From Founder To CEO (Todd Uterstaedt)

Zac Mason helps many Founders get fit.

Zac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachzac/

Zac on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coachzacmason

SPONSORED BY: www.stressfreefounder.com

Maria is a proud New Yorker and a skillful Founder. She has successfully navigated and pivoted her business through the dot-com bust, 9-11, the 2008 recession and now the COVID-19 crisis. She shares the 4 actions you can take to successfully lead through crisis and come out winning.

Joe is as real as it gets. He is a Founder and CEO who tells it like it is and pushes himself to get better and be better...every day. What I truly appreciate about Joe is his embrace of the idea that, "The obstacle is the way."

As Founders, we know this, practice this, and embrace this...everyday.

So, I was super excited to have Joe on the podcast to share his experiences as Founder of Spartan Races and his biggest obstacles shifting From Founder To CEO.

Spartan came from Joe's mind as a former equities and derivatives trader on Wall Street. He turned his passion for extreme sports into a lifestyle for his family — and then into a business.

Check out Zac's website: https://topmencoach.com/

Top Men Method

Zac shares the 4 Limiting Beliefs/Myths that hold Founders back from achieving fitness while they scale.

Todd O'Brien has a popular podcast you'll want to check out: http://keepitweirdmedia.com/podcast

He and I talk about what we have learned interviewing entrepreneurs over the years.

Who doesn't like a good walk in the forest?

It turns out that walking in the forest is even more important than we realize.

Jared and his team have been able to quantify the importance of nature, and many are taking notice.

When you are a mission driven Founder like Jared, it can be hard to stay focused on the core economics of the business.

Listen how Jared overcomes the urge to investigate other "curious" areas of inquiry and stay focused.

This was a hard conversation to have. I'm grateful to Rachel for trusting her story with me. All our entrepreneurial journeys have struggles that help transform us. Rachel and others like her, sometimes have an additional struggle. I left this conversation more informed and greatly inspired. I hope you are too.

15 years ago, Kara and her husband, Theo, set on on a grand adventure. With no experience in the beverage industry, they wanted to create a beverage drink with only one thing in it, fruit...nothing else. That proved harder than you might think. She chronicles the ups and downs of Hint Water in her new book, Undaunted.

Kara and I had an in depth conversation about the business, the book, her family, and her biggest challenge moving from Founder to CEO.

I have a special treat for you in this episode. I am VERY excited to introduce you to my long-time friend from way back in my neighborhood of Ansonia, CT, Adam Hallet. Adam shares some great stories about his shift from Founder to CEO...and a few stories about me, too. ;) I hope you enjoy this.

Sponsored by: www.stressfreefounder.com

Marc's new (relatively) book, "It Will Never Work" is really wonderful book. I like it because Marc seems to be very honest about him Reed Hastings and the birth and growth of Netflix. I'm not surprised since "radical honesty" is a hallmark of the culture at Netflix.

Marc was very revealing in this interview. He answers these questions:

• Why did he write and published his book so many years after he left Netflix?
• Why was his family such a big part of his startup success?
• Where did the title of his book come from?
• What happened when Marc shared his book with Reed Hastings (Co-Founder and Current CEO) before it was published?
• What does he mean by "radical honesty?"
• What were Marc's strengths and weaknesses as a Co-Founder and leader and what were and are Reed Hastings strengths and weaknesses as a Co-Founder and leader?
• What REALLY happened when Reed Hastings told Marc that he does not think Marc can lead the company by himself any more?
• What is his advice to Founders who are told they are not a good fit leading the company they started?
• How can fast-growth Founders stay close to the customer when they are so busy?
• What does Marc think about the recent emergence of HBOMax as a competitor to Netflix?

Who you let in and out of your life is VERY important. Who you let in and out of your networks is VERY important. Who you let into and out of your company is VERY important.

Liz has seemed to master these expertly. With backing from Sequoia, she and her co-founders have carved out servicing an important piece of tech...controlling access to any infrastructure at the ID-level.

And, in this interview, Liz is super transparent about the challenges in building a hiring process that scales...especially considering cybersecurity has never been more important.

NOTE: She and her team are also hiring right now. Check out the opportunities HERE.

You probably have seen Dr. Gundry. His book "The Plant Paradox" is a best seller. His supplements are widely popular and celebrities like Kelly Clarkson, Usher, and Tony Robbins all credit him with their good health. It seems Dr. Gundry is on top of the health world. But, it wasn't always like that. He struggled like any entrepreneur. And, it was an early book launch failure that helped him develop the character and stamina to become a very successful Doctor/Founder and CEO.

Sponsored By: www.arrestfounderstress.com

Meetings are are an interesting topic. When you combine that with SaaS "feature" talk, you can burn through a lot of time. Jeroen and his team have created a great platform to help you sell more and input data less. While doing so, he has become even more savvy about how to best bring his team together, who needs to be at certain meetings, and who needs to focus on the growing work of his SaaS platform without being at meetings.

The pandemic wreaked havoc on many businesses.

But, how many of you know a Founder who launched DURING the pandemic?

Allow me to introduce you to Tara.

Tara knows the locs business inside and out.

She and her team created a product that revolutionizes the way those with locs, take care of their locs.

And, along the way, she has learned some pretty incredible lessons.

Among them is something unique to her personality as the needs of a startup from a Founder.

She is a self-described empath who, for a time period, began doing the work of her team. There were various reason for this. But, what she realized is quite compelling.

Imagine having an intelligence system that proactively finds the right information you need to craft the best messages for sales prospecting. That is what Daniel and his team have created. And, as an early stage Founder, Daniel continues to learn valuable lessons. One big one...how being the "hero CEO" creates more problems than it is worth.

CDR Lippold bravely led his sailors during the horrific suicide bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 when 17 sailors died. Kirk understands what it takes to lead during crisis situations. He shares his thoughts about what Founders can do as they are confronted with difficult decisions and big expectations during COVID-19.

His Website: https://kirklippold.com/

His Book: "Front Burner" on Amazon

His Speaker's Bureau Page: https://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/commander-kirk-lippold-usn-ret

Sponsored By: Arrest Founder Stress

Millions of entrepreneurs know about Mailchimp, because Mailchimp made millionaires of entrepreneurs known. What started as an email marketing platform for small businesses has grown to a full-fledged marketing platform made for growing businesses. And, at the helm for 20 years with his Co-Founder Dan Kurzius, is Ben Chestnut.

Ben and I had a very candid conversation about his journey from Co-founder to CEO. He shares a story about a very critical moment in the company's history. A relatively new employee bravely gave him feedback that would be hard for many of us to swallow.

Please let Ben and I know what you think about this interview. He is a rare leader who candidly shares such vulnerable information.

About a year ago I started paying attention to some of the new approaches to lead generation many Founder were using. They include quizes, calculators, assessments, polls, and chatbots. Want to get to know one of the Founders who has made these lead generation tools easily accessible to us? Yes? Then, listen to this episode of the podcast.

Randy, his co-founder, and his growing team are experts on interactive content.

And, because his company is growing so fast, Randy has had to hire lots of people. The problem? Initially, he wasn't very good at it.

Randy explains what he learned about hiring AND about himself in this candid interview.

Anand really believes in his mission. With over 20 years of experience in his industry, Anand has created something whose time has come...technology for financial advisors...one of the last areas of business life to still be operating somewhere back in the 1980s era. It's a tough area to break into because of a fair amount of regulation. Anand's attention to detail...a strength of his...became somewhat of a liability as he endeavored to launch into the market. He talks about overcoming perfectionism and what you can do to overcome it too. And, oh yes. Since we recorded this interview, Anand has launched BIG with new customers coming at him fast and furious. Anand is a great example of what "being all in" is all about. Listen and see what I mean.

Donnie is as transparent as you might expect, being a Marine.

His amazing company is helping thousands of business owners connect with the right people.

So, I found it really interesting that he made a decision as a Founder & CEO that initially did not connect with his people.

Sometimes, as Founders, and as we grow, we need to augment our decision-making with a bit more data and insight.

The gut instincts that got us to launch and reach traction becomes insufficient over time.

Listen to what happened to Donnie, how he fixed the situation, and what you can learn from his mistake.

Now, more than ever, we need to know what is happening in the hearts and minds of our team members. Santiago and his team have married up software and coaching that does just that. Santiago is well versed in the research about engagement and productivity. He is also very candid about how his leadership, at one point, was not very engaging to his team. He speaks in great detail about the time he was struggling and what you can do to overcome a similar circumstance.

Sponsor: www.stressfreefounder.com

I enjoyed speaking with Jake. He is an impressive Founder. And, I appreciate his candor about "ego." We can all learn from this conversation.

Being an entrepreneur is challenging. Being an entrepreneur AND a parent is even more challenging. For some, being a black entrepreneurial parent can be even tougher. James knows this. As a Founder himself, he understands the struggle and partnered with people like Brad Feld and many others to build this amazing startup Foundation.

He's also quite candid about his personal struggles. In this interview, listen how James battled through depression and came out on top. As you look toward 2021, I hope James' story brings you hope for a great year ahead.

Know How To Connect With Investors: www.CrucialConnections.com

GoLoot: https://www.igoloot.com/

Lucas On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-b%C3%A9land-4ab1b5174/

Are you contributing or contaminating? That is a question that Brad invites advisors, family members, friends, etc., (who desire to give advice to rising Founders) to think about. He talked exclusively with us about how he navigates this question with his successful family members in Wisconsin.

Alex experienced a spiritual awakening that led him and his co-founders to build the the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world.

As the business was transforming, so was Alex.

Alex learned how important it is to "surrender" as you transition From Founder To CEO.

Shift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com

Todd walks through Myth #2 of Founder Fundraising

Andrew was guest #2, 5 years ago. It was truly an honor to have him back on the show where he discusses two key issues: 1) how he is navigating a pilot shortage 2) a specific experience about remote leadership that taught him a valuable lesson we all can learn from as the globe embraces remote work.

What started as a side hustle, caught him by surprise when Google reached out with an intriguing offer.

As a self-described, "not a people person," Abhinav realized that he had to recruit more experienced leaders and bring on team members who can do one thing well and really define their ares of scope much better.

Recruit and define...easier said thAn done. But, with over 400 team members and market value of $2 billion, Abhinav and his team figured it out.

Become A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com

Tyler is incredible. What he has been able to accomplish as a Founder while being a college student and college athlete is incredible.

You can probably hear in his voice that Tyler is very humble. And, he admits that does not like asking for help...or money. So, raising capital was challenging or him. So, what worked? Just telling stories.

Listen has he describes how he raised money and what he does to overcome his propensity to NOT ask for help.

Try our FREE Course: Arrest Founder Stress

You can relate, right? Taking on customers, clients, business, etc. that maybe you should not have? Perhaps you should have said no, but you did so because you needed the revenue to keep the lights on? Shaun candidly talks about that very situation and what he learned from it. Plus, Shaun revels the #1 cyber security mistake for almost all growing businesses.

The relationship between the barber and the barber's client is very important. No one understands that more than Obi and his co-founder.

They started "The Cut" in 2016 and have seen incredible growth.

That growth has come with the need to grow as a leader.

For Obi, delegating certain things has been a challenge. Listen as he describes what has been the hardest thing for him to give up as he transitions from Founder to CEO.

I must admit...I could eat burgers from Sonic for every meal. So, when the former CEO of Sonic agreed to come on the show to help YOU learn from his experiences, I certainly could not say no.

Cliff talks about his new book (Master of None: How a Jack-of-All-Trades Can Still Reach the Top) and its relevance to Founders. In fact, we specifically talk about his struggles "letting go" as the company grew and his feelings when when the company was sold...the ultimate "letting go."

I know you will learn a lot from Cliff. I sure did.

Wool. An old friend with a new twist from a team that is on fire.

Dan chronicles the rise of Unbound Merino and also the merits of being "The Lazy Co-Founder."

What exactly does that mean? Listen and hear for yourself.

Wow. Shae! She will inspire you and move your heart.

She shares her divinely inspired story as well as a few other really interesting topics:

1. How and why she hired a CEO.
2. Moving away from being a "doer"
3. What allows her to get into a "listening space"
4. And more...

She is a wealth of wisdom that I know you'll enjoy.

Queen City Angels Entrepreneur Boot Camp September 22-23, 2020: Sign up HERE

Scott Scott Jacobs, Executive Director of QCA, Shares 4 Mistakes Founders Make Pitching Angel Investors

Communications Expert & Attorney, Jenny Kay, shares Founder Crisis Communication Tips During Covid-19

Her Company: https://kaycommunications.co/

Her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jekay/

Blinds.com is an incredible business story and Jay is an incredible Founder CEO.

In his new book, he talks about the 4 Es...the foundational principles on which his success was built.

After he and his team successfully built Blinds.com, he sold the company to Home Depot and continued leading for quite some time after.

In this interview, Jay talks about:

---> What generosity looks like to him as a Founder & CEO.

---> A significant story about a time he felt short of his own expectations of a focus on humanity.

It's an incredible interview because Jay is so candid and transparent about his own journey From Founder To CEO.

4 Founders Just Talk About It

Talk about what? Race in America

• Erin Green: Founder of Verify Services
• Perry Jeffries III, Founder of The Entrepreneur's CFO
• Shaun St.Hill, Founder of Tech & Main, LLC
• and me, Todd Uterstaedt, Founder of From Founder To CEO

Sponsored by: www.StressFreeFounder.com

Tobias is a Founder originally from Vienna. In this really interesting interview, he shares why introducing a Silicon Valley culture in the African country he started his business in, did not really work and what you can learn about creating a culture, too.

Tutoring is big business. And, Myles and the team figured out how to provide this valuable service for FREE to thousands of students.

It wasn't easy.

And, it became even harder when he and his co-founder, Victor, realized that two other co-founders may not be in it for the long haul.

What do you do when it becomes clear that a co-founder, or two, need to exit the business and there is not a pre-planned process for this?

Well, as Myles explains in this interview, it was stressful and there was lots of drama.

But, in the end, Myles learned a lot about influence, motivations, and how to speak into the hopes and fears of others.

Johanan has created a win-win-win with Algas Organics. He takes nuisance seaweed that washes up on the beaches of his island country, turns it into fertilizer for farmers, and employees a growing number of fellow citizens in the endeavor. I think you’ll be amazed at what he and his team have accomplished in a relatively short time period. And, a bad situation with an “intermediary” turned into great wisdom for him and for you.

Register For Their Couples Academy Event On Dec 1:

https://justownit.co/the-couples-academy/

Justin and Alyse's website:

https://justownit.co/

Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-roethlingshoefer-7252a766/

Alyse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyse-gaulin-a7128211/

SPONSRED BY: www.stressfreefounder.com

Jason and his team have created a learning platform that is truly incredible. He started this in his early 20s with lots of learnings along the way. It was his thoughts on "letting go" that I think you will all want to listen to.

If you aren't using a valid and reliable pre-employment assessment to augment your hiring efforts, then you may be missing an opportunity. Josh explains why and also talks about his own mistakes with hiring.

Financial projections for a Founder CEO are quite precarious. On the one hand you want to be careful not to over promise because others are relying on your predictions. On the other hand, you want to also send that message that you are optimistic about the future potential of the company...now, in the short-term, and of course in the long-term.

Listening to William describe his personal experience with a very "humbling" episode of this situation. He adroitly explains the Founder role and the CEO role when it comes to forecasting startup financial results.

We can all learn from William's story. But, I also invite you to listen to something that William doesn't say. He doesn't describe himself as smart, humble, and hungry. But, I can. He is all of that and more...listen and you'll hear why.

If you are looking for an example of a hardworking Founder & CEO, look no further than Carl Daikeler.

Carl has been leading his company for 21 years and has the failures and success...more of them...to show for it.

In this interview, Carl details what makes Beachbody unique, how he and his team successfully navigated Covid-19...and a surprisingly revealing admission about him and the future of the company.

You'll want to listen to this to the very end.

COVID-19 has made it even more difficult for artists to launch and sustain a living.

That's why I LOVE what Nicholas and his team are doing for artists. They have created a platform that helps take the middle man out and add the profits in for artists who have traditionally not gotten a fair shake.

Nicholas is tackling a big issue, at a relatively young age. Listen as he describes his 2 biggest challenges shifting from Founder to CEO. The first is his own health and well-being, The second is his relationship with his developer as they hashed it out over development strategy.

Shift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com

Todd walks through Myth #1 of Founder Fundraising

As we battle Covid-19, I was grateful that Johannes joined me on the podcast. His views on "collective intelligence" are quite inspiring. And, it's his own understanding of himself as a leader that was quite ironic. Let me know what you think.

Shift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com

Todd walks through Myth #3 of Founder Fundraising

Have you ever heard a Founder say he enjoys buying business insurance.

I thought so.

It takes a special kind of Founder to tackle the business insurance industry and David and his team are doing just that.

I appreciated David's candid and thought-provoking story about Founder courage versus Managerial Courage.

In this interview he explains how he would have handled a delicate situation differently.

Tim has been a friend for quite some time. I admire him for so many reasons...not the least of which is his prowess at sales.

In fact, it was this skill that also prevented him from scaling. What?

Yes, his skills at sales limited the company's ability to grow.

Why? Listen to him yourself and see the connection that we all need to pay attention to.

My wife was a military spouse for a short time period. It's a very challenging role to be in, for sure.

Michelle and her co-founder have harnessed the incredible skills and experiences of this force amazing group of people to help another amazing group of people...Founders like you.

Michelle details how the company started and a surprising admission from someone who leads a virtual assistant firm.

This is one former Navy Seal you are going to want to listen two...twice...and read his book too:

"The Process, Art, and Science of Leadership"

Errol's Book: https://leader193.com/the-process-art-and-science-of-leadership/

Errol's Website: https://leader193.com/

Errol on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-doebler/

I asked Craig to come on the show because he is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Not only did his team just finish moving a considerable number of clients to home-based work in response to COVID-19, he also successfully navigated the 2008 recession after going through a "divorce" with his co-founder. Listen as he shares some sage steps and advice about working through this challenging time period. Well worth your time.

Krister and I last spoke in 2017 in episode 185. It was an intense conversation.

Why? Because Krister's journey has been so intense.

When I saw that his new book was a #1 WSJ Bestselling book, I was not surprised.

Because his journey has been so rich with insights, he has taken these life lessons and shared them with all of us in a very practical way that I am most certain will change YOUR life.

Read his book and let me know what you think.

You may know Evan. He is the guy with over 2 million subscribers on YouTube aiming to help you believe your entrepreneurial ambitions can come true. But, have you ever stopped to think if Founders like Evan have fears, doubts, and concerns? Evan gets real candid with me and details his biggest fear and what he does to overcome it. A MUST listen.

Dan Soviero, Founder of Signature, discusses how he and his team focused on simplicity for his customers AND his business and how that generated a lot more success.

These are stressful times for many Founders. What usually is a challenging role to be in, has been turned into a crazy race to stay alive. That's why I have been striving to bring you insights from Founders who have launched and exited multiple startups. Brendan is one of those guys. You may recall "Bear Naked" Granola...well, Brendan, Kelly Flatley, and team created that amazing company and sold it to Kellogg's. It was an incredible exit.

In this interview, Brendan takes you inside that experience, what he learned about himself, and how he has taken these experiences as he builds he latest company, PACT Apparel.

Oh, and Brendan knows a little bit more about surviving, you may have caught him on the CBS TV show Survivor in 2008.

It takes a special person to be a wife, mother, physician, AND Founder. That special person is Dr. Allison Hull.

Listen as Allison explains her passion for health and well-being. And, I also encourage you to listen as she explains her personal challenge in keeping engaged with her team, using meetings effectively, and keeping her team motivated and inspired.

It all comes back to being a great Founder/Team Leader when YOU are a high achieving Founder. How does she handle this? What does she recommend for you? Listen and learn.

Become A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com

This was such a FUN interview, with two people who quickly captured my heart.

Nicole and Mario are the Emmy Award Winning Co-founders you will want to listen to twice. They share so much wisdom in this episode that I thought about breaking it up into two episodes.

First, they talk about how they built this very unique company.

Secondly, they shared their secrets about being co-founders AND a married couple.

Thirdly, they talk about the importance of co-founder communication.

Fourthly, they share inside information about how YOU can use sponsorships as another source of capital, just like they did and do.

It's a fun filled and information packed episode.

If you are looking to be inspired by a Founder's startup story, look no farther than this interview with Gwen. She sure does have grit and a lot of other positive qualities.

And, like the rest of us, she also has more to learn about herself on the journey From Founder To CEO.

In this interview she discusses how she has handled the difference between being friendly and friends with team members.

Imagine selling millions of your product, but then having an inventory problem. That was the situation Greg faced. Listen to what he did and how he had to change himself and the company.

JOIN THE WAIT LIST FOR CRUCIAL CONNECTIONS:

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Krista has beat cancer...twice. And, she worked her way through some shady characters undermining her business.

These very challenging situations led her to greater discoveries about herself AND a new path for her business.

She is an inspiration to us all. Listen and you'll see why.

My draw dropped open when Norman told me how much money in energy costs he saved a Brazilian company.

He and his team take a decidedly business approach to their environmental efforts.

And, Norman is quite articulate about the power of using your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough."

He details the time his hand went numb as well as when a friend called him for help.

Both stories remind us that Founders are not super human.

We need people and habits that support our wellbeing.

Justin's enthusiasm for success is infectious. However, beneath that enthusiasm is a lifetime of struggles, challenges, and unique experiences that few have had quite like he has.

Justin makes a great case why it's so important to take care of yourself as a Founder, so that you have the capacity to take care of your team and customers.

Listen to what happened to him and what advice he has for you.

www.JustOwnIt.co

Bobby Herrera is the successful Founder & CEO of The Populus Group, THE company that help you manage your non-permanent workforce.

Bobby is also a U.S. Army veteran and author of one of my favorite books, "The Gift of Struggle: Life-Changing Lessons About Leading" which you can buy on Bobby's personal site here: https://bobby-herrera.com/

Bobby and I have become friends and I am grateful to him for coming on the podcast for a second time to detail how he uses *V-U-C-A* to lead his team during the COVID-19 crisis.

This is not fluff. He details specific example and exactly what you can do to slow down the speed of this crisis and come out winning on the other side. You can read more about it here: https://bit.ly/34lNule

Check out Bobby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/) and also his company here: https://www.populusgroup.com/

I grew up in Connecticut and LOVED when we were able to get Dunkin Donuts' Munchkins® Donut Hole Treats. So, many years later having the opportunity to interview Robert Rosenberg, the CEO of Dunkin Donuts for over 30 years, THAT was a REAL treat.

Bob and spoke about his new book, "Around the Corner to Around the World: A Dozen Lessons I Learned Running Dunkin Donuts." I really enjoyed his book because Bob is quite candid and vulnerable about not only the successes but ALSO his personal mistakes and failings.

What got in his way, early on? Hubris. Bob talks at length about how hubris temporarily impacted him AND the company...and how he recovered from it.

Let Bob and I know what you think of his book.

Phillip is a former guest on the show that I wanted to bring back for a good reason.

His agency, Win BIG Media has an exclusive partnership with the largest data collection company in America. They have been working with them over the past 5 weeks to analyze consumer behavior in the marketplace regarding COVID-19, how it’s shifting, and how you can take advantage of it.

Here is a link to the results: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uQGHoylEoysjCZmHBPNprIaCvsSeR12x/view

I have always been passionate about great reporting and quality journalism. I started out as a paper delivery boy and later a journalist for a short time period. I guess that is one of the reasons Arjun and I really hit it off. He started as a paper delivery boy as well.

Today, he is tackling a mighty endeavor...finding a way to increase the amount of credible news we consume.

It's a big mission...driven by a Founder who also embraces self-awareness.

Listen as Arjun explains his journey of discovery: "It was humiliating and embarrassing, I realized I wasn't a good product manager."

Mario and his team are the real deal. His passion for people and culture is quite inspiring. He and his company's work is legendary. That's why his story about hiring the wrong person seemed so interesting to me. It's not something he takes lightly. And, his lesson is profound.

Sign Up for Crucial Connections (www.crucialconnections.com)

Have you ever wondered why some investors invest in your company and some don't? Have you ever wondered why some people buy into your ideas and some don't? Well, this successfully excited Founder and Former CEO might be able to help you.

Suneel Gupta wrote an amazing book entitled, "Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You."

Listen as he describes what YOU can do to become Backable.

CB Insights lists the company that Mike Praeger founded as a FinTech unicorn. Take a look here.

Mike has some incredible insights about the history, the industry and of course one of the big lessons he learned on the journey From Founder To CEO.

Dan is one of those guys that you immediately like. He is a former lacrosse players who just wants to help other lacrosse players.

He explains why his company has been so successful and why he and his Co-Founder parted ways

Co-Founder relationships are tricky. Dan speaks to this issue with a high degree of emotional intelligence.

Nick and his fellow Founders had a big exit with Carvana. Yes, that Carvana. Now hey are tackling the car load market with a great deal of experience from their previous company. Nick gets real about stress and hitting the wall. He shares what he does and we discuss what you can do when you experience Founder stress.

We all lose loved ones. This year seemed particularly difficult.

You might say I was quite touched by Joe's mission. He and his team are really trying hard to make it easier to stay connected to our loved ones.

As Joe has scaled the company, he has had to deal with his own challenges reaching out to "significant people." I'm sure you can relate

Listen as he describes he advice on how to get over the intimidation of speaking with key people that will make your business grow.

I think you may want to listen to this interview...twice.

Shawn is incredible. He is one of the deepest thinking Founders I think I may have interviewed in 5 years.

Why?

He discusses something that many of us Founders struggle with...the tension between reaching the aspirational elements of entrepreneurship and the realities of the moment.

I am a reluctant Cincinnati Bengals fan. (see their record for my reluctance justification). But, then again, I am not really a big football super fan anyway. But, I live in Ohio and I have seen (and heard) football superfans...especially from the school that starts with "THE." :)

Despite this lack of interest, I was VERY interested to learn from my latest podcast guest about what he is doing to democratize the sports commentary world. I see no reason that a few talking heads can rake in a lot of money...especially when many fans like you have more informed opinions.

Enter Frankie, his Co-founder, and team. They are helping YOU monetize your sports content. And, I LOVE this.

Frankie's passion about the subject, and in general, and palpable. And, it's this passion that something detracts from his ability to lead effectively. Listen as he explains his person challenge on the road from Founder to CEO and what he does to channel that energy when it may cause a bit of a problem with his team members.

Alex led his team through a huge nightmare. COVID-19 prompted him to quickly change his entire in-person SaaS conference business model. And, wow, he and his team quickly turned their business into virtual conferences. In fact, up until June 9, you can still get tickets to his big conference: SaaStock Remote.

Buy tickets here: https://www.saastock.com/remote/

Gut health is important to all of us. We need good "gut buddies" to stay healthy. And, we need good "team buddies" for our startups to thrive. Tina shares the one interview question that tells her a lot about whether or not she should hire a new team member.

Surprising and delighting customers as they interact with their digital wallet is the expertise of Elias Guerra and his team at Popwallet.

Many parts of the world have embraced the digital wallet faster than the United States.

Elias has been patient as the technology is adopted more here.

In fact, patience has been key to his leadership success.

Yet, he learned that even his patient demeanor wasn't enough for the patience needed for a Founder CEO.

Listen and see why.

We dissect one of the pillars of Mike Robbin's new book: "We're All in This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Belonging" - We talk about the importance of "sweaty palm" conversations all the time, and especially during times of crisis.

Get his new book here: https://mike-robbins.com/together/

Before starting his business in 2001, Mike played baseball at Stanford University and then with the Kansas City Royals organization. Injuries to my pitching arm ended his playing career at the age of 23 when he was still in the minor leagues. After baseball and prior to starting his consulting business, he worked for two tech companies in online ad sales during the "dot-com boom" of the late 1990s.

Now, Mike works with companies like: Google, Wells Fargo, eBay, Gap, Adobe, Schwab, Microsoft, Genentech, Airbnb, and the San Francisco Giants.

AJ will impress you will his LinkedIn Ads knowledge, his dedication to his craft, and his work ethic. But, I think you'll also be impressed by AJ's candid and transparent story about becoming the leader of his company.

Pat and his team are having an enormous impact. Pat is the CEO of GAN, THE organization supporting the success of over 100 independent accelerators...in over 120 cities. He is also the CEO of GAN Ventures. In this interview, Pat walks us through what he believes are the new Coronavirus job description components for him and Founders around the world. He also reveals the launch of the NEW Founder Support Fund...which you will hear, he gets very emotional about.

GAN: https://www.gan.co/

GAN Ventures: https://www.gan.co/engage/ventures/

The Founder Support Fund: https://www.gan.co/engage/startups/founder-support-fund/

Enlisted Marine.

Marine Officer.

Husband.

Father.

Pharmaceutical Salesman.

Firefighter.

Founder & CEO.

City Councilman.

COVID-19 survivor.

International Bestselling Author.

These are just some of the roles that Zachary has excelled in during his short life.

He certainly has had a big and growing impact on the firefighting profession, building safety, and now with his new book, "Warrior Entrepreneur," a big impact on thousands of Founders around the world.

In this very candid interview, Zachary details why and how he relinquished day to day operations to a CEO, why his business is better for it, and advice to Founders, like you, who are considering such a decision.

A larger number of people in the United States are "gig workers." And, that number has increased steadily.

Craig and his team know this and are on a mission to help serve this group of hard working people connect easily with the organizations that hire them.

He is also quite articulate about the intersection of bold vulnerability and personal accountability.

Listen to the strength of his voice and the wisdom in his words.

Need Help Raising Capital: www.crucialconnections.com

Live events seem like a distant memory. But, not to Evan. He is a leading expert on the thing that keep live events going...ticket sales.

Listen as he describes his journey and the decision points he used to sell his company...before COVID-19 hit.

I sincerely appreciated Lucas' candor.

He and his team are quite innovative with their approach to creating experiences for brands and their customers.

And, he is quite articulate about his personal struggle From Founder To CEO at the ripe age of 19.

It has to do with the difference between setting expectations versus setting objectives...it's a lesson we all need to remember at any age of entrepreneurship.

Fix Your Fundraising Flubs: Join www.crucialconnections.com

Matt's tech is terrific. Matt is too. :)

He not only talks about why personalized video emails have such high conversion rates, but he also talks about why some co-founder relationships have such high failure rates.

He shares a particularly painful time period when he and his CTO were having some clashes. And, he shares his advice if this happens to you as well.

She grew SolidCore to over 70 locations and thousands of members including big fans like Michelle Obama. But, nothing has compared to the heart-wrenching decisions Anne has had to make in response to the global pandemic. Anne reveals the steps she has taken to take care of her team members, as best she can, and save her company amidst great uncertainty. I think the thing that makes me stop and really appreciate Anne is this...she cares deeply for her team and she is a fighter...she is committed to overcoming this temporary challenge.

Sponsored By: Arrest Founder Stress

Data science and bras? An unlikely combination? Not if you are a former Google employee and MIT grad. Heidi and her team have systematically taken on an industry that saw very little innovation and along the way helped millions of women find better comfort and and confidence.

Of course, as any listener of this show knows, success comes with lots of opportunities for growth. Heidi explains what happened when her Creative Director went on the ABC TV show Good Morning America (GMA), while she was in labor with her first child, and their system crashed. From that experience Heidi explains what she learned about her leadership style and how to bring team members along when you need to make a tough decision.

Thanks for being so candid, Heidi. We all benefit from you transparency.

When you meet Chideha for the first time, you immediately know.

You know he is a special person.

You know he cares about every person he comes into contact with.

You know that he strives for excellence in everything his does.

You know he actually is learning from YOU and incorporating YOUR life's lessons into HIS life.

And, these are also the many reasons why I like his book.

In this interview, Chideha talks about:

---> How his grandfather's assault from KKK members impacted him as a man and entrepreneur

---> The valuable lesson he learned about the power of referrals

---> What he did to recover from a painful "non-compete" lawsuit that nearly destroyed him and his business

It's an incredible interview because Chideha is so transparent and willing to share HIS life's lessons.

WOW! We could not have asked for a better 400th Podcast Episode Guest!

And, Jason Fried delivered. He was super candid about a great many topics that I think you will really enjoy listening about and learning from.

In this interview, Jason discusses:

1. What he considers to be the harder part of the transition From Founder To CEO.
2. Why he made this controversial decision: "No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account."
3. How the "fallout" from this decision impacted the company.
4. How the "fallout" personally impacted him.
5. What he did to get through the stressful and "sad" elements of this decision.
6. Why this decision is a turning point for the company.
7. What the future of Basecamp looks like.
8. How a new COO and Product Leaders will factor into a relatively new structure for Basecamp's future.
9. How he envisions being the CEO in the future.
10. And so much more.

Like many of you, I have been reading Jason's books and his vulnerable online posts for many years.

You can tell he is a hard-working, kind-hearted man who strives to do the best he can.

I hope you enjoy listening to this very special 400th Founder interview as much as I did.

Some of you dream about building a great company and achieving a great exit by having your company bought by a company like Berkshire Hathaway.

That exactly what Vic did...more than one company.

In this candid interview, Vic speaks about the journey to those sales and how a piece of feedback about "loosening his grip" led to great success.

Gunner and his team are on the front lines of battling COVID-19 and other pathogens in hospitals. Their amazing "tower" helps to lyze the "bugs" that linger in hospital rooms after a patient leaves. It's not something that they just came up with. It's a technology that they have been perfecting over the years. And, it's even more important now. Gunner talks about how his earlier mistake led to the further development of this much needed and timely product.

You may remember Ashley from her appearance on ABC TV's "Shark Tank."

At the end of the show, Ashley received and accepted an offer from Daymond John.

What you don't know is the rest of the story.

Unfortunately, like many other deals on the show, this one did not make it through post show due diligence.

Ashley describes what happened and how taking a year off from her business helped her decide the answer to this question:

"Do I want to be the leader that pilots the company to forward growth?"

Dr. Choi shares some incredible insights and actions you can take to leverage neuroscience in order to improve YOUR performance.

His LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekchoi/

His Website: https://destinyhacks.co/

His Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-neurohacking-podcast/id1545882602

Sponsored By: Arrest Founder Stress

I always find it so fascinating when Founders create technology that helps creates win wins for everyone. That's what Ralph and the team at Vestorly did for many of us who are content creators. Listen as Paul details the path he took and how his aversion to conflict created a problem that he has learned to overcome.

Phillip's Book Click Here!

Phillips Free Assessment: www.phillipstutts.com/insights