In this episode, Renee sits down with Greg Merrill — three-time startup co-founder, former innovation leader at Nike, and active advisor to global tech and retail companies — to break down how advisory boards really work inside growing businesses.

Greg has seen advisory boards from every angle: early-stage founder, enterprise executive, and now a hands-on advisor to multiple startups. Together, Renee and Greg unpack the strategic, operational, and personal value advisory boards can bring to both founders and companies — and why the right structure and rhythm matters if you want to unlock that value.

This is a practical, candid conversation packed with examples, frameworks, and lessons for scaleups, especially European companies expanding into the U.S. market.

What We Cover 1. Greg's unique path from startup founder to Nike innovation leader

• How he "fell into" founding three companies early in his career

• Lessons learned commercializing IP across energy, materials, and manufacturing

• Leading advanced innovation at Nike: robotics, pineapple/mushroom leather, 3D printing, and more

2. What advisory boards actually do (when done well)

• Why Boards of Directors are inherently structured — and Boards of Advisors rarely are

• The difference between "having" advisors and actually using them

• How simple frameworks (monthly touchpoints, quarterly updates, clear asks) increase advisory ROI

• Why advisors often become sounding boards, confidants, and safe spaces for founders

3. How founders can activate advisors more effectively

• The power of pre-reads, facilitators, and predictable cadences

• How to ask for help when you don't even know what you need

• Greg's examples from companies using lightweight but highly effective systems

4. Advisors ≠ your sales team

• The right (and wrong) way to leverage advisor networks

• Why strategic involvement leads to better intros than commission-based "go-sell-this" requests

• The halo effect: credibility, brand association, and warm doors opening

5. Compensation & incentives

• Cash vs. equity — and how it changes from pre-seed to Series B

• Why even small stipends create seriousness and mutual respect

• The importance of clear boundaries for investor, advisor, and contractor roles

6. Using advisors to scale across borders (EU → US and beyond)

• Why localization beats translation every time

• Cultural misalignment that kills deals: language, buyer behavior, pace, expectations

• How in-market advisors prevent costly mistakes and accelerate traction

7. Becoming an advisor: guidance for senior operators

• How executives from large companies can step into advisory roles before leaving corporate life

• Positioning yourself: the "I am X, I do Y for Z" framework

• Why advisory work is becoming the "next chapter" for many senior leaders

Key Takeaways

• Advisory boards can be game-changing — but only with a light structure founders can maintain.

• Advisors are most valuable when involved in the strategy, not just asked for intros.

• International expansion becomes dramatically easier with the right in-market advisors.

• Founders should treat advisors as partners — not salespeople — and be willing to ask for help.

• Senior executives entering advisory work should define their positioning clearly and early.

Quotes We Loved

"Wherever you go and whatever you do, leave things better than you found them." — Greg Merrill

"Even light structure creates 10x more value in an advisory board." — Renee Hartmann

"Founders don't always know their blind spots — advisors help pressure-test the thinking." — Greg Merrill

"Advisors bridge culture, context, and credibility when entering new markets." — Renee Hartmann

Who This Episode Is For

• European scaleups preparing for U.S. expansion

• Founders building or refreshing their advisory boards

• Operators/executives considering advisory roles

• Investors supporting early-stage founders

• Anyone scaling a company in retail, commerce, or enterprise technology