Paparelli Podcast Charlie Paparelli

Greg Thompson is an entrepreneur who built a specialty commercial insurance brokerage. In this interview, Greg shares his experiences moving from an insurance agent to entrepreneur to general manager to CEO.
For topics:
How to set yourself up for board positions while building your company.How to develop your company even faster through acquisitions.How to become a better business owner by joining a CEO small group, like Vistage.How to be a leader who practices people are your greatest asset.Greg shares what worked and what didn’t as he built his company. How one day, he looked in the mirror and asked, “How am I screwing up this company I started?”
Join us.

When I asked Authur Washington, the Principal of KIPP collegiate, how many students in his school, he said, “Eight hundred and forty scholars. Eight hundred and forty beautiful souls!”

His answer set the tone for our conversation. This conversation describes the building of a great leader—a man who is sacrificing to accomplish the mission God gave him. 

His objectives:

- To change the lives of the next generation. 
- Educate, encourage and show them discipline and responsibility. 
- Instill a spirit of hope. 
- Mold them into next-generation leaders. 

I learned about leadership. More importantly, I am reminded to change lives, the leader must love the people he leads.

Alan Taetle is one of the most respected VCs in the Southeast and Noro-Moseley Partners’ co-managing partner. They are the oldest VC firm in Atlanta., now investing in their eighth fund.

I asked Alan to join me for a short conversation about this contraction in values. Both in the public markets and in the private markets. During his twenty-three-year career as a VC, Alan has been through at least three boom and bust cycles.

I know you’ll find his insights spot on. And, as an entrepreneur, you’ll be rewarded with some good ideas for increasing your company’s value amid an impending economic contraction. Lastly, Alan shares the advice he gave to his portfolio companies.

Brian Livingston was the state wrestling champion. He hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. Then took the well-marked path of law school and a career as a litigator. And then he realized, “This is not me.” 
He knew from fourth grade he was destined to be a writer. It took twenty-two years to face this truth, but he did. 
On the evening of January 20, 2018, he began to write his first novel. He committed to 1,500 words per day, seven days per week. Three years later, The Habits of Squirrels was completed. 
In this interview, you’ll learn how to discover who God made you to be, your purpose, and your fulfillment. 
Brian shows us the way. 
His superpower is working on time-intensive, long-term projects that take all of him. It kind of sounds like an entrepreneur starting a new company to me. 
Lots of life lessons, and you have a great book to read when it’s over!
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At age 21, Cheryl Bachelder’s father took her on business appointments in China, Japan, and Korea after threatening to quit college. Her college education no longer served her interests, and she saw no purpose. Her father’s investment changed her life.

As CEO, Bachelder led a historic turnaround of AFC Enterprises, the parent of Popeye’s Louisiana Restaurants. 

In ten years, Bachelder increased the stock price sixfold by changing the brand, the culture, and franchisee profits. Then she wrote a book on how she did it, “Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others.”

Bachelder never saw the glass ceiling. She never worried about it. She focused on achieving results her entire career. And for that, she was consistently recognized and rewarded.

A lifetime student of leadership, she developed an effective leadership recipe. It included: 

Be daring - Have high aspirations
Servant-leadership - Help others be on their purpose
Achieve results - Measure the first two on financial results

This interview speaks directly to how she made it to the top as a woman executive: her leadership interest and relentless pursuit of bringing everyone along with her to the winner’s circle.

Lots to learn here for women in business. Even more to learn for all entrepreneurs about growing your business by being a dare to serve leader.

He achieved the sales club at New Relic in his first year as an Account Executive. That’s my son I’m talking about, Nick.

My questions are:

How did he do it?

What did he learn after being a Business Development Rep for three years?

Did his sales manager help him, and if so, how?

As an entrepreneur trying to get your salespeople motivated and on plan, this interview will help. 

New Relic is a public company selling application performance management to F1000 companies. 

Nick’s plan is heavily weighted to consumption. This was a new term to me. But once I understood it, I knew I’d continue to use it when talking to SaaS startups. It just makes sense.

Give a listen, and I think you'll pick up a few tips on managing sales reps or, if you are a rep, then how to make club level at your company.