You can now own a piece of the company democratizing venture capital investing in their active fundraising round at https://invest.startengine.com/

These investment rounds are active for a limited amount of time. Don't miss this opportunity!

In this episode:

David Thomas Tao co-founded BarBend in 2016 with the goal of becoming the go-to destination for strength training content on the internet. Seven years later, the site had grown to over 31 million users and a GMV of nearly $19 million. He’ll explain how to start a digital media company with this kind of growth potential in this episode.

David fell in love with weight lifting after losing 100 pounds in high school. He had to dig deep through internet forums, social media, and print magazines to find resources and information on the sport, and decided to create an online home for other strength training and weight lifting lovers.

Within the first year, BarBend was being cited by mainstream sports sites and getting more than 20,000 organic visitors every day. This led to a partnership with USA Weightlifting and a huge increase in revenue from affiliate marketing that spurred them on to more growth and, eventually, the company’s sale to Pillar4 Media.

If you’ve wondered how to start an affiliate marketing business that’s actually profitable, or what it takes to launch a new digital media brand, you’ll definitely want to listen to this interview!

Resources:

BarBend - Learn more about BarBend and see the content they post on their blog
David Tao - Connect with David on Instagram
Breaking Muscle - Site acquired by BarBend and relaunched in 2022
Pillar4 Media - Health and fitness brand that recently purchased BarBend
UpFlip Blog - Find more advice on how to start and grow a business in any niche
Radical Candor - Book by Kim Scott on how to be a great boss while still being a good person

This Reg A+ offering is made available through StarEngine Crowdfunding Inc. No broker-dealer or intermediary involved in offering. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. For more information, please see the most recent Supplements, Offering Circular, and Risks Related to this Offering.

The information provided in this marketing material is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Past performance, including the success of certain individuals, is not indicative of future results. Investing in any market, including startups, involves risks, and there is no guarantee that similar opportunities will yield comparable returns.

Includes funds raised via Reg CF and Reg A+ combines through StartEngine's funding portal and broker-dealer, as well as StartEngine's OWN raise.

Connect with UpFlip:

For more insights to start, build, or grow a business, check out the resources on UpFlip.com or head to the UpFlip YouTube channel to see more interviews with business owners and experts.

Thanks for listening!

88. How I Built a Multi-Million Dollar Affiliate Business

The UpFlip Podcast