The Goats of Growth

In this episode I spoke with Kevin McShane, private equity Operating Partner and former linebacker of the 1988 National Champion Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who built a career in technology and a reputation as a CRO for creating enough value that would lead to multiple successful exits.   We covered everything from the leadership lessons he learned from Coach Lou Holtz,  his move in tech CRO roles, his advice for other CROs and operators who aspire to make the move into private equity, what makes a succeful private equity operating partner, and much more. Kevin McShanes Linkedin Profile Timestamps from the show:  Lessons from Coach Holtz (00:02:40) Impact of Lou Holtz's leadership on the Kevins career and the importance of caring for every individual. Transition to Private Equity (00:07:27) Kevins journey from CRO to operating partner, including successful exits and leadership principles. Difference Between Venture Capital and Private Equity (00:13:03) Explanation of the distinctions between venture capital and private equity in terms of investment and ownership. From Operator to Operating Partner (00:15:16) The impetus for the guest's transition to an operating partner role and the challenges and excitement of the new position. Training and Leadership (00:17:37) The significance of ongoing training and leadership development in driving growth and success in organizations. Measuring Performance and Impact (00:22:54) Discussion on the challenges of transitioning from day-to-day operations to a broader role and measuring impact in a new position. Building Trust and Collaboration (00:23:43) Operating partner's role, building trust with the CEO and leadership, low ego and collaboration. Co-creating Playbooks (00:26:19) Collaborative approach to combining playbooks, aligning on KPIs, and co-creating game plans. Measuring Success (00:30:29) Metrics for measuring success: annual revenue growth, EBITDA, hiring/training, sales productivity, and hold period. Entering Private Equity (00:34:46) Steps for transitioning to an operating partner role in private equity, research, and targeted outreach. Developing Talent and Leadership (00:42:06) Motivation, extreme ownership, developing talent, and checking ego for leadership success. Favorite Character (00:47:49) Kevin's admiration for Captain Miller from "Saving Private Ryan" and Tom Hanks' portrayal. Yoga Practice (00:49:00) Kevin discusses the importance of checking ego and the lessons learned from practicing yoga. Discipline Equals Freedom (00:51:53) Kevin emphasizes discipline, early rising, and self-care for leadership and personal success. Greatest Defeat (00:54:28) Kevin suggests asking the next guest about their greatest defeat and the lessons learned from it. Reaching Out (00:55:21) Kevin invites people to connect with him on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and share experiences. Passion for Leadership (00:56:18) Kevin shares his passion for developing great leadership and building a supportive community.

How do you hire for growth without over hiring? That's part of what I spoke to Karl Sharman, Head of Talent at Forgepoint Capital, about in this episode where he shared his perpective on the following: Why paying attention to ARR/Revenue per employee is so important and the alarming trend he saw happening 2H of 2022 The role of talent management and why he advices their porfolio companies to focus on performance efficiency How he helps their Founders/CEO to understand what great talent management looks like  Why it's important that Forgepoint Capital invest in Founders and CEO's that are coachable What he looks for when evaluating CROs Why having the proper organizational design is so critical to managing burn rate All that an more in this episode.  Karl Sharmans Linkedin Profile The Southampton Football Club (00:01:10) Discussion about the guest's experience and role at the Southampton Football Club. Talent Spotting in Football (00:03:50) Talent spotting process and decision-making in football recruitment. Transition to Forge Point Capital (00:07:41) Karls transition from the football world to working with Forgepoint Capital. Forge Point Capital's Investment Focus (00:10:07) Overview of Forgepoint Capital's investment focus and portfolio companies. Talent Acquisition and Performance Management (00:15:03) Discussion on the shift from talent acquisition to performance management and its impact on companies. The portfolio benchmarking (00:19:14) Discussing the mixed portfolio and the benefits of sharing data and benchmarking for better understanding and decision-making. Performance management and development (00:21:32) Exploring the positive aspects of performance management, including employee development, and dispelling negative connotations. Culture and talent management (00:23:24) Discussing the impact of culture, naming, and positive language in talent management and the importance of coaching and educating founders and executives. Coaching and influencing founders (00:24:23) Exploring the role of coaching and influencing founders and executives in making informed decisions and having a positive impact on their companies. Distribution of organization (00:27:07) Examining the distribution of organizational resources, particularly in relation to engineering, and the importance of achieving a balanced organizational design. Measuring the value of a CRO (00:30:03) Introducing the concept of valuing a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and discussing the criteria for measuring their impact and success. Factors affecting CRO tenure (00:31:24) Exploring the reasons for the average 17-month tenure of CROs, including transparency, expectations, and onboarding, and the importance of context and experience in evaluating CRO candidates. Attributes of a top CRO (00:37:47) Discussing the qualities and attributes of a top CRO, including energy, positivity, and previous experience, and the importance of building scorecards to identify top candidates. Tom Brady and NFL Player Comparison (00:38:40) Comparing Tom Brady's role in NFL to hiring the right candidate for a company. Onboarding Responsibility (00:39:43) Discussion on the responsibility of onboarding new hires, particularly for CEO and CRO positions. CEO's Role in Onboarding (00:40:22) The importance of CEO involvement in onboarding, with a reference to Elon Musk's approach. Motivation and Impact (00:43:28) Discussion on what motivates the speaker and the impact of making a difference. Long-Term Goal: Becoming CEO of Disney (00:44:44) Karls ambition to become the CEO of Disney and the long-term goal associated with it. Community and Collaboration Impact (00:48:42) The significant impact of community and collaboration on the speaker's career and business operations.  

In today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jared Robin, Co-Founder of RevGenius and a new side-hustle he calls The Collab. He revealed his secret about how he builds online, empathetic and inclusive communities which are now boasting a remarkable 40k+ members. What intrigued me the most were Jared's organic growth strategies which were a combination of LinkedIn and a referral program. Pay close attention to the specific ways he used both.  If community-building is anywhere on your radar, this episode is a must-listen.  Jared Robins Linkedin Profile The value of a welcome email (00:01:05) Discussion on the impact of a well-written welcome email and its significance for the right audience. Building empathetic communities (00:03:33) The approach to creating inclusive and empathetic communities for go-to-market leaders. Creating a private community for senior leaders (00:06:04) The rationale and structure behind the creation of a paid private community for senior leaders. Passion projects and community building (00:09:11) The philosophy behind passion projects and the importance of community movements. The growth journey of Rev Genius (00:12:10) Insights into the initial steps and growth strategy of Rev Genius, including the decision to delay monetization. Formation of Rev Genius and early growth tactics (00:14:57) The formation of Rev Genius, initial growth strategies, and the transition from LinkedIn chat to Slack. Utilizing LinkedIn and referral programs for growth (00:20:27) The impact of using LinkedIn, referral programs, and badges for community growth and engagement. Adviser role becomes the norm (00:21:40) Discussion about the trend of having multiple jobs and the experience of being invited to a new job. Transition to Slack community (00:23:24) The shift to using Slack for the community, website development, and initial member growth. Community engagement tactics (00:26:05) Strategies for community engagement, including onboarding, volunteer network, and managing engagement over time. Sponsorship and revenue growth (00:34:21) The various ways sponsors engage with the community, revenue sources, and the core team's structure. Team growth and revenue goals (00:42:29) Discussion about the need for team expansion based on revenue growth and the long-term revenue goals. Sleep and leisure activities (00:45:14) Jared talks about his average hours of sleep and his favorite leisure activity. Impact of AI and collaboration (00:46:36) Jared discusses the potential impact of AI and collaboration on future growth and development.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of chatting with Carol Meyers, a seasoned go-to-market executive, about the ins and outs of serving on a company's board. We covered everything from snagging a board seat to the impact and responsibilities of board members, touching on the time commitment involved. Carol shared some fascinating experiences, including insights into crisis management and the dynamics of board interactions. We also dived into the path to board membership for different C-level executives and unraveled the distinctions between a board of directors and advisors. A must listen and let us know your key takeaways.    Carol Meyers Linkedin Profile   Getting the First Board Member Seat (00:02:00) Carol Meyers shares her experience of getting her first board member seat and the value of being a potential customer. Purpose of Asking Questions (00:04:36) Carol Meyers explains the reasons for asking questions during board meetings, including seeking clarification, provoking different viewpoints, and ensuring good governance. Measuring Value as a Board Member (00:07:22) Carol Meyers discusses how she gauges her impact as a board member and the indicators of adding value, such as team and CEO appreciation and the implementation of ideas. Time Commitment as a Board Member (00:09:58) Carol Meyers outlines the varied time commitments for board members, including meetings with company leaders, preparation for board meetings, and the flexibility required for unexpected events. Weekly Meetings with CEO (00:12:24) Carol Meyers describes her weekly meetings with a CEO, emphasizing the evolving nature of discussions and the role of collaboration and support for the CEO. Challenges Faced as a Board Member (00:13:42) Carol Meyers highlights potential challenges faced by board members, including crises, mergers, and leadership transitions, and the need for proactive and flexible responses. Dynamics Between Board Members (00:16:08) Carol Meyers discusses the dynamics between board members, particularly in venture-backed companies, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing shareholder interests over personal agendas. OpenAI and Sam Altman Board Situation (00:19:12) Jay asks Carol Meyers about the board situation with OpenAI and Sam Altman, seeking her opinion and explanation of what went wrong. The unique situation (00:19:30) Discussion about a unique situation where a nonprofit board transitioned into a for-profit business, causing misalignment and poor handling. Career path to the board (00:21:18) Advice for C-level executives on how to position themselves for a board seat, emphasizing personal responsibility, learning, and networking. Importance of P&L responsibility (00:23:20) The significance of profit and loss responsibility for board members, and its relevance in board discussions and decision-making. Transition to board roles (00:27:12) Advice for executives without a clear path to board seats, focusing on learning and broadening expertise to become valuable board members. Board of directors vs. advisors (00:29:41) Differentiating between the roles of board of directors and advisors, including responsibilities and compensation. Motivation and goals (00:33:14) Discussion on personal motivation and a big goal, with a focus on achievement and a light-hearted goal of improving at golf. Learning preferences and sleep habits (00:35:34) Carol's preferred way of learning and staying sharp, and her transition to getting eight hours of sleep per night. Leisure activities and favorite character (00:37:29) Carol's diverse leisure activities, including golf, boating, and traveling, and her admiration for Audrey Hepburn as a favorite character. Introduction to Inflection (00:40:09) Introduction and discussion about the app "Inflection" and its features. Using LinkedIn (00:42:10) The use of LinkedIn as the preferred platform for communication and networking.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I sit down with Breen Sullivan, founder of The Fourth Effect. We discuss her company's mission to match board-ready women with companies seeking new board members.  Our conversation took us through the intricacies of advisory versus governing boards, exploring the significance of directors and officers insurance, and dissecting the strategic roles governing boards play in the corporate landscape. A great discussion that shed light on boardroom dynamics. Breens Linkedin Profile You can tour the platform here. Background and Founding of The Fourth Effect (00:01:26) Breens background and the founding of The Fourth Effect to empower women in board appointments. Breaking into the Board Candidate Pipeline (00:03:41) Advice on entering the board candidate pipeline and positioning oneself for board roles. Difference Between Advisory and Governing Boards (00:08:31) Explanation of the distinctions between advisory and governing boards, including contractual relationships and fiduciary obligations. Stratifying Roles within the Governing Board (00:17:34) Discussion on selecting individuals for the governing board and their roles, emphasizing strategic high-level involvement. Compensation and Independence in Fiduciary Boards (00:18:43) Insight into the compensation, independence, and trust aspects of fiduciary boards, emphasizing the importance of high trust and independence. The difference between advisory and governing board (00:22:08) Discussion on the difference between advisory and governing boards, including liability and insurance. Function of the governing board (00:25:31) Exploration of the role and expectations of governing board members in advising and impacting the company. Types of directors (00:30:34) Explanation of the differences between independent directors, executive directors, and non-executive directors. Word of mouth growth and backroom investment club (00:32:28) How the platform grows through word of mouth and the role of the backroom investment club in connecting companies and board candidates. The importance of diversity and the link between boardrooms and cap tables (00:35:50) Discussion on the significance of diversity in boardrooms and the connection between board service and equity investment. Rapid fire five and bonus question (00:38:54) A series of quick questions and answers, along with a bonus question about a personal fact not found on LinkedIn. Reaching out to The Fourth Effect (43:43) Breen shares how to contact The Fourth Effect and invites listeners to visit their website. Corporate Partnerships and Professional Development (46:06) Breen discusses opportunities for corporations to support women's memberships and professional development at The Fourth Effect.

Welcome to another episode of "The Goats of Growth"! Today, I sit down with Evan Macedo, the Treasurer & VP of Operations/Finance at Sapers and Wallack, a financial services business. We're diving into the world of executive benefits packages and why they matter for venture and private equity portfolio companies In our chat, Evan breaks down why these packages are a big deal for attracting and keeping the best talent. He shares practical tips on designing these benefits, making sure they match what employees really want and need. Plus, if you're a new executive, Evan has some straightforward advice on how to negotiate your own package. Evan Macedos Linkedin Profile https://sapers-wallack.com/ The importance of executive benefits packages (00:02:03) Discussing why having the right executive benefits package is critical for attracting and retaining talent. Case study: Offering a competitive executive benefits package (00:03:59) Exploring how a tech company under $100 million in revenue can offer a benefits package to incentivize a new Chief Revenue Officer and retain them. Common mistakes in executive benefits packages (00:09:34) Highlighting the lack of communication and understanding of benefits as a common issue in companies. The importance of communication and meaningful benefits (00:10:18) We discuss the importance of effective communication and offering benefits that hold personal value to employees. The "Keep Plan" to incentivize employee retention (00:11:22) Evan introduces the "Keep Plan," which offers financial incentives for employees with children going to college, encouraging them to stay with the company. The Sharpe Concept for maximizing retirement savings (00:12:38) Evan explains the Sharpe Concept, a supplemental alternative retirement program that allows individuals to maximize their retirement savings beyond traditional 401(k) plans. Unreasonable Expectations (00:21:41) Discussion on the importance of doing homework on a company and avoiding unreasonable expectations from an incoming employee. Long-Term Investment (00:22:12) Importance of finding the right fit between company goals and employee goals to avoid making a bad hire and the benefits of upfront due diligence. Motivation to Help People (00:23:33) Evan's motivation to wake up every day and help people by solving their retirement worries and providing peace of mind. Evan Macedo's contact information (00:31:46) Evan shares his contact information and encourages listeners to visit the company's website to learn more about their services. Show notes with Evan Macedo's details (00:32:15) Jay mentions that they will include the details of Evan Macedo's contact information in the show notes for easy reference.    

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I had the plasure of talking with Cliff McDonald, co-managing partner of BrainHeart Growth and Chief Growth Officer of RehabPath. Cliff shares his personal journey with addiction and recovery, and how this led him to his role at RehabPath. We discuss the importance of managing career stress, aligning personal values with one's work, the significance of emotional intelligence in team dynamics, and the necessity of psychological safety in the workplace. Cliff dives into insights on evaluating a company's culture and the importance of authentic core values. Cliff Macdonalds Linkedin Profile The journey to Rehab Path (00:01:08) Cliff McDonald discusses his transition from BrainHeart Growth to becoming the Chief Growth Officer at RehabPath. Working in behavioral health (00:03:11) Cliff shares his personal experience with substance use disorder and his passion for working in the behavioral health industry. Discovering Rehab Path (00:07:04) Cliff explains how he came across Rehab Path and his initial involvement with the company before joining as a formal team member. The importance of having a guide in recovery (00:11:22) Cliff discusses how having a platform like RehabPath can match individuals with treatment providers. The pressure of being revenue responsible (00:12:25) Cliff reflects on the pressure of being revenue responsible and shares a story about Shaquille O'Neal's perspective on pressure in comparison to his own experience. The importance of finding meaning and mission in work (00:16:54) Cliff talks about the significance of finding meaning and purpose in one's career, and how being tied to the mission of an organization contributes to overall well-being and prevents burnout. The importance of engagement and relationships (00:21:53) Discussion on the significance of engagement and relationships in finding the next opportunity and experiencing positive emotions and achievement. The value of core values and team dynamics (00:24:56) Exploration of the importance of core values and team dynamics in creating a positive work environment and successful teams. Challenging toxic cultures in sports and business (00:30:16) Conversation about the need to challenge toxic cultures in sports and business, promoting psychological safety and creating a safe environment for individuals to perform their best. The culture of an organization (00:31:11) Discussion on how to evaluate the culture of an organization during the interview process and how to uncover if it is authentic or just lip service. Authentic core values (00:33:01) Importance of authentic core values in a company and how they are proven or disproven through stories shared by leaders. The spiritual life and past life exploration (00:41:44) Cliff discusses his experience of feeling free in nature and speculates about being an explorer in a past life. The story of the two wolves (00:42:27) Cliff shares an old Native American tale about the two wolves that exist within each person, one representing negative emotions and the other representing positive emotions. Reflections on fatherhood and future lives (00:43:24) Cliff and Jay discuss the idea of coming back in a future life, with Cliff expressing a desire to come back as a wolf and Jay jokingly suggesting he wants to come back as his own children.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I interview Lindsay Meyl, co-founder of RevAmp, a platform that enhances the impact of revenue teams by analyzing and intervening in all revenue-generating activities. We discuss discuss her bottoms-up capacity model  and the common mistakes people make in capacity planning--particulary pertaining to have the proper GTM resources to hit your target.  You do not want to miss out on this episode if you're capacity planning for 2024.  Lindsey Meyls Linkedin Profile Bottoms Up Capacity Planning Model (00:04:34) Jay discusses the bottoms up capacity planning model created by Lindsay and asks her about common mistakes people make in their planning for the future. The go-to-market strategy (00:11:13) Explains the different components of a go-to-market strategy, including outbound and inbound actions, partner plays, and customizing resource ratios. Assigning demand channels (00:12:18) Discusses how the model assigns specific demand channels based on the go-to-market motion, allowing for easy translation into pipe council meetings. Establishing baselines and improving productivity (00:17:07) Emphasizes the importance of setting personal baselines for performance and improving from there, rather than relying on external benchmarks. Also discusses the relationship between headcount and productivity in achieving revenue goals. The monthly targets for revenue (00:21:04) Discussion about the monthly targets for each team to ensure they are on track to meet the revenue target. The importance of having a tool like Revamp (00:21:59) The need for a tool like Revamp to provide visibility and ease of analyzing information to improve performance. Knowing when to scale (00:23:31) Exploring the concept of scaling based on leading indicators of success, such as time to value and net retention revenue. The big goal (00:31:17) Lindsay Mitchell talks about her goal for Revamp to become the next HubSpot and disrupt the go-to-market industry. Preferred way to learn (00:32:17) Lindsay discusses her preferred ways to learn, including listening to podcasts and participating in go-to-market communities and courses. Favorite thing to do when not working (00:34:09) Lindsay reveals that she enjoys reading as her favorite activity when she's not working.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Atkins, VP of Sales and General Manager of Life Sciences at Qualtrics. We discuss the best approach to building a successful sales team, including his "AEIOU" approach, while emphasizing hiring individuals with a deep understanding of the industry and a passion for their work. We also delve into the importance of clear communication, prioritizing wellness, and fostering a passionate and active work environment. Josh Atkins Linkedin Profile Building a New Life Sciences Team (00:02:23) Josh Atkins discusses his role as the VP of Sales and General Manager of Life Sciences at Qualtrics and the process of building a new team. Core Competencies for Sales Reps (00:03:45) Josh Atkins shares the core competencies he looks for when hiring sales reps, including being active, an ensemble player, inquisitive, an operator, and having industry knowledge. The Evolution of Hiring Criteria (00:09:26) Josh Atkins talks about how his hiring criteria evolved over time and the advantage of having the freedom to build his own team. The Love Language of Life Sciences (00:10:30) Josh discusses the importance of finding people who have a passion for life sciences and can understand the industry. Evolution of Team Building (00:12:29) Josh talks about his desire to build his own team and the shift in his thinking when it comes to location and qualifications of potential team members. Screening for Operators (00:18:40) Josh explains how he screens for operators by assessing their ability to navigate different roles and stakeholders in order to advance a deal. The prioritization of deals (00:20:31) The importance of showing up prepared, giving a pre-read, and clearly communicating your ask to prioritize your deal. The role of leaders in deals (00:20:54) The need for leaders to understand their role and be specific about what they need to do to support the deal. Defining enterprise sales (00:23:31) The ability to articulate a solution hypothesis, ingest data, and understand the client's business to effectively engage in enterprise sales. The victim mentality and excuses (00:30:13) Josh Atkins discusses how he used to make excuses to cover up lack of results and the feeling of being a victim in his career. Taking radical self-assessment and surrounding oneself with smart people (00:31:00) Josh Atkins emphasizes the importance of creating a path, chart, and list to avoid forgetting important tasks, and the value of self-understanding and surrounding oneself with intelligent individuals.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of sitting down with Colin Spector, the VP of Sales at Orum—an innovative AI-powered live conversation platform. We dive deep into a discussion about the core skills essential for success in sales, such as grit, curiosity, and care, and Colin shared invaluable insights into how he nurtures these qualities within his team. A key highlight was Colin emphasizing the significance of leaders actively listening to their team members' ideas. A must listen for leaders with ambitions of growing their team. Colins Linkedin Page Developing Sales Skills and Empowerment (00:04:05) Colin discusses the importance of grit, curiosity, and care in sales reps, and how to empower them to think outside the box and improve their skills. The reason for pattern interrupt (00:11:09) Colin explains how using an engineer as a salesperson was a pattern interrupt that led to more successful meetings. The importance of attitude and activity (00:14:05) Colin discusses the two levers that can be controlled every day: attitude and activity, and how they contribute to success in sales. Caring and champion building (00:18:03) Colin emphasizes the importance of caring for customers and building champions by helping them solve their problems and achieve their goals. Taking care of each other in business (00:22:12) Discussion about the importance of taking care of employees, sales reps, and customers in order to create a positive work environment. Big goal: Purchasing a rental property in Portugal (00:23:06) Colin's goal of buying a rental property in Portugal that can be used as a vacation property for his family. Learning new information through immersion(00:24:24) Colin's preferred way of learning new information, including languages and industries, by immersing himself in the culture and language.