Alex experienced a spiritual awakening that led him and his co-founders to build the the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world.
As the business was transforming, so was Alex.
Alex learned how important it is to "surrender" as you transition From Founder To CEO.
Joe is as real as it gets. He is a Founder and CEO who tells it like it is and pushes himself to get better and be better...every day. What I truly appreciate about Joe is his embrace of the idea that, "The obstacle is the way."
As Founders, we know this, practice this, and embrace this...everyday.
So, I was super excited to have Joe on the podcast to share his experiences as Founder of Spartan Races and his biggest obstacles shifting From Founder To CEO.
Spartan came from Joe's mind as a former equities and derivatives trader on Wall Street. He turned his passion for extreme sports into a lifestyle for his family — and then into a business.
Enlisted Marine.
Marine Officer.
Husband.
Father.
Pharmaceutical Salesman.
Firefighter.
Founder & CEO.
City Councilman.
COVID-19 survivor.
International Bestselling Author.
These are just some of the roles that Zachary has excelled in during his short life.
He certainly has had a big and growing impact on the firefighting profession, building safety, and now with his new book, "Warrior Entrepreneur," a big impact on thousands of Founders around the world.
In this very candid interview, Zachary details why and how he relinquished day to day operations to a CEO, why his business is better for it, and advice to Founders, like you, who are considering such a decision.
When you meet Chideha for the first time, you immediately know.
You know he is a special person.
You know he cares about every person he comes into contact with.
You know that he strives for excellence in everything his does.
You know he actually is learning from YOU and incorporating YOUR life's lessons into HIS life.
And, these are also the many reasons why I like his book.
In this interview, Chideha talks about:
---> How his grandfather's assault from KKK members impacted him as a man and entrepreneur
---> The valuable lesson he learned about the power of referrals
---> What he did to recover from a painful "non-compete" lawsuit that nearly destroyed him and his business
It's an incredible interview because Chideha is so transparent and willing to share HIS life's lessons.
Blinds.com is an incredible business story and Jay is an incredible Founder CEO.
In his new book, he talks about the 4 Es...the foundational principles on which his success was built.
After he and his team successfully built Blinds.com, he sold the company to Home Depot and continued leading for quite some time after.
In this interview, Jay talks about:
---> What generosity looks like to him as a Founder & CEO.
---> A significant story about a time he felt short of his own expectations of a focus on humanity.
It's an incredible interview because Jay is so candid and transparent about his own journey From Founder To CEO.
Donnie is as transparent as you might expect, being a Marine.
His amazing company is helping thousands of business owners connect with the right people.
So, I found it really interesting that he made a decision as a Founder & CEO that initially did not connect with his people.
Sometimes, as Founders, and as we grow, we need to augment our decision-making with a bit more data and insight.
The gut instincts that got us to launch and reach traction becomes insufficient over time.
Listen to what happened to Donnie, how he fixed the situation, and what you can learn from his mistake.
WOW! We could not have asked for a better 400th Podcast Episode Guest!
And, Jason Fried delivered. He was super candid about a great many topics that I think you will really enjoy listening about and learning from.
In this interview, Jason discusses:
Like many of you, I have been reading Jason's books and his vulnerable online posts for many years.
You can tell he is a hard-working, kind-hearted man who strives to do the best he can.
I hope you enjoy listening to this very special 400th Founder interview as much as I did.
Tutoring is big business. And, Myles and the team figured out how to provide this valuable service for FREE to thousands of students.
It wasn't easy.
And, it became even harder when he and his co-founder, Victor, realized that two other co-founders may not be in it for the long haul.
What do you do when it becomes clear that a co-founder, or two, need to exit the business and there is not a pre-planned process for this?
Well, as Myles explains in this interview, it was stressful and there was lots of drama.
But, in the end, Myles learned a lot about influence, motivations, and how to speak into the hopes and fears of others.
You may remember Ashley from her appearance on ABC TV's "Shark Tank."
At the end of the show, Ashley received and accepted an offer from Daymond John.
What you don't know is the rest of the story.
Unfortunately, like many other deals on the show, this one did not make it through post show due diligence.
Ashley describes what happened and how taking a year off from her business helped her decide the answer to this question:
"Do I want to be the leader that pilots the company to forward growth?"
My draw dropped open when Norman told me how much money in energy costs he saved a Brazilian company.
He and his team take a decidedly business approach to their environmental efforts.
And, Norman is quite articulate about the power of using your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough."
He details the time his hand went numb as well as when a friend called him for help.
Both stories remind us that Founders are not super human.
We need people and habits that support our wellbeing.
What started as a side hustle, caught him by surprise when Google reached out with an intriguing offer.
As a self-described, "not a people person," Abhinav realized that he had to recruit more experienced leaders and bring on team members who can do one thing well and really define their ares of scope much better.
Recruit and define...easier said thAn done. But, with over 400 team members and market value of $2 billion, Abhinav and his team figured it out.
Surprising and delighting customers as they interact with their digital wallet is the expertise of Elias Guerra and his team at Popwallet.
Many parts of the world have embraced the digital wallet faster than the United States.
Elias has been patient as the technology is adopted more here.
In fact, patience has been key to his leadership success.
Yet, he learned that even his patient demeanor wasn't enough for the patience needed for a Founder CEO.
Listen and see why.
Have you ever heard a Founder say he enjoys buying business insurance.
I thought so.
It takes a special kind of Founder to tackle the business insurance industry and David and his team are doing just that.
I appreciated David's candid and thought-provoking story about Founder courage versus Managerial Courage.
In this interview he explains how he would have handled a delicate situation differently.
Krister and I last spoke in 2017 in episode 185. It was an intense conversation.
Why? Because Krister's journey has been so intense.
When I saw that his new book was a #1 WSJ Bestselling book, I was not surprised.
Because his journey has been so rich with insights, he has taken these life lessons and shared them with all of us in a very practical way that I am most certain will change YOUR life.
Read his book and let me know what you think.
The pandemic wreaked havoc on many businesses.
But, how many of you know a Founder who launched DURING the pandemic?
Allow me to introduce you to Tara.
Tara knows the locs business inside and out.
She and her team created a product that revolutionizes the way those with locs, take care of their locs.
And, along the way, she has learned some pretty incredible lessons.
Among them is something unique to her personality as the needs of a startup from a Founder.
She is a self-described empath who, for a time period, began doing the work of her team. There were various reason for this. But, what she realized is quite compelling.
Who doesn't like a good walk in the forest?
It turns out that walking in the forest is even more important than we realize.
Jared and his team have been able to quantify the importance of nature, and many are taking notice.
When you are a mission driven Founder like Jared, it can be hard to stay focused on the core economics of the business.
Listen how Jared overcomes the urge to investigate other "curious" areas of inquiry and stay focused.
A larger number of people in the United States are "gig workers." And, that number has increased steadily.
Craig and his team know this and are on a mission to help serve this group of hard working people connect easily with the organizations that hire them.
He is also quite articulate about the intersection of bold vulnerability and personal accountability.
Listen to the strength of his voice and the wisdom in his words.
Tim has been a friend for quite some time. I admire him for so many reasons...not the least of which is his prowess at sales.
In fact, it was this skill that also prevented him from scaling. What?
Yes, his skills at sales limited the company's ability to grow.
Why? Listen to him yourself and see the connection that we all need to pay attention to.
Know How To Connect With Investors: www.CrucialConnections.com
GoLoot: https://www.igoloot.com/
Lucas On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-b%C3%A9land-4ab1b5174/
Zac Mason helps many Founders get fit.
Zac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachzac/
Zac on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coachzacmason
I sincerely appreciated Lucas' candor.
He and his team are quite innovative with their approach to creating experiences for brands and their customers.
And, he is quite articulate about his personal struggle From Founder To CEO at the ripe age of 19.
It has to do with the difference between setting expectations versus setting objectives...it's a lesson we all need to remember at any age of entrepreneurship.
Wool. An old friend with a new twist from a team that is on fire.
Dan chronicles the rise of Unbound Merino and also the merits of being "The Lazy Co-Founder."
What exactly does that mean? Listen and hear for yourself.
Fix Your Fundraising Flubs: Join www.crucialconnections.com
Matt's tech is terrific. Matt is too. :)
He not only talks about why personalized video emails have such high conversion rates, but he also talks about why some co-founder relationships have such high failure rates.
He shares a particularly painful time period when he and his CTO were having some clashes. And, he shares his advice if this happens to you as well.
Need Help Raising Capital: www.crucialconnections.com
Live events seem like a distant memory. But, not to Evan. He is a leading expert on the thing that keep live events going...ticket sales.
Listen as he describes his journey and the decision points he used to sell his company...before COVID-19 hit.