CEO Coaching International Podcast

Guest: Marty Parker, the founder and CEO of Waterstone Human Capital. Waterstone is a high-performance culture and human capital search leadership advisory firm for entrepreneurial-minded, high-growth organizations across North America. Marty is also an active member of YPO and the author of two books on corporate culture. He's also a client of CEO Coaching International. 

Waterstone Human Capital is a Strategic Partner of CEO Coaching International.

Overview: A strong culture doesn't just create a happy workplace -- it can be a significant competitive advantage, especially in the battle for top talent and repeat customers. 

On today's show, Marty Parker provides a deep dive on the specific, intentional ways that CEOs can transform culture and create a high-performing organization that attracts and retains the best people. 

About ten years ago, Josh McCarter was running a struggling SaaS business in New York. His company was generating about $700,000 in annual revenue, but burning through $350,000 a month. He didn’t have enough cash on hand to cover next month’s payroll. His customer base had flatlined. And just when it seemed like relief was on the way, a terrorist attack disrupted a critical investment. Not even his YPO forum mates thought Josh was going to make it.

In this conversation, recorded live at the 2019 CEO Coaching Summit, Josh talked about how he kept cool during all this adversity and focused on a plan that pivoted his company to BIG. Josh also describes how turning around his original company and zeroing in on one key strategy prepared him to run a billion-dollar business.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we're thrilled to be hosting the 2022 Make BIG Happen Summit from October 20-22 at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida.

On today’s show Heidi Smith, Chief Marketing Officer of CEO Coaching International, previews our signature event, which will be BIGGER than ever with over 500+ CEOs gathering in one place for multiple days of stimulating networking and learning. Previously, the Summit was only open to CEO Coaching International clients; however, this year the firm is welcoming applications for any qualifying CEO interested in attending.

Heidi and our podcast host Steve Sanduski, also share some tips for getting the most out of a conference and reminisce about their favorite speakers at past Make BIG Happen Summits. 

Guest: Patrick Eldon, a coach at CEO Coaching International. Patrick is an experienced chief executive and entrepreneur, serving as CEO of orderTalk Inc. from its launch as a SaaS company to its acquisition by Uber in 2018. Under Patrick’s leadership, the company grew from a fledgling startup to a leading provider of digital ordering solutions for the restaurant industry, processing more than $1 billion in annual transactions.

Quick Background: A well-run SaaS business can generate steady recurring revenue at high gross margins with low customer churn and minimal R&D costs. But even in our increasingly digital world, scaling SaaS poses some unique challenges that require both top-notch tech and a personal touch.

On today's show, Patrick Eldon discusses five keys to scaling a SaaS business, including the strategies and key metrics CEOs should follow all the way to BIG growth.

Guest: Aakash Shah, a coach at CEO Coaching International. Prior to joining us, Aakash was the CEO of his family's chemical company, which he grew from $3 million to $100 million in sales. Aakash is also an active YPO member. 

Quick Background: Any business that wants to get BIG needs cash. And while taking on private equity investment can help the CEO accelerate a growth trajectory, streamline ownership positions, and prepare for an exit, don't underestimate the amount of work that goes into finding the right investment partner. Your whole company might not be for sale, but your company should always be salable. The investments you make now in your leadership team, infrastructure, and long-term strategic planning will only improve your value when you sit down with interested parties.

On today's show, Aakash Shah reflects on how his efforts to stabilize and grow his family's business paid off with two private equity rounds and a BIG a nine-figure exit.

Quick Background: Anybody can be a critic, especially when times are tough and a business is struggling to find its footing in an uncertain economy. But, to paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt, not everyone has what it takes to stand in the arena and lead a company to BIG.

On today's show Angela Korompilas explains how she led her hotel operating supplies and equipment provider to 10X growth and $1 billion in revenue.

Guest: Frank de Jong, a coach at CEO Coaching International. Frank spent 33 years leading customer-centric growth and profit planning strategies for hundreds of business units and companies all over the world. He spent 20 years as an expatriate in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, learning regional business practices, unique market opportunities, and local culture with Emerson Automation Solutions. 

Quick Background: Learning to unplug from your company and separate life from business is an essential CEO skill. But how does a leader continue to lead through a loss so catastrophic that it completely upends your responsibilities, your priorities, and your very sense of self?

On today's show, Frank de Jong discusses what he learned about resilience, fatherhood, friendship, and leadership while coping with the loss of his wife.

Guest: Steve Patterson, a coach at CEO Coaching International. Steve spent more than 35 years as a successful executive and entrepreneur in a variety of areas, including professional sports, college athletics, finance and construction, media, branding, and crisis communications.

Quick Background: An effective brand fills customers with positive vibes and projects crystal clarity about what a company does and what it stands for. Whether a company is starting up, scaling rapidly, or recovering from a stumble, that brand also has to maintain a careful balance between consistency and adaptability so that customers want to stick with the business on its journey to BIG.

On today’s show, Steve Patterson details the specific brand initiatives he executed for four professional sports teams and a university, and how CEOs can apply the lessons from his experiences to make any brand better.

Guest: Meghan Watkins, a coach at CEO Coaching International. Meghan has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and supply chain management in the wine and spirits industry. 

Quick Background: There are no shortcuts to getting BIG faster. CEOs who scale ahead of schedule follow the same tried-and-true best practices that support any effective annual plan. But the best CEOs also know which buttons to push to keep motivation high and how to leverage talent and systems to achieve just a little bit more every single day.

On today's show, Meghan Watkins reflects on the 5 factors that helped her quickly scale her businesses from startup to $100M+ in revenue.

Guest: John Fadool, a coach at CEO Coaching International. In his 35-year career as a senior executive, John worked with three best-in-class companies: Darden Restaurants, Novartis Consumer Health, and Procter & Gamble. He has a proven track record of growing revenue and profit in businesses ranging from $10M to $2B in revenue.

Quick Background: Great leadership balances confidence in your company's current reality with a hopeful vision for the future that inspires the best from your team.

On today's show, John Fadool shares his five keys to providing the kind of inspiring leadership that drives massive growth, attracts top talent, and keeps Making BIG Happen.