hiring a company to get it done for you.It’s a new approach in the industry, and that’s what makes the educational element so important. They try to educate potential subscribers by simplifying their value proposition with three main pillars: custom-tailored solution, easy to use, and safe for everyone including your kids and pets.They've mainly acquired subscribers through paid search on Facebook and Instagram. They also use paid search on Google and direct mail.Coulter says their continuous challenge is getting their message across without overwhelming potential subscribers.Custom and Flexible Tech StackBecause of the unique and custom-tailored solution Sunday offers, they don't use many of the traditional software solutions. Their entire platform is built from scratch. Coulter does mention that they now integrate with Looker and a few other external services. But because their subscriptions are based on things that can change, like weather, they had to build a very flexible platform.He also mentions that tools that drive the right insights are important, but also it's important that the team has a data-oriented mindset. Sunday helps achieve this with weekly meetings where they're reviewing data and measuring KPIs.To hear more from Coulter, tune into this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast.Ready to get started with Rebar? Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
4/12/2021 • 27 minutes, 5 seconds
Identifying a Primary Use Case with John Sherwin, Co-Founder of Hydrant
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by John Sherwin, Co-Founder of Hydrant. John touches on various topics including how subscription businesses can identify their target market and primary use case, things to consider when outsourcing technology, and how to offer the best possible customer experience. John opens the episode by sharing the story behind why he first started Hydrant. He states that when he first started trying to improve his personal hydration, he tested every hydration product available. While some products were effective in improving his hydration, they were lacking in other areas. Overall, John couldn’t find a single hydration product that was simultaneously effective, tasty, and healthy, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.The episode continues with John diving into how he decided upon Hydrant’s hybrid subscription model. He explains that Hydrant began as primarily an e-commerce business, but this pivoted when his co-founder joined and helped him realize that Hydrant’s primary use case lends itself more to a subscription model than to an e-commerce model. The episode wraps with John sharing insight into how Hydrant’s management of data has evolved over time, as well as offering tips on how other subscription businesses can consolidate their data.You can find this episode’s guest, John Sherwin, on LinkedIn. You can also find Hydrant here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
4/5/2021 • 31 minutes, 51 seconds
Adapting to the Changing Subscription Space with Jordan Salvit, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of KitNipBox
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Jordan Salvit, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of KitNipBox. Jordan provides insight into what his experience was like founding KitNipBox seven years ago at the forefront of the subscription industry. He also touches on how KitNipBox prioritizes their acquisition strategy, how the product has evolved, and their strategies for customer retention.Jordan kicks off the episode by sharing a few of the lessons he’s learned after spending seven years in the subscription space. He explains that because each business has different customers with different needs, it’s essential that subscription businesses listen to their customers’ feedback and understand their specific needs. In the same vein, Jordan suggests that subscription businesses should offer subscribers as much product customization as possible.Jordan continues by shedding light into how KitNipBox managed the build vs. buy question that subscription businesses so often face. He explains that when KitNipBox was first starting out, there weren’t as many third party out-of-box solutions available. Because of this, the company was more intentional about only building things that were necessary to the business. The episode wraps with Jordan sharing his take on why businesses should consider subscription as a model, highlighting the predictability and narrowed focus that it offers.You can find this episode’s guest, Jordan Salvit, on LinkedIn. You can also find KitNipBox here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
3/29/2021 • 30 minutes, 44 seconds
Creating Value Outside of the Subscription Product with Brian Runnals, President and Founder of Recur Outdoors
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Brian Runnals, President and Founder of Recur Outdoors. Brian provides insight into how Recur Outdoors landed upon their current brand strategy and how they differentiate themselves from other subscription businesses. He also shares tips on customer retention, incentives, and building vs. buying. The episode opens with Brian touching on the eight-year history behind Recur Outdoors, as well as the pivots they had along the way. He shares the impact that their customers had on them, explaining that while Recur Outdoors first focused solely on fly-fishing, their customers eventually pushed them into offering other categories of gear as well.Brian continues by diving into the things Recur Outdoors does to differentiate their business. He highlights the importance of examining and experimenting with customer experience, and explains that creating value in more than just the subscription product is a pivotal component in differentiating Recur Outdoors from competitors.Brian wraps the episode with a piece of advice to other founders. He states that in hindsight, he would have invested more time and money into the technology behind Recur Outdoors earlier on and not waited until the company grew to take that step.You can find this episode’s guest, Brian Runnals, on LinkedIn. You can also find Recur Outdoors here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!Resources:Churn Buster: https://churnbuster.io/Stripe: https://stripe.com/
3/22/2021 • 40 minutes, 9 seconds
Building Subscriber Relationships with Austin Romansky, Managing Partner at Crema.co
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Austin Romansky, Managing Partner at Crema.co. Austin dives into how crema.co markets their subscription to target consumers. He also gets behind the philosophy that allows crema.co to build genuine trust and relationships with subscribers, and how this has all led to decreased churn, and more.Austin kicks off the episode by sharing the story behind how crema.co first started, as well as how they’ve transitioned since. He explains that while crema.co was first positioned towards ‘coffee purists,’ they now cater towards a wider market of casual coffee drinkers looking to advance their coffee knowledge and tastes.Austin continues by describing how crema.co identified their target market, and he explains the method to their madness in deciding to move the company completely off social media. Austin shares that because the company targets a more engaged customer, their marketing efforts focus more on understanding and communicating with existing customers, incentivizing them to spread the word about crema.co, and ultimately leveraging this word of mouth. The episode wraps with Austin providing insight into how crema.co has managed to decrease churn and retain customers. He credits transparency, authenticity, and regular interaction as being the main drivers of this. You can find this episode’s guest, Austin Romansky, on LinkedIn. You can also find Crema.co here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
3/15/2021 • 33 minutes, 15 seconds
Pivoting from Full Subscription to an E-Commerce Hybrid with Lissa Regets, Head of Growth at EBY
Lissa opens up the episode by giving insight into her experience working at a female-led brand, and she shares how working at a brand that puts supporting women at the core of their business has impacted her experience there.Lissa also explains why EBY decided to pivot from being entirely subscription-based to being a hybrid mix of subscription and e-commerce, crediting EBY’s customers with being the primary drivers of this shift.The episode wraps with Lissa giving her two cents on scaling up a subscription business. Her biggest piece of advice is to not be afraid to fail and to err on the side of being more aggressive than conservative, especially when just starting out. You can find this episode’s guest, Lissa Regets, on LinkedIn. You can also find EBY here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
3/8/2021 • 29 minutes, 10 seconds
Focusing on the End Consumer in Subscription feat. Kristin Toth Smith, President and COO at Fernish
Kristin opens up the episode by providing an overview on Fernish and explaining what the product and subscription model look like. She shares that at Fernish, their primary goal is to allow people the flexibility to change their furniture with their needs and not have to deal with committing to bulky assets.She continues by expanding on the importance of customer experience. She states that contrary to many other companies in the subscription furniture space, Fernish starts from the customer’s perspective and works backwards. So instead of creating a finished product first, Fernish identifies the customers’ use cases and needs, then builds the product around them.The episode wraps up with Kristin sharing the metrics that Fernish looks at the most. She concludes by saying how Fernish has balanced building software solutions in-house and by partnering with external vendors.You can find this episode’s guest, Kristin Toth Smith, on LinkedIn or reach her at kristin@fernish.com. You can also find Fernish here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
3/1/2021 • 25 minutes, 32 seconds
Tips on Positioning Your Subscription Offering feat. Sai Gupta, CTO at Wing
Sai kicks off the episode by sharing that Wing first came to life when four roommates in a messy college dorm room scrambled to find a cleaning service the night before their parents were due to visit. Their efforts were futile, and that’s where the idea for having an on-demand personal assistant was born.Sai also touches on how COVID-19 impacted the business, specifically in causing it to pivot from being B2C to B2B. He also dives into how Wing decided to price its subscription offerings, strategies they use when marketing to and engaging new customers who have never used VA services before, and how they manage payments from a global consumer base. The episode ends with Sai sharing tips on how subscription businesses can provide the best experience for their subscribers, from ensuring prompt customer service replies to offering discounts for any issues experienced. You can find this episode’s guest, Sai Gupta, on LinkedIn. You can also find Wing here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
2/22/2021 • 41 minutes, 53 seconds
When to Start a Subscription Business feat. Kimberly Moore, CEO at Go Together, Inc.
Kimberly opens up the episode by describing Go Together as a subscription-based platform that organizes school transportation for students. She takes listeners on her journey with Go Together, which started with acquiring a carpool company, before pivoting to the software-based edtech company it is now.Kimberly continues by diving into why she first decided to co-found Go Together. She credits the line, “Opportunities of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity” with impacting her decision and triggering her to reflect on the opportunity that existed in school transportation. The episode ends with Kimberly sharing her tips on how to evaluate vendor partners, as well as her reflection on the best decisions she made as CEO of Go Together. You can find this episode’s guest, Kimberly Moore, on Twitter or LinkedIn. You can also find Go Together here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
2/15/2021 • 36 minutes, 58 seconds
Best Practices for Acquiring and Engaging Subscribers feat. David Woodward, CEO at ClickFunnels
David is one of the founding partners at ClickFunnels, a subscription-based SaaS company that helps entrepreneurs build sales funnels for their businesses. Drawing from his extensive marketing experience and time at ClickFunnels, David is able to offer insider tips stemming from years of experimentation and innovation on subscriber acquisition and engagement.David kicks off the episode by offering invaluable insight into best practices for onboarding new subscribers. He specifically highlights the importance of giving customers the opportunity to try the product for free before asking them to subscribe. He emphasizes that the trial period should accurately portray the full product experience, not only a limited or tangential version of it.David continues by sharing that as ClickFunnel evolved, their focus began to shift from simply acquiring new subscribers to acquiring high-value new subscribers. David explains that in order to identify these high-value subscribers, ClickFunnel leverages data, such as the lifetime value of each customer and which marketing channels produce customers with the highest lifetime value. The episode ends with David diving into how subscription businesses should evaluate and choose vendors, what to look out for when transitioning to a new vendor, and vendors that he would recommend using to analyze data and the customer journey.You can find this episode’s guest, David Woodward, on LinkedIn or Instagram. You can also find ClickFunnels here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!Resources mentioned during this episodeWicked Reports: https://www.wickedreports.com/Hyros: https://hyros.com/Square: https://squareup.com/us/en
2/8/2021 • 28 minutes, 47 seconds
Tips for Running a Successful Subscription Startup feat. Sinohe Terrero, CFO at Envoy
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Sinohe Terrero, CFO at Envoy, to dive into the ins and outs of running a successful subscription business, particularly in the context of subscription startups. Sinohe is a serial entrepreneur who has worked at startups that have failed, startups that have IPO’d, and startups that have been acquired. Drawing from his extensive startup experience, he is able to offer invaluable insight on subscription through the lens of an entrepreneur. He shares his thoughts on common challenges he’s seen in how startups run their departments (e.g. tech, billing, marketing, acquisition, etc.), how to balance innovation with sticking to the tried and true, when to build and when to buy, and more.The episode ends with Sinohe highlighting a few of the changes he’s seen in customer behavior since the onset of COVID-19, such as a shift in consumers focusing more on subscribing to ‘must-haves’ rather than to ‘cool to haves’.You can find this episode’s guest, Sinohe Terrero, on LinkedIn. You can also find Envoy here. Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode!
1/18/2021 • 28 minutes, 52 seconds
Best Practices for Businesses Starting Out In the Subscription Space feat. Tim Lukens, Founder and CEO at True North Loyalty
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Tim Lukens, Founder and CEO at True North Loyalty, to discuss best practices for businesses starting out in the subscription space.Tim Lukens has 20 years of experience in the loyalty and subscription space, and talks leaving Affinion, one of the biggest players in the subscription space, and starting True North Loyalty in order to add more value and customer engagement to the products and services in the subscription space. Tim continues by highlighting the important role that personalization now plays in the subscription space. He provides tips on how to balance offering a low price point to a massive audience, all while simultaneously allowing subscribers to maintain a high level of customization. He also discusses other ways that subscription businesses can differentiate their product when acquiring new customers.In addition, Tim talks about the effects that COVID-19 has had on the subscription space as well as changes he expects to see in subscription when the pandemic comes to a close. He also gives his two cents on trends he thinks all subscription businesses should be in front of, such as voluntary and involuntary cancellations. You can find this episode’s guest, Tim Lukens, on LinkedIn.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
1/11/2021 • 26 minutes, 40 seconds
Best Practices for Starting a Subscription Business
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, shares his thoughts on what he thinks both new subscription businesses and existing businesses looking to enter into the subscription space should do to achieve success when they first start out.Nick touches on the importance of keeping subscription offerings simple in the beginning. He explains that for new businesses, focusing on their value prop to the consumer and cutting out any extra fluff - such as accepting multiple payment methods, accepting different currencies, etc. - can be essential in helping them collect data to refine their offering. Nick also mentions how for existing businesses looking to enter into subscription, the data they already have on their customers can be extremely valuable in informing how they structure their subscription offering. He also emphasizes again the importance of testing and collecting data for new businesses.The episode ends with Nick discussing his views on different channels of marketing. He talks about how subscription businesses are generally very good at using data to inform marketing decisions, and the continuous use of channels such as influencer marketing and podcasting likely mean the methods have reaped success.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
1/4/2021 • 26 minutes, 22 seconds
How Subscription Businesses Can Successfully Navigate the Holiday Season feat. Christy Beesley, VP of Merchant Engagement at Rebar Technology
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Christy Beesley, VP of Merchant Engagement at Rebar Technology, to provide subscription businesses with tips and tricks on how to successfully navigate the holiday season. Nick and Christy kick off the episode by suggesting different methods subscription businesses can use to differentiate themselves from their competitors during the holiday season. This includes providing customers with the option to personalize their product for gifting purposes, as well as providing an overall seamless, frictionless customer experience.Nick and Christy then move into providing tips on what subscription businesses should be aware of ahead of the holiday season. They dive into how chargebacks and fraud are likely to increase during the holidays, and they outline strategies for businesses to get in front of chargebacks and fraud before they become problems.The episode wraps with Christy providing one essential tip for subscription businesses to reduce chargebacks - always have good communication with customers. Christy explains that if subscription businesses send customers emails with a clear confirmation of their order and updates on the status of the package, customers will have something physical to refer back to in case they forget they ever placed the order. You can find this episode’s guest, Christy Beesley, on LinkedIn.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/28/2020 • 20 minutes, 36 seconds
Changing Trends in Subscription Payments and Billing Operations feat. Brian Kehn, Director of Operations at HomeServe USA
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, is joined by Brian Kehn, Director of Operations at HomeServe USA, to discuss the changing trends in payments and billing operations, how COVID-19 has affected the subscription space, and how subscription businesses can run best optimize their payment operations.Brian notes that over the last 20+ years of working in subscription billing operations, the main change he’s noticed is a significant increase in fraud - likely due to both changes in technology and consumer behavior. He highlights ways subscription businesses can decrease fraud, including monitoring their account updater and keeping an eye out for abnormal activity. Brian continues by discussing the effects COVID-19 has had on HomeServe USA, particularly in payments. He points out how prior to COVID-19, the majority of HomeServe USA consumers would use credit card payment methods, but since COVID-19, the majority of consumers have switched to debit card payment methods.Brian wraps up the episode by emphasizing the importance of subscription businesses developing strong business relationships with their vendors, and provides valuable tips on how subscription businesses can select the right vendor partners for them.You can reach out to this episode’s guest, Brian Kehn, at brian.kehn@homeserveusa.com or find him on LinkedIn.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/21/2020 • 23 minutes, 26 seconds
Tips for Acquiring and Retaining Customers in the Subscription Space with Melanie Stout, Partner at Paul Larsen Consulting
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology, welcomes back previous podcast guest Melanie Stout, Partner at Paul Larsen Consulting, to dive into acquisitions in the subscription space.Melanie dishes on how subscription businesses are increasingly considering creative and customer-centric ways to differentiate and boost their products in a time when online retail competition is higher than ever. This includes finding ways to push payment processes into the background by adding in-app wallets, additional payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and integrating payment systems such as PayPal, as well as exploring new ways of engaging customers by adding subscription services with intangible value.Melanie also touches on ways in which a subscription model can actually work against businesses, such as when the product would provide greater value as single-sale rather than as a subscription, as well as active steps that subscription businesses can take to decrease or prevent churn - namely, by offering more flexibility in the subscription by allowing subscribers to pause their subscription, downgrade their subscription tier, receive a discounted subscription, or even easily cancel their subscription account. The episode wraps with Melanie going into the changing trends in the subscription payment space. She details the recent increase in insufficient funds and fraud and suggests that in the future, subscription businesses should see less friendly fraud given the increase in rules and regulations around information and clarity in the subscription sign up process.You can reach Melanie at mstout@paullarsenconsulting.com and LinkedIn, and don’t forget to check out Paul Larsen Consulting.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/14/2020 • 23 minutes, 42 seconds
How COVID-19 Has Impacted the Subscription Space with Melanie Stout, Partner at Paul Larsen Consulting
In this episode of the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, Melanie Stout, Partner at Paul Larsen Consulting, joins President of Rebar Technology, Nick Fredrick, to talk all things subscription - from payments, to best practices, to how COVID has affected the industry, and more.Melanie, a 20-year subscription veteran, first fell into the subscription industry by chance. Since then, she has worked closely in payment processing, dabbled in other areas of subscription organizations, and finally landed in her current role as a Partner at Paul Larsen Consulting, a consulting group that has helped over 600 subscription businesses improve payment processing, increase retention, reduce involuntary churn, monitor KPIs, and more. In this episode, Melanie discusses the importance of being in front of potential fraud by having solid fraud solutions in place, as well as having clear communication with customers in order to avoid unnecessary chargebacks. Melanie also provides insight into the changes that the subscription industry has faced since the onset of COVID-19, including a greater focus on customer experience in the form of giving customers more control over their subscriptions (e.g. pausing or skipping a month, switching tiers, etc.), an increase in insufficient funds on debit cards due to hourly workers receiving an inconsistent flow of income, and more.Melanie wraps the episode by suggesting that although price and ease of integration are important indicators that subscription businesses should consider when looking for an acquiring partner, the number of recurring subscription businesses that use that partner can also be an important indicator.You can reach Melanie at mstout@paullarsenconsulting.com and LinkedIn, and don’t forget to check out Paul Larsen Consulting.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.
12/14/2020 • 21 minutes, 56 seconds
Introduction to Subscriptions: Scaled
Welcome to the Subscriptions: Scaled podcast, sponsored by Rebar Technology Solutions and hosted by Nick Fredrick, President of Rebar Technology. Rebar is a subscription management services company that delivers technology solutions to businesses in the subscription space. It works with subscription systems, integrations, and partners to provide the most flexible solution to subscription businesses. Nick has spent the last 15 years working in the subscription space, and in this time, he has developed relationships with countless industry experts. Nick will bring on a diverse network of subscription space experts to cover all major areas of subscription - technology, marketing, acquisition, retention, minimizing churn, and more.Nick and his guests will dive into their extensive experiences in the subscription space and share insight into tips and tricks for running a successful subscription business, problems they’ve faced, mistakes to avoid, and more. Tune into this podcast to learn how you can grow and scale your subscription business, or for non-subscription businesses, how you can take your business to the next level by entering into the subscription space.Don’t forget to rate, download, and subscribe to the show and share this episode with your network. See you in the next episode! Ready to get started with Rebar?Head to rebartechnology.com or email info@rebartechnology.com to schedule a call today.