Brad Harrison, Founder & Managing Partner of Scout Ventures, strongly believes that happiness is key to success and the money comes when you stop focusing on it. This West Point and MIT grad spent the beginning of his career Leading soldiers and living the Airborne Ranger life. This eventually brought him to the world of technology and spent a career working in companies like AOL and Endeca, where he found his passion for an industry that was on the cutting edge. Brad's focus has always been about "Service" and even out of uniform, his investment philosophy is to help companies who serve those who are in harm's way. Each of us have a competitive advantage and figuring that out is paramount to success. At Scout Ventures, reaching hard to access founders and intimately understanding the nuances of a military background, has been a keystone for their investment strategy. While most folks see a simple helicopter pilot, Brad and Team sees a special operations aviator who pushes the limits and finds a way to succeed (despite the odds). Better understanding the human behind the company has allowed Scout to help build companies like Unite Us, ID.me, Voyager and many more. Self care has also been a priority for this Venture Capitalist, especially as it pertains to how they help their companies perform at their best. A Leader's brain is the most important thing they bring to the Team. If that's not in good health, what real value and clarity can that Leader provide? Whether it's soothing tunes from an earthy flute or taking time everyday to work out, those are the things that ultimately keep us sharp. Centering on what's personally important, allows us to be better professionals. Being our best self is about self-awareness and sitting with discomfort. Once we are able to create space to understand who we are, then we can begin to reach new heights. Brad and the Scout Team are not only building a successful VC, but one with Service and the Human at the center of it.

Check out the Scout Team and their initiatives at: www.scout.vc

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Bill Tyndall, Founder & CEO Tynrose, Inc. believes that People are the answer to scaled growth, which is core to how he invest and operates. Bill says that rethinking the obvious is often the key to successful innovation and meeting a market need. When looking for the right company to back, Bill digs into a Founder's philosophy around People and Team development. Bill shares that the money usually follows if the Founder/CEO is operating with the mindset of building great Teams, developing their People, self care and boundaries. Boundaries can especially be powerful if used consistently and directly. The life of an entrepreneur is not easy and can often times "Suck", but the regimens and boundaries you hold yourself accountable to, can determine how sustainable your business will ultimately be. Today's economy continues to show us that building "Honest" companies is the only sustainable operating design. Bill says that the truth is difficult, especially amongst investors, but it is crucial to running a business you can be proud of. Posturing and showing that things are "Going Well" when they are not, is not only exhausting, but prevents your business from getting the right help. On Bill's journey, that support came in the form of great executive coaches and a Chief of Staff. He shares how dynamic and critical the Chief of Staff role has been for Tynrose. From extreme accountability, establishing culture and creating a high-drive in the company are just some of the things that comes with having an effective Chief of Staff (After all, many Chiefs of Staff are future CEOs). Overall, Bill believes that his life goal is the help others become the best version of themselves and sometimes that requires helping others acknowledge their gift and helping them pursue it. That gift sometimes requires one to leave their job to fulfill what they were put on this planet for: Like a great sales person, who should actually be a world-class fly-fishing instructor. Bill and the Tynrose Team continue to not only help companies stay ahead of a fast-changing world, but help folks be happier along the way.

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Great Leaders have the gift of engaging with their Teams and building meaningful relationships.  After all, Leading is simply inspiring those on your Team to move in the direction that will push you all, further up the mountain.  No matter what kind of systems and processes you have in place, it is your understanding of how your people tick, what their fears are, how their family is doing and appreciating their dreams, that makes the difference.  On the battlefield, soldiers are able to do the impossible because of their deep connection and care for one another, nothing else.  On this episode, Joseph also debriefs his learning from SXSW 2023, specifically on “Finding Community”.  Community is the external manifestation of human connection.  The pitfall from most business owners if their desire to force and forge community.  You don’t force community, you find it…. They find you.  Joseph shares some insightful words form YETI CMO and how communities invite other communities once they find you.

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Mohammad Elashi, Founder of Synaptic Pediatric Therapies and Co-Founder of Dynamic | Synaptic Solar, didn't mean to get into business.  During college he quickly realized that becoming a medical professional himself may not be the path, especially as he sat through anatomy class .  However, he discovered that there are other ways to serve in this industry which began his path to starting his first pediatric rehab facility.  Now that the practice has grown to 9 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, his determination and mission to make a difference is continuing to gain momentum.  Mohammad shares that what holds back many aspiring entrepreneurs is simply not getting started.  Ideas after ideas is not the path to building something meaningful, but instead, putting one foot in front of the other is where you really learn about yourself, your clients and your business.  Being young and inexperienced can be a super power, which allows you to take on problems boldly.   Mohammad talks about the first pediatric office he ever opened up, getting a lease despite not having a bank history or credit and looking for used furniture to get things going.  Throughout this endeavor he decided to prioritize treating the patients and his Team with utmost respect, in hopes that it would keep his business alive.  That not only turned out to be the competitive advantage, but what continues to sustain his ventures in other industries like Solar.  Mohammad believes that if you build a great culture based on investing in Leadership, empowering others and making work a great place to be, then your customers will naturally be taken great care of.  Investing in Leadership has become a hallmark of how Mohammad and his partners run their businesses.  Leaders in their organization are measured on how well they develop others, not their personal skills.  Building a Team requires humility and focus, which in turn echos to your customers.  With his sights on the future, they will continue to invest in their Team and push on to new heights.

This episode was in partnership with the Texas Business Hall Of Fame. You can learn more about TBHF by visiting texasbusiness.org

Check out Synaptic Pediatrics: www. synapticpediatrictherapies.com

Check out Dynamic | Synaptic Solar: www.dynamicslr.com

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Courtney Hudson, Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court, came from humble beginnings and has pioneered a career that required grit and courage.  As the youngest person ever elected to the High-Court of Arkansas and the first woman to win a contested race for the Court, she is no stranger to trail-blazing. Courtney shares her early experience with the court system and contrary to what most would expect, it was actually a pleasant one.  As a child, she saw how the power of the law could give someone a new chance, new name and new life.  After dedicating her life to the law, Courtney talks about the headwinds she had to overcome in a very traditional profession.  As she was gearing up for her run for the Court of Appeals, she was thankful for the people in her corner and reminding her that "Who She Was, Is Good Enough” and that duty called.  Many folks overtly doubted her worthiness, experience and timing, but something told her to keep pushing forward.  Courtney believes that her responsibility to model courage for her children was paramount in keeping her driving forward, despite the obstacles.  Those that look up to you are always watching, it is up to you to show up everyday and do the right thing.  She describes the fear many of us have to simply be bold and chase a dream- But how many folks would live different lives, especially if they knew they could not fail.  Being in the arena is tough and requires courage.  We should all prepare our mind and spirit for that journey- It’s worth it.  Courtney continues to mentor the next generation of attorneys and wants to be the person she needed when she was coming through the ranks.  Being nice matters and Justice Hudson says that even those on the bench should find the humanity in what they do.

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Maxine Minter, CEO of Co Lab and Founder of Co Ventures, is on a mission to find incredible seeds (aka companies) that will positively change the world.  Maxine shares that the skills and experience learned from being an operator and executive coach directly ties into running a VC.  As the first Australian woman to run a fund, as Solo GP, she is on a mission.  Although Australia is newer to the VC world, compared to America, there is a lot of promise and proven success with companies like Canva, proving that Australian founders have what it takes to go the distance.  Understanding a founder’s conviction, what drives them and how they approach solving problems, are all key tenants when making good investments.  As Venture Capital is often a 10+ year process, it is also important to understand the potential of these companies and if they are able to grow into strong sequoias that can make a global difference.  Maxine boils down Leadership to a simple concept called “Service”.  When you are at the helm, your primary duty is to serve those on your Team and enable them to succeed.  We are not measured by how well we do, but how well we serve others.  This mentality goes hand-in-hand with the concept around “Thinking Longer”.  Maxine shares that if we thought about our lives, decisions and involvement in things based on how it would impact folks, 50 years from now, how would that change the way we do things?  Service would surely be reinforced, but you would also be more intentional in growing foundational efforts that would impact a generation that you may never meet.  The ultimate act of Service may be helping those you will never know.

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Pascal Finette, Co-Founder & Chief Heretic of the be radical Group, is back on the show to share insights from his new book “Disrupt Disruption” and provide perspective on how we navigate the future.  After speaking with many Leaders and industry operators, a common thread as it pertains to innovation, is that the glamour of it was not obvious when doing the work.  The way innovation is talked about in magazines and on TV, is not the same way it is seen, in the trenches.  Pascal shares that innovating for innovation’s sake is not always the best intent, when trying to create real value.  Most of what is disruptive is actually common sense, but not common practice.  If organizations are able to scale this mentality and practice, the opportunities for growth are endless.  Common practice is about using simple tools to attack complex problems.  Specialized methods are only good for specific applications, nuanced issues and for a certain amounts of time.  Pascal also shares that many companies want “Cowboys” to help them pave a new path, without accepting everything that comes with it.  Much of making a difference is messy and requires boldness, but most folks don’t have the stomach or patience for it.  As companies grow, continuing to find greater purpose is key.  Many companies struggle to keep talent, innovate and grow because it is not clear why they exist.  Utility alone is not enough to push a Team forward, but understanding that what you do is making an impact and adjusting tactics to fulfill you mission, is paramount.  Although the future is uncertain, we can decide how to influence it.  Pascal says that we often articulate the future as just a single point in time, but there are actually multiple futures and opportunities to impact that future.  What will you do to influence yours?

Follow Pascal and be radical Group at www.beradical.group

Check out Pascal's new book "Disrupt Disruption"

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One of your most powerful tools as a Leader, is your ability to seek truth, through asking better questions.  Not an easy task, but one that if delivered with clear and genuine intentions, will provoke discussions that lead to solutions.  Asking the right questions creates clarity and builds a rich environment for your Team to think deeper and more creatively, about the issues in front of them.  Showing up with an intention to learn, rather than comment, can set the tone for how your Team responds to your questions.  Even the time you give between questions to allow an answer to "breathe" and how you brief back what you've heard can make the difference in knowing most of the truth or all of it.  Asking better questions is not about being right, but instead, it's about seeking truth so that your people are in the best position to win.  On this episode, Joseph shares the key components of good questions and the meaningful outcomes that can come from it.  

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Joseph and Tony Nash (West Pointer, Army Officer and Host of the Got Your Six Podcast), share some takeaways after 100+ conversations with the humble and driven.  Contrary to what we believe, patterns of success come from consistent small actions, not grand gestures.  A common trait of impactful Leaders and their success stories is their ability to keep their eye on the macro, while operating in the micro.  Most of them are obsessed with their purpose and the daily steps to help them get there (no shortcuts).  Another key factor is one's ability to build a Team around the initiative to sustain growth and cover gaps.  Many success stories often focus on the Leader, Entrepreneur or CEO, but the reality is that most of them attribute their success to others and timing.   Simplicity if often the guiding light and what is perceived to be someone juggling many things, is really the impact of very focused work.  Great Leaders and high performers ask really great questions.  They are obsessed with the craft and learning as much as possible, to be better than yesterday.  They even seek mentorship from those junior to them, because they recognize value over age.  The takeaways from talking with impactful people, show that there are common threads in the fabric of success, but each story is still proves unique.

Follow Tony Nash at Got Your Six Podcast and www.thetonynash.com

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Matt Gardner, CEO and Founder of Hiline, is changing the way we look at the life-blood of our company, Money.  Although Matt is a classically trained CPA, his way of looking a solving problems and driving innovation makes him a non-traditional accountant.  Matt shares that what has driven him from an early age was the loss of his 2 best friends and cousin.  Recognizing that life is short and making a difference should always start today, is the fuel for Matt “No Regrets” attitude.  He talks about the friction of changing an antiquated industry, but how passion drives his Team to push the limits, making Hiline’s appeal to start-ups and influencers.  Innovation requires speed and one must be okay with making mistakes.  Being comfortable with failure and not spending too much time soaking in your mistakes is the mark of any great entrepreneur.  Matt also talks about the importance of having the right Team, in and out of work, if you want to go the distance.  Setting the right expectations with your family is critical to maintaining a life you can be proud of personally and professionally.  Where many entrepreneurs lose steam is when they drag their families along, instead of bringing them along.  Matt talks about his journey of becoming a Leader and the importance of self-awareness. Everything from executive coaching to Chiefs of Staff, are necessary factors to giving your people the Leadership they need.  As a Founder/CEO it is easy to force your way through in the beginning, but as your Team grows you have to genuinely check in on their well-being and ensure you are still investing in the skills needed to elevate.  Like any sport, winning by yourself is not a thing and sometimes we have to rally back to ensure everyone is still with us.

Follow Matt and the Hiline Team at www.hiline.co

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