From Founder To Ceo Podcast

Sponsored by: www.stressfreefounder.com Marc's new (relatively) book, "It Will Never Work" is really wonderful book. I like it because Marc seems to be very honest about him Reed Hastings and the birth and growth of Netflix. I'm not surprised since "radical honesty" is a hallmark of the culture at Netflix. Marc was very revealing in this interview. He answers these questions: Why did he write and published his book so many years after he left Netflix? Why was his family such a big part of his startup success? Where did the title of his book come from? What happened when Marc shared his book with Reed Hastings (Co-Founder and Current CEO) before it was published? What does he mean by "radical honesty?" What were Marc's strengths and weaknesses as a Co-Founder and leader and what were and are Reed Hastings strengths and weaknesses as a Co-Founder and leader? What REALLY happened when Reed Hastings told Marc that he does not think Marc can lead the company by himself any more? What is his advice to Founder

SPONSORED BY: www.stressfreefounder.com Maria is a proud New Yorker and a skillful Founder. She has successfully navigated and pivoted her business through the dot-com bust, 9-11, the 2008 recession and now the COVID-19 crisis. She shares the 4 actions you can take to successfully lead through crisis and come out winning.

Pat and his team are having an enormous impact. Pat is the CEO of GAN, THE organization supporting the success of over 100 independent accelerators...in over 120 cities. He is also the CEO of GAN Ventures. In this interview, Pat walks us through what he believes are the new Coronavirus job description components for him and Founders around the world. He also reveals the launch of the NEW Founder Support Fund...which you will hear, he gets very emotional about. GAN: https://www.gan.co/ GAN Ventures: https://www.gan.co/engage/ventures/ The Founder Support Fund: https://www.gan.co/engage/startups/founder-support-fund/

Gunner and his team are on the front lines of battling COVID-19 and other pathogens in hospitals. Their amazing "tower" helps to lyze the "bugs" that linger in hospital rooms after a patient leaves. It's not something that they just came up with. It's a technology that they have been perfecting over the years. And, it's even more important now. Gunner talks about how his earlier mistake led to the further development of this much needed and timely product.

Anand really believes in his mission. With over 20 years of experience in his industry, Anand has created something whose time has come...technology for financial advisors...one of the last areas of business life to still be operating somewhere back in the 1980s era. It's a tough area to break into because of a fair amount of regulation. Anand's attention to detail...a strength of his...became somewhat of a liability as he endeavored to launch into the market. He talks about overcoming perfectionism and what you can do to overcome it too. And, oh yes. Since we recorded this interview, Anand has launched BIG with new customers coming at him fast and furious. Anand is a great example of what "being all in" is all about. Listen and see what I mean.

CDR Lippold bravely led his sailors during the horrific suicide bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 when 17 sailors died. Kirk understands what it takes to lead during crisis situations. He shares his thoughts about what Founders can do as they are confronted with difficult decisions and big expectations during COVID-19. His Website: https://kirklippold.com/ His Book: "Front Burner" on Amazon His Speaker's Bureau Page: https://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/commander-kirk-lippold-usn-ret

I asked Craig to come on the show because he is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Not only did his team just finish moving a considerable number of clients to home-based work in response to COVID-19, he also successfully navigated the 2008 recession after going through a "divorce" with his co-founder. Listen as he shares some sage steps and advice about working through this challenging time period. Well worth your time.

Phillip is a former guest on the show that I wanted to bring back for a good reason. His agency, Win BIG Media has an exclusive partnership with the largest data collection company in America. They have been working with them over the past 5 weeks to analyze consumer behavior in the marketplace regarding COVID-19, how it’s shifting, and how you can take advantage of it. Here is a link to the results: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uQGHoylEoysjCZmHBPNprIaCvsSeR12x/view  

Now, more than ever, we need to know what is happening in the hearts and minds of our team members. Santiago and his team have married up software and coaching that does just that. Santiago is well versed in the research about engagement and productivity. He is also very candid about how his leadership, at one point, was not very engaging to his team. He speaks in great detail about the time he was struggling and what you can do to overcome a similar circumstance.

Communications Expert & Attorney, Jenny Kay, shares Founder Crisis Communication Tips During Covid-19 Her Company: https://kaycommunications.co/ Her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jekay/  

These are stressful times for many Founders. What usually is a challenging role to be in, has been turned into a crazy race to stay alive. That's why I have been striving to bring you insights from Founders who have launched and exited multiple startups. Brendan is one of those guys. You may recall "Bear Naked" Granola...well, Brendan, Kelly Flatley, and team created that amazing company and sold it to Kellogg's. It was an incredible exit. In this interview, Brendan takes you inside that experience, what he learned about himself, and how he has taken these experiences as he builds he latest company, PACT Apparel. Oh, and Brendan knows a little bit more about surviving, you may have caught him on the CBS TV show Survivor in 2008.

We dissect one of the pillars of Mike Robbin's new book: "We're All in This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Belonging" - We talk about the importance of "sweaty palm" conversations all the time, and especially during times of crisis. Get his new book here: https://mike-robbins.com/together/ Before starting his business in 2001, Mike played baseball at Stanford University and then with the Kansas City Royals organization. Injuries to my pitching arm ended his playing career at the age of 23 when he was still in the minor leagues. After baseball and prior to starting his consulting business, he worked for two tech companies in online ad sales during the "dot-com boom" of the late 1990s. Now, Mike works with companies like: Google, Wells Fargo, eBay, Gap, Adobe, Schwab, Microsoft, Genentech, Airbnb, and the San Francisco Giants.

As we battle Covid-19, I was grateful that Johannes joined me on the podcast. His views on "collective intelligence" are quite inspiring. And, it's his own understanding of himself as a leader that was quite ironic. Let me know what you think.

Bobby Herrera is the successful Founder & CEO of The Populus Group, THE company that help you manage your non-permanent workforce. Bobby is also a U.S. Army veteran and author of one of my favorite books, "The Gift of Struggle: Life-Changing Lessons About Leading" which you can buy on Bobby's personal site here: https://bobby-herrera.com/ Bobby and I have become friends and I am grateful to him for coming on the podcast for a second time to detail how he uses *V-U-C-A* to lead his team during the COVID-19 crisis. This is not fluff. He details specific example and exactly what you can do to slow down the speed of this crisis and come out winning on the other side. You can read more about it here: https://bit.ly/34lNule Check out Bobby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/) and also his company here: https://www.populusgroup.com/

Todd O'Brien has a popular podcast you'll want to check out: http://keepitweirdmedia.com/podcast He and I talk about what we have learned interviewing entrepreneurs over the years.

Andrew was guest #2, 5 years ago. It was truly an honor to have him back on the show where he discusses two key issues: 1) how he is navigating a pilot shortage 2) a specific experience about remote leadership that taught him a valuable lesson we all can learn from as the globe embraces remote work.

She grew SolidCore to over 70 locations and thousands of members including big fans like Michelle Obama. But, nothing has compared to the heart-wrenching decisions Anne has had to make in response to the global pandemic. Anne reveals the steps she has taken to take care of her team members, as best she can, and save her company amidst great uncertainty. I think the thing that makes me stop and really appreciate Anne is this...she cares deeply for her team and she is a fighter...she is committed to overcoming this temporary challenge.

Imagine having an intelligence system that proactively finds the right information you need to craft the best messages for sales prospecting. That is what Daniel and his team have created. And, as an early stage Founder, Daniel continues to learn valuable lessons. One big one...how being the "hero CEO" creates more problems than it is worth.

Are you contributing or contaminating? That is a question that Brad invites advisors, family members, friends, etc., (who desire to give advice to rising Founders) to think about. He talked exclusively with us about how he navigates this question with his successful family members in Wisconsin.

You may know Evan. He is the guy with over 2 million subscribers on YouTube aiming to help you believe your entrepreneurial ambitions can come true. But, have you ever stopped to think if Founders like Evan have fears, doubts, and concerns? Evan gets real candid with me and details his biggest fear and what he does to overcome it. A MUST listen.