Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs
Welcome to Inside the Speakeasy—the entrepreneur podcast that hands you the keys to rooms most never get access to.
Hosted by Eric Berman, this show is for founders, startup builders, marketers, and empire-minded creators who are done with surface-level noise and ready to unlock the hidden strategies, pivotal success stories, and raw truths behind elite business growth.
This is your key to the real game—the unfiltered conversations happening behind closed doors, at mastermind retreats, in late-night deal rooms, and during the “what the hell do I do now?” breakdowns that never make it to LinkedIn.
You’ll hear from the scrappiest, boldest, most unreasonably driven entrepreneurs in the U.S.—the ones who are scaling to 7–8 figures, failing forward, innovating under pressure, and rewriting the rules of success while no one’s watching.
No recycled advice. No fake “10X hacks.” Just what’s actually working right now—from people actually doing it.
Because let’s be honest:
You’re doing well.
You’re sharp.
But deep down… you know you’re still playing small.
So stop chasing comfort.
You’re not here for safe.
You’re here to evolve.
This is Inside the Speakeasy.
And once you’re in…
You don’t go back.
Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs
Journey From Zero to 500,000 Students on Udemy with Julian Melanson
Traditional education isn’t cutting it for most people anymore. Julian Melanson saw that early on and decided to do something about it. From making videos as a kid to building the world’s bestselling AI course on Udemy, his journey is anything but typical. In this episode, we talk about how a 10-day silent retreat and a curious mind led him to completely rethink how we learn, especially with tools like ChatGPT changing the game.
Julian opens up about what really goes into creating courses that actually help people, and why he believes anyone with something to say can become a creator or educator today. We get into how he built a course that's trained employees at Nasdaq, Lyft, Capital One, and more… and how it all started with just one idea and a camera. If you’ve ever thought about turning what you know into something bigger, this one’s for you.
You’ll also hear Julian’s take on where education is heading, why AI isn’t something to fear, and how it's opening doors for creators everywhere. He’s been featured in The Wall Street Times and LA Weekly, but what stands out most is how down-to-earth and clear he is about what it takes to teach and lead in this new era. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a content creator, or just figuring out your next step, this episode is full of ideas worth stealing (in the best way).
Key Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Introduction.
[00:03:50] Synesthesia and sensory experiences.
[00:08:49] Online course creation success.
[00:12:02] Vipassana retreat and self-discovery.
[00:14:41] Creating your reality.
[00:18:41] Complete AI guide overview.
[00:21:05] AI course content and consulting.
[00:25:07] Quality education for the masses.
[00:27:31] Course creation strategies for success.
[00:30:40] Future of AI in education.
[00:34:47] Education explosion with AI.
[00:36:47] Sharing insights and connections.
Memorable Quotes:
"When you're out of survival mode, you can expand onto newer, bigger, higher versions of yourself and possibilities of life." [00:13:54] – Julian Melanson
"We have to use these tools in a mature way to benefit ourselves and not just siphon wealth from the community and other people." [00:32:37] – Julian Melanson
Connect with Julian Melanson:
Website: https://julianmelanson.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliandiscovers/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianmelanson/
Connect with Eric Berman:
Website: https://speakeasymastermind.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/
Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericberman/
Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com