Some of the most successful Founders I have met, have had the most humble beginnings. Jake did not have some of the advantages others may have had growing up. He was homeless as a teenager and joined the U.S. Army in order to pay for school. In fact, he is a fellow Military Intelligence soldier who prides himself on being able to "get into the head" of his team members and his customers.
Jake shares a humbling story of leadership self-awareness that you'll want to listen to. He received feedback about his leadership of the company that made him stop, think, and readjust...after a roller coaster of emotions. ;)
Jay started as a Founder in his garage. Jay took orders on his cell phone while traveling around. Jay worked hard to build Blinds.com to the powerhouse it is today. I've been reading Jay's pieces on Inc.com for awhile. I truly appreciate his practical wisdom, commitment to improvement and his continuous focus on people. It was a treat for me to have an opportunity to interview such an American business icon. I think you'll appreciate hearing his speak about:
Here's my favorite quote from the interview: "Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about other people and make them the best they can be."
Health is everything. Founder fitness is everything. Michael knows abut both. That's why he created a company that uses NASA technology to make outdoor gear warm and free of bulk. It's also why he discovered that being a Founder requires focuses on his health and prompted him to lose over 20 pounds so he could better lead his company. Hear what happened and what he did and does about it so his company can soar.
Our very first, real Irishman on the podcast for this interview. :) I could talk with Tomás for ever. He is a smart, savvy, experienced Founder who is more than willing to share his journey from Founder to CEO. He had somewhat of a unique start to his business. I really appreciate how he turned a bad situation into a great business. We talk about the unpleasant need to fire a team member and how he handled the departure of two key team members who left his company while recruiting away his customers. We even talk about my favorite butter...made in Ireland. :)
The payments industry is a beast of an industry to enter. There are a growing number of players, lots of regulation, entrenched legacy leaders, and difficulties building and maintaining trust. But, PJ Gupta saw not only a need, but has a passion for helping millions of businesses reduce their payments costs and speed up their cash flow...so he took on the challenge of sending an receiving digital checks.
If you have ever had to fill out the same healthcare forms time and again, you will appreciate what Sean and his team at Olive AI is doing. They are using AI to cut through the huge amount of money that is waisted on healthcare administration.
Sean is an accomplished entrepreneur and former Air Force intelligence officer, so it was also enlightening to learn about some of the challenges he has encountered around how to keep his leadership focused on the people and not the technology.
Isaac and his team of over 400 have earned $93 million in venture financing as it helps take care of over 45,000 employees in all 50 states. In this interview Isaac gets very specific about his feelings of failure, being real with his team when things are not going well, and how he has structure his team for growth. Plus, it was fun for me to talk with a fellow Army Intelligence Officer veteran. :)
Sandra built her business on service. With over 100 employees, she has created a premium subscription staffing company that is helping a growing number of entrepreneurs. She shares a story of a bad hiring experience that prompted her to create a better hiring process. She now interviews candidates with 4 Attitudes in mind. Listen as she shares this painful experience, the 4 attitudes, and her only challenges on the road from Founder to CEO.
Speaking with Richard was a real treat for me. The company he started and still leads has had a very positive impact on my son. Richard is a self-proclaimed math enthusiast.
And, as he says, he likes to solve math problems, teach, and build things. So, when he revealed some of his personal challenges in becoming a CEO, they were very different than what you might expect. Because, as he says, "People are all different, they're snowflakes, you can't treat them as widgets, you can't treat them like math problems."
After we discussed his challenges in shifting from Founder to CEO, he and I came up with 4 actions you can take that will help you make it an easier transition.
Dan understands delegation. He has mastered the art of delegation in a unique way. He shares his unique approach to delegation, his systematic review of talent, and how he communicates with his team.
The best startups a born out of Founder frustrations. Haley is a lawyer who hated the manual process for helping Founders and attorneys with deal flow. So, she created a collaborative SaaS platform that is having a big impact. She also knows being a Founder is hard work. Balancing giving the team direction with empowering the team was a challenge for her. She explains what she learned in this interesting interview.
Sometimes focusing on simplification is the most important action a Founder can take. Austin knows this. He helps entrepreneurs, like you, simplify and focus. And, he too knows the perils and pitfalls of being a Founder and leader. He candidly shares the story of when one of his team members ask him: Have you thought about hiring a CEO? His response to this question will amaze you.
There's a dirty word in some entrepreneurial circles. It starts with s...no, not that word. It's structure. Yes, some Founders shy away from structure, processes, and systems just at the time the business needs a bit more. Christian experienced this himself and is helping Founders like you better navigate this important part of entrepreneurial leadership.
Daisy Ozim is passionate about helping marginalized communities get access to and use the healthcare resources in their area. She is using tech like blockchain to make it happen. Plus, she shares her own struggles with Founder health and how important it is to the success of your business.
You can learn a lot about Founder development from the Founder of a church. That's why I was very excited when Luke Dooley agreed to come on the show. Luke learned a lot being the Co-founder of Journey Church and has applied his lessons learned as the Vice President of Program for the OCEAN Accelerator. In this revealing interview, you'll hear Luke talk about:
You have heard of gamification. But have you heard of the gamification of on-boarding your new team members? Jason and his team have a tiger by the tail and he shares some Founder to CEO stories and value bombs you won't want to miss...like...
What does it take to be a Founder in the RF, wireless, optics, and autonomous vehicles industries...a lot of mistakes, hard work, and inspired leadership. I have wanted to interview Dr. Achour for quite some time. Her team is striving to make autonomous driving safer with their amazing technology. Maha shares some incredible insights about
Nathan's enthusiasm is infectious. You can hear it in his voice as he describes his quick ascent to being a successful Founder. Yet, that success came quick and he had to learn how to adjust his style after a previous boss may have led him astray about a better way to interact with team members. In this interview, Nathan is transparent about what he has learned on the path from Founder to CEO. He explains...
When you listen to this interview with Marshall Chesrown, Founder & CEO of RumbleOn, it's hard not to hear the wisdom, passion, and focus. He sure has been through a lot and has accomplished a lot. Here's what I think you'll learn or be reminded of after listening to Marshall's interview:
Being a Founder is tough work. It's even harder when you are bringing innovation to industries and areas of business that struggle with change. Grant is creating a triple win in higher education...students can earn credits for their first year of college for free...universities gain access to a new pool of students...and tax payers avoid my student loan debt.
Building this new approach is not easy. Grant has learned a lot. In this interview he explains why it has been hard for him to convince others of this innovation and how he has overcome this challenge.
Communication is the foundation of all relationships. Xenia understands this. Not only did she and her team create a powerful collaboration platform for agencies and their clients, but she also has learned a lot of about communication with her growing team.
In this candid interview, Xenia explains how she probably could have done a better job communicating the importance of The Cannes Lions Festival to her team. Because she didn't, it had an impact on her team and their confidence in her as a Founder and CEO. Hear her explain this and more in this wisdom filled episode.
We continue our conversations about artificial intelligence with a Founder who is making it a lot easier to make sure your paid social ads are doing the job they were intended to do. R.J. talks about the work of Pattern89 and also a very specific personal development point on the path from Founder to CEO. You'll want to listen closely as he describes the shift in leadership he has had to make and how it connects to his time as a D-1 swimming coach.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for hockey? Yes, former Olympic skating champion, Craig Buntin, left the Olympic ice for the hockey ice when he and his co-founder launched SPORTLOGiQ.
Craig goes into great detail about:
We lost a valuable member of our team. Chelsea Berler. I miss her so much. In this episode I share the three things I learned from Chelsea and what you can learn from her, too.
If you have not had a chance to read Rand's book, "Lost and Founder," then listen to this interview and you'll hear lots of reasons to do so. Rand is super transparent about:
Rand is kind, transparent and very gracious with his experiences and insights. I think you'll get a lot out of this interview.