Shan Hanif Review: How Did He Raise $3.7 Million for Neutonic?

Shan Hanif: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Shan Hanif has verified business operations with $11 million VC funding from BGF in 2021
• He co-founded Neutonic with high-profile partners Chris Williamson and James Smith
• Shan’s Genflow is a full-service agency with manufacturing and logistics capabilities

Cons

• Shan Hanif’s revenue claims lack independent third-party verification
• Limited reviews exist on independent platforms outside Shan Hanif’s own channels
• Shan’s agency, Genflow, has received negative employee feedback
• Shan Hanif’s focus on creator economy may not apply to traditional local service businesses

How Did Shan Hanafi Raise $3.7 Million for Neutonic in 18 Months?

Shan Hanafi raised $3.7 million for Neutonic in 18 months by creating a strong brand that attracts investors. Neutonic launched simultaneously in the UK and US and generated $9 million in sales within its first year. The brand quickly built customer loyalty with a 47% repeat purchase rate. Shan used this early success to build a 60-slide pitch deck showcasing potential to investors.

Shan first raised $2 million from JDI Investments. He then recruited high-profile entrepreneurs and creators to boost distribution power. This includes Kayla Itsines, Alan Barratt, Dan Martell, Cody Sanchez, Mike Thurston, and Daniel Priestley. Shan relied on transparency and authentic creator-led promotion to resonate with consumers and investors. This effort led to an additional $1.7 million raised.

How Did Shan Hanif’s Entrepreneurial Journey Start?

Shan Hanif’s entrepreneurial journey started when sold products on eBay and Amazon. He was making $6,500 per month at 15 and living in London, England. However, it stopped when he went to university. He earned an accounting and finance degree from Coventry University in 2009. He then got his certification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in 2010. Until 2014, Shan worked as an accountant for HMC Medical Centre, Carrington Blake Accountancy, and Horizon. He also founded a customer-branded beauty store, Glam Yourself.

Shan founded the health and fitness social media network NomNom in 2015. It reached 40K monthly users but ultimately failed within a year. Shan founded the marketing agency AFLETE in 2016, which helped influencers launch their brands. AFLETE reached $1.3 million in revenue in 2 years. It raised $1.38 million at a $9.8 million valuation, followed by $11 million from the UK venture capital firm Business Growth Fund. Shan reorganized AFLETE as a SaaS platform and expanded to offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Dubai. AFLETE rebranded as Genflow in 2022.

Shan co-founded Neutonic with podcaster Chris Williamson and fitness influencer James Smith in 2023. Neutonic is an energy drink brand that offers a healthier “functional beverage” alternative. Their drinks use science-backed nootropic ingredients instead of excessive caffeine and sugar. Neutonic made $9 million in sales in its first year. Shan teaches his expertise through his Agency Insiders and Agency 8X training.

What is Shan Hanif’s Agency 8X?

Shan Hanif’s Agency 8X is an 8-week digital marketing accelerator program. It teaches agency owners how to scale to 8-figures using Shan’s strategies used in building Genflow. The program includes courses, community, and 1-on-1 coaching sessions.

How to Generate Leads for Clients Without Doing Marketing?

To generate leads for clients without doing marketing, I use the local lead generation model. By ranking for local service-based keywords on search engines, I attract organic traffic without paying for ads. I then rent out the sites to local businesses for passive monthly income. Each site can earn $500 to $3,000 a month. I often have to outrank a handful of sites instead of competing with hundreds of other agencies.

One best example is my local lead gen site Glendale Elite Drywall 728 West Broadway Glendale, California 91204 818-600-0810 https://glendaleelitedrywall.com/ . Just last month, I forwarded 2 major leads (one for drywall installation and another for drywall repair) to my client worth $21,680. I got $2,168 in passive income from a 10% commission.

In my opinion, local lead generation is better than Shan Hanif’s strategy of starting a digital marketing agency because you do less client management and campaign monitoring. It’s like owning a Starbucks franchise in a busy neighborhood like Hollywood. Once the location is set up, you don’t need to be behind the counter every day. You’ve trained the staff, the systems are in place, and you can sit back and watch the profits roll in as customers keep coming. In contrast, running a digital marketing agency is like being the manager of The Plaza (a luxury hotel) in downtown New York City. Every guest (client) has unique needs, you’re constantly managing requests, and you need to oversee every detail to ensure the experience is perfect. It’s a lot of hands-on work and constant monitoring. In local lead gen, you’re targeting a specific geographic area with a highly focused service, which reduces competition much like opening a specialty taco shop in a quiet corner of Santa Monica. You offer unique flavors and cater specifically to the locals, making it easier to build a loyal customer base unlike a digital marketing agency with countless agencies competing for the same clients in broader markets. It’s harder to stand out and win clients in an overcrowded field.

Scaling an agency means increasing ad spending and growing your team. With local lead generation, you just need to repeat the rank-and-rent process to scale. You also keep all the profits at a margin of up to 90%. That’s how I scaled to $52K a month. You can learn how this works through my local lead generation program. You can learn while earning commissions selling leads to my high-ticket clients.