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
From Insight to Impact and the Making of an 8-Figure SaaS Company
Every 8-figure company starts with a single insight. In this episode, Michael shares how a simple observation from his agency work sparked the creation of Spiffy, a SaaS product that grew into a thriving, high-impact business. He takes us on the journey from recognizing a real market need to building a solution that customers couldn’t wait to adopt.
Michael reveals how identifying a “thirsty-hungry market”, niching strategically, and leveraging timing created the foundation for scalable success. From building a customer-first team to implementing YouTube-driven lead generation, he shares the strategies, lessons, and mindset that transformed one insight into a product with massive impact.
Along the way, Michael opens up about the challenges of transitioning from service-based work to SaaS, how to use data to refine your approach, and why solving a simple problem that truly matters can unlock exponential growth.
This episode is a blueprint for founders, creators, and entrepreneurs who want to turn real insights into meaningful, scalable impact. If you’ve ever wondered how one clear idea can lead to an 8-figure opportunity, Michael’s story shows exactly how it happens.
Tune in to discover how one clear insight can spark an 8-figure SaaS company, and learn how to turn your own ideas into meaningful, scalable impact.
Key Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Welcome to Inside the Speakeasy Podcast!
[00:02:42] The journey to Michael’s 8-figure success.
[00:09:05] Turning the dream of building software into reality.
[00:14:37] Solve a problem for a thirsty-hungry market.
[00:21:53] The riches are in niches.
[00:24:34] Timing and strategy = success.
[00:26:57] Tips for businesses working on their personal brand.
[00:31:31] What’s the simple thing you can solve?
[00:35:21] Leverage others’ data for your own business.
[00:37:26] Where does Spiffy fit in the buyers’ journey?
[00:41:44] Building a team with a customer support mindset.
[00:42:53] Moving from agency to SaaS Spiffy + painful lessons learned
[00:46:04] YouTube strategy for lead generation.
[00:48:05] The value Speakeasy provides for Michael.
Memorable Quotes:
"Most businesses fail, not because of a lack of resources or lack of good products, it's like implementing the wrong strategy at the wrong time. Even the right strategy at the wrong time." [00:24:35] – Michael Hunter
"The sauce is understanding and solving a real problem in the marketplace that people are willing to pay for." [00:32:03] – Michael Hunter
Connect with Michael Hunter:
Website: https://personalbrand.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/michaelrhunter
Facebook: https://facebook.com/michaelrhunter
Twitter/X: https://x.com/michaelrhunter
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/michaelrhunter
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