Justin Jackson is the co-founder of Transistor, one of the most beloved podcast hosting platforms for creators. In this coaching episode, we map out the next stage of Justin’s journey—from product founder to thought leader—with a focus on building an audience, growing influence, and creating high-leverage content that compounds.

We talk about what changes when you're the face of a SaaS company, how to get more leverage from existing content, and the unique growth opportunities for creators running software businesses.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Becoming the face of Transistor
05:17 Why Justin stopped sharing behind-the-scenes
08:29 Building a creator identity outside the product
13:52 Which ideas deserve your voice?
17:35 Strategy for launching an email course
22:46 What SaaS founders can learn from creators
26:01 Writing frameworks and newsletter clarity
31:49 Audience trust and high-leverage content
36:42 The long game of thought leadership
41:00 Building in public (the right way)
51:58 Balancing company growth and personal visibility
58:36 Final thoughts on building in public and longevity
01:06:40 What Justin’s learned from years of audience-first business

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

Learn more about The Nathan Barry Show: https://nathanbarry.com/show

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

Follow Justin:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/justinjackson.ca
X: https://twitter.com/mijustin
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/justinijackson
Website: https://justinjackson.ca
Transistor: https://transistor.fm

Featured in this episode:
Transistor: https://transistor.fm
Kit: https://kit.com

Today I’m joined by Monique Volz, founder of Ambitious Kitchen, to explore how she built a thriving food blog into a 7-figure business—with a lean team, kids at home, and a strong sense of purpose.

We dive into the evolution of her brand, her best-performing growth channels, the funnel that sells her digital product on autopilot, and what the future of food content looks like with AI and SEO shifts.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:06 Launching Ambitious Kitchen in 2011
03:00 First income from ads and sponsored posts
05:58 When she knew it could be full-time
06:22 What changed with Pinterest & Instagram
10:00 Email funnel strategy using Grocer’s List
14:02 Plans to build a food media company beyond herself
21:50 TikTok vs. Instagram for discovery
25:34 Inside her full-time team and contractors
31:08 Scaling with kids and working in focused blocks
42:56 SEO, AI, and where food content is going

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

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

Follow Monique:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambitiouskitchen
Website: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com
Grocer’s List: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/grocers-list/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmbitiousKitchen

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

Featured in this episode:
Ambitious Kitchen: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com
The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/cookbook/
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Raptive: https://raptive.com/
Food52: https://food52.com/
The Every Girl: https://theeverygirl.com/
The Every Mom: https://theeverymom.com/
5 Types Of Wealth: https://www.the5typesofwealth.com/

#ambitiouskitchen #foodblogger #entrepreneur

Independent film producer Daren Smith is raising $10 million to produce ten movies over the next four years—and he’s doing it without flying 200 days a year or building a massive audience.

In this coaching episode, Nathan helps Daren design two high-leverage flywheels to reach high-net-worth investors while maintaining full control of his time.

You’ll learn how to craft a targeted outbound system, build a niche inbound engine with just 200 subscribers, and use systems thinking to raise millions without sacrificing your life.

If you're raising capital, scaling creator income, or just want to get more done with less stress, this episode is for you.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Meet Daren Smith: Film Producer & Author
02:33 Why Writing Books Helped Him Raise Money
06:30 Behind the Scenes of Producing a Feature Film
10:29 Designing the $10M Film Fund Strategy
13:14 Building a Fundraising Flywheel Without Burning Out
15:03 Mapping the Outbound Sales Flywheel
24:39 Measuring Flywheel Progress Weekly
30:24 Avoiding the “Flywheel Stall” Trap
34:39 Inbound Content Flywheel for Film Investors
39:33 The Power of Niche, High-Intent Content
42:55 Segmenting Investors vs Fans vs Filmmakers
45:10 Using Conversations to Generate Content
47:19 Tying Together Inbound and Outbound
54:12 Using Content for Cold Outreach
58:50 What Daren’s Doing Next

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

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

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

Follow Daren:
Website: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darentsmith
X: https://twitter.com/theycallmeds

Featured in this episode:
Craftsman Films: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co
RightMessage: https://rightmessage.com
Kit: https://www.kit.com
Fathom: https://fathom.video
Grain: https://grain.com
Creator Flywheels: https://www.creatorflywheels.com