CEO.com | Dispatches from the frontiers of leadership

Welcome to the CEO.com Show! In this episode, host Clint Betts sits down with Bill Donlan, the CEO of Astound Digital. With a rich background in IT services and consulting, Bill shares his journey from working at Arthur Anderson Management Consulting to leading Astound Digital.Bill discusses the current state and future of consulting, emphasizing the transformative role of AI in the industry. He also delves into the challenges and opportunities of leading a private equity-owned company, the resilience of his team in Ukraine, and his approach to maintaining a work-life balance.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:17 - Bill Donlan's background and journey to becoming CEO00:58 - Overview of Astound Digital02:43 - The current state and future of consulting04:25 - The role of AI in consulting and project delivery07:36 - Balancing work-life as a CEO09:52 - Bill's leadership style and company culture11:17 - Remote and hybrid work at Astound Digital12:56 - The resilience of the Ukrainian team14:25 - Balancing work and personal life15:14 - Leading a private equity-owned company16:59 - Outlook for 2025 and comparison to 202418:37 - The importance of giving and receiving chances

Welcome to the CEO.com Show! In this episode, host Clint Betts sits down with Amir Elichai, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Carbyne, a global leader in mission-critical technologies. Amir shares his incredible journey from being an Israeli army officer to founding Carbyne, a company revolutionizing emergency communication with cutting-edge cloud and AI technologies.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to Amir and Carbyne01:00 - The Origin Story of Carbyne02:33 - Carbyne's Technological Innovations03:46 - Carbyne's Success and Reach05:10 - The Role of AI in Carbyne's Growth07:59 - Future of AI in Emergency Services10:21 - Global Expansion and Use Cases11:08 - Carbyne's Customer Base and Sales Strategy12:39 - Fundraising and Investors13:36 - Company Structure and Workforce14:06 - Amir's Perspective on Current Events in Israel15:40 - Challenges in Selling to Local Governments17:49 - Future of AI in Law Enforcement19:49 - Reflecting on Opportunities and Support

In this episode, Clint Betts sits down with Adam Wilkes, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Carma, a global house of brands that partners with cultural icons like Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, and Future to revolutionize industries. Under Adam's leadership, Carma creates unique products and experiences through brands such as Tyson 2.0, Ric Flair Drip, and Evolve by Future, bridging the worlds of entertainment, culture, and commerce.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to Adam Wilks and Carma HoldCo00:54 - Overview of Carma HoldCo's Brands and Products03:21 - Mike Tyson's Involvement and the Genesis of Carma HoldCo04:22 - The Creation and Success of Mike Bites06:00 - Global Expansion and Adaptation of Products09:10 - Evolution and Future of the Cannabis Industry12:40 - Personal Anecdote: Adam's Grandmother and Cannabis13:06 - A Day in the Life of Adam Wilkes14:30 - Leadership Philosophy: People First15:34 - Advice for Entrepreneurs and Investors in the Cannabis Industry17:27 - Elements of a Great Marketing Campaign19:33 - Selecting Celebrities and Influencers to Work With22:06 - Manufacturing and Partnering with Growers24:24 - Acknowledging Those Who Gave Adam a Chance26:18 - Closing Remarks and Gratitude

In this episode, Clint sits down with Anthony Georgiades, the general partner of Innovating Capital. Anthony shares his journey from a finance student at the University of Pennsylvania to leading investments in disruptive technologies across cybersecurity, enterprise infrastructure, and Web3.Anthony dives deep into his early experiences, including the challenges he faced with his first startup and how it led him to pursue a more technical path. He also discusses the current state of Web3, the impact of meme coins, and the role of AI in transforming the industry.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:40 - Anthony's journey to Innovating Capital04:06 - The current state of Web306:12 - The impact of meme coins09:42 - Success stories: Solana and Injective Protocol12:34 - Thoughts on XRP17:23 - A day in the life of Anthony Georgiades18:41 - The role of AI in Web322:17 - Traits of successful founders24:56 - Who gave Anthony a chance?

In this episode, Clint Betts sits down with Genevieve Bellaire, the founder and CEO of Real World, an AI-driven platform designed to help young adults navigate the complexities of modern life. From setting up a 401k to finding the right health insurance, Real World aims to be the one-stop shop for all things adulthood.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Overview00:17 - Genevieve's Background and Real World Origin01:09 - Realizing the Knowledge Gap in Adulthood01:51 - The Impetus for Creating Real World02:22 - Evolution of Real World Platform03:06 - Early Validation and Pattern Recognition03:59 - Experimenting with Different Product Formats04:58 - Initial Focus on Educational Courses05:51 - Challenges with B2B Model and Pivot to B2C07:07 - Future of Education and AI Integration07:34 - Personalization and Generative AI in Real World08:58 - Automating Adulthood with AI10:03 - Excitement and Challenges of Rapid Technological Advancements11:11 - Overcoming Significant Challenges and Pivots13:06 - Differences Between B2B and B2C Models15:23 - User Feedback and Long-term Vision18:06 - A Day in the Life of a CEO19:06 - Reading Habits and Recommendations20:49 - Fundraising and Venture Capital Strategy22:04 - Important Attributes of Leadership23:19 - Admired Leaders and Their Impact24:40 - Lessons Learned and Trusting Your Gut26:00 - Current Market Outlook and Optimism for 202528:37 - Acknowledging Those Who Gave a Chance29:44 - Closing Remarks and Gratitude

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we sit down with Matt Tebbe, the President and CEO of Cartus, a global leader in corporate relocation and talent management services. Matt shares his journey to becoming the CEO, the unique challenges and opportunities in the relocation industry, and how Cartus is leveraging AI to enhance productivity and client experience.Timestamps:00:06 - Introduction to Matt Tebbe and Cartus00:40 - Matt Tebbe's Journey to CEO of Cartus01:28 - Overview of Cardist's Services02:44 - Lessons Learned as CEO03:35 - Work from Home and Hybrid Work Trends05:24 - The Role of AI in Cardist07:44 - AI's Impact on Productivity09:00 - Future of AI in the Workplace09:48 - DEI Programs and Their Impact11:31 - DEI as a Political Topic13:16 - A Day in the Life of Matt Tebbe14:08 - Reading Recommendations15:26 - Leaders Matt Tebbe Admires16:40 - Lessons Learned in Leadership17:46 - Building Culture in a Remote-First Company19:00 - Over-Communicating in a Remote Environment19:49 - Economic Outlook for 202521:53 - The Importance of Giving Chances23:04 - Closing Remarks

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we sit down with Cleveland Brown, the co-founder and CEO of PayScout. Cleveland shares his fascinating journey from building a communication platform for public schools to leading a global payment processing technology company. Discover how PayScout transforms payment processing from a cost center to a profit center using their proprietary payment orchestration platform and AI-driven tools.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:16 - Cleveland's journey to becoming CEO of PayScout00:50 - What is PayScout?01:20 - Cleveland's excitement about payments02:25 - Transition from communication platform to payment processing03:04 - Studying philosophy and its impact04:07 - First experience with Nietzsche04:54 - Importance of company culture06:19 - Mentorship at PayScout07:09 - AI in payments and its future09:25 - Crypto and its impact on payments11:08 - Using AI for fraud detection13:21 - Cleveland's reading recommendations15:34 - Thoughts on raising capital16:20 - Leaders Cleveland admires17:11 - Outlook for 202519:17 - Cleveland's name and family legacy20:23 - The importance of taking chances

In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Springate, the founding partner of Muse Capital, to explore her incredible journey from brand research to becoming a venture capitalist. Rachel shares her unique, non-linear path into the world of venture capital, highlighting the pivotal moments and influential figures that shaped her career.Timestamps:00:07 - Introduction and Welcome00:29 - Overview of Muse Capital01:02 - Investment Focus Areas02:07 - Care, Play, and Live Buckets02:48 - Early Challenges and Market Gaps03:19 - Rachel's Non-Linear Path to VC04:02 - Early Career in Brand Research04:46 - Role at Quintessentially05:52 - Transition to Technology and Early Stage Investing07:02 - Meeting Troy Carter08:44 - Moving to New York and Starting a Consultancy09:49 - Partnership with Asia and Formation of Muse Capital11:04 - Personal Challenges and Impact on Business13:04 - Raising the First Fund14:10 - Overcoming Skepticism in Women's Health Investments15:12 - Gender Disparities in VC Funding16:14 - Structural Issues in VC and LP Funding18:02 - Future Wealth Transfer to Women19:06 - Muse Capital's Focus for the Next Decade21:04 - Excitement About AI and Technology22:18 - Traits of Great Entrepreneurs and Leaders24:12 - Importance of Team, Timing, and TAM24:27 - Acknowledging Those Who Gave a Chance25:46 - Closing Remarks and Gratitude

In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Robert Hargrove, the esteemed author of "Masterful Coaching," now in its third edition. Robert shares his incredible journey from being an editor at the Boston Globe to becoming a renowned executive coach. He delves into his experiences interviewing iconic figures like Henry Kissinger, Muhammad Ali, and Salvador Dali, and how these interactions sparked his interest in leadership.Robert discusses the evolution of his career, from leading personal transformation seminars worldwide to pioneering the field of executive coaching. He offers a candid take on the current state of the coaching industry, the challenges of working with CEOs, and the qualities that make a great leader. Drawing on historical examples and personal anecdotes, Robert provides a wealth of knowledge on leadership, ambition, empathy, and responsibility.Timestamps:00:06 - Introduction and Guest Background00:29 - Transition to Leadership and Coaching01:01 - Early Career and Influential Interviews01:33 - Public Speaking and Personal Transformation Seminars02:26 - Shift to One-on-One Coaching03:23 - The Rise of Coaching Industry04:45 - Challenges in the Coaching Industry05:31 - Reflections on Coaching CEOs07:01 - Mission and Challenges in Coaching08:28 - CEOs and Their Preoccupation with Money and Power09:48 - Examples of Successful Leaders11:12 - Identity and Leadership12:21 - Case Study: Leadership Project and Personal Ambition13:42 - Characteristics of Great Leaders18:03 - Historical Examples of Leadership20:52 - Closing Remarks and Final Question21:17 - Acknowledging Opportunities and Gratitude

In this episode of the CEO.com Podcast, we sit down with David Snider, the founder and CEO of Harness Wealth. David shares his journey from being the COO and CFO of Compass, the largest residential real estate company in the US, to founding Harness Wealth, a company dedicated to making the tax process seamless and insightful.David discusses the importance of proactive tax planning, the impact of AI on the finance and tax industries, and his personal strategies for effective leadership and time management. He also delves into his early career experiences, the six criteria he used to choose his career path, and the mentors who gave him a chance to succeed.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:16 - David Snider on founding Harness Wealth00:59 - The genesis of Harness Wealth03:02 - Common tax mistakes by entrepreneurs and CEOs05:38 - A day in the life of David Snider09:43 - David's early career aspirations and journey13:47 - The six criteria for choosing a career path18:08 - AI's impact on the finance and tax industries21:01 - Thoughts on tariffs and economic policy25:45 - The private sector approach to government efficiency30:22 - Raising a Series A round and advice for fundraising33:10 - The importance of mentorship in David's career