Experience-Focused Leaders Alex Shevelenko

In this podcast episode, entrepreneur Lloyed Lobo shares his insights on building successful businesses through community-led growth. He discusses the importance of defining personal success, understanding customer needs, and focusing on a growing target audience.
He also highlights the significance of creating a community around a startup, citing examples of successful businesses like Atlassian. He also advises on the importance of engaging with the audience consistently and understanding their pain points. Lobo shares his journey of bootstrapping his business, the importance of finding meaning in work, and his personal definition of success. The conversation also touches on the startup ecosystem's obsession with venture capital and the potential for alternative paths to success.
To learn more about Lloyed's work, click HERE and HERE.
Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.
Want to learn more about Alex's work at Relayto? Check out his website at https://relayto.com/.

Your host, Alex Shevelenko, talks with the Chief Impact Officer of Business for Social Responsibility, Laura Gitman. Laura, a game-changer in the field of sustainability, shed light on BSR's mission, which has remained steadfast for over 30 years. The organization's primary focus is to work directly with large businesses due to their significant impact and ambition. BSR offers membership to companies, providing them with thought leadership, advice, networking opportunities, and collaboration.
Unlike other consulting firms that offer cookie-cutter solutions, BSR focuses on leading-edge work. They engage in multi-company or collaborative work, bringing together competitors to solve specific issues. They also conduct grant-funded research to stay ahead of cutting-edge sustainability issues.
One of the key takeaways from the conversation was Laura's emphasis on the misconception about companies and sustainability. She clarified that there doesn't have to be a trade-off between profitability and sustainability. In fact, she believes that companies can be both profitable and sustainable. It's a positive thing when companies pursue sustainability for profitability because it means they are more likely to invest in sustainable practices in the long term.
To learn more about Laura's work, click HERE and HERE.
Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.
Want to learn more about Alex's work at Relayto? Check out his website at https://relayto.com/.

Your host, Alex Shevelenko, talks with the CEO of ProductLed, Wes Bush. Wes is the author of the book "Product-Led Growth: How to Build a Product That Sells Itself," which has been read by over half a million people. The conversation revolved around creating experiences, particularly content experiences, and how they support various aspects of business growth. Wes, as a content-led business owner and an expert in product-led growth, provided valuable insights into what product-led growth means and how it is evolving.
Wes defines product-led growth as using the product to acquire, engage, and monetize users. He emphasized the importance of creating a product that sells itself and delivers an exceptional user experience. This approach contrasts with the traditional sales journey, focusing on selling and then engaging customers. In product-led growth, the emphasis is on acquiring, engaging, and then monetizing customers. Wes explained that this shift changes everything in how businesses approach acquisition, engagement, and monetization.
Wes discussed the challenges of implementing a product-led growth strategy. One of the difficulties is that the category is still immature, so people may not fully understand the problem that the product solves. Wes also talked about the importance of creating a content journey that guides customers through the decision-making process. This involves providing content assets that help customers think through the decision of whether the product is right for them.
To learn more about Wes' work, click HERE and HERE.
Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.
Want to learn more about Alex's work at Relayto? Check out his website at https://relayto.com/.

Your host, Alex Shevelenko, talks with the CEO of FE International, Thomas Smale. FE International specializes in tech-focused M&A advisory services for businesses in the $1 to $100 million exit sector. With over 1500 deals closed and a total value of over $50 billion, Thomas' experience in the SaaS, e-commerce, and digital media content categories is awe-inspiring.
One of the key topics discussed was why small business owners choose to engage with Thomas and pursue an M&A exit strategy. Thomas firmly believes that every entrepreneur should have an exit strategy in mind, even if it's not immediate. Whether it's due to personal or financial changes, or the emergence of a new business opportunity, having a specific financial exit goal is crucial.
Thomas shared his insights on the changing landscape of M&A deals. He explained that while strategic acquisitions are still important, the opportunistic aspect of M&A is becoming more challenging. Interestingly, he mentioned that buyers are becoming more disciplined but also more creative. For instance, private equity funds that previously wouldn't consider deals below a certain valuation are now open to smaller deals. This means that there is a lot of demand for relatively small businesses with valuations below $100 million.
Thomas emphasized the importance of focusing on building a good business rather than solely planning for an exit. He cautioned against getting caught up in specific metrics that may not be relevant to every business and advised entrepreneurs to prioritize revenue growth and the overall size of their business. He also highlighted the significance of profitability and tangible results, rather than relying on potential and big visions that have yet to be realized.
To learn more about Thomas' work, click HERE and HERE.
Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.
Want to learn more about Alex's work at Relayto? Check out his website at https://relayto.com/.

Your host, Alex Shevelenko, talks with the CEO, Host, and Head Coach of Categorynauts, Mark Organ. Mark Organ is a firm believer in the power of customer advocacy. Firstly, customers should feel like part of the team, this sense of identity and connection can turn them into "superheroes" for the brand. Secondly, it's crucial to show customers the impact they're making on the company. Lastly, companies should help their customer advocates prosper in their personal and professional lives. This can be achieved by providing opportunities for career growth, such as writing content or speaking at events.
Category development is all about serving a specific persona or niche. In the case of Eloqua, these were the demand-generation professionals who came from engineering and sales backgrounds. By focusing on serving these professionals, Eloqua was able to dominate the category and achieve significant growth.
In today's digital age, capturing attention is a challenge. Mark believes that community plays a crucial role in creating relevant content, allowing companies to mobilize their best customers and involve them in content creation.
To learn more about Mark's work, click HERE and HERE.
Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.
Want to learn more about Alex's work at Relayto? Check out his website at https://relayto.com/.

Your host, Alex Shevelenko, talks with the President and Chief Marketing Officer of Domestic & General, Gayle Terry. Gayle's career trajectory is unique, starting in general management before transitioning into marketing. Her passion for customer experience and marketing developed from working in industries that didn't prioritize the customer. She started in operational roles, running contact centers and field forces, which allowed her to understand customer interactions and employee needs.
This experience was instrumental in her transition into customer retention and product development roles, broadening her understanding of business factors that contribute to a great customer outcome. Gayle talks about the importance of connecting the dots between customer experience, employee engagement, and business profitability.
Domestic & General operates as a B2B2C brand, collaborating with well-known manufacturers and retailers to offer protection plans. This partnership with various brands means they have a diverse range of customers with different demographics and interests. To cater to these customers, the company invests in data-driven marketing and data science to understand individual customer needs and provide personalized offers.
To learn more about Gayle's work, click HERE and HERE.
Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.
Want to learn more about Alex's work at Relayto? Check out his website at https://relayto.com/.