Sequel Gustaf Lundberg Toresson

EP 19: Vasilij Brandt is the founder and CMO of Blazar Capital, one of the world's top incubators for talent-led consumer goods companies. Chamberlain Coffee, MessyWeekend and Scandinavian Biolabs are some of the brands Blazar is building, and there are many more prominent talent-led brands to come.

Gustaf and Vasilij discuss the dynamics behind starting businesses with creators, the value-unlock in the field and the do's and don'ts to succeed as a talent-led brand.


See Topics below for details

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http://instagram.com/gltore
http://instagram.com/sequelxyz
http://instagram.com/vasilijbrandt
https://twitter.com/GustafToresson

Topics
(00:00) Launching Brands and Equity Structures
(06:28) Evolution of Brand Building Strategies
(20:38) Creator-Led Brand Success Formulas
(30:53) Launching Authentic Influencer-Driven Brands
(41:34) Timing and Influence in Company Launch

Topic summaries:

(00:18) Launching Brands and Equity Structures

Strategic approach to starting a brand with a creator, authenticity, equity splits, and overview of Blazor Capital's ventures.

(06:28) Evolution of Brand Building Strategies

Blazor Capital's evolution, rising marketing costs, and use of celebrity talent to build brands in response to changing market conditions.

(20:38) Creator-Led Brand Success Formulas

Chamberlain Coffee's growth, remote collaboration, social media presence, Walmart partnership, marketing strategies, and creator-led brand success.

(30:53) Launching Authentic Influencer-Driven Brands

Influencer-backed brands need authenticity and genuine products to sustain success and compete in changing marketing landscape.

(41:34) Timing and Influence in Company Launch

Influencers face timing challenges when launching companies, balancing content creation and business development, and leveraging current relevance for success.
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EP 18: In Swedish/på svenska (press CC for subtitles). ENG: Charlie Lindström is the Creative Director and Co-founder of Chimi, the high-end contemporary eyewear and fashion brand rapidly expanding in Europe and the US and worn by many of the world's tastemakers.

We discuss the journey so far, and what's next for Charlie, and Chimi. See Topics below for details

Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode - it helps the channel get more great guests!

http://instagram.com/gltore
http://instagram.com/sequelxyz
http://instagram.com/charlielindstrom
https://twitter.com/GustafToresson

Topics (Swe)
(00:00) Tidig kontext och intressen för kläder och still
(03:08) Skate och snowboarding
(05:03) Stockholms nattklubbsvärld
(12:38) Skolgång
(14:38) Att jobba nattklubb kombinerat med starten av Chimi
(20:32) Medgrundare Daniel och starten av Chimi
(25:56) Första finansiering med blancolån
(28:13) Produktutveckling och varumärke
(34:46) Differentiering, core-katalog och närvaro i Paris
(45:07) American Express Platinum
(45:36) Internationell expansion
(52:07) Produkt och estetik
(54:07) Klädkollektioner
(56:00) Personlig utveckling
(01:01:16) Tips för att starta konsumentvarumärke
(01:03:11) 30årsfest
(01:06:30) Framtiden för Chimi

---------------

Topics (Eng)
(00:00) Early context and memories
(03:08) Skate and snowboarding
(05:03) Working in the Stockholm nightclub scene
(12:38) Switching schools
(14:38) How working in nightclubs helped the start with Chimi
(20:32) Co-founder Daniel and the start of Chimi
(25:56) Financing the start with personal loans
(28:13) Product development and brand
(34:46) Differentiating with retail and Paris presence
(45:07) American Express Platinum
(45:36) International expansion and further differentiation
(52:07) Product and aesthetics
(54:07) Entering apparel
(56:00) Personal development
(01:01:16) Tips for starting a consumer brand
(01:03:11) 30th birthday party
(01:06:30) Chimi's future
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EP 17: In Swedish/på svenska. Fredrik Eklund is leading the EklundGomes team at Douglas Elliman and is considered #1 in the US with transaction value over $4 billion.

We discuss what's next for him.

Fredrik Eklund leder Usas främsta fastighetsmäklar-team med transaktionsvärde på över $4 miljarder dollar i 2023.

Vi diskuterar vad som kommer härnäst för Fredrik.

http://instagram.com/gltore
http://instagram.com/sequelxyz
https://twitter.com/GustafToresson

Topics
(00:00) Intro
(00:18) Tidigaste kontext
(01:39) Fredriks mission
(03:30) Att bli nykter
(04:55) Sizen på Fredriks business
(07:44) Affärsmodellen som mäklare i USA
(13:50) Varför blev EklundGomes nummer 1?
(18:00) American Express
(18:49) Million Dollar Listings
(20:18) Shiny object syndrome
(23:58) Fredriks Real Estate AI-bolag Maya
(36:10) Fredriks privata investeringar
(38:38) Fredriks råd till den som vill börja göra det han gör
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EP 16: Sahil Bloom, Codie Sanchez, Ali Abdaal, Sam Parr and Dan Koe have one thing in common. They all co-founded a business with Hunter Hammonds.

He's turning the traditional agency model on its head, at Assembly - a portfolio of creator-led productized agencies on track to do $25m run rate with c.60% margin, that he co-founded with @Sahil_Bloom.

Sahil has several million followers across Twitter, Linkedin and other platforms and can be considered a "B2B-creator". Together with Hunter, they have founded agencies such as Viralcuts, Heyfriends, and Keyframe.

Today they are launching "Bitesized", an "A la carte" subscription agency in design.

Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode - it helps the channel get more great guests!

LINKS:
http://instagram.com/gltore
http://instagram.com/sequelxyz
https://twitter.com/GustafToresson
---
https://twitter.com/_hunterhammonds
https://twitter.com/SahilBloom
https://twitter.com/trybitesized

Topics
(00:00) Intro
(00:42) An agency's biggest problem
(03:57) Starting agencies with creators to 10x sales
(05:29) How Sahil and Hunter's creator-operator relationship began
(08:41) First three months launching 4 brands with $3m run rate
(09:20) Why "productizing" an agency?
(13:44) The big opportunity for "B2B creators"
(16:46) Launching brands with Sam Parr, Codie Sanchez etc.
(20:30) Who is a "Bitesized"' customer and how does it work?
(22:30) Why "one-person agencies" don't work
(23:26) Building a $100m B2B vs B2C creator-led brand
(27:24) How to turn your business costs to profit-centers
(30:18) A transition into B2C creator-led brands?
(31:57) How niche should the creator be?
(34:05) What is the perfect creator-operator match?
(37:10) How is ownership split between the creator and operator?
(38:01) Are 12 separate brands just a case of "Shiny object syndrome" and split focus?
(39:26) Financial goals and margins
(43:17) Scaling operations from 3 to 50 people in 4 months and further to 200
(44:55) The biggest surprise building Assembly
(47:06) What audiences drive the B2B business?
(50:21) How to balance how much you can "build in public"
(54:40) Will you do an exit?
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EPISODE 15:  Caspar Lee is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and one of the first Youtubers. As one of the OGs of the social media generation, Caspar featured interviews with the likes of The Rock, Ed Sheeran, Zac Efron, Kevin Hart and Anna Kendrick. In 2019, Caspar decided do leave Youtube to focus on his businesses Margravine (Talent Management), Influencer.com (marketing platform), Proper Living and launch his own VC fund Creator Ventures. Caspar is a Forbes 30 under 30 lister and we talk about his beginnings, rise to success, burnout, Tourettes and how he started a VC fund as a creator.

Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode - it helps the channel get more great guests!

Sequel: http://instagram.com/sequelxyz
Gustaf: http://instagram.com/gltore
Caspar: https://www.instagram.com/caspar_lee

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Topics
00:00 Intro
01:05 What Caspar thinks about Stockholm and how Caspar and Gustaf met
04:18 Beginnings
07:45 Getting 10 million views in every video
11:01 Growing up in South Africa, choosing LA vs UK
16:20 Growth hacks to get off the ground
21:04 Interviewing The Rock, Kevin Hart, Ed Sheeran, Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick and Maisie Williams
25:38 The income needed to be happy
27:30 Leaving YouTube and the realization that led to it
32:15 Best and worst part of fame and the fear of being canceled
38:02 Turning down TV opportunities
43:36 Business ventures: WME IMG, $20m VC fund, creator platform, management company
52:17 Are you happy now?
52:14 Are you coming back to become a creator?
55:11 Anxiety
56:23 Dealing with Tourettes syndrome
01:00:58 Who does Caspar go to for advice? And the risk with mentors
01:06:15 What would Caspar change?
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Episode 14: Director @fredericostauffer is one of the top videographers and video/campaign directors for Gucci, Prada, LVMH, Miu Miu, Adidas, and Disney.

Exclusive interview about building a 1 person business.

Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode - it helps the channel get more great guests!

Sequel: http://instagram.com/sequelxyz
Gustaf: http://instagram.com/gltore
Fred: https://www.instagram.com/fredstauffer

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00:00 Intro
00:40 Picked by the industry
07:08 Making videos look like magic
11:21 Haters
15:22 What scares Fred
16:33 Why did the brands reach out?
25:21 Building horizontal vs. vertical
36:30 The Louvre sliding into the DMs
43:11 Moving through creativity blocks
48:28 AI tools to build a big 1person business
59:07 Old school views in the industry
01:09:02 The Creative Directors' one-man-shows
01:13:10 Making Blockbuster movies
01:24:10 The Oscar winners shot scenes with iPhone
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