How Certification, Licensing, & Recurring Revenue Can Transform Your Business Artwork

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.

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Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs

How Certification, Licensing, & Recurring Revenue Can Transform Your Business

January 20, 2026 • Speakeasy Mastermind • Season 1 • Episode 39

Most founders are chasing new revenue while overlooking the value baked into what they already know how to do. This conversation starts with a simple question: what if your experience, systems, or process could generate recurring income without another exhausting launch? That’s where certification, licensing, and smart SaaS thinking come into play.

We sit down with Mitch Russo to discuss how real businesses turn expertise into scalable revenue streams that actually last. Mitch breaks down why most certification programs fail, how culture quietly determines success, and how licensing opportunities often hide right under your nose. The stories are practical, honest, and pulled straight from decades of building, breaking, and rebuilding businesses.

Mitch Russo started a software company in his garage, sold it for eight figures, then went on to help build a $25M+ company alongside Tony Robbins and Chet Holmes. He’s a two-time Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year nominee, author of Power Tribes, and creator of ClientFol.io, software designed to help coaches drive accountability and real results. If you’ve been looking for smarter ways to grow without burning yourself out, this episode will shift how you see your business.

This episode of Inside the Speakeasy Podcast is brought to you by Go High Level, the AI-powered business operating system trusted by over 2 million businesses to automate, scale, and create real leverage. Visit https://www.gohighlevel.com/speakeasy-mastermind-promo to unlock an exclusive 30-day trial.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction.

[00:02:00] The $10 million dollar company sale

[00:05:07] Getting into business with Tony Robbins & Chet Holmes

[00:09:45] Getting started in the certifications business

[00:11:00] Where most certifications go wrong

[00:13:00] Turning certification into recurring revenue

[00:15:00] Who should build a certification

[00:19:00] Licensing ideas hiding in plain sight

[00:26:00] Why ClickCoach.io was built

[00:28:00] Accountability, results, and retention

Memorable Quotes: