From Founder To CEO
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 131 ratingsIf you are a Founder who loves the company you started, and you want to be the CEO that pilots it to sustained success, you’re in the right place! Hear from dynamic, inspiring, and successful Founders as they share their insightful stories and practical tips that make becoming the CEO more fun, stress free, and easier to build and scale the company and life of your dreams. Your guide, Todd Uterstaedt, is super passionate about Startup CEO success and wants to help boost your leadership capabilities, confidence, and mindset so that you can: 1) Build, scale, and lead your company commensurate with your dreams and aspirations 2) Maintain control of your company 3) Enhance your company’s valuation for possible succession or a profitable exit. It’s leadership development for the busy Founder and CEO.
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Episodes
Co-Founder of #1 Catholic App: Surrender
June 11, 2022 10:00 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MBAlex experienced a spiritual awakening that led him and his co-founders to build the the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world. As the business was transforming, so was Alex. Alex learned how important it is to "surrender" as you transition From Founder To CEO.
Founder of Spartan Races: "The Obstacle Is The Way" & His New CNBC TV Show
February 07, 2022 18:13 - 33 minutes - 45.5 MBJoe is as real as it gets. He is a Founder and CEO who tells it like it is and pushes himself to get better and be better...every day. What I truly appreciate about Joe is his embrace of the idea that, "The obstacle is the way." As Founders, we know this, practice this, and embrace this...everyday. So, I was super excited to have Joe on the podcast to share his experiences as Founder of Spartan Races and his biggest obstacles shifting From Founder To CEO. Spartan came from Joe's mind a...
Why Relinquish The Role Of CEO? - Award Winning Founder Tells His Story
December 26, 2021 19:00 - 33 minutes - 45.7 MBEnlisted Marine. Marine Officer. Husband. Father. Pharmaceutical Salesman. Firefighter. Founder & CEO. City Councilman. COVID-19 survivor. International Bestselling Author. These are just some of the roles that Zachary has excelled in during his short life. He certainly has had a big and growing impact on the firefighting profession, building safety, and now with his new book, "Warrior Entrepreneur," a big impact on thousands of Founders around the world. In this very candid int...
How this Founder powered back from a $100,000 lawsuit that nearly destroyed his business
December 01, 2021 00:30 - 23 minutes - 31.8 MBWhen you meet Chideha for the first time, you immediately know. You know he is a special person. You know he cares about every person he comes into contact with. You know that he strives for excellence in everything his does. You know he actually is learning from YOU and incorporating YOUR life's lessons into HIS life. And, these are also the many reasons why I like his book. In this interview, Chideha talks about: ---> How his grandfather's assault from KKK members impacted him as a...
25 Years As Founder Of #1 Blinds.com: Jay Steinfeld - "Be As Generous As You Can"
November 14, 2021 21:00 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBBlinds.com is an incredible business story and Jay is an incredible Founder CEO. In his new book, he talks about the 4 Es...the foundational principles on which his success was built. After he and his team successfully built Blinds.com, he sold the company to Home Depot and continued leading for quite some time after. In this interview, Jay talks about: ---> What generosity looks like to him as a Founder & CEO. ---> A significant story about a time he felt short of his own expectations...
What to do when you make a BIG BAD decision
September 07, 2021 05:00 - 43 minutes - 59.8 MBDonnie is as transparent as you might expect, being a Marine. His amazing company is helping thousands of business owners connect with the right people. So, I found it really interesting that he made a decision as a Founder & CEO that initially did not connect with his people. Sometimes, as Founders, and as we grow, we need to augment our decision-making with a bit more data and insight. The gut instincts that got us to launch and reach traction becomes insufficient over time. Listen t...
BIG 400TH INTERVIEW: Jason Fried discusses his controversial decision & its fallout
August 31, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 49.4 MBWOW! We could not have asked for a better 400th Podcast Episode Guest! And, Jason Fried delivered. He was super candid about a great many topics that I think you will really enjoy listening about and learning from. In this interview, Jason discusses: What he considers to be the harder part of the transition From Founder To CEO. Why he made this controversial decision: "No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account." How the "fallout" from this decision im...
What To Do When You Need To Exit 2 Co-Founders
August 30, 2021 22:00 - 35 minutes - 48.1 MBTutoring is big business. And, Myles and the team figured out how to provide this valuable service for FREE to thousands of students. It wasn't easy. And, it became even harder when he and his co-founder, Victor, realized that two other co-founders may not be in it for the long haul. What do you do when it becomes clear that a co-founder, or two, need to exit the business and there is not a pre-planned process for this? Well, as Myles explains in this interview, it was stressful and the...
Shark Tank Founder: Deciding If You Want To Be CEO?
August 10, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBYou may remember Ashley from her appearance on ABC TV's "Shark Tank." At the end of the show, Ashley received and accepted an offer from Daymond John. What you don't know is the rest of the story. Unfortunately, like many other deals on the show, this one did not make it through post show due diligence. Ashley describes what happened and how taking a year off from her business helped her decide the answer to this question: "Do I want to be the leader that pilots the company to forward ...
BIG EcoTech Founder: Use your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough"
July 27, 2021 05:00 - 48 minutes - 67.1 MBMy draw dropped open when Norman told me how much money in energy costs he saved a Brazilian company. He and his team take a decidedly business approach to their environmental efforts. And, Norman is quite articulate about the power of using your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough." He details the time his hand went numb as well as when a friend called him for help. Both stories remind us that Founders are not super human. We need people and habits that support our wellbeing.
"Unicorn" Founder/CEO: Growth Requires Defining New Team Member Scope
July 03, 2021 00:00 - 32 minutes - 44 MBWhat started as a side hustle, caught him by surprise when Google reached out with an intriguing offer. As a self-described, "not a people person," Abhinav realized that he had to recruit more experienced leaders and bring on team members who can do one thing well and really define their ares of scope much better. Recruit and define...easier said thAn done. But, with over 400 team members and market value of $2 billion, Abhinav and his team figured it out.
Elias Guerra: Even a patient Founder needs more patience
June 08, 2021 16:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBSurprising and delighting customers as they interact with their digital wallet is the expertise of Elias Guerra and his team at Popwallet. Many parts of the world have embraced the digital wallet faster than the United States. Elias has been patient as the technology is adopted more here. In fact, patience has been key to his leadership success. Yet, he learned that even his patient demeanor wasn't enough for the patience needed for a Founder CEO. Listen and see why.
Even a patient Founder needs more patience
June 08, 2021 16:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBSurprising and delighting customers as they interact with their digital wallet is the expertise of Elias and his team. Many parts of the world have embraced the digital wallet faster than the United States. Elias has been patient as the technology is adopted more here. In fact, patience has been key to his leadership success. Yet, he learned that even his patient demeanor wasn't enough for the patience needed for a Founder CEO. Listen and see why.
The Courage To Share The Truth...When It Is Needed Most
May 25, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBHave you ever heard a Founder say he enjoys buying business insurance. I thought so. It takes a special kind of Founder to tackle the business insurance industry and David and his team are doing just that. I appreciated David's candid and thought-provoking story about Founder courage versus Managerial Courage. In this interview he explains how he would have handled a delicate situation differently.
The 22 Talk SHIFTs that will change your leadership...and life
May 18, 2021 05:00 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBKrister and I last spoke in 2017 in episode 185. It was an intense conversation. Why? Because Krister's journey has been so intense. When I saw that his new book was a #1 WSJ Bestselling book, I was not surprised. Because his journey has been so rich with insights, he has taken these life lessons and shared them with all of us in a very practical way that I am most certain will change YOUR life. Read his book and let me know what you think.
Tara: Here is what I did when I was not delegating effectively
May 11, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 52.5 MBThe pandemic wreaked havoc on many businesses. But, how many of you know a Founder who launched DURING the pandemic? Allow me to introduce you to Tara. Tara knows the locs business inside and out. She and her team created a product that revolutionizes the way those with locs, take care of their locs. And, along the way, she has learned some pretty incredible lessons. Among them is something unique to her personality as the needs of a startup from a Founder. She is a self-described em...
FOCUS: It's hard to do when you are like THIS Founder
May 04, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBWho doesn't like a good walk in the forest? It turns out that walking in the forest is even more important than we realize. Jared and his team have been able to quantify the importance of nature, and many are taking notice. When you are a mission driven Founder like Jared, it can be hard to stay focused on the core economics of the business. Listen how Jared overcomes the urge to investigate other "curious" areas of inquiry and stay focused.
The powerful combination of founder vulnerability & accountability
April 27, 2021 05:00 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBA larger number of people in the United States are "gig workers." And, that number has increased steadily. Craig and his team know this and are on a mission to help serve this group of hard working people connect easily with the organizations that hire them. He is also quite articulate about the intersection of bold vulnerability and personal accountability. Listen to the strength of his voice and the wisdom in his words.
BONUS: The 5 Steps To An Undefeated Marketing System
April 21, 2021 17:51 - 37 minutes - 51.9 MBPhillip's Book Click Here! Phillips Free Assessment: www.phillipstutts.com/insights
Giving Up Sales To Scale The Company: True Story Of Growth
April 20, 2021 05:00 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBTim has been a friend for quite some time. I admire him for so many reasons...not the least of which is his prowess at sales. In fact, it was this skill that also prevented him from scaling. What? Yes, his skills at sales limited the company's ability to grow. Why? Listen to him yourself and see the connection that we all need to pay attention to.
Friday Founder Fundraising Forum: Lucas - Know WIIFM for each investor
April 16, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 7.19 MBKnow How To Connect With Investors: www.CrucialConnections.com GoLoot: https://www.igoloot.com/ Lucas On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-b%C3%A9land-4ab1b5174/
How to overcome the Founder "all or nothing" fitness pitfall
April 15, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 52.3 MBZac Mason helps many Founders get fit. Zac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachzac/ Zac on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coachzacmason
Setting Expectations Nearly Lost Him Investment $, Setting Objectives Got It Back
April 13, 2021 05:00 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBI sincerely appreciated Lucas' candor. He and his team are quite innovative with their approach to creating experiences for brands and their customers. And, he is quite articulate about his personal struggle From Founder To CEO at the ripe age of 19. It has to do with the difference between setting expectations versus setting objectives...it's a lesson we all need to remember at any age of entrepreneurship.
The merits of being a "lazy" co-founder? Yes.
April 06, 2021 05:00 - 47 minutes - 65.3 MBWool. An old friend with a new twist from a team that is on fire. Dan chronicles the rise of Unbound Merino and also the merits of being "The Lazy Co-Founder." What exactly does that mean? Listen and hear for yourself.
What to do if a Co-founder isn't a fit any more
March 30, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 49.1 MBFix Your Fundraising Flubs: Join www.crucialconnections.com Matt's tech is terrific. Matt is too. :) He not only talks about why personalized video emails have such high conversion rates, but he also talks about why some co-founder relationships have such high failure rates. He shares a particularly painful time period when he and his CTO were having some clashes. And, he shares his advice if this happens to you as well.
EXIT: His reasons for selling (and what you might consider)
March 23, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 39 MBNeed Help Raising Capital: www.crucialconnections.com Live events seem like a distant memory. But, not to Evan. He is a leading expert on the thing that keep live events going...ticket sales. Listen as he describes his journey and the decision points he used to sell his company...before COVID-19 hit.
EXIT: His reasons form selling (and what you might consider)
March 23, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 39 MBNeed Help Raising Capital: www.crucialconnections.com Live events seem like a distant memory. But, not to Evan. He is a leading expert on the thing that keep live events going...ticket sales. Listen as he describes his journey and the decision points he used to sell his company...before COVID-19 hit.
Battling Cancer (Twice) & Shady Characters Made Her Stronger & Changed Her Business Model
March 16, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MBJOIN THE WAIT LIST FOR CRUCIAL CONNECTIONS: www.crucialconnections.com Krista has beat cancer...twice. And, she worked her way through some shady characters undermining her business. These very challenging situations led her to greater discoveries about herself AND a new path for her business. She is an inspiration to us all. Listen and you'll see why.
Are You Backable? - Listen to what YOU can do to get the capital you need
March 14, 2021 02:00 - 41 minutes - 57.1 MBSign Up for Crucial Connections (www.crucialconnections.com) Have you ever wondered why some investors invest in your company and some don't? Have you ever wondered why some people buy into your ideas and some don't? Well, this successfully excited Founder and Former CEO might be able to help you. Suneel Gupta wrote an amazing book entitled, "Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You." Listen as he describes what YOU can do to become Backable.
Founder Fundraising Myth #3: Your Power (Crucial Connections)
March 12, 2021 06:00 - 19 minutes - 26.4 MBShift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Todd walks through Myth #3 of Founder Fundraising
Founder Fundraising Myth #2: Your Pitch (Crucial Connections)
March 11, 2021 06:00 - 11 minutes - 15.2 MBShift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Todd walks through Myth #2 of Founder Fundraising
Founder Fundraising Myth #1: Your Persistence (Crucial Connections)
March 10, 2021 06:00 - 19 minutes - 27.1 MBShift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Todd walks through Myth #1 of Founder Fundraising
Sponsorships For Capital: From Two Emmy Award Winning Co-Founders
March 09, 2021 06:00 - 49 minutes - 67.4 MBBecome A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com This was such a FUN interview, with two people who quickly captured my heart. Nicole and Mario are the Emmy Award Winning Co-founders you will want to listen to twice. They share so much wisdom in this episode that I thought about breaking it up into two episodes. First, they talk about how they built this very unique company. Secondly, they shared their secrets about being co-founders AND a married couple. Thirdly, they talk abo...
Overcoming The Discomfort Of Raising Capital
March 08, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBBecome A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Tyler is incredible. What he has been able to accomplish as a Founder while being a college student and college athlete is incredible. You can probably hear in his voice that Tyler is very humble. And, he admits that does not like asking for help...or money. So, raising capital was challenging or him. So, what worked? Just telling stories. Listen has he describes how he raised money and what he does to overcome his propensity to NO...
How To Recover From A Failed Financial Projection To Your Investors & Team Members
March 02, 2021 12:49 - 52 minutes - 71.4 MBFinancial projections for a Founder CEO are quite precarious. On the one hand you want to be careful not to over promise because others are relying on your predictions. On the other hand, you want to also send that message that you are optimistic about the future potential of the company...now, in the short-term, and of course in the long-term. Listening to William describe his personal experience with a very "humbling" episode of this situation. He adroitly explains the Founder role and t...
How to be a Great Founder/Team Leader When YOU are a HIGH Achieving Person
February 23, 2021 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51 MBIt takes a special person to be a wife, mother, physician, AND Founder. That special person is Dr. Allison Hull. Listen as Allison explains her passion for health and well-being. And, I also encourage you to listen as she explains her personal challenge in keeping engaged with her team, using meetings effectively, and keeping her team motivated and inspired. It all comes back to being a great Founder/Team Leader when YOU are a high achieving Founder. How does she handle this? What does sh...
Shae Bynes: Are You Moving Away From Something Or Toward Something?
February 16, 2021 06:00 - 49 minutes - 67.6 MBWow. Shae! She will inspire you and move your heart. She shares her divinely inspired story as well as a few other really interesting topics: How and why she hired a CEO. Moving away from being a "doer" What allows her to get into a "listening space" And more... She is a wealth of wisdom that I know you'll enjoy.
Founder Habits: He mastered them and he tells you how YOU can too
February 09, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 43.1 MBJustin's enthusiasm for success is infectious. However, beneath that enthusiasm is a lifetime of struggles, challenges, and unique experiences that few have had quite like he has. Justin makes a great case why it's so important to take care of yourself as a Founder, so that you have the capacity to take care of your team and customers. Listen to what happened to him and what advice he has for you. www.JustOwnIt.co
Sequoia Capital Backed Founder: Create Hiring Processes That Scale
February 02, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBWho you let in and out of your life is VERY important. Who you let in and out of your networks is VERY important. Who you let into and out of your company is VERY important. Liz has seemed to master these expertly. With backing from Sequoia, she and her co-founders have carved out servicing an important piece of tech...controlling access to any infrastructure at the ID-level. And, in this interview, Liz is super transparent about the challenges in building a hiring process that scales...e...
What to do when your passions get the better of you
January 26, 2021 06:00 - 36 minutes - 49.9 MBI am a reluctant Cincinnati Bengals fan. (see their record for my reluctance justification). But, then again, I am not really a big football super fan anyway. But, I live in Ohio and I have seen (and heard) football superfans...especially from the school that starts with "THE." :) Despite this lack of interest, I was VERY interested to learn from my latest podcast guest about what he is doing to democratize the sports commentary world. I see no reason that a few talking heads can rake in a...
Founder: Winning At Work/Life Boundaries
January 19, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBMy wife was a military spouse for a short time period. It's a very challenging role to be in, for sure. Michelle and her co-founder have harnessed the incredible skills and experiences of this force amazing group of people to help another amazing group of people...Founders like you. Michelle details how the company started and a surprising admission from someone who leads a virtual assistant firm.
FINTECH Unicorn ($2.42B) Co-Founder/CEO: Don't shelter the team from bad news
January 12, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MBCB Insights lists the company that Mike Praeger founded as a FinTech unicorn. Take a look here. Mike has some incredible insights about the history, the industry and of course one of the big lessons he learned on the journey From Founder To CEO.
Former SONIC CEO: Founders As "Masters Of None"
January 05, 2021 06:00 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBI must admit...I could eat burgers from Sonic for every meal. So, when the former CEO of Sonic agreed to come on the show to help YOU learn from his experiences, I certainly could not say no. Cliff talks about his new book (Master of None: How a Jack-of-All-Trades Can Still Reach the Top) and its relevance to Founders. In fact, we specifically talk about his struggles "letting go" as the company grew and his feelings when when the company was sold...the ultimate "letting go." I know you w...
Are you letting your failures obscure your genius?
December 31, 2020 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBBeing an entrepreneur is challenging. Being an entrepreneur AND a parent is even more challenging. For some, being a black entrepreneurial parent can be even tougher. James knows this. As a Founder himself, he understands the struggle and partnered with people like Brad Feld and many others to build this amazing startup Foundation. He's also quite candid about his personal struggles. In this interview, listen how James battled through depression and came out on top. As you look toward 2021...
Mario: You don't need to hire people that you don't want to spend time with
December 29, 2020 06:00 - 33 minutes - 45.4 MBMario and his team are the real deal. His passion for people and culture is quite inspiring. He and his company's work is legendary. That's why his story about hiring the wrong person seemed so interesting to me. It's not something he takes lightly. And, his lesson is profound.
BONUS: Dr Choi - How To Use Neuroscience To Improve Your Performance
December 28, 2020 06:00 - 38 minutes - 53.3 MBDr. Choi shares some incredible insights and actions you can take to leverage neuroscience in order to improve YOUR performance. His LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekchoi/ His Website: https://destinyhacks.co/ His Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-neurohacking-podcast/id1545882602
Being Friendly VS Being Friends, With Team Members
December 22, 2020 06:00 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MBIf you are looking to be inspired by a Founder's startup story, look no farther than this interview with Gwen. She sure does have grit and a lot of other positive qualities. And, like the rest of us, she also has more to learn about herself on the journey From Founder To CEO. In this interview she discusses how she has handled the difference between being friendly and friends with team members.
How This Founder Overcame The Intimidation Factor
December 15, 2020 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51 MBWe all lose loved ones. This year seemed particularly difficult. You might say I was quite touched by Joe's mission. He and his team are really trying hard to make it easier to stay connected to our loved ones. As Joe has scaled the company, he has had to deal with his own challenges reaching out to "significant people." I'm sure you can relate Listen as he describes he advice on how to get over the intimidation of speaking with key people that will make your business grow.
23 Year Old Founder: Compromising With Dev Team Led To More Success
December 08, 2020 06:00 - 42 minutes - 58.3 MBCOVID-19 has made it even more difficult for artists to launch and sustain a living. That's why I LOVE what Nicholas and his team are doing for artists. They have created a platform that helps take the middle man out and add the profits in for artists who have traditionally not gotten a fair shake. Nicholas is tackling a big issue, at a relatively young age. Listen as he describes his 2 biggest challenges shifting from Founder to CEO. The first is his own health and well-being, The second...
Berkshire Hathaway Bought His Companies, After He Learned To "Loosen His Grip"
December 01, 2020 06:00 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MBSome of you dream about building a great company and achieving a great exit by having your company bought by a company like Berkshire Hathaway. That exactly what Vic did...more than one company. In this candid interview, Vic speaks about the journey to those sales and how a piece of feedback about "loosening his grip" led to great success.