Ep 83: From Running an Arsenal Review blog with 500k views to Google & Podcasting | Bilal Zaidi (Entrepreneur & Podcaster at Creator Lab & Not Investment Advice)

It’s always exciting for me to introduce another podcaster on
STIMY, and today’s guest has not 1, but 2 highly successful
podcasts:


Creator Lab: an entrepreneurship podcast & growth
marketing consultancy

Not Investment Advice: a weekly business podcast covering the
latest in business, tech & web 3






Bilal Zaidi has interviewed some of the world's best, including
people like Jim Mckelvey, the billionaire co-founder of Square,
Tim Urban from Wait But Why, Kat Cole, president of Athletic
Greens, Daymond John from Shark Tank & Gary Vee.


Beyond entrepreneurship - he's interviewed a wide range of
creators ranging from Hollywood actors, Emmy-winning performers,
leading writers, billionaire investors & non-profit
founders. 


He started his first company, an e-commence business, aged 16yrs
old after selling sim cards, CDs & clothes at school &
also an Arsenal Review blog that racked over 500,000 views.


He later spent 7.5yrs working at Google managing a $100mil+
business. After meeting the founder of leading social enterprise,
charity: water, Bilal left his job to join their leadership team
full time as their first ever Director of Brand Partnerships,
partnering with brands like Saint Laurent, J Crew, Amazon &
100+ others to raise money & awareness for clean water. To
date, charity: water has helped almost 15mil+ people get access
to clean drinking water in 29 countries.


Bilal is now a full time entrepreneur & creator, working on
several ventures as a podcaster, consultant & investor. 





Highlights:


3:40 Growing up in East London as a Pakistani British

6:52 Being a fan of Nars the rapper

7:42 Taking money seriously

9:47 Starting his first company, Street Vibes, as a student

12:49 Learning the art of selling from the vendors at London
street markets

15:24 Running an Arsenal Review website with over 500,000
readers

18:44 Being headhunted by Google on LinkedIn

22:14 Almost turning down the opportunity to work at Google

23:25 Being seen as a drug dealer?!

25:37 Spending 7.5 years at Google

27:19 Shutting down a $300M company within Google

29:19 Getting out of his low period

32:16 Starting the Creator Lab podcast

36:43 How Bilal lands amazing guests 

43:49 Focus on one platform

48:26 Landing podcast sponsorship deals

53:05 Milestones in Bilal’s podcasting journey

55:30 Meeting the Winklevoss twins

58:40 Interviewing Gary Vee

1:05:39 Jack Butcher - going from cold DMs to close friends

1:14:40 How much personality should you show?






Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/83





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