Steve and Trevor are joined by Chris Walker, founder of Refine Labs, the B2B demand generation agency he grew to a 7-figure exit, and now the builder of Encoded, a science-backed mental training system for founders, athletes, and leaders. Chris walks through how he approached his personal brand content to grow Refine Labs, why raising venture capital rarely works out for founders, the science behind Encoded, and his path to sobriety. The conversation also covers his content diet, daily habits and supplements, and how he invests his money, including his take on Bitcoin and crypto.
Takeaways
- Chris posted on LinkedIn for two years with no tangible results before his content and event strategy finally broke through and started growing Refine Labs.
- Personal brand content is a long game, so consistency matters more than early traction.
- Content and events worked together for Refine Labs, with each one feeding the other.
- Raising venture capital rarely leads to positive outcomes for founders, and many businesses are better off bootstrapping.
- Some types of businesses make more sense to fund with VC than others, so the decision should fit the business model, not the hype.
- After his exit, Chris founded Encoded, a science-backed mental training system for founders, athletes, and leaders.
- Chris treats personal development as a daily practice and is deliberate about his content diet.
- He opens up about his path to sobriety and how it has positively impacted his life over the past two years.
- Daily habits and supplements are part of how he stays sharp and consistent.
- Chris shares how he invests his money and approaches capital allocation, including his view on Bitcoin and crypto.