THIS WEEK’S GUEST:

This week on Stage One Startup, we have an incredible guest — and, better yet, the privilege of being his first podcast! A few years ago, Taif Haidar was studying international business and working in his uncle’s liquor store. He got fired for focusing on his exams but used the opportunity to invest in himself and make good use of his free time.

When we say he made good use of his time, we’re not kidding. Just two and a half years later, he’s making over six figures with Secrets2Success, which he founded on Instagram in 2014. Today, it has reached over 1.3 million highly engaged followers. He’s grown so popular that LL Cool J, Mark Cuban, 2 Chainz, and Tai Lopez have shared his quotes.

Today, Taif himself is the one doing the sharing. In this exclusive podcast, he lets us in on tips and tricks for how to get the most out of Instagram.

PART 1 OF 2: WE HEAR ABOUT TAIF’S BEGINNINGS AND HOW HE GOT STARTED ON INSTAGRAM YEARS AGO. HE DISCUSSES HIS FAMILY AND CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE. WE ALSO LEARN ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF HIS JOURNEY AND WHAT HE SEES IN THE FUTURE OF SECRETS2SUCCESS.

03:55 — Taif gives us more insight into how he got his start.

06:32 — We hear about what it was like when Taif got fired by his uncle, and how he took advantage of the chance to invest in himself. We also learn that he had been investing in the stock market and lost almost all of his savings, which gave him, even more, a reason to focus on S2S.

10:38 — What role did Taif’s circle of influence play in his entrepreneurial journey? He explores how events during his mother’s pregnancy have shaped his life.

13:40 — What do Taif’s parents think of what he’s doing now? We hear about his family life, which gives some insight into how he found his motivation and drive to be as successful as he is.

15:30 — Taif discusses how it feels to be able to impact so many people with his posts. He says there’s no “whoa” moment anymore because it all went slowly and gradually. It mostly only hits home once he sees someone else’s reaction to what he does.

18:20 — We learn about why Taif started using Instagram, and which tools and techniques he used to generate followers on the platform.

20:45 — How did things look about six months into Taif’s Instagram journey? At that point, he had about ten or fifteen thousand followers. When he had around 25,000 followers, P Diddy started following him, which was his first big break. Since then, P Diddy has shared several of Taif’s posts. We also hear about the importance of having a recognisable logo.

24:10 — At first, Taif never imagined B2B being as big as it is; his original goal was to have 10,000 followers. From there, he aimed for 100,000 followers. He mentions how addictive it is to gain followers and see how he’s influencing people.

26:03 — Taif’s first product is his ebook 17 Secrets 2 Instagram Success, which is all about how he went from zero to over a million followers.

29:04 — Other than the book, what business opportunities have arisen for Taif from his success on Instagram?

30:58 — We hear about how Taif goes about doing paid shout-outs. He reveals that usually, potential advertisers reach out to him, but sometimes he sees something he likes and reaches out himself.

32:26 — Taif talks about the future of Secrets2Success, which he says will be mostly digital. He also talks about his reading habits and his growing skill in skimming and skipping to get to the parts he’s interested in. It turns out he’s also taken a speed-reading course.

37:22 — Has reading a lot had a big influence on the things that Taif posts? We learn that they have, and hear about how he believes that reading the right books can help reprogram your subconscious mind.

ROCKET ROUND Q&A

• Can you name some of the books or audiobooks that have helped you over the years? He recommends Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• When you’re working, do you listen to music, podcasts, or something else? Taif used to listen to a lot of hip-hop music to get him pumped up, but when working he likes listening to Zen music or classic music.
• When you’re switched off from work, what do you like to do in your spare time? He loves to read online, like articles on Facebook. He also loves documentaries and the Discovery Channel.
• Who is your entrepreneurial idol? Nobody can beat Elon Musk, he says.
• If you could ask your entrepreneurial idol one question, what would it be? “Can I manage your Instagram?”

PART 2 OF 2: TAIF DISCUSSES HIS PAST AND PRESENT USE OF TOOLS, TALKS ABOUT MENTORS AND THE CONCEPT OF MENTORING IN GENERAL AND GIVES SOME BRILLIANT ADVICE AND INSIGHT INTO HOW TO GET STARTED ON INSTAGRAM.

48:40 — Does Taif use any tools these days? He describes some tools he used to use but explains that he uses very few these days. He does, however, give some insight into how he uses the few tools that he still finds helpful.

50:54 — Short of buying Taif’s book, what can people do to get started on Instagram? He recommends starting with the follow-unfollow strategy and the shoutout-for-shoutout strategy, which he describes in some detail.

53:54– Taif talks about his mentors, two of whom are his uncles. More recently, his books are his mentors. He’s an independent person, he explains and tends to do well finding information through books or on Google.

55:10 — How important does Taif think it is for a business to be on the internet? The short answer is yes, but he elaborates on this in his reply.

57:28 — Taif talks about how Instagram’s algorithm change affected Secrets2Success. Most of the impact he’s seen has been on paid posts or promotions.

58:47 — How much time does Taif think someone should spend on Instagram if they’re serious about it?

60:10 — We hear Taif’s thoughts on Instagram copying Snapchat via the Instagram Stories feature. He stopped using Snapchat once Instagram Stories became an option.

TAIF’S TOP TIPS

Taif offers his biggest tip for a startup (in his niche or in general): just start, even if you don’t yet know how you’re going to monetize. Try to solve a problem that you have. He then gives five Instagram-specific tips:

• Use the follow/unfollow method at first,
• Post consistently (six or seven times a day), and make sure you provide quality.
• Create a shoutout-for-shoutout group.
• Make a habit of learning.
• Be ready and willing to sacrifice a lot.