In this episode of Founders Future, host Laura Skinner interviews Sarah Ahmad, founder and CEO of DeSoul, a growing tech company from Lahore, Pakistan. Sarah shares her journey from being a computer science student and Microsoft ambassador to building a 30-person company specializing in web applications, SaaS products, and digital form solutions for industries like healthcare, e-commerce, and insurance.

Sarah recounts how her early experiences in freelancing, offering services on platforms like Fiverr, evolved into a fully-fledged business. Her dedication to quality and long-term client relationships has been the cornerstone of DeSoul's success, serving over 4,000 clients worldwide. She discusses her strategic approach to growth, focusing on calculated risks, maintaining a high employee retention rate, and creating a culture of collaboration with her co-founder and husband.

The conversation delves into DeSoul’s go-to-market challenges, including transitioning from freelancing platforms to a more structured inbound and outbound marketing strategy. Sarah highlights the importance of founder involvement in mastering processes like lead generation before scaling with external hires. She shares her plans for steady growth, aiming to expand the team while maintaining her company’s values and focus on employee well-being.

Sarah offers actionable advice for entrepreneurs: embrace consistency, network actively, learn to delegate effectively, and stay motivated despite challenges. Her inspiring story is a testament to the power of perseverance, calculated risk-taking, and women’s leadership in tech.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration from a self-made founder breaking barriers and scaling sustainably in the global tech space.

In this episode of "Founders Future," host Joe Fitzgerald engages in a compelling conversation with Rob Kaminski, co-founder of Fletch, a product marketing consultancy tailored for B2B SaaS startups. Rob shares the inspiration behind Fletch, detailing how he and his co-founder, Anthony Pierry, identified a significant gap in the market: many startups struggled to clearly articulate their value propositions on their homepages. Through a structured process, Fletch has successfully assisted over 350 startups in refining their messaging and positioning. Rob discusses the challenges they faced in the early stages, including establishing credibility without a track record and the difficulty of selling strategy without tangible deliverables. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on a specific service to achieve repeatability and success. The conversation also touches on the work-life balance of entrepreneurship, highlighting how passion for their work fuels their commitment, even amidst the inevitable challenges. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into the journey of building a niche consultancy and the lessons learned along the way.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Joseph Fitzgerald interviews Amanda Maddalena, founder of Madfit, an online transformation company focused on holistic health, encompassing mind, body, and soul. Amanda shares her personal journey from being a bikini competitor with a traditional in-person fitness studio to founding Madfit. Her realization that external fitness does not equate to internal health led her to delve into neuroscience, mindset work, and preventative health practices.

Amanda recounts the challenges and opportunities brought by the pandemic, which prompted her to transition her business online. Despite initial struggles with technology and scaling, her passion for helping others kept her motivated, even in the face of personal hardships like losing her father in 2021. This tragedy reinforced her commitment to addressing mental health alongside physical fitness.

Looking to the future, Amanda plans to expand into corporate wellness, focusing on stress reduction, mental health, and employee well-being as part of a comprehensive approach to health. She emphasizes the importance of intention in business, advocating for purpose-driven entrepreneurship over monetary goals alone.

Amanda’s journey underscores her belief that work-life balance is attainable through mindset shifts and prioritization, and she encourages others to embrace personal growth, coaching, and collaboration. Listeners can connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for more resources and insights.

In this episode of *Founders Future*, host Joseph Fitzgerald interviews Greg Williamson, co-founder of *Your Growth Company*. Greg shares the journey behind his company, which helps entrepreneurs streamline operations and scale through a three-pronged approach. The first arm, *The Savvy Method*, focuses on personal development and leadership coaching to help business owners optimize routines and maintain purpose. The second, the *Laboo Platform*, offers an all-in-one CRM and marketing automation tool to simplify operations and save time. Finally, their lead-generation program leverages podcasts and networks to help businesses acquire clients more effectively. 

Greg discusses early challenges, including time constraints with one-on-one coaching, and how transitioning to group sessions allowed for scalability while fostering collaboration among clients. He also emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, advocating for regular self-assessments to monitor progress across personal and professional goals. Looking ahead, Greg outlines his vision to empower 1,000 purpose-driven entrepreneurs, leveraging technology, AI, and automation to provide accessible tools and resources. His advice for aspiring founders underscores the value of mentorship, accountability, and surrounding oneself with individuals who inspire growth. 

In this episode of *Founders Future*, host Laura Skinner interviews Alex Theuma, founder of SaaStock, the leading B2B SaaS conference in Europe. Alex shares his entrepreneurial journey, from organizing small SaaS meetups to creating a globally recognized event that draws thousands of founders, investors, and SaaS leaders annually. 

Alex recounts the origins of SaaStock, which started in 2015 as a passion project to connect SaaS founders and provide valuable education and networking opportunities. Initially built through a combination of blogging, podcasting, and meetups, SaaStock grew rapidly, culminating in its first conference in 2016, which drew 700 attendees. Today, SaaStock has expanded into the U.S. market and attracts over 3,500 participants at its European events. 

The discussion highlights SaaStock’s evolving go-to-market strategy, from grassroots content marketing to leveraging larger-scale partnerships, targeted email campaigns, and speaker-driven engagement. Alex also dives into the challenges of operating in a saturated market and the importance of differentiating through exceptional customer service and strong branding. 

Listeners will gain insights into Alex’s approach to growth, including embracing innovation, implementing account-based marketing, and balancing inbound and outbound strategies to sustain momentum in a competitive space. 

Alex concludes with valuable lessons from his nine-year journey, emphasizing the importance of persistence, adapting to market changes, and staying true to the mission of supporting SaaS founders. 

This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, event organizers, and SaaS enthusiasts looking to learn from one of the industry’s most influential leaders.

In this episode of the Founders Future podcast, host Joseph Fitzgerald interviews Marty Gilbert, founder of Nsang (North Shore Executive Networking Group), a global job search coaching service. Gilbert shares his entrepreneurial journey, which began organically as a part-time networking group that grew from 6 to nearly 12,000 members over 14 years. With a background in marketing and having worked for major companies like Sony and Motorola, Gilbert leveraged his professional experience to create a unique job search coaching approach.

Gilbert explains that Nsang helps job seekers and professionals looking to change careers by applying marketing principles to personal branding. Initially running in-person meetings in Chicago, the business transformed during the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning to a fully online, global platform. His competitive edge comes from his marketing background, which differs from traditional job search coaches who typically have HR or recruiting experience.

The conversation explores Gilbert's insights on entrepreneurship, work-life balance, and the evolving job market. He discusses the challenges of being a solopreneur, managing multiple business responsibilities, and the importance of planning and scalability. Gilbert is particularly passionate about how technology, especially artificial intelligence, can help businesses communicate and engage with their audience more efficiently. He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be strategic, understand their audience's needs, and remain adaptable in a changing business landscape.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Laura Skinner interviews David Burnet, the CEO and founder of Invidar, an innovative tech company specializing in immersive technologies and SaaS solutions. David shares his remarkable journey from a university graduate navigating a pandemic-induced layoff to building a cutting-edge business that has worked with global brands like Samsung, Google, and LEGO.

David reflects on the humble beginnings of Invidar, starting as a freelance venture during the pandemic and evolving into a multifaceted company that creates enterprise-grade immersive tech solutions. From developing virtual environments for clients to integrating cutting-edge tools like Unreal Engine into Hollywood productions, Invidar’s growth is a testament to innovation and adaptability. The company is now exploring SaaS models, including tools for industries like utilities, healthcare, and defense.

The conversation highlights the challenges of navigating feast-or-famine cycles common in agency models, managing long deal cycles, and transitioning to more predictable revenue streams through productization. David provides insights into the importance of leveraging referrals, maintaining a lean but highly skilled team, and focusing on high-value, complex projects rather than chasing volume.

David’s personal story is equally inspiring—at just 29 years old, he has received numerous accolades, including recognition as a top young entrepreneur in the UK. His advice for aspiring founders centers on networking, hard work, and embracing uncomfortable challenges to foster growth.

This episode is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and building a business that pushes the boundaries of technology. Perfect for entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts looking for actionable insights and inspiration.

In this episode of Founders Future, Laura Skinner interviews Dan Rua, CEO and co-founder of Admiral, a company revolutionizing how media publishers build relationships with their audiences. Dan shares his journey from venture capitalist to entrepreneur, driven by insights gained from his time at Grooveshark. He discusses how Admiral evolved from addressing ad-block losses to pioneering Visitor Relationship Management (VRM), a holistic approach to improving user engagement, privacy compliance, and revenue generation.

Dan explains Admiral’s multi-module approach, likening it to Hubspot, where media publishers can adopt individual modules for tasks like email capture, ad-block recovery, subscriptions, and privacy consent before scaling up. He also highlights the company’s efficient go-to-market strategies, blending outbound outreach with a data-driven approach using a free tagging tool that identifies pain points for potential clients.

With a recently secured $19 million growth round, Dan outlines Admiral’s plans to scale, improve automation, and complement outbound strategies with targeted inbound marketing. This episode is a masterclass in scaling SaaS businesses, building enduring customer relationships, and navigating startup challenges.

In this dynamic episode of Founders Future, host Laura Skinner welcomes Wendy Harris, a seasoned sales leader, executive coach, and leadership expert, to share her incredible career journey and the principles behind her success. Wendy takes listeners through her rise from a Goldman Sachs trader to leadership roles in tech giants like Facebook, Dropbox, and CarGurus, culminating in her role as Gong’s first European employee, where she scaled the team to 80 and grew revenue to $25 million.

Wendy offers a candid look at the challenges and triumphs of leading in high-stakes environments, including creating a category for revenue intelligence and building "all-star" teams from scratch. She dives into the critical traits of great leadership, emphasizing courage, accountability, and fostering a balance between excellence and fun. Wendy’s philosophy, centered on empowering teams while maintaining high standards, has become the foundation for her current endeavors.

The conversation shifts to Wendy's post-Gong journey, where she is channeling her expertise into writing a book, launching a podcast, and consulting revenue leaders. Her upcoming book focuses on helping individuals and teams recognize and maximize their value, tackling topics like negotiation, leadership, and creating winning workplace cultures.

Wendy also shares insights into her passion for coaching leaders, her plans for a podcast dedicated to courageous leadership, and her work with top companies like Google and Dell. Her practical advice for founders includes hiring for excellence, maintaining high standards, and fostering a culture of ownership and accountability.

This episode is a masterclass in leadership, career growth, and creating a positive impact, offering inspiration for anyone seeking to lead with courage and build a thriving team.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Laura Skinner interviews Avinav Nigam, the founder of Turn, a groundbreaking startup addressing the global healthcare worker shortage. Nigam shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how Turn is solving a critical problem by connecting healthcare professionals from countries with oversupply (like India and the Philippines) to markets experiencing severe workforce shortages, such as the UK and Germany.

Nigam discusses the inspiration behind Turn, rooted in personal experiences and the massive global challenge of healthcare worker recruitment. The platform leverages AI technology to screen and match healthcare professionals, currently serving half a million candidates and covering approximately 12% of India's healthcare workforce. The company has already achieved impressive milestones, generating nearly $10 million in annual revenue and operating in four countries, with plans to expand.

The interview delves deep into the challenges of entering the healthcare recruitment market, particularly the complex regulatory environment, conservative nature of healthcare systems, and intricate sales processes. Nigam explains how Turn navigates these challenges by understanding government intentions, aligning with healthcare system objectives, and developing innovative revenue models. He emphasizes the importance of creating proof cases, building relationships, and gradually transitioning clients from traditional recruitment methods to a more technology-driven platform approach.

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Nigam shares key insights for founders, stressing the critical importance of resilience, surrounding oneself with mission-driven team members, and the ability to compellingly articulate a vision for the future. He candidly discusses the difficulties of building Turn, describing it as the hardest yet most fulfilling journey of his career, while maintaining an optimistic and purpose-driven perspective on solving significant global challenges.