Lessons From Filming A TV Show with Studio Co-owner w/Michelle Delamor
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With 60 Day Hustle, what we wanted to do was create this pressure cooker environment, but give 12 entrepreneurs the opportunity of a lifetime. I mean, we achieved that, you know, I think three or four of them that obviously made it towards the end. One of them had done more revenue in a month than they did the year before. One of them like 4x their revenue. Yeah, like one of the

things that I really took away from this is just seeing how much they grew in such a short period of time and some of the things they accomplished as well. If you were to really act every single day, take action as if you were on a competition show for your business, how

how that would transform your business. My name is Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, take the red pill, join me in Wonderland and change your life. Welcome back to another episode of Living the Red Life. We've got a special episode today. You know I've been talking about it a lot.

It's the new Amazon Prime show we've got going on. It's called 60 Day Hustle. I'm sure many of you have watched it. You're probably bored to death of me talking about it, but I'm not going to stop because it's so awesome. And today we've got Michelle on, CEO and co-founder of Sonic Gods, the studio that brought this masterpiece to life. Michelle, welcome to the show.

- Thank you, Rudy. Thanks for having me. Good to see you again. - Yeah, so I mean, we were probably sick of seeing each other at one period, you know, filming 13, 14 hours a day, but no, not really. We had a great time. And you know, we're about just over a month into the show being live.

It's been obviously a great success, amazing feedback, and it's just the beginning. And today we're going to go pull the curtain back, go a bit behind the scenes on this show, producing this show, the highs and the lows, the amazing experts, brands that came in to

help support these entrepreneurs on that journey and what the people here listening today can learn about maybe, you know, what really goes into a show and also from all the brands and experts that contributed. So, Michelle, maybe kick off, just talk a little about, you know, the creation of the show and how it all came about and stuff.

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, as a studio, we really develop shows that are mainstream shows that are relevant in pop culture and have like a really, really big trend to them, but also has a great opportunity for incredible storyline with high stakes and all that good stuff. Right. For us, the idea is always to inspire people by the time they're done watching a show.

With 60 Day Hustle particularly, it falls under the business category. And that's a very exciting category for us. One, because, you know, as an entrepreneur, we know how volatile business can be. So there's like these built in stakes within, you know, an actual within business that translate really well to television.

So, you know, with 60 Day Hustle, what we wanted to do was create this pressure cooker environment, but give 12 entrepreneurs the opportunity of a lifetime, you know, to win, of course, cash for their company, but really an opportunity to be mentored by some industry giants. You know, people don't usually get access to that. And so seeing what's possible within a 60 day period, I think was pretty phenomenal, which you'll see on the show.

And then, I mean, we achieved that, you know, I think three or four of them that obviously made it towards the end when we...

spoke to them. I think one of them had done more revenue in a month than they did the year before. One of them like 4x their revenue. There were some great real life case studies and there's no online, there's a lot of ways to fake revenue and stuff, but there's no, I always say there's no faking. When you see something live over time or you work with someone live,

Um, like, you know, you got to really see what effort went into that. And that was obviously the whole point of the show. And then they also, like you said, like, I, I always say, I actually was on a podcast last weekend. Someone asked me, Rudy, what's your biggest secret to being successful? Uh,

or one thing you could tell yourself and I'm like, move to America. And I joked and laughed. It's not because, you know, the America, you know, I would get to live on the beach. It's because you get to meet more high level people. And that's what this show brought in. We went into the Fabletics HQ. We had, you know, VPs and CEOs and C-suite of Pilot Pen and Chime. And, you know, the list goes on, right? All these top brands that were coming in and mentoring, you know,

So and we had experts from Teachable. So they had, you know, which obviously helped them on the e-book physical content side of building their brand. So they got really good on mentorship, you know, from the show. And I mean, that's why they got such great results.

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think from, you know, both the resources and the tools that we kind of had plugged into the accelerator, right, with these brands to even just mentorship from some of these founders, having people like, you know, Peter Pham was amazing. You know, it's

the incubator science. He's the co-founder of science incubator behind Dollar Shave Club and Liquid Death. And you think about these like culture brands being able to be in the room and learn from someone who has really blown up these billion dollar brands, you know, FabFitFun, just amazing, amazing brands. And then

Of course, bringing on these incredible partners, the brands that were a part of the show, that were a part of, you know, the actual building of the accelerator, creating like an opportunity for success for this cast was just phenomenal. Yeah. And I think, you know, a lot of entrepreneurs listening to this are

um, you know, in my industry, the typical way that you really get to rebel those are these people is you have to, you know, join a 20 gram mastermind and stuff. And obviously we have one and lots of the big gurus slash experts do, um, or you have to try and go to an event with 4,000 people and wait in line for two hours for a photo to ask them a 10 second question. So, um, I think what was cool here too, is it wasn't just like, um,

you know the these people came in filmed a two-minute clip which is how it looks in the in the actual editing of the show but behind the scenes they were there for a whole day right what getting to know the brands having lunch with the brands um so they got way you know way more insight and value um because of that and i think that's what made it successful um so i would love to ask you you know

When, you know, we were putting together the challenges and putting together all the experts and the brands. And if someone out there right now is looking for, you know, that mentorship and learning side, what are some of the kind of key variables that went into the casting side of that?

Yeah, I mean, I think there's a couple things, you know, this show in particular, 60 Days Straight is hardcore. It was like really, really challenging, but it was also designed to have the contestants really have an opportunity to grow. It wasn't about gimmicks. It was very, you know, high pressure gimmicks.

And so one of the main things we're looking for is people who truly, number one, are passionate about what they're building, because I'll tell you right now, if you are just kind of doing it because maybe you want to be on a TV show or whatever the case or or maybe because you think this is a cool idea, but you're not all in. Like, I don't know how committed you would have been to the level of 60 days that we put them through.

So for us, it was like you got to really, really build something that's awesome. Also, like having a viable product that really has the ability to scale, you know, that was really important. And then, of course, it's important to have great personalities that would be awesome that, you know, an audience would want to follow that journey. So there's different things that we look at when we're casting.

Yeah. And I think what about like a lot of people have asked me, Rudy, did you pick the entrepreneurs? And I said, no, I kind of stayed out of it. So it was genuine and, you know, unbiased and like authentic in the show where I was like, I really don't know these people. Yeah.

You know, and obviously I know behind the scenes, there was hundreds of applications and stuff that boiled down to the 12. So what were you looking for when you were looking to, you know, what makes a great entrepreneur and someone that we thought would actually, you know, last and be a good fit for this show? Yeah, I think when you look at the show, you see a very wide range of personalities, a very wide range of like skills that they each have. And so you see everything from like,

someone as polished as like a Josh Butler to someone who is just raw and has so much incredible personality like Sedidra, for example. You know, and so there's this wide range of

And, you know, everyone is unique in the things that make them special in terms of their like it factor as an entrepreneur. So there's not like a cookie cutter thing we're looking for. It's just like you're looking for that thing. Do they have that like fire, that fight to win, that grit? Do they have like

a big personality that they can stand on stage and really represent their brand, you know, and, and be compelling enough that people are going to want to root for them. Um, so really looking at all of those factors. And then of course, you know, at base level, it's like, do they have a product that actually like had that long, you know, longevity, uh,

capability. Yeah, I think the entrepreneur side of it is funny because you could see over time this big mix of obviously personalities, but also work ethic. And I saw some that just showed up, they nailed everything, they will go, go, go. And then I feel you could tell some that were like their emotions got to them more.

And they, you know, they kind of had off weeks and off days and that is entrepreneurship. It's never easy. But I think we did start to see like what would quote unquote hustlers take away as the show went on, or at least I did. And funny because a couple of the ones that I really thought were strong after the first day or week, you

uh or challenge really they actually made it to the end I'm not gonna say who but uh two predictions were right which was pretty cool um and yeah there was a second though there that I was like are they gonna make it to the end because like you know some people were really strong in the beginning and then there was drop off and you're like what is happening

Happening. Like there was all these curveballs happening. And I think, like you said, that is entrepreneurship. You have your ups and your downs. And some people, when they thought they had given everything and they couldn't give any more, maybe they were a bit more deflated and then they got their second win. And I think it's just a testament to that.

when you push yourself, like one of the things that I really took away from this is just seeing how much they grew in such a short period of time and some of the things they accomplished as well. It's if you were to really act every single day, take action as if you were on a competition show for your business, like how

how that would transform your business. You know, I think that was like very, very exciting. Like literally even with the studio, obviously it's a business of course, in and of itself, it's, it's awesome. We have a lot of TV shows are producing. It's a business, you know, we have the team, all of that. And we're now even being like, all right, we're on our own 60 day hustle. It's a 60 day sprint. Like, you know, it's so funny. It's like, get into that mindset.

Yeah. And talking about, you know, the business side, I do want to highlight, you know, a lot of the great businesses and experts that we brought in. We've obviously touched on them a little bit. What were some of the biggest lessons like that you got or you saw them teach in the judgments from all, you know, we had PilotPen, we had Chime, Teachable.

BetterHelp, you know, the guy, you know, obviously the guys behind Dollar Shave Club and Liquid Death, like powerhouses, we went into Fabletics. So even I, like I love listening to them too. And I always say learning from billionaires and billion dollar brands is, you know, something I've always studied. But do you have any takeaways you and then I'll share mine that you saw from that, all those judges and experts? Yeah, I mean, I think it was really, really powerful for

for the entrepreneurs to get direct feedback from the judges who, again, you know, are founders of massive brands or, you know, executives that billion dollar companies. So I think that that was really, really valuable. I think, you know, from like Peter Pham, for example, they understand virality and like building culture brands in such a way that

you know, for him, it all came down to some very, very simple things. It was like he had very, very simple takeaways, you know, share with them, you know, everything from like how you utilize like the captions to making sure that you're really, you know, doing enough volume and, you know, all sorts of things that are very fundamental. But like, you know, you see these massive brands and you think,

oh my God, they're just like doing something that I just, you know, like, how would I even get there? It's like, actually, no, they're just committed to doing the thing. Well, that was funny because it's like, you've got this guy behind, you know, $2 billion companies or almost $1 billion companies. And, uh,

And yeah, it was kind of funny. I do remember vividly that moment where he like, he just goes off at them about captions and the thumbnails and reels. And I'm like, and it's great because it's everything I teach too. But I'm like, like, you know, I think there is this perception that, you know, the CEOs or people behind billion dollar brands are like, you know, these old school, like suit and tie, gray hair, like corporate exit. I, but no, like,

And I mean, look, in fairness, if you look at Liquid Death and Dollar Shave Club, I actually it's funny because I told him when I was with him, I'm like, a lot of your viral videos and ads I use in my lectures and in my presentations on stage is like examples of what makes world class virality and ads and how to make ads fun. So really, there was no one better to bring in for that challenge and moment than himself.

And then I think, you know, maybe next like Teachable. So if you're a listener and you know Teachable is where I host a lot of my course content.

They're one of the biggest in our industry. So like when you sell courses, obviously my background selling courses, I've made tens of millions of dollars selling courses, been doing it for the last 10 plus years. And so it was really cool to bring them in because a lot of physical product brand owners, which a lot of these entrepreneurs were, don't realize they can add in digital products with 100% margin. So I was teaching them part of that, like for order bumps, upsells,

And, you know, we had Teachable actually help them host that and collaborate and create some of those. I'm interested how many actually stuck with it and are doing it now. But a lot of them could have done really well if they have. But what about Teachable? Did you see any...

Any cool stuff from them? Yeah, of course. I mean, Teachable, when you watch the show, you'll see Teachable is really kind of embedded into the through line of the show because everything there's all these incredible takeaways that you get from the show. It's one of the things we're seeing so much as people are entertained by it, but they're also like, oh, my God, I'm learning so much.

And so you see these Teachable moments throughout the show. They also brought in Chris Doe, who is a Teachable creator. He is an educator. He is, you know, very known in his own right. And a lot of people really credit, you know, a lot of their growth to watching his content and his videos. And so there was a really, really incredible tie in with Teachable and the value that they brought to the table in terms of mentorship for the accelerator program and for the contestants, which was awesome.

awesome. So you have like, again, these founders that were a part of it, then you have the brands like Teachable that are supporting the entire kind of program, so to speak. Another one, for example, is

BetterHelp, right? BetterHelp is an online therapy platform. They're the largest online therapy platform. And so with them, we knew, one, we know that entrepreneurship can be volatile. And so it was like, all right, how can we support our entrepreneurs in this process? Also knowing that we have them in a pressure cooker environment. So, you know, we had BetterHelp where you'll even see it throughout the show. They actually have therapy sessions. And that's a really interesting way to like

get to know some of the struggles they're going through in this process as well. It's so human. Like we all go through. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I, as I had a cold thing or in there, cause I didn't really think about it. Cause like I've always had a pretty good mindset and like, that's one of my big advantages, but I do, you know, we actually hired a mindset coach in my mastermind over time. Cause we realized half the challenge our members had wasn't, you know, we'd give them all the tools, trips, ticks, strategies, but then they would just wouldn't do it. Um,

And so it was kind of cool to see that element brought into the show. Obviously, BetterHelp is a massive company and famous for doing that. But regardless of the company, I think highlighting the mindset side and again, you know, part of the goal of the show is to show the raw, authentic side of entrepreneurship. So, you know, showing that they were stressed, showing that they had a lot going on, showing they were juggling family and all of those things. I think it was really cool to

um, bring that in and show that side of it and hopefully highlight the, um, the, the mindset side and highlight the, um, you know, really what it takes. And, and I do know, I won't say what, but I do know the big business shows, they have like psychologists and stuff as part of their shows too, because of out of stress that goes in.

to running a business, but then having like a hundred grand on the line or whatever. And so, yeah. And talking to the hundred grand, you know, Chime was a big part of it from the financial side, helping, you know, obviously Chime's kind of well known for the financial literacy part. So what about Chime?

Yeah, China's amazing because they're, you know, they're kind of like a newer take on banks, right, on the banking system. But I lose on just that very hip and hop and like, you know, I'm like,

I'm probably showing my age saying it that way. I'm sure it's not what the cool kids call it these days. You're hilarious for that. But they're very worth the times themselves. Like they have like, just for context, if you guys listen, don't know who China is, go look at their social media. Cause like they take boring money, bank institutional stuff. And that Instagram is massive. It's viral. It has over a million followers. It's stonks like bank of America and everything. So it's,

I love bringing them in too because they're like, again, they're like the hip-hop bank in my eyes, you know, the quarter...

So I. Yeah, I mean, I think they've done a really incredible job with some of like the features and the things that they have. And just like it's again, it's like a totally new take on things. That's really amazing. And so when you look at the brand of the show and what they stand for, which is really all about like progress and, you know, paying progress forward and all of those type of things, it was like this is literally a.

entire show about progress. So for us, it's, you know, any partnerships always have to feel so authentically aligned from a values perspective, from a storyline perspective, from what they can actually bring in terms of values to value to the contestants, to the audience. So Chime was phenomenal. And they did make that $100,000 possible, which was amazing for the winner. And I won't spoil another little thing they did at the end.

But that was amazing. They were really, really awesome. Pilot Pen was interesting. So Pilot Pen is so interesting when, you know, obviously you think of something like a pen and it seems like, oh, it's just a pen, right? But I've gotten to know the Pilot Pen team and it's so amazing to just see what kind of goes, one, behind a business like theirs.

But then, too, what they actually stand for and and even like the psychology and the power of actually writing. A lot of us. I mean, you know, I was a songwriter for a long time. I understood like I would always write in journals. And then after a while, you start using your phone and your laptop and that stuff. Of course, we all do it. But there's something really, really, really powerful about actually writing. And there's like neuroscience behind it. There's studies behind it.

what it actually does for you. So it was really cool to bring that element into the show. We had a napkin pitch where they had to write down, you know, their business plan in a very pressure. Yeah. Some of my best ideas are just pen to paper, like when I'm on flights late at night that, you know, by the pool. So, and we, you know, we kind of got to show that too. So, so yeah,

With Pilot specifically, they were so intentional about it being a partnership with G2. So G2 is one of their friends. It's like the number one. It's funny because it's the one we give a lot of people at Arab Ends. Yeah.

You know what's so crazy? This is so wild that like we've had so many creator events around this and all sorts of things. And literally when people see the G2, they're like, that's my favorite pen. I'm like, I've never seen a pen have a fandom. Like, what is this? So it's pretty cool. So it's the G2. And they're all about, they say it's like the pen of the overachiever. So it just made sense. Like anyone on this show is hands down and overachiever. We actually, yeah, they're coming on the podcast soon because I want to talk to them how they've sold G2.

hundreds of millions of pens I think it is I gotta get the exact metric when I was talking to them about it it's fascinating and I always love to you know learn from businesses where they sell boring stuff like selling you know it's easy to sell the Lamborghini Miami life style on Instagram but like

how Chime makes a bank fund, how Liquid Death makes selling water in a can bottle fund, you know? So I love, cause that's really tough stuff. So yeah, as we're coming to the end, just, you know, final question, how the, you know, someone's not watched it, how do they find the show and, you know, tune in?

Yeah, absolutely. So definitely recommend you watch 60 Day Hustle. It is awesome. It's amazing. Binge it. It is on Amazon Prime currently in the U.S., but it will be going international very soon. So you'll start seeing a rolling out. If you're not in the U.S. right now, you'll start seeing it in your country very soon. We'll also be announcing that, but it will be an international release. So Amazon Prime.com.

um in the u.s currently excited for just to like continue hearing feedback we've been getting such great like feedback on it people are loving it good all right guys check it out if you've not we've got plenty more coming on the podcast about the show uh and then obviously plenty more on my socials i promise you you'll get a lot of value from it uh michelle thank you so much for your time today and guys as always keep living the red life take care