Growth Capital Podcast

Adam Spector, a four-time founder and angel investor, shares his startup journey and the wisdom gained from his experiences. He discusses the hidden dangers of early venture capital and emphasizes the benefits of bootstrapping. Adam highlights the importance of distinguishing between founder energy and leverage, and how operational tasks are often too complex for automation. He also delves into the current landscape of AI investments and offers advice for spotting quality founders, making this conversation a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs.

🔧 Growth Capital Podcast - Episode 36 🔧   Most founders in the trades don’t hit a ceiling because of demand—they stall because the business depends entirely on them. In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon is joined by David Forster, Founder and CEO of Systems Over Sweat, a strategic advisory firm helping home service businesses escape founder dependency and build scalable operations. David shares how he transitioned from building and selling multiple companies (including landscaping, logistics, and a bike shop) to helping others systematize everything from job site decisions to customer communication. This conversation is a must-listen if you're scaling past $2M in revenue or trying to make your business less reliant on you. 📌 What You'll Learn: Why most service businesses stall between $1M–$5M The “Think Like Me” training framework that empowers frontline decision-making How to turn customer chaos into a repeatable, scalable process Why systems—not hustle—create real profit and freedom How AI and automation are quietly transforming trade-based businesses 🧰 Learn more about Systems Over Sweat: 🌐 Website: https://systemsoversweat.com 📬 Connect with David on Facebook 👇 Watch, comment, and subscribe to Growth Capital, a Hire Tomorrow Podcast with Justin Dixon, for more interviews with leaders scaling real businesses. 📣 Share your thoughts: Where does your business still rely too heavily on you?

🧠 Growth Capital Podcast - Episode 35 🧠 In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Steven Atkins, Co-Founder & CEO of Ease AI, a sales enablement platform using AI to upskill reps and optimize the sales journey, without relying on massive teams or external funding. Steven shares his journey from high-performing sales leader to startup founder, how he met his co-founder through YC’s Co-Founder Matching tool, and why they’re betting on lean, scrappy growth powered by AI, not venture capital. 🔍 What you’ll learn: How AI roleplay tools train sales teams faster and better Why Ease AI is focused on platform-building, not just features How startups can scale through channel partners, not headcount What makes co-founder alignment so crucial Why self-funding can be a smart path in today's market 📨 Connect with Steven: steven@easeai.ai 🔗 Follow Ease AI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/easeai 🎧 Watch the episode now and subscribe to The Growth Capital Podcast for more stories from founders and private market leaders. 👇 Like, comment, and let us know: How are you using AI to drive smarter sales?

🧠 Growth Capital Podcast - Episode 34 🧠 What if your biggest growth opportunity is hiding in plain sight—inside the customer experience? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Evan Steele, Founder & CEO of Rater8, to explore how real-time feedback and reputation management are reshaping the way healthcare practices grow. Evan shares his founder journey—bootstrapping two companies, scaling to thousands of clients, and building a fully remote team before it was mainstream. From the spark of a bad hotel check-in to managing 30+ million data points across healthcare practices, his story is a masterclass in turning insights into innovation. 🔍 What you’ll learn in this episode: How feedback became the foundation for a scalable SaaS business Why reputation is the most undervalued growth lever in healthcare The playbook for building culture in a remote-first company How Rater8 is using AI to turn raw feedback into actionable insights The shift from search engines to “answer engines”—and what that means for visibility Whether you're scaling a SaaS company, investing in vertical software, or just trying to align product with real customer need, this episode delivers. 🎧 Available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. 👉 Like, subscribe, and tell us: How are you measuring the experience in your business? 🌐 Learn more: rater8.com 🔗 Contact their team at info@rater8.com 📌 Subscribe to the channel for more insights from investors, operators, and private equity leaders. 💬 Drop a comment: What's the one fundraising mistake you see most often?

💸 Growth Capital Podcast - Episode 33 💸 What separates a founder who pitches from one who closes? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Jeffrey Fidelman, Founder & CEO of Fidelman & Co., to decode what it really takes to raise money from investors in today’s market. From creating pitch decks that resonate, to navigating investor psychology and structuring effective calls, Jeffrey shares tactical insights from his years of experience in investment banking, family offices, and now as an advisor to founders raising early-stage capital. 🚀 Whether you're preparing for your seed round or looking to level up your Series A pitch, this episode will show you how to approach fundraising like a pro—from story, to structure, to strategy. 🎯 What you’ll learn: 🔹 Why most pitch meetings fail before they even begin 🔹 The investor psychology every founder needs to understand 🔹 How to structure your calls to turn interest into investment 🔹 The surprising danger of raising too much money 🔹 What $1.7 trillion in undeployed capital means for founders in 2025   🔗 Connect with Jeffrey: jeffrey@fidelmanco.com 🌐 Learn more: https://fidelmanco.com 📌 Subscribe to the channel for more insights from investors, operators, and private equity leaders. 💬 Drop a comment: What's the one fundraising mistake you see most often?

What if the key to productivity wasn’t doing more, but choosing less? In this episode of Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Steven Puri—former Hollywood executive turned tech founder of The Sukha Company, a productivity platform designed to help people and teams find focus and flow. Steven shares what he learned from two failed startups, how that pain reshaped his product philosophy, and how the idea of “doing less to finish more” became the foundation of his work. From lessons in listening to users, to designing a product around neuroscience and flow states, this episode is a goldmine for founders, operators, and investors alike. 🔍 What you’ll learn: Why most productivity tools encourage the wrong behavior How startup failure can lead to sharper product instincts The problem with overbuilding—and how to know when to stop What flow state really is, and how to design your workday around it Why users who pay are the ones worth listening to 🚀 Whether you're scaling a PE-backed company, building your MVP, or just trying to reclaim your workday, this episode will resonate. 📩 Connect directly with Steven: steven@thesukha.co 🌐 Try Sukha: TheSukha.co/?ref=justinfo (Free 7-day trial, no credit card) 🎁 BONUS: Use code JUSTIN25 for 25% off for life when you create your Sukha membership. 👉 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment—what would you do with more focus?

🛡️ Growth Capital Podcast – Episode 31 🛡️ In this episode, we sit down with Rekha Shenoy to explore Scaling Secure: Building Smarter, Safer Tech Companies. Rekha shares her deep expertise in cybersecurity, data privacy, and scaling tech ventures with security built into the foundation—not as an afterthought. We dive into how today’s fastest-growing companies can balance innovation with protection, why trust is a competitive advantage, and the leadership strategies that ensure long-term, secure growth. 🎧 Tune in now to learn how Rekha is helping companies scale with confidence—by putting security at the center of their success.

🔋 Growth Capital Podcast – Episode 30 🔋 In this electrifying episode, we’re joined by Madhav Ayygari, Co-Founder and CEO of Inductive Robotics, to explore Charging the Future: Autonomous Power at Every Parking Spot. Madhav shares how his team is redefining the EV charging experience with fully autonomous, wireless power delivery—turning every parking spot into a charging station. We dive into the technology behind the innovation, the infrastructure challenges it solves, and the bold vision required to scale a solution at the intersection of robotics, energy, and mobility. 🎧 Tune in now to discover how Inductive Robotics is powering the next frontier of clean, connected transportation!

🔥 Growth Capital Podcast – Episode 29 🔥 In this episode, we sit down with Brad Medford, CEO and Co-Founder of Imperium Technologies, Inc., to explore Boiling Point: Innovating an Industry Left Behind. Brad shares how he's tackling one of the most overlooked sectors—industrial water heating—with breakthrough technology and bold vision. We discuss the challenges of modernizing legacy systems, driving innovation in a slow-to-change industry, and the power of grit and persistence in bringing meaningful solutions to market. 🎧 Tune in now to hear how Brad is turning up the heat on industrial innovation and transforming a space that’s long overdue for disruption!

⚡ Growth Capital Podcast – Episode 28 ⚡ In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Wharton, CEO of Tandem PV, to explore Disrupting the Grid, Redefining the Game. Scott dives into how Tandem PV is reimagining the future of solar energy with cutting-edge technology that challenges the status quo of traditional power systems. We talk innovation, sustainability, and the strategic vision required to take breakthrough tech from lab to large-scale impact. Whether you're an investor, entrepreneur, or energy enthusiast, this conversation is packed with insight into what it takes to build and scale in the clean tech space. 🎧 Tune in now to learn how Scott and the Tandem PV team are powering a new era of energy transformation!