Episode #540
The Ultimate Advice for Every 20 Year Old
January 22, 2018

In episode #540, Eric and Neil discuss the very best advice for people who are just starting out. Tune in to hear what one piece of advice they wish they had heeded when they were in their twenties. 

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

  • [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Ultimate Advice for Every 20 Year Old
  • [00:33] At 20, Eric was unsure of his future.
  • [00:59] You have to roll with the punches, stay the course, and be patient.
  • [01:05] When Eric went to Japan, he met a number of business owners, including one who focused solely on marketing within Pachenko games.
  • [01:30] 20-25 years into the business, he now has 20 offices around the world, a publicly traded marketing agency, and $200,000,000 in business.
  • [01:58] The key is to be open-minded and to constantly be learning from others.
  • [02:20] Stay with a project: good things will happen if you put in the work.
  • [02:45] When Neil started out, he attempted to do too many things at once, instead of focusing on one project. If he had focused, he would probably be more financially successful.
  • [03:12] As you are creating your business, your game plan is probably going to change, as will the industry in which you are investing.
  • [03:55] In most cases, the business you start will most likely not be the business you end up with.
  • [04:43] Warren Buffett didn’t get to where he is right away. He reached success at the middle point of his career.
  • [05:03] Gary Vee started out helping his dad with a wine store, moved it online, began marketing it online, then eventually his career path became about marketing. He grew and adapted.
  • [05:34] Things don’t blow up overnight: it takes hard work and persistence.
  • [06:18] When Jeff Bezos started Amazon, they had little to no profit margin; today, it is a major corporation that brings in tons of revenue.
  • [06:50] He’s a good example of a guy who stuck to his guns.
  • [07:05] Once you focus on one thing, don’t be afraid to disrupt things.
  • [07:18] Neil’s version of disruption is that he is creating software, but he wants to make it free and accessible to all; he believes software should be free.
  • [07:50] Check out all the tools at NeilPatel.com or Quicksprout.com.
  • [07:54] They just launched A/B testing and WYSIWYG, where any website can be CMS.
  • [08:15] Ultimately, the message is to be patient, focus on one project, and stay the course.
  • [09:00] Eric has other businesses, but they cost him time and money. If he could go back, he would only focus on the agency.
  • [09:35] He thinks the agency would be five times as successful if he had focused solely on that.
  • [09:44] That’s it for today!
  • [09:46] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special edition of Crazy Egg, the heat mapping tool.

Leave some feedback:

  • What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below.
  • Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

Connect with us:

Discover Latest Episodes

Episode
If You’re Not Adopting AI, F**k You. You Will Be A Burden On Society, Unilever To Hire 20-30x More Influencers, How We’re Handling Influencer Pitches, LLM Marketing Will Be Controlled By The Brand Side, Not SEO., How To Triple Your Form Conversion Rate
June 18, 2025

In this episode #2990, Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss why adopting AI is essential, the tension between optimism and pessimism in business, and how to navigate chaos. They explore the growth of influ...

Episode
Reddit Uses AI To Translate Millions Of Pages And Google’s OK With It, How To Effectively Recruit Offshore Talent Using AI, What’s More Important Than Business, What The Future Of SaaS Will Look Like
June 17, 2025

In this episode #2989, Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss how AI is transforming translation, content creation, and talent acquisition. They reflect on work-life balance, the value of relationships in bu...

Episode
Does ChatGPT Actually Have A Higher Conversion Rate Than Google Traffic?, AI Traffic Is Not Being Tracked Accurately, How To Actually Spread AI Adoption Throughout Your Company, AI Is Slashing Headcount — Fast (Here’s What To Do)
June 16, 2025

In this episode #2988, Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss how ChatGPT is changing user behavior and conversion rates compared to Google. They explore the rise of AI assistants in search, the cost efficie...