Podcasts about CRO

Today on the show, we have Charles Rosenblatt, CEO of Butter Payments, providing ML AI-driven payment recovery for subscription merchants and recurring payments. Previously, Charles was CSO of Payoneer, CRO at Velo Payments, and ran treasury at D.E. Shaw during the late 90s—where managing a financial crisis taught him that outside factors can derail even the best strategies and smartest teams. In this episode, we uncover why the 14-day dunning period is an arbitrary standard that shouldn't exist—and how decoupling dunning strategy from product access unlocks smarter business decisions. Charles shares how Butter analyzes 128 variables across billions of transactions to predict payment recovery within 10 seconds, allowing companies to shut off high-cost AI users immediately when recovery is unlikely, while keeping loyal customers active when payments will clear. We explore why involuntary churn creates dangerous false signals: 30% of customers leaving might actually want to stay but have expired cards or temporary payment issues. This can lead product teams to catastrophic decisions—like Coca-Cola changing their formula when the real problem was payment infrastructure, not product-market fit. The lesson: understand what's within your control versus what's not before making strategic pivots. We also discuss how Capital One shifted their best people from acquisition to retention after realizing they were churning the equivalent of the 7th largest credit card company every year—because spending $20 to save a $500 NPV customer beats spending $300 to acquire a new one who might churn anyway. Finally, we dig into payment recovery ethics and strategy: why Butter refuses "forced payments" that drive customer accounts negative, how different card types (Amex vs. debit vs. prepaid) require completely different retry logic, and why competitors who inflate recovery promises by 100% damage trust across the industry.As always, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me directly at andrew@churn.fm, and don't forget to follow us on X.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.

SEO expert Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS delivers an in-depth comparison of Shopify SEO and Squarespace SEO CMS platforms, focusing on their SEO and CRO capabilities and website development features. This discussion covers critical technical insights about theme management, URL structure optimization, metadata configuration, and platform-specific best practices.Favour shares actionable strategies for improving website visibility, including the importance of regular theme updates, proper sitemap configuration, and effective use of SEO metadata. The session also touches on comparisons with WordPress, Wix, and other CMS platforms, providing business owners with practical guidance for choosing and optimizing their e-commerce and content-driven websites in 2026.Book SEO Services | Quick Links for Social Business>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike⁠>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Read SEO Articles>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick LinksEpisode Key Learning Topics1. Shopify Platform Deep DiveShopify as a closed-source e-commerce CMS platformTheme Liquid customization and custom code implementationImportance of regular theme updates for algorithm visibilityPre-installed sitemap functionality and automated SEO featuresApp ecosystem vs WordPress pluginsMulti-currency and multi-language capabilitiesSchema.org integration for product pages2. Squarespace Platform OverviewUser-friendly, content-driven platform positioningComparison with Shopify for product-based vs content-based websitesQuick setup and on-the-go management capabilitiesIntegration capabilities and limitationsBest use cases for small businesses and content creators3. SEO Metadata OptimizationProper configuration of SEO meta titles and descriptionsOpen Graph (OG) tags for social media sharingURL structure best practices and character optimizationThe importance of unique metadata vs duplicated contentHow to edit SEO metadata in Shopify product pages4. URL Structure StrategyStrategic URL naming conventions for productsUsing numbers strategically in URLs (e.g., "red-roses-12-piece" vs "12-piece-red-roses")Pattern disruption for user attention and click-through optimizationShorter, more concentrated URLs for better visual scanningPre-purchase click optimization through URL clarity5. Technical SEO FundamentalsSitemap management across different platformsGoogle Search Console setup and sitemap submissionThe difference between Google Analytics and Google Search ConsoleNAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency for local SEORobots.txt configuration and indexing control6. Wix Platform InsightsHidden robots.txt settings affecting blog tag indexingHow to enable tag indexing in Wix SEO settings10-year evolution of the Wix platformCommon indexing issues and solutions7. WordPress vs Closed-Source PlatformsOpen-source flexibility vs closed-source constraintsPlugin management and sitemap conflictsThe analogy of "square footage" for platform capabilitiesWhen to choose WordPress over Shopify/Squarespace8. Content Strategy & Page ManagementThe power of compounding through content updatesUpdating old blog posts alongside publishing new onesFooter copyright year updates as ranking signalsOn-page SEO details that AI and search engines scanCreating and maintaining a content calendar9. Website Maintenance Best PracticesRegular theme updates and their impact on visibilityChecking and updating footer copyright yearsMonitoring broken links and slow page speedsPlatform-specific maintenance requirements (Shopify, Squarespace, WordPress, Webflow, Wix)10. Free Website Audit OfferFavour's offer for surface-level website auditsDeep dive capabilities for root problem identificationMulti-platform support (Shopify, Squarespace, WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Magento, Tilda, Duda)Email newsletter with SEO, marketing, and AI insightsEpisode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: Shopify SEO vs Squarespace SEO comparison00:53 - Welcome and housekeeping (saving replays, accessing resources)02:36 - Shopify platform overview and e-commerce focus03:01 - Why Shopify stands out (price-friendly, brand-aware, aesthetically pleasing)03:43 - Shopify themes and purchasing considerations05:43 - Critical question: When did you last update your theme?06:40 - How theme updates affect algorithm visibility07:00 - Closed-source vs open-source platforms explained07:08 - Theme Liquid customization in Shopify08:00 - Shopify as your hosting platform08:10 - Apps in Shopify vs plugins in WordPress08:21 - Squarespace positioning and user-friendliness09:00 - Platform comparison analogy: Square footage (500 to 20,000 sq ft)09:33 - When aesthetics and ease-of-use matter most14:00 - Detailed Shopify theme management discussion18:00 - SEO metadata and URL structure fundamentals22:00 - The importance of page quantity and content strategy28:00 - Sitemap management and Google Search Console setup28:15 - Why Shopify pre-installs sitemaps (no conflicts)29:00 - WordPress sitemap conflicts and plugin management29:32 - The sitemap as "the brain of a website"30:00 - Content compounding strategy: updating old posts31:06 - Wix robots.txt issue: blog tags set to "no index" by default32:00 - How to fix Wix tag indexing in SEO settings33:00 - Tags as hashtags and their importance for visibility34:05 - Critical action item: Update your footer copyright year to 202635:00 - Why footer year matters for AI and search engine scanning36:01 - Shopify advantages for multi-language and multi-currency37:03 - Google Search Console vs Google Analytics confusion37:20 - The "reverse gear" moment in SEO audits42:00 - Deep dive into URL structure optimization45:00 - Strategic use of numbers in product URLs48:00 - Open Graph (OG) tags explained52:00 - Schema.org and structured data importance58:00 - Product page SEO metadata workflow in Shopify58:15 - How titles auto-generate URLs and the edit button59:00 - Example: "6-piece red rose bouquet" URL structure59:23 - Optimizing URL readability and pattern disruption60:00 - Pre-purchase click optimization through URL clarity61:00 - Character count optimization for URLs63:00 - Shopify vs Squarespace integration comparison63:16 - Schema.org as the "golden standard" for web documentation63:48 - NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency explained64:00 - "Dress how you want to be addressed" philosophy68:00 - Free website audit offer details70:00 - Platforms supported for audits72:00 - Newsletter signup for SEO, marketing, and AI insights74:00 - Surface-level vs deep-dive audit explanation75:00 - Closing remarks and call to actionFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Q1: What's the main difference between Shopify and Squarespace?A: Shopify is primarily an e-commerce platform optimized for product stores with extensive selling features (multi-currency, multi-language, robust app ecosystem), while Squarespace is more content-driven and user-friendly, ideal for portfolios, blogs, and smaller businesses that need quick setup without extensive product management.Q2: Why is updating my website theme important for SEO?A: Regular theme updates signal to search engine algorithms that your website has an updated setup and infrastructure. An outdated theme (e.g., last updated in August 2025 when we're in 2026) can cost you visibility because the algorithm may perceive your site as less maintained and current.Q3: What is Theme Liquid in Shopify?A: Theme Liquid is Shopify's templating language that allows you to customize code within the closed-source platform. It's where you would add custom elements like pop-ups, tracking codes, or other modifications that aren't available through standard theme settings.Q4: Do I need to create a sitemap for my Shopify store?A: No. Shopify automatically generates and maintains your sitemap as soon as you publish pages, products, collections, and posts. This is a major advantage over WordPress, where you need to install and configure sitemap plugins and ensure there are no conflicts.Q5: What's the difference between Google Search Console and Google Analytics?A: Google Search Console is for submitting your sitemap and monitoring how search engines crawl and index your site, while Google Analytics tracks visitor behavior and traffic sources. Both are important, but they serve different purposes. You must submit your sitemap to Search Console for proper SEO.Q6: How do I fix the Wix tag indexing problem?A: Go to your Wix dashboard, click Settings (bottom left corner), navigate to SEO Settings, find the Blog Tags section, and disable the "no index" robots.txt setting that's enabled by default. This allows your blog tags to be indexed by search engines.Q7: Why should I update my footer copyright year?A: The footer copyright year (e.g., "© 2026") is on-page text that AI and search engines scan. An outdated year (like "© 2023") signals that your site may not be actively maintained, even if you've updated content elsewhere. It's a simple but important ranking signal.Q8: How should I structure product URLs for better SEO?A: Use strategic placement of descriptive words and numbers. For example, "red-roses-12-piece" is better than "12-piece-red-roses" because users scanning search results will see "red roses" first, then the number variants (6, 12, 36), creating pattern disruption that draws attention and improves pre-purchase clicks.Q9: What is Open Graph (OG) and why does it matter?A: Open Graph tags control how your content appears when shared on social media, messaging apps, and other platforms. When you send a link via WhatsApp or iMessage and see a preview with title and image, that's Open Graph data. Properly configured OG tags ensure your content looks professional when shared.Q10: Should I choose Shopify, Squarespace, or WordPress for my business?A: Choose Shopify if you're running a product-based e-commerce store and need robust selling features. Choose Squarespace if you need a quick, aesthetically pleasing site for content, portfolios, or small-scale selling. Choose WordPress if you need maximum customization, flexibility, and control (open-source), but be prepared for more technical management.Q11: What is NAP and why is it important?A: NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. For websites, "address" includes your domain (www address). Consistent NAP information across your website and online directories is crucial for local SEO and helps search engines verify your business legitimacy.Q12: Can I get a free website audit from Favour?A: Yes! Favour offers surface-level website audits to help identify issues like broken links, slow pages, and basic SEO problems. The audit supports multiple platforms including Shopify, Squarespace, WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Magento, Tilda, and Duda. Links are available in the episode description or through the newsletter signup.About the Podcast HostFavour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS is an SEO and digital marketing expert who specializes in helping business owners optimize their websites for search visibility and conversion. Favour offers website audits, SEO consulting, and maintains a detailed email newsletter covering SEO, marketing, and AI insights. Visit our quick links above to get access.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#766 What happens when a CRO expert ditches slides, skips keynotes, and bets big on human connection in a post-Zoom world? In this episode, host Brien Gearin welcomes back longtime friend and fellow Cincinnati native Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralyze, for a conversation that goes beyond CRO and A/B testing. Sahil shares a behind-the-scenes look at why his team decided to launch their first-ever live event, Above the Fold, and what it really takes to plan an in-person experience that people are excited to travel for. From choosing the right location and audience to designing hands-on workshops, pricing tickets, and balancing sponsors without ruining the attendee experience, this episode is packed with practical insights for entrepreneurs and marketers considering hosting their own live event — whether for 10 people or 1,000! What we discuss with Sahil: + Why live events matter now + Craving human connection post-Zoom + Choosing the right event location + Designing workshop-only experiences + No slides, no keynotes philosophy + Attracting the right attendees + Inviting speakers with real reps + Pricing tickets strategically + Sponsors without killing the vibe + Creating a standout guest experience Thank you, Sahil! Check out Spiralyze at Spiralyze.com. Follow Sahil on LinkedIn and YouTube. To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/training⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scaling companies is hard. Exiting them successfully is even harder. Doing it repeatedly takes a different mindset. In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, host Chris sits down with Jeff Fleischer, a senior operating executive, capital advisor, and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience scaling technology and cybersecurity companies through hypergrowth, acquisitions, and strategic exits. Jeff has held CRO, SVP, and CEO roles across public and private markets, helping build and sell multiple businesses to acquirers, including McAfee, JPMorgan Chase, Raytheon, BlackRock/Pamplona, and Audax. Today, he is the Founder of ProScale Partners and is launching Grainview Capital, advising founders, private equity firms, family offices, and strategic investors during critical inflection points. This conversation dives deep into growth strategy, leadership alignment, go-to-market execution, capital formation, and what truly breaks companies during scale. Jeff shares real-world lessons from operating inside fast-moving environments where clarity, speed, and execution matter most. Whether you're a founder, operator, executive, or investor navigating growth or preparing for an exit, this episode delivers practical insight from someone who has done it repeatedly.

According to Stripe Profitability Timeline, it often takes two to three years for a startup to become profitable. Fundraising Time Sink: About 25% of founders spend over half their week on fundraising, which directly impacts their ability to focus on revenue-generating activities.   Mark D. Gordon. Known by founders as the “Rebel CRO.” He's scaled companies from $1 million to over $30 million in annual revenue, rebuilt go-to-market engines across SaaS, services, and tech, and built a business around one big idea: most companies don't have a sales problem; they have a clarity and alignment problem. I help B2B founders turn scattered sales and marketing into one aligned, predictable revenue engine. As a fractional CRO, I lead 120-day GTM transformations across messaging, lead generation, sales process, and revenue tech. We build the systems that allow your team to do the best work of their lives. Mark is the founder of Integrated Go-To-Market Solutions, where he helps B2B founders transform from sales hopeful to sales-led by aligning their messaging, lead gen, sales process, and tech into a single system that actually closes. If you've ever felt like your team can't explain what you do, your outbound is getting ignored, or you're still the best salesperson in your company, this conversation is for you. For more information: https://igtms.com/ LinkedIn: @MarkD.Gordon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Missed calls, slow follow-up, and storm surges can quietly kill your revenue.In this episode of Restoration Pros Unplugged, Clinton James sits down with Nick D'Urbano, Co-Founder and CRO of Distance, to break down how restoration companies are using AI to capture more leads, handle overflow calls, and generate more jobs — without replacing their people.Nick walks through real-world use cases for:AI Voice to handle overflow and after-hours calls during storm surgesAI Chat to convert website visitors, Facebook leads, and form fills fasterAI Outbound to win back lost leads, collect reviews, and stay in front of commercial prospectsThey also discuss why AI works best as a backup and multiplier for your intake team — especially when phones are ringing nonstop during freezes, floods, and major weather events.Want to see how Distance works for your restoration company?Book a demo directly with Nick here:https://meetings.hubspot.com/nickdurbano/demoLooking to generate more high-quality leads that turn into onsite visits and jobs?Book a discovery call with the Water Restoration Marketing team:https://waterrestorationmarketing.com/discovery-call/

In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael sits down with Chris Kline, Co-Founder and CRO of BitcoinIRA, to unpack what it really takes to build long-term wealth in an economy where traditional retirement systems are no longer guaranteed. Chris shares the unfiltered origin story of BitcoinIRA, from leaving Colorado for Los Angeles, living in a motel, and grinding through long days, to scaling the company into a platform serving more than 200,000 users and managing over $12 billion in assets. Along the way, he reflects on the leadership tension between scaling complexity and the clarity of early-stage simplicity. The conversation expands into the broader retirement crisis facing North America. With pensions disappearing and nearly half of Americans not actively participating in retirement planning, Michael and Chris challenge listeners to rethink responsibility, ownership, and strategy when it comes to long-term financial security. They explore how Bitcoin fits into a modern, diversified portfolio, not as a speculative gamble, but as an alternative asset shaped by scarcity, adoption, and long-term macro trends. The discussion covers due diligence, dollar-cost averaging, portfolio diversification, and the persistent myth that Bitcoin is inaccessible due to price, despite the ability to invest fractionally. Beyond Bitcoin, the episode addresses the importance of diversified income streams. Michael and Chris share real-world examples of building resilience through multiple revenue channels, passive income strategies, and investments across traditional markets, AI, defense, and digital assets. The message is clear: in an uncertain economy, relying on a single paycheck is a structural risk. The episode closes with a reminder that leadership extends beyond business. Chris shares a personal story about his daughter's passion for helping others, reinforcing the idea that purpose, curiosity, and long-term thinking are skills worth teaching the next generation. Listeners also learn about a limited-time BitcoinIRA incentive, including a $1,000 reward for new accounts opened before April 15th, designed to encourage proactive retirement planning. This is a grounded, practical conversation for anyone thinking seriously about financial resilience, leadership, and building a retirement strategy that reflects today's economic reality, not yesterday's assumptions. http://bitcoinira.com/breakfastleadership

In this episode of Sales Is King, host Dan Sixsmith kicks off the show's 10th year and the launch of a brand new studio with a powerhouse guest: Andrew Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Red Hat. Andrew shares how Red Hat is driving double‑digit growth with its hybrid platforms, automation, and AI capabilities—while staying anchored in long‑standing values like freedom, courage, commitment, and accountability. He also breaks down how AI is really changing sales, what separates top sellers from the middle of the pack, and why “happy customers” is his simple, non‑negotiable definition of success.​Red Hat's growth engines in 2025Three core platforms: Enterprise Linux, OpenShift (containerization/virtualization), and automation.​Why true hybrid (on‑prem, private cloud, hyperscalers) is resonating with customers globally.​The acquisition of Neural Magic and how Red Hat is playing in AI inference.​Values that customers actually feelHow Red Hat's long‑standing values—freedom, courage, commitment, accountability—show up through products and people, not posters.​Stories from customer visits (including India) where clients proactively praise the team, not just the tech.​The call to become CRO and first 90 daysHow Andrew was tapped from IBM by Rob Thomas to run “anything that touches revenue” at Red Hat.​Why he changed almost nothing at first: two ears, two eyes, one mouth—used in that ratio.​Moving the organization from “growing” to truly unlocking the next growth curve, with alignment on one vision and one belief.​What really separates top sellers from the middleActive listening as a true differentiator—probing pain, impact, and outcomes versus just hearing words.​Never settling: aiming beyond the renewal, operating on the “front foot,” and treating success and failure the same way.​A sports mindset: being ready for the clutch moments, orchestrating stakeholders, and failing at least 50% of the time but getting back up.​How AI is reshaping sales at Red HatBuilding and buying: Red Hat's own AI assistant embedded in sellers' workflow (Slack → CRM opportunity creation) plus tools like People.ai to free managers from data validation and focus them on coaching.​The big challenge: not building AI models, but getting them into production at scale with governance, cost control, and the right deployment (cloud vs. on‑prem).​Why only a small percentage of AI projects show real value today—and what needs to change.​Channel and ecosystem as revenue multipliersWhy a significant share of Red Hat's revenue runs through partners and how they're enabled pre‑ and post‑sales.​Technical certifications, revamped partner programs, and advisory boards to keep value and alignment high.​Customer success and value realizationConsolidating scattered customer success pockets into a central, technical CS team that engages the day after the contract is signed.​Focus on hands‑on deployment, embedding Red Hat tech in customer architectures, and rescuing under‑utilized hybrid commitments.​The direct link Andrew sees between CS, value realization, and recurring revenue uplift.​Andrew's personal journey and leadership lessonsFrom aspiring soccer player to IBM intern to CRO at Red Hat.​Doing an MBA nights/weekends to bridge technology and business outcomes in C‑level conversations.​Early “bad” first management role and learning from white‑space, door‑to‑door style selling.​Influences from Lou Gerstner and other mentors: keep it simple, communicate clearly, don't define your life only by work.​Andrew Brown is Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Red Hat, where he leads all revenue‑touching functions globally across sales, services, and ecosystem partners. Prior to Red Hat, Andrew spent nearly three decades at IBM in a variety of technical, sales, and leadership roles, combining a deep technology background with a strong commercial track record.​

USDC closed the gap between software and law in modern finance.On Grit, Jeremy Allaire discusses how fully reserved, dollar backed digital currency became part of the financial system after more than a decade of work.He also shares why for him grit is about sustaining belief through deep uncertainty, even when Circle faced the threat of bankruptcy in 2019.Guest: Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at Circle​Connect with Jeremy AllaireX: https://x.com/jerallaireLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyallaire/Connect with JoubinX: https://x.com/JoubinmirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/Email: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpgritFollow on X:https://x.com/KPGrit​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins:https://www.kleinerperkins.com/ 

We argue that SEO isn't dying; bad SEO is. Fundamentals still drive wins while LLMs change how answers surface, making complete, original content and smart strategy more valuable than ever.• fundamentals over fads as LLMs shift discovery• why pages beyond top ten fuel LLM citations• customer journey, CRO, PR, and dev fluency as real leverage• global markets with lower competition and faster output• enterprise constraints, silos, and when to say no• partnerships over one‑stop shops to deliver depth• personalization pitfalls in tracking and sane KPI alignment• future of agents, multimodal search, and offline attentionGuest Contact Information: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kresimir-corlukaWebsite: canonical.hrSummit: croatiaseosummit.comMore from EWR and Matthew:Leave us a review wherever you listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon PodcastFree SEO Consultation: www.ewrdigital.com/discovery-callWith over 5 million downloads, The Best SEO Podcast has been the go-to show for digital marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs wanting real-world strategies to grow online. Now, host Matthew Bertram — creator of LLM Visibility™ and the LLM Visibility Stack™, and Lead Strategist at EWR Digital — takes the conversation beyond traditional SEO into the AI era of discoverability. Each week, Matthew dives into the tactics, frameworks, and insights that matter most in a world where search engines, large language models, and answer engines are reshaping how people find, trust, and choose businesses. From SEO and AI-driven marketing to executive-level growth strategy, you'll hear expert interviews, deep-dive discussions, and actionable strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve. Find more episodes here: youtube.com/@BestSEOPodcastbestseopodcast.combestseopodcast.buzzsprout.comFollow us on:Facebook: @bestseopodcastInstagram: @thebestseopodcastTiktok: @bestseopodcastLinkedIn: @bestseopodcastConnect With Matthew Bertram: Website: www.matthewbertram.comInstagram: @matt_bertram_liveLinkedIn: @mattbertramlivePowered by: ewrdigital.comSupport the show

Tu veux que je te raconte l'histoire du championnat du monde de Pâté-Croûte ? Alors attrape ta brosse à dents, ton dentifrice, et c'est parti!

In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast, host Troy Trewin interviews Matthew Stafford, founder of Build Grow Scale, shares his journey from running a commercial contracting business to generating over $15M in e-commerce sales. He explains how data, analytics, and user experience—not just CRO—drive predictable growth. Matthew opens up about cash flow stress, scaling teams, and hard lessons from rapid growth. He also dives into mindset, self-belief, and why the business owner is often the real bottleneck. A must-listen for entrepreneurs serious about sustainable, long-term success. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here.   Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice.   And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Matthew Stafford shares that the hardest thing in growing a small business is staying resilient and persistent, as every stage of growth brings new challenges and the business owner often becomes the biggest bottleneck. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Matthew Stafford shares that his favorite business book is The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, which focuses on the power of small, consistent daily habits and long-term improvement. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Matthew Stafford shares that he recommends podcasts and learning resources like The Operators podcast and newsletter, where experienced entrepreneurs openly discuss real growth challenges, wins, and failures. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Matthew Stafford shares that the most valuable tool for growing a small business is Google Analytics along with Google Tag Manager, as they provide clear insights into customer behavior and data-driven decision-making. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Matthew Stafford shares that the advice he would give himself on day one is to commit for the long term, stay patient, and not quit too early, because success often comes right after the hardest phase. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.     Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Most business problems aren't strategy issues—they're mindset issues hiding in plain sight — Matthew Stafford The entrepreneurs who win are rarely the smartest—they're the ones who don't quit — Matthew Stafford If your business is stuck, look in the mirror first—that's usually where the real work begins — Matthew Stafford      

The Best Dental Marketing Podcast, powered by Dentainment, delivers cutting-edge strategies to help dental practices attract more new patients and grow in today's competitive digital landscape. In this episode, we are joined by special guest Joy Gustafson of Intent Dental Management.  Joy brings over 30 years of experience in the dental arena, with deep expertise in practice management, leadership, and profitability. Her perspective on leading with intention makes this a great, forward-looking episode for dentists heading into 2026. To learn more about how Intent Dental Management can help you achieve your Dental Practice objectives, visit this link:
 https://www.intentdental.com/ To learn how call handling by Smith.AI can grow your Dental Pratice faster, retain more patients and improve patient satisfaction, visit this link:  https://calendly.com/d/csry-6sv-5rd/dentainment-smith-ai-consultation

⁠Watch Todd's Free Negotiation Masterclass⁠ ⁠Buy 'Four Levers Negotiating' Here⁠ Todd Caponi is a multi time CRO, award winning author, and one of the leading voices on transparency in sales. And these are the three negotiation moments that changed how he sells forever. From a used car purchase that went completely sideways, to a seven figure software deal saved at the last second, to a heated pricing argument with an angry marketer, Todd Caponi shares real stories that prove why honesty beats tactics in negotiation. No gimmicks. No fake leverage. Just clear, human conversations that build trust, reduce discounting, and turn negotiations into collaboration instead of combat. These Courses Will Get You to President's Club:

Kiera takes listeners through specific actions the most successful dentistry minds have incorporated into their day-to-day to stay elevated. She touches on: Planning out an ideal week Reviewing these numbers weekly Fostering problem-solvers And more! Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript:   The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and I hope that you guys are having an amazing day today. I hope you're loving dentistry. I hope you're loving your opportunities. I hope that you are remembering that we have one life and I hope that you're making it the absolute best life you can. There's a song that I recently heard called Time's a Ticken and it's like, so call your mom, love your babies, talk to your friends and...   I just think about it and another thing I saw were like, if your mom and dad are still able to call you, how blessed are we? And I know some people have strained relationships, but I think as much love that we can give and as much as we can foster great relationships in our lives and realize how much goodness we have, I think that's an amazing space for us. just hopefully you know how much I love and appreciate you and how much I'm rooting for you, whether I know you personally or whether...   you are someone in our Dental A Team family, or if you are in our podcast family, or if you're new to this, just know I'm rooting for you. Even if I don't know you personally, ⁓ you're doing better than you think you are today. Guys, it's going to be fun. I want to talk about CEO habits for next level, like what top practice leaders are doing and just some tips for you. As we're rolling into a 2026, I love looking at habits and not necessarily fads, but habits. And so what do things do? And I believe that habits, not just hustle,   are going to help you with success. ⁓ So many times it's like, well, what made the success successful? And it's like really consistency on doing the best things and the highest priority things consistently. And so giving a couple of three core habits that I think growth-minded leaders, practice owners have versus overwhelmed operators. And so really being able to give you that guidance and at Dental A Team we're obsessed with helping dentists become CEOs of their practices and having amazing teams thrive around them and.   ⁓ Giving you guys all of that today is really what it is and we want you guys to feel clarity, confidence and consistency. And I know sometimes when you're in the whirlwind of the day-to-day business, it can feel very hard to have this. But I will say, if you can build these as a building blocks, the noise can lessen. I'm not gonna promise it will go away, but it can definitely lessen and doing it over time. Just like with front office team members were like, I just don't have time, Kiera. And we're like, great, let's put in a power hour. And they're like, it's never enough time.   You're right. Today is not enough time, but if you do one hour a week blocked with no interruptions and you work on the highest level things, I've watched teams over and over and over again, be like, I actually don't need this hour anymore. And we get our recare calls done and we get our unscheduled treatment calls done and we block that and we do it. And office managers, they block that time and billers block the time to do insurance verification. It does not need to be a lot of time, but it does need to be consistent. So with that, you guys, this is going to be something that's a   a habit, ⁓ daily and weekly habits that you can create that you can really just put into your life now. So number one is, this sounds so silly and I do this often, it's creating and committing to an ideal week. ⁓ And so that's being able to have a rhythm and not reaction. so what I noticed and it's crazy because as my company evolves, my life and my business and my schedule needs to evolve as well.   When the business was smaller, I used to be able to run back to back to back to back meetings. There wasn't as much strategy that I needed to think about. There weren't as many hard decisions. There weren't as many like complex decisions that I used to be able to run a week like back to back to back. And then I realized like, I can't run like that anymore. I need to have like on time and off time, on time, off time. And then there's presenting like podcasts. Like you try to put meetings on a podcast day. You guys, am in podcast is creative land and I'm on presenting mode. And I'm like here hanging out with you guys and having a good time.   don't put meetings where I'm trying to like figure out a budget that is such a different mind than a creative mind. And so really being able to block this where we have it and color coding your calendar. What I really do believe is as a CEO of a practice, you're going to have clinician time, right? You're going to have being a dentist. Then you're going to have leader time where you're developing your leaders. And then you're going to have visionary CEO time. And if you can block this in there and you don't have to have it perfect. So do I have   leader time where I'm like developing my leaders and I'm spending time figuring out leadership pieces for them and investing in my leaders and coaching my leaders. Do I have that blocked in there? And then do I have this deep work visionary CEO time where I'm reviewing the financials and I'm answering questions from my office manager and doctors sometimes they even recommend you have another block of am I getting like all the busy work like the labs and the clin checks and the cases and looking at all the scheduling coming up. Do I have time to work on that? And   blocking this and it sounds like, gosh, there's so much and there is, this is why you feel overwhelmed and you feel radical. So having my doctor dentists in time, my leadership development time, my CEO time, and then if you need any other time, great. I also put in my personal time. So am I working out and taking care of my body? And we did this with our mastermind group where I learned a thing called rapid planning method from Tony Robbins and I really enjoyed it. And then I took it of course, ended Kiera spin to it.   But what I really loved is Tony actually had us rename our categories. So instead of saying workout time, it's my honoring my body time. And that was so much more fulfilling for me. And I also have buckets in there that are color coded of date time. Like I call it mine and Jason's forever love story. And what do I put into my calendar that's blocked specifically for that? And what's lovely is when you have colors around it, ⁓ you can actually make it to where you then are working on those specific areas.   and you're able to see them very, very easily. So when we look at this, I think about my colors and my favorite color is pink. So I always have my Kiera section where I'm honoring myself. It's in pink in my calendar. When I'm working on Dental A Team and I used to like call it just Dental A Team. Now it's my passion project and it's blue. Honoring my body is orange. I needed that like vibrant orange, like getting excited about it. And I have that in there.   my leadership visionary time, that's going to be a different color. For me, that's more of this like blue turquoise color. It's more serene, it's calm. So whatever that is for you, just having those color coordinated things and like I popped into my RPM planner. So I have my ⁓ ROASIS ⁓ is our home. And so working on my home, wealth, genius, fun, that's curious thing. And I always make sure I have fun built into my calendar. But I think like you can make it as complex or as simple as you want, but I would really recommend we've got our dentist time.   our leader time, so maybe that's like our give back time or our development time or our like my first team time and then my visionary, my exciting time. What does that look like and really blocking that in your calendar? And so then we audit our week at the end of the week and I remember I was taught like many times like the most productive thing is to go back and look where did I win my week? Where did I like lose the week and what do need to change for this? And   Even me going into a new year, actually have a new EA joining me pretty soon. So that's thrill. If any of you had a personal assistant EA that's been with you for a long time and you're getting a new one, let's ⁓ just say it's a thrill. And I'm really excited for Marissa to join as Shelbi's getting ready to have some life changes. And I'm so, so, so excited for her. ⁓ And going through that and being able to experience it, I realized I needed a different calendar.   What I've been doing is not going to get me to where I need to go. And so we've been working on it and I like built it. You guys, I like to like really mass and like if I'm in podcast mode, I'm in podcast mode. And if I'm in coaching call mode, I'm in coaching call mode. And if I'm in business mode, I'm in business mode. ⁓ but I realized what I was doing is I was business mode. I was coaching call AKA dentists thing that I was in heavy meetings and then I was in podcasting. And I think sometimes when we run that heavy, it's very hard to have like downtime. And so for you looking, you're working as a dentist all four days.   So could we block maybe Wednesday mornings where you have a catch up time or do we have a CEO day where it's a Friday and you actually have that block for four hours and you work on that. I have a dentist, he works Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays are always off and he works Friday. And I'm like, that is the weirdest schedule. He's like, Keira, I love it. I get all my admin stuff done when people are still there. I have time to think that's when I'm gonna work on my decisions. And then I go in and have a great Friday where I've got nothing on me and I produce my highest amount. And this doctor is a very high producing doctor but he's very regimented in how he does it.   And that's how he's been operating for the last like 30 years. So when you implement this and you commit, so I'm like, okay, let's break it down. guys know I like to make it easy. I like to make it tactical for you. You got to block these areas. What am I done to seeing? When am I leading? And when am I thinking about the greater big like CEOing of the company? And if I'm only going to do one, I'm going to block a two hour block every single week to work on high level of the business. Just like I recommended for our leaders blocking one hour minimum per week of deep work time.   and doing it at your prime optimal time. For me, it's early mornings. I operate so good from like 6 a.m. lately, it's been like 3 a.m. until about 11 and then like I'm out. I don't want to be thinking heavy. I don't like hard things. That's my operating. Just like I run on protein, Jason runs on carbs. Like it's just operating in how we function, but really making sure you do that. Again, this is a habit. It's a discipline. It's reviewing it. And I had a doctor who was really high level. We coached together for about a year and he said, Kiera, coaching with you was one of the most impactful years of my life.   because you taught me to prioritize my calendar, to review my calendar, to work on my family relationships, to work on my leadership, to delegate, to see what things were in my calendar that I could delegate. And this person has grown and added multi-multi-practices and I'm so proud of him. But truly, this is going to be your best thing. So action on this of getting this habit into place is block two hours as your CEO time, no operations, no calls. You are just fully focused on the business and commit to doing that.   for the next four months. Whoa, four months, can you imagine? Just try it. Test it out, tell me, Kiera, I'm trying the experiment. Email me, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I'm committed to it and I want you to not break that promise to yourself. You hold it strong. I had a doctor who did this. She put a like sign on her door and she said, do not interrupt me at all. Now you have to hold this strong because if someone's like, hey doc, I just have a quick question. Nope, right now is my time and I need you to respect my time. I'll be available at this time.   You call that one or two times and your team will not interrupt you again because they know you are dead serious on this. So review it. Now you're already doing that. I want you to take it one level further and I want you to add in your date time, your workout time, something that you are also adding in that needs to be blocked. And I want you to ramp it up one more. Okay, that's number one habit. Number two habit is reviewing your KPIs and your financials every single week. And you're making decisions based on data, not on feeling. So we all know that what we measure improves, right? All of that is there.   So what it is is KPIs, you gotta be looking at those, whether you're using dental Intel, we recommend Addit. Practice by numbers, I don't care. All of our clients do get Addit. So if you're like, hey, I'm thinking about consulting, but I'm not sure about cost or guess what, we cover that cost for you and it's free for you and we also have other perks for you. So ⁓ definitely cost savings that way. And we help you build a scorecard and a dashboard and we teach your team to look at this. But you as a CEO of your practice, this is how you become a CEO. CEOs make decisions based on numbers and metrics, not on feeling and gut.   but you have to take time to review the data to sift through the data. We have an amazing CRO on our team that's a chief revenue officer. didn't even know that was a position. And I have been begging our marketing team to go through our podcast data to figure out what did the listeners want? have, guys, oh my gosh, we're moving into, think our, we started in 2019. So this year, seven years on the pod, guys. I cannot believe that. Lucky seven over here. But thinking about it, I was like, go look at the data. want to,   not just what Kiera feels and what I think you guys, are 1,100 episodes in by now. Like we should be able to have great data of what you guys want. And you're gonna hear a change this year because we actually went through Paul kudos to him. He went through and he looked at all the data and he said, all right, Kiera, here are the episodes doing well here. The episodes not doing well. Here are the things that listeners want. Here's how we need to revamp it. And I was so proud of him and so grateful because now we're building content based on what the data is telling us. But you know how long that took him? It took him like three months to go through it all, sift through it all. And for you,   You've got data, you've got case acceptance data, you've got new patient call conversion data, you've got our billing, our AR data, you've got diagnosis of doctors, we've got hygiene period data. That is the stuff you need to be looking at to see how are we doing? You've got how long is it to our next appointment? We see how far out are we booking our new patients? We see how far out are we booking our six month appointments? Are we staying at six months? How much money are we losing? A doctor had me come in and I looked and saw it, you're booking your patients eight months out. It was about a million dollars worth of revenue that they were leaving on the table.   just by not having enough hygiene available. That is gold if you will take the time. So this is another step that we're gonna add in. So you've already got your CEO block. You can add this into it where we commit to reviewing our KPIs and our PNLs every single week and making adjustments to that. Now work in tandem with your office manager. Office managers, should be doing this as well. Every single week, where are we off and what do we need to do next? Every week. And we train our teams to use numbers, not feelings. And this is how we're going to lead.   So team members should be looking at the numbers. They should know their department. Are we on track? Are we off track? We have scorecards every single week. All of our departments are reporting. Where are we on? Where are we off of? Where do we need to pivot? We need lead measures and we need lag measures. We need to make sure we're looking at both of those. And you literally start looking at this. And I just told you like people who do this, I have an office and she was like, Garo, we need to increase. I want to increase it. And I was like, we are profit and production. That's all we're looking at, period. I cut out all the noise.   Profit production, what are the levers that are hitting that? How are we diagnosing? How are we block scheduling? How is our case acceptance? How are our new patients and how are we filling the schedule? Profit production, that's all we're hitting. And guess what? That doctor is the most profitable they have ever been. But it was because we had them laser focus. We focus on these numbers every single week. And this doctor was doing it, but they weren't optimizing and making decisions on where they really needed to go and focus on the most important thing. And I think even though you might look at the KPIs and data, are you focusing on the most important things that are gonna drive and move your practice forward?   So I want you profit and production are the number two that I go after. One and two, you've got to look at those two always. And then you use the other ones to boost those two up. And if you're struggling with that, hi, I'm Kiera. We work at Dental A Team. We're a consulting company committed to making you financially free, blissfully happy in your practice and getting the best life you want. So reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com Okay, so let's have it number two. Habit number three is developing your people to solve problems instead of you always solving them. So.   This is something where it's like, what's leadership versus what's firefighting. And you guys, I'm not perfect at this. I do a lot of firefighting. I do a lot of problem solving for teams. And I'm like, my gosh, I'll just give you the answer. But the goal is we need to fix it. And we need to start asking the question. So I'm like, hey, here's a problem. Instead of being like, here's the answer. Then we train them that we're the person that they come to. Hey, what do you think is a solution? You can roll it out. It's a three solution company. If you've got a problem, you bring me three solutions, one of which does not cost money. We have one-on-ones that focus on development, not just updates.   I need to develop you as a leader. I need to work with you. I need to grow you. Where are we at? This is the things we need. Like, let's work through this. Is this really the best use of our time? Is this really the best KPI for us to be tracking? Is this really how we're gonna lead? You focusing and developing your leaders and coaching them, you don't wait for things to break. So like, let's look at the KPIs. All these, you can tell build upon each other. Let's look at the KPIs. Let's look at what you guys are needing. And then let's coach to that. But truly,   If you will coach your team, there's a practice that I have known for gosh, seven years. The doctors are working in there one day a week and their office manager is running the organization and they have leaders. They have people that are following up on issues. They have the team solving their own problems. They're a solution oriented organization rather than a problem like centric like, Hey, here's your problem. Go fix it. If you need a good book, ⁓ gosh, it's the monkey book. The one minute manager meets the monkey.   It's like a good little fable of don't let people put the monkey, like their monkey on your back and leave it. Another friend described it as a fridge with a magnet and like someone was like, here's this problem, here's this problem. We're like Post-it notes, right? Like they just put it all on you. Tiff and I did a video a long time ago where it's like Post-it notes all over you and you're just drowning in Post-it notes. Well, that's like draining your energy too. And if we can teach our team to solve problems and this is a habit, this is going to be, ⁓ this is going to be something that you work through.   So just letting you know, like, this is where it's at. This is how we do it. These are three habits for you. So how do we take action on this one of developing it is you're going to have monthly coaching one-on-one with each of your leaders and figuring out their gaps of where they need to grow and giving honest feedback to them. ⁓ There's some great things of, you guys know we run on EOS and we absolutely love EOS and there's quarterly conversations that you can have. it's like, how are they on core values? How are they on their position? How are they rating themselves?   ⁓ We are having the conversations and we're being direct with them and we're giving mutual reflection on things and how are we doing on our quarterly pieces and how's our team doing and what are the moving forward actions that we're doing and having these as consistent monthly and quarterly check-ins with our team, but growing them into leaders is going to be critical and pivotal for your team. So these are three, you guys, three quick habits that you can implement now.   If you need to read the book Atomic Habits, how do I stack things? How do I make this easy? Like, okay, I need to block CEO time. So CEO time sounds like C, I'm gonna C on Thursdays or C on Fridays. Like, I don't know, C, maybe at C2, I'm trying to think of like an alliteration for you. I need my CEO time, my power time. There's no P in the alphabet, in the Monday, Tuesday, So maybe it's like top time on Tuesday or Thursday. I'm gonna do my top time Tuesday or Thursday or like Focus Friday.   There you go, there's some alliterations for you, but I'm gonna block this and I'm gonna block my calendar. Then I'm also gonna commit to KPIs or numbers. So winning Wednesdays, that's when I'm always gonna look at my numbers. Or magic Mondays, I'm gonna look at my numbers. Or money Mondays, there you go. Money Mondays, I'm gonna look at my KPIs and I'm gonna make decisions and me and my OM are gonna meet on that. And then I'm going to have leaders that are solution oriented. So we roll that as a culture thing and I'm gonna set it to where once a month I meet with all of my leaders now.   Maybe we work on weekly in the future, ⁓ but I'm gonna make sure that I'm meeting with them once a month and that's where I'm putting my most important time. And I could add that as CEO time, that's fine, because you are working on leadership at that part, but you're gonna commit to one, two or three of these habits and you're gonna hold strong for at least four months and let me know how your life looks. Now, if you're like me, I have to have a gym trainer, otherwise I don't work out. I got all the workouts, I got all the things, I hear it, I see it, I see it on Instagram, I see how to make the good food.   But unless I have it booked, scheduled, and someone's holding me accountable to it, I don't do it. So if you're that person, hi, I'm Kiera. We have the Dental A Team and this is what I'm obsessed with. Second to sending you a carrier pigeon, we make sure that you stay accountable to this. Let's help you do that. Reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com because you deserve to be the CEO and sometimes just being redirected and getting a new habit and a new operating system is going to get you to where you want to be. So reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and commit to this. I want you guys to act like the CEO of your practice.   and start with these three habits this week. Reach out, we're here to help. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Caine, President of Endeavor's IMG Events and On Location businesses, to explore the future of live experiences and global sports entertainment. Paul oversees a vast international portfolio spanning consumer experiences, premium hospitality, and brand partnerships, placing him at the center of how fans engage with the world's biggest events.   Website: onlocationexp.com Instagram: onlocationexp   BACK STORY Paul Caine is the President of premium experiential hospitality leader On Location, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO). In this role, Paul oversees a diverse and global portfolio of consumer experiences, hospitality, and brand partnerships.   Through partnerships with more than 150 rightsholders, including the NFL, NCAA, UFC, IOC (Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026, LA 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games), FIFA (FIFA World Cup 26TM) and PGA of America, On Location provides corporate clients and fans with official and exclusive access to memorable experiences at marquee events. Before joining On Location, Caine amassed an extensive track record building, operating, and transforming public and private businesses. He most recently served as Global Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Bloomberg Media, as Chief Executive Officer of Westwood One, and in numerous roles at Time Inc. over a span of 23 years, including Publisher of People, Entertainment Weekly, Executive Vice President, CRO, and Group President. He is also the Founder of PC Ventures (an investment and advisory company), Chairman of the Board of Magnite, and Co-Founder, with his wife Pam, of the Griffin Cares Foundation.   SUBSCRIBE TO ICONIC HOUR If you enjoyed today's podcast, I'd be so appreciative if you'd take two minutes to subscribe, rate and review ICONIC HOUR. It makes a huge difference for our growth. Thanks so much!   ICONIC LIFE MAGAZINE  Stay in touch with ICONIC LIFE magazine. We invite you to join our digital VIP list and SUBSCRIBE!   JOIN OUR ICONIC COMMUNITY Website: iconiclife.com Instagram: @iconiclifemag Facebook: Iconic Life YouTube: ICONIC LIFE   FOLLOW RENEE DEE Instagram: @iconicreneedee LinkedIn: Renee Dee   Thanks for being a part of our community to Live Beautifully.  

SaaStr 838: The Present and Future of AI in Sales and GTM with SaaStr's CEO and Owner's CRO Jason Lemkin on Going All-In on AI Agents: 20 Agents, Zero SDRs, and the Death of Mid-Pack Sales Jason Lemkin, Founder and CEO of SaaStr, sits down with Kyle Norton, CRO at Owner, to share the raw story of how frustration with sales team turnover pushed him to deploy 20 AI agents in under a year, and why we'll never go back. In this episode, we cover: → Why Jason stopped hiring SDRs after two senior reps ghosted him right before SaaStr Annual → The real reason most AI agent deployments fail (hint: it's not the technology) → How to pick your first AI vendor: "Talk to your forward deployed engineer before you sign" → Why Salesforce is having a Renaissance as the hub for AI agents → The brutal truth about mid-pack sales jobs being in "terminal decline" → How to get started with AI agents when your CFO won't give you budget → AgentForce vs. the hot startups: what actually works in production → Why the $250K SDR is coming, but only for the truly elite Jason's advice for revenue leaders: "Roll up your sleeves. If you haven't trained an agent yourself, you'll be utterly ignorant in the age of AI."

In this episode, we welcome Joe Eskenazi, CRO at Kong, to discuss the critical transition from an elite salesperson to a top-tier business leader. Joe shares how he bypassed the typical "salesperson" label by treating every interaction as a business consultancy, fueled by a concurrent MBA and an early career in sports broadcasting. We dive deep into the reality of the CRO role—orchestrating cross-functional ecosystems rather than just closing deals—and the personal journey of managing high-intensity burnout. Joe also offers powerful advice on finding an authentic leadership voice and why organizations must prioritize leadership training to protect their talent.

Digital health is moving at AI speed, but evidence generation is still stuck in the past. In this episode, StartUp Health co-founder Unity Stoakes sits down with StartUp Health community member Robin Roberts, CEO & Founder of datosX Digital Health Labs, to explore how validation can become a catalyst for real-world adoption rather than a bottleneck. Drawing on his experience building the Novartis Biome and spinning datosX out of it, Robin explains why traditional CRO models no longer meet the needs of modern digital health and AI-powered solutions. Together, they discuss how datosX is helping innovators generate regulatory-grade, buyer-credible evidence while unlocking pilots and commercial traction with leading health systems. In this conversation, you will learn: Why digital health companies cannot afford to wait 18 months for validation How datosX pairs innovators with tier-1 health systems to run validation studies that double as pilots What makes the datosX model 30–60% faster and up to 8–10× more cost-effective than legacy CROs How real-world data and retrospective studies accelerate proof and decision-making Why evidence, adoption, and trust must be built together How the upcoming EVIDIA platform is turning global digital health trial knowledge into AI-powered intelligence This episode is a must-listen for founders, health system leaders, investors, and partners working to bring validated, trustworthy health innovation to market faster. Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world's biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot PRO Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you're mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit. » Learn more and apply today. Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

In this episode of Clover, I sit down with Rosa Yupari, former Chief Revenue Officer turned fractional CRO and sales advisor, to talk about what actually drives sustainable revenue growth — and why so many companies stall long before they realize it.Rosa shares her journey from engineering into sales, scaling teams to nearly $100M in revenue, and eventually stepping away from corporate leadership to build a practice rooted in mentoring, coaching, and real-world strategy. This is a candid, tactical conversation for founders, revenue leaders, and women navigating high-stakes leadership roles.In this episode, we cover:Why small behaviors — not big strategy shifts — often determine whether revenue scales or stallsHow “family culture” can limit sales performance, and what healthy collaboration really looks likeThe biggest mistakes founders make with early sales hires and enterprise expansionWhat strong sales leadership looks like in tough markets — and how managers actually motivate teamsHow AI is changing the way sales leaders analyze deals, coach teams, and stay strategic

Hosts Heather and Lauren sit down with Patrick McCarthy, CEO of Validcare, to discuss how technology is reshaping the future of clinical research. Patrick shares how Validcare is re‑engineering the traditional CRO model, known for its complexity, by creating a unified, tech-enabled approach that simplifies workflows, increases data quality, reduces costs, and expands access for patients and investigators alike. Patrick also breaks down the disruption facing biopharma and biotech companies, how evolving investor expectations are influencing emerging life sciences companies, and more. Tune in now!

The Best Dental Marketing Podcast, powered by Dentainment, delivers cutting-edge strategies to help dental practices attract more new patients and grow in today's competitive digital landscape. In this episode, we walk through why authentic, personality-driven video is the ultimate driver  for Dental Practice SEO in 2026 and outline three must-have assets: a high-energy home page video, a service-specific video for top treatments, and a local trust video that showcases your team and location to boost Google visibility and conversions. We also emphasize that production perfection matters far less than showing real people and real expertise, since simple iPhone videos embedded on key pages can dramatically increase conversions. To learn how call handling by Smith.AI can grow your Dental Pratice faster, retain more patients and improve patient satisfaction, visit this link:  https://calendly.com/d/csry-6sv-5rd/dentainment-smith-ai-consultation

Generative AI is moving fast—and in pharma, it's no longer just a buzzword. In this episode of The Effective Statistician Podcast, I speak with Manuel Cossio about how Generative AI is already being applied in real-world pharma settings, where it's delivering value today, and what still needs careful consideration in regulated environments. Manuel brings a unique hybrid background, combining molecular biology, genetics, pharma experience, and deep AI engineering expertise. He works at the cutting edge of AI in clinical development, including agentic systems, human-in-the-loop approaches, and large-scale document automation. This conversation goes well beyond theory. We focus on practical use cases, real limitations, and how statisticians, programmers, and data scientists can responsibly use GenAI to become more effective.

This week, the team sits down with Dylan Ander, founder of Heatmap and author of Billion Dollar Websites, to break down how modern ecommerce funnels are evolving and why many legacy playbooks are starting to crack. The conversation opens with Dylan's perspective on AI, trust, and synthetic content, and why brands may be heading back toward more human-led, harder-to-fake creative as AI becomes table stakes.From there, they unpack why traditional DR funnels are losing effectiveness, how homepage-style and “Trojan horse” landing pages are reshaping conversion behavior, and what operators need to rethink about how users actually move through sites today. Dylan shares lessons from Billion Dollar Websites, including how ecommerce brands can borrow from info funnels to monetize beyond products and increase LTV.The episode closes with a practical look at research and CRO systems - how to structure insights, prioritize tests, and turn qualitative signals into a clear experimentation roadmap - grounding the conversation in how operators can build strategies that reflect real buyer behavior as the landscape continues to shift.Check out the previous episode with Dylan: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3iwer8FNwuwzDDnAV5X7JV?si=3NJKr9aMQLun1qWQvegSYwFind more about Dylan: https://dylanander.com/Dylan's newsletter: https://dylanander.com/newsletterIf you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6Chapters:00:03:47 - AI Hot Takes00:24:49 - Info Funnels & Monetizing the Customer Journey00:39:13 - Research & The Billion Dollar Data Funnel00:55:35 - Deepening Customer Feedback Analysis01:10:40 - Testing Strategy & Evolutionary RedesignPowered by:Motion.⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trendsPrescient AI.⁠⁠⁠https://www.prescientai.com/operatorsRichpanel.⁠⁠⁠https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescAftersell.https://www.aftersell.com/operatorsHaus.http://Haus.io/operatorsSubscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CMxGOODTOB4zRbq5oHAVm?si=b295b9c03e9a407cSubscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cqVNmmrYxgb5ohBhw8uvy?si=424001675b3b48faSign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: ⁠https://9operators.com/⁠

Todd Caponi, bestselling author of The Transparency Sale and now The Transparent Negotiation, joins to talk about what sellers and leaders are still getting wrong about closing deals. He breaks down the four key levers every negotiation hinges on, and why transparency, when used right, is your strongest closing strategy.From reframing discounts as a payment for revenue predictability to exposing how fake deadlines and end-of-month pressure tactics actually kill pipeline momentum, Todd shares how to negotiate with integrity, speed, and trust. Plus, there are some hilarious history lessons along the way involving sweaters, cheeseburgers, and sales tactics from the 1800s that still (shockingly) show up in boardrooms today.Whether you're a frontline seller tired of price-pushing or a CRO trying to build a high-trust revenue engine, this episode will give you modern, actionable negotiation strategies that actually work.Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/Connect with John on IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/Check out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-membership?ref=3edab1Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletterConnect with Todd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcaponi/Check out Todd's Website: https://toddcaponi.com/Get Todd's Book "Four Levers Negotiating" Here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Four-Levers-Negotiating/Todd-Caponi/9781637748404Visit the "Four Levers Negotiating" Website Here: https://toddcaponi.com/four-levers-negotiating/Check out Todd's Podcast "The Sales History Podcast" Here: https://saleshistory.buzzsprout.com/

We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. The Business of Biotech was back in San Francisco for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (January 12 - 15) and this week we sit down with Marc Salzberg, M.D., CEO, CMO, and Board Chair at Airway Therapeutics, a company developing a recombinant version of human surfactant protein D for several respiratory, inflammatory, and infectious diseases including bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which is currently in Phase 2b/3 trials. Brian talks about why he selected BPD as a lead clinical indication (a disease primarily affecting preterm infants), what he learned through founding and selling a CRO, how a private biotech funds a pivotal trial across continents, and offers an industry outlook for 2026.   Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast under the Business of Biotech tab at lifescienceleader.com. Subscribe to our monthly Business of Biotech newsletter. Get in touch with guest and topic suggestions: ben.comer@lifescienceleader.comFind Ben Comer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencomer/

Matt Ezyk has decades of experience building, scaling and leading digital commerce technology and strategy at some of the most innovative companies in the world. Matt serves as Senior Director of Engineering, Ecommerce at Hanna Andersson which is a leading direct-to-consumer premium children's apparel and lifestyle brand. Prior to joining Hanna Andersson, he led digital at Pet Supermarket with oversight of product and engineering. Additionally he served as Director of Functional Architecture and Director of PMO at RafterOne (f/k/a PixelMedia) with operational oversight of teams working with iconic brands like Skechers and LL Bean. Matt also served in progressive leadership roles at Accenture, Merkle (f/k/a LiveArea) and several startups working with hundreds of global brands like Uniqlo, Disney, Revlon, Tapestry and many more. Matt brings to retailers and DTC brands a deep expertise in developing and implementing diverse end-to-end commerce strategies. In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:00] Intro[00:24] Sponsor: Taboola[01:41] Connecting tech decisions to business growth[04:36] Comparing agency and brand-side perspectives[07:24] Sponsor: Next Insurance[08:37] Delivering progress customers can feel[09:58] Choosing platforms based on business maturity[13:03] Callouts[13:13] Auditing tech to recover lost conversions[15:31] Reducing redundancy to improve performance[17:47] Evaluating third-party tools for value[19:36] Sponsor: Electric Eye[20:44] Improving conversion with UX and engineering[22:25] Augmenting team expertise with AI tools[27:46] Balancing speed with long-term scalabilityResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeKids clothes from playtime to bedtime hannaandersson.com/Follow Matt Ezyk linkedin.com/in/mezykReach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectIf you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Clinical trial budgeting remains one of the biggest bottlenecks in study startups, driving delays, rework, and frustration across sponsors, CROs, and research sites. In this episode of the Clinical Trial Podcast, recorded live at Research Revolution, a clinical research conference hosted by Florence Healthcare, we take a hard look at why clinical trial budget negotiations continue to break down—and what experienced operators are doing differently. This conversation brings together sponsor, site, and consultant perspectives to unpack the real drivers of delay, including slow escalation pathways, unclear or inconsistent budget justifications, misaligned expectations, and communication gaps between stakeholders. Rather than rehashing theory, this episode focuses on practical, experience-driven insights you can actually apply. In this episode, you'll learn: The most common causes of delays during clinical trial budget negotiations How sites can create clear, defensible budget justifications without triggering endless revision cycles What sponsors look for when approving higher-than-expected line items Best practices for internal rate cards, fee schedules, and budgeting templates How improved communication and transparency can reduce negotiation friction and speed study startup This episode features insights from: Kristen McKenna, Senior Manager and Investigator Contracts Lead at Pfizer Heidi Castle, Director of Business Development at Mercy Research Matt Lowery, CEO and Principal Consultant at The Pathways Group If you're involved in clinical trial budgeting, contracting, or study startup - whether at a sponsor, CRO, or research site - this episode offers practical insights to help you navigate negotiations more effectively and avoid common pitfalls. Listen to the episode to hear how sponsor, site, and consultant leaders approach clinical trial budgeting and study startup.

In this episode, Mark Roberge, author of the upcoming book The Science of Scaling, breaks down why so many companies fail to evolve their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) despite changing market conditions—and reveals the surprising truth: it's emotional decision-making, not data, holding them back. Discover the game-changing "green, yellow, red" framework that separates truly ideal customers (those with high lifetime value) from those draining your resources, and learn how to strategically reallocate your team's efforts to maximize retention and expansion. Plus, explore how getting your ICP right doesn't just boost sales—it aligns your entire organization, from marketing and product development to customer success, creating a powerful go-to-market engine that drives real scaling.Mark Roberge is the founding Chief Revenue Officer of HubSpot, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, and the author of The Science of Scaling and The Sales Acceleration Formula. He is widely known for helping companies design go-to-market systems that scale sustainably. Connect with Mark: Stage 2 CapitalResources mentioned:The Science of Scaling by Mark RobergeThe Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark RobergeForce Management resources on scaling predictably:The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for Leaders Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results. This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Connect with Us: LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

Scaling often looks like momentum on the surface: more pipeline, more headcount, more pressure from boards and capital. But underneath? Many leaders feel the strain of decisions moving faster than their systems can support. In this conversation, Mark Roberge sits down to unpack why scaling is not a milestone, but a system that must be intentionally designed and continuously recalibrated. Drawing on his experience as HubSpot's founding CRO, a Harvard Business School lecturer, and the author of The Science of Scaling, Mark offers a clear, data-driven perspective on how leaders can move beyond reactive growth and build systems that scale with intention.Mark Roberge is the founding Chief Revenue Officer of HubSpot, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, and the author of The Science of Scaling and The Sales Acceleration Formula. He is widely known for helping companies design go-to-market systems that scale sustainably. Connect with Mark: Stage 2 CapitalResources mentioned:The Science of Scaling by Mark RobergeThe Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark RobergeForce Management resources on scaling predictably:The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for LeadersKey takeaways from this episode:04:45 Why scaling too early, often triggered by capital of board pressure, creates more downstream problems than it solves09:20 Why your ideal customer profile is defined by who your sellers actually close, not what's written in your pitch deck12:43 Why revenue is a misleading indicator of product-market fit (and what leaders should pay attention to instead)13:58 The critical difference between product-market fit and go-to-market fit, and why skipping the latter derails scale19:36 How using leading indicators of retention removes guesswork from growth decisions40:02 Why top-down revenue targets fail, and how bottoms-up capacity planning creates sustainable scale53:55 Why Mark chose to donate all book proceeds to mental health, and why leadership conversations must make room for humanity Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results. This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Connect with Us: LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

Kiera joins Jill Simonds, founder of Savvy Strategic Partners, to talk about all things leadership mindset, including what to do when you feel trapped by your business (Kiera gets personal on this one!), the ebb and flow of motivation, psychology of ownership, and a ton, ton more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript:   The Dental A Team (00:01) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera And today it's a special podcast. I was so lucky to be featured on a podcast with Savvy. They are actually a fractional company and we have hired them to get different team members on our team and their founder, Jill Simonds and I got on the podcast and talked about all things from founder mindset to guilt of being an owner to how we stay trapped in businesses. And I just felt that this is such a   poignant and pertinent podcast for all of you. So I hope you all enjoy this episode. I hope you learn a lot. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.   The Dental A Team (00:37) Welcome everyone to vision untethered conversations with inspirational leaders. My name is Jill Simonds, founder of Savvy Strategic Partners. We are a dedicated leadership team of fractional executives. I am so thrilled to introduce my special guest today, Kiera Dent, the dynamic founder of the Dental A Team, a consulting firm dedicated to helping dental practices simplify operations, strengthen leadership and elevate patient care.   With her unique background as both a dental clinician and business owner, brings a powerful blend of insight and business strategy to every practice she partners with. Her and her team have worked with hundreds of practices nationwide to build systems that reduce stress, increase efficiency, and foster long-term success. Kiera, I'm so excited to have you here. Thank you, Jill. Thank you. I'm so excited and honored to be here.   It's fun. love what you're doing out there. I love these kinds of conversations and wow, it's always fun to sit back and hear your own bio. So thanks. It feels, feels a good way to kick off the podcast. Let's hope I deliver up to that, but truly just honored to be here. Super excited and just love what you're doing for all the founders out there like myself. Just helping us get to that executive level that we need when we maybe aren't quite large enough to bring on all these amazing players full time into our company. So just super jazz and excited to be here with you today.   Yeah, me too. I'm excited to get into it. I don't actually think I know your full story and inspiration behind Dental A Team and your purpose and passion. So let's start there. What inspired your journey and how does your purpose align with the unique challenges that you face in scaling a business today? Yeah, well,   Dentistry was never meant to be in my blood. I just happened to be in high school and saw a really fast path to wearing scrubs. thought I can be a dental assistant or I can be a nurse. I don't want to learn the whole body. That's disgusting. Mouth, I could probably handle. So that's honestly what kicked this off. So was in high school. It was a random career. And then everybody kind of teases me because my last name is Dent. It's not a stage name. And I make the joke that's real life. I just had to get three fiancees to get that last name.   That was really what got me into it. I love dentistry. It turned out to be a perfect career for me. And so I did it in high school and then I went to college and college. I actually did an undergrad in marriage and family therapy. I was planning to be a therapist and I remember being, I was interviewing in Oklahoma for grad school and I remember sitting in the interview and I was thinking like, I wonder how that like filling's going. I wonder how that crown prep's going.   And I thought, gosh, this is going to be such a weird world. Like I am trying to like pitch myself to this future college. but I'm thinking about how much fun I had back in the office and how my patients were doing. And so I got a full ride scholarship and I decided to put it on pause. went to, pharmacy school with my husband. and we went out there and we decided we'll put this on pause. We'll see if we can both get into the same school.   But I just realized my heart, my soul, my passion is in dentistry. I'd been a dental assistant, a treatment coordinator, a scheduler, a biller, an office manager, all the pieces. And so when we went to pharmacy school, decided, you know what, I'm going to call around to all of his schools and I'm going to see if we can get a spouse discount if I work at the college. Because some schools, and man, pharmacy school was not for the faint of heart. So I called around and luckily Arizona, they did and Jason got accepted to it. So I was like, all right, sights are on.   I've always been a little hustler. I'm like, sites are on, I'm to get a job at this college. And I just felt truly, truly blessed. So many people tried to get jobs there. All my friends were trying to get jobs there. And I randomly was talking to this lady in the pool at our complex and she says she has nothing to do with me getting the job there. But I fully believe that Laura had a lot of, a lot of strings behind the scenes to get me the job at Midwestern in Arizona. So I a discount on the tuition, which was great.   Um, but I was able to then work at the dental college and that truly is what kicked off this Dental A Team consulting company because I worked at the college for three years, got the, got the discount. And then while my husband was doing his residency, one of the students actually asked me to come and start a practice with her in Colorado. And I thought, Oh my gosh, like good thing I said no to the marriage and family therapy. Like let's go from dental assistant to practice owner three years. Like, let's do this. So   actually helped start a practice in Colorado. ⁓ took our first office from 500,000 to 2.4 million in nine months, opened a second location and I was like hooked on this adrenaline junkie of business ownership. But at the same time, just like we were drinking from a fire hose. My marriage was almost in shambles. I was in shambles. Like I'm 5'8". I was 98 pounds. I was not sleeping. I was up at 2 a.m. staying like up till 10 p.m. Like just it was an exhausting road.   drain, everything was falling apart. And so when I split from that partnership, ⁓ I sat there and I remember just sitting, I didn't know what to do. Like I'd lost my marriage practically. I'd lost my identity. I was like on death row in lots of different facets. And I remember just thinking like, I don't even know who Kiera Dent is anymore. And so I sat there and I was like, well,   I'm going to start a consulting company. Like I love dentistry. If I could help her, I could probably help more people. And I think that this is the fuel of founders where when we're at rock bottom, we've got to have something that builds us into our next version. And that's what Dental A Team was for me. So Dental A Team, say, was built from like the ashes of my life. Like it feels like the Phoenix rising for me. And so I started a company. Like I just, I didn't even know what I was doing. Had no background in it.   And I went and consulted my friend and I was like, I just need to practice on you. I don't even know what I'm doing. And we took his practice and we grew it tremendously. He then introduced me to a consultant overnight. had 50 clients. I started like just making things up as I went. And it was really like an overnight success, but I went from like rookie don't know what I'm doing to this. I know that I can help practices and I want to serve. And I've got all these dentists that are just like these little babies that are going to get.   ripped apart in the industry, there's gotta be a way. And so it's always said, like I always said, I wanted to positively impact the wealth of dentistry in the greatest way possible. And that's what I've said since day one, that's how it is. And now I realize that life is my passion, dentistry is my platform, but changing people's lives, helping them live their best lives. And it's wild that we're even talking Jill, because what you do for me and my business is what I do for dentists. And so it's this weird annoyance to me that I'm like, I can be a miracle grow.   and I can grow dental practices and it can be so fun. But yeah, I have no idea how to do that in a corporate world. And so learning it and evolving, and that's actually how you and I even got together was I needed someone but not a consultant. I was like, listen, I know what consultants do. I am a consultant. Like I need, I need someone with me. So that's how we got here and that's how my passion's been. I don't get to wear scrubs. That's the only bummer. Like the whole story started with scrubs and now you like wear clothes.   ⁓ You can make some really stylish scrubs as part of the entire. I would love to, but I do joke. like, took my marriage and found my therapy background, tethered it with my passion of dentistry and created a company from like just true passion and love. man, it's just been a, I think it's good. We don't know the end from the beginning. So many people want to know that. I don't think knowing what I know now I would have ever started, but I think I needed that as a person.   to build, execute. And I think that that's how founders are. We're just meant to build, we're meant to create, we're to be these creators. And so to build something that's just been magical and changed so many lives, like, gosh, the joy it's brought me has been like a hundredfold beyond anything I could have imagined. ⁓ beautiful story. And yeah, quite funny too, the path ⁓ and steps that you took to get here, but wait a listen. mean, just listen to your intuition.   And it sounds like you have some of those key core memories along the way of like your thought process sitting in scenarios where you're like, wait, is this me? Is this even what I want? And acting on it and taking that initiative and to where it's got you. That's a beautiful story. Thank you. Yeah. Can you share a specific experience from this where you have felt trapped by your business? Every day,   What strategies have you implemented or are you to create space for true growth and scalability? Yes. This is such a good and I hope like listeners, they're probably like, I don't know. I just hope that what I share is making you not feel alone. I think is probably the biggest piece because I hear this from dentists. I'm like, I know I'm not alone and I joined a bunch of groups for it. But ⁓ I say that Dental A Team is a dragon that never sleeps. Like this thing just is a crying baby of   breathing dragon that just never ever stops. And I think that there have been times, so especially last year, last year was like my rock bottom. So technically we're eight years into the company, but like I was partnered with that other guy for five, for four years. So I feel like I'm like five years in on my own trying to do this, even though I know it's like just had a funny path. But last year I hit rock bottom.   Like I went cold turkey. I checked out of work. I remember just being like, I am sick. Like not physically sick, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, like I'm apathetic to life. Like things just need to shut down. and I'm sure a lot of founders get to this level where you just, you're doing everything. Like the whole company is riding on you and you are so rad that you built this company, but it's outgrown you and you don't know how to shed that and to build and to create and to evolve. And so my, ⁓   And I think it was, I feel like I tell myself lies all the times, which I'm sure most people can relate to of, okay, care, just push through like three more months and we're going to be better. Like three more months, we got to hire three. So you're always in this like, okay, it's going to get better at three months. And then you're like, well, shoot, like this person didn't work out. So I got to keep doing sales or, this didn't work out. So I've got to keep doing this aspect of the business. that could be a me that could be not me, but last year my strategy was like completely checked out of life. I,   came back from a conference, I was so exhausted, so burnout that I just called my executive team and said, all right, you guys have it. Like, I don't want to hear from anybody. Like I put all the things like, here's a lawyer, here's the CPA here. Of course, I'm not just going to let this thing fail, but I needed a complete shut off reset and I slept for 17 hours a day for an entire month. Like it was every day just exhausted. felt numb. felt like I lost like,   The way to best describe it is I felt like I was watching a movie in color that went black and white and that was my life. Like there was no color, there was no emotion. There was no, I feel like I lost feeling to life. And I think that was just coping mechanism to get through. We did a lot of therapy, like lots of different pieces. And I realized like, okay, we got to take care of Kiera first and then we have to get to these spaces. So when you say like, do you ever feel trapped by your business? Yes. Cause it's like, what do you do?   This is a company that's a consulting company built on Kiera. That's Kiera Dent. That's her face. Like, how do you even sell this type of a B2B business to somebody? So I did meet with people. did find two potential buyers. I was like, I need a way out. I need to figure out how do I get rid of this crying baby? Like it's got to just stop, like make the crying stop. ⁓ And then that's where we actually pulled in a traction coach. So Rick, we hired Rick. I was like,   I need someone who's outside of this company who can see it that can also be the motivating voice for my team and help them see like, Kiera can't keep carrying all this. So I will say like Rick was a huge blessing. He came from a great network of people and then the leadership team. was like, we had to have a complete reset of everything's not on Kiera's plate, but I don't think it was all leadership team. think that there's a lot of pieces of Kiera perfection that my ego.   needed to feel important and to be able to let that go. Things aren't going to be perfect, Jill. I still stress like my, I have a little bracelet on that says trust and flow. And that's this year's theme of like, here, you got to trust people and you've got to go with the flow more than trying to curate and force because that's always going to be the hardest path. So, and then we obviously hired you. We hired Jenna who's been a phenomenal fractional. we brought on a CRO.   who's helping in the sales and marketing department. But I also think that businesses when they hit a certain level, they finally have the cash to be able to hire the expertise that you need to bring on. But before that, I was so cash flow scared that I think I maybe held on to profitability too hard rather than hiring help sooner that could have probably prevented it getting that low. So now it's like mandatory, I go to the gym.   three times a week, non-negotiable. have sets time, like we shut off from work every single day at five o'clock. My husband has alarm that goes off and like, we don't talk work. We hot tub every night. Like, I don't think I realized the mental bandwidth that being a founder, operator, doer requires to recharge. And now I'm just like really pro like, no, no, no guys, I don't care what goes on. Like if these things don't happen, I'll fall apart. And that's just, I don't show up the best for anybody on the team. So.   Yes, I still feel trapped. I still wish that some days I could quit my own job. But I think the fact that you can't quit is also a really beautiful blessing because it forces innovation and creation. ⁓ So well said. the help and the support and leaning on others in your circle, finding your people who you can trust.   That's the first step for sure. You're not alone. And the second we realized that, I mean, this it's lonely. It's lonely at the top. And even with a dynamic team, nobody else wears the pressure, the weight, the risk involved like you have to, you know, but knowing that you're not alone and you have a team that you can lean on, the more you can lean into that, grow that, expand that.   It's a give and take and an ebb and flow for sure. It's not linear, but. Yeah. You made me think about my brother-in-law has a very, very, very successful high end builds these beautiful custom homes in Utah. Like one of the top builders he's been on Netflix. Like he just has this very, very incredible company. And I remember when my husband, got married where ⁓ my husband's eight years younger than him. I was like, he's always so grumpy. Like this man is so angry all the time.   And then I realized he's a business owner and he's at the spot that I'm at right now. And I'm like, I am always just like in this space of anger and frustration. And he's actually been this really randomly. He was the one I didn't like. I like, had like clashes when we first got married. I feel like I understand him on an entirely different level now. And I'm like, I get it. Like, I see, I see why you were the way you were. Like it makes so much more sense to me, but he told me, he said, Kiera, the day you become free is the day that you stopped caring so much about.   Like in the day you realize that nobody can take anything from you. Like that is such a freeing moment. So if you do get sued or if you have a teammate that like writes, like last year it was like, we got reviews galore and it's crazy. You can't take those down because if you are a CEO executive, you are no longer a human and that doesn't matter. And I think just like the bullets, we had like a pending lawsuit. We had people writing awful things about me. Like it just felt like it was just this tumultuous tumbleweed.   But I think you go through that and you do build that. I don't want to say it's a calloused soul because for me, feel like becoming angry or bitter is never going to serve. think it's an internal knowing that you have the confidence and the certainty in yourself that no matter what bullets come your way, you are capable of solving anything and everything that comes. I think when you can... Yeah.   navigate enough storms to have that confidence. I think there is so much more freedom in there. And I just think about him, he's so much happier, but he's like, I'm not reliant on anybody for my happiness. No one can take anything away from me. And I'm not dependent on anybody for like this success. And I think that's a, it's a certainty. It's not an air of ego. And I think it could be possibly taken that way. It's an air of confidence and certainty within you that I think then the highs and lows are not as turbulent. And I think that that was   similar to what we were saying, it just becomes a, I think, an evolution of you as a person. And I think that that's ultimately why we all become business owners is for that evolution of soul that we are seeking, that maybe we don't want to go through the process to get there. But on the other side, it's a beautiful version of yourself that's far grander, far more beautiful, far stronger, far more confident than you ever could have imagined yourself being. Yeah. Well said.   That freedom point too is it's almost like a stance of serenity too, because, and if you know, you know, the serenity prayer, it's, is the, the acknowledgement of what we can or cannot control what is outside of us. And when we finally let go of people's perception, what they're going to, what they even think, right? We cannot.   even control as good as of work as we can put forward and as best as we can show up. We can't control others perceptions of us, what they're going to say, what they're going to do with that. And so that level of understanding and acceptance and wisdom to know this is mine, this isn't mine and let go of everything that we carry that, you know, we think we have some control over.   letting that go is ultimate freedom, I think, when we can see, be in that confidence and in a state of serenity. Yeah, the more you let go of that and just lean into what's within our realm and our controllables is the best you can do. And we show up better. Absolutely. That's the trust and flow mindset mantra for this year of   Yeah, there is no pain in change. There's pain in the like resistance to it. And so like you said, it's a surrendering. It's a surrendering of   I think just acknowledging that this is life, this is who you are, this is what you can control. And I never thought that you could really come back from being so low. But you hear it, like you see people, like you hear media talk about it. But I think business owners, someone said once, business is such a spiritual journey. And I was like, how? I don't get it, ⁓ but I do get it.   It's such a spiritual journey. It's such an evolution of soul. It's a surrendering. It's a give. It's a take. It's a beautiful blessing. It's a call. There's so much beauty in it. then I think like, turn it into a puzzle, turn it into a game, turn it into like, how can we make this into more fun? So I started just adding more fun too. was like, why do I need to always be the gladiator? Why don't we just have like a good time and like giggle about all these things?   But I think that that's truly an evolution of you as a person too. I don't think that that is not an overnight sensation. Anyone who tells you it is like, good luck. think that that is, that's a crafted, it's an evolution and it's a beautiful surrender like you said, and grace for yourself and for others. But I feel like the person you become through it is there's so much empathy, there's so much love, there's so much compassion for others that I don't think you get there any other way.   Yeah, that's so true. Having it for ourselves first is so much harder than having that for others. So the compassion and care and giving love of ourselves and acceptance, that's the only way to give it outside of ourselves. So good. What are what are some common psychological barriers either for you or that you see show up? You work with a ton of business owners in very specific industry, too. So   What are some of those barriers you see that prevent owners from stepping back and not being so tethered, you know, to their business? What contributes to that? What are some of the psychological factors, beliefs maybe that we carry that keep us stuck? Yes. And you're right. Like I've coached hundreds and thousands of offices. That's where it's so like.   so aggravating to me to be like, Jill, need help. Like I know how to do this for someone else, but I don't want to do it for my own. I think that there's beliefs of because you're a business owner, you have to know it all. I know that that's like a big one of there's humility, but at the same time you're like, well, I'm in this, I have to figure it out. I think one of my psychological ones that I know dentists have as well is in B2B when you are the service provider, it's,   It's a psychological belief of if you are the product and you step back, how does your business continue? And it's odd because as random as it is, I was able to give up consulting much faster and delegate that, which is shocking to me. think about it often, like you give that up, but you don't give up sales and marketing and reputation. Like it's fascinating to me that I'm like the biggest portion of it and like dentists, they'll hire an associate dentist. But to me, I think those are possibly easier skillsets because I   I have that skillset that I know I can look for it and I can train that and can evolve it versus like sales and marketing in different places. Like, I don't know if I'm trying to figure it out. How am I supposed to coach this up? So I think those keep us stuck. I think there's a, I think there's a, I don't know. I don't know what it is. I feel like it's societal. But I think I'm with this like asking for help or I don't know. Is this weird? Like for me,   I feel like I'm a very highly high capable human. Like we were talking the other day and it was, on client escalations, like it's either the CEO, the salesperson or the consultant, whoever knows them best. I was like, cool. I'm a trifecta. Like no wonder I'm good at this. Like I'm the CEO, I am the salesperson and I am a consultant that I think that there's sometimes this like this weird, because I'm so high functioning and so capable that I should be able to do this and I should be able to continue carrying all these pieces.   Why am I tired? Like get it together girl. And just like, keep moving on. I think that keeps you so bound in. And then truly when I even say that out loud, I'm like, it's just your ego screaming at you, wanting you to feel important. And if you step back at all, I know what I think about stepping back. A lot of my team is the same age as me too. And I sometimes feel very awkward about like, so I'm going to have a CEO lifestyle and not be eight to five with you guys because the business never stops crying.   But it's as weird. Like sometimes I also think I'm tethered and a lot of my doctors are because like same age, same demographic, same, like you feel so similar and so close that it's almost like, why are you better than them? It's so awkward. hate it. Like you can even see I'm like playing with my hair more than I should be like, that's the stress of like, I know what I need to be doing, but I feel like I need to be sitting at the table with them every day and in the trenches with them, but they're not sitting up on the, on the hill looking down the line.   but you feel like you've got to do both. it's this weird, like I said, I don't know if it's societal, I don't know if it's female, I don't know if it's ego. I think it's probably a combination of all, but those are psychological traps. And when I see it in a client, I'm like, all right, great, you need to delegate and we need to like take these things off your plate. But I think when you're a founder living through it or the business owner, I think sometimes it's very hard to even see that ego showing up around you or see where you should let go of things.   And then I think it's a lack of trust. Like I've delegated some of these things out. We've hired, like we have paid, last year was a $300,000 oops. And I hired really great people, but like it just didn't pan. So I think that there's also that like, well, how much do you want to throw at this problem to make it go away versus just continuing to carry the torch? So it's like this ball and chain you get out of it and you get back in it. It's like this weird, awkward relationship with yourself and your business that I think is slightly toxic.   but also very addicting, which is probably why it's so toxic on certain levels. So those are mine. I know that was like a very jumbled thought, but those I think are some of the psychological ones that I've seen personally and professionally that keep people very tethered. But I will say, I like boil it down, it's always ego. Always that keeps us tied in because who are we if we don't have all this busyness badge? think that that feels like a deep hollow dark hole for me anytime I think about it.   So I know that I haven't quite grown enough to see that there's a path out. But I think is also maturity and letting go of the ego. Absolutely. Well, and it's so common. It's really what would I kind of boil down oftentimes to founders guilt, owners guilt, right? You're the hero in a lot of situations or can come in and swoop in and help and   There's an identity crisis piece of it to that ego that's like, well, if I'm not doing all these, if I'm not still holding this, who am I for one? And maybe, maybe internally we have this perception of, and you know, we've, we've grown or we've healed in ways that we know, no, I like, I know I am worthy and valued and valuable outside of what I contribute here. But like, what about what everyone else thinks? Then it's this perception of.   Well, if I'm not doing all these things, what does my team think of me? And are they going to think I'm just off on an island somewhere slacking off when I don't deserve that? Or right, like all these, these guilt trips that founders often carry because we can do all these things. So there's, there's no excuse why we shouldn't or couldn't if we can, therefore we should do them. Right. So we just continue to hold and carry that.   but yeah, guilt, ego, those are definitely some, some key pointers that we see a lot. So, as you said, Jill, it just made me think about like, but why, like, where does this stem from? Because we all feel it like I do. And then I'm like, what, does it matter? So then you justify and you rationalize and you hang out in this other Island. And then it's like, I'm going on vacation because I worked like 50,000 hours. And it's like, there comes a line where I think that that   that serenity, that like, I remember there was a day I had to Google, what does a CEO do? Like, I didn't even know. I was like, what do you, like, what do you, if I'm not doing all the things, like, what am I even supposed to do? But I think when you can, when you realize that your company needs a captain, the company needs somebody looking down the line, you start to shift and change and realize that you've got to start shedding off a lot of these things.   and I think you, you feel the guilt and do it anyway, I think has been my mantra to, don't think it will ever be easy. I think you feel the guilt and do it anyway. For sure. Because that guilt is typically self-inflicted for the most part. If you have the right team around you and in the business that care about and are aligned with the division that you've crafted, that you've put forth, they need that from you.   just as much, right? You stepping away, you coming and showing up refreshed, aware, whole, right? Those fragmented pieces of us when we're scrambling to try to just uphold and keep all the plates up in the air is not the best version of ourselves. And so when we realize that too, and the more the team can even vocalize like, yes, like we need this of you and look at   look at all the places that a visionary needs to show up looking down the line, what's ahead, looking outward and not down and in is that pulls the rest of the energy and the rest of that, you know, that perspective for the rest of the team to see that more and more clearly if that's where your focus is. So you're doing them a favor, you're doing a service. ⁓   Cause every, yeah, every successful business needs someone charting that vision. And that is where your eyes are focused. That is where your pull is going toward that. That is what grows the I think that because it feels like it's just this like vision that's not tangible, I think for me at least, and for other people that often can keep us tethered into the company because it doesn't, there's no way to put on a KPI scorecard that I did my visioning.   for the day. It's like, do I even know that I'm showing up and having that as a checklist? But I think when you really are solid in it and you watch a team who has a vision versus a team who doesn't have a vision, you see the intangible, like it's a subconscious push. It's the wind behind the sails. You can see a sail, can't see the wind, but the wind is ultimately what makes it go. And I think when visionaries realize that you are an invisible, very tangible, intangible part,   I think it becomes much more clear of like, no, I need the white noise space. Like I need these things because ultimately it's my job. And I've got to be able to show up as that wind to push this boat in the direction it needs to truly go. I love that. I'm going to use that analogy. That's so well put. That's a good one. Well, to finalize the conversation today, what steps would you suggest to founders struggling to   let go, delegate, while also maintaining alignment with their vision.   That's a great question, Jill. I feel like such an Oreo. I've got a white side of me and it's a black and white in me. Because I'm like, what would I tell my clients? I would tell clients, the way you are able to step back is we set these pieces and we do all this. And then I'm like, well, let's speak from Kiera's perspective of, I've done this. This is where I'm at.   to step back and what I also watched. So I think they do actually go like, I'm like, okay, I'm not an Oreo. Like I've got both parts of the cookie on. Like I brought it together for everybody here. I think both sides, my side and client side would be, I think having a vision for yourself. When I got crystal clear of where I really wanted to go personally and professionally in the next one, three, 10 years, like I grabbed a big sticky pad. It was written out and I stick it in front of me every single day. So I'm looking at that.   that became a lot more clear. My decisions became much cleaner. So I think it would even tie to the book. Like 10 X is easier than two X when you have this big audacious vision, the path becomes so much cleaner and easier than when you're trying to just do a two X move. So I would say for visionaries who feel stuck, that is ultimately where you're at. If I get your 10 X vision, where is that going? Clean up the paths and stay laser focused on that. And then get your team rally behind it.   They get excited. They get the joy behind it. And I think like, even when I say that, I'm like, the 10X path is just so much easier. It's so much cleaner. It's so much more freeing. And then I think like, again, it's hard, but do it anyway. Right now it's a stripping down of letting go of clients for me. And I feel like such an awkward identity. I'm like, if I'm not a consultant, am I going to lose my edge? And it's like, but I'm so clear on the 10X, the 10 year vision.   that that part has to sheath off in order for me to progress and to grow. And I think when you are aligned, also be really careful not to lose that vision. I lost my leg last year. Like it was still there, but I buried it. think keeping that radiant, keeping that vibrant, keeping that like for me, it's a post-it note on the wall, like a giant one. Like this is where I'm headed. This is where the boat's going. This is where the wind needs to push me and the company. I think that that can help you stay true to you.   It can say true and it makes all the other decisions so much easier because then it's a yes or a no. And if you can get that black and white crystal clear and then truly trust and empower your team, that to me is like, I recognize it's a let go of control. It's a surrender like we discussed earlier and belief in your team that they're going to crush it. And if these aren't the right people, right seat, you're going to find them, you're going to grow, you're going to evolve. But the 10X vision is a non-negotiable.   But it's a 10X vision that makes you happy, fulfilled and not like exhausted, out at the end of the finish line. I think I used to feel it was a muscle through rather than a joyous journey. That 10X vision needs to be joyous journey. And who am I at the vibrant self at the end of it? I'm not going to muscle through anymore. I'm going to gracefully navigate. So I've got energy for me, energy for team, energy for family. because I think if we're not thriving in our businesses, we might as well just go get a job from someone else.   You don't want to have a worse job with you as the boss than you would somewhere else. So hopefully that, but I think it's just crystal clear on where you're enjoy that. ⁓ Kiera, thank you so much for your insights, your wisdom and sharing your heart. just truly and authentically it's beautiful. Thank you, Jill. Appreciate being here. Really, really appreciate what you're doing too. Well, thank you so much.   If anyone wants to learn more about you, Dental A Team and expertise of your team, where's the best place to find you and information or get connected? Yeah. We have a podcast, the Dental A Team podcast. So come on over. We'd love to have you there. Tips for teams and for owners. And then also Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or online, like social, we're on Instagram. Dental A Team would be great. But yeah, love to just share, inspire, help.   because I believe like all of us succeeding together is what this journey is about, but succeeding and being fulfilled. It's not, life should be fun. Owning a business should be fun. It does not need to be hard. So let's make it easy and fun together. ⁓ I love that. Well, thank you everyone for listening. Kiera, thank you again for being here and we'll see everyone next time.

Ander Tallet, co-founder and COO of Dash Bio and CEO of DigitalRadius, joins Ross Katz to discuss transforming the traditional CRO model through automation, transparency, and productization. Drawing on deep experience from Moderna, Science Exchange, and his leadership roles in digital transformation, Ander shares how Dash Bio is slashing turnaround times, improving data quality, and simplifying procurement for biotech companies. This episode unpacks the future of CRO services, strategic procurement, and the power of operational innovation in biotech. What you'll learn in this episode: >> Why traditional CRO models hinder speed and transparency in biotech >> How Dash Bio delivers 90% faster turnaround through automation >> What productizing CRO services really means for the customer experience >> How regulatory requirements shape innovation in clinical bioanalysis >> Why investor buy-in requires solving real, painful problems in biotech Meet our guest Ander Tallett is the co-founder and COO of Dash Bio and the CEO of DigitalRadius, where he leads digital transformation initiatives as one of the largest Smartsheet partners in the ecosystem. He previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at Science Exchange and co-founded Block Mill Capital, a B2B SaaS-focused investment fund shaped by his experience evaluating and implementing more than 100 SaaS platforms.  About the host Ross Katz is Principal and Data Science Lead at CorrDyn. Ross specializes in building intelligent data systems that empower biotech and healthcare organizations to extract insights and drive innovation. Connect with our guest: Sponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancyConnect with Ander Tallet on LinkedIn  Connect with us: Follow the podcast for more insightful discussions on the latest in biotech and data science.Subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!Connect with Ross Katz on LinkedIn Sponsored by… This episode is brought to you by CorrDyn, the leader in data-driven solutions for biotech and healthcare. Discover how CorrDyn is helping organizations turn data into breakthroughs at CorrDyn.

We're back and better than ever. Season 4 of Absolute Gene-ius is officially here, and this teaser gives you a front-row seat to what's coming. From scientific puns to sneak peeks of the upcoming guest lineup, co-hosts Jordan Ruggieri and new addition Lisa Crawford set the tone for another season of engaging, educational, and entertaining molecular biology content.This season, the show expands its scope beyond digital PCR to include real-time PCR and other tools that are working together to move research forward in fields like oncology, agriculture, behavioral psychiatry, and more. Lisa brings a non-scientist's view to the show along with a deep passion for translating complex science into compelling stories. Whether it's microvesicles, stem cells, or high-containment biosafety labs, the upcoming episodes promise to be both technically informative and very human.And in classic Absolute Gene-ius fashion, we keep it fun. From how guests got into science, to what thy love most about it, and lab fail stories, the Career Corner returns with fresh energy and laughs. Expect bad puns, big discoveries, and the beautiful chaos of real-world research. Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, the hosts, and the science we explore. Discover the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems powering real-world research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.

Join us on the AdTechGod Pod as we dive into an inspiring conversation with Julie Van Ullen, President and CRO at iSpot. Discover her journey through leadership roles at IAB, OpenX, Freewheel, Rakuten Advertising, and Rakuten Rewards. Julie shares her insights on maintaining authenticity, the importance of mentorship, and navigating the evolving landscape of digital advertising. Tune in to learn from her experiences and gain valuable advice for aspiring leaders. Takeaways Julie's career has been fueled by authenticity and mentorship. Trust is essential in leadership and team dynamics. Change is a constant in the tech industry, requiring adaptability. Measurement in advertising must evolve to keep pace with consumer behavior. The future of advertising is promising, with a focus on data-driven insights. Women in tech face unique challenges but can overcome them with support. Mentorship is crucial for personal and professional development. Authenticity in leadership fosters a positive work environment. The advertising industry is ripe for innovation and change. Building trust with teams leads to better outcomes. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Julie Van Ullen 01:04 Julie's Career Journey and Mentorship 04:01 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership 08:38 Transitioning from Traditional to Connected Television 11:37 The Role of Measurement in Advertising 14:05 Positive Outlook for the Future of Advertising 15:33 Navigating Gender Dynamics in Ad Tech 19:55 The Power of Mentorship and Support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now, while you're listening to this, one of your sales reps is pasting customer data into ChatGPT. Your marketing manager just uploaded strategic memos to Claude. And your IT department has no idea. Welcome to Shadow AI. Research shows that while only 40% of companies have official enterprise AI licenses, 90% of employees are using AI tools through personal accounts. Your team isn't trying to sabotage you - they're trying to survive the "Admin Drag" we discussed in Episode 01. The question isn't whether they're using AI. They are. The question is: Are you going to hide from it, or are you going to lead it? In this episode, Mike Allton tackles the biggest obstacle standing between you and effective AI implementation: governance. He breaks down why the typical corporate response - the "ban hammer" - doesn't just fail, it makes the problem worse by driving AI usage completely underground where you have zero visibility. You'll discover: Why 90% of employees are "Shadow Users" leveraging personal AI accounts to hit their goals The three scenarios currently creating data leaks in most revenue organizations (PII in free tools, unreleased product details in public galleries, customer records in unsecured platforms) Why your team isn't being malicious - they're being desperate (and what that tells you about your tech stack) The "Traffic Light System": A simple 3-tier framework (Green/Yellow/Red) that employees actually remember How to launch a 30-Day Amnesty Program that brings Shadow AI into the light without creating a witch hunt The 7-day implementation roadmap to go from "Shadow Risk" to "Sanctioned Speed" This isn't about punishing innovation. It's about governing it. Because when you sanction Shadow AI, you don't just reduce risk - you unlock velocity. Mike walks you through the exact email templates, survey questions, and policy frameworks you need to turn your biggest security vulnerability into a competitive advantage. Featured Framework: The 30-Day Amnesty Program - discover what tools your team is actually using (and why your official stack is failing them) Featured Resource: The Shadow AI Governance Launchpad - includes the Traffic Light cheat sheet, amnesty email script, and AI Use Policy template ready for Legal review Download here: https://theaihat.com/the-executive-guide-to-shadow-ai-from-security-risk-to-competitive-advantage/ Next Episode: We move from governance to implementation. You'll learn how to hire your first Digital Crew member - a Sales Prep Agent that researches prospects 15 minutes before every call and delivers a Battle Card to your rep's inbox. If you're a VP of Sales, CRO, or RevOps Director who needs to secure your team while enabling them to move faster, this is your playbook. Episode Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Shadow AI 00:26 The Reality of Unapproved AI Usage 02:21 The Risks of Shadow AI 03:55 The Ineffectiveness of Banning AI 07:21 Sanctioning AI for Safety and Efficiency 08:35 Implementing the Traffic Light System 10:25 Rolling Out the AI Amnesty Program 13:08 Final Thoughts and Next Steps 14:52 Conclusion and Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glean has grown into a $7.2B company by giving employees AI assistants and agents that extend their capabilities.CEO Arvind Jain is back on Grit alongside Joubin Mirzadegan. Here's what stood out:“My mindset by default is that if you build something last year, that it's got to be obsolete. There has to be a new way to do that thing better today. If not, then it's just lack of imagination.”“I have no doubts that AI capabilities are just going to increase more and more over the next few years. But even more important is this concept of how much are we even leveraging what AI can do today? I would say that we've not even used 1% of current capabilities of these models”“If you're trying to be everything to everyone, then you just cannot compete with somebody who's focused on a smaller problem and going deep into that.”You can also listen to Arvind's earlier episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIH0Qp6d6bg&list=PLRiWZFltuYPF8A6UGm74K2q29UwU-Kk9k&index=96Guest: Arvind Jain, founder and CEO, Glean​Connect with Arvind JainX: https://x.com/jainarvindLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jain-arvind/Connect with JoubinX: https://x.com/JoubinmirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/Email: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpgritFollow on X:https://x.com/KPGrit​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins:https://www.kleinerperkins.com/

We dig into why traffic is fragmenting, why single-channel expertise won't cut it, and how expert generalists, stronger offers, and brand strategy are now the true growth levers. We share a practical path from productized “done-for-you” to higher-margin “done-with-you,” plus frameworks for attribution, remote team performance, and human-in-the-loop AI.• AI-driven traffic shifts and platform changes• Generalists with deep skills as the new edge• Offers, positioning, and CRO over channel tricks• Human-in-the-loop standards to avoid AI slop• Done-with-you consulting to expand TAM and margin• Retainers, value pricing, and capacity planning• Attribution redesign and qualification signals• Objectives, metrics, KPIs, and NPS for retentionGuest Contact Information: Website: agencyacquisitions.ioLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickavariaTwitter/X: x.com/Nick_AvariaYouTube: youtube.com/@AgencyAcquisitionsInstagram: instagram.com/nick_avariaMore from EWR and Matthew:Leave us a review wherever you listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon PodcastFree SEO Consultation: www.ewrdigital.com/discovery-callWith over 5 million downloads, The Best SEO Podcast has been the go-to show for digital marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs wanting real-world strategies to grow online. Now, host Matthew Bertram — creator of LLM Visibility™ and the LLM Visibility Stack™, and Lead Strategist at EWR Digital — takes the conversation beyond traditional SEO into the AI era of discoverability. Each week, Matthew dives into the tactics, frameworks, and insights that matter most in a world where search engines, large language models, and answer engines are reshaping how people find, trust, and choose businesses. From SEO and AI-driven marketing to executive-level growth strategy, you'll hear expert interviews, deep-dive discussions, and actionable strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve. Find more episodes here: youtube.com/@BestSEOPodcastbestseopodcast.combestseopodcast.buzzsprout.comFollow us on:Facebook: @bestseopodcastInstagram: @thebestseopodcastTiktok: @bestseopodcastLinkedIn: @bestseopodcastConnect With Matthew Bertram: Website: www.matthewbertram.comInstagram: @matt_bertram_liveLinkedIn: @mattbertramlivePowered by: ewrdigital.comSupport the show

Podcast del programa Imagen Empresarial transmitido originalmente el 12 de enero del 2026. Conduce Rodrigo Pacheco. Los entrevistados de hoy: Entrevista; Samy Abuyaghi, CRO y Vicepresidente de ventas, marketing y servicio al cliente de AT&T Tema: Registro de líneas de celular Entrevista: maría Teresa Arnal, empresaria y fundadora del Movimiento Mujeres por la Democracia Tema: Situación en Venezuela

In this episode of The SaaS Revolution Show, Alex Theuma is joined by Nick Turner, CEO of Dreamdata, to discuss the journey from CRO to CEO and what it really takes to scale a B2B SaaS company in the age of AI. Nick shares lessons from Dreamdata's growth journey, including the company's $55M Series B, and explains why trust and accuracy matter more than hype when building AI products. He breaks down the risks of applying generative AI and agents to complex revenue and attribution data and what SaaS leaders should consider before putting AI in front of customers, boards, or finance teams. Alex and Nick also discuss: - Nick's transition from CRO to CEO and what changed at the leadership level. - How Dreamdata approaches AI as a system of context, not just automation. - Why reliable attribution and data integrity are critical for modern GTM teams. - How investors evaluate AI, retention, and fundamentals at growth stage. - Practical advice for founders building sustainable, predictable SaaS businesses into 2026.       Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

In this episode of From Lab To Launch, Meg is joined by Dr. Les Enterline, Senior VP and Global Head of Functional Service Partnerships at PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific.With decades of experience across clinical research, Les is helping redefine how biopharma companies structure and scale their development teams through what's known as the FSP model: a flexible outsourcing approach that's gaining traction as sponsors face increasing pressure to deliver trials faster, more efficiently, and with more adaptive designs.As clinical complexity grows and internal teams get stretched thin, FSPs are helping organizations scale specialized expertise while maintaining oversight, quality, and operational control. Under Les' leadership, PPD has become one of the industry leaders in offering hybrid and fit-for-purpose models that blend the best of traditional CRO services with strategic resourcing.In today's conversation, we'll explore how functional partnerships are evolving, how sponsors are rethinking outsourcing to meet modern challenges, and where the future of trial delivery is headed. Qualio website:https://www.qualio.com/ Previous episodes:https://www.qualio.com/from-lab-to-launch-podcast Apply to be on the show:https://forms.gle/uUH2YtCFxJHrVGeL8 Music by keldez

Nine years in. 500 episodes later. Hundreds of CMOs on the mic. A deep well of marketing wisdom for anyone brave enough to draw from it. This milestone episode is a celebration of the bold B2B ideas, experiments, and hard-earned lessons that have filled the show from day one. Thank-you to every marketer who has listened, shared, and dared to try something new because of what they heard here.    Recorded live at the 2025 Super Huddle, Drew's conversations with Udi Ledergor, Denise Persson and Chris Degnan, and Carilu Dietrich anchor this milestone episode.  In this episode:  Udi shares how Gong pulled off a Super Bowl spot on a regional budget, aimed it at VPs of Sales, and tracked impact in traffic, conversations, and pipeline.  Denise and Chris explain how a CMO and CRO stayed aligned through four CEOs at Snowflake and evolved the story from "cloud data warehouse" to "data cloud," all in lockstep.  Carilu shows how Lovable is building a movement with real users as influencers, a CEO who lives on social, and a speed-first mindset tuned to the pace of AI and customer buzz.  Plus:  Why a "crazy ideas" budget creates room for standout plays that still satisfy the CFO  How empathy for sales and shared ownership of the number strengthen CRO-CMO alignment  How CEO-led social, customer stories, and edutainment power modern B2B brands  What it takes to move at AI speed while keeping product value and customer love at the center If you want a concentrated hit of CMO-level courage, alignment, and playmaking, this milestone episode is your highlight reel.  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

In this episode, the conversation covers Brandan Tobin's summers selling books, the people he learned from, and the experiences that shaped how he approaches sales and leadership today. Brandan talks about starting out skeptical of the program, thinking it might be a scam, and showing up to Nashville realizing it was very real and very serious.He shares stories from the field, including recruiting challenges, managing a large group early in his career, and learning how confidence, persistence, and systems affect performance. The discussion moves into how he tracked referrals using a handwritten notebook, how that system worked for him, and why building something you understand matters more than using a tool you don't.The episode also explores Brandan's work building CRM systems, what differentiates their approach from platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce, and why follow-up systems often matter more than lead quality. He explains how automations, voicemail drops, texting, and consistent follow-up impact conversion rates.Along the way, there are memorable field stories, including bike crashes, host families, nurses who bought books, and moments where persistence paid off in unexpected ways. The conversation wraps with reflections on faith, alignment with business partners, and why being on the same page matters regardless of belief.00:01:53 – Early connections, sales school, and shared experiences00:02:22 – Introduction to Brandan Tobin and background00:03:45 – Growth awards, leadership roles, and early success00:13:03 – Using CRM systems to manage buyers and follow-up00:18:00 – Building CRM tools to help small businesses compete00:21:47 – Why follow-up systems outperform lead quality00:29:18 – Helping business owners define their sales process00:33:37 – Pivoting from consulting to software development00:35:32 – Using voicemail drops and reminders to drive action00:45:08 – Recruiting stories and standout leaders01:10:29 – Host families, delivery challenges, and field logistics01:11:22 – Managing a large organization with limited experience01:21:18 – Tracking referrals with a handwritten system01:36:33 – Memorable field stories and “sit-downs”01:37:26 – Bike crash story and persistence in the field01:51:46 – Lessons on treating strangers and people skills01:52:43 – Meeting a famous athlete in the field02:06:26 – Faith, relationships, and being aligned with partners02:07:16 – Closing thoughts and how to connect after the episodeBrandan Tobin is a believer in Christ and a humble salesman. His mission is to expand God's kingdom by helping good people grow great businesses and increase their charitable giving.As the CRO with Knowledge Gap Consulting, Brandan leads the sales team and is still in the field, helping salespeople and entrepreneurs convert more leads in less time with custom built, AI-powered, CRM solutions. Over his nearly 20 year career in sales and business, Brandan built sales teams and sold for a variety of industries, including mortgage, real estate, solar, SaaS software and of course, books.He hit the double growth award his 2nd summer, and the quadruple growth award his 3rd summer, delivering over 8,000 units after hitting Mort, Chairman's and PC several times. As a 19 year old sophomore and B manager, Brandan helped lead a group of 22 first years and only 3 other managers, also on their B summers….and not a single person quit.Brandan went on to close more than $7,000,000 of annually recurring revenue as an account executive for various tech companies until partnering with Joe Ignace, another SW alum, to sell their own software, Velocity 360.None of it came easily or naturally and Brandan will be the first to tell you, none of it would'vebeen possible without the grace of God, being coachable, and really great mentors.

SaaStr 836: The Step-By-Step Playbook for Building AI-Powered GTM Teams with Personio's CRO Philip Lacor, CRO of Personio, shares his company's journey to building an AI-powered go-to-market motion, including 5 critical lessons learned and 4 real-world use cases delivering measurable results. In this podcast, Philip breaks down: ✅ The 5 lessons for AI transformation: top-down + bottom-up motion, cross-functional teams, prioritization frameworks, building AI culture, and combining great stack with context  ✅ How to build AI-powered workflows that actually work (not just more tools to test)  ✅ Real use cases: Win/loss analysis, expansion SDR assistants, intent scoring, and AI chat ✅ Why their expansion SDRs went from 2 hours of research per day to 15 minutes while doubling pipeline per rep ✅ The truth about AI ROI: where it shows up and how long it takes  ✅ How to get your team excited about AI (not scared of it) Philip doesn't hold back on what's working, what's failed, and what questions they still haven't answered. If you're a CRO, founder, or GTM leader trying to figure out how to actually implement AI beyond the hype, this is the playbook.  --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox: Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there. --------------------- More from SaaStr: https://www.saastr.com

Boost Your E-commerce with AI-Powered Conversion Tools from Optimonk Optimonk.com About the Guest(s): Krisztian Kiraly is a seasoned Senior E-commerce Growth Strategist and CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) expert with over ten years of experience in digital marketing. He specializes in helping Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands increase revenue by optimizing their full sales funnels. His expertise has delivered impressive results, including a remarkable 86% conversion rate lift in a single month. Currently, Krisztian Kiraly is affiliated with OptiMonk, a leading B2B SaaS company that provides AI-driven CRO tools for enhancing e-commerce performance. Episode Summary: In this episode of The Chris Voss Show, Chris engages in a riveting conversation with Krisztian Kiraly, a leader in the e-commerce optimization space, where they delve into conversion rate optimization (CRO) techniques and tools crucial for modern online businesses. As Krisztian Kiraly articulates why CRO is becoming pivotal in the digital marketing domain due to ever-rising ad costs and heightened customer expectations, listeners will gain invaluable insights into improving online sales performance. This episode promises to unravel data-driven strategies, addressing the challenges Digital Commerce faces amidst increasing competition. Krisztian Kiraly further discusses the transformative role of AI in e-commerce optimization, specifically through their SaaS offering, OptiMonk. The podcast explores how OptiMonk’s AI-powered tools assist businesses in reducing cart abandonment, enhancing product visual appeal, and personalizing direct marketing outreach. This episode also dives deep into the importance of implementing systematic processes over isolated tactics in digital marketing, providing a comprehensive overview of how to effectively leverage technology to achieve more significant business outcomes. Key Takeaways: Conversion rate optimization is essential due to increasing online competition and rising advertising costs. OptiMonk’s AI-based tools offer solutions to enhance CRO by providing personalized and targeted customer experiences. For an e-commerce site to effectively use OptiMonk, it should have a substantial visitor flow to leverage the tool's full potential. AI can dynamically generate more compelling product images and descriptions, potentially transforming visitor interactions and increasing sales. Hyper-personalization in digital marketing campaigns can lead to enhanced customer experiences, crucial in earning robust ROI from ad spend. Notable Quotes: “I call it the hope marketing, which means I do some tactics without measuring anything, and I hope to get results.” “Conversion rate optimization will be one of the most important areas of digital marketing in the future.” “With OptiMonk, it’s possible to rescue the cart abandoners on-site, which is much more effective than just a normal automated email.” “AI does the heavy lifting, but you are in control.” “The future is in segmentation and hyper-personalization, creating a tailored customer experience from beginning to end.”

Send me a text (I will personally respond)Are you struggling to transition from founder-led sales to a scalable sales-led model in your cybersecurity startup? Wondering if hiring a team of reps is really the fastest way to drive growth, or if there's a better approach? Curious how senior sales leadership involvement early on might speed up your journey to true product-market fit? If so, this episode is packed with insights for you.In this conversation, we discuss:

The car talk continues with Jay Leno as Tim confidently proves he knows his way around an engine, going toe-to-toe on Cadillacs and car culture with one of the ultimate automotive experts. From horsepower to history, it’s peak gearhead energy.Then Tim drops a casual mind-blower, explaining that we’re technically living in an ice age—and somehow no one ever mentions it. The show lightens up with Tim and Cro swapping classic Costco adventures, from impulse buys to warehouse chaos. And to wrap it up, Tim and Mark trade unforgettable travel stories, sharing the misadventures, mishaps, and unexpected moments that only happen on the road.Cars, climate curveballs, bulk shopping, and travel tales—this Best Of keeps the laughs rolling into the New Year.

The laughs keep coming as Cro looks back on his early days in L.A., sharing stories about getting hit on and revealing a surprisingly stylish, fashion-forward side the crew didn’t see coming. Tim then breaks down the meaning behind “You’re Cute Jeans,” a phrase made famous by a Kardashian, and explains how it somehow became part of modern vocabulary.Things escalate when the conversation turns to yelling—specifically, how much of it any of us would tolerate if the paycheck was big enough. And to close it out, the show takes off with a classic Brian Regan stand-up bit, skewering the everyday absurdities of flying in a way only he can.Fashion, flirting, money, and airplane misery—this Best Of is the perfect sendoff for the year.

In this recap episode, we highlight the best moments from our 2025 interviews and reflect on the ideas that defined the year.Featuring:David Rubenstein (co-founder of Carlyle) - From White House to Wall Street: David RubensteinYamini Rangan (CEO of HubSpot) - HubSpot CEO on the Future of SaaS, AI, & Leading Through ChangeBen Chestnut (co-founder of Mailchimp) - Bootstrapped to 12B: Mailchimp's Ben Chestnut on Life After the ExitWinston Weinberg (co-founder and CEO of Harvey) - I Raised $300M To Bring AI To Laywers | Winston Weinberg & HarveyGarrett Lord (co-founder of Handshake) - The Expert Network Behind Handshake AI's Model Training w/ Garrett Lord & Mamoon HamidAidan Gomez (co-founder and CEO of Cohere) - Synthetic Data and the Future of AI | Cohere CEO Aidan GomezMichelle Zatlyn (co-founder of Cloudflare) - Building Cloudflare for the Next 50 Years | Co-founder Cloudflare Michelle ZatlynEvan Spiegel (co-founder and CEO of Snap) - How Snap Plans to Win the AR Race | Evan Spiegel on SpectaclesConnect with JoubinX: https://x.com/JoubinmirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/Email: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpgritFollow on X:https://x.com/KPGrit​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins: https://www.kleinerperkins.com/