From Founder To CEO

Not only does Jignesh grace us with his great guitar playing skills, he also helps us understand the difference between MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and MDP (Minimum Delightful Product) and how he is changing the way companies run their gift programs to better connect with customers. 

He also shares one of his early struggles as a Founding CEOs. Hint...it has something to do with selling to friends, family, colleagues and former associates. :) Let me know what you learned from listening to Jignesh. [email protected]

David Mandell is one of those people whose deep caring of other people and whose deep sense of responsibility for others shines through everything he does. I was super excited when he agreed to this interview with me. I have been reading his blog for a while and have been very impressed with the depth of his writing and the sincere, candid expressions of his feelings, emotions, struggles, and wins on his personal leadership journey from Founder to CEO. Plus, he's just a really nice guy who happens to be changing real estate for the better. Please listen to the very end...I think his emotional story about his "most difficult decision" is worth listening to twice. As always, let me know what you think.

Every time I interview a Founding CEO from Canada, I am struck by the sincere, humble, hard working nature of the country's startup community. Kyle is a shining example. He overcame some significant adversities to build the tool that helps business close deals faster. His honesty, charm, and candid stories about his journey from Founder to CEO will made you think about your journey. Send me an email and let me know what you think. [email protected]

Nellie is a Founding CEO rockstar. She scaled MyCorporation.com to a BIG company and then sold it to Intuit in 2005. She was named a Top 100 Small Business Influencer by Small Business Trends in 2012 and 2013. And, she is a contributor to Entrepreneur, Forbes, Mashable and other media outlets and is a regular guest expert on the Fox Small Business Center sharing tips and tricks to start a business. She is entrepreneur royalty! :)

But, what really makes Nellie special in this candid interview is her honest conversation about the ups and downs of her personal shift from Founder to CEO. She's a great example of a Founder who truly understands her strengths and weaknesses as a CEO and who leverages her team and business partner/husband to augment the company's success. Give a listen and let me know what you think.

Mark grew up in the financial investing, hedge fund world where there was no room for mistakes. Now, as Co-founder & CEO of ChargeSpot, he learns, makes mistakes, and admits those mistakes every day as he scales his fast growth company. He is helping  businesses, restaurants, hotels, and offices rev revenues by helping their customers easily charge their devices.

From a heartbreaking bankruptcy in 1991 to the founding of Omega Insurance Services in 1996, and it's eventual sale in 2003 for $20 million, Tim Fargo has a lot of business experience. He wrote about his experiences in his fascinating book, Alphabet Success. This interview focuses on his amazing new social media company, "Tweet Jukebox." You'll enjoy his humor and appreciate his great insights about leading and managing his fast growth company.

FREE DOWNLOAD: "63 Productivity Hacks From 50 Top Founding CEOs"

Today's Podcast:

Alex Kopicki, CEO & Co-founder - Kinglet

Alex Kopicki is an experienced Baltimore real estate entrepreneur who is bringing airbnb and eharmony like experience to the commercial real estate world. Do you want to hear his story behind this quote: "Make sure you are communicating those little wins." Listen and learn as he shares the wisdom he has earned on the road from founder to CEO.

What an honor it was to speak with Doug. He has an amazing track record of leadership success as the former president of Trader Joe's. He is even helping a generation of business leaders embrace the concepts of Conscious Capitalism as the CEO of the global organization of the same name. But, it's his new startup, Daily Table, that really caught my attention and is exciting and igniting a growing following in the United States. He drops many "value bombs" about being a Founding CEO that you'll definitely want to hear.

Prem Thomas shifted from investment banking to founder and CEO of a fast growing eco-friendly footwear company that is also rooted in history and cool design. His thoughts on how "digging deep" and focusing are key to Founding CEO success.