Bridges To Excellence Desmond Nicholson

In a world where innovation reigns supreme and dreams are transformed into reality, there exists Arcum. A testament to resilience, vision, and unwavering determination.
At the helm of this company stands Sebastian Builes, Co-Founder and CEO. In this episode, part of our Founders series, we delve deep into the heart of Arcum, a fintech startup that champions the cause of reducing merchant churn for payments companies.
Launched in 2018 along with Co-Founder Tad Zhang, fast forward to the present, and Arcum stands tall as the "darling" fintech startup in its vertical. Its journey, a continuum, culminated in being honored among Georgia's Top 40 Innovative Companies of 2024 by the Technology Association of Georgia.
Join us as we unravel the narrative of Sebastian Builes. Prepare to be inspired, enlightened, and empowered as we unveil the wisdom gleaned from his journey.
Cheers!
Desmond
Miscellaneous notes:
A book mentioned: The FountainHead by Ayn Rand

I recently had the chance to chat with Tim McWeeney, Head of
U.S. Indirect Acquiring and ISO Sales at Ingenico, to reflect on his successful
career Journey in payments. This interview, came on the heels of his most
recent recognition, among ETA’s 2024 Honorees of Top Payments Sales
Professionals.
Tim’s Journey in Payments, spans over two decades with a focus on Sales, Leadership, and strategic partnerships, primarily in the Acquiring space providing Point of Sale product solutions.
Tim’s early days growing up, began in the town of La Mirada southern California. As a young adult, he spent many years working in the motor carrier transportation industry, where he honed his selling skills, before entering the payments industry.
Working with the top equipment providers of our time, Tim’s performance at every level of sales and sales management earned him top sales honors and accolades throughout his tenure with respective companies.
At the core, Tim is the consummate sales professional disciplined and committed to continuous learning.
Here in this episode, he delivers a mini masterclass conveying the “why” behind
four empowering tenets of the professional salesperson.
1.     Why repetitive practice is essential
2.     Why one should never assume the customer is “all-powerful”
3.     Why selling by partnerships is the key to a lasting relationship
4.     Why it is essential to embrace skepticism and objections during the sales process.
This you do not want to miss…and much, much more.
Join us on this journey and invite a friend along.
Cheers!

In this episode, a part of our Trailblazer series, featuring “Women of Impact,” our special guest is Paulette Rowe. Paulette is the appointed CEO of Orlando-based, tech unicorn Stax Payments…as of August 2023.
Step into the world of inspiration as we delve into the remarkable journey of Paulette Rowe, a trailblazer whose story epitomizes resilience, determination, and the power of embracing uniqueness.
Born in London, England, where she was raised by a single mother in an immigrant family, Paulette learned early on that her differences were not weaknesses but strengths waiting to be unleashed.
With this empowering mindset as her compass, Paulette navigated through the corridors of academia, shattering stereotypes as the lone woman in her mechanical engineering graduate class. Her thirst for knowledge led her to the prestigious INSEAD business school in France, a beacon of excellence in the realm of MBA programs.
But Paulette's journey was far from over. She carved her path through the intricate landscape of banking, payments, and fintech, leaving a trail of leadership and accomplishments in her wake. From the Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest to Barclaycard Payment Solutions, Facebook, and Paysafe, she left her mark, earning accolades and recognition along the way.
But what truly sets Paulette apart is not just her list of accomplishments, but her unwavering commitment to lifting others as she climbs. Recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Payments, listed in the Digital Banking Club’s Power 50, and named one of 100 Executive Women in Tech to watch, to name a few.
Inspired and energized by the startup's visionary founders, Suneera Madhani and Sal Rehmetullah, Paulette embraced their innovative subscription-based model and user-friendly platform design, propelling Stax towards unprecedented success.
In this captivating episode, Paulette shares her secrets to effective leadership through the lens of her GE-adopted 4Es model and the transformative P.I.E. coaching model. But her excitement doesn't end there. She envisions Stax's future as a global powerhouse in the realm of payments, poised to revolutionize the industry on an international scale.
So, join us on this exhilarating journey as we uncover the wisdom, passion, and unwavering determination of Paulette Rowe. Tune in, be inspired, and let her story ignite the fire within you to embrace your uniqueness and carve your path toward greatness.
Cheers!
Desmond

OB Rawls is an accomplished senior-level executive with phenomenal success in FinTech payments and banking. He previously served as CEO of global payment processing for Paysafe and CEO and President of iPayment. His career of more than 30 years also includes senior-level executive roles with First Data now Fiserv, Hypercom, and Bank of America.
OB will be taking us on the twists and turns of his journey, including his most recent move, joining the firm of Wellesley Hills Financial as partner and executive director. And of course, along the way, he will be sharing with us a few insightful, actionable takeaways. So stay with us.

In this episode, my special guest is Todd Ablowitz, a friend of 27 years and an industry veteran serving the same span.
In 2014, Todd along with Deana Rich Co-founded Infinicept, making them both Co-founders and Co-CEOs.
Infinicept provides tools and services that enable companies to get payments going their way.
Todd is a globally recognized authority on payment technology and emerging payments trends. As a well-respected thought leader in the industry, investors, media, analysts and industry watchers rely on Todd for expert advice, trend insights, and consulting.
An early adopter of the Payment Facilitator, and embedded payments model, since 2020 Infinicept has experienced exponential growth, tapping into the embedded finance market, which is projected to reach $585 billion by 2030.
In this episode, among other actionable takeaways, Todd shares his perspective on why Fintech is one of the hottest areas of innovation right now; opportunities and cautions.
Todd also talks about what he believes to be the greatest challenges facing the Payments/Fintech space today.
During our chat, Todd was impassioned, paying homage to those who have helped or influenced him on his journey. Among the many include Diane (Vogt) Faro, an industry icon, Scott Wagner, Mohammed Anwar Khan, Charles Drucker, Henry Helgeson, Eula Adams, and Samir Govil. (giving credence to “It takes a village…”)
Todd will be taking us on his journey; one of perseverance, setbacks, and dogged determination that transformed him into the entrepreneur he has become.
For Infinicipt the future is “blue sky,” with Todd and Deana remaining focused on their mission, steering the company on its continuum of excellence and growth.

In this episode, part of our Experts series, our special guest is Dale Laszig.
Dale's journey in Payments began thirty (30) plus years ago.
Having a varied background in sales, sales management, and journalism.
Dale is widely known as a Senior Staff Writer for the Green Sheet, a leading Payments trade publication that empowers and connects Payments professionals. 
In this episode, among other things, Dale talks about what she believes, to be the
biggest challenge to the industry. She also gives us a peek into the risks of quantum computing as the type of technology that has the power to crack into public key infrastructure.
It is from this depth of experience that Dale will be taking us on a journey, sharing her unique perspective on all things payments.