From Start-Up to Grown-Up

By Alisa CohnBusiness Entrepreneurship Careers

From Start-Up to Grown-Up episodes

August 14, 2023#48, Vishal Sunak, Founder and CEO of LinkSquares — Decision-making frameworks, the most potent management technique, how to build a fierce network from scratch
Vishal Sunak is the founder and CEO of LinkSquares, the trusted legal technology partner for over 1,000 in-house teams, including Wayfair, ProPharma, TIME, The Boston Celtics, and Commvault. LinkSquares’ market-leading, AI-powered contract lifecycle management and legal task management solutions surface business intelligence with speed, accuracy, and scale. Vishal is widely recognized as a thought leader in the legal technology space, where he has worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for legal teams, while elevating their visibility within the enterprise.

In 2021, Vishal was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, one of the most competitive business awards for ambitious leaders who are building and sustaining successful, dynamic companies. Vishal was honored as one of Boston Business Journal’s 2022 40 Under 40, celebrating the Boston area’s young professionals who are achieving the most in their careers and giving back to the community. LinkSquares’ rapid growth ranks No. 10 in Massachusetts and No. 379 overall on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies, landing a top spot for the second year in a row. The company also ranked No. 100 on the 2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ awards, recognizing the most innovative, fastest-growing technology companies in North America. Internationally, LinkSquares placed among the top ten percent on Financial Times’ 2023 ranking of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies. LinkSquares is recognized as a best place to work locally and nationally by Inc., Boston Business Journal, and more.

Outside of LinkSquares, Vishal mentors local Boston-based startup founders, plays covers and the blues on his guitar, and spends time adventuring with his wife and two young daughters.

Vishal Sunak, the Founder and CEO of LinkSquares, is a shining example of how you can succeed by doing the work and consistently building.
He talks me through his process for decision-making, how he learned about his business he knew nothing about at the beginning, and why and how you can rely on your network to thrive if you build it the right way.
Find out more about Vishal and LinkSquares | Website
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47 min
July 31, 2023#47, Randy Komisar, Entrepreneur and Investor — Lessons learned from a professional gambler, the role of luck your career, and the key decisions that drive the quality of your life
Randy Komisar is an entrepreneur and investor at Kleiner Perkins.
Previously, he was a co-founder of Claris Corp., served as CEO for LucasArts Entertainment and Crystal Dynamics, and acted as “virtual CEO” for such companies as WebTV and GlobalGiving. Randy also served as CFO of GO Corp. and as senior counsel for Apple Computer, following a private practice in technology law.

Randy is a founding director of TiVo and serves on the Roadtrip Nation Advisory Board and Orrick’s Women’s Leadership Board. He is the author of the best-selling book,The Monk and the Riddle, as well as several articles on leadership and entrepreneurship. He is also the co-author of Straight Talk for Startups, the insider best practices for entrepreneurial success, Getting to Plan B, on managing innovation, and I F**king Love that Company, on building consumer brands.

This conversation with Randy Komisar is just spectacular! We dive right into how he turned his interview with Neil Young from disaster to success, why growing up with a professional gambler sharpened his communication skills, the way that luck factors into your career, and the way to maximize your chances of serendipity coming your way.

You’ll learn pearl after pearl of wisdom from Randy in our conversation, including a crucial question he asks as an investor to any entrepreneur to assess what they’re made of.

Randy’s such a great storyteller, and this discussion is not to be missed!

Find out more about Randy and Kleiner Perkins | Website

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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
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1 hr 10 min
July 17, 2023#46: Anouck Gotlib, Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys — Building a company when you’re a creative, dealing with your cofounder when he’s also your spouse, and the power of a walk out song
Anouck Gotlib, the Cofounder and CEO of Belgian Boys - a sweet snack company out of Brooklyn, NY, - started her career in fashion. With no business background, she ended up cofounding Belgian Boys with her husband and did a whole bunch of learning by doing.
In this episode of From Start-up to Grown-up, hear about her fascinating journey, her very fresh approach on mundane things like the company handbook, and how her mission to spark moments of happiness gets brought to life. Anouck also talks about how her work with her coach has helped her, and why she has a walk on song.

Find out more about Belgian Boys | Website
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Follow Alisa Cohn on
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Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
58 min
July 03, 2023#45: Carolyn Rodz, Cofounder and CEO of Hello Alice — How to transform setbacks into learning, the best question to ask future employees, and how to build a strong cofounder relationship
An investment banker turned three-time award-winning Latina entrepreneur from Bolivia, Carolyn serves as the Cofounder and CEO of Hello Alice (helloalice.com), a smart technology that helps business owners find the right path to start and grow their companies. Carolyn is a long-time advocate for underestimated founders and believes technology-driven data will prove the business case for inclusion. During her time at Hello Alice, Carolyn was recognized as a "17 Women to Watch," by Inc. Magazine, and selected by Mayor Turner of Houston to co-chair the Women and Minority Small Business Task Force in 2019.
This episode is a masterclass on entrepreneurship!
Learn why it’s not a good idea to compare yourself to others, who you need to look for to bring on your team, how to handle being on the ropes financially, and the questions you should be asking as a founder.
Find out more about Hello Alice | Website
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Follow Alisa Cohn on
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Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
1 hr 8 min
June 12, 2023#44: Lauren Bush Lauren, Founder and CEO of FEED — Building a business while making an impact, when not to take advice, learning to be direct, and how public service shaped her leadership
Lauren Bush Lauren is the founder and CEO of FEED, the impact-driven lifestyle brand, making products that help feed the children of the world. A native of Texas, Lauren attended Princeton University where she majored in Anthropology. As a sophomore, Lauren had the opportunity to travel with the UN World FOOD Programme. While visiting regions across Central America, Asia, and Africa, Lauren witnessed firsthand the realities of poverty and hunger that people are facing all over the world. Using this experience as an inspiration, Lauren found FEED as a tangible way for her peers to make an impact in fighting childhood hunger.

Try, try again.
If you believe in your mission like Lauren Bush Lauren, the CEO of Feed does, don’t take no for an answer.
Learn how she combined her passions with a way to make an impact on the world, how she learned exactly who she needed on her team, and the mistakes made and lessons learned throughout the hiring process.

Find out more about Feed | Website

For more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.com

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If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!
Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
1 hr 4 min
May 30, 2023#43: Seth Godin, Author and Marketing Strategist — showing up for yourself, creating conditions for your best work, and how to deal with massive rejection
Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).
By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.
In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.
Imagine a world where people work where they are respected, where the work - not the employee - is thoughtfully criticized, and where managers create the conditions for employees to do the best work of their lives.
Seth Godin does a deep dive on all of these and so much more in our conversation, sharing concepts from his brand new book The Song of Significance that reimagines what work and leadership can be.
Find out more about Seth | Website

For more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.com

To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!
Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
Instagram: @alisacohn
Twitter: @alisacohn
Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
49 min
May 15, 2023#42: Matt Biilmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Netlify — career pivoting, marketing for mass adoption, and growing company culture remotely
Matt Biilmann is the Co-Founder and CEO of Netlify. He was trained to be a musician and music journalist, but early into his career, he pivoted to programming. Among his creations was a content management system that helped web design agencies to build websites. The idea evolved into Netlify, which he launched with childhood friend Chris Bach in 2014. Netlify helped pioneer the movement to decouple front-end web development from back-end server management. Mattel, Unilever, and Verizon have all used Netlify to launch websites.

This was a fantastic conversation about Matt's career journey from his former studies in music to pivot towards programming and starting Netlify, what you need to know if you are marketing your product for mass adoption, how you can foster company culture even if you are hundreds of miles apart, and the questions you need to ask when you are hiring!

Find out more about Netlify | Website

For more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.com

To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!
Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
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Twitter: @alisacohn
Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
1 hr 8 min
May 01, 2023#41: Alex Zaccaria, Co-Founder and CEO of Linktree — finding a need in the market, when to take venture money, preparing for board meetings, and the value of conferences
Alex Zaccaria is the Co-Founder and CEO at Linktree, the link-in-bio category creator which enables creators, brands, artists, publishers, agencies, and businesses of all sizes to curate an online ecosystem, engage with their audience, and monetize their passions.
Find out more about Linktree | Website

For more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.com

To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!
Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
Instagram: @alisacohn
Twitter: @alisacohn
Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
47 min
April 17, 2023#40: Peter Attia, MD, Founder of Early Medical — improving your lifespan and healthspan, the centenarian decathlon, and the process of making major life changes
Peter Attia, MD, is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan.
He is the host of The Drive, one of the most popular podcasts covering the topics of health and medicine.
Dr. Attia received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including resident of the year.
He spent two years at the National Institutes of Health as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute, where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma.
Find out more about Peter Attia | Website

For more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.com

To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!
Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
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Twitter: @alisacohn
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
45 min
April 03, 2023#39: Alex Lieberman, Cofounder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew — Mental health for founders, having a framework for decision-making, and deciding when it's time to leave your job to start a company
Alex Lieberman is the Cofounder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew, a media brand that empowers modern business leaders with need-to-know content that is engaging and timely. Since its founding in 2015, Morning Brew has provided millions of users with the most important news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley.

Alex was someone ahead of the curve, thinking about the future of content delivery when he started Morning Brew from his dorm room. In our conversation, we discuss the importance of mental health for founders, what it was like to sell his company, his decision-making framework, and why he left his corporate job to start a new company.

Follow Alex Lieberman on Twitter | @businessbarista

For more stories and advice on founders and CEOs, head to alisacohn.com

To stay up to date on future episodes and learn more from Alisa, sign up for her newsletter.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast!
Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
Instagram: @alisacohn
Twitter: @alisacohn
Facebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/
Website: http://www.alisacohn.com
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
1 hr 17 min

About From Start-Up to Grown-Up

From the publisher's feed

One of the top startup coaches in the world, Alisa Cohn, talks to founders, creators, advisors, investors and builders of all kinds about their insights and experiences in growing from Start-up to…