From Start-Up to Grown-Up (Alisa Cohn)
Explore every episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 2022 | #14: Sid Viswanathan, Truepill | 00:54:28 | |
Sid Viswanathan is the Co-Founder and President of the digital health platform, Truepill. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 17 Mar 2022 | #15: Ilan Twig, TripActions | 01:04:05 | |
Ilan Twig is the Co-Founder and CTO of TripActions. Ilan talks about how his first company was acquired after nine months, how the pandemic nearly ruined their business, how they leaned on their mission and culture to create and survive, and why a diagnosis helped define his leadership style. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 28 Mar 2022 | #16: Julien Smith, Practice | 01:06:11 | |
Julien Smith is the Founder and CEO of Practice, a WSJ bestselling author, and former CEO and Founder of Breather. He discusses what he learned stepping away from his former company, Breather, how he strengthens his co-founder relationships, and the insight he gained watching another CEO operate. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 12 Apr 2022 | #17: Kara Goldin, Hint Inc. | 01:04:49 | |
Kara Goldin is the co-founder and CEO of the beverage company Hint Inc. She discusses co-founding Hint with her husband Theo, why and when she decided to bring in outside investors after bootstrapping for so long, and why singer-songwriter John Legend became an investor. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 25 Apr 2022 | #18: Paul English, Boston Venture Studio | 01:11:39 | |
Paul English is the co-founder and CEO of Boston Venture Studio. Paul has been a founder for multiple companies and organizations, one of his companies being Kayak. Paul shares how he found his co-founder Steve Hafner and how they decided to build Kayak together. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 09 May 2022 | #19: Jon Stein, Betterment | 01:06:16 | |
Jon Stein is the Founder and Chairman of the Board at Betterment. Jon was the first person I interviewed for my book, From Start-Up to Grown-Up! We start at the beginning of his journey that led him to founding Betterment, then discuss how important culture is to the success of the company. Later on, we got into why he stepped down as CEO, and how he would end up finding his successor. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 23 May 2022 | #20: Oleg Rogynskyy, People.ai | 00:51:30 | |
Oleg Rogynskyy is the Founder and CEO of People.ai I was introduced to Oleg by Robin Matlock, who has also appeared on this podcast! Oleg is an incredibly thoughtful and intentional leader in how he builds his company. In our conversation, we talk about specifics for board management, why he hires people that are "way out of his league," and his strategy to maintain and grow his extensive network. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 14 Jun 2022 | #21: Alexi Robichaux, BetterUp | 01:22:15 | |
Alexi Robichaux is the Co-Founder and CEO of BetterUp, the first leadership development platform to connect coaching to sustainable behavior change. Prior to BetterUp, Alexi was Director of Product Management at VMware. Alexi is Chairman of Youth Leadership America (YLA), a nonprofit he co-founded in 2003, to foster peer-to-peer leadership development and civic engagement in high school students. YLA has collaborated with leading companies including Disney, Google, and Hilton Hotels to coach and mentor future leaders. This episode is chock-full of so many stories! We literally dive right into it, talking about what Navy Seals taught him about running his company, handling a cacophony of pain and misery, why it took him two years to hire a CRO, the frameworks he has in place to scale his business, and the mentors who have helped him learn them. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 05 Jul 2022 | #22: Sarah Dorsett, Nanit | 00:47:21 | |
Sarah Dorsett is CEO of Nanit, a high-growth baby tech company that supports the new parent journey with products that connect parents to their childâs development through powerful insights that improve the sleep and well-being of the entire family. Under Dorsettâs leadership, Nanit has been named to Fast Companyâs Most Innovative Companies, Deloitteâs Technology Fast 500, and CNBCâs Upstart 100 list of most promising startups. An ecommerce leader with more than two decades of experience scaling retail businesses, Dorsett previously served as Vice President of Ecommerce at Bed Bath & Beyond and held executive roles at Bloomingdales.com, Century 21 Department Stores and Coty. Aside from her corporate responsibilities, Sarah is a mom of three and founder of Parken Jewelry. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 11 Jul 2022 | #23: Scott Belsky, Behance | 00:44:57 | |
Scott Belsky is an executive, entrepreneur, author, and investor (and all-around product obsessive). He currently serves as Adobe's Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President, Creative Cloud. Scott's passion is to make the creative world more productive, connected, and adaptive to new technologies. Scott co-founded Behance in 2006, and served as CEO until Adobe acquired Behance in 2012. Millions of people use Behance to display their portfolios, as well as track and find top talent across the creative industries. After Behance's acquisition, Scott helped kick off Creative Cloudâs services and reboot Adobe's mobile product strategy and led Behance until 2016, when he spent a few years as an investor and advisor to multiple businesses. Scott is also the author of the international bestselling books Making Ideas Happen and The Messy Middle. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 25 Jul 2022 | #24: Carolyn Childers, Chief | 00:55:30 | |
Carolyn Childers is the CEO and Co-Founder of Chief. She is an experienced leader and operator, having successfully scaled several early-stage businesses. Prior to founding Chief, Carolyn was SVP of Operations at Handy. Previously, Carolyn led the launch of the site Soap.com (Quidsi) and acted as its GM through its acquisition by Amazon. Carolyn also had roles at Victoriaâs Secret and Avon Products where she worked on strategy and business development. She started her career in finance where she spent over three years in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. Carolyn has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Finance from Boston College. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 29 Aug 2022 | #25: Larry Gadea, Envoy | 00:42:33 | |
Larry Gadea is the Founder and CEO of Envoy, a workplace platform that helps companies welcome visitors, keep employees safe, book desks and conference rooms, and manage deliveries in over 16,000 locations around the globe. Larry started his career as a software engineer at 17, having been recruited by Google out of high school. He later joined Twitter as one of the early people driving its ability to scale. Wanting to build a similar global company, in 2013 Larry went on to build the initial website and app for what eventually became Envoy. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 14 Sep 2022 | #26: Maëlle Gavet, Techstars | 01:00:25 | |
MaĂ«lle Gavet is the CEO of the global investment business Techstars, focused on supporting entrepreneurs, and is one of the most well-known startup accelerators around the world. One of the tech industryâs brightest stars, MaĂ«lle has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, one of Fortuneâs 40 Under 40, one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, and was fifth among Time magazineâs List of the Top 25 âFemale Techpreneursâ. She has spoken regularly at the leading technology industry events and her writing has appeared in Wired, the Harvard Business Review, the World Economic Forum, Fast Company, and Fortune magazine. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 29 Sep 2022 | #27: - Andy Karsner, X (a division of Alphabet) | 00:44:09 | |
Andy Karsner is a true renaissance man! His entrepreneurial leadership has been associated with both venture capital and private equity portfolios throughout the past decade. With responsibilities in guidance and holdings for some of the most successful technology startups, from solar energy to biotech, Karsner is currently a senior strategist at X, the moonshot factory, where he brings an entrepreneurial focus to economic competitiveness, global security, and environmental sustainability. He was the Managing Partner at Emerson Collective where he founded and led Elemental, an environmental practice. He has also served in the US Department of Energy as the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. A board member at Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT) and Exxon Mobil ( NYSE: XOM)Â To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 19 Oct 2022 | #28: Melissa Daimler, Udemy | 01:02:43 | |
Melissa Daimler helps leaders design, operationalize, and scale their culture. She currently serves as the Chief Learning Officer for Udemy, where she develops learning strategies for both customers and employees. Melissa brings over two decades of experience across Learning and Development, Talent Management, and Organizational Development. Prior to Udemy, Melissa created and built Learning, Organizational, and Talent Development functions for Adobe, Twitter, and WeWork. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 08 Nov 2022 | #29: Dan Zavorotny, Nutrisense | 01:15:36 | |
Dan Zavorotny is a healthcare technology entrepreneur whose latest venture, NutriSense, involves CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) technology as a tool for preventative health, weight management, and increased physical performance. His team has helped tens of thousands of individuals, ranging from type II diabetics to world record-setting athletes by optimizing their health and wellness with a data-driven approach. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Dan worked as a global healthcare consultant at KPMG and has had the privilege of traveling to over 100 countries. We discuss establishing trust as co-founders, the culture shift going from a large corporation to a startup, and his process of teaching himself marketing. I feel that his approach applies globally to any skill you are trying to teach yourself - this is gold!! To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 28 Nov 2022 | #30: Rob Kramer of PurposeLab â Building resilience, an unconventional career path, and working with the Kardashians | 00:58:07 | |
Rob Co-Founded PurposeLab with Andrew Skinner back in 2009 from a simple idea: build technology and invest in companies driven by impact and purpose. They partner with like-minded founders with domain expertise who love to create impact, and who need a tech partner that can ideate, design, and build beautiful consumer and enterprise software products. PurposeLab has evolved into a product development and venture studio that invests in brilliant entrepreneurs striving to disrupt the status quo. Rob is also the Co-host of the Hell & Wellness Podcast with Matt Ruby. We discuss how to bounce back from incredibly challenging circumstances, the process of experimenting vs. sticking it out, and Rob's working with the Kardashian family. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 05 Dec 2022 | #31: Mid-Day Squares - Creating fans and not customers, building a company as a family, and the power of social media | 01:01:24 | |
Lezlie Karls, Co-founder, and CEO started MID-DAY SQUARES with her husband Nick Saltarelli, and brother Jake Karls. After being rejected by every major grocery store buyer, she persuaded her husband to leave his tech startup and help her sell online direct to consumers. Together, they wanted to bring delicious tasting, clean, high-protein afternoon snacks to people on the daily life grind. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 14 Dec 2022 | #32: Julia Boorstin, Senior Media and Tech Correspondent CNBC â The confidence dial, empathy as a strategic skill, and why playing sports makes for better leaders | 00:40:42 | |
Julia Boorstin is CNBCâs Senior Media & Tech correspondent based at the networkâs Los Angeles bureau, where she reports and conducts CEO interviews across CNBC programming, and plays a key role on CNBCâs bicoastal tech-focused program TechCheck, delivering reporting, analysis, and interviews around streaming, social, and the convergence of media and technology. She is also the author of When Women Lead. In 2013, she created and launched the CNBC Disruptor 50, an annual list she oversees, highlighting the private companies transforming the economy and challenging companies in established industries. Additionally, she reported a documentary on the future of television for the network, âStay Tuned...The Future of TVâ and helped launch CNBCâs âClosing the Gapâ initiative, covering the people and companies closing gender gaps, and leads CNBCâs coverage of studies on this topic. Before joining CNBC, Boorstin was a writer and reporter at Fortune magazine, as well as a contributor to âStreet Life,â a live market wrap-up segment on CNN Headline News. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 05 Jan 2023 | #33: Chip Conley, Founder at Modern Elder Academy â Using regret as fuel; how and why founders need to shift their identities; how to manage people older than you; and his favorite interview question | 01:13:58 | |
Chip is the founder of the Modern Elder Academy (MEA), where a new roadmap for midlife is offered at a beautiful oceanfront campus in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and forthcoming campuses in Santa Fe, NM. His five books have made him a leading authority at the intersection of psychology and business. Key highlights in the episode Know our guest; Chip Conley (00:30) The identity cleanse and why it is important (03:19) Chipâs near-death experience and how it made him shift his identity when he sold his company (07:30) The Anatomy of a transition; Three stages of transition (14:48) How Chip became a mentor and an intern to Airbnb Co-Founder&CEO Brian Chesky (18:46) Using regret as raw material for the future (19:45) How insights from Airbnb led him to start the Modern Elder Academy (21:55) Ways of scaling your companyâs culture & soul as the company grows (26:46) Culture fit vs. Culture add approach to hiring (28:48) His favorite interview questions (31:20) Why Chip has developed a strong personal brand and how it has served him (37:55) His advice to new founders about having a personal brand (41:06) What Chip teaches his mentees (46:37) What he has learned from his mentees (51:10) How to manage people older than you. And how to operate in an environment where your boss is younger than you (56:18) Ways through which founders can find the truth in their companies (1:01:30) The adjustments Chip has made in his leadership style and the feedback he received (1:04:13) What Chip wishes he had known earlier on his entrepreneurship journey (1:08:11) His advice for other founders as they embark on their journey to grow into leaders (1:09:41) Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!  Resources Mentioned
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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 24 Jan 2023 | #34: Nick Sonnenberg, Founder and CEO of Leverage â Bootstrapping your business; risk and how to build confidence; how to make your business more efficient, and how to come up for air | 00:57:20 | |
Nick Sonnenberg is the Founder and CEO of Leverage, a business efficiency consultant, Inc. columnist, and author of the book, Come Up For Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work. As a serial entrepreneur with a passion for productivity and a background in data science, Nickâs mission is to create companies that disrupt the way people work by leveraging the power of remote teams, digital tools, and automation. Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!
 Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share! Resources Mentioned
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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 04 Feb 2023 | #35: Padma Warrior, Founder and CEO of Fable â The reverse journey of grown-up to start-up, what to unlearn to become a founder, how to get your initial hires onboard, and rituals that build culture | 01:05:47 | |
Padmasree Warrior is the Founder, President and CEO of Fable, a mobile-first company that brings stories to everyone, anywhere. Previously, Padma was the Chief Executive Officer of NIO U.S., Chief Development Officer and Board Member of NIO Inc., a manufacturer of smart, electric, and autonomous vehicles. In this role, she scaled the company from start-up to a successful IPO NYSE:NIO in 3 years. Our conversation was truly fascinating! We discuss her reverse journey from grown-up to start-up, what she had to unlearn from a large corporation to become a start-up founder, how you can get your initial hires onboard, and the rituals that build a strong company culture. To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.
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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 22 Feb 2023 | #36: Hubert Palan, Founder and CEO of Productboard â the challenges of scaling leadership, tactics for fundraising, and finding a work/life balance | 00:49:47 | |
Hubert is the founder and CEO of Productboard.com, a platform for strategic product design and management headquartered in San Francisco, California. Prior to Productboard, Hubert was the Vice President of Product Management at GoodData, where he managed GoodDataâs disruptive platform business, built the whole front-end product management and UX team from the ground up, and established and embodied modern principles of user experience design. Hubert also once worked in management consulting as well as trained 20 national park managers in Vietnam on marketing and strategy.
Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share! Letâs Connect! Follow Hubert Palan on:
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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 06 Mar 2023 | #37: Robert Glazer, Founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners â the importance of values and purpose, how to build your team's capacity, and why you should start your ideas even if they aren't ready | 00:55:44 | |
Robert Glazer is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of global partner marketing agency, Acceleration Partners. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of BrandCycle. A serial entrepreneur, Bob has a passion for helping individuals and organizations build their capacity to elevate. Key highlights:
 Notable Quotes
Resources Mentioned
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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 20 Mar 2023 | #38: Matthew Scullion, Cofounder and CEO of Matillion â Creating the right company culture, how to know your pivot is working, micro confidence vs. macro confidence, and the biggest obstacle in building a company | 00:44:40 | |
Matthew is the Cofounder and CEO of Matillion. He cofounded his first startup at age 18. Before starting Matillion in 2011, Matthew worked in commercial IT and software development for 15 years at a number of British and European systems integrators. A native of Altrincham, England, near Manchester, Matthew now spends half his time in the United States â primarily in Denver (Matillionâs U.S. headquarters), Seattle, New York, and in the Bay Area, at the beating heart of the enterprise software industry. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 03 Apr 2023 | #39: Alex Lieberman, Cofounder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew â Mental health for founders, having a framework for decision-making, and deciding when it's time to leave your job to start a company | 01:16:03 | |
Alex Lieberman is the Cofounder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew, a media brand that empowers modern business leaders with need-to-know content that is engaging and timely. Since its founding in 2015, Morning Brew has provided millions of users with the most important news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 17 Apr 2023 | #40: Peter Attia, MD, Founder of Early Medical â improving your lifespan and healthspan, the centenarian decathlon, and the process of making major life changes | 00:44:01 | |
Peter Attia, MD, is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan. He is the host of The Drive, one of the most popular podcasts covering the topics of health and medicine. Dr. Attia received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including resident of the year. He spent two years at the National Institutes of Health as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute, where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma. Find out more about Peter Attia | Website If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 01 May 2023 | #41: Alex Zaccaria, Co-Founder and CEO of Linktree â finding a need in the market, when to take venture money, preparing for board meetings, and the value of conferences | 00:46:34 | |
Alex Zaccaria is the Co-Founder and CEO at Linktree, the link-in-bio category creator which enables creators, brands, artists, publishers, agencies, and businesses of all sizes to curate an online ecosystem, engage with their audience, and monetize their passions. Find out more about Linktree | Website If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 15 May 2023 | #42: Matt Biilmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Netlify â career pivoting, marketing for mass adoption, and growing company culture remotely | 01:07:03 | |
Matt Biilmann is the Co-Founder and CEO of Netlify. He was trained to be a musician and music journalist, but early into his career, he pivoted to programming. Among his creations was a content management system that helped web design agencies to build websites. The idea evolved into Netlify, which he launched with childhood friend Chris Bach in 2014. Netlify helped pioneer the movement to decouple front-end web development from back-end server management. Mattel, Unilever, and Verizon have all used Netlify to launch websites. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 30 May 2023 | #43: Seth Godin, Author and Marketing Strategist â showing up for yourself, creating conditions for your best work, and how to deal with massive rejection | 00:48:57 | |
Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world. In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both. Imagine a world where people work where they are respected, where the work - not the employee - is thoughtfully criticized, and where managers create the conditions for employees to do the best work of their lives. Seth Godin does a deep dive on all of these and so much more in our conversation, sharing concepts from his brand new book The Song of Significance that reimagines what work and leadership can be. Find out more about Seth | Website If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 12 Jun 2023 | #44: Lauren Bush Lauren, Founder and CEO of FEED â Building a business while making an impact, when not to take advice, learning to be direct, and how public service shaped her leadership | 01:03:59 | |
Lauren Bush Lauren is the founder and CEO of FEED, the impact-driven lifestyle brand, making products that help feed the children of the world. A native of Texas, Lauren attended Princeton University where she majored in Anthropology. As a sophomore, Lauren had the opportunity to travel with the UN World FOOD Programme. While visiting regions across Central America, Asia, and Africa, Lauren witnessed firsthand the realities of poverty and hunger that people are facing all over the world. Using this experience as an inspiration, Lauren found FEED as a tangible way for her peers to make an impact in fighting childhood hunger. If you believe in your mission like Lauren Bush Lauren, the CEO of Feed does, donât take no for an answer. Learn how she combined her passions with a way to make an impact on the world, how she learned exactly who she needed on her team, and the mistakes made and lessons learned throughout the hiring process. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast! Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 03 Jul 2023 | #45: Carolyn Rodz, Cofounder and CEO of Hello Alice â How to transform setbacks into learning, the best question to ask future employees, and how to build a strong cofounder relationship | 01:07:49 | |
An investment banker turned three-time award-winning Latina entrepreneur from Bolivia, Carolyn serves as the Cofounder and CEO of Hello Alice (helloalice.com), a smart technology that helps business owners find the right path to start and grow their companies. Carolyn is a long-time advocate for underestimated founders and believes technology-driven data will prove the business case for inclusion. During her time at Hello Alice, Carolyn was recognized as a "17 Women to Watch," by Inc. Magazine, and selected by Mayor Turner of Houston to co-chair the Women and Minority Small Business Task Force in 2019. This episode is a masterclass on entrepreneurship! Learn why itâs not a good idea to compare yourself to others, who you need to look for to bring on your team, how to handle being on the ropes financially, and the questions you should be asking as a founder. Â Find out more about Hello Alice | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 17 Jul 2023 | #46: Anouck Gotlib, Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys â Building a company when youâre a creative, dealing with your cofounder when heâs also your spouse, and the power of a walk out song | 00:57:25 | |
Anouck Gotlib, the Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys - a sweet snack company out of Brooklyn, NY, - started her career in fashion. With no business background, she ended up cofounding Belgian Boys with her husband and did a whole bunch of learning by doing. In this episode of From Start-up to Grown-up, hear about her fascinating journey, her very fresh approach on mundane things like the company handbook, and how her mission to spark moments of happiness gets brought to life. Anouck also talks about how her work with her coach has helped her, and why she has a walk on song.  Find out more about Belgian Boys | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 31 Jul 2023 | #47, Randy Komisar, Entrepreneur and Investor â Lessons learned from a professional gambler, the role of luck your career, and the key decisions that drive the quality of your life | 01:09:46 | |
Randy Komisar is an entrepreneur and investor at Kleiner Perkins. Previously, he was a co-founder of Claris Corp., served as CEO for LucasArts Entertainment and Crystal Dynamics, and acted as âvirtual CEOâ for such companies as WebTV and GlobalGiving. Randy also served as CFO of GO Corp. and as senior counsel for Apple Computer, following a private practice in technology law. Randy is a founding director of TiVo and serves on the Roadtrip Nation Advisory Board and Orrickâs Womenâs Leadership Board. He is the author of the best-selling book,The Monk and the Riddle, as well as several articles on leadership and entrepreneurship. He is also the co-author of Straight Talk for Startups, the insider best practices for entrepreneurial success, Getting to Plan B, on managing innovation, and I F**king Love that Company, on building consumer brands. This conversation with Randy Komisar is just spectacular! We dive right into how he turned his interview with Neil Young from disaster to success, why growing up with a professional gambler sharpened his communication skills, the way that luck factors into your career, and the way to maximize your chances of serendipity coming your way. Youâll learn pearl after pearl of wisdom from Randy in our conversation, including a crucial question he asks as an investor to any entrepreneur to assess what theyâre made of. Randyâs such a great storyteller, and this discussion is not to be missed! Find out more about Randy and Kleiner Perkins | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 14 Aug 2023 | #48, Vishal Sunak, Founder and CEO of LinkSquares â Decision-making frameworks, the most potent management technique, how to build a fierce network from scratch | 00:46:10 | |
Vishal Sunak is the founder and CEO of LinkSquares, the trusted legal technology partner for over 1,000 in-house teams, including Wayfair, ProPharma, TIME, The Boston Celtics, and Commvault. LinkSquaresâ market-leading, AI-powered contract lifecycle management and legal task management solutions surface business intelligence with speed, accuracy, and scale. Vishal is widely recognized as a thought leader in the legal technology space, where he has worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for legal teams, while elevating their visibility within the enterprise. He talks me through his process for decision-making, how he learned about his business he knew nothing about at the beginning, and why and how you can rely on your network to thrive if you build it the right way. Find out more about Vishal and LinkSquares | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 28 Aug 2023 | #49, Joe Thomas, Co-Founder and CEO of Loom â Why itâs essential to track your time; how to get better at fundraising; getting your head right to make good decisions; and how to decide to keep building your company, even if it means sleeping on a mattress | 01:13:08 | |
Joe Thomas is the CEO and co-founder of Loom, the video communication platform for async work. Joe leads Loom in its mission to empower effective communication, wherever work happens. Prior to Loom, Joe served as Director of Product at MyLife.com and Director of Operations at MediaPass. He also co-founded Redesign Agency while in college at Indiana University. In this great discussion, Joe and I go deep in what itâs like to tinker with a concept over and over until you finally get it right. We discuss what he learned in his many âat batsâ at fundraising, how and why he tracks his time, and the value that his meditation practice has brought to him as a CEO and as a human. This new episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up has so many pearls of wisdom from Joe - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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| 11 Sep 2023 | #50, Jerry Neumann and Elizabeth Zalman, Authors of Founder Vs. Investor â Learn to love fundraising, handle board dynamics, and how to speak VC | 01:15:07 | |
Liz is an infrastructure and information security expert. She is a two-time founder / CEO of venture-backed companies, building the first to a successful exit and the second to a multi-hundred-million-dollar business. Elizabeth has raised more than $100 million in venture capital from the most renowned investors in the world, and is a frequent speaker and guest at industry events and tech podcasts. Jerry Neumann has been an investor and early-stage advisor to groundbreaking technology companies for more than 25 years. He has been called one of New Yorkâs â50 Most Important VCsâ by Business Insider. Jerry also teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at Columbia University. This episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up has lots to celebrate, as my guests Jerry Neumann and Elizabeth Zalman launch their brand new book, Founder Vs. Investor, and this is also the 50th episode of the show!! I couldnât have asked for better guests for this milestone, who shared a wealth of knowledge for startups and founders about how to actually love fundraising, what you can do to better manage the dynamics of a mercurial board room, and get a walkthrough from Jerry about how to speak VC! Find out more about Jerry and Elizabeth | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 25 Sep 2023 | #51, Joel Jackson, Co-Founder and President of Lifeforce â Working with celebrity founders, taking in feedback without getting defensive, and frameworks for learning from experience | 01:14:11 | |
Joel Jackson is co-founder and President of Lifeforce, the first clinically integrated health optimization platform. He is a Canadian entrepreneur and executive who has led technology organizations across healthcare, consumer goods, and wellness. Most recently, Joel was CTO of Upgrade Labs, a personal optimization and recovery company based in Santa Monica, California. Prior to Upgrade Labs, Joel led the engineering team for The Honest Company, a direct-to-consumer company focused on improving the health and sustainability of baby products. Joel Jackson, Co-Founder and President of Lifeforce, has worked with figures like Jessica Alba, Dave Asprey, the biohacker and founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and his new venture Lifeforce was co-founded with self-help guru, Tony Robbins. Joel shared so many valuable insights in this conversation, including what it was like to have to shut down his first startup, how heâs able to handle big personalities, and his process to deliver blame-free debriefs on projects. We also talk about how heâs learned to take in feedback without getting defensive - a valuable skill for all of us. https://www.mylifeforce.com/ Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 10 Oct 2023 | #52, Joe Landolina, Co-Founder and CEO of Cresilonâ Starting a company in his dorm room, finding the right investors; and the importance of transparent communication | 01:13:16 | |
At 17 years old, inventor and entrepreneur Joe Landolina invented a medical breakthrough that is transforming at-home and in-patient wound care. Landolina conceived an adhesive hemostatic gel composed of plant-based polymers that could adhere to a wound site and simultaneously support the natural clotting process. Landolina's research background is in biocompatible polymers; in 2013, he was selected as a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar in recognition of his outstanding potential in scientific research. In 2014, Landolina was named a TED Global Fellow and has since traveled around the world representing Cresilon. Landolina is also a former Innovation Consultant at his alma mater, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and on the board of eLab NYC, which supports the development of NYC as the new world leader in life sciences entrepreneurship. Joe Landolina is a force of nature! He was doing chemistry experiments as a teenager, and ended up starting his company, Cresilon, at 17-years old.  We talked about his back story and how he learned management and leadership skills, as well as plenty of ups and downs along the way. We also talk about where he got his first clean room (hint: you can buy one too) and what happened when he tried an experiment on his cousin. https://www.cresilon.com/ Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 24 Oct 2023 | #53, Gareb Shamus, Founder of ACE Comic Conâ Going from passion to product, how to keep yourself in the game, and why inclusion fosters new businesses | 01:18:36 | |
Gareb Shamus is a visionary in the Superhero and character-based franchise worlds. Throughout the last 30 years, heâs made a tremendous impact on geek and nerd culture and formed relationships with an unrivaled collection of artists, writers, toy developers, game designers, and celebrities. Gareb founded Comic Con as we know it today, producing 180 events with millions of tickets sold, reaching billions of people worldwide. He is also the founder of Wizard, ToyFare, and Anime Insider magazines with over 100 million issues sold in 75 countries His most recent endeavor, ACE Universe, achieved instant success having produced seven events over two years with the most popular Superhero celebrities that were live-streamed to massive global audiences. This episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up is a highlight reel of Gareb Shamus, a superhero visionary, who championed inclusion in his business by focusing on a niche market. You will learn about perseverance, how to take the fuel of your passions and harness it into a product, and how inclusion drives profits. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 07 Nov 2023 | #54, Jim Kwik, Brain Coach and Author â How to find your dominant question, what we can learn from trauma, and the framework to move your vision forward | 00:52:12 | |
We often ask each other âWhatâs your why?â Go a step deeper and ask: âWhatâs your dominant question?â Jim Kwik is a brain coach and the author of the #1 WSJ bestseller, âLimitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life.â One of the many fascinating things we discuss is the idea of the dominant question - why itâs so important and useful if you want to do big things in this world. Listen to this brand new episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up to hear all about the most important question to ask yourself, a process to make sure you move your vision forward, the simple methodology you can use to move your vision forward. This November, Jim is unveiling an expanded edition of his New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, "Limitless - Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, Unlock Your Exceptional Life." Since its debut in 2020, "Limitless" has emerged as a touchstone in the field, garnering praise from global thought leaders and luminaries. The book has equipped countless readers with tools for unparalleled productivity, personal transformation, and professional triumph â including the future of work, brain nutrition, brain types, and how AI will impact our daily lives. This new edition is tailored for those keen on staying ahead in our fast-changing world. Recognized globally for his expertise in brain empowerment and renowned as the world's #1 brain coach, Jimâs influence is vast. Through Kwik Learning, present in 195 countries, he's revolutionizing global learning methods. From students and tech mavens to CEOs, from Hollywood celebrities to professional athletes, Jim's teachings resonate with a diverse audience. Industry giants like Google, Virgin, Nike, SpaceX and 20th Century Fox, along with institutions like Harvard and the United Nations, have embraced his methodologies. His collaborations with entities such as the U.S. Air Force and the Cleveland Clinic further highlight the extensive scope of his influence. Jim is also behind the phenomenal success of the podcast "Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik." His podcast boasts millions of listeners and more than 60 million downloads, and is a testament to his ability to connect and inspire.  Learn more about Jim here â Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 21 Nov 2023 | #55, Jerry Colonna, Author and Executive Coach â the distinction between vulnerability and honesty, the power of radical self-inquiry, and why you need to heal core wounds to be a great leader | 01:07:15 | |
Not all feedback is created equal. Giving positive feedback offers far more benefits than simply showing gratitude for someoneâs work. It also helps as a vital step to personal self-discovery and self-inquiry. This is a central theme of Jerry Colonnaâs brand new book, Reunion: Leadership and the Longing to Belong. Jerry joins me on the newest episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up to discuss the process of radical self-inquiry, why itâs essential for you to do if you want to grow, and the difference between honesty and vulnerability. Jerry helps people lead with humanity and equanimity. His unique blend of Buddhism, Jungian therapy, and entrepreneurial know-how has made him a sought-after coach and leader, working with some of the largest firms in the country. In his work as a coach, he draws on his experience in Venture Capital (VC) as Co-founder of Flatiron Partners, one of the most successful, early-stage investment programs. Later, he was a partner with J.P. Morgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of J.P. Morgan Chase. As a partner with J.P. Morgan Chase, Jerry launched the Financial Recovery Fund with The Partnership for the City of New York, a $10 million-plus program aimed at creating grants for small businesses impacted by the attacks on the World Trade Center. Along with a strong commitment to the nonprofit sector, Jerry is the author of two books: REBOOT: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up and REUNION: Leadership and the Longing to Belong. Reboot was met with critical acclaim, stirring up a big question in the hearts and minds of people: âHow have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I donât want?â Jerryâs second book, Reunion, builds on this question, asking us what benefit we get from the conditions we say we donât want. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 05 Dec 2023 | #56, Bob Muglia, Former CEO of Snowflake â Having a values-based vs. performance-based company, rooting out dysfunction, and getting fired by Steve Balmer twice | 01:08:35 | |
What is the real impact of one bad apple on your team? Whatâs it like to work directly with Bill Gates? Whatâs your playbook for coming in as CEO of a promising company - like Snowflake - and taking them from 0 revenue to $100M in 5 years? On this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, Bob Muglia, the former CEO of Snowflake and author of The Datapreneurs: The Promise of AI and the Creators Building Our Future, answers all of these and more. Youâll learn about his time at Microsoft, including getting fired by Steve Ballmer not just once, but twice, the good and bad lessons he learned from Microsoft in how to lead people. Youâll hear his exact playbook when he came into Snowflake, a company with 0 revenue. And youâll learn key leadership lessons like how he builds a values-based company and how he holds people accountable without making them feel bad. Bob Muglia is a data technology investor and business executive, former CEO of Snowflake and past President of Microsoft's Server and Tools Division. As a leader, Bob focuses on how innovation and ethical values can merge to shape the Data Economy's future in the era of AI. He serves as a board director for emerging companies that seek to maximize the power of data to help solve some of the world's most challenging problems. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 19 Dec 2023 | #57, Jon Beckstrand, CEO of MasterControl â Developing a leadership code, how to look forward to hard conversations, and ways to repurpose stress | 01:15:27 | |
Does your company have an employee bill of rights? Jon Beckstrand put one together for his team as CEO of MasterControl. Thatâs just one of the strategies that Jon has used at MasterControl to grow the company and successfully execute a pivot. We talked about his leadership philosophy, his tools for learning, and how heâs come to embrace having difficult conversations. Listen to the rest of it for helpful strategies you can use right now to become a better leader. Jon Beckstrand is responsible for the overall direction and vision of MasterControl. Since his leadership began in 2002, MasterControl has enjoyed robust growth, introduced an array of new solutions, continued the company's push for innovation, and advanced its position as a leading provider of quality management software and services for regulated companies. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 02 Jan 2024 | #58, Josh Reeves, CEO and Co-Founder of Gusto â Upholding the platinum rule, taking control of your attention, and a framework for hiring people who are in love with your problem | 01:11:17 | |
If youâre looking for inspiration to upgrade your leadership for 2024, youâll want to listen to my conversation with Josh Reeves, CEO and Co-Founder of Gusto on the newest episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up. These are just three topics from our talk that are fantastic guides to follow into the new year: âĄïž The key to hire the right people for your company âĄïž The one rule that will help you manage everyone. âĄïž The most important meeting to add to your calendar (hint: itâs with yourself.) Josh Reeves is the CEO and co-founder of Gusto, a startup on a mission to create a world where work empowers a better life. By making the most complicated business tasks simple and personal, Gusto is reimagining payroll, benefits and HR for modern companies. Gusto has offices in San Francisco and Denver, and its investors include Google Capital, General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and the founders of Instagram, Stripe, Nest, PayPal, Yelp, Box and Eventbrite, among others. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 30 Jan 2024 | #59, Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Block (formerly Square)â Building a team of missionaries, what true innovation takes, and the importance of timing | 01:08:51 | |
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| 13 Feb 2024 | #60, David Meltzer, Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, and Peter Goldstein, Entrepreneur and author of The Entrepreneur's IPO â The surprising way money impacts your life, the three forms of ignorant arrogance, and how to prepare to take your company publi | 00:32:58 | |
This new episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up features a dynamic tag team of David Meltzer, the Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, and Peter Goldstein, entrepreneur and the author of âThe Entrepreneurâs IPOâ! Youâll hear about Davidâs complete rebirth in his life and career journey as he shares the surprising ways that money impacts your life, and Peter shares solid gold advice about how you can prepare to take your company public. David Meltzer is the Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, and a legendary sports executive. He formerly served as CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire. He is one of the world's top Entrepreneurs, Investors and Business coaches. David has been recognized by Variety Magazine as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year and awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 24 Feb 2024 | #61, Rob Ryan, Co-Founder of Ascend Communications â Embracing a bootstrap mentality, picking the right spouse, and handling the mental and physical toll of entrepreneurship | 01:11:35 | |
My guest for the latest episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up is Rob Ryan, Co-Founder of Ascend Communication. Ascend was acquired by Lucent Technologies in 1999 by Lucent Technologies. Rob is a fount of knowledge about entrepreneurship and courageous leadership. Heâs also a great story teller and a hoot! Check out this clip for a sneak peek into our talk where Rob talks about something important for your companyâs long term success: profits. As an early internet pioneer, Rob Ryan served as principal architect in developing the V.32 Modem. He also developed the ethernet blue book standards for the first ethernet chips used in server farms as well as establishing the first decentralized network while working at DECNET. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 12 Mar 2024 | #62, Sal Di Stefano, Co-Founder of Mind Pump Media â How authenticity drives growth, how you know you have the right cofounders, why being right is not the goal, and how physical strength drives your leadership | 01:26:29 | |
Get pumped for this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up! I sat down with Sal Di Stefano, the co-founder of Mind Pump Media. Youâll learn how he and his co-founders propelled a fitness podcast into a multifaceted business empire. I loved his perspective on embracing the journey, how authenticity drives growth, and the importance of NOT being right. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 26 Mar 2024 | #63, Matt Abrahams, Author and Lecturer at Stanford University â Embracing vulnerability in leadership, the art of feedback, and how to personalize your pitch | 01:05:46 | |
If you've ever found yourself stumbling over words in a high-stakes presentation or wondering how to turn a dinner party into a deeper connection, this is the conversation you need to hear. Plus, for all the leaders out there, we have expert insights on managing emotional reactions to feedback and fostering a culture of open dialogue for transformative organizational growth. Prepare to enrich your entrepreneurial toolkit and communicate with confidence, empathy, and a little bit of small talk finesse. Matt Abrahams is a leading expert in communication with decades of experience as an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. As a Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford Universityâs Graduate School of Business, he teaches popular classes in strategic communication and effective virtual presenting. He received Stanford GSBâs Alumni Teaching Award in recognition of his teaching students around the world. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 09 Apr 2024 | #64, Kristi Herold, Founder and CEO of JAM â Pivoting during a crisis, leading through playfulness, and creating joy in the workplace | 00:56:54 | |
Kristi Herold is the CEO of JAM, a global business connecting people through play, and one of the largest recreational sports leagues in the world. Since 2020, JAM has produced 3,500+ corporate team-building events in over 30 countries. Kristi consults and speaks on how to move a culture from surviving to thriving. Her bestselling book, "It Pays to PLAY," is a rich resource to help organizations playfully connect with their teams and improve retention, engagement, and overall workplace culture. Here are three takeaways from our talk: - Pivot with Purpose When faced with adversity, like the 18-month revenue hit from the pandemic, Jam Group's shift to virtual events and culture consulting didn't just salvage the business. It highlighted how play can create bridges and bolster morale even in the toughest times. - Create Joy at Work Kristiâs entrepreneurial wisdom reminds us that injecting playfulness into the workplaceĂąâŹâbe it through music sessions, sports teams, or creative meetingsĂąâŹâcan significantly uplift employee engagement and translate into happier customers and improved profitability. - Lessons in Leadership Embracing vulnerability, from owning up to mistakes to combating imposter syndrome, Kristi's approach underscores the power of radical candor and the significance of building social connections within teams for a stronger and more resilient organization. Learn more about Kristi | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 23 Apr 2024 | #65, Gregory Galant, Co-Founder and CEO of Muck Rack â Pros and cons of bootstrapping, building a scrappy culture, the importance of building a network | 01:20:23 | |
Gregory Galant is the co-founder and CEO of Muck Rack, a platform enabling PR teams to work together to find the right journalists for their stories, send customized pitches, build meaningful relationships with the media, monitor news and quantify their impact. Itâs used by thousands of organizations, including Taco Bell, Pfizer, Golin, International Committee of the Red Cross, Knight Foundation, Kauffman Foundation and Penguin Random House. Muck Rack is also the solution of choice for journalists, who use Muck Rackâs free, automatically updated portfolios to showcase their work and provide information about what stories theyâre looking for. Greg is also the co-creator and executive producer of The Shorty Awards, which honor the best of social media. After being rejected by countless secret societies, Greg secured membership in Twitter and Instagram's exclusive first name club -- follow him at @gregory on both platforms. Listen to our conversation to learn all about: âĄïž Co-founder dynamics: The power of complementary skills and the dangers of too much similarity. âĄïž Hiring: How to know when itâs time to hire someone and what to look for when youâre running lean. âĄïž Managing challenges: How to handle the stress that comes with building a startup - or doing anything challenging. Learn more about Greg's company Muck Rack | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 07 May 2024 | #66, Mary-Catherine Lader, COO of Uniswap Labs â How you know you're ready to take on more risk, why you should create anti-values, and the importance of community | 01:05:14 | |
Mary-Catherine Lader is the Chief Operating Officer of Uniswap Labs. She previously was a Managing Director at BlackRock, and Chief Operating Officer of the firmâs Digital Wealth business and head of its climate tech business, Aladdin Sustainability. She began her career as an investment analyst with Goldman Sachsâ Special Situations Group and served on the staff of the World Economic Forumâs Davos gatherings for a decade. âĄïž The Uniswap Approach: How they balance the drive for building public infrastructure with the demands of running an equity-focused business, all while maintaining a hands-off approach to the governance community. âĄïž Cultivating Company Culture: Rituals, Transparency, and Empowerment. Learn how Uniswap Labs is fostering a learning-rich environment and driving employee engagement through university sessions and regular updates. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 21 May 2024 | #67, Gary Vaynerchuk, Serial Entrepreneur and Chairman of VaynerX â The importance of kind candor, how to get over your insecurity, and why you need to embrace social media | 00:29:36 | |
Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as "GaryVee," is a serial entrepreneur, the Chairman of VaynerX, and 5x New York Times Best Selling Author. He is a leading global mind on what's next in culture, relevance, and the internet. Gary possesses an uncanny ability to recognize trends and patterns early to help others understand how these shifts impact consumer behavior. He is one of the most forward-thinkers in business. Gary's approach sits at the intersection of business and culture. He keenly understands how to bring brand relevance to the forefront. Thatâs one of the wisdom bombs from my latest guest on From Start-up to Grown-up, the legendary Gary Vaynerchuk- Chairman of Vayner X and the author of his brand new book, Day Trading Attention. Here are a few more of the many great takeaways Gary offered during our discussion: âChasing the short-term is the number one strategy that makes people fail.â âEntrepreneurship is a constant game of losing with occasional wins.â âThereâs nothing that happens on earth that doesnât start with attention.â Learn more about his new book, Day Trading Attention | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 04 Jun 2024 | #68, Gina Bianchini, Co-Founder and CEO of Mighty Networks â The secret to building communities, managing self-worth as a CEO, and why humor is a leadership superpower | 01:06:30 | |
Gina Bianchini is the CEO & founder of Mighty Networks, a digital business platform that powers what it calls people magic. People magic is advanced technology and AI that connects the most relevant and interesting people to each other in the context of community, courses, events, and paid memberships.Sheâs also the author of the 2022 Wall Street Journal best selling book, Purpose: Design a Community & Change Your Life. Mighty is trusted by brands from TED to Tony Robbins, Mindbody, LAUNCH by Mel Robbins, Esther Perel, Matthew Hussey, Jim Kwik, BODi, Gym Launch, and Fortune. Gina Bianchini is the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Mighty Networks, and my latest guest on From Start-up to Grown-up. Ginaâs life has been devoted to building communities, and in this episode she describes the important nuances you can use to build your own communities as well as simply improve your relationships. Gina also shares what sheâs learned on her journey as an entrepreneur and a leader. Learn more about Mighty Networks | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 18 Jun 2024 | #69, Rahul Vohra, Co-Founder and CEO of Superhuman â How to craft core values, tactics for implementing culture to help you achieve company goals, and the importance of moving quickly | 00:51:41 | |
Rahul Vohra is the Co-Founder and CEO of Superhuman. He is also a Technical Advisor at Boldstart Ventures, an investor and advisor at Partender, and an investor of sendwithus and Easy Post. He received his bachelor of arts in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge. Rahul shares the lessons he learned from being a serial entrepreneur, how and why he learned to meditate, what he does to build trust with his team, and the pros and cons of being a celebrity founder. This time weâre taking a deep dive on instilling powerful values and culture within a rapidly growing company. We talked about: â How and why to create values in your company at the start: A step by step practical process you can use immediately. â The need to evolve your leadership: As a founder and CEO you should always be identifying your highest and best use and using that as your guide. â The importance of asking hard questions: It can be awkward, but itâs essential to be rigorous with yourself and your team as your company grows. Learn more about Superhuman | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 02 Jul 2024 | #70: Mike Michalowicz, Author and Entrepreneur â The right way to hire; practical exercises for team retention; and how to come back from rock bottom | 01:11:04 | |
Mike Michalowicz is the entrepreneur behind three multimillion-dollar companies and is the author of several business books, including Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan and his newest book, All In. Mike is a great story-teller and youâll laugh out loud and come away with some great wisdom. Mike shares practical exercises for team retention, how to come back from rock bottom, and the right way to hire people - interviews are over rated! Youâll also learn from his personal stories about the value and power of having an array of mentors, why companies thrive when leadership focuses on the human experience for both clients and employees, and how to build stamina to succeed as an entrepreneur. Learn more about Mike at Website | mikemichalowicz.com Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 16 Jul 2024 | #71: Matt Reustle, CEO of Colossus â Lessons from a first-time CEO, how to analyze a career pivot, and the art of a great question | 01:16:38 | |
Matt Reustle is currently the CEO of Colossus, a business that creates, curates, and distributes top-quality content for investors and entrepreneurs. He is the primary host of the Business Breakdowns podcast. Prior to Colossus, Matt worked in institutional investing. Most recently on the investment team at Raven Capital Management. Matt spent the first decade of his career at Goldman Sachs splitting his time between the Sales & Trading and Research divisions. If youâre thinking about a career pivot, if youâre trying to be a great leader in your company, or if youâre interested in podcasting, check out this great episode of From Start-up to Grown-up with Matt Reustle. Matt is the CEO of Colossus Media and host of the podcast Business Breakdowns. Matt shares so honestly why leadership isnât just about wins but about creating sustainable systems of growth and communication, how empathy is foundational for meaningful connections, and why there is an unlimited amount of friction running a company and how to find balance. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 30 Jul 2024 | #72: Kim Scott, Author of Radical Respect and Radical Candor â Building your teamâs muscles to address discomfort, cutting through workplace politics, and why you need a purple flag | 01:22:47 | |
Kim Scott is the author of Radical Respect and Radical Candor. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. My next guest on From Start-Up to Grown-Up is Kim Scott, bestselling author of Radical Candor and her new book, Radical Respect. Kim delivers a masterclass in building respect and kindness as the foundation of a companyâs DNA with several strategies youâre going to want to use immediately. Youâll learn how to create an environment where employees feel safe. Youâll also learn that empowering yourself and your employees to challenge openly and diplomatically can lead to building a successful company. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 13 Aug 2024 | #73: David Savage, Group Technology Evangelist at Nash Squared and host of TechTalks podcast â How to become an "intrapreneur," the importance of consistent behavior over vanity metrics, and how to learn to trust yourself | 01:01:20 | |
David is Nash Squared's Group Technology Evangelist. He crafts podcasts, hosts video debates, speaks, moderates conferences, and chairs keynote stages. He's a passionate advocate for technology, dissecting its challenges and opportunities. In addition to learning about trusting yourself, youâll also hear from David how to become an âintrapreneur,â the importance of establishing consistent behavior, and how that applies to strengthening our personal branding. Learn more about David and Tech Talks | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 27 Aug 2024 | #74: Seth Godin, Author and Marketing Strategist â showing up for yourself, creating conditions for your best work, and how to deal with massive rejection (Repost) | 00:48:57 | |
Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world. In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both. Imagine a world where people work where they are respected, where the work - not the employee - is thoughtfully criticized, and where managers create the conditions for employees to do the best work of their lives. Seth Godin does a deep dive on all of these and so much more in our conversation, sharing concepts from his brand new book The Song of Significance that reimagines what work and leadership can be. Find out more about Seth | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 10 Sep 2024 | #75: Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password â Earning the right to lead, how to thrive while bootstrapping your company, and how to hire senior executives | 01:09:48 | |
Jeff Shiner is the CEO of 1Password, a leader in human centric security and privacy. Since joining in 2012, Jeff has grown the company from 20 people to a 900-employee global organization with a $6.8 billion valuation. Today, 1Password enables over 100,000 businesses and millions of individuals to navigate the digital world without fear or friction when logging in â and in less time. The company has been recognized on the Forbes Cloud 100 list and Quartzâs Best Companies for Remote Workers. Prior to joining 1Password, Jeff held leadership roles at IBM Canada and Rosetta and has a demonstrated history of growing technology companies. Jeff also currently serves on the Board of Directors of GenomOncology, a company that provides the healthcare community with data-driven insights to improve cancer care. This episode is particularly valuable for first-time founders, as Jeff covers how to mitigate the lonely job as a founder by making smart hires, what you can do to cultivate a strong team through reflective hiring practices, and the activities that can ground you and give perspective. This is such a powerful and practical episode that will bolster all founders and leaders with resolve!  Learn more about 1Password | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 24 Sep 2024 | #76: Susan McPherson, Founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies â Investing in dormant ties, networking superpowers, and converting nerves into strength | 00:41:19 | |
Susan McPherson is a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert. As the founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy focused on brands and social impact, she brings over 30 years of experience in marketing, PR, and sustainability communications. Susan is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting and a sought-after speaker at major events like the Massachusetts Conference for Women and Techonomy. She has contributed to outlets like Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and has appeared in NPR, CNN, and USA Today. Susan invests in and advises women-led startups and is involved in several boards and advisory groups, including The 19th News and Just Capital. Susan shares her insights on the significance of rekindling dormant ties, the benefits of dormant connections, and the importance of proactive outreach in networking. Susan started her company at the bold age of 48, reaching out to a staggering 500 people in her network, demonstrating the power of asking for help and the value in promoting others. She's full of practical tips - including hosting your own events collaboratively and keeping the conversation focused on what others need. We'll also hear about her smart approach to follow-up after events, employing the "ten touches rule" to keep her contacts engaged. Prepare to be inspired as Susan discusses her entrepreneurial journey, overcoming personal and professional low points, and the joy she finds in team growth and recognition. Stay tuned as we learn that it's never too late to start, itâs okay to be afraid of failure, and that, at times, success is serendipitous â often resulting from seeds we plant long before they bear fruit. Learn more about Susan | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 08 Oct 2024 | #77: Jake Kloberdanz, One Hope Winery Co-founder â Building âGirl Scout Cookiesâ for adults, building community, and scaling philanthropy | 01:22:00 | |
Jake Kloberdanz is the founder of ONEHOPE, a pioneering wine brand with a mission to create a positive social impact. Under his leadership, ONEHOPE has donated tens of millions of dollars to over 40,000 non-profits and grown from zero to producing over one million bottles per year. The company boasts a world-class vineyard in Napa Valley and has garnered more than 30 wines with 90+ point ratings. Recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Magazine, ONEHOPE has raised over $100 million in funding. Jake has been honored as a "Top 40 Under 40" by Wine Enthusiast and a "Top 30 Under 30" by Forbes. He serves on the boards of 8VC and After the Fire, and is a sought-after speaker, having presented at the UN Global Summit, TED, and leading universities like Stanford and MIT. A graduate of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and a two-time national rugby champion, Jake is an advocate for "Cause-centric Commerce," integrating purpose into business models. From selling wines out of a U-Haul to building a company thatâs donated over $10 million to meaningful causes, Jake's story is nothing short of inspiring. Jake talks about his original idea to create âGirl Scout Cookies for adultsâ and how that evolved over time. He also talks about his evolution as a leader as the company overcame turbulence, how he learned the importance of clarity and how he developed his frameworks for communication. Learn more about One Hope Winery | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 22 Oct 2024 | #78: Jake Schwartz, Co-Founder and former CEO of General AssemblyâNavigating startup chaos, what a startup and the Beatles have in common, and the wisdom of looking back on the journey | 01:13:13 | |
Jake Schwartz is a serial entrepreneur, investor and advisor. Until 2020, Jake Schwartz served at CEO of General Assembly (GA), the global leader in education and career transformation, which he co-founded in 2011. He grew GA to over 1,000 employees on five continents. In 2018, GA was acquired by The Adecco Group. Jake Schwartz co-founded and serves as Chair of Brave Health, a mission-driven company focused on expanding access to high-quality, affordable care for mental health and addiction. Jake Schwartz was named E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 and one of Crainâs â40 under 40â in 2015. Jake holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former CFA Charterholder. That the end was clear at the beginning and the founders held an unwavering gaze. We often think launching a successful company requires:
That's one way to do it! But what if there's another approach? What if building a successful startup isn't about following a strict formula, but about embracing serendipity and intuition? Jake Schwartz, Co-Founder and former CEO of General Assembly, didn't have a conventional playbook. Looking back a decade later, he felt like they were forming a band. Just get together, start creating, figuring things out as you go. What I took away from this discussion: Passion > perfect plan. Flexibility > rigidity early on. Evolution > clear vision. By following their intuition and leaning into serendipity, Jake and his co-founders discovered a unique formula for success. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 05 Nov 2024 | #79, Shegun Otulana, Founder and CEO of Harmony Venture LabsâFrom Nigeria to unicorn founder; bootstrapping a profitable business; learning to embrace feedback | 01:11:14 | |
Shegun Otulana is a seasoned entrepreneur, advisor, mentor and investor. Drawing from his experience as a bootstrapped startup founder who found incredible success, his mission is to empower the next generation of builders by sharing his lessons learned to guide their entrepreneurial journeys. In addition to mentoring founders in his community â many of whom have gone on to launch successful companies â he also enjoys sharing his insight with startup leaders, business associations, academic institutions and other growth-minded groups. In 2013, Shegun founded TheraNest and its parent company, Therapy Brands, a software platform for mental, behavioral, substance and physical rehab providers and organizations. In 2021, he exited the business for $1.25 billion, the largest software exit on record in the state of Alabama. Prior to establishing Therapy Brands, Shegun founded Zertis Technologies, a computer software consultancy company. Today, he continues his âidea labâ approach as the Founder of Harmony Venture Labs (HVL), an idea and growth studio that owns and operates a family of technology companies. What struck me most about Shegun's journey? âĄïž The power of constraints as blessings - limited funding forced profitable growth from day one âĄïž Culture needs rituals - it's not enough to have values, you must memorialize and celebrate them âĄïž Leadership growth requires vulnerability - others see you differently than you see yourself One of my favorite insights: "Your nature is your nature, but you need to find people who complement what you don't bring to the table." Shegun openly shared how he learned to build strong remote teams by finding cultural champions when that wasn't his natural strength. When Shegun could only raise $250,000 in 10 months for his healthcare SaaS company, he turned that constraint into motivation. Without the luxury of burning cash, he had to build profitably from day one. Rather than seeing limited capital as a barrier, he viewed it as a blessing that forced disciplined growth - a mindset that ultimately led to a billion-dollar exit. It's about intentionally designing incentive structures that make your team feel safe to experiment and learn. Learn more about Shegun | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 19 Nov 2024 | #80: David Heinemeier Hansson, Co-Owner of 37signalsâ Creating with first principles, acting with courage, and working in a world with no managers | 01:20:28 | |
David is the creator of Ruby on Rails, Co-Owner of 37signals, best-selling author, Le Mans class-winning racing driver, antitrust advocate, investor in Danish startups, frequent podcast guest, and family man. He writes regularly on HEY World and speaks on The REWORK Podcast. Hundreds of thousands of programmers around the world have built amazing applications using Ruby on Rails, an open-source web framework he created in 2003, and continues to develop to this day. Some of the more famous include Github, Shopify, Airbnb, Square, Coinbase, and Zendesk. For my newest episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, I talk with David Heinemeier Hansson, Co-Founder of 37signals, to explore his journey of innovation, remote work, and unconventional management. Learn more about DHH | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 03 Dec 2024 | #81: Colin Bryar, Co-Author of "Working Backwards;" former Chief of Staff to Jeff Bezos â How Amazon built its processes, the birth of the 6-page memo, and how to instill psychological safety in a competitive culture | 01:22:24 | |
Colin Bryar is a business advisor and technology leader whose career has focused on optimizing business strategy, technology, and operations. He is a former top-level executive at Amazon, where he spent more than 12 years â much of it in the early aughts during the companyâs period of unmatched innovation â serving as a tech VP, leading the operations for IMDb.com, as well as shadowing and working directly with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to help with all aspects of Amazon's business including strategy, technology, and operations. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 17 Dec 2024 | #82, Gary Vaynerchuk, Serial Entrepreneur and Chairman of VaynerX â The importance of kind candor, how to get over your insecurity, and why you need to embrace social media (Repost) | 00:30:27 | |
Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as "GaryVee," is a serial entrepreneur, the Chairman of VaynerX, and 5x New York Times Best Selling Author. He is a leading global mind on what's next in culture, relevance, and the internet. Gary possesses an uncanny ability to recognize trends and patterns early to help others understand how these shifts impact consumer behavior. He is one of the most forward-thinkers in business. Gary's approach sits at the intersection of business and culture. He keenly understands how to bring brand relevance to the forefront. Thatâs one of the wisdom bombs from my latest guest on From Start-up to Grown-up, the legendary Gary Vaynerchuk- Chairman of Vayner X and the author of his brand new book, Day Trading Attention. Here are a few more of the many great takeaways Gary offered during our discussion: âChasing the short-term is the number one strategy that makes people fail.â âEntrepreneurship is a constant game of losing with occasional wins.â âThereâs nothing that happens on earth that doesnât start with attention.â Learn more about his book, Day Trading Attention | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 31 Dec 2024 | #83: Chip Conley, Founder at Modern Elder Academy â Using regret as fuel; how and why founders need to shift their identities; how to manage people older than you; and his favorite interview question (Repost) | 01:14:32 | |
Chip is the founder of the Modern Elder Academy (MEA), where a new roadmap for midlife is offered at a beautiful oceanfront campus in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and forthcoming campuses in Santa Fe, NM. His five books have made him a leading authority at the intersection of psychology and business. Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!  Resources Mentioned
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| 28 Jan 2025 | #84: Ethan Evans, Executive Mentor and Former Amazon VP â Managerial myths debunked, how to create a safety net for your career, and why everyone should write online | 00:51:06 | |
During his 15+ years at Amazon, Ethan Evans helped invent Prime Video, Amazon Video, Amazon Appstore, Merch by Amazon, Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime), and Twitch Commerce. He led global teams of over 800 and holds more than 70 patents. Ethan has reviewed 10,000+ resumes, conducted 2,500+ interviews, made 1,000+ hires, and was an Amazon Bar Raiser and Bar Raiser Core Leader, responsible for training and maintaining Amazon's group of interview outcome facilitators. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 11 Feb 2025 | #85: Isabelle Freidheim, Founder of Athena Capital â The benefits of being an only child, creating opportunities for women in finance, and unlocking hidden talent | 01:09:33 | |
Isabelle Freidheim is the founder and managing partner of Athena Capital. She is the youngest chairman of a publicly traded company in the U.S. In her role as managing partner of Athena Capital, Freidheim oversees the company's strategic direction and leads its efforts in identifying and investing in technology companies. Find out more about Athena Capital | Website https://www.athenacap.com/ Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 25 Feb 2025 | #86: Peter Attia, MD, Founder of Early Medical â improving your lifespan and healthspan, the centenarian decathlon, and the process of making major life changes (Repost) | 00:44:29 | |
Peter Attia, MD, is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan. He is the host of The Drive, one of the most popular podcasts covering the topics of health and medicine. Dr. Attia received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including resident of the year. He spent two years at the National Institutes of Health as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute, where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma. Learn more about Peter here | Website Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 11 Mar 2025 | #87: How Daniel Yanisse Scaled Checkr to $700M+ and Overcame the Post-Hypergrowth Crisis | 00:42:11 | |
In this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, host Alisa Cohn sits down with Daniel Yanisse, co-founder and CEO of Checkr, to discuss the exhilarating rise and the challenges of sustaining a high-growth company. Checkr revolutionized the background check industry, scaling from a $1M revenue run rate in just three months to processing millions of background checks annually. But with hypergrowth came intense operational, cultural, and leadership challenges. Daniel shares how he navigated:
This episode is packed with real-world lessons for founders, CEOs, and startup leaders facing the challenges of rapid growth, leadership transitions, and market shifts. đ§ Listen now and learn how to build and sustain a high-growth company.
00:00 â Introduction 02:30 â The Early Days of Checkr 06:20 â The Downside of Hypergrowth 08:45 â Facing Leadership Challenges & Executive Turnover 15:30 â Hiring and Managing Executives 21:00 â Redefining Checkrâs Mission: Fairness vs. Safety 28:00 â Leadership Lessons & Overcoming Challenges 39:00 â Confidence, Imposter Syndrome & Founder Loneliness 45:00 â Final Advice for Founders Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 25 Mar 2025 | #88: From Startup to Grown-Up: Eddie Kim, Co-founder and CTO of Gusto - Wearing different âhatsâ as a leader; learning to get his hands off the keyboard and enable others instead; and how to build a growth mindset | 00:43:08 | |
Eddie Kim is the CTO and cofounder of Gusto, which serves 400,000+ small and medium-sized businesses nationwide by helping them onboard, pay, insure, engage, and provide benefits for their teams, in one integrated, friendly, and easy-to-use platform. Eddieâs career has been shaped by chance encounters, a passion for software, and a deep commitment to growth. Before Gusto, he launched his first companyâan experience that ultimately led him to reconnect with his future co-founder, Josh Reeves. In this episode, Eddie opens up about co-founder dynamics, leadership struggles, scaling a company, and the surprising tools he uses to stay aligned with his team. Episode Highlights & Timestamps đč [00:00] - The Decision-Making Process of a Leader Resources & References đ Mindset: The New Psychology of Success â Carol Dweck đïž Listen to my previous conversation with Gusto Co-Founder & CEO Josh Reeves (Episode 58) Where to Find Eddie Kim đ Website: www.gusto.com Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 08 Apr 2025 | #89: From Startup to Grown-Up: Kevin Evers, author of Thereâs Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift â unpacking Taylor Swiftâs rise to the top; when to take big risks; and how to build a rabid fan base | 00:54:46 | |
Kevin Evers is a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review, where he shapes groundbreaking research and develops award-winning and bestselling books on high performance, creativity, innovation, marketing, and digital disruption. Heâs also written popular essays on brain science, persuasion, unpredictability, and the power of storytelling. Kevin holds degrees in English and Film Studies, and his forthcoming book with HBR Press, Thereâs Nothing Like This, offers a strategic analysis of Taylor Swiftâs unmatched ability to evolve her brand without losing her audience. Episode Highlights & Timestamps
Resources & References đ Thereâs Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift (Preorder) Connect with Kevin Evers Instagram: @there_is_nothing_like_this Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 15 Jul 2021 | #0: A Welcome Message from Alisa | 00:01:28 | |
Learn about Alisa's new podcast, From Start-Up to Grown-Up, where she interviews founders about the journey from their beginnings as a fledgling business to thriving companies that are leading the way. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 11 Oct 2021 | #1: Matt Blumberg, Bolster | 01:13:21 | |
Matt Blumberg is the founder and CEO of Bolster, a new talent marketplace for on-demand executives launched in 2020. Before Bolster, he was the CEO of Return Path. He has authored two books, namely: The Startup CEO and The Startup CXO. In this episode, Matt will take us through his entrepreneurship journey. He will give us in-depth details on how they founded Return Path, how they built the company culture, as well as their exit from the company. Matt also shares how he creates a support system, learned to say âno,â and became a two-time CEO. Matt is a founder and CEO of Bolster, a new talent marketplace for on-demand executives launched in 2020. Before Bolster, he was the CEO of Return Path. Also, he has authored two books, namely: The Startup CEO and The Startup CXO. In this episode, Matt will take us through his entrepreneurship journey. He will give us in-depth details on how they founded Return-path, how they built the company culture, and their exit from the company. Also, he will tell us how he creates a support system, his journey to learning to say, "noâ and how he became a second-time CEO. Key Talking Points of the Episode: [01:36] Getting to know Matt [03:27] Mattâs growth path in leadership [09:30] How Matt learned to say NO [12:39] How to build a support system [13:23] Whatâs the difference between a coach and a mentor? [15:10] How Matt handles difficult conversations with his employees [21:20] Coaching someone is about to get fired [29:30] How Matt built the company culture at Return Path and how it evolved [40:16] How Matt deals with difficult setbacks and bad moments in his day-to-day life [41:57] Transparency and authenticity [43:27] Mattâs favorite failure [51:05] How Matt sold Return Path [56:25] What is it like to be a second-time CEO for Matt? [01:02:58] The most challenging role for Matt in his current role [01:04:42] Mattâs book, Startup CXO and why it is important [01:10:43] What Matt wishes he knew earlier on his journey [01:11:15] Mattâs message to other founders, as they embark on their journey to grow into leaders Quotes from the Episode: âYouâre never done growing as a leader all of us are works in progress.â âThe most important conversation to have with an employee or an executive who is not doing well is the conversation you have before the one you fire them.â âThe best way to deal with a bad moment is to wait a few minutes. Something else is going to come along and replace it.â âWhen you make the hard conversation early, that means the later conversation is easier.â âDonât be shy about asking for help. There are a lot of people around you who know a lot more than you do about a lot of things that youâre doing.â  Grab Mattâs Books: Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 15 Oct 2021 | #2: Zvi Band, Contactually | 01:04:00 | |
Zvi Band is the co-founder and CEO of Contactually, which has been acquired by Compass. He is also the author of Success is In Your Sphere. His new venture is called Talk Social, which is focused on bringing humanity back together. In this episode, Zvi and I had a conversation about how he got onto the path of entrepreneurship, how he learned to see himself as the leader, and the limits of transparency. Zvi and I also get into a real talk discussion about co-founder dynamics, mental health, and his surprising advice to founders who are getting ready to sell their business. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
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| 19 Oct 2021 | #3: Jake Stein, Common Paper | 01:01:27 | |
Jake Stein is the cofounder and CEO of Common Paper. Previously, he was the co-founder of RJMetrics (acquired by Magento, then Adobe) and Stitch (acquired by Talend). Before RJMetrics, Jake worked in venture capital, started a landscaping business in high school, and was the 44th ranked table tennis player under 21 in New Jersey; achievements of which he is equally proud. In this episode, Jake discusses the pros and cons of distributed teams, the questions that he and his co-founder asked before they started their company, and the challenges he ran into once his former company was acquired. You'll also hear Jake's biggest mistake, how he invites company feedback parties, and all about Whale Wednesdays. [03:32] Aligning Company Plans [11:33] The Emotional Battle of Running a Business [28:03] Written Feedback vs. Verbal Feedback [33:23] Fostering Company Culture [45:36] Jakeâs Biggest Professional Blunder [58:05] The Importance of Self-Care [58:51] Advice for New Business Owners To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 01 Nov 2021 | #4: Chris Hsu, Azibo | 01:02:24 | |
Chris Hsu is the CEO & Co-Founder of Azibo, a VC-backed real estate fintech startup focused on simplifying the rental property experience. Prior to Azibo, Chris served as an Advisory Partner at a16z and previously was CEO of Micro Focus, a $4B enterprise software company. He also was COO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he successfully led the largest corporate separation in history. Chris spent the earlier part of his career in leadership roles at top consulting firms, including KKR and McKinsey. A military veteran, Chris graduated as a Distinguished Cadet from the United States Military Academy at West Point and completed his U.S. Army tenure as a Captain. He also has an MBA from Northwesternâs Kellogg School of Management. [1:59] Chrisâ Personal Life [7:33] Chrisâ Experience on Ranger School [13:55] Azibo Founding Story [18:17] Co-Founding Azibo [22:02] Culture of the Company that Chris wrote down [33:40] Chris on Leadership [37:43]The Struggles of Chris in his journey [46:44] Chris as a CEO [54:09] Challenges in Talking to Employees and Executives [59:48] What Chris Wished He Had Known Earlier [1:02:02] Advice for other Founders To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 08 Nov 2021 | #5: Sadie Lincoln, Barre3 | 00:42:17 | |
Sadie Lincoln is the co-founder and CEO of the fitness franchise company, Barre3. In this episode, Sadie shares how their in-person business had to pivot during the pandemic, why she views running her business as a spiritual practice, the worst feedback she ever received, and the importance of having the right team around her. [2:17] Building business was a spiritual practice [5:14] Micro practices that bring her closer to her spiritual practices [7:46] Shifting into a more confident state [9:45] The founding story of Barre3 [16:39] During the pandemic [33:26] A circle in Sadieâs leadership group [37:41] Female leadership [39:55] What else does Sadie wish she had known earlier on her journey? [41:04] Sadieâs Advice
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| 15 Nov 2021 | #6: Jeff Wald, WorkMarket | 01:10:08 | |
Jeff Wald is a serial entrepreneur, Board Member, Best Selling author, Keynote speaker and investor.  Jeff is co-founder and Chairman of two new technology startups, Bento Engine (toolkit for financial advisers) and Sonero (AI tool that provides summaries and action items from meetings). Jeffâs previous company, Work Market, an enterprise software platform that enables companies to manage freelancers was acquired by ADP in 2018, where he served on the Senior Leadership Team until 2020. Mr. Wald has founded several other technology companies, including Spinback, a social sharing platform (eventually purchased by salesforce.com). He began his career in finance, serving as Managing Director at activist hedge fund Barington Capital Group, a Vice President at venture capital firm GlenRock and various roles in the M&A Group at JP Morgan. Jeff has served on numerous public and private Boards of Directors including Steel Connect (NASDAQ: STCN), Costar Technologies (OTC: CSTI) and venture-backed TransfrVR.  Mr. Wald serves as an adviser to several companies and entities including the X-Prizeâs Rapid Reskilling Initiative. Jeff is the author of the #1 Amazon Best Seller, The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations and The Birthday Rules: A Fun and Flexible Framework for Raising Children in a Technology Enabled World. In this episode, Jeff talks about cofounder drama, his depression when his first startup failed, and what he said to his investors when they told him to get a coach, frameworks, and what he now looks for as an investor. [13:44] Sign of Weakness [20:37] Getting a Coach [27:33] Working Habit [37:28] Lifeline [45:05] Achievements [47:28] Jeffâs Imposter Syndrome [55:23] Advice [01:07:57] Conclusion To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 22 Nov 2021 | #7: Jennifer Dulski, Rising Team | 00:50:34 | |
Jennifer Dulski is the Founder and CEO of Rising Team and author of the WSJ bestselling book Purposeful. Prior to Rising Team, she led Facebook Groups, used by more than 1.5 billion people each month to create and participate in communities that matter to them. Her team was responsible for envisioning, building, and growing the Groups product. She also led the 2019 redesign of Facebook, âFB5,â to put communities at the center of the app. Before Facebook, Dulski was president and COO of Change.org, a social enterprise company that empowers people to create campaigns for change. Under her leadership, Change.org grew 10x, from 18 million users to 180 million, developed a profitable business model, rebuilt its tech stack, and supported thousands of successful campaigns globally.
[03:20] Strengthening Teams with Similar Talents [05:30] Why Jennifer Appreciates Honest Feedback [08:45] Building a Nonprofit Company [10:03] Structure of the Organization [14:23] Developing Technology to Create a Consumer Product [17:53] Truths of Being a Serial Founder [26:12] Jennifer's Goal to Build Rising Team [37:25] Vital Life Lessons Learned [42:55] The Strength of Self-Confidence [49:55] Three Traits for Successful Movements To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 30 Nov 2021 | #8: Rick Nucci, Guru | 00:48:54 | |
Rick Nucci is the Co-Founder and CEO of Guru. In this talk, Rick discusses the importance of having complementary founder skills, his philosophy about culture, what to do when he doesn't know what to do, and why he insists that people vent. [01:04] âSuccess is not a license for arrogance.â [02:55] What Rick learned from the trials and errors of leadership [15:03] Importance of Culture [19:42] Hiring Candidates [22:09] Downsides to Guruâs Culture [28:02] Maintaining Guruâs Culture during the Pandemic [34:19] The Change and Growth that Ricks has done as a Leader [40:30] Experiencing Self-Doubt and Impostor Syndrome [45:46] What Rick wished he knew before starting his journey To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 08 Dec 2021 | #9: David Sax, Author | 00:51:08 | |
David Sax is the author of The Soul of an Entrepreneur.
[3:30] Davidâs Interest in Entrepreneurship [9:23] Accidental Entrepreneurs [15:56] What does it take to be an Entrepreneur? [22:49] Occupational Hazard on Entrepreneur [25:39] David as a Solopreneur [28:55] Davidâs reminder during downs [37:58] Is Entrepreneurship a Mental Illness? [41:07] The Change after Writing the Book [44:40] What David is Working on for Now To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 20 Dec 2021 | #10: Greg Galant, Muck Rack | 01:09:35 | |
Gregory Galant is the co-founder and CEO of Muck Rack, a platform enabling PR teams to work together to find the right journalists for their stories, send customized pitches, build meaningful relationships with the media, monitor news and quantify their impact. Itâs used by thousands of organizations, including Taco Bell, Pfizer, Golin, International Committee of the Red Cross, Knight Foundation, Kauffman Foundation and Penguin Random House. Muck Rack is also the solution of choice for journalists, who use Muck Rackâs free, automatically updated portfolios to showcase their work and provide information about what stories theyâre looking for. Gregâs also the co-creator and executive producer of The Shorty Awards, which honor the best of social media. Past winners include Lizzo, Ricky Gervais, Rebel Wilson, Trevor Noah, Conan OâBrien, Issa Rae, Marques Brownlee, Sesame Street, Neil Patrick Harris, Mike Bloomberg and NASA. Greg is a frequent speaker and writer on topics related to social media, marketing, PR, entrepreneurship, remote work and journalism. Heâs presented at SXSW, Web Summit, Harvard Business School, Le Web and The International Journalism Festival, and his columns have appeared in Fortune, Forbes and Business Insider. Along with his companies, Greg has been cited in and interviewed by numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, Business News Daily, Editor & Publisher, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc., Poynter, PR News and PRWeek. BusinessWeek named him one of the âBest Young Tech Entrepreneurs,â and Crainâs honored Muck Rack as one of the â100 Best Places to Work in New York City.â In this episode, Greg shares why he decided to bootstrap instead of taking VC money, the constant state of change his job is as a CEO, and why heâs become grateful to sit around and be bored. [1:33] Early Days of Greg's Entrepreneurial Career [3:22] Greg's Founding Story [11:04] Greg's View on Failure [15:45] Greg's Opinions on VC Money [19:39] Downsides on the Decisions Made [24:38] Greg's Journey as a Leader [33:00] What Greg Felt When He Gave Way [40:13] Setting Learning Goals [42:27] Working Remotely â The Remote Culture [52:22] Greg on Firing People [57:56] Self-doubt in Greg's Entrepreneurial Journey [1:07:42] Final Remarks To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 03 Jan 2022 | #11: Robin Matlock, VMware | 00:55:24 | |
Robin Matlock was the former CMO of VMware, an independent Board Director of startups including People.ai and Cohesity. She talks about her own career growth and about the importance of not putting limits on yourself and how a fateful lunch totally changed her career trajectory. She talks about how you need to promote yourself in your own mind to lead at a different altitude as you become more senior, and then again when you serve as a board director. Robin also shares a recipe for how to bring culture to life, why you need to get better at failing, and how playing the harp prepared her for her very successful business career. [01:58] Silicon Valleyâs Ethos [03:54] Robinâs role model [08:38] A CEOâs Influence [15:41] How Robinâs career began [36:36] The Importance of Culture [46:16] Struggles [52:48] Advice To hear more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 10 Jan 2022 | #12: Rahul Vohra, Superhuman | 01:04:06 | |
Rahul Vohra is the Co-Founder and CEO of Superhuman. [3:57] Rahulâs Past Experiences [6:48] Rahulâs Experience on Rapportive [8:07] Motivation and Driving Power of Rahul [11:25] Maintaining Spiritual, Mental, and Physical Health [26:06] Taking Feedbacks [31:56] Building up Trust [38:29] Change of Mindset as a Leader [44:12] Is there a Downside about Waiting so Long to Launch? [51:52] The Challenges of Change [56:11] Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Celebrity CEO [59:55] Experience on Self-Doubt [1:02:50] Advice in Growing as a Leader To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter at http://alisacohn.com/5scripts You can also follow Rahul on his socials: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||
| 25 Jan 2022 | #13: Ragy Thomas, Sprinklr | 00:54:54 | |
Ragy Thomas is the Founder and CEO of the social media and customer management company, Sprinklr. Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon | |||