Growth Department

Ever crushed a product demo… only to hear crickets afterward? You’re not alone. In this episode, John Kennelly breaks down why founders and sales teams often get ghosted after the demo... and it has nothing to do with your software’s features.

John shares why discovery is the unsung hero of every sales cycle, the questions that uncover real buying intent, and how to build trust before you ever share your screen.

If you’ve been losing deals after what felt like a “perfect demo,” this is your playbook to fix it.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
✔ The most common mistake founders make before the demo
✔ Why asking better questions beats pitching harder
✔ How to create alignment so prospects don’t disappear
✔ The #1 mindset shift to stop ghosting before it starts

🎧 Listen now to start winning deals before you even click “Share Screen.”

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

Why do 35% of new products fail, wasting over a trillion dollars every year? 

According to Dave Fradin, former Apple and HP product leader, the answer is simple: most companies skip the fundamentals. In this episode, Dave shares the SPICE Framework, a battle-tested blueprint for product success that works for hardware, software, and services alike.

You’ll learn:
✅ The five keys to product success (and how to apply them today)
✅ How to avoid the costly mistakes most companies make
✅ The one question every founder should ask before building
✅ Lessons from Apple, HP, and 75+ product launches from the man who wrote the book on product success

If you want to stop gambling with your next launch and start building insanely great products, this episode is your roadmap.

🎧 Listen now to discover why Strategy, Process, Information, Customer, and Expertise can make or break your product.

Where to find David:  LinkedIn | Website | Dave's Books

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

Think it’s too late to start over? Think again. Jeanne Omlor was a solo parent in deep debt at 54. Seventeen months later, she hit $1 million, and today, she runs a multi-million-dollar online coaching business helping others do the same.

In this episode of The Growth Department, Jeanne shares how she:
✅ Turned three maxed-out credit cards into a thriving business
✅ Built her client base using organic marketing—no ads, no gimmicks
✅ Scaled her program to serve hundreds of coaches without burning out
✅ Developed the “beast mode” mindset that anyone can learn at any age

We also dive into:

• The real difference between building vs. scaling a business
• Why shiny-object syndrome kills growth (and what to do instead)
• How to overcome fear of being seen and show up online
• Her mission to help 100 coaches become million-dollar earners

If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect time” to start, this episode is your wake-up call.
 You’re ready. If not now, when?

Where to find Jeanne Omlor:

Jeanne's Website | LinkedIn  | Facebook |  Instagram

Chapters:
00:00 From Debt to Success: Jean's Journey 
05:10 Key Strategies for Rapid Growth 
11:04 Developing a Beast Mindset 
16:36 Lessons from Going Online 
18:56 Overcoming Ageism in Business 
20:42 Creating a Lasting Impact 
25:11 Future Aspirations and Innovations 

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

Is your tech stack running your team instead of the other way around? Jalil, founder of Mountainise and Revenue Operations expert, joins Chelsey to break down what’s actually holding back digital transformation in today’s businesses. 

Expect to unpack MarTech, RevOps, BizTech, and other buzzbuzzy words into simple, actionable steps your business can take to Do. Tech. Adoption. Right.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why most companies overbuild their tech stacks and undertrain their teams
• The real cost of siloed systems and misaligned departments
• How to simplify your biztech approach and align sales, marketing, and CS
• What digital transformation should really look like in 2025

Whether you're in RevOps, marketing, or executive leadership, this one’s a must-listen if your tools are multiplying and your outcomes aren’t.

Chapters
00:00 Understanding BizTech, RevOps, and MarTech
04:04 Common Mistakes in Tech Stack Management
09:35 Digital Transformation Strategies
13:48 The Role of AI in Marketing and Sales
18:26 Essential Technologies for Modern Businesses
20:24 Integrating Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success
27:10 Building an Effective Tech Stack
29:02 Key Considerations for Tech Migration
30:52 Build vs. Buy: Making the Right Choice
34:30 Rapid Fire Insights and Key Takeaways

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

Can strong relationships really help your business grow? Kelly Gindlesperger says yes. She has built an entire career (and wrote a children’s book) on that belief.

In this episode of the Growth Department podcast, Chelsey sits down with Kelly, a partnerships leader at a fast-growing tech company, author, and all-around super-connector. They talk about how authentic partnerships fuel business growth, what most founders get wrong about collaboration, and why generosity is the ultimate growth strategy.

You’ll learn:

• How to grow your business through strategic partnerships
• Where to start if you’re a founder or startup with no dedicated partnerships lead
• How to vet potential tech or channel partners
• Red flags to watch for when collaborating with other companies
• How strong personal relationships shape Kelly’s parenting, leadership style, and career
• What writing a children’s book with her daughter taught her about creativity and meaningful work

If you’re a founder, business leader, partnerships manager, or someone who wants to grow by building real relationships, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned:
– Kelly & Bailey's book Meet Me In My Dreams (available on Amazon, Audible, and Kindle)
– Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

What really happens in the first year of launching a startup? 

In this episode of The Growth Department, Chelsey sits down with Marcus Rien, a CFO and CPA turned tech founder and the brains behind Waves CPAs. We'll unpack the messy, high-stakes, and deeply rewarding reality of going from corporate life to taking the entrepreneurial leap.

Waves CPAs is a tech-driven platform helping businesses find fractional finance talent AND helping entrepreneurial CPAs build flexible, meaningful careers. Marcus shares how his background in corporate finance and accounting led to spotting a major gap in the market, and why solving it required launching a startup of his own.

They dive into:

• What to expect in your first year as a founder
• How to grow a marketplace business from scratch
• The value of fractional CFOs and controllers for small and midsize businesses
• Why perfection kills momentum (and what to focus on instead)
• Lessons from sales, moonlighting, bootstrapping, and burnout
• Why the future of CPA work is flexible, remote, and founder-led
• Plus: How golf, springboard diving, and startup life actually overlap

Whether you're a CPA considering entrepreneurship, a founder building your first platform, or a business owner wondering if fractional finance support is right for you, this episode is packed with real-world insights you won't find in a startup playbook.

About Marcus Rien:
Marcus is the founder of Waves CPAs, a marketplace connecting companies with experienced, independent CPAs for fractional finance work. He's also a scratch golfer, former controller, and lifelong learner with a legacy brick outside U.S. Bank Stadium that reads: Belief Inspires Success.

Resources Mentioned:

• Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusrien
• Learn more about Waves CPAs: https://www.wavescpas.com

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

If you’re building a business and avoiding sales like it’s the plague… this one’s for you.

John Kennelly is the founder of I Hate Sales, and he helps smart, scrappy founders get over their fear of selling without sounding sleazy. In this episode, we dig into why sales feels so cringe, what to do instead of cold spam, and how to reframe your role as a founder (spoiler: you’re the head of sales whether you like it or not).

We also cover:

• The biggest mistake John ever made in sales (and what it taught him)
• The most annoying sales tactic of 2025
• What LinkedIn gets wrong for founders trying to sell
• And the one skill you have to improve if you want to grow

Cringe-free, jargon-free, and full of real talk. 

This is the sales convo every founder needs.

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.

Getting laid off can shake your confidence and force hard decisions fast. This episode is for professionals and founders navigating a career reset who want to rebuild momentum without panic.

What you’ll learn

• How to regain clarity after an unexpected career disruption
• Why starting small creates faster long-term wins
• Systems that support consistency when motivation dips
• How to turn uncertainty into forward motion

About the guest
Dee Henry is a two-time founder who rebuilt her career after a layoff and now helps solopreneurs create sustainable systems for growth.

Growth Department slows the conversation down so founders and business leaders can go further, faster.

If this episode helped you think differently, follow the show and share it with someone building alongside you.