105: Creating a Platform for Online Courses with Kenny Rueter of Kajabi

Kenny Reuter - Kajabi Interview

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Background on Kenny Rueter of Kajabi:

Kenny Rueter is the CEO of the World’s First Knowledge Commerce Platform – Kajabi. It's a software-as-a-service platform that lets you create private membership portals and marketing pages. The company’s mission is to help people realize they possess knowledge which other people would find valuable, and that they can easily sell that knowledge online.

Kajabi started when Kenny built a sprinkler toy for his son in 2009. One day, Kenny suggested to his friend Travis Rosser that they sell the toy online. However, they quickly realized that keeping inventory, manufacturing, assembling, and shipping seemed too daunting. They then decided to sell videos on how to build the toys. But there was no easy way to sell information online. So instead of going into toy manufacturing, Kenny and Travis created an online platform to easily sell their own knowledge. Kajabi has been on Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing software companies list for three straight years. Today, thousands of people have offered their knowledge online for the first time, collectively earning more than $500 million.

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

  • [1:21] According to Kenny Reuter, Kajabi is a knowledge commerce platform, which means that it provides customers with the tools to set up their online business.
  • [2:59] At an early age, Kenny was exposed to computers, which prompted him to take computer science in college and got a software development job after graduating.
  • [4:26] Kenny left his job as a programmer and went into trading. He became a certified commodity trading adviser.
  • [8:54] Invest in high quality real estate projects with FundRise. Check them out at millionaire-interviews.com/fundrise.
  • [10:59] Kenny experienced being audited by the NFA in his own house. This event and his frustration with binary trading led to the idea of creating a software platform that would provide real value for the people.
  • [13:03] Kenny earned a lot of money when he was still in the binary trading business. He said that he feels guilty having a very high income in trading.
  • [17:45] While he was doing his trading business, Kenny was also trying to create a software that can help manage a business.
  • [20:44] In 2009, Kenny suddenly had the idea of creating an online platform where he could sell knowledge. It all started when he built a sprinkler toy for his kids.
  • [25:27] Kenny emphasizes the importance of meeting the right people and doing favors for them.
  • [28:17] Bombfell is an easier way for men to shop for top quality clothes handpicked by your own personal stylist. Check them out at millionaire-interviews.com/bombfell.
  • [32:51] Kenny gave a good advice when reaching out to people. He says it is important to be generous and avoid being a stalker.
  • [36:08] Kenny made the switch from binary trading to focusing on Kajabi.
  • [38:24] Kenny gave his own insights on why some business partners leave and walk away.
  • [40:36] When a co-founder or business partner decides to leave the business, communication is critical and it is important to just talk about it.
  • [42:14] Changing the lives of so many people for the better is what motivates Kenny to keep going.
  • [47:35] His mission is to make Kajabi accessible to anyone who wants to share something valuable.
  • [49:13] Kenny advices entrepreneurs to find themselves in a new category where they could operate in a different way, which makes them more diverse compared to their competitors.

Fabulous 4 Questions:

  1. 📖 📚 Favorite Book(s)? Measure What Matters by John Dohr, Powerful by Patty McCord
  2. 🙌😎 Favorite Amazon.com purchase? Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner
  3. 🌱💸 Favorite Tool that's GROWN your Business? Evernote; Todoist
  4. 💭💡 BIGGEST Challenge keeping your Business from GROWING? So much opportunity, so just unifying goals and initiatives across all departments.

Key Point from the Interview:

  • “Find people who are kind of where you want to be, or they have influence over people that you might want to sell something to, and befriend them. Do things for them. Help them out with no reciprocation expected”

Resources Mentioned:

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