The CEO.com Show l442d

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we dive deep into the transformative world of leadership with our special guest, Kyle McDowell, the author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, "Begin With We: The 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence." With nearly 30 years of experience in corporate America, leading tens of thousands of employees, Kyle shares invaluable insights on what it means to be a leader today. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction  00:18 - Discussing Leadership and Historical Leaders 00:28 - Introduction to the Book "Begin With We" 00:43 - Guest's Background in Corporate America 01:10 - Paradigm Shift in Leadership Approach 01:32 - The Birth of the 10 Principles 02:04 - Feeling Disconnected in Corporate America 02:26 - Creating a Culture of Excellence 03:09 - Transformation and Results 03:31 - From Bosses to Leaders 04:04 - Leadership's Evolving Challenges 05:00 - CEOs' Roles Inside and Outside Companies 05:12 - Authenticity in Leadership 06:05 - The Shift in Leadership Dynamics 07:08 - The Impact of Remote Work and Gig Economy 08:12 - Establishing Leadership Principles 08:23 - The 10 Principles Overview 09:07 - Principle 1: We Do the Right Thing, Always 09:59 - Principle 2: Lead by Example 10:20 - Principle 3: We Say What We're Going to Do, and Then We Do It 11:03 - Principle 4: We Take Action 11:56 - Principle 5: We Own Our Mistakes 12:26 - Principle 6: We Pick Each Other Up 13:30 - Principle 7: We Measure Ourselves by Outcomes, Not Activity 14:47 - Principle 8: We Challenge Each Other 15:39 - Principle 9: We Embrace Challenge 16:31 - Principle 10: We Obsess Over Details 17:43 - The Importance of Simplicity in Principles 18:05 - Judging Ourselves on Outcomes 19:01 - The Problem with Busyness in Corporate Culture 20:29 - The Dependency on Meetings 21:10 - Writing the Book: Process and Challenges 24:01 - Reading Recommendations 26:13 - Daily Routine and Personal Discipline 28:27 - Coaching CEOs and Leaders 31:05 - Thoughts on AI and Future Challenges 34:37 - The Importance of Giving Chances 36:48 - Closing Remarks and Book Promotion

In this episode, Clint sits down with Dan Conant, the CEO and founder of Solar Hauler, the largest developer and installer of solar projects in central Appalachia. Dan shares his inspiring journey of building a solar industry from scratch in coal country, focusing on West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 00:21 - What is Solar Hauler? 01:20 - Impact of Solar on Communities 02:03 - West Virginia's Energy Legacy 02:44 - State for Solar Companies 03:57 - Utility Prices and Public Sentiment 04:34 - A Day in the Life of a CEO 06:00 - Virtual Power Plant and Crowdfunding Innovation 09:24 - Leadership Lessons 11:00 - Revitalizing West Virginia 13:48 - Decline of Coal Industry and Population 15:58 - Combating Brain Drain with Internships 18:42 - Reading Recommendations 19:31 - Economic Outlook for 2025 22:51 - AI and Power Needs 25:44 - The Importance of Giving Chances 27:39 - Closing Remarks

On this episode, Clint sits down with David Chung, the CEO of iLabs, a leading contract manufacturing company specializing in the beauty industry. From skincare to haircare, David shares his journey of building successful companies, including his previous venture, Inglewood Lab, which he took public in Korea. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:21 - About iLabs and its focus areas 01:24 - David's entrepreneurial journey 02:05 - Supply chain issues and tariffs 03:53 - The impact of tariffs on the beauty industry 05:19 - A typical day in David's life 06:06 - What keeps David motivated 07:17 - Leadership lessons and building company culture 09:46 - The role of AI in beauty manufacturing 11:47 - The R&D process and regulatory considerations 13:17 - Economic outlook for 2025 16:23 - Reading recommendations 17:43 - The importance of mentorship and giving back 19:08 - Conclusion

On this episode of the CEO Podcast, Clint sits down with Clark Benson, the CEO of Ranker, to discuss his journey as a lifelong entrepreneur and the evolution of media in the digital age. Clark shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities in the media landscape, the rise of the influencer economy, and how Ranker has become a definitive source for crowdsourced rankings in pop culture. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:21 - Clark Benson's entrepreneurial journey 00:54 - The genesis of Ranker 01:38 - Ranker's growth and data collection 02:22 - Ranker's products and services 03:29 - The state of media today 04:44 - The impact of social media and algorithms 05:54 - The influencer economy and its effects on media 07:47 - The challenges of running a media company 09:05 - The future of media and consumer reckoning 10:20 - The role of AI in media 12:31 - The creator economy and its implications 14:38 - The impact of AI on Ranker's workflow 16:33 - A day in the life of Clark Benson 18:39 - Hiring and company culture at Ranker 20:10 - Essential tools and apps for productivity 21:12 - Economic outlook and advertising trends 22:26 - The importance of giving and taking chances 24:29 - Clark's personal story of and encouragement

In this episode of the CEO.com Podcast, we sit down with Barry Mainz, the CEO of Forescout, to discuss the critical importance of cybersecurity in today's world. Barry shares insights into Forescout's innovative approach to network access control and the management of both traditional and unmanageable devices like IoT and OT devices.  Barry also delves into his journey to becoming CEO, his extensive background in security, and the evolving threats in the cybersecurity landscape, including the impact of AI and the rise of attacks on critical infrastructure. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:14 - Barry's background and journey to becoming CEO 00:40 - The origins and growth of Forescout 01:12 - Securing traditional and unmanageable devices 02:05 - Barry's career before Forescout 03:45 - Current cybersecurity threats 06:48 - The scale of cybersecurity threats 09:04 - The impact of AI on cybersecurity 12:08 - A day in the life of a CEO 13:49 - Hybrid work model at Forescout 15:31 - Recommended reading for CEOs 17:10 - Managing a company in 2025 20:52 - Essential apps and tools 22:22 - Addressing mental health in the workplace 26:14 - The importance of giving chances

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, Clint sits down with Kamran, a venture partner at Headline Ventures, to discuss the dynamic world of FinTech and venture capital. With over 20 years of experience in the tech and venture business, Kamran shares his journey from Tenaya and Greycroft to his current role at Headline Ventures. We dive deep into the state of FinTech in 2020, the impact of AI on the sector, and the intriguing dynamics between major players like Stripe and Shopify. Kamran also provides insights into the future of cryptocurrency, the evolving landscape of venture capital, and the exciting opportunities in B2B payments. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Cameron's Background 00:44 - Kamran's Career Journey 02:33 - State of FinTech and Bank Innovation 04:50 - Stripe's Market Position and Challenges 07:35 - Stripe and Shopify Relationship 08:48 - Cryptocurrency and Regulatory Environment 11:02 - M&A Environment and Predictions for 2025 15:00 - Early Stage Investment Focus 18:01 - A Day in the Life of a Venture Partner 20:04 - Silicon Valley's Resilience and Other Tech Hubs 21:47 - Reading Recommendations for Entrepreneurs 23:12 - The Future of AI in Venture Capital 27:31 - Current State of Venture Capital 31:02 - The Importance of Mentorship in Venture Capital 32:31 - Closing Remarks and Future Prospects

In this episode, Clint sits  down with Adolfo Gómez Sánchez, a renowned tennis coach, author, and CEO mentor, who s us all the way from Spain. Adolfo shares his fascinating journey from being a competitive athlete to coaching professional athletes and mentoring top CEOs. He dives deep into the science of performance, discussing the intersection of sports and business, and how principles from one can be applied to the other. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Background 00:37 - Intersection of Sports and Business 01:09 - Science of Performance 01:51 - Simplifying Performance Science 02:36 - Writing the Book: Optimal Performance Formula 03:29 - CEO Performance Plans 04:01 - Mastery and Long-Term Success 05:15 - Importance of Foundational Skills 06:07 - Mastery Map and Long-Term Planning 07:09 - Depth of Expertise 07:31 - Lifelong Learning and Martial Arts 07:43 - Neuroscience: Dopamine vs. Serotonin 08:28 - Achievement vs. Becoming 09:09 - Mindset of Elite Performers 10:03 - Ulysses and Long-Term Goals 10:24 - Rafa Nadal's Lesson on Hard Work 11:05 - Performance as Self-Expression 12:15 - Common CEO Performance Issues 12:33 - Industrial Model and Schooling 13:04 - and Competence in Business 14:07 - Training and Practice in Business 15:09 - Embedding Training in Day-to-Day Work 16:02 - Paradigms and Performance 16:14 - Culture and Innovation in Companies 17:05 - Training Movements, Not Muscles 17:48 - Resistance to Change 18:43 - Motivating CEOs and Focus 19:01 - Importance of Focus 19:43 - Role of a CEO 20:25 - Control vs. Creating Conditions 21:07 - Hiring and Promoting in Companies 22:00 - Innovation and New Entrants 23:03 - Questioning Assumptions 24:06 - Success and Luck 25:10 - Learning from Mistakes 26:03 - Building Capability and Cognitive Diversity 27:07 - and High-Performing Teams 28:01 - Measuring Culture and Innovation 28:50 - Authenticity in Leadership 30:06 - ion and Authenticity 30:47 - Discipline and Tennis Greats 31:21 - Self-Discipline and Hard Work 32:03 - Djokovic's Transformation 33:09 - Unrequired Work and Long-Term Motivation 34:22 - Finding and Sticking to Your Identity 35:24 - Role Players and Team Discipline 36:37 - Founder's Trap and Scaling 37:09 - Knowing Your Strengths 38:03 - Final Question: Who Gave You a Chance? 39:19 - Generosity and Learning from Others 39:53 - Conclusion and Farewell

On this episode, Clint sits down with David Heacock, the CEO and founder of FilterBuy, to explore his fascinating journey from working at Goldman Sachs to transforming a family business into a leading air filter manufacturing company. Timestamps: 00:11 - Introduction and Background 00:25 - Early Career and Family Business 00:48 - Transition to FilterBuy 01:25 - Challenges and Innovations 02:50 - Unique Selling Proposition 04:40 - Impact of AI on Business 06:04 - A Day in the Life of a CEO 07:12 - Managing Supply Chain Issues 08:43 - Reading Recommendations 10:05 - Developing Leadership Style 12:41 - Insights from Dr. Julie Gerner 14:24 - Staying Grounded 16:04 - YouTube Channel and Public Mission 18:06 - Navigating Uncertainty 20:05 - Reflecting on Opportunities 21:29 - Closing Remarks and YouTube Channel Promotion

Clint recently sat down with Linda Tong, CEO of Webflow, to explore the transformative journey of Webflow and its impact on web development in the age of AI. Linda shares her inspiring story of becoming CEO, the innovative vision behind Webflow, and how AI is revolutionizing the way we build and interact with websites. Timestamps: 00:13 - Introduction and Correction 00:42 - Linda's Journey to CEO 01:03 - What is Webflow? 01:35 - Linda's Background and ion for Webflow 02:41 - The Magic of Webflow 02:57 - Founders' Vision and Design Philosophy 04:44 - Notable Websites Built on Webflow 05:31 - Webflow's Integrated Backend 06:23 - AI's Role in Webflow 09:52 - Advice for Aspiring Software Developers 12:05 - A Day in the Life of a CEO 13:11 - Recent Product Launches: Webflow Optimize and Analyze 15:48 - Linda's Reading Recommendations 16:59 - Company Growth and Future Prospects 18:24 - Evolving Leadership Perspectives 21:15 - Favorite Tools and Apps 23:11 - Navigating Uncertainty in 2024 and 2025 25:30 - The Importance of Giving and Taking Chances 26:42 - Closing Remarks and Holiday Wishes 27:01 - Outro Song: Loving You Makes the Stars Shine Brighter

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, Clint sits down with Charlie Garcia, the visionary founder of R360, an exclusive peer-to-peer group for individuals with significant wealth who are committed to making a positive impact on the world. Charlie shares his incredible journey from aspiring military pilot to successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. Timestamps: 00:12 - Introduction and Career Background 00:32 - Military Aspirations and Career Shift 01:04 - Transition to Financial Services 01:25 - ing Peer-to-Peer Organizations 01:46 - Leadership Fellowship at Harvard and MIT 02:09 - Founding R360 03:02 - R360's Mission and Values 03:14 - Wealth Beyond Money 03:45 - ability in R360 04:07 - Global Impact Goals 04:50 - Philanthropic Initiatives 05:50 - Collaborative Projects 06:44 - AI and Dalai Lama Project 07:48 - Member Projects and Backgrounds 08:40 - hip Criteria 09:03 - Current hip and Recruitment 09:25 - AI Learning and Implementation 10:50 - AI in Healthcare 13:29 - AI in Personal Life 16:09 - AI's Future Impact 17:06 - Key Leadership Traits 20:53 - Applicability of Leadership Traits 21:31 - Economic and Political Outlook for 2024-2025 22:04 - Investment Opportunities 23:46 - Education and Societal Issues 25:51 - Optimism for the Future 28:30 - Importance of Open Conversations 30:30 - Elon Musk and Government Efficiency 31:08 - Government Bureaucracy Challenges 32:22 - Government Workforce Issues 36:07 - Payroll and Government Spending 36:32 - Final Question: Who Gave You a Chance? 39:10 - Importance of Mentorship 40:42 - Conclusion and Future Plans

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, Clint sits down with Alex Atzberger, the CEO of Optimizely, to discuss his impressive career journey and the transformative growth of Optimizely. From his early days during the dot-com boom to working alongside industry leaders like Bill McDermott at SAP, Alex shares invaluable insights into leadership, innovation, and the power of AI in marketing. Timestamps: 00:13 - Introduction and Career Background 02:14 - Growth and Vision of Optimizely 03:01 - Overview of Optimizely's Product 04:00 - Leadership Lessons from Bill McDermott 06:44 - Impact of AI on Marketing 10:29 - Building Confidence in AI Solutions 13:00 - Typical Day as a CEO 15:29 - Building and Leading Company Culture 17:53 - Recommended Books 19:44 - Essential Tools and Apps 21:15 - Managing the Economy and Future Outlook 24:34 - Reflecting on Opportunities and Mentorship

In this episode, Clint sits down with Scott Clark, co-founder and CEO of Distributional, to discuss his journey from founding SIGOPT to leading a new venture focused on AI confidence. Scott shares insights on optimizing AI systems, the importance of consistent and reliable behavior in AI, and the challenges of balancing creativity and control in AI models. We delve into Scott's experience with raising capital, including his recent Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz, and the lessons he's learned from his first startup. Scott also talks about the evolving landscape of Silicon Valley, the impact of remote work on recruiting, and the importance of building a strong company culture. Tune in to hear Scott's thoughts on the future of AI, the shift from prototypes to production, and the critical role of confidence in deploying AI systems at scale. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a startup founder, or just curious about the future of technology, this episode is packed with valuable insights. Timestamps: 00:12 - Introduction and Guest Background 00:37 - Founding and Selling SIGOPT 01:29 - Challenges in AI Optimization 02:12 - Acquisition by Intel and Role at Intel 02:43 - Realization of AI Confidence Problem 03:36 - Founding Distributional 04:33 - Balancing Creativity and Reliability in AI 05:59 - Mainstreaming of AI and Future Predictions 08:24 - Interesting AI Use Cases and Industry Trends 10:13 - Fundraising Experience and Lessons Learned 12:45 - Changes in Fundraising Landscape 14:30 - Typical Day of a CEO 16:18 - Recruiting and Building a Team 19:09 - Silicon Valley and Remote Work 21:09 - Building Company Culture 23:24 - Thoughts on Paul Graham's Founder Mode Essay 25:34 - Reading Recommendations 28:09 - Essential Tools and Apps 29:20 - Economic Outlook and Planning for 2025 33:13 - Importance of Confidence in AI Production 34:09 - Acknowledging Those Who Gave a Chance 35:34 - Closing Remarks and Future Prospects

In this episode, Clint sits down with Tyler Moebius, the CEO and Chairman of Smart Media Technologies, to delve into his journey in the ad tech industry and the innovative strides his company is making in the Web3 space. Tyler shares his insights on the evolution of Web3, the impact of AI, and the future of blockchain technology. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:09 - Tyler's journey to becoming CEO of Smart Media Technologies 00:28 - The mission and vision of Smart Media Technologies 02:28 - MyOlympic Rewards Program at the Paris Olympics 03:44 - The state of Web3 and blockchain technology 06:32 - The opportunity in loyalty programs and Web3 08:13 - The impact of AI on Smart Media Technologies 09:46 - Understanding NFTs and smart contracts 12:16 - A day in the life of Tyler 14:18 - Company culture and hybrid work environments 16:09 - Reading recommendations and leadership insights 19:59 - Addressing mental health in the tech industry 22:43 - Economic outlook for 2025 26:06 - Reflecting on who gave Tyler a chance in his career 27:06 - Closing remarks

In this episode of the CEO.com Podcast, we sit down with Rich Veldran, the CEO of GoTo, to discuss his incredible career journey, leadership insights, and the future of AI and remote work. Rich shares his experiences from his early days at Procter & Gamble to his transformative role at GoTo, formerly known as LogMeIn. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:21 - Rich's career journey 00:54 - Transition to GoTo and the impact of the pandemic 02:00 - Merging companies and brands 03:37 - The history and growth of LogMeIn and GoTo 05:03 - Acquisitions and product integrations 06:10 - Balancing innovation and integration 07:00 - The complexity of cloud telephony and AI 08:46 - The future of AI in business 10:50 - Public vs. private company management 12:07 - The evolving SaaS model 14:06 - A day in the life of a CEO vs. CFO 16:12 - Embracing remote and hybrid work 18:25 - The global talent pool and remote work benefits 19:50 - Reading recommendations 21:21 - Leadership style and development 23:34 - AI agents and human interaction 24:38 - Financial and market perspectives for 2025 26:44 - The importance of focusing on controllable factors 26:54 - The chance that made a difference in Rich's career

In this episode of the CEO.com Podcast, Clint sits down with Ania Smith, the CEO of TaskRabbit, to discuss her incredible career journey and the insights she's gained from her experiences at Uber and Airbnb. Ania shares how TaskRabbit connects people with skilled taskers for home services, the challenges of managing a marketplace, and the role of AI in enhancing customer experience. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:26 - What is TaskRabbit? 01:21 - Ania's journey to becoming CEO 01:59 - Lessons from Uber and Airbnb 03:38 - The role of AI in TaskRabbit 06:02 - Hybrid vs. remote work 08:07 - Leadership insights 10:44 - A day in the life of a CEO 12:53 - Partnership with IKEA 14:42 - Reading recommendations 16:15 - Economic trends and predictions 19:06 - Addressing mental health in the workplace 21:38 - Building a unique company culture 23:45 - The importance of giving and taking chances

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we chat with Beth Houck, the ionate and driven CEO of SonarMD. Beth takes us through her inspiring journey—from being the right-hand person at several startups to finally stepping into the CEO role in 2021. She opens up about the highs and lows of leading a healthcare startup, how SonarMD is changing the game in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and why company culture is at the heart of everything she does. We also dive into some big topics: the role of AI in healthcare, the ins and outs of raising capital, and how Beth stays mentally strong while keeping her remote team motivated. And don’t miss her must-read book recommendations and the go-to tools she swears by. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:19 - Beth's background and journey to becoming CEO 01:23 - Transitioning from COO to CEO 03:42 - What SonarMD does 05:06 - The inception of SonarMD 07:51 - A typical day for Beth 09:20 - Raising capital and investor relations 10:55 - The role of AI in SonarMD 13:08 - Building and maintaining company culture 15:01 - Beth's reading recommendations 16:17 - Favorite tools and apps 18:26 - Staying grounded and focusing on mental health 20:37 - Managing uncertainty in the business landscape 23:03 - Looking ahead to 2025 24:28 - The importance of giving and receiving chances

On this episode, Clint sits down with Lance and Nigel, the dynamic duo behind Vantage Discovery, a groundbreaking generative AI-powered SaaS platform that's transforming the e-commerce landscape. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:37 - What is Vantage Discovery? 02:13 - The journey from Yahoo to Pinterest 04:12 - Raising seed funding 05:28 - Proving the thesis and building the tech 07:15 - Differentiating real AI from the hype 09:07 - The state of Silicon Valley and remote work 11:56 - Building and managing distributed teams 14:16 - A day in the life of a CEO and COO 18:21 - The potential of Vantage Discovery 20:58 - The future of AI in the next 5-10 years 23:30 - Planning for 2024 and beyond 25:22 - Who gave you a chance?

In this episode, we sit down with John Leh, the CEO of Talented Learning, to explore the fascinating world of Learning Management Systems (LMS). Talented Learning is an independent global research and analyst firm that has been studying the learning technology market for over a decade. John shares his journey of founding the company, the importance of LMS in corporate training, and how Talented Learning helps organizations find the right systems to meet their needs. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 00:24 - What is Talented Learning? 01:00 - How Talented Learning Works 01:14 - Focus on Corporate Market 01:54 - Thought Leadership Marketing 02:16 - Inbound Leads and Client Acquisition 03:07 - Neutrality and Investment Ethics 03:45 - Talented Learning Awards 05:09 - Leaders in the LMS Space 06:16 - Use Cases for LMS 08:54 - A Day in the Life of a CEO 09:46 - Podcast Publishing Schedule 10:43 - Revenue Models 12:13 - Talented Learning Center 12:48 - Advertising and Neutrality 13:09 - Reading Recommendations 14:42 - Favorite Books and Business Insights 16:40 - Impact of AI on Learning Systems 20:31 - AI and Employment in the Industry 22:07 - Market Trends and Economic Impact 24:40 - The Importance of Giving and Taking Chances 26:27 - Closing Remarks and Information

On this episode of the CEO Podcast, Clint sits down with Yaky Yanay, the CEO of Pluri, a groundbreaking biotech company specializing in 3D cell technology. Yaky shares his unique journey into the biotech industry, inspired by a graph on life expectancy, and how Pluri is revolutionizing various sectors from healthcare to food security. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:09 - Yaky's journey to biotech 01:55 - What is 3D cell technology? 04:04 - Cell-based coffee production 08:18 - Being based in Israel 10:22 - A typical day for Yaky 12:02 - Cultivated meat 14:48 - Medical applications 17:31 - Future areas for cell technology 20:20 - Thoughts on aging and longevity 22:42 - Financing and investments 24:41 - Reading recommendations 26:55 - The importance of mentorship

In this episode, we sit down with Mo Al Adhem, the CEO and co-founder of Freck, to dive deep into his entrepreneurial journey and the innovative solutions his company offers in the wealth management industry. Mo shares his personal story of frustration with traditional money management and how it led him to create Freck, a platform that democratizes sophisticated investment strategies for everyone. Timestamps: 00:09 - Introduction and Background 00:21 - Founding of Freck 00:43 - Frustration with Traditional Wealth Management 01:15 - Technology in Financial Services 02:08 - Introduction to Freck's Main Product 02:49 - Direct Indexing Explained 04:15 - Tax Loss Harvesting 05:40 - Historical Context and Technology Evolution 06:43 - Differentiation from Competitors 07:43 - Revenue Model 09:11 - Additional Revenue Sources 10:00 - Potential Expansion into Mortgages 10:49 - Company Size and Team Structure 11:28 - Benefits of a Small Team 12:32 - Hiring Philosophy 13:03 - Typical Workday 14:09 - Importance of Planning 14:38 - Customer Acquisition Strategy 16:00 - Word of Mouth Growth 16:11 - Advice for Founders 17:48 - Reading Interests 19:06 - Economic Outlook for 2025 20:46 - Thoughts on Bitcoin 22:06 - Reflecting on Opportunities Given 24:10 - Conclusion and Thanks