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Recruit Rockstars Podcast

Recruit Rockstars is the only podcast on the people part of PE & VC portfolio companies.
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Now displaying: May, 2018
May 24, 2018

It may seem like a silly question: What does a CEO do?

More specifically, what do the Best CEO’s do? How do they spend their days?

It’s so easy to become distracted or reactive. Stop. Should you be leading? Recruiting? Selling? Doing? Partnering?

We know what the Chief Marketing Officer does. And the VP Sales? That’s pretty clear too.

But if you’re a CEO, what should you do with your day? 

And if you’re an aspiring CEO, what will your job be like when you earn the title?

I found the perfect guest to answer this question.

Saydeah Howard is Senior Vice President Talent & Services at IVP. With $7 billion of committed capital, IVP is one of the premier later-stage venture capital & growth equity firms in the US.  Founded in 1980, IVP has invested in over 300 companies, 106 of which have gone public.

At IVP, Saydeah works with a ton of CEO’s of their portfolio companies so she has a unique perspective. She’s seen what works & what doesn’t.

Before IVP, she was VP Human Resources at LeapFrog and a recruiter at Russell Reynolds, the international executive search firm.

If you’ve ever wondered what the CEO job is like (or should be like) you’re about to find out in 20 minutes.

May 23, 2018

You know that early-stage companies pivot, in search of that elusive product/market fit. Looking for a business model that works.

But do you know that - equally important - people need to pivot as well?

In search of the career, the specific role, and the home to do the best work of their life. People need to find their strengths & what's working, in order to figure out what comes next.

And as leaders, one of our most vital functions is to help our employees do this.

So, I found an expert on how it's done.

Jenny Blake is the author, career strategist and international speaker who helps people organize their brain, move beyond burnout & build sustainable careers they love. 

She's the author of "Pivot: The Only Move That Matters is Your Next One" which won an award for Axiom Best Business Book in the careers category.

After 2 years at a technology start-up, she spent 5 years at Google in Training & Career Development.

So she's helped a ton of people pivot. I'll bet she can help you too.

May 18, 2018

I’ve seen this movie before.

The business ramps from 2 Founders to 10 employees, then to 100, then 1000.

The American dream.

But the talent strategy hasn’t evolved. And that’s when the people problems begin. 

Recruiting, retention, employer brand, compensation design … everything needs to be revisited at each node of growth.

So I sought out an expert to show us how (And I kinda bagged the elephant.)

Kevin Marasco is Chief Marketing Officer of SF-based Zenefits. With 500 employees, they’ve created a super-cool people platform that brings HR, Payroll, & Benefits into a single app. Makes it really easy.

Prior, Kevin was CMO at HireVue and VP Brand at Taleo (acquired by Oracle). He’s been with companies from 2 people to 2,000. So he understands what needs to happen in each phase.

In this 20-minute conversation, Kevin shares the stuff he wishes he knew “back then.” If you hope to scale your business, you can’t afford to miss this episode.

 

 

May 16, 2018

Legendary CEO Jack Welch of General Electric said yes.

He simply meant that to get the most out of your team, sometimes you need to praise & compliment; other times, you need to give the tough love.

In my experience, he’s right.

But how to do it? Easier said than done. 

That’s why I was psyched to interview Kim Scott, author of the bestseller Radical Candor. She’s not just writing on theory - she’s lived it.

Kim led AdSense, YouTube, and Doubleclick Online Sales & Operations at Google and then joined Apple to develop & teach a leadership seminar. And she’s been a CEO coach at Dropbox & Twitter.

'Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity' is a bestseller on both New York Times & Wall Street Journal. 

In the book - and in this 20-minute conversation, she gives practical advice for how to care about your people, yet at the same time challenge them directly. 

No more of that backstabbing, passive aggressive, bossy pants stuff. Master this skill & you’ll be amazed by the results.

May 10, 2018

The MeToo movement is barely 12 months old, yet companies finally(!) seem to serious about recruiting more Rockstar women. It’s time to improve the gender balance at your company.

70% of executives are male. How does your company compare?

Laurie Ruettimann can show you how.

She’s an internationally recognized public speaker who gives it to you straight. There’s a reason she’s featured in Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal… the list is endless.

And she’s spoken at Harvard Business School, SXSW, Microsoft, Google.

In this 20-minute conversation, Laurie reveals how you should go about it. And the biggest pitfalls to avoid along the way.

 

May 8, 2018

After you bust your hump to recruit Rockstars to your company, how do you get the most out of them?

Start by building a relationship with them. 

I know that sounds obvious, but most executives are too eager for results, to invest the time really forging trust with new-hires.

So I found an expert on how to do it.

Doug Sandler’s book Nice Guys Finish First is a #1 ranked Amazon Bestseller. 

He specializes in making connections, building relationships & strengthening bonds both inside and outside organizations. 

But don’t let the “Mr. Nice Guy” tag fool you. Doug has entered into many high-level negotiations and is anything but a pushover. 

Many call him the guru on improving relationships.

His Nice Guys on Business Podcast has over 1.2 million downloads and Inc calls it “Most Binge-Worthy”

May 3, 2018

Not many people are successful at starting & building companies, and also building new initiatives within a larger company (...or in this case, one of the largest).

But here’s one … Micah Baldwin

Micah was early or founded six startups, which have raised more than $350,000,000 collectively, with 4 exits.

He successfully launched companies, and grew a publisher base from 0 to 10,000, and monthly page views from 11 million to 450 million per month in just 1 year.

And now, Micah is with Amazon, where he’s created & launched a senior level program for corporate innovation, working with some of the largest enterprises & hottest startups in the world.

In this 20-minute interview, Micah reviews how (and why) he made the switch from entrepreneur to intrepreneur. There’s a ton to be learned, as he’s exceedingly candid about his path.

 

May 1, 2018

I’ll be honest. 

I was shaking in my boots for this podcast interview. 

How often do we get to interview our business idol?

Tom Peters’ first book “In Search of Excellence” single-handedly created the business book genre.

And it changed how I look at business. I’ve read every word of all 17 of his bestselling books.

In this 20-minute interview, Tom & I covered a ton of ground, including…

  • How can your business out-Amazon Amazon?
  • What is leadership really about in 2018?
  • And What is “Give-a-Sh*t”ism?

Educated at Stanford. Consulted at McKinsey & Company. Served in US Navy. Worked in the White House. 

They don’t come any bolder than Tom Peters. He’s truly the guru of management gurus.

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