Growth Gurus

By Barnes Lam

Growth Gurus podcast celebrates the human aspect of decision-making by interviewing business leaders and executives who have mastered the art of sustainable growth over the decades. We examine their m... more

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FAQs about Growth Gurus:

How many episodes does Growth Gurus have?

The podcast currently has 7 episodes available.

Growth Gurus episodes:

July 10, 2025Episode 7 – Conor McGowan on De-Risking AI Strategy Across Emerging Markets
Episode Overview
In today’s episode of the Growth Gurus Podcast, host Barnes Lam sits down with Conor McGowan, a growth-focused telecom leader who’s transforming how connectivity, cloud, and cybersecurity work in the world’s most underserved regions. From the Caribbean to Alaska, Conor is on a mission to simplify enterprise tech for non-technical buyers, while staying technically excellent under the hood.
We explore how Brava Solutions is scaling across complex regulatory environments, why AI isn’t optional for modern business, and what it takes to align big innovation with local relevance. Plus, Conor shares why asking “What’s the truth?” is the question every executive should lead with.

What You’ll Learn
Leadership Across Borders: How Conor’s early experiences at Vodafone shaped his global outlook and grounded leadership style.
Brava’s Bold Vision: The strategy behind merging five companies into one premium ICT provider—and what it took to scale.
Localized Innovation: Why product-market fit in emerging markets requires empathy, local talent, and custom engineering.
AI in Action: How Conor is implementing AI to automate internal processes and unlock public sector transformation.
Cybersecurity as an Anchor: Why security isn’t just a checkbox, but a core pillar of Brava’s value proposition.
Vendor Selection Real Talk: What makes or breaks a tech partnership—beyond the glossy brochures.
Talent & Legacy: Conor’s approach to growing cybersecurity talent from the ground up and the legacy he hopes to leave.
Guest Bio: Conor McGowan
Conor McGowan is the CEO of Brava Solutions, a next-generation ICT and telecom provider serving underserved regions such as Bermuda, Latin America, Alaska, and the Caribbean. With a career spanning Vodafone, Digicel, and ATN, Conor has built a reputation for turning complex infrastructure plays into customer-centric growth engines.

Outside of Brava, he’s also the founder of Galoras, an AI-powered coaching platform on a mission to democratize mentorship and personal growth. A firm believer in local talent, strategic clarity, and meaningful innovation, Conor brings a grounded and global perspective to leading in the AI era.

Connect with Conor McGowan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/makesthingshappen/
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38min
June 23, 2025Building a High-Impact RevOps Engine for Sustainable Growth with Cassandra Anderson
Episode Overview

In this compelling episode of Growth Gurus, host Barnes-Lam sits down with Cassandra Anderson, Vice President of Revenue Operations at DRIPS—a pioneer in conversational outreach powered by SMS, voice, and AI. Cassandra brings an integrator’s mindset to RevOps, aligning sales, marketing, and customer success under a unified revenue engine that drives impact without the noise.
With wisdom drawn from years of leadership across IT, sales, and strategy, Cassandra shares hard-earned lessons on data ethics, building authentic demand in crowded markets, and fostering collaboration through curiosity and service. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or just learning the ropes of RevOps, this episode is a roadmap for operational excellence and people-first growth.

What You’ll Learn
RevOps as a Strategic Enabler: Cassandra’s unorthodox North Star—removing obstacles in the way of value creation, not just sales.
Busting Myths About RevOps: Why it’s more than tech stacks and dashboards—and how to position it as a critical voice in executive strategy.
Building Demand in a Noisy Market: Why asking the right question cuts through the noise better than shouting louder.
The Role of Data Ethics in Decision Making: Learn why clean interpretation beats complex dashboards—and how fact over feelings drives real action.
Aligning Teams with Shared KPIs: Cassandra’s approach to creating pipeline-focused unity across marketing, sales, and customer success.
DRIPS in Action: How their AI-powered outreach achieved 20%+ survey completion in healthcare—10x industry benchmarks.
Automation vs. Personalization: How to strike the right balance using tools like ZoomInfo Copilot and NLP-driven intent recognition.
Leadership Through Service: Insights from Cassandra’s involvement in Rev Genius, ZoomInfo Champions, and public health NGOs.
The Infinite Game: Why legacy, learning, and generosity are at the heart of Cassandra’s leadership philosophy.
Top Career Tips: Boldness, curiosity, and collective success as the pillars of long-term achievement.

Guest Bio: Cassa Anderson
Cassandra Anderson is the VP of Revenue Operations at DRIPS, a company redefining outreach by enabling brands to engage consumers via human-like, intent-aware conversations through text, voice, and AI. A former technical leader turned RevOps strategist, Cassandra excels at aligning go-to-market functions and building scalable systems rooted in data, empathy, and sustainable impact.
Beyond DRIPS, Cassandra is a mentor, thought leader, and active contributor to communities like Rev Genius and ZoomInfo Champions. She serves on the boards of HEAL International and her local middle school’s boosters club, championing both global and grassroots health initiatives. Her motto? “Together we win.”

Connect with Cassa Anderson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecassandraexperience/

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42min
June 13, 2025Episode 5 – Turning Cultural Insights Into an Engine for Global Expansion – with Vince Fassbender
Episode Overview
In this week’s episode of Growth Gurus, host Barnes Lam welcomes Vince Fassbender, a seasoned executive and global strategist who has helped scale companies across APAC, the Americas, and Europe. Vince shares a compelling journey of cross-cultural leadership, business turnarounds, and the secrets behind sustainable growth in today’s global marketplace.
From building teams with true ownership to navigating the red tape of international expansion, Vince unpacks the mindset, mechanics, and missteps that define high-growth ventures. Whether you’re leading a startup or scaling globally, this episode offers practical lessons and timeless inspiration.
What You’ll Learn
Scaling Across Borders: Why understanding culture goes beyond language and food—and how global perspective shapes business outcomes.
Building Committed Teams: How equity, trust, and clear incentives drive engagement and performance from day one.
Staying Strategic Under Pressure: Why chasing trends can sabotage growth, and how to stay focused through chaos.
Leadership That Connects: The art of earning trust, embracing humility, and adapting leadership styles across cultures.
Market Entry Mistakes to Avoid: Vince’s insider tips for launching in Europe, Asia, and beyond—without losing your mind (or your margins).
Talent That Translates: What to look for in your first international hire—and why cultural fluency matters more than titles.

Guest Bio: Vince (Vincent) Fassbender
Vince Fassbender is a global executive, strategic advisor, and change leader known for helping early-stage startups and mature companies navigate complex growth challenges. With professional roots in Germany and an international career spanning Silicon Valley, Taiwan, and beyond, Vince blends technical knowledge with human insight to build high-performing teams across industries and continents.
Fluent in Mandarin, German, and English, Vince has worked in sectors ranging from semiconductors to thermal imaging and is passionate about bridging cultural gaps in business. He currently advises companies on go-to-market strategy, turnaround operations, and international expansion—always with a deep commitment to people, purpose, and performance.

Connect with Vince Fassbender:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentfassbender/

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41min
June 06, 2025Episode 4 – From Startups to Scaleups: Building Global Growth Engines with Edan Gottlib
Episode Overview
In this episode of Growth Gurus, host Barnes Lam sits down with global growth strategist Edan Gottlib, a proven leader who’s helped scale B2B SaaS companies like Cloudinary, Contentful, and Hygraph. With more than 25 years of experience across 130+ countries, Edan shares his personal and professional frameworks for navigating global expansion, building elite sales organizations, and integrating AI into modern go-to-market playbooks.

If you’re a founder, revenue leader, or startup operator aiming to scale sustainably, this episode is packed with actionable insights and hard-earned wisdom.

What You’ll Learn
How AI is transforming revenue operations
Leading cross-cultural, international teams with consistency and empathy
How to go upmarket—from SMB to enterprise with confidence
Personal habits for building resilience through business volatility
The difference between startup grit and scaled execution
What top sales hires have in common across global markets
Guest Bio: Edan Gottlib
Edan Gottlib is a global revenue executive, growth advisor, and go-to-market strategist with a history of helping B2B SaaS companies grow from startup to IPO. With senior leadership roles at Cloudinary, Contentful, and Hygraph, he’s built GTM functions that scale, perform, and endure. Known for his thoughtful leadership, AI fluency, and worldwide operational reach, Edan’s influence stretches across continents and stages of growth.

Connect with Edan Gottlib
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edangottlib/

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34min
May 27, 2025Episode 3 – CMO Secrets: Driving Scalable Growth with Precision and Purpose with Inga Broerman
Episode Overview
In this episode of Growth Gurus, host Barnes Lam sits down with Inga Broerman, Vice President of Bluelogix, to dive deep into growth marketing, cross-functional alignment, and navigating AI-driven transformation. With over two decades of experience across SaaS, IoT, healthcare, and enterprise tech, Inga brings a masterclass in building scalable marketing systems, shaping go-to-market strategies, and leading with authenticity.
Whether you’re a startup founder, marketing leader, or revenue strategist, this episode offers actionable insights into driving sustainable growth through intentional leadership and intelligent market positioning.

What You’ll Learn
How to build marketing from scratch: Lessons from early-stage companies and the traps founders fall into when copying others.
The evolution of subscription billing: Why usage-based and dynamic pricing are becoming essential in the AI economy.
Aligning product, marketing, and sales: The CEO’s critical role in driving unified GTM strategies.
The seven-step strategy framework: Inga’s approach to tailoring marketing to each company’s unique superpower.
ABM done right: A detailed walkthrough of account-based marketing that actually delivers results.
Measuring what matters: Why ROI must be based on pipeline and deal quality—not vanity metrics.
Leadership through mentorship: Empowering the next generation of women leaders to take the boardroom with confidence.

Guest Bio: Inga Broerman
Inga Broerman is an enterprise growth strategist and VP of Bluelogix, a leader in intelligent subscription billing. She’s also a founding member of Chief, a national network for executive women. With a background spanning global corporations like Siemens and innovative startups, Inga fuses technical expertise with strategic vision to drive revenue, impact, and scalable systems.
She’s a Six Sigma Black Belt, an AI enthusiast, a startup mentor, and soon-to-be author with a mission to help founders and marketing leaders unlock repeatable, measurable growth.

Connect with Inga Broerman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingabroerman/

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44min
May 27, 2025Episode 2 – How to Build High-Performance Sales Teams That Last with Scott Heller
Episode Overview
On this episode of Growth Gurus, host Barnes Lam is joined by Scott Heller, Vice President of Sales at Astound Business Solutions. From launching a billion-dollar lending firm in his 20s to steering enterprise growth for global telecom giants, Scott shares powerful insights into building elite sales organizations, navigating failure, and leading with empathy.
This conversation is packed with real-world tactics and personal wisdom for founders, sales leaders, and anyone scaling high-performance teams.

What You’ll Learn
Founding at 24: The scrappy start of Park Place Financial and what Scott learned from building—and losing—it all.
From startup to global scale: What Scott learned working with clients like Facebook and Pandora during NTT’s expansion.
Sales as a craft: Why intentionality, discipline, and role-play drive better hires and stronger teams.
Leadership from the front lines: How Scott stays connected to reps, customers, and the real pulse of the business.
Coaching that sticks: How to turn good salespeople into great ones through hands-on leadership.
Lessons from crisis: What the 2008 collapse taught him about humility, resilience, and reinvention.

Guest Bio: Scott Heller
Scott Heller is VP of Sales at Astound Business Solutions, where he leads revenue teams across the Pacific Northwest. A seasoned operator, entrepreneur, and sales strategist, Scott brings over 20 years of experience in finance, telecommunications, and team building. Known for his no-BS leadership and people-first mindset, Scott is deeply committed to mentorship, coaching, and sustainable sales excellence.

Connect with Scott Heller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottheller/
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32min
May 27, 2025Episode 1 – Unlocking Sustainable Success Through Growth Mindset with Andrew Chrostowski
Episode Overview
In this inspiring episode of Growth Gurus, host Barnes Lam welcomes Andrew Chrostowski, a board leader, advisor, and strategist who is the former Chairman and CEO of RealWear. He unpacks what it takes to lead through adversity, drive innovation, and make decisions that matter, especially in life-critical environments. From his days as a military officer to shaping the future of hands-free wearable tech, Andrew’s journey offers a unique blend of strategic vision, grounded leadership, and purpose-driven growth.
Tune in to hear how mindset, mentorship, and mission converge to build businesses—and people—that thrive in complexity.

What You’ll Learn
The RealWear story: Building a company that supports frontline workers and saves lives.
Making mission-first decisions: The frameworks Andrew uses to ensure clarity and alignment during uncertainty.
Operationalizing values: How purpose, ethics, and culture influence product development and business outcomes.
Navigating crises with poise: Insights from leading through 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic headwinds.
A leadership mindset for the future: Why staying curious, resilient, and humble is non-negotiable for scaling impact.

Guest Bio: Andrew Chrostowski
Andrew, a visionary NACD-certified director and advisor, hosts the “Connected Workers” podcast, exploring the future of industrial work. A captivating speaker, innovative technologist, and safety and opex champion, he designs strategies to excel in an era of digital opportunities and threats. He is the former Chairman and CEO of RealWear, a global leader in assisted reality wearable solutions for frontline professionals. With a background spanning military service, executive roles in technology and manufacturing, and deep expertise in safety-critical systems, Andrew leads with clarity, courage, and purpose who advocates for ethical innovation that puts people first.

Connect with Andrew Chrostowski
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchrostowski
X: https://x.com/ConnectedAndrew
Connected Workers Podcast: https://oggn.com/connected-workers/
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42min

FAQs about Growth Gurus:

How many episodes does Growth Gurus have?

The podcast currently has 7 episodes available.