Founder-Led

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Welcome to Founder-Led, featuring founders scaling 7 and 8 figure companies who share the strategies and mindset driving real growth. Brought to you by LinkedIn Growth Engine. We help established recruitment and staffing firm owners land new clients from LinkedIn by turning their executive content and insights into a trust building inbound lead engine. We partner with $1M to $20M+ agency founders to build visibility, authority, and trust that drives pipeline, without turning you into a “content creator.” Over the last 12 months, we've helped drive $20M+ in booked revenue from LinkedIn. If you're done relying on referrals and want prospects coming in pre sold, you're in the right place. https://www.youtube.com/@rohan_karunakaran

  1. 1 MAY

    Why Every Brand Needs a Music Strategy ft. Jesse Kirshbaum

    In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Kirshbaum, Founder & CEO of Nue Agency, to unpack why music is the most underused channel in modern marketing and how brands can build real cultural leverage by working with artists. Before Nue's pivot into brand work, Jesse spent his early career as a talent agent, signing artists like Mike Posner, Chiddy Bang, J Cole, Big Sean, and Logic, and helped shape the digital era of music discovery. What we cover: ➜ Why music is undervalued as a marketing and brand channel➜ Jesse's 18 year arc from talent agent to brand strategist➜ How signing emerging artists shaped his thesis on culture➜ The Sour Patch Kids campaign that took a candy brand to number one➜ Why every brand should have a music strategy in some form➜ How to measure ROI when you're shifting culture, not just clicks➜ Why musicians are the sherpas of culture for new technology➜ How AI music is reshaping the creator economy and brand work➜ Why music can change consumer behavior on a physiological level (00:01) - - Welcome to Founder-Led Podcast (00:08) - - Sponsored by Frontier Content Studio (00:33) - - Introduction to Jesse Kirshbaum (01:10) - - Jesse's Origin Story in Music (02:59) - - Transition to New Agency (06:34) - - Leveraging Music in Brand Strategy (09:18) - - Importance of Music Strategy for Brands (12:27) - - Measuring Music's Impact on Marketing (13:56) - - Case Study: Sour Patch Kids Campaign (17:56) - - Benefits for B2B Brands with Music (19:04) - - Threshold for Investing in Music Strategy (20:41) - - Closing the Loop on Event ROI (22:04) - - Music's Role in Enhancing Experiences (23:13) - - AI's Impact on Music and Marketing (27:17) - - Parting Message for Brand Builders (28:43) - - Where to Find Jesse's Newsletter If you're a founder, CMO, or brand builder trying to break through in a saturated market, this conversation will give you a fresh playbook for using music to build affinity, attention, and lasting cultural relevance. Recommended Resources: ➜ Jesse Kirshbaum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessekirshbaum/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    30 min

  2. 1 MAY

    Why 'Doing Things That Don't Scale' Can Drive Real Revenue with Nick Stagge

    In this episode, we sit down with Nick Stagge, Founder of The Grounded Company, to unpack why doing things that don't scale is still the highest leverage move and how he built a multi company creative portfolio entirely through relationships and referrals. Before founding The Grounded Company at nearly 40, Nick spent years as a marketer at Skullcandy, GoPro, and Zumiez, then built creative work for brands like Dixxon Flannel, the Chicago Cubs, and Vans Warped Tour. What we cover: ➜ Why doing things that don't scale beats every shortcut➜ The podcast that generated 1 million in sales without launching most episodes➜ How a magazine column landed Nick three CMO offers➜ Why specialty agencies are winning over generalists again➜ The Venn diagram model behind his portfolio of companies➜ Why you should sell the service before you start the business➜ How to find world class talent without ever posting a job➜ Why how you offboard people matters more than how you onboard➜ Why fast creative with soul outperforms overpolished AI output (00:01) - - Welcome to Founder Lead (00:08) - - Episode Sponsored by Frontier Studios (00:32) - - Introduction of Nick Stagge (01:08) - - Importance of Non-Scalable Actions (01:29) - - Personal Stories of Building Relationships (03:11) - - Podcasting for Connection, Not Promotion (05:29) - - The Value of Meaningful Conversations (10:05) - - Building a Multi-Company Structure (14:00) - - The Role of Trust in Partnerships (18:43) - - Specialization in Business (24:00) - - Identifying and Nurturing Talent (29:01) - - Empowering Team Members for Growth (35:27) - - Speed vs. Quality in Creative Work (39:17) - - Accelerating Experience Through Exposure (40:32) - - Key Message on Self-Acceptance (41:50) - - Closing Remarks and Connect with Nick If you're a founder, marketer, or agency owner trying to grow through real relationships rather than ad spend, this conversation will give you a refreshingly human playbook for finding clients, building a team, and stacking complementary businesses. Recommended Resources: ➜ Nick Stagge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbstagge/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    42 min

  3. 1 MAY

    Trusting AI for Travel: Insights from Scott Persinger of BizTrip

    In this episode, we sit down with Scott Persinger, Co-founder & CTO of BizTrip.ai, to unpack why corporate travel is still painfully broken and what it takes to build an AI agent that travelers actually trust to book on their behalf. Before BizTrip, Scott built systems that scale at Heroku, Stripe, and Tartary, leading engineering teams across fintech and developer infrastructure before going deep on agent based AI architecture. What we cover: ➜ Why corporate travel UX has barely changed in 15 years➜ How the 40 year old AI travel agent dream is finally real➜ Why legacy travel tech must be integrated, not replaced➜ How an LLM can read a corporate travel policy and apply it➜ The personalization breakthrough that road warriors are waiting for➜ Why corporate travel is fundamentally different from leisure➜ How BizTrip is reclaiming 5 hours of lost productivity per trip➜ The trust journey from show me everything to just book it➜ Why even AI first products still need a seat map UI (00:01) - - Welcome to Founder-Led (00:08) - - Episode Sponsored by Frontier Studios (00:32) - - Introducing Scott Persinger (00:48) - - The Problem with Corporate Travel (02:00) - - Scott's Journey to BizTrip (03:32) - - User Experience in Travel Tech (05:39) - - Near Term Pain Points in Travel (06:31) - - Integrating AI with Corporate Travel (09:03) - - Comparing AI Innovations in Other Industries (10:12) - - Current Experience of Business Travelers (12:03) - - Reimagining Travel with AI (15:29) - - Reducing Time Spent on Travel Planning (17:17) - - Positive Reception from Corporate Customers (19:58) - - Building Trust in AI Travel Agents (22:18) - - Visual Elements in Travel Booking (26:13) - - Where to Learn More about BizTrip (27:44) - - The Future of Corporate Travel If you're a founder, operator, or travel manager tired of the friction in business travel, this conversation will change how you think about agent based products, the real shape of trust between humans and AI, and what infrastructure is finally ready to disrupt. Recommended Resources: ➜ Scott Persinger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottpersinger/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    28 min

  4. 1 MAY

    Why Your Biggest Competitor Might Be Your Client: Insights from Sonya Locke

    In this episode, we sit down with Sonya Locke, CEO and Founder of EDS Service Solutions, to unpack how she built a 7,000 person workforce organization across 150 locations and rebuilt it after losing 95 percent of revenue overnight during Covid. Before scaling EDS, Sonya won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award and built a workforce model that supports aviation, hospitality, transportation, and automotive operations across the country with a four pillar foundation. What we cover: ➜ How EDS came back from 27 million to 100 million in 18 months➜ The four pillars that anchor every workforce engagement➜ Why your biggest competitor is the client doing it themselves➜ How saying no to underpaid jobs protects long term partnerships➜ Why proactive multiple touchpoints beat one account manager➜ How to lead through transparency, ownership, and shared bonuses➜ Why hiring your replacement is the path to your own growth➜ How AI can accelerate back office work without replacing the human touch➜ Why empathy is her unfair advantage as a CEO (00:01) - - Introduction to Founder-Led Podcast (00:07) - - Episode Sponsor: Frontier Studios (00:38) - - Introducing Sonya Locke (01:36) - - Sonya's Entrepreneurial Journey (02:28) - - Key Pillars of Success (03:41) - - Surviving the COVID Impact (06:09) - - Importance of Communication in Operations (07:12) - - Balancing Value and Customer Growth (08:38) - - Choosing the Right Clients (10:11) - - Empowering Team Ownership (11:17) - - Learning from Mistakes (13:09) - - Navigating Technological Change (15:00) - - AI's Role in Business Operations (18:25) - - Rapid Fire Questions Begin (18:30) - - Important Habit for CEOs (19:03) - - Cultivating Ambitious Leaders (21:10) - - Biggest Workforce Mistake to Avoid (22:40) - - Key Metrics for CEOs to Watch (24:07) - - Leadership Traits Under Pressure (25:40) - - Empathy in Leadership (29:08) - - Billboard Message: Empowering Excellence (30:07) - - Closing Remarks and Resources If you're a founder, operator, or workforce leader scaling a service business across multiple locations, this conversation will reset how you think about culture, retention, and the operational systems that hold up under real pressure. Recommended Resources: ➜ Sonya Locke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonyalocke/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    30 min

  5. 1 MAY

    The Next Generation of CRM: How AI is Changing the Game with Christopher O'Donnell

    In this episode, we sit down with Christopher O’Donnell, Founder & CEO of Day AI and former Chief Product Officer at HubSpot, to unpack why CRM is being rebuilt from the ground up for the AI era. Before starting Day AI, Christopher helped build HubSpot CRM, co-founded ProfitWell, and spent years thinking about how software can better serve sales, marketing, and customer teams. What we cover: ➜ Why legacy CRM has become a system of delay➜ What HubSpot taught Christopher about category creation➜ Why AI-native software starts with workflows, not databases➜ How founders can use AI agents to multiply output➜ Why customer memory is the missing layer for agents➜ The trust curve between humans and AI➜ Why agents need context before they can take action➜ How Day AI is reimagining CRM as a system of understanding➜ Why small, nimble companies may have the biggest AI advantage (00:01) - - Introduction to Founder-Led Podcast (00:08) - - Sponsored by Frontier Content Studio (00:33) - - Guest Introduction: Christopher O'Donnell (01:40) - - Christopher's Journey Through Tech (03:04) - - Learning from HubSpot CRM Development (06:37) - - Transitioning to Day AI (07:00) - - Reimagining CRM for SMEs (09:32) - - The Role of AI in Business Growth (11:10) - - Workflow Automation for Founders (12:25) - - AI's Impact on Sales Processes (15:10) - - Personalizing Sales Outreach with AI (18:06) - - Building Trust in AI Interactions (21:45) - - The Future of AI and Human Collaboration (24:47) - - Time to Value with Day AI (30:08) - - The Role of Professional Services (34:39) - - Final Thoughts and Future Outlook (35:55) - - How to Connect with Christopher If you’re a founder, operator, or GTM leader trying to understand how AI will reshape sales, CRM, and customer relationships — this conversation will change how you think about your tech stack.Recommended Resources: ➜ Christopher O'Donnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markitecht/ ➜ Day AI: https://day.ai Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    36 min

  6. 1 MAY

    Is Your Business Leaving Money on the Table? Insights from Ben Mohlie

    In this episode, we sit down with Ben Mohlie, Co-founder & CEO of Hyperscayle, to unpack why revenue operations is the force multiplier behind every great go to market motion and how AI is rewriting what the function actually does. Before founding Hyperscayle, Ben led sales and marketing at Mendix, helping scale the software company from 15 million to 140 million in revenue before its acquisition by Siemens. What we cover: ➜ Why revenue operations is the force multiplier behind every scale story➜ The four stage gates from 3 million to 100 million in revenue➜ Why your first RevOps leader matters more than your tech stack➜ How RevOps becomes the objective arbiter between sales and marketing➜ Why the AI experience layer is now table stakes for go to market➜ How vibe coded apps are quietly killing single function point solutions➜ Why manufacturing has the biggest untapped RevOps opportunity➜ The quote to cash mistakes that cost manufacturers millions➜ Why the biggest mistake is investing in RevOps too late (00:01) - - Welcome to Founder Led (00:09) - - Episode Sponsored by Frontier Studio (00:34) - - Introduction of Ben Mohlie (01:15) - - Ben's Breakfast Choice (01:35) - - Origin Story of Hyperscale (04:06) - - Importance of Revenue Operations (05:14) - - Market Appetite for Rev Ops (07:01) - - Revenue Operations Stages Explained (10:54) - - Investing in Revenue Operations (11:49) - - AI's Impact on Revenue Operations (12:30) - - AI Tools and Use Cases (16:30) - - Recommended Tools for $25M Company (19:30) - - Rev Ops in Manufacturing Industry (22:07) - - Common Use Cases in Manufacturing (23:40) - - Key Takeaway: Invest Early in Rev Ops (24:13) - - Where to Find Ben Mohlie If you're a founder, GTM leader, or operator at a company between 10 million and 500 million in revenue, this conversation will give you a clear roadmap for what to build next, when to hire your first RevOps leader, and how to use AI without buying every shiny tool. Recommended Resources: ➜ Ben Mohlie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-mohlie-5aa77a58/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    25 min

  7. 1 MAY

    Revolutionizing Recruiting: Sloane Barbour on AI's Impact on Talent Acquisition

    In this episode, we sit down with Sloane Barbour, Co-founder & CEO of engin, to unpack why legacy recruiting tools never delivered on their promise and how large language models are finally rewriting what is possible for staffing teams. Before founding engin, Sloane spent nearly 20 years across recruiting, staffing, and talent technology, leading high growth teams at Motion Recruitment, Hired, and FlowHire and running a 50 plus person recruiting division in New York. What we cover: ➜ Why recruiting tech was stuck on keyword matching for decades➜ How large language models finally unlocked real contextualization➜ Why high volume credentialed work is the prime AI fit today➜ How AI campaign management lifts applicant quality 30 to 50 percent➜ Why AI voice agents are reshaping the recruiter screen call➜ How engin doubles or triples productivity per recruiter➜ Why features are no longer defensible in the age of vibe coding➜ How brand, trust, and human connection become the real moat➜ Why recruiters now have to be shepherds for the next workforce (00:01) - - Welcome to Founder Lead (00:08) - - Episode Sponsored by Frontier Studios (00:32) - - Introducing Sloane Barbour (01:39) - - Sloane's Background in Recruiting (02:16) - - Identifying Gaps in Recruiting Technology (04:30) - - Engine's Target Market and Fit (07:09) - - Changes in Staffing Industry Dynamics (09:04) - - Technology Disruption in Recruiting (12:13) - - Market Reception at the SIA Conference (15:36) - - The Future of AI in Staffing (17:16) - - Key Workflow for Increased Productivity (20:21) - - Enhancing Recruiter Efficiency with AI (24:16) - - Building Trust and Employer Brand (27:13) - - Humanizing the Recruitment Process (30:03) - - Embracing Change in the Workforce (34:00) - - Connect with Sloane Barbour If you're a staffing leader, talent operator, or founder running a recruiting team, this conversation will give you a clear view of where AI is actually creating leverage today and how to position your firm to win the next three years. Recommended Resources: ➜ Sloane Barbour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sloanebarbour/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    35 min

  8. 1 MAY

    Unlocking Cybersecurity: Greg Fitzgerald on Visibility and Value

    In this episode, we sit down with Greg Fitzgerald, CEO of Artificial by Design and Chairman of CyberForce Security, to unpack how he turns complex technology into clear market value and why finding the one thing your company does best is the only way to win. Across 27 years and 11 companies, Greg has helped build and scale Fortinet, Cylance, and CVO Security, the last of which was recently acquired by Arctic Wolf, while taking Cylance from idea to a 1.4 billion dollar exit to BlackBerry. What we cover: ➜ Why being a translator is the most underrated founder skill➜ Curly's one thing rule and how it has driven 11 companies➜ How Cylance went from idea to 100 million in two years➜ Why incumbents like McAfee could not react to disruption➜ The David and Goliath playbook for zigging when others zag➜ How CVO Security pivoted its wedge when the macro shifted in 2023➜ Why trust equals performance over time, mathematically➜ How customer testimonials carried more weight than any sales pitch➜ Why Artificial by Design is freeing AI infrastructure from chip lock in (00:01) - - Welcome to Founder-Led Podcast (00:09) - - Episode Sponsored by Frontier Studio (01:00) - - Introducing Greg Fitzgerald (01:15) - - Greg's Journey as a Business Translator (03:19) - - Highlights of Greg's Founder Journey (04:02) - - Recent Acquisition Story (05:50) - - Importance of the 'One Thing' Concept (07:11) - - Evolution of Value Proposition (09:42) - - Silence's Unique Market Approach (11:24) - - Challenges Faced by Larger Competitors (12:49) - - The Role of Speed in Startups (14:01) - - The Impact of AI on Business (15:30) - - Building Trust in Technology Sales (19:09) - - The Human Element in Decision Making (21:30) - - Reputation and Trust Dynamics (23:08) - - Customer Testimonials as Social Proof (25:00) - - How to Connect with Greg Fitzgerald (27:34) - - Target Buyers for Artificial by Design (28:39) - - Closing Thoughts and Thank You If you're a founder, operator, or technology leader trying to cut through noise and find the one wedge that wins, this conversation will sharpen how you position your product, build trust with buyers, and outmaneuver bigger competitors. Recommended Resources: ➜ Greg Fitzgerald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorysfitzgerald/ Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran

    29 min
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Welcome to Founder-Led, featuring founders scaling 7 and 8 figure companies who share the strategies and mindset driving real growth. Brought to you by LinkedIn Growth Engine. We help established recruitment and staffing firm owners land new clients from LinkedIn by turning their executive content and insights into a trust building inbound lead engine. We partner with $1M to $20M+ agency founders to build visibility, authority, and trust that drives pipeline, without turning you into a “content creator.” Over the last 12 months, we've helped drive $20M+ in booked revenue from LinkedIn. If you're done relying on referrals and want prospects coming in pre sold, you're in the right place. https://www.youtube.com/@rohan_karunakaran

Información

  • Creador
    Frontier Studio
  • Años de actividad
    2 k
  • Episodios
    23
  • Clasificación
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  • Copyright
    © Frontier Studio
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    Founder-Led