True Builders

In the world of hiring, it's no secret that finding the right match can be as challenging.. attracting and retaining top talent requires finesse, a keen understanding of compatibility, and an unwavering commitment to getting it right.

In this episode, we speak with Pete Clarke and Paula Judge from Accel, a seed, early and growth-stage venture capital firm that powers a global community of entrepreneurs. We talk about the common themes and needs of portfolio companies, particularly regarding employee engagement and retention during difficult times.

We also discuss the challenges faced by companies with high valuations, using fractional and interim talent to help with hiring needs, and the importance of understanding individual motivations when it comes to finding the right fit.

Furthermore, we also touch on the traits that successful founders possess when it comes to scaling their companies and the challenges of replicating the success of product-led growth companies like Slack.

In this episode, Chris O’Neill, Chief Growth Officer at Xero, and former CEO of Evernote, head of Google Canada, and general manager of Google's moonshot factory, shares his wisdom on finding the opportunities in hard times and his secrets to self-development. He discusses exactly why hiring and onboarding should not be ignored, and why people have to let go of the past and allow company culture to evolve.

Join us as we discuss:

• Bouncing back from setbacks
• Crafting intentional hiring practices
• Why cultures need to evolve
• What his “recipe” is for his well being

In this episode, Amy Chang, Board of Directors at The Walt Disney Co, Procter & Gamble, SambaNova, shares why storytelling is still so important in today’s business landscape. She also talks about learnings and “unlearnings” throughout her career, and the excitement in knowing that there are lessons ahead for you to learn.

Join us as we discuss:

• The rise of AI
• The art of incorporating data into storytelling
• Getting excited about all the lessons you have yet to learn in your career
• The importance of revisiting the “hopes and dreams” conversation every 6 months

It’s no secret that starting a business is a big risk, but it’s not the only one on the road to success.

If you wanna go from zero to hero in the business world, it’s going to take a lot of risks along the way.

In this episode, Greg Bell shares the risks and rewards he’s seen as Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer throughout Corelight’s remarkable journey to the successful organization it is today.

Join us as we discuss:

• Why money will come if you have a great idea, but culture is more complicated
• Why you can expect to know everything before starting a business and the value of learning — and staying curious — on the job
• Why respectful interplay and contradiction are key to moving a company forward

Your career is your personal brand. And if you want to be branded as a leader, then there’s one thing you should always keep in mind.

You need to be a builder, not a renter.

So says today’s guest, Doug Merritt, who is putting that philosophy into practice as former CEO at Splunk. In this episode, Doug shares the critical lessons he’s learned navigating a career as a leader in the tech world.

Join us as we discuss:

• What drove Doug to want to be a CEO
• The realities of life as a leader
• How your organization can learn together
• The “Duocracy” at Splunk
• Remote work

When every decision ties into what’s best for the company, tough choices abound — that means embracing the trial and error of business and managing change and broader turnarounds with precision.

According to Jay Fulcher — seasoned 3x CEO and Partner at Cheyenne Ventures — connecting purpose with priorities across teams is a critical part of the journey, and the work doesn’t stop there.

Jay joins the show to discuss the nuances of shepherding a company through meaningful change and turnarounds and covers:

• Why balancing speed and accuracy during change is crucial for sustained success in tumultuous times
• The ripple of effects of mismanagement and why management thrives on collaboration across teams
• How the best company cultures are organic and the importance of providing opportunities for career advancement

What do investors say when founders leave the room? Keri Gohman, CEO at CARET, has been both the founder behind the pitch - and the investor on the other side of the table at Bain Capital. She joins the show to reveal the common missteps founders make when dealing with investors. She shares those insider tips and advice on:

• How to get that first CEO role or board of director seat
• Why relying on “watercooler talk” is not a good management strategy
• Why people will try to push your career in certain directions, but you have to get clear about where you’re headed

While few things in business are as anxiety-inducing as economic turmoil, the slower pace of business during a downturn can reveal genuine opportunities to strengthen your leadership and the people you lead.

In this episode, we’re speaking with Steve Rowland, former Chief Revenue Officer at Okta, who shares the insights he’s gained throughout his career and his advice for the leaders facing the challenges of today’s turbulent times head on.

Join us as we discuss:

• The hidden opportunities for growth in a downturn
• How to get the most from your distributed (remote) workforce
• How go-to-market roles have evolved
• And why Steve’s onboarding philosophy “drives sales managers crazy”

Great company culture has the power to attract and retain top talent from around the world, while problematic culture drives employees and productivity away.

But how do you develop, initiate and maintain a culture, especially through massive growth?

Our guest today, Amy Reichanadter, Chief People Officer at Databricks, shares exactly how her team was able to establish, build and maintain excellent company culture, all while scaling from 500 to over 5,500 global employees in a matter of a few years. Faced with interconnected challenges with a distributed workforce, Databricks utilized a data-driven approach to build a culture that makes a difference.

Join us as we discuss:

• How to identify and operationalize values
• Navigating culture changes during mergers and acquisitions
• How executives can best support founders and CEOs

As organizations face a more trying economic landscape, one thing is clear: Navigating tough times takes even tougher leaders.

And tough leaders are those who own their resiliency.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Alex Shootman, CEO at Alkami, who shares his resiliency story, tips for learning and growing in challenging times and other sage advice for leaders navigating today’s market.

Join us as we discuss:

• How to “get it done and do it right”
• The 3 ingredients every employee needs to succeed
• Why everything he messed up goes back to ignoring the most basic advice
• How CEOs can successfully manage their relationship with their board of directors