Inside the C-Suite

What Happens When a Sales Nerd Builds a Startup | EP40

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What do red shoes and a sloth mascot have in common? They’re all part of the wild ride that is Mike Stafiej’s leadership style.

In this delightfully unfiltered episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with Mike Stafiej, CEO of ERIN - a referral automation platform with serious enterprise muscle and an even stronger personality.

Known as “The Fun CEO” for a reason, Mike shares how he’s

scaled a scrappy team into a global operation, all while keeping culture,
accountability, and weird swag front and center. This one’s for the builders,
the underdogs, and anyone who’s ever been told to stay in their lane.

They dive headfirst into:

  • How growing up blue-collar shaped Mike’s unshakable work ethic
  • The hard truth about hiring friends - and how to know when to let go
  • Why culture isn’t beanbags, it’s accountability
  • Lessons from failure, fundraising, and the illusion that more headcount = more growth
  • Why leadership means making space for reflection, not just reaction
  • Plus: The legendary sloth suit origin story and why branding like you’ve got $10M (even if you’ve got $10K) works

    • Whether you’re bootstrapping your dream or riding the post-funding rollercoaster, Mike’s story is a masterclass in leading with grit, humility, and a touch of ridiculous.

     

    And if you’re not building something fun… why build it

    at all?


    | Connect with Us |


    Learn more about ERIN:

    https://erinapp.com/

    Follow Mike Stafiej:

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstafiej/

    (The Fun CEO himself – known for sloth-themed branding, pixel-perfect marketing, and leading Aaron with equal parts grit and weirdness) 

    Follow Inside the C-Suite:

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwiseman/

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    Inside the C-SuiteBy WRKdefined