The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Episode 580: (Solo) How I Landed Richard Branson in My First 4 Months of Business (You Can Too)
Release Date: August 19, 2025
Host: Nathan Chan (CEO of Foundr Media)

Episode Overview

In this solo “Founder to Founder” episode, Nathan Chan shares the untold story behind landing one of his first and most influential interviews—Sir Richard Branson—within just four months of launching Foundr magazine. Speaking candidly about starting with zero media, entrepreneurship, or publishing experience, Nathan details the exact steps, mindset, and techniques he used to break through and establish credibility for both himself and the Foundr brand. Nathan distills actionable advice for any entrepreneur looking to connect with hard-to-reach individuals, emphasizing persistence, serving first, and leveraging personal strengths and value.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of a “Game-Changing” Interview

• Nathan reflects on the psychological milestone of interviewing Branson—someone he regarded as a "game-changer" for both legitimacy and proof of concept for Foundr.
  • “If I could get an interview with Richard Branson, that would legitimize what I was building… maybe this wasn’t just a pipe dream.” (03:34)

2. Overcoming Inexperience with Strategy

• Nathan candidly admits having no experience in media, publishing, or entrepreneurship, underscoring that anyone—even total beginners—can reach high-profile people by following the right steps.

3. The Framework for Landing Hard-to-Reach People

Nathan outlines a repeatable multi-step process:

A. Build or Leverage a Platform

• “You have to have a platform where you can give back to people… even if it’s small. I played on the fact that Branson’s first business venture was a student magazine.” (04:15)
• Emphasize whatever value or angle you authentically possess.

B. Lead With Value—Don’t Just Ask for a Favor

• Nathan warns against the “pick your brain” approach; mutual value is key.
  • “The worst thing you can do is ask someone for their time and not give anything back. You want to lead with value.” (05:04)
• Examples of value: building a website, offering content, highlighting unique skills.

C. Find the Gatekeeper

• “Every successful person has a personal assistant, a PR team—people protecting their time. Find the gatekeeper.” (05:40)
• For Branson, Nathan targeted the publishing house (Penguin Random House) promoting his books, then tracked down the Head of PR at Virgin.

D. Be Relentless and Stand Out

• Nathan highlights the importance of persistence and not relying solely on emails.
  • “Emails is the lazy way... you want to stand out. Get on the phone, constantly reach out.” (06:04)
• It took him at least five phone calls to secure the right connection.

E. Make It About Them, Not You

• Leverage your platform in a way that serves their interests, not just your own.

F. The “Serve First, Ask Later” Philosophy

• “A mentor taught me this powerful concept—serve first and ask later. If you can follow that game plan, I promise you, you can get in touch with hard to reach people.” (08:20)
• Nathan shares that this mindset has helped him win other big-name guests.

4. The Branson Interview Story: A Memorable Moment

• Nathan describes the nerve-wracking, late-night phone call with Branson’s PR head, being told:
  • “Nathan, please understand, we get like 10 of these pitches every single day. I’ve got like two minutes, give me your pitch.” (09:12)
• As a total newcomer, he leveraged relevance—Branson’s first business being a magazine—to make a compelling case.
• Ultimately, Branson accepted the interview. Nathan made the issue featuring Branson free to maximize reach, which became “a pivotal part of really, really growing the Founder brand.” (10:35)

5. Modern Tools: The Power of AI

• Nathan underscores that today’s entrepreneurs have even more resources for research, outreach, and crafting pitches through AI.
  • “You can use AI to write pitches, find contacts, remind you to follow up, summarize, do research… make this process even faster.” (11:12)
• The principle remains: “Serve first... find the gatekeeper... have a mutually beneficial exchange in value.” (11:41)

6. Universal Encouragement

• Nathan closes with direct encouragement:
  • “You don’t need permission to go out and get in touch with hard to reach people.” (12:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If I could get an interview with Richard Branson… that would change the game for Founder.” (03:36) – Nathan Chan
• “You have to have a platform… even if it’s a small platform… look for an angle, for leverage.” (04:16) – Nathan Chan
• “The worst thing you can do is… ask to pick their brain and not give anything back… lead with value.” (05:03) – Nathan Chan
• “Find the gatekeeper. Every successful person, they have a personal assistant, a PR team…” (05:41) – Nathan Chan
• “Emails is the lazy way … get on the phone … constantly reaching out.” (06:05) – Nathan Chan
• “Serve first and ask later.” (08:23) – Nathan Chan
• “Nathan, please understand, we get like ten of these pitches every single day. I’ve got two minutes, give me your pitch.” (09:13) – Richard Branson’s PR Head (as recounted by Nathan)
• “Because of the power of AI now, there’s so many more things that you can do, and you can make this process even faster.” (11:11) – Nathan Chan
• “You don’t need permission to go out and get in touch with hard to reach people.” (12:13) – Nathan Chan

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:49] Start of the episode & introduction of Branson story
• [03:34] Why Branson was the dream interview and why it mattered
• [04:15] The value and necessity of a platform
• [05:04] The importance of value exchange, not just an “ask”
• [05:40] Finding the right gatekeeper
• [06:04] Email vs. phone—and standing out
• [08:20] Serve first and ask later principle
• [09:12] Pivotal phone call with Branson’s PR Head
• [10:35] Making the Branson issue free and its impact
• [11:12] How AI can turbocharge the process for modern founders
• [12:13] Final encouragement: no permission needed

Summary Takeaways

• Start with what you have—any authentic angle or platform.
• Persistence, leveraging relationships, and crafting a unique value exchange are essential.
• Don’t rely solely on digital communication—be memorable and relentless.
• Modern technology (AI) offers powerful tools for outreach and follow-up, speeding up the process.
• Above all: “Serve first and ask later”—true value wins attention.
• Anyone can reach their dream guests or clients—the secret is in the approach and attitude.

Contact Nathan:

• Email: nathan@foundr.com
• Instagram: @Nathan Chan