Not Another CEO Podcast

Joining the show this week is an entrepreneur with a work ethic that is second to none. Dedicating himself to helping SaaS companies grow and supporting founders, this guest is none other than the founder and CEO of SaaStock, Alex Theuma. 

Alex joins host David Politis to discuss his journey building the largest SaaS community in the world. Alex examines the importance of having an executive coach, the benefits of growing your community, and the risks of a founder led business. He delves into the significance of hiring a mission-driven team and how SaaStock overcame Covid-19. 

Takeaways:

• The Impact of an executive coach. Alex spent much of his early time in SaaStock helping other entrepreneurs, but wasn’t helping himself in the same way. Having an executive coach allowed him to navigate the company through Covid-19 and grow to be a better leader.
• Community building first. SaaStock started as a collection of blogs, podcasts, and chat groups dedicated to supporting founders. It wasn’t until he received overwhelming support and a desire for more that the conferences began and a business formed around it.
• Growing into the future. In addition to the conference, SaaStock has begun expanding to better fill the needs of founders. This includes a membership to build a SaaS focused YPO and a fund to help support founders financially as well.
• Risks of a founder led business. When a founder’s identity is closely attached to the business, the overall impact and growth potential of that business is at risk if the founder decides to step away.
• Building a mission-driven team. The work that SaaStock does, especially in events, is both hard and rewarding. Having a team that is motivated by that reward and aligns with company values is crucial in building a successful team.
• Overcoming Covid-19. Covid-19 brought in-person events to a halt and threatened the stability and cash flow of SaaStock. They were able to quickly pivot and became one of the first start-up events to hold a virtual conference, running for two days to capture the global community.

Quote of the Show:

• “When you're there and you see the smiles on the faces and you see the value that people are getting from it, it does energize you.” - Alex Theuma

Links:

• Twitter: https://x.com/alextheuma 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextheuma/ 
• Website: https://www.saastock.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

Joining the show this week is an entrepreneur who embodies the entrepreneurial spirit through his journey of founding and selling four successful companies. This illustrious guest is none other than the founder and CEO of Spiff, and now Senior Vice President of Product at Salesforce, Jeron Paul. 

Jeron joins host David Politis to discuss his extensive career, including selling his latest company to Salesforce. Jeron examines the importance of assembling a high-quality executive team, the benefits and challenges of using headhunting firms, and the vital role of maintaining close involvement with the product. He delves into the significance of engineers understanding their CEO’s expectations and the advantage of involving investors in key search processes. 

Takeaways:

• Build a strong executive team. It is crucial to have the right people in the right positions at the senior level. Leaders should focus on assembling and nurturing their executive team for overall company success.
• Balance short-term necessity with long-term fit. While it can be tempting to rush hires out of necessity, it’s critical to find the right fit for long-term success. Investing time upfront saves future complications.
• Get deeply involved in product development. Have a hands-on approach in the early stages of product development to ensure that the foundation is robust and scalable. Leaders should understand their products at a deep level to guide their teams effectively.
• Navigate investor and acquirer relationships. Establishing early connections with potential investors and acquirers on your terms can position your company favorably for future exits or acquisitions.
• Understand the importance of a partner in search firms. The success of using a search firm is often attributed more to the individual partner you work with than the firm itself. Leaders should seek firms with robust networks and partners who are highly regarded.
• Ask for personal feedback. Leaders should be prepared for and open to constructive feedback, even when it’s tough. Developing self-awareness and humility is key to personal and professional growth.
• Maintain work-life balance. Despite the challenges, leaders need to strive for a balanced approach to work and family life. Recognizing the need for presence at home can be just as important as business success.

Quote of the Show:

• “Companies can be bought or sold. You want to be bought. You don't want to be sold.” - Jeron Paul

Links:

• Twitter: https://x.com/jerondanielpaul 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeron-paul-35824/ 
• Website: https://spiff.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

Joining the show this week is an entrepreneur who is passionate about combining good taste and good for you ingredients. This leader in the good for you sweets industry is none other than Founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, Loren Castle.

Loren joins host David Politis to discuss their journey from surviving cancer in her early 20’s to being sold in over 25,000 supermarkets. Loren reflects on how her experiences led her to focus on creating sweets that tasted good, didn’t make you feel bad after eating them, and were available to those with gluten or other food allergies. Discover her insights for creating a strong core product, the importance of product quality, and the tactical brand impact of maintaining high standards.

Takeaways:

• The impact of quality. Sweet Loren’s is an allergen free brand, so mitigating health and safety risks is their top priority. By investing in and maintaining the quality of their allergen free food, they built a trust with their customers.
• Standing out in the crowd. Loren had to stand out among a sea of thousands of competing products. This drove her to focus heavily on conveying her products’ top selling points on their packaging design.
• Make it easy for your customers. Customers in the modern market demand excellence, so it is important to both provide excellence and make it as easy for the customer as possible to implement your product into their lives.
• Importance of standing by your brand. When a supplier sent a large order of contaminated flour, Loren made the decision to not compromise on her brand’s integrity and took a loss for not using any of that contaminated shipment.
• The importance of mentorship. Sweet Loren’s took off from day 1 and she quickly realized how overwhelming it could be. Having business mentors allowed her to be vulnerable about herself and the business and get constructive feedback to boost her confidence.
• Creating a strong core product first. Many in the food industry expand into new items within a few years, but Loren took 9 years to cement herself in the cookie dough market before exploring other product offerings.
• Building a team. Having a second daughter made her realize how important having a capable team around her was. Hiring a president allowed her to focus on what she was good at and step away if needed to without impacting the day to day of the business.

Quote of the Show:

• “Honestly the bigger our customer base gets, the more passion I get about it because the more we have people saying you've changed our lives.” - Loren Castle

Links:

• Twitter: https://x.com/LorenBrill
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-brill-castle-56887121/
• Website: https://sweetlorens.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

Joining the show this week are two individuals who embody the idea of perseverance and grit, who’ve bootstrapped their way to become a leader in the electronic waste industry. This dynamic duo is none other than Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Revivin, John Fazzolari and Anthony Serina.

John and Anthony join host David Politis to discuss their journey from storage unit offices to industry leaders. John and Anthony reflect on how their upbringings affected their entrepreneurial mindsets and their struggles to find product market fit. Discover their insights for creating a strong office culture, building and maintaining customer relationships, and the impact of staying bootstrapped throughout their growth.

Takeaways:

• A company’s values evolve as the company continues to develop. You should have your values written down and communicated to everyone, but expect them to change over time. 
• Don’t let rejection slow you down. Instead, use it as motivation to keep going. John and Anthony faced plenty of rejection when starting out, but they persisted and found their place in the market without significant support.
• Bootstrapping provides freedom to grow your company how you want. John and Anthony weren’t able to secure funding, and if given the chance they prefer the freedom that it provided as there are no boards to answer to when making big decisions.
• Having a marathon mindset can be a great help to push through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Building a business doesn’t always go exactly how you expect, so focus on your goal’s destination rather than how you get there.
• Making Co-CEOs work isn’t for everyone. While most contemporaries have advised against it, John and Anthony have known each other for decades and were able to split duties while staying aligned on the same overall goal to become successful Co-CEOs.
• When you’re starting out, go the extra mile to build relationships with your clients. Show them you care and that their feedback is valuable, as it can lead to customer loyalty.

Quote of the Show:

• “Great companies have been built without capital, but not without people.” - John Fazzolari
•  “No matter how much we communicate something, we could always communicate more of it.” - Anthony Serina

Links:

• John’s Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fazz
• Anthony’s Twitter: https://x.com/antserina
• John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-fazzolari-5b94b62b/
• Anthony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-serina-ba656121/
• Website: https://www.revivn.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

Joining the show this week is a technology visionary who’s been at the forefront of the cloud and SaaS space for almost 20 years. This individual turned his family’s small business into one of the world’s leading cloud consulting companies. This leader is none other than the CEO at SADA, Tony Safoian.

Tony joins host David Politis to discuss his journey turning a small managed service business into a freshly acquired top cloud consulting company. Tony reflects on how significant it was to choose a niche early and how it helped fuel his success. Discover his insights for understanding market needs, the benefits of joining YPO, and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Takeaways:

• Establishing your business’ niche focus early is important for continued growth. When looking for a market niche, focus on underserved markets and provide a solution for that market that is scalable. 
• Not relying on external funding was a blessing for SADA’s growth as a company. Not being a venture-backed company forced SADA to be more disciplined with managing their portfolio and grow strategically within their market.
• The art of strategic decision making is one that had to be mastered over the years. Being able to identify and say “no” to business streams that spread the company’s focus thin is a major factor in being able to effectively specialize.
• Leaders must evolve with their company. It is crucial to be able to recognize environmental change and be willing to adapt to it. It is equally crucial to actively seek out growth opportunities that allow you to better align your knowledge with the market and clientele that your company is working with. 
• Meet new situations with enthusiasm. SADA’s acquisition by Insight marks a transition from operating as a private company to operating as a public company. It is important to be excited about the challenges and use them as growth opportunities. 
• A company’s early success can largely be attributed to the dedication of its employees and the culture that they work in. Focusing on hiring driven employees over experienced employees allowed them to grow with the company and become the experts that SADA needed. 

Quote of the Show:

• “Nothing is as bad as it seems and nothing is as good as it seems. So just make the most of every day.” - Tony Safoian

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/safoian/
• Website: https://sada.com

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

Joining the show on its debut week is a SaaS veteran and leader in the Customer Success industry. A person who believes in developing strong company values and the importance of building a community around your business. This leader is none other than the CEO of Gainsight, Nick Mehta.

Nick joins host David Politis to discuss the importance of company values. Nick reflects on how vital it was to establish values early, as well as the most important executive roles a company should hire. Discover his insights on the importance of building community, qualities that make an effective leader, and the benefits of investing in a good Executive Assistant.

Takeaways:

• Building a community can be vital to establishing a strong and reciprocal relationship with customers. Communities and community events allow for direct customer interaction and a space to get honest feedback on the business.
• The ability to manage up, down, across, and out are vital for strong management, as it ensures a manager is able to work with and be a positive influence on coworkers, stakeholders, customers, and direct reports.
• Executive Assistants are not something to be thrifty or cheap about. An effective EA can make a world of difference for CEOs and should be well-supported to ensure retention. Sometimes they are more on top of things than the CEOs themselves.
• Being CEO means you have to be yourself. Candor and authenticity are essential qualities for successful leadership, even if it means making tough decisions or telling employees that something is wrong.
• Backchannel references are a great tool for ensuring you have a holistic view of a potential candidate. Asking a reference “what did others think of this person” instead of “what did you think of this person” is a strong strategy for getting an honest answer from them.
• Actively reinforcing company values is an important step in getting your staff to truly live up to them in their day to day. Have your values be the focus of employee onboarding, discuss them in all-hands meetings, send out consistent emails reaffirming them, etc.
• As a CEO, it’s impossible to be aware of everything as you scale. Anonymous surveys can provide valuable insights on leadership and day to day operations that a top down perspective might miss out on.

Quote of the Show:

• “What I tell CEOs is the only way to have a good culture is make it something you truly care about.” - Nick Mehta

Links:

• Twitter: https://x.com/nrmehta
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmehta/
• Website: https://www.gainsight.com

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast