When I was a kid, I mailed 38 hand-stapled sales letters to names I picked at random out of the phone book, absolutely certain I was about to get rich. Zero people responded. That was my very first funnel — and it flopped like almost every one that came after it. I’ve failed at more funnels than anyone I know. And that’s exactly why I eventually found the one that changed everything.

This is one of the final episodes of The Russell Brunson Show — I’m sunsetting it (along with most of my other channels) to launch something brand new called Bootstrap Secrets. So to close this chapter, I’m taking you all the way back to the beginning with my original “One Funnel Away” presentation: the full origin story, from late-night infomercials to the funnel that literally saved Christmas, to the one that became ClickFunnels. These are the stories that built ClickFunnels into a billion-dollar empire — the ups and the downs — and this is just the beginning of the story. I actually shared part two recently, but before revealing it I figured a good recap was in order, especially as you get aligned for everything Funnel Hacking Live has in store for you this year.

Key Highlights:

Here’s what I hope you feel, especially if you’re in the crash part of the wave right now: every overnight success you’ve ever seen is sitting on a pile of funnels that flopped first. I didn’t win because I was smarter — I won because I was willing to try one more time than made sense. So as I close out this chapter of the show, let me leave you with the question the whole journey comes down to: are you really out of options… or are you just one funnel away?

Ready to transform your business and your relationships? Check out these essential resources:

Funnel Hacking Live AI: The last Funnel Hacking Live ever is happening this September in Las Vegas — one final, smaller, AI-everything encore before it’s gone for good. If you’ve never been, this is your last shot to be in the room.

Selling Online Challenge: Join Russell's 3-day virtual event where you'll learn the exact framework for "one-to-many" selling that can help you sell anything to anyone online - even if you're an introvert with zero followers!

ClickFunnels: The #1 funnel builder on the planet that helps you convert your online visitors into paying customers - with the easiest to use, fastest, and most optimized platform for turning clicks into cash!

Don't miss future episodes of The Russell Brunson Show where Russell shares his cutting-edge strategies for building and scaling businesses. Each episode delivers actionable insights from his experience building multiple 8-figure companies and coaching thousands of entrepreneurs.

If you want to succeed in 2025, focus on what matters: build break-even funnels, track your key metrics, create more ad content, stay curious, and most importantly—don’t quit. Success comes to those who keep going, stay focused, and never stop learning. Let’s make this your best year yet.