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My guest today is Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber. Before Uber, Dara ran Expedia for thirteen years. We start with why he took this job in 2017, and a big part of that story is Daniel Ek, who told him that life is not about happiness, it is about impact. We talk about what the chaos felt like on day one, and how his family leaving Iran when he was nine shaped the way he handles pressure today. We spend most of our time on autonomous vehicles and Uber's role as the demand aggregator in a world of physical AI. Dara explains why Uber is a supply-led company, what it will take to win, and why he expects many winners in AVs rather than one. We also discuss Uber's $10 billion in free cash flow, the push toward a single app for everything, and what he has learned from Allen & Co, Barry Diller and Reed Hastings. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at colossus.com/subscribe. ----- Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to vanta.com/invest. ----- WorkOS is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ridgelineapps.com. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:02:29) Intro to Dara Khosrowshahi (00:03:37) How Daniel Ek Convinced Dara to Take the Uber Job (00:06:54) Bringing Order to Chaos (00:09:20) Managing Stress as a Leader (00:11:22) The Chip on His Shoulder (00:12:53) Parenting Lessons (00:17:01) Mandate for AI Adoption (00:21:21) Uber's Role in Physical AI (00:22:48) Winning the AV Demand Race (00:27:41) Partnering vs. Competing with Waymo (00:32:05) AV Success Unlocks New Markets (00:35:09) Why Drones Haven't Arrived Yet (00:36:27) Regional AV Rollout Differences (00:37:35) Uber Eats International Winning Formula (00:39:44) Key to Aggregating Supply Well (00:44:34) Adding Hotels to Uber Platform (00:50:46) Lessons in Marketing at Scale (00:52:59) Apps vs. AI Agents in Seven Years (00:54:08) What Dara Learned from Barry Diller (00:56:52) What Dara Learned from Allen & Co (01:00:09) Buybacks vs. Growth Investing (01:04:17) Lessons from Reed Hastings (01:05:49) The Kindest Thing
In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Kevin Gaskell about building high-performance cultures and unlocking discretionary effort.Recognized as ‘the man who fixes businesses' Kevin Gaskell has an impressive track record in building and leading successful companies. As Managing Director of Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW, Kevin led hugely successful turnarounds and business growth. Today he remains actively involved in numerous companies worldwide, as both an investor and founder, including the UK's fastest-growing B2B fibre network provider and Radical Motorsport, the world's largest race car manufacturer. Gaskell's entrepreneurial approach to business has earned him numerous accolades. He was recognized as one of the UK's Top 40 leaders reflecting his exceptional ability to inspire teams to transform companies and achieve extraordinary results. His focus on developing innovative strategies and building high-performance cultures has been instrumental in driving business growth and success. Alongside his business successes, Kevin has climbed the world's highest mountains, walked to the North and South Poles, and in 2020 and 2025, was a member of the crew setting a new world record for the fastest row across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. He has played international cricket but now relaxes by playing in a rock band. His most recent book, Catching Giants, was shortlisted for Business Book of the Year 2023.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Tyler Hochman, FORE Enterprise founder and CEO, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, develops AI solutions to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Serial entrepreneur across consumer and B2B tech, driving bold innovation and social impact. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Success is often about knowing when to quit and pivot; not just persevering endlessly. 2. AI only delivers real ROI when companies have the right data infrastructure to ingest, structure, and deploy information effectively. 3. Businesses should look for processes that are Expensive, Repetitive, and Repeatable (ERR); these are prime opportunities for AI automation. Check out Tyler's website to learn more about FORE Enterprise and AI solutions - FORE Enterprise Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. ThriveTime Show - Is your business stuck? Schedule a free consultation with America's number 1 business coach, Clay Clark, at ThrivetimeShow.com/eofire. Shopify - Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world. Sign up for your 1 dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/onfire.
Undiscovered Entrepreneur ..Start-up, online business, podcast
Did you like the episode? Send me a text and let me know!!How to Scale From 0 to 100 Customers: The Startup Distribution GuideThe Zero-to-One Blueprint: How Startups Find Their First 100 UsersEpisode DescriptionIn this episode of Business Conversations with Pi and PIET 2.0, Scoob, Pi, and PIET tackle the ultimate "Zero-to-One" startup hurdle: Where and how do I find my very first 10 to 100 customers when I have zero brand awareness, no marketing budget, and an imperfect prototype?Pulling from the battle-tested playbooks of Y Combinator, Close CRM, and top digital growth experts, this masterclass breaks down why doing things that "spectacularly fail to scale" is the only reliable way to build a foundation for massive growth. If you are an early-stage founder trying to map out a clear customer acquisition strategy, this blueprint is built for you.⏱️ Episode Timestamps[00:00:00] — Introduction to Episode 2.0Scoob introduces AI co-hosts Pi and PIET 2.0 to tackle real-world entrepreneurial growth and user acquisition bottlenecks.[00:00:50] — The Counterintuitive 100 Fanatics RuleAn analysis of Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky's core philosophy: Why it is infinitely better to have 100 people who absolutely love your product than a million who just sort of like it.[00:02:40] — The Archetype of the "Innovator"How to filter your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) based on raw pain intensity. Why early adopters buy half-finished, buggy software to solve an acute workflow disruption.[00:04:15] — Case Studies in Pain-Point ValidationExamining the early go-to-market strategies of Notion (targeting tech-savvy power users) and Brooklinen (targeting young urban professionals priced out of luxury department stores).[00:05:30] — The Trap of Generic Cash FlowWhy casting too wide of a net on Day 1 breaks your product roadmap feedback loop and creates a "Frankenstein monster" product that serves no one well.[00:07:15] — The Apollo 13 Scaling ParadoxSteli Efti's crucial warning against premature scaling. Why building a marketing funnel for 10,000 users before you have 10 is an entrepreneurial trap.[00:08:30] — Brute Force Acquisition TacticsHow Close CRM co-founder Steli Efti secured his first 7 B2B clients with zero lines of code written by manually targeting newly funded seed startups on Crunchbase.[00:10:00] — The 50-Profile LinkedIn Direct Outreach FormulaThe mathematical breakdown of hyper-personalized, founder-to-professional cold messaging. How to systematically manufacture a warm network with a 10–20% response rate.[00:12:15] — Moving From 10 to 100: The Hub-and-Spoke Distribution ModelHow to stop hunting individual footprints in the desert and start borrowing existing digital ecosystems.[00:13:00] — Historical Guerilla Growth HacksHow Netflix embedded inside fringe DVD bulletin boards, Etsy traveled to physical arts and crafts fairs, and Morning Brew manually collected emails via physical clipboards in college lecture halls.[00:14:40] — Navigating Digital Watering Holes SafelyThe rules of community reciprocity: How to launch on platforms like Reddit, Discord, or Hacker News without looking like a spammer.[00:15:45] — Building the Repeatable Growth EngineAn in-depth look at Lenny Rachitsky's journey. Why long-term hockey-stick growth only happens after a linear trend line of relentless, high-quality content consistency.[00:18:30] — Paradigm Shift: Customers as Unsalaried Co-FoundersPi and PIET reframe the entire acquisition process as a collaborative product development exercise.
In fast-moving B2B markets, positioning rarely stays fixed for long. As technology, buyer expectations, and competitive dynamics shift, companies have to keep refining how they communicate their value. But repositioning too often, or too abruptly, can confuse customers, slow sales momentum, and weaken trust. In this episode, Caitlin Allen, SVP of Market & Strategic Advisory Board Chair at Simbe Robotics, unpacks what it actually takes to reposition a company multiple times while continuing to scale. Caitlin shares lessons from leading Simbe Robotics through several major shifts, from robotics to shelf digitization to the broader category of store intelligence, all while navigating long enterprise sales cycles, evolving market expectations, and increasing competitive pressure. Caitlin explains how to recognize when messaging has stopped creating meaningful differentiation and breaks down the practical work behind positioning changes, including how SaaS companies can approach AI messaging without defaulting to generic claims that fail to set them apart. Key Takeaways: How customer signals reveal when positioning has stopped differentiating Why gradual messaging shifts protect trust better than hard resets How unclear AI positioning can weaken differentiation Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:58) The retail problem Simbe Robotics was built to solve (07:01) Why Simbe Robotics has repositioned three separate times (08:55) Creating FOMO without creating fear (09:58) Building credibility through third-party validation (11:58) Moving beyond robotics into store intelligence (13:59) The signals that tell you it's time to reposition (15:57) Repositioning without disrupting active deals (17:56) Protecting brand equity while evolving the narrative (19:56) Aligning sales teams around new positioning (24:02) Why repositioning works better through "breadcrumbing" (26:58) The next shift toward store intelligence (29:00) Why most rebranding announcements miss the point (30:59) The risk of chasing AI positioning trends Check out the ebook " Trust Issues: How SaaS and AI-Native Brands Can Beat AI Credibility Fatigue" by PANBlast: https://www.panblastpr.com/resources/trust-issues-ai-credibility-ebook/
Paper checks are the easiest payment method to hate and one of the hardest to remove. They are slow, expensive, fraud-prone, and deeply baked into legacy workflows. Greg Myers sits down with Steven Faust, CEO of Dash Solutions, to unpack what it really takes to modernize business payouts and why disbursements have become one of the biggest growth engines in the payments industry.We dig into how Dash builds configurable payments software that supports multiple use cases through a single platform, from wage payments and rewards to B2B expense management and large-scale disbursements like refunds, reimbursements, and royalties. Steven explains why distribution matters as much as product, including how banks and software platforms use embedded payments and API-based connectivity to turn on modern payout capabilities faster for their customers.The conversation goes deep on “payee experience” as a competitive advantage: clear communication, faster delivery, stronger security, and real choice in how recipients receive and use funds. We also explore where AI fits, not as a buzzword, but as a practical way to monitor activation steps, identify friction, and recommend improvements that lift engagement and KPIs across the payout journey.If you lead payments, product, or ops, you will leave with a sharper view of the disbursements opportunity and a clearer sense of what “modernization” should look like in the real world.
IN CLEAR FOCUS: June's Bigeye Book Club selection is "Neuromarketing: Practical Insights for Improving Customer Engagement." Author Katie Hart explains why, when 95 percent of purchase decisions are non-conscious, traditional research often asks the wrong questions. Learn how neuromarketing reveals real consumer behavior, why the brain processes images faster than text, and the physiological impact of 2D screens. We also discuss Katie's practical framework for transforming B2B and B2C strategies.
Most employee advocacy programs fail because they turn employees into parrots, repeating the same product message over and over until no one wants to share anything. In this episode of Content Amplified, Matt Mullan, Director of Social Media at NinjaOne, explains how to fix that by positioning employees as thought leaders instead of megaphones. Matt walks through giving people industry content they actually want to share, using Mad Libs-style suggested copy with guardrails so posts sound human, and motivating adoption by shouting out every organic win across Slack rather than relying on prizes. He gets specific on measurement: why earned media value and potential impressions are made-up numbers, why UTM link tracking is the only honest metric, and why he holds his programs to a 50% monthly usage bar. He also makes the case that LinkedIn comments now out-earn reshares, and shares how his team built an in-house "social ambassador" tiger team to keep conversations going. If you run social and your advocacy program has stalled, this conversation gives you the playbook.About MattMatt Mullan is the Director of Social Media at NinjaOne, an IT operations platform. He has spent roughly 13 years in social media, going back to experimenting with Google Plus and MySpace, and has worked across industries from an international toy manufacturer to HR and payroll software, cybersecurity, and IT management companies. Matt is focused on B2B social media as his day-to-day craft, and he believes the real audience for an advocacy program is not your followers, it is your own employees.Show Notes- Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mullanmatthew/Text us what you think about this episode!
Send us Fan MailOn this episode I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Paul Sippil. He is one of the world's only forensic 401(k) consultants, providing expert guidance that protects your people, your profits, and your peace of mind. He specializes in uncovering hidden fees, conflicts of interest, and unethical practices in retirement plans that quietly cost business owners and their employees thousands of dollars.From his early days as an auditor, accountant, and financial advisor, Paul has focused on protecting ‘businesses bottom lines'. A single conversation about 401(k) plan tax forms sparked a discovery that has now, defined his career: The widespread abuse and unethical practices in the retirement plan industry-often at the expense of the business owners and their employees.Through extensive research and firsthand conversations with company leaders, Paul uncovered how hidden fees, poor plan design, and conflicted advisors quietly drain profits and create compliance risks. Determined to change that, he founded his practice to bring fairness, transparency, and accountability to retirement plan management.Today, Paul works with firms across many industries-including law firms, private healthcare practices, and professional B2B service companies. He is helping them uncover hidden costs, strengthen fiduciary oversight, and safeguard both their employees' futures and their company's financial health. His expertise has been cited in Investment News, Fiduciary News, and WealthManagement.com for his leadership in reforming how businesses, like ours, approach retirement plans. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Mr. Paul Sippil.
Send us Fan MailOne of Gorilla's franchisees runs his entire business from a cruise ship in Greece — nine vans, all from his phone. That's not a gimmick. It's the model. This week the team sits down with Andrew Edwards, owner of Gorilla Property Services, to break down what might be the most overlooked home services franchise in the market: a high-tech, 100% mobile exterior cleaning and maintenance brand built on B2C and B2B recurring revenue. Gorilla bundles eight essential services — pressure washing, window and gutter cleaning, roof cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, graffiti and snow removal — into a single "one call" relationship, much of it required by insurance carriers and local bylaws. That's demand that doesn't disappear in a downturn. Andrew is the rare franchisor who's actually been a franchisee — he built and sold a business before reshaping Gorilla into a system designed to make owners better operators, not buy them a job. In this episode: The proprietary, AI-powered CRM (Gorilla Pro) that runs the whole business from a phoneWhy recurring revenue made Jack & Jill's Pinks exit sell for ~10x netThe B2B vs. B2C cash-flow balance every home services owner needs to understandWhy this model is largely insulated from AI disruptionRealistic numbers: per Gorilla's Item 19, Canadian franchisees averaged $666,233 in revenue and $162,388 in net income (Jan–Dec 2024) at a 49% gross margin. U.S. results may differ — see the FDD.Low investment, highly scalable, home-based, and VetFran-approved. If you've been waiting on BizBuySell for the "perfect business," this is the conversation that reframes the math. Some markets are already gone — Chicago, Tampa, Boca Raton. Check if yours is still open:
Marketing leaders are being asked to drive more growth with less budget, fewer resources, tighter timelines, and more pressure from every direction while AI is being treated like the shortcut to replace entire marketing teams. But AI will not fix bad strategy, weak alignment, poor customer understanding, or broken marketing fundamentals. In part two of this master class conversation with Matt Hummel, CMO of Pipeline360, the focus moves into what it really takes to become the kind of CMO AI cannot replace. Not by chasing every new tool, adding more MarTech, or hiding behind automation, but by understanding the business as a whole, building trust across departments, speaking the language of revenue, and creating alignment between marketing, sales, product, leadership, and the customer. To lead marketing in a volatile market where expectations keep rising and the old playbook is no longer enough, you need to know how to: • Make sales an ally instead of your bitter rival • Build shared pipeline ownership across marketing and sales • Communicate risk without becoming defensive • Connect marketing decisions to the larger goals of the business • Set clearer expectations with your team and leadership • Understand resource constraints without using them as excuses • Stay close to customers while leading strategy • Create momentum without pretending there is an easy button The best marketing leaders are not just managing campaigns, tools, reports, and dashboards. They are translating complexity into strategy the business can trust. The reminder is clear: AI will not fix bad strategy. More MarTech will not fix bad marketing. The CMO AI cannot replace is the one who understands the business, earns trust, aligns with sales, leads the team, knows the customer, and gets back to real marketing when everyone else is hiding behind tools. (P.S. If you haven't, listen to Ep. 149 for part one of this masterclass episode) Beyond The Episode Gems: Connect With Matt Hummel on LinkedIn Listen To Troy On Matt's Podcast, Pipeline Brew: The Evolving Role of CMOs & Community Building Visit Pipeline360 website to learn more about how they solve B2B marketers' biggest headaches Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy: Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com
Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@mreapodcastWhat if social media could bring us clients without cold calling, door knocking, or begging the algorithm to notice us? Jess Lenouvel, founder of The Listings Lab, joins us to show real estate agents how to turn social media into a real source of inbound business. Jess started in real estate at age 21, built her first 100 deals through Facebook, and has since helped more than 5,000 real estate agents use social media with purpose, service, and strategy.This conversation is about how we can build a clear niche, create content that serves the right people, and move strangers toward trust through personal content, authority content, and social proof. We dig into why “luxury” is not a niche, why our social media should not be a billboard, and why the right message matters more than the perfect post.If we have ever wondered why we are posting every day but not seeing more clients, this episode gives us the answer. Jess advises, we are not posting for ourselves. We are posting what our ideal client needs to hear today. Tune in to learn Jess' framework for building a brand that attracts the right people, starts better conversations, and turns content into clients.Resources:Visit: The Listings LabFollow Jess Lenouvel on Instagram: @jesslenouvelOrder the Millionaire Real Estate Agent Playbook | Volume 3Connect with Jason:LinkedinProduced by NOVAThis podcast is for general informational purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions of the guest represent those of the guest and not Keller Williams Realty, LLC and its affiliates, and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.WARNING! You must comply with the TCPA and any other federal, state or local laws, including for B2B calls and texts. Never call or text a number on any Do Not Call list, and do not use an autodialer or artificial voice or prerecorded messages without proper consent. Contact your attorney to ensure your compliance.
If you're running a B2C business and you're not on LinkedIn - you're leaving serious money on the table. And I'm not just talking about a few missed connections. I'm talking about referrals, speaking gigs, media features, and high-ticket clients who found you, vetted you, and said YES - all because of one thing: your LinkedIn presence. In this episode, I'm breaking the myth that LinkedIn is only for corporate types or B2B brands. Whether you're a coach, consultant, service provider, or creative - if relationships and trust drive your business, LinkedIn is your secret weapon. Here's what you'll learn: Why affluent buyers vet you on LinkedIn before they ever reach out How LinkedIn referrals compound over time - even while you're at the beach The difference between attention (Instagram) and authority (LinkedIn) Why your content works harder and longer on LinkedIn than anywhere else 5 simple action steps you can take this week to start building your LinkedIn presence Ready to stop being invisible online? Grab a pen - your homework is at the end. Resources Mentioned In The Episode: Monetize Your Magic Karen's FREE weekly training on LinkedIn strategy https://www.thelinkedupcollective.com/masterclass Visibility SalonKaren's signature program for building LinkedIn visibility and authority https://www.thelinkedupcollective.com/visibilitysalon/ Good Girls Get Rich Podcast Weekly podcast hosted by Karen Yankovich www.KarenYankovich.com/podcast BSchool by Maria Forleo Business training program for online entrepreneurs https://www.marieforleo.com/bschool Karen Yankovich on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/karenyankovich Magical Quotes From The Episode: "The women who win in the next decade aren't necessarily the ones posting the most content. They're the ones becoming known, trusted, referenced, and recommended." "Visibility without credibility just creates more noise. Visibility with positioning - that's where the real opportunities happen." "Your goal isn't to become internet famous. Your goal is to become professionally unforgettable." Help Us Spread The Word! It would be awesome if you shared the Good Girls Get Rich Podcast with your fellow entrepreneurs on Twitter. Click here to tweet some love! If this episode has taught you just one thing, I would love if you could head on over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW! And if you're moved to, kindly leave us a rating and review. Maybe you'll get a shout out on the show! Ways to Subscribe to Good Girls Get Rich: Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via PlayerFM Good Girls Get Rich is also on Spotify Take a listen on Podcast Addict
Medsider Radio: Learn from Medical Device and Medtech Thought Leaders
In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Karthik Ganesh, CEO of OnMed.OnMed is the healthcare technology company behind OnMed CareStation, a “Clinic-in-a-Box” designed to expand access to primary and urgent care. Before OnMed, Karthik served as CEO of EmpiRx Health, leading the company through rapid growth and a successful private equity transaction in 2021. Throughout his career, he's held leadership roles at QualCare, CareAllies, and Aetna, and advised healthcare organizations through Deloitte and EY.In this interview, Karthik discusses why hybrid care models still require a human touch, how enterprise healthcare buyers evaluate value propositions differently, why brand and culture should shape execution early, and how operating under constraints can sharpen innovation.Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:First, if you're into learning from medical device founders and CEOs and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.And if you're ready to level up your medtech game, you should check out Medsider Courses — 8-week masterclasses covering topics like fundraising, M&A and exit planning, design and development, clinical and regulatory strategy, and commercialization.These courses, featuring hard-earned lessons from elite medtech CEOs, can be purchased individually or come free with our All-Access Pass.If you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Karthik Ganesh, which includes a link to ScottBot — an AI version of host Scott Nelson trained on every Medsider interview and playbook. Feel free to ask ScottBot any questions you'd like!KEY MOMENTS FROM THE INTERVIEW(03:04) - Karthik's obsession with healthcare access, and the “broken doorway” problem behind OnMed (05:51) - How OnMed combines telemedicine and brick-and-mortar care into a “Clinic in a Box” (09:04) - The OnMed metrics that surprised Karthik most, including a 37% patient return rate, and the reasons behind the company's success (09:22) - What OnMed designed differently after realizing that patients approach healthcare with their guard up (15:27) - The pitfalls of B2C healthcare and how OnMed was built as a B2B company by intention (22:01) - How Karthik reshaped OnMed around clarity, structure, and high performers (30:23) - What “brand” actually means to Karthik (39:37) - How OnMed tailored its value proposition for payers, providers, employers, and universities (45:45) - Karthik's fundraising philosophy: constraints keep companies inventive
Catalyst Marketing Co-Founder/Chief Growth Officer Robin Emiliani shares how most B2B marketers are doing AI completely wrong, by dabbling instead of weaving it into the actual framework of how they work. "B2B marketing has completely turned on its side. I have never seen disruption like I've seen today." The AI operationalization gap is real, and the leaders who will win aren't the ones with the most tools, they are the ones who build the right frameworks. Getting quick collaborative wins across marketing and sales is powerful, and a mindset shift to giving versus taking will give you exponential returns. "Don't underestimate the power of servant leadership and giving back."
Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Today, most teams aren't just struggling to build their AI strategies. The real struggle begins when they try to execute their strategies. In this episode of Ops Cast, host Michael Hartmann sits down with David York, Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Helix CXM, to get practical answers about what it really takes for GTM organizations to move from talking about AI to operationalizing it.David has spent years working at the intersection of marketing operations, RevOps, automation, and AI transformation. Together, he and Michael discovered an uncomfortable truth about how most teams are already overwhelmed by manual work, fragmented processes, shadow systems, and operational debt. Piling "figure out AI" on top of all that creates more chaos. In this conversation, you'll hear:Why the gap between AI strategy and implementation is so hard to closeWhat operational excellence actually looks like in practice, and why it has to come firstWhy mapping how work gets done today is the critical first step before introducing AIThe real difference between automation and "automation plus intelligence"How to identify low-risk, high-value AI use cases (like partially manual lead routing) versus harder onesThe hidden costs teams underestimate: tooling, LLM costs, maintenance, and human monitoringWhere human judgment is still absolutely requiredPractical advice on where to start if you're feeling overwhelmed by AI pressure right nowWhether you lead a scrappy SMB or a specialized team inside a large enterprise, this is a grounded discussion about the reality of AI in modern GTM, beyond the hype and the LinkedIn hot takes.David also published a new book this week, AI-Powered Growth: A 7-Step Adoption and Transformation Framework, which goes deeper into how Marketing Ops leaders can systematically prioritize and operationalize AI initiatives. Grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/AI-Powered-Growth-7-Step-Adoption-Transformation/dp/B0H2QCZG5M/Enjoy the episode!Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals MarketingOps.com is curating the GTM Ops Track at Demand & Expand (May 19-20, San Francisco) - the premier B2B marketing event featuring 600+ practitioners sharing real solutions to real problems. Use code MOPS20 for 20% off tickets, or get 35-50% off as a MarketingOps.com member. Learn more at demandandexpand.com.Support the show
At Flashes & Flames' recent Monetising B2B Information and Events conference in London, leading B2B publishers shared their priorities, opportunities and concerns across the day. Held at London's historic Stationers' Hall, the event featured more than 30 industry-leading speakers and 210 delegates from three continents. The speakers showed that the B2B industry is going through another transformation, moving away from passive information delivery towards becoming essential to the workflow of their customers. This episode draws out the common points discussed from some of the main stage speakers. Three common themes emerged: building 'moats' to protect businesses against AI disruption, publishers building intelligence ecosystems, and becoming indispensable infrastructure to customers. See more coverage from Monetising B2B at flashesandflames.com
Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners and co-founder of Topo, joins AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman to take on the question every founder is wrestling with: can you still build a world-class sales team when OpenAI and Anthropic are handing individual contributors $10 million equity packages? Craig argues you do not have to compete head-on, then lays out the hiring profile to chase instead, the quota-to-comp discipline that keeps packages sane, and why founder brand has become the most reliable pipeline play left as CAC keeps climbing. Topics include enterprise AE compensation, where private equity is still winning the GTM talent war, the Topo playbook for events and data-as-moat, and a bull-versus-bear debate on whether Gong goes public in the next 36 months. Plus, a Quiz Pro Quo on the real customer counts behind Salesforce, HubSpot, and ZoomInfo. Key Takeaways: - Rather than try to outbid OpenAI and Anthropic for talent, build your own farm system and develop people into the role. As Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners, put it: "You have to change your hiring profile to a unique profile that's unique to your business, but then you gotta coach 'em up." - A resume from a hot AI lab is not a guarantee of success at your company. As Craig Rosenberg noted, "The person that is going to do well at Anthropic may not do well at Series B," so hire for the stage and the hunger rather than the logo. - On compensation, Craig anchors the package to the role's real value: "you pay for what your wedge costs… if you feel like you have to pay $10 million, then you have a huge problem and you gotta go back to the drawing board." If the number runs away from you, the model is broken. - With CAC climbing and most channels breaking down, founder brand has become the highest-leverage pipeline play. As Craig Rosenberg said, "The value of building a founder brand, when you look at the data, it's amazing," pointing to gains in both pipeline and deal size. Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at Sales Talent Agency - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/ Guest: Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners - https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrosenberg/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/ Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Craig Rosenberg 02:34 Can Anyone Out-Hire The AI Labs? 04:33 Why Craig Isn't Worried 06:52 Enterprise AE Comp Is Climbing 08:21 Founders Overpay For Star CROs 10:53 Why AI Reps Struggle At Series B 14:00 Hire The Slighted CRO 14:42 Quota-To-Comp And Attainment 18:45 Can AI Labs Sustain Growth? 22:20 Where PE Still Wins GTM Talent 27:17 Major Runs Reshape GTM 32:36 The Topo GTM Playbook 37:55 Quiz Pro Quo 47:45 Founder Brand And Rising CAC 58:42 Bulls and Bears
Send us Fan MailWe drop the polished act for summer and share the raw conversations where the best marketing insights actually show up. We explain what's changing in our Uncut Summer Series, tease what's coming for solo B2B consultants, and invite you into what we're building next.• why we publish bi-weekly in summer and lean into unedited audio • how live conversations create real-time “aha” moments for marketing and sales • what's new for 2026 with monthly live streams turned into podcast episodes • opening the vault on trainings around sales, positioning, lead generation, referrals, community, and websites • what to expect from the September Solo Consultant Summit for solo B2B consultants • the core question we design everything around: getting booked out without burning out • a teaser for a secret October project focused on accessible community for solo consultants If you enjoyed this episode, please, please, please remember to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and rate and review. But most importantly, tell your friends. Share this episode with a friend so other people know about Tiny Marketing and our Uncut Summer series.Join my events community for FREE monthly events.I offer free events each month to help you master your business's growth through marketing, sales, systems, and offer strategy. Join the community here!Support the showSchedule a Booked-out Blueprint >>> Schedule.Come tour my digital home :) >>>WebsiteWanna be friends? >>> LinkedInLet's chat every Tuesday! >>> NewsletterCatch the video podcast on YouTube >>>YouTubeJoin my event group for live events >>>Meetup
Hoy en Crece o Muere hablamos de uno de los temas más mal entendidos en ventas: la generación de demanda real. Nos acompaña Ximena Hernández Buffa, cofundadora de MTI Selling y experta en social selling, para desmontar las mentiras del pipeline fácil y explicar cómo realmente se construyen oportunidades en el mundo B2B. En este episodio entenderás: la diferencia entre tener leads y generar demanda real los errores que cometen gerentes y directores al exigir resultados sin construir pipeline cómo los vendedores pueden dejar de esperar oportunidades y empezar a generarlas y qué acciones concretas puedes ejecutar desde hoy para crear demanda de verdad Un episodio directo, estratégico y lleno de verdades incómodas para cualquier persona que quiera vender más allá de la improvisación.
Todd Caponi is a sales strategist, keynote speaker, author, and advisor passionate about elevating the sales profession through behavioral science and transparency. A three-time author—including The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader—Todd helps organizations rethink how they sell, negotiate, and lead by building trust through honesty rather than perfection.Blending his fascination with decision science, sales methodology, and learning theory, Todd works with customer-facing teams to create more confident, frictionless B2B buying experiences. Through speaking, teaching, and advising, he equips leaders and sales professionals with simple, practical frameworks that drive stronger relationships, better outcomes, and long-term growth.SHOW SUMMARYIn this episode of the Selling from the Heart Podcast, Larry Levine and Darrell Amy welcome sales strategist, author, and transparency advocate Todd Caponi to explore why trust should never disappear when negotiations begin.Drawing from his latest book, The Four Levers of Negotiation, Todd challenges traditional negotiation tactics that often turn collaborative sales conversations into adversarial battles. He explains that while sales professionals spend months building credibility and trust, many unknowingly undermine those relationships the moment pricing discussions begin.Todd introduces a practical framework built around four universal business drivers—volume, timing of cash, length of commitment, and timing or predictability of the deal. By helping buyers understand the true factors that influence pricing, sales professionals can negotiate transparently, trade value instead of giving away discounts, and create outcomes that benefit both parties.The conversation dives into behavioral science, decision-making, confidence in pricing, and why transparency consistently outperforms manipulation. Whether you're negotiating enterprise contracts or everyday business agreements, this episode provides a modern, trust-centered approach to creating win-win outcomes while strengthening long-term customer relationships.KEY TAKEAWAYSTransparency creates stronger outcomes in sales, leadership, negotiations, and customer relationships.Many salespeople build trust throughout the sales cycle only to abandon it during negotiation.Every B2B pricing discussion is influenced by four key factors: volume, payment timing, contract length, and deal predictability.Buyers are less likely to push aggressively for discounts when they understand the rationale behind pricing.Negotiation works best when both sides openly collaborate rather than hide information and play games.HIGHLIGHT QUOTESTransparency sells better, leads better, negotiates better, and creates stronger customer advocates than pretending to be perfect.We spend months building trust with our buyers. Why would we risk losing it the moment the negotiation begins?The best negotiations don't feel like battles. They feel like two sides working together to create value.Every pricing conversation is driven by four simple levers: volume, timing of cash, length of commitment, and deal predictability.The minute you give away a concession for free, you diminish its value—and your own.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESExplore the secrets of heart-centered leadership and thriving workplace cultures with Culture from the Heart Podcast! Nominate a visionary CEO at www.culturefromtheheart.com!Listen to Larry Levine's Bestselling Book: Selling in a Post-Trust World! Now available on Audible! Transform your sales approach with insights that matter. Subscribe to The Selling from the Heart Podcast Youtube Channel! Stay updated with the latest episodes and leadership tips: Selling from the Heart YouTubeGet Your Daily Dose of Inspiration:Click Here for Your Daily Dose
Marketing leadership has become one of the most volatile seats in business. CMOs and marketing leaders are often expected to create immediate pipeline, prove instant ROI, fix deeper business issues they did not create, defend brand investment, align sales, understand customers, translate strategy across the organization, and still become one of the first functions questioned, blamed, or cut when growth slows. In part one of this master class conversation, Matt Hummel, CMO of Pipeline360, brings a clear reminder back to the table: great marketing starts with trusting the buyer, knowing the customer, and simplifying how you market. In a market obsessed with performance data, attribution, automation, dark social, buyer signals, and immediate results, more complexity does not automatically create better customer understanding. For aspiring CMOs, current CMOs, marketing leaders, founders, and business owners, this conversation is a valuable look at how to lead marketing without getting trapped in the pressure cooker. It challenges you to rethink what it really means to put the customer at the center, not as a tagline, not as another automation workflow, and not as another dashboard filled with signals, but as a deeper responsibility to understand the person, pressure, timing, risk, and decision behind the purchase. The conversation moves through buyer trust, brand versus demand, customer empathy, attribution, sales alignment, CMO pressure, market timing, and the difference between chasing pipeline and building LTV. It is also a reminder to get out of your lane, understand product, spend time with sales, listen to customers, and learn how the whole business works. Because the best CMOs are not just campaign operators. They are translators, mediators, trust builders, and business leaders who know how to connect marketing to revenue, customer experience, and long term growth. Beyond The Episode Gems: Connect With Matt Hummel on LinkedIn Listen To Troy On Matt's Podcast, Pipeline Brew: The Evolving Role of CMOs & Community Building Visit Pipeline360 website to learn more about how they solve B2B marketers' biggest headaches Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy: Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com
Paul Thompson is the Founder and CEO of Brightline Painting, a Greenville, South Carolina-based company specializing in residential and commercial painting and drywall services across the Carolinas. Since launching the company in 2023, Paul has rapidly scaled Brightline Painting into a multimillion-dollar business through a combination of military discipline, financial expertise, and a technology-driven approach to home services. A Navy veteran who served during the Iraq War, he is also a former finance and venture capital professional. In this episode… Building a business in a traditional industry often comes down to seeing what others overlook. In home services, reliability, professionalism, and customer trust can become real differentiators when the market is fragmented and inconsistent. What happens when someone brings military structure, corporate finance experience, and a founder's persistence into a traditionally fragmented market? Paul Thompson, a Navy veteran and former finance and venture capital professional, stepped away from traditional corporate paths in pursuit of greater independence and purpose. He highlights how his military discipline melded with analytical, white-collar experience to help him pivot into entrepreneurship with a sharper understanding of numbers, operations, and customer relationships. Paul prioritized tech-enabled operations, intentional marketing, and strong B2B relationships with key decision makers to stand out in a crowded market. Through grit, resourcefulness, and a hands-on approach in the field, he steadily expanded his reputation and client base, demonstrating how structured thinking paired with modern tools can accelerate growth in traditional industries. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Paul Thompson, Founder of Brightline Painting, about scaling a painting business through technology and relationships. Paul shares how he overcame imposter syndrome, built B2B relationships with decision makers, and used data-driven marketing to outcompete local and franchise rivals.
Sign Up For Relay through My Referral Link: https://join.relayfi.com/partner/?referralcode=temporaryhousingmeetup&utm_source=events&utm_medium=…In this eye-opening episode of In The Lab, Ruben breaks down one of the biggest misconceptions in entrepreneurship and real estate investing: confusing an asset class vs. building an actual business. Too many people say they want to “quit their W2 through real estate,” but never stop to ask the deeper question… are they trying to become an investor or build a business machine that produces cash flow at scale?Throughout the episode, Ruben unpacks the difference between long-term investing, operating a real estate business, and using business income to fund wealth-building assets. He explains why most successful entrepreneurs didn't get wealthy from the asset class itself first, but from the business engine behind it. From wholesalers and flippers to coaches, syndicators, and short-term rental operators, Ruben challenges listeners to study how people actually made their money instead of blindly copying the final product.He also dives deep into the importance of context when making business decisions. Instead of asking generic questions like “What's the best strategy?” Ruben explains why better outcomes come from reverse engineering your goals based on your skills, location, liquidity, lifestyle, time availability, and long-term vision. The episode also explores why B2B businesses create leverage faster than B2C models, and why AI may be the greatest business opportunity window modern entrepreneurs have ever seen.Tune in now to learn why “the math has to math,” how to stop chasing misleading business models, and why understanding the difference between owning assets and operating a business could completely change your financial future.#EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessGrowth #RealEstateInvesting #WealthBuilding #AssetVsBusiness #QuitYourW2 #B2BStrategy #AIForEntrepreneurs #FinancialFreedom #InTheLab
Meghann Butcher built RepSpark, a B2B wholesale e-commerce platform now moving over a billion dollars a year, without a single line of tech on her resume.She grew up in her dad's apparel and footwear business, hanging around the warehouse at five years old. At 27, when her father's order-entry tool started catching on with independent sales reps, he asked if she wanted to run with it. She said yes, and bootstrapped it from there.In this conversation, Meghann and I get into how a psychology and communications major became the product visionary for a software company, why she still leans on empathy over technical skill to lead, and how staying close to customer pain points built a platform now used by nearly 100,000 retailers.We also talk about being a mom of three while running a growing company, building a drama-free culture, and what it actually takes to scale a bootstrapped business on your own terms.Tune in for a real look at building something durable without the usual playbook.
What This Episode Is About You've invested in a sales strategy. You've done the training. So why aren't you getting the results you expected? In this episode of the Selling to Corporate® podcast, Jess Lorimer reveals the single most important skill that professional salespeople use to create consistent, replicable results - and it's almost certainly not what you'd expect. Jess makes the case that the gap between coaches, consultants and professional salespeople isn't intelligence, experience or even strategy. It's one surprisingly simple skill that most business owners overlook, underestimate or quietly choose to ignore. This episode explains exactly what it is, why it matters more than any tactic or technique and what happens to your sales process when you don't use it. Who This Episode Is For Coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers, and done-for-you service providers selling to corporate clients Anyone who has invested in a sales strategy or programme and felt it 'didn't work' Business owners who find themselves constantly tweaking, adjusting, or second-guessing their sales process Those who are great at selling one offer or to one type of client, but struggle to replicate that success elsewhere Anyone who suspects their sales process isn't producing consistent results but isn't sure why Questions This Episode Answers What is the most important skill in B2B sales? Why does a sales strategy that worked stop working over time? How do professional salespeople create replicable results across different industries and offers? What's the difference between buying a sales strategy and actually executing one? Why does tweaking a sales process - even slightly - make results impossible to measure or replicate? Key Takeaways 1. The Most Important Sales Skill Is Following Instructions The single most important skill professional salespeople possess is the ability to follow instructions precisely and consistently. Not prospecting. Not objection handling. Not closing. Following instructions. Jess is direct: in her experience working with thousands of professional salespeople and thousands of coaches, consultants, speakers, trainers, and done-for-you service providers, the difference in results almost always comes down to this. Professional salespeople follow a proven process exactly as written. Most coaches and consultants - however intelligent and however well-intentioned - don't. This isn't a criticism of intelligence. In fact, Jess argues that high intelligence can be a liability here. Smart people are more likely to spot what feels 'wrong' about a set of instructions, more likely to rationalise a small adjustment and more likely to believe their version of the process is 'good enough'. It usually isn't. 2. Any Proven Strategy Has the Ability to Work - If It's Executed Properly Jess teaches seven different methods of B2B lead generation. She has clients who generate all of their corporate revenue from cold email outreach. She has clients who generate all of their revenue from networking alone - a method she personally dislikes. The method is not the determining factor. Execution is. The two reasons a sales strategy fails are almost always the same: The strategy being used is not proven. It was built in an AI tool, borrowed from a B2C context or sold by someone without hands-on B2B sales experience. The strategy is proven but it is not being followed correctly. Steps are skipped, wording is changed, volume is reduced or the process is quietly adjusted whenever something feels uncomfortable. If your sales process is not producing results, the first question to ask is not 'what strategy should I try next?' It is 'am I executing my current proven strategy exactly as intended?' 3. Small Changes to a Sales Process Create Big Problems One of the most common patterns Jess sees with experienced clients is a gradual drift away from the original process. It rarely starts as a conscious decision to change strategy. More often it starts with a lost deal, a knock to confidence, and a small adjustment made under pressure to 'save' the next opportunity. That one small change leads to another. The language shifts. The attachment changes. The objection handling softens. The reassurance given increases. None of it feels significant in the moment. But cumulatively, the process becomes unrecognisable - and critically, it becomes impossible to measure, troubleshoot or improve. Standardisation is not a constraint on creativity. It is what makes it possible to know whether your sales process is working, identify where it is breaking down, and fix the right thing. When every part of the process is slightly different, there is nothing consistent to evaluate. 4. Sales Should Be Boring - Creativity Comes in the Conversation Jess uses the analogy of Picasso: before he painted eyes on the sides of heads, he spent years learning the rules of perspective, line and composition. The creative leaps came after the foundations were mastered, not instead of them. The same principle applies to B2B sales. Your lead generation process, your outreach approach, your proposal structure, your pricing framework - these should be repeatable, measurable and consistent. They should feel a little boring, because boring is what makes them scalable. The creativity, the consultative problem-solving, the bespoke solution-building - all of that happens in the sales conversation itself, and in the delivery of the work. That's where you get to be brilliant and distinctive. Your process is what gets you to that conversation in the first place. 5. Following Instructions Builds the Confidence That Creativity Cannot When a sales process is followed precisely, it produces predictable metrics. Those metrics tell you what is working and what is not - early enough to make useful adjustments rather than emergency ones. That predictability is what gives professional salespeople confidence, even in difficult markets. When a process is modified and the results decline, the person executing it has no way of knowing which change caused the problem. That uncertainty erodes confidence and often leads to further changes, making the situation worse. Following instructions is therefore not just a technical requirement - it is the foundation of sustained confidence in your own sales ability. 6. Replicatable Success Requires Transferable Process, Not Transferable Luck Jess draws on her own sales career across jewellery, recruitment, tech, and sales training - including becoming the top diamond salesperson in her region at 16, and a top performer within her first year at a company operating across 30 countries - to make a specific point: success that can be replicated across industries, offers, and client types is built on process, not personality. If you are excellent at selling one particular offer but cannot replicate that success with other offers or other types of decision maker, it is a signal that your results are not yet built on a transferable process. They are built on familiarity, repetition or relationship - which are not scalable. A proven, correctly executed process is what creates results that transfer. Key Quotes "The most important skill professional salespeople have in their arsenal is following instructions." "Literally any proven strategy has the ability to work if it's being done properly. The problem is that most people aren't using proven strategies - or they're not following the instructions for the ones they have." "Your sales process shouldn't be where you feel creatively satiated. It should be where you are able to replicate a clear process and be given consistent metrics so you know what is working and what isn't." Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode Cold -> Closed The self-paced B2B sales experience for coaches / consultants / speakers / trainers and done-for-you service providers who want scalable, sustainable sales from brand new corporate clients in 90 days or less. https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/-cold-to-closed-product/ Join the B2B Sales Edit: Busyness to Business Weekly newsletter for coaches and consultants; sharing the real B2B sales techniques that have taken over 30,000 sales processes from busy -> balanced and profitable. https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/988ac64b-5875-4924-9d10-50faad2aa4ad?email=%EMAIL% Episode Sponsored by The Expert Services Directory Access The Expert Services Directory here and use code PODCAST for a special bonus. https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory A curated directory that proactively markets your services to corporate decision makers every month. Standard listings reach 1,000+ decision makers per month; Directory Plus listings reach 2,000+. Only 10 suppliers per category. Standard listing: 1,000+ decision makers per month Directory Plus listing: 2,000+ decision makers per month Application required — not all applications are accepted If You've Enjoyed Listening to The Most Important Skill Professional Salespeople Have, Check Out These Episodes STC159 - Mindset Wobbles That Stop Your B2B Sales Progress (and How to Fix Them!) https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate159 STC162 - 3 Things That Will Help You Maximise Any Sales Training You're Embarking On https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate162 STC171 - The Simple Sales Technique I Use to Sign Corporate Clients Every Month https://bit.ly/SellingToCorporate171 Content Disclaimer The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.
Ryan Quinn acquired a 30-year-old construction company after the owner said he was either closing the doors or selling. Ryan and his wife Nancy survived year one, and are now rebuilding the business into something new.Key takeaways:00:00:00 Introduction00:11:55Q: Have construction prices come down since COVID?A: Ryan Quinn says prices have not dropped in six years and owners who waited are still waiting because costs have stabilized at the higher level.00:16:27Q: Why do business owners hide their budget from contractors?A: Ryan Quinn says hiding your budget is an old school tactic that hurts your own project because it prevents realistic guidance.00:27:10Q: What does building a new commercial building actually look like?A: Ryan Quinn describes the journey from a cocktail napkin sketch to a 200-page document to a finished building.00:29:35Q: What is the future of the skilled trades?A: Ryan Quinn says not every kid needs college and the trades are seeing a resurgence as stigma fades and the retiring workforce creates opportunity.00:37:33Q: What is it like to acquire a business someone else built over 30 years?A: Ryan Quinn shares how it happened organically through trust and why an existing foundation made more sense than starting from scratch.00:41:11Q: What is the one piece of advice for new business owners?A: Ryan Quinn says listen more because he and Nancy missed signals early on that could have helped them navigate faster.Subscribe to Founder Talk so you don't miss what's next.Connect with Ryan Quinn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-quinn-a44517106/Website: https://qdbi.net/The Founders Brief2,500+ founders read this newsletter every week to build businesses that run and grow even when they step away. The Founders Briefing delivers real strategies and tactics from the best Founder Talk conversations, behind the scenes access, and the insights that never made the final cut. Sign up here: https://podcastbuilders.activehosted.com/f/3 If you are a B2B company that wants to build your own in-house content team instead of outsourcing your content to a marketing agency, we may be a fit for you! Everything you see in our podcast and content is a result of a scrappy, nimble, internal content team along with an AI-powered content systems and process. Check out pricing and services here: https://impaxs.comIf you want to start a podcast that helps you win clients and become the go-to brand in your industry, Podcast Builders can help! https://podcastbuilders.com/Podcast Builders is a podcast production and strategy company based in St. Charles, Illinois that helps founder-led B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. The company provides podcast strategy, studio production, editing, and distribution services for businesses across the western Chicago suburbs including St Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Naperville, Aurora, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Elgin, and more.Head to our website to stream every episode on your favorite platform, join the Founder Talk community, and submit questions for future guests—all in one place: https://foundertalkpodcast.com/#FounderTalk #EntrepreneurPodcast #FounderPodcast
Global payouts are evolving faster than ever.
Is wholesale distribution entering its most disruptive era yet?In this episode of Around the Horn in Wholesale Distribution, Kevin Brown, Tom Burton, and Mark Gilham of Enable unpack the forces reshaping the B2B supply chain: inflation measurement debates, Federal Reserve strategy, tariff refund accounting risks, buying group consolidation, maritime trade choke points, and the growing influence of AI on distributor–manufacturer relationships. This episode explores how data-driven decision making is shifting the industry from relationship-based instinct to AI-powered commercial intelligence, and what that means for distributors, manufacturers, CFOs, and industry leaders.What You'll Learn:The difference between core inflation vs trimmed average inflation, and why the metric matters for CFO planning, pricing strategy, and capital investment decisionsHow a more flexible Federal Reserve approach impacts interest rate modeling, debt refinancing, and working capital strategy in wholesale distributionWhy tariff refunds create accounting, tax, and downstream pricing pressure, and how distributors and manufacturers should prepareThe real impact of global maritime choke points like the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and South China Sea on supply chain resilienceWhy buying groups like Evergreen are consolidating, and how rebate economics drive churn and competitive pressureHow AI could disrupt traditional distributor–manufacturer relationships by prioritizing margin analytics, pricing optimization, and product substitution models over loyaltyEpisode Highlights:03:22 – Mark Gilham explains how Enable connects manufacturers and distributors through rebate and pricing intelligence11:45 – Core inflation vs trimmed average inflation: what's the difference and why does it matter for distributors?24:41 – A Greenspan-style Fed strategy: how rate uncertainty changes business forecasting42:30 – Tariff refund accounting risks and downstream pricing pressure across the supply chain57:45 – The six global maritime choke points and why “just-in-time” models increase fragility1:00:41 – Why Evergreen shut down and what buying group consolidation means for distributors1:14:42 – Manufacturers' growing concern: will AI override decades of channel relationships?1:23:48 – “It all depends on the brief the AI has.” How AI configuration shapes profitability and channel outcomesMeet the Guest:Mark Gilham is a former distributor CFO and now a leader at Enable, a pricing and rebate management platform focused on helping manufacturers and distributors trade more intelligently in the B2B ecosystem. His expertise bridges finance, pricing strategy, rebate optimization, and AI-driven commercial execution.Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned:Enable Rebate Management and Pricing IntelligenceLeadSmart Enterprise Growth PlatformRevenue Expander white space analyticsPrediction market data modeling for interest rate forecastingAI-driven commercial optimization and margin normalization modelsClosing Insight:“Future decisions are not going to be made based on a relationship. They're going to be made based on what the AI model tells the distributor.”As wholesale distribution evolves, the competitive edge will belong to organizations that combine trusted relationships with structured data, commercial intelligence, and AI-ready infrastructure.Leave a Review: Help us grow by sharing your thoughts on the show.Learn more about the LeadSmart AI B2B Sales Platform: https://www.leadsmarttech.com/Join the conversation each week on LinkedIn Live.Want even more insight to the stories we discuss each week? Subscribe to the Around The Horn Newsletter.You can also hear the podcast and other excellent content on our YouTube Channel.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.
My guest today is Dan Loeb, the founder and CEO of Third Point. Dan started Third Point in 1995 with a few million dollars, and today the firm manages over 24 billion across equities, corporate and structured credit, venture, and insurance. He is best known for his activist work at companies like Sotheby's, Sony, and Yahoo, and for the public letters he has written to boards over the years. What I find most interesting about Dan is how much his approach has evolved across thirty years. He came up as a credit and event-driven investor at Warburg Pincus and Jefferies, built Third Point, then layered in quality investing, thematic technology investing, and now a very large credit business that sits alongside the hedge fund. We cover how he thinks about the AI stack and the companies inside it he believes matter most, the difference between good and bad governance, what FTX taught him about due diligence, the Sony and Sotheby's stories, and the power of writing. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Loeb. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at colossus.com/subscribe. ----- Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to vanta.com/invest. ----- WorkOS is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ridgelineapps.com. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:02:29) Dan Loeb (00:03:21) Mental Models Information Overload (00:06:50) Dan's Identity as an Investor (00:11:24) The End of Classic Event-Driven Investing (00:13:52) Evolving Strategy Over 30 Years (00:17:48) Return Opportunities in Today's Market (00:21:12) Sources of Alpha for Fundamental Investors (00:22:10) Good vs. Bad Governance (00:26:17) Writing as an Investing Tool (00:27:29) The Sotheby's Story (00:30:04) Activism Opportunities Today (00:31:03) Third Point's Evolution to 60% Credit (00:36:10) Dan as Sole Portfolio Manager (00:38:09) Value Investor Perspective on Today's Market (00:39:23) Investing Outside the US (00:40:33) The Sony Activism Story (00:43:59) Lessons from 30 Years of Investing (00:46:26) Danaher and Operational Excellence (00:48:48) Building the Insurance Liability Business (00:51:19) The FTX Story (00:53:07) Leading a Team Through Uncertainty (00:54:29) Where Third Point Is Most Contrarian (00:56:22) What Makes a Great Analyst Today (00:58:12) The Next 10 Years (01:00:24) The Kindest Thing
Moon Base Build Up, Electric Ferrari, BTS at B2B, The Heat is On, Eyeballs over Algorithms, Weddings: Taylor's Version & T-Rex's Tiny Arms!
Hi! I'm Kaila Vander Horn, and I'm the Social Director at Speedwork.I've been in marketing for 11+ years. I work with B2B companies and executives to create LinkedIn content people actually want to read. My work includes: executive ghostwriting, company page strategy, and building a consistent presence for brands across SaaS, fintech, and AI.I personally write 100+ LinkedIn posts per month and spend most of my time inside the feed studying what performs and why. LinkedIn doesn't follow the same rules as other platforms, and there's no clear playbook. My approach is grounded in pattern recognition, testing, and consistency.Through the strategies I've led, my clients have gained 175K+ new followers.Connect with Kaila here: www.linkedin.com/in/kailavanderhornhttps://speedworksocial.com/Don't forget to download our FREE High Impact LinkedIn Post Templates here:https://www.thetimetogrow.com/ecsposttemplates
Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Marigold
Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤPre-order Jay Schwedelson's new book, Stupider People Have Done It (out June 9, 2026).All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤEver wonder why your slick, AI-polished marketing content gets crickets while someone's shaky phone clip from a hallway racks up engagement? Jay Schwedelson breaks down the lo-fi content formats actually winning right now, with hard numbers on why behind-the-scenes videos, walking selfies, and even airport rants outperform the polished stuff. Stick around for the chaos of prepping Eventastic, which somehow involves a Taylor Swift impersonator, a mouth guard game, and a guy being shot out of a cannon.ㅤBest Moments:(00:16) Why expensive, AI-perfect marketing now reads as more boring than wallpaper(01:30) Behind-the-scenes video drives 200% higher engagement on LinkedIn than any other format(02:45) The red play button trick that lifts email click-through rates by 34%(03:30) Walking selfies pull 49% higher completion on LinkedIn and 57% on Instagram(04:14) Desk drive-bys and one-take mistake clips that beat any polished asset(05:15) Why airport walk-and-talks turn boring B2B content into something humans actually watch(06:30) The behind-the-scenes panic of dry-running the Fate of Ophelia dance for Eventastic
You can't be a great marketer if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.If you're a marketing leader, you know the feeling. The 12AM Slack from the CEO. The “where's-the-pipeline?” question that never goes away. The low-grade anxiety running underneath every campaign, every board deck, every quarter. In this episode, Carolyn and Amber connect the inner game to the measurement problem. The anxiety marketers carry isn't a personal failing. It's the tax you pay for being judged by numbers that miss your real contribution: shaping how the market perceives you, long before anyone fills out a form.And here's what nobody in GTM is actually talking about: you cannot build the future you want while your body is locked in defending the present. Your brain chemistry doesn't know the difference between the meeting you're dreading and the one that's already over — it reacts the same way to both. And when you live in that state, you can't create. You can only react.What this episode covers:The breakthroughs from both Amber and Carolyn's recent vacationsWhy so many B2B marketers are operating from low-grade panic, and why it's costing them their best workHow belief and brain chemistry shape what you're able to create, and why you have to embody the outcome before it shows upWhy marketing's real job is shaping brand perception in-market, and why traditional KPIs can't see that workHow to use zero-party data — what customers tell you directly — to inform the customer journey instead of guessing from last-touch behaviorThree books that reshaped how Carolyn thinks about wealth, awareness, and building a future you can't yet see: Happy Pocket Full of Money, The Power of Awareness, and Dr. Joe Dispenza's Becoming SupernaturalIf you're a marketing leader tired of doing your best work from a place of panic, and tired of watching it disappear into numbers that can't measure it, this one's for you.-----------------------------------------------------Want answers now?
Warren Zenna is the Founder of The CRO Collective, a B2B consultancy focused on helping CEOs and CROs design stronger revenue strategies, operating models, and CRO readiness. A seasoned revenue leader and advisor, he brings more than 25 years of experience across B2B sales, marketing, digital media, and emerging technology. Warren is also Founder and CEO of Zenna Consulting Group, where he advises companies on organic growth, marketing, and go-to-market strategy. He is the author of What Chief Revenue Officers Actually Do and hosts The CRO Spotlight Podcast, where he explores the evolving responsibilities, challenges, and strategic importance of the modern CRO. In this episode… Hiring a chief revenue officer can transform a growing company — but only if the business is ready. Many organizations expect a CRO to fix revenue problems, yet success depends just as much on structure, authority, and timing. So, how can companies set CROs up to succeed rather than fail? For Warren Zenna, a longtime revenue leader and advisor to B2B executives, the answer starts with CRO readiness: companies must understand when they need a CRO, what authority the role requires, and how the revenue engine must be structured before making the hire. He highlights that many CROs fail not because they lack talent, but because they inherit broken systems without the autonomy, resources, or runway to fix them. The result is a costly mismatch between expectations and execution. Warren explains that companies often hire CROs too early for vanity or too late after complexity has already hardened into dysfunction. A successful CRO needs the ability to align sales, marketing, customer success, revenue operations, and leadership expectations around one cohesive growth strategy. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Warren Zenna, Founder of The CRO Collective, to discuss CRO readiness and the future of revenue leadership. Warren explains why CROs fail, when companies should hire one, and how AI is reshaping revenue organizations. Warren also shares advice for candidates evaluating CRO opportunities.
Jörgen Wigh, CEO of Lagercrantz Group Jörgen Wigh has been CEO of Lagercrantz Group (STO: LAGR-B) for over 20 years. In that time he completed 90+ acquisitions, built a portfolio of 85 niche B2B companies, and delivered 15 consecutive years of record earnings per share. No capital raises. No forced integration. No exits. The Nordic compounder model has quietly outperformed global markets for decades, and Lagercrantz is one of the longest-running, most disciplined examples of it in operation. In Part 1 of 2, Jörgen walks through the deal model behind that track record. What You'll Learn How Lagercrantz finds companies that are not for sale, and why the first call almost never closes a deal How Jörgen pushes for exclusivity in weeks when most sellers are running a banker-led process The earnout structure Jörgen uses to keep founders motivated for three years after signing What he says when PE shows up at 11x and the seller is tempted to take the bigger check Why founders walk away from more money for legacy preservation, and the conversation that earns it How to close 8 to 12 deals a year without breaking pricing discipline If you are holding pricing discipline against private equity and want to know whether your team would do the same, DealPilot, powered by M&A Science, runs the M&A Competency Assessment so you can benchmark deal judgment before the next term sheet. ____________________ This episode of M&A Science is presented by DealRoom. DealRoom just automated Pipeline Management with AI so you can spend less time updating deals, and more time working them. Automatically push deal context from Outlook to DealRoom Pipeline and use AI to keep deal target data and tasks updated, so follow-ups never slip through the cracks. No manual logging. No stale pipeline data. See for yourself at dealroom.net/pipelineai ____________________ Episode Chapters [00:00] Introduction [05:48] Jörgen's path: analyst, McKinsey, and the Bergman & Beving spinout [07:00] Coming back as CEO in 2006 and rebuilding from scratch [09:21] Buy and hold, forever: how the model actually works [11:21] What makes a company worth buying (and what kills it) [12:28] A real deal: helicopter deck safety systems [13:52] Who sells to Lagercrantz, and why [15:44] The only two things Lagercrantz adds: energy and structure [20:17] Finding companies that are not for sale [22:36] When the banker shows up: getting exclusivity early [23:55] Holding the line at 4-8x EBITDA when PE bids 11x [25:09] The legacy preservation pitch that wins without matching price [33:38] Earnouts that keep founders motivated for three years [36:17] Running 85 companies with 22 people at HQ [36:46] The only three functions Lagercrantz centralizes [37:57] The annual MD conference and the peer network behind it [40:13] 8 to 12 deals a year, one a month
Die meisten Verkäufer glauben, ihre Kunden zu kennen. Tun sie aber nicht. In dieser Folge erfährst du, warum Einkäufer nicht einfach nur billig einkaufen wollen, wie du in 10 Minuten starke Personas erstellst und weshalb unterschiedliche Entscheider völlig unterschiedlich ticken. „Unser Einkäufer will einfach nur den billigsten Preis.“ Wenn du das glaubst, hast du vermutlich schon Deals verloren, ohne zu verstehen warum. Denn die Wahrheit ist: Einkäufer, CEOs, CFOs oder Tech-Leads verfolgen völlig unterschiedliche Ziele, haben unterschiedliche Ängste, Denkweisen und Erwartungen an dich als Verkäufer. Und genau hier liegt einer der grössten Fehler im B2B-Sales:
Send us Fan MailYour brand is not what you say it is. It is what people remember, repeat, and feel after they interact with you and that is exactly why brand clarity matters more than ever. I sit down with Roxana Hurdacas, a B2B brand strategy advisor and managing partner at Drivion, to unpack what “brand clarity” really gives a company: the why, the what, the how, the rhythm, and the self-trust to stay consistent when everything around you changes. We get practical about the gap between founder perception and customer reality, including the telltale sign that something is off: when feedback triggers defensiveness instead of curiosity. Roxana explains why so many teams confuse brand strategy with messaging and visuals, and how that mistake slowly dilutes positioning, differentiators, tone of voice, and the unique value proposition that should guide every campaign. We also dig into brand perception research, with examples of clean, non-leading questions you can ask customers, employees, and partners to uncover blind spots before they turn into churn. From there, we zoom out to the AI content era and the risk of sounding like everyone else. Roxana argues that content is just a distribution format; the real protection is knowing who you are, who you serve, and why you deserve to be chosen. We connect that to trust building, crisis communication that blends empathy with data, why marketing budgets get cut at the worst moment, and how founders and “B2B creators” inside a company can strengthen professional perception. If you care about B2B branding, brand strategy, and building a distinct brand voice that lasts, this conversation will sharpen your thinking. This episode was recorded through a Descript call on May 20, 2026. Read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/what-if-your-brand-is-not-who-you-thinkIf it helps, share this episode with a founder or marketing leader, subscribe for more Web3 CMO Stories, and leave a review to support the show...........................................................................
Most marketing teams are drowning in output and starving for meaning. The more they feed the machine, the more the machine becomes the creative director — and somewhere in the noise, the person on the other end of the content stopped mattering.In this episode, Josh and Ross are joined by Julianne DeVincenzo, Head of Content Strategy, and Dan Reid, Creative Director — both at Optimizely — two people deep inside one of the most interesting rebrands happening in B2B right now. They make the case that the real threat of AI isn't job replacement — it's the slow erosion of judgment, taste, and the willingness to make someone uncomfortable. Julianne and Dan talk about how they're rebuilding Optimizely's content engine from the ground up, why they're turning their own marketers into subject matter experts and journalists, and where they're drawing the line between what AI can own and what stays irreducibly human.We also cover:• Why the volume-as-strategy era is producing content that 'passes through people like water through a screen' — and how Optimizely is deliberately building against that.• How Dan is working directly with engineers to teach their own AI to honor brand — including the surprisingly simple feedback that blew a senior engineer's mind.• What happens when you empower employees to use AI and wake up to find your unreleased brand assets have already been fed into someone's personal workflow.
IN THIS EPISODEWhy is that that so many B2B and personal brands seem like clones on LinkedIn? Looking and sounding the same where so it's just one endless blur? In this episode, we share why it's so easy to fall victim to blurred branding, and how you can escape it if you're feeling a tad blended too.CONTACT US:Michelle J Raymond is a globally recognized LinkedIn™️ for business growth speaker, author and consultant. Her services – audit & strategy, LinkedIn training and LinkedIn profile rewrites.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejraymond/Website: https://b2bgrowthco.com/Michelle B. Griffin is a TEDx speaker and personal brand + PR strategist who helps women authors and experts become recognized authorities and thought leaders in their industries.As the founder of Brand Leaders and the She's Visible™ movement, Michelle equips experts to position their personal brands for recognition, media opportunities and industry impact.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebgriffin/ Websites: https://michellebgriffin.com and ShesVisible.comBuy your copy on AmazonThe LinkedIn Branding Book, The Power of Two: Build Your Personal and Business Brand on LinkedIn for Exponential Growth - https://mybook.to/The_LinkedIn_Branding_Book https://MichelleSquared.comOUR BOOKSThe LinkedIn Branding Book + WorkbookPosition Yourself Personal Branding PlannerBusiness Gold: LinkedIn Company PagesSUBMIT YOUR QUESTION:Simply DM both Michelles on LinkedIn to submit your question for a future episode.GET UNSTUCK WITH YOUR PERSONAL BRANDWhen you need clarity fast, Michelle's Position Yourself Power Hour™ gives you a 60-minute clarity session with strategic answers, feedback and next steps to get unstuck for your biggest personal branding roadblock.Book your session here https://michellebgriffin.com/powerhour/ STAY AHEAD OF WHAT'S WORKING ON LINKEDINIf LinkedIn feels important to your business but messy in practice, Michelle J Raymond's newsletter delivers clear, no-hacks insights to help B2B teams make better LinkedIn decisions each week. Subscribe here - https://b2bgrowthco.com/newsletter/
What happens when someone Googles your name—and finds… nothing?In this eye-opening episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show, host Don Williams sits down with Marina Byezhanova, co-founder of Brand of a Leader and a speaker with Deloitte Academy, to break down one of the most overlooked growth drivers in modern business: personal branding. If you're a founder, executive, or B2B leader who believes your results should speak for themselves, this conversation will challenge that assumption.Marina reveals why invisibility in search (Google and AI tools like LLMs) is silently costing entrepreneurs clients, partnerships, talent, and authority—and why even highly successful leaders are often under-leveraging their personal brand compared to more visible (but less experienced) competitors.Throughout the episode, you'll discover:- The hidden financial cost of not showing up online- Why thought leadership now drives visibility in both search engines and AI recommendations- The real reason younger professionals are winning stages, deals, and attention- How authenticity beats perfection, especially in the era of AI-generated content- Why being “humble and quiet” may actually stall your growth- Marina's powerful comeback story—rebuilding after losing a 7-figure recruitment business during COVIDYou'll also hear practical insights on LinkedIn strategy, podcast guesting, ghostwriting, handling criticism, and building a brand that is both authentic and scalable.Whether you're a business owner, consultant, marketer, or executive, this episode is a wake-up call:
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Send us Fan MailIf your content is consistent but your opportunities are not, you might be dealing with a problem most leaders cannot name: the authority gap. I define it as the distance between looking visible online and being genuinely trusted by the people who can hire you, fund you, or partner with you. After 30 years in healthcare technology and now building an AI-powered business accelerator for underserved entrepreneurs, I keep seeing the same pattern: brilliant experts and founders with real solutions still get overlooked because the market cannot quickly recognize their authority signals. AI is accelerating that pain. Tools can produce polished marketing in seconds, which means the internet is filling up with generic ideas and copycat expertise. Buyers are responding with tougher reputation due diligence: they search your name, scan your LinkedIn, review podcast appearances, and look for proof that holds up. Trust is becoming the scarce resource, and digital discoverability is now inseparable from leadership reputation, personal branding, and business brand growth. I break down my Brave Authority Index, a practical authority-building framework built on five connected pillars: Boldness, Resilience, Authenticity, Vision, and Execution. You will hear how to sharpen a specific market position, build durable credibility across platforms, show real human coherence without oversharing, publish future-facing ideas your audience can use, and create follow-up systems that turn visibility into revenue. I also walk through a case study where a B2B firm moves from commodity IT vendor to inbound demand by connecting thought leadership to clear next steps and measurable pipeline. If you want to stop sounding like everyone else and start getting believed, subscribe, share this with a friend who is “visible but stuck,” and leave a review so more leaders can find it.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!
Professional networks remain underutilized for B2B growth. Adam Rich, CEO of Known For and founder of Thrillist, shares strategies for turning executive expertise into consistent LinkedIn presence. Rich discusses using expert-in-the-loop AI systems to scale authentic content creation and explains when to boost LinkedIn posts versus relying on organic reach. He reveals how first-party audience targeting can increase impressions 6x and why frequency caps matter more than promotional tags for executive content strategy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What's the difference between marketing and advertising and why does it matter for your pharmacy? In this episode of the Bottom Line Pharmacy Podcast, Austin Murray sits down with Bruce Kneeland, longtime independent pharmacy advocate and host of the Pharmacy Crossroads podcast, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to grow an independent pharmacy in today's competitive landscape. Bruce shares his fascinating journey from a chance job posting at BYU that landed him in Fargo, North Dakota, to senior roles at Health Mart, AmerisourceBergen, and eventually becoming a consultant and road-tripper who has visited pharmacies coast to coast. In this episode, Bruce and Austin cover: - Marketing vs. advertising and why confusing the two is costing pharmacies patients - The word-of-mouth myth and why relying on it alone is "killing you slowly" - Messaging that connects how to talk about complex services like compounding in language patients actually understand - The B2B opportunity and why your real customer for compounding and specialty services might be the prescriber, not the patient And more!
My guest today is Darren Farber, and this is his second appearance on the show. Darren is a Managing Partner of Albion River, a defense-focused investment firm and he previously served as a special advisor to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. We recorded this conversation in the middle of the Iranian contingency, and we spent most of our time on what winning actually means in a theater like Iran. We discuss why magazine depth matters for the American industrial base, lessons from Ukraine, and what the rise of neo-prime defense companies will require from Congress. Please enjoy my second conversation with Darren Farber. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at colossus.com/subscribe. ----- Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Invest Like the Best listeners get a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta when you go to vanta.com/invest. ----- WorkOS is the infrastructure B2B and AI-native companies use to sell to enterprise. It covers everything enterprise security requires: SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Audit Logs, AI governance, and more. Trusted by 2,000+ fast-growing companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Vercel. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ridgelineapps.com. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:02:29) Darren Farber Intro (00:02:59) Defining What Winning Looks Like in Iran (00:12:16) The Strait of Hormuz (00:13:27) Eisenhower vs. Taylor: Two Military Doctrines Explained (00:17:12) US Military Readiness vs. the Pentagon Era (00:20:05) America's Magazine Depth (00:21:36) China's Vulnerability (00:25:28) Trading Freedom for Security (00:27:31) Today's Industrial Base (00:29:30) Lessons from the Ukraine War (00:31:11) Impact of Iran Conflict on Taiwan Risk (00:33:02) What Neo-Prime Defense Companies Need to Succeed (00:39:53) Can We Win Without Full Regime Change in Iran? (00:45:46) AI's Impact on Modern Warfare
Ryan Alford sits down with Josh Troy for a deep conversation on what actually creates predictable revenue in modern B2B sales. Josh explains how revenue operations, outbound systems, content, trust, and AI all fit together, and why most businesses are still chasing activity instead of building a true revenue engine. He also breaks down the difference between generating leads and generating pipeline, why cold calling still works, and how smarter follow-up systems can unlock more revenue without spending more on new leads. Ryan brings the operator and marketing lens, Josh brings the sales systems and RevOps lens, and together they unpack what founders, sales leaders, and growth-minded businesses need to understand if they want their revenue to become more reliable. Topics Covered What RevOps really means in practice Why predictable revenue matters more than one-off wins The role of AI in modern outbound strategy Why cold calling is still working How content builds trust and pipeline What businesses get wrong about lead quality Why pipeline reactivation is an underrated growth lever How founders can think more strategically about revenue systems
Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Marigold
Partner with Jay: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤPre-order Jay Schwedelson's new book, Stupider People Have Done It (out June 9, 2026).All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤSubscribe to Jay's newsletter for weekly marketing tips and tactics: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/newsletterㅤRegister for Eventastic (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.eventastic.comㅤRegister for GuruConference (FREE + VIRTUAL!) https://www.guruconference.comㅤConnect with Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/Check out Jay's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/Ask Jay anything: https://www.jayschwedelson.com/askㅤLeave a comment and follow the show, it really helps us out!ㅤMASSIVE thank you to our Sponsor, CallRail!CallRail is the AI-powered lead intelligence platform that helps marketers prove exactly what's driving results. With CallRail, you can connect every call, text, chat, and form submission directly to the campaign that generated it so you finally know what's working and where to double down.Plus, with built-in AI conversation intelligence, CallRail analyzes your customer conversations, captures leads 24/7, and gives you deeper insights into what your prospects actually care about.If you're tired of guessing about your marketing ROI and want real data behind your campaigns, CallRail has you covered.Start a Free Trial Here: https://www.callrail.com/dothisㅤMeta just quietly dropped a standalone app built to swipe users straight from Reddit, and that's only the start of what Jay Schwedelson is digging into this week. There's also a new LinkedIn tool that exposes which AI models people are actually using by industry, plus some fresh data showing that one tiny tweak to your promotional emails can triple engagement and seriously boost your inbox placement.ㅤBest Moments:(00:16) Meta launches Forum, a standalone app built to go straight at Reddit(01:36) LinkedIn Cross Check reveals which AI models are dominating by industry(03:30) Why reply-driven promotional emails are pulling 3X the engagement(04:25) The 90-day inbox placement lift B2B brands are seeing from reply CTAs(05:18) Reply rate is now the number one signal for Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo(06:30) Love Island USA returns June 2nd with ad demand up 73% year over year