Beyond A Million

Starting a business is hard. Starting a beverage company is almost impossible. With a 95% failure rate in year one and 99% by year five, most founders never make it out alive.

That's what makes Aaron Hinde's story so compelling. As the Co-Founder of FITAID, a clean-ingredient beverage brand now valued north of $100M, he's navigated a landscape that destroys nearly everyone who steps into it.

In our conversation, Aaron breaks down the truth behind building in one of the harshest categories in consumer goods, from the retail relationships that quietly drain millions to the dozens of moments his company nearly went bust.

If you're building a brand, scaling a team, entering a competitive market, or simply trying to figure out how to keep going when the pressure of entrepreneurship hits, this episode will reframe what's possible.

Key Takeaways with Aaron Hinde

00:00 Intro

01:40 The Hidden Retail Fees That Kill Beverage Brands

05:09 The Most Important Metric Beverage Founders Should Track

07:56 The Real Differentiator Behind FITAID Energy Drinks

10:34 "Clean" Energy Brands That Aren't Actually Clean

12:16 Deciding When to Launch (or Kill) a Product Line

17:13 Why Entrepreneurship Isn't for Most People

21:12 Dean Jackson's Framework for Defining Success

24:01 Resourcefulness, Persuasion, and Relationships at Work

31:29 How to Save Your Company When the Market Collapses

35:36 How Great Leaders Keep Their Teams Aligned

38:59 Facing Your Blind Spots As a Leader

45:24 The Non-Negotiable That Would Kill a $500M Offer

48:28 What He'd Do Differently If He Started Again

52:06 The Freedom That Comes From Dropping the Mask

53:39 Aaron's Advice for New Entrepreneurs

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"If Apple CEO Tim Cook needs a board of directors to help him make decisions, what makes you think you can do it all by yourself?"

That's the question Brian Will – serial entrepreneur with multiple exits under his belt – poses in this clip from Beyond A Million.

Brian explains why letting go of ego makes it easier to grow your business. He talks about how financial stability helps you become less reactive, more collaborative, and why failing without learning is just wasting time.

If you've been stuck in perfectionism, control, or thinking you need (or worse – have) all the answers, this one is to remind you that the best leaders listen more than they talk.

Collin Ship built his YouTube channel for one purpose: drive qualified leads into his business. He wasn't trying to grow an audience or chase viral moments. He wanted a predictable system that pointed people toward his offer.

And it proved how effective a small channel can be when it's built the right way.

Collin took an "unsexy" niche (blogging) and paired it with a search-driven YouTube strategy built entirely around keywords, intent, and simple videos that matched what people were actually looking for. That combination led to a multi-7-figure business powered by steady, targeted traffic.

In this episode, Collin breaks down the framework that fueled early traction, the surprising advantage YouTube gives new creators that Google doesn't, and why staying niche made sponsorships and affiliate deals far more lucrative.

Key Takeaways

00:00 Intro

01:22 Blogging Isn't Dead - $1.2M in 18 Months

05:23 Why Personal Branding Holds You Accountable

09:56 Using YouTube Strictly for Lead Generation

12:35 YouTube Keyword Strategy That Drove Early Growth

15:17 Does Going Broad on YouTube Hurt Lead Quality?

17:47 YouTube Publishing Frequency – The Sweet Spot

18:18 Why Long YouTube Videos Build Massive Trust

19:11 Make Your Free Content Better Than Paid

19:46 The Four Pillars of YouTube Monetization

21:35 YouTube Channels That Land Affiliates & Sponsors

26:19 Intent vs. Interruption Content Marketing

27:12 Using Paid Ads AND Organic Content to Scale

28:16 How to Run YouTube Ads Without Being Punished

31:20 Getting 6,000+ Leads per Month From YouTube

32:45 The Pros/Cons of Becoming Internet Famous

34:12 Where AI Fits in Your Content System

39:54 The Biggest Mistake People Make with AI

40:49 How He Revived His Offer With an AI Rebrand

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In this clip, Brad Sumrok talks about why apartments have turned out to be one of the most dependable ways to invest in real estate. Some properties look good at first, but fall apart when the market shifts. Apartments tend to stick it out.

Brad's not hyping anything. He's just explaining what's worked over 20 years of doing deals – and why more investors are starting to take notice.

If you've ever wondered where real estate actually holds up long-term, this is a good place to start.

As an entrepreneur, once you hit 7-figures, the game changes. Scaling isn't just about more revenue, it's about smarter systems, better people, and the mindset required to lead at the next level.

In this special compilation episode of Beyond a Million, I've pulled together powerful clips from past guests — 8- and 9-figure founders who share the unfiltered lessons behind building and scaling successful companies.

Whether you're a founder, CEO, or investor scaling your business beyond 7-figures, these are proven tactics that actually move the needle.

Key Takeaways

00:00 Intro

01:00 Jake Setterlun: If You're Not Getting Leads, Your Offer Sucks

01:38 Michael Erath: Mediocrity Is a Cancer in Business

02:52 Chandler Bolt: Scare Away the Wrong Hires

03:54 Stela Roznovan: The 3 Fundamentals of Sales

07:36 Allan Dib: The Best Marketers Leverage Tech, Not Tools

08:20 Corey Lilburn: How a Singing Telegram Closed a Deal

10:29 Patrick Dillon: Using AI to Conduct 300 Interviews

11:58 Andy Kolodgie: Why Sustainability Beats Growth

14:32 Patrick Riddle: Low-Ticket Offers That Actually Convert

16:22 Mike Koenigs: The $1,000 Cup of Coffee Offer

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