Brian Murphy on Incorporating Mental Skills into a Company

Brian Murphy is a founder, CEO, entrepreneur and investor -- constantly learning and chasing possible. He founded and leads ReliaQuest, the force multiplier of security operations and one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the global cybersecurity market. Murphy has grown ReliaQuest from a boot-strapped startup to high-growth unicorn with a valuation of over $1 billion, over 1,000 team members and over $350 million in growth equity with firms such as FTV Capital and KKR Growth. The company is headquartered in Tampa, FL, with operations centers in Tampa, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Dublin, London, Amsterdam and Pune, India.

Brian had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:

“I was trying to drive clarity, which would allow for consistency, which ultimately opens the door for consistent performance” (8:20).

“We talk about momentum in sport all the time, but momentum in business is critical” (8:30).

“If [performance psychology] can help an athletic team, why can’t it help a fast-growing tech company?” (9:05).

“Largely, I believe everybody wants to get a little bit better” (10:50).

“People get to where they are differently” (13:10).

“Leave no doubt. Don’t get off the phone until there’s a massive amount of clarity around the intent of why you called” (15:35).

“I’ve got to be a good coach; I’ve got to be a good listener as a CEO” (16:20).

“The most important thing that I’ve learned as we’ve gotten larger is it’s not about what I should do, it’s about what I should not be doing” (16:25).

“I want people to understand the weight and the responsibility that comes along with a title” (17:30).

“They need to see that vulnerability. They need to see that I’ve got real things going on also” (21:30).

“Be where your feet are” (22:55).

“I don’t need to be every place at once. What’s most important right now?” (23:45).

“You have to sprint the marathon” (26:20).

“It’s not that the customer is always right, it’s about making that moment right for the customer” (30:35).

“People want to know you’re a real person. I do it through storytelling” (33:35).

“Mistakes and momentary losses are not failures” (34:15).

“The beauty of business is if you don’t quit, you can’t fail” (34:20).

“Sometimes big mistakes yield great results” (34:35).

“We’re a values-based decision-making organization” (40:10).

“We’re going to be accountable, helpful, adaptable, and focused” (40:25).

“Do what you say you’re going to do” (43:35).

“I have a maniacal focus on the problem that we solve and enjoy the creativity it takes to get there” (46:30).

Additionally, you can find ReliaQuest’s website here. You can also connect with Brian on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can also check out the “No Show Dogs” podcast, powered by ReliaQuest, here.

Thank you so much to Brian for coming on the podcast!

I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.