Codie Sanchez is the CEO of Contrarian Thinking, a million-dollar media company that provides lessons and resources on how to invest your money and become a dealmaker. But here’s the catch: Codie doesn’t succumb to the trendy or traditional methods of investing. Codie buys “boring businesses,” like laundromats, vending machines, and car washes.
Her followers on social media learn the ins and outs of how to buy and manage these unique investment opportunities so they can create more passive income and a lifestyle they crave. Instead, she proves there are businesses you can buy and grow that don’t require you to be the next Elon Musk or have a hundred-thousand-dollar business degree from Harvard.
When Codie decided to double down on her vision for Contrarian Thinking, her first priority was growing her audience. In just over one year, she grew her email list to 100K+ subscribers and 1.5M+ followers on social media without spending a single dollar on ads.
One of the top questions Codie is asked is how she grew Contrarian Thinking in such a short period. Codie knew she was onto something, so she created a social media and email course that broke down how she scaled so quickly. The course, Turning Email Into $1Mil: How to Grow From 0 To $1Mil & 1.5Mil Followers, is currently listed exclusively on AppSumo for a limited time.
“I think the big question for a lot of people when they want to grow their audience is where to start and where to invest their time. There are so many different ways to grow, so I knew I wanted to give people access to understanding the different strategies, with real examples of what I tried that did and didn’t work.”
When Codie created her course, she came out firing on all cylinders. And if you were to scroll through the review section of her product listing? You’d find Sumo-lings calling her “a force of nature,” “absolutely masterful,” and “the most honest, unpretentious, and forthright business person I have EVER met.”
With her one-of-a-kind product, Codie cracked the code on what most courses can’t accomplish. She offered 8+ video modules and over 40 lessons of instructional content that would teach Sumo-lings how to add additional revenue streams to their email newsletters and drive more traffic to their business. In fact, it sold so well, it ended up selling out.
“I knew from the beginning that AppSumo would be the best place for me to test out this new product idea. I mean, where else can you instantly tap into an audience base of over a million loyal fans who are also willing to give you great feedback? It was a no-brainer for me and one of the best places for me to list my product compared to other online marketplaces. Sumo-lings are really something special.”
Codie also shared that the Sumo-ling community is vocal—they’ll share what they like or don’t like about your product, and they don’t hold back. As she scaled her product, Codie said that this user feedback was the key to scaling. It helped her tweak and refine her product, create an additional business, and grow her audience on other platforms.
Codie also isn’t one to shy away from a tough conversation. In honor of International Women’s Week, we asked if she had any advice for other women entrepreneurs on navigating the world of business. Here’s what she said:
“If I could say one thing, it’s to put more skin in the game at every opportunity and to take bigger swings. Another is to know your worth and to stand in it without the slightest apology. Because even though I’m a dealmaker, I don’t do discounts, and I can guarantee that the guys around the table aren’t doing that either.”
Codie has a YouTube channel in the works where she’ll be sharing videos and behind-the-scenes footage on how to invest in so-called boring businesses. She’s also developing a rolling fund that will allow investors of any background to contribute money toward smaller local businesses in need of funding.
Until then, Codie will continue helping folks create passive income with strategic investments that are smart, promising, and just a little less sexy.
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