In this episode, I’m on the other side of the mic as Jared Tiefenthaler, CEO of Signed Up Sports, interviews me about my toughest founder experience—shutting down my first startup in ‘90s Rapid City. I share the raw realities: sleeping on a couch, biking to the office, and delivering the hardest news—issuing the team’s last paycheck. The story dives into the real test every founder faces: authenticity under pressure. When faced with failure, I learned the importance of honesty and transparency, even when it hurts. Those moments, more than any pitch or launch, built trust that lasted for years—many from that team followed me in later ventures. These lessons shaped nearly two decades at Concur and still guide my coaching and leadership today.

Ready to hear the full story and discover what separates good founders from great ones? Listen to this week’s episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse!

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