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Join me as I chat with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into various lead generation strategies. Jonathan shares his strategies and frameworks for building a client pipeline without having a large online following.
00:00 - Intro
03:13 - The Dream 100 Strategy
11:01 - The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out)
18:12 - Go Where Your Audience Lives
27:21 - The Power of Strategic Gifting
36:33 - Content Creation (if you choose to)
40:47 - Key Mindset Shift around Content Creation
1) The Dream 100 Strategy:
• Make a list of 100 people/orgs who already talk to your target audience
• Research their platforms, reach, content
• Focus on building relationships with them
• Can start with just 10-20 names
Example: Web design agency targeting founders? Start with podcast hosts, community leaders
2) The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out):
• Don't just ask for favors
• Focus on providing extreme value first
• Make thoughtful, detailed pitches
• Show you've done your homework
• Be patient and play the long game
3) Go Where Your Audience Lives:
• Join paid communities ($149/mo is nothing if you land 1 client)
• Lurk in Reddit threads
• Answer Quora questions in detail
• Participate in Discord servers
• Be the MOST valuable member
No promotion, just pure value.
4) The Power of Strategic Gifting:
• Doesn't need to be expensive ($5-50 can work)
• Make it personal and meaningful
• Think long-term relationship building
• One mentor landed a huge deal with a $50k guitar gift
• Small gestures = big memories
5) Content Creation (if you choose to):
• Focus on MASSIVE value over production quality
• Create 5+ hour detailed tutorials
• Answer common questions exhaustively
• "Low quality, high effort" is the new formula
• Example: mastering . com's 11-hour tutorials
6) Key Mindset Shift:
Stop obsessing over:
• Social media metrics
• Personal branding
• Complex marketing funnels
Start focusing on:
• High-leverage relationships
• Direct value creation
• Being present where your audience is
7) The ROI is INSANE:
• Single partnerships can generate millions
• One webinar can outperform months of ads
• Relationship-based leads convert better
• More sustainable than viral marketing
• Less stressful than being an "influencer"
Pro Tip: Review your Dream 100 list every quarter. Most businesses forget this and focus on low-leverage tasks instead.
Links Mentioned:
The Dream 100 Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a7d1GSZoJq_pT2Ptbvc9HsZWPxNsQDhRcUvT6d1V2Jw/edit?gid=0#gid=0
The Canvas Strategy Ep: https://youtu.be/fr5xG_bTV44
Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)
Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/
BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/
Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/
AJ&Smart: https://ajsmart.com/
00:00 - Intro
03:13 - The Dream 100 Strategy
11:01 - The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out)
18:12 - Go Where Your Audience Lives
27:21 - The Power of Strategic Gifting
36:33 - Content Creation (if you choose to)
40:47 - Key Mindset Shift around Content Creation
1) The Dream 100 Strategy:
• Make a list of 100 people/orgs who already talk to your target audience
• Research their platforms, reach, content
• Focus on building relationships with them
• Can start with just 10-20 names
Example: Web design agency targeting founders? Start with podcast hosts, community leaders
2) The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out):
• Don't just ask for favors
• Focus on providing extreme value first
• Make thoughtful, detailed pitches
• Show you've done your homework
• Be patient and play the long game
3) Go Where Your Audience Lives:
• Join paid communities ($149/mo is nothing if you land 1 client)
• Lurk in Reddit threads
• Answer Quora questions in detail
• Participate in Discord servers
• Be the MOST valuable member
No promotion, just pure value.
4) The Power of Strategic Gifting:
• Doesn't need to be expensive ($5-50 can work)
• Make it personal and meaningful
• Think long-term relationship building
• One mentor landed a huge deal with a $50k guitar gift
• Small gestures = big memories
5) Content Creation (if you choose to):
• Focus on MASSIVE value over production quality
• Create 5+ hour detailed tutorials
• Answer common questions exhaustively
• "Low quality, high effort" is the new formula
• Example: mastering . com's 11-hour tutorials
6) Key Mindset Shift:
Stop obsessing over:
• Social media metrics
• Personal branding
• Complex marketing funnels
Start focusing on:
• High-leverage relationships
• Direct value creation
• Being present where your audience is
7) The ROI is INSANE:
• Single partnerships can generate millions
• One webinar can outperform months of ads
• Relationship-based leads convert better
• More sustainable than viral marketing
• Less stressful than being an "influencer"
Pro Tip: Review your Dream 100 list every quarter. Most businesses forget this and focus on low-leverage tasks instead.
Links Mentioned:
The Dream 100 Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a7d1GSZoJq_pT2Ptbvc9HsZWPxNsQDhRcUvT6d1V2Jw/edit?gid=0#gid=0
The Canvas Strategy Ep: https://youtu.be/fr5xG_bTV44
Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)
Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/
BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/
Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/
AJ&Smart: https://ajsmart.com/
Creators & Guests
What is The Startup Ideas Podcast?
Get your creative juices flowing with The Startup Ideas Podcast. Published twice a week, we bring you free startup ideas to inspire your next venture. Hosted by Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout and former advisor to Reddit and TikTok. Subscribe so you don't miss out.
For more startup ideas, we created a database of 30+ startup ideas you can take at https://gregisenberg.com/30startupideas