99 episodes

Recruit Rockstars is the only podcast on the people part of PE & VC portfolio companies.

Recruit Rockstars Podcast Strong Suit

    • Careers

Recruit Rockstars is the only podcast on the people part of PE & VC portfolio companies.

    Recruit Rockstars 308: Venture Capital Gems of the Mid-Continent

    Recruit Rockstars 308: Venture Capital Gems of the Mid-Continent

    You probably know about Silicon Valley startups.
    And Manhattan’s tech chops.
    But have you seen the new companies that are cooking up in the Midwest?
    Or, as Ira Weiss, Partner of Hyde Park Venture Partners, calls it: “Mid-Continent.”
    And he should know.
    HPVP invests exclusively in early-stage tech companies in the (previously-considered) flyover states. If you’re raising a first or second round of capital, this fund is likely on your radar.
    Ira has been investing in private companies for 15 years, with over 125 VC & angel investments. He sits on many boards as a director or observer of FourKites, Parkwhiz, ShipBob, and others.
    And, somehow, he finds time to teach entrepreneurship as Professor at University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
    In this 20-minute conversation, Ira shares his many insights about how to successfully scale a team as your business ramps. (Even if you’re not Mid-Continent, it’s filled with practical advice.)

    • 24 min
    Recruit Rockstars 307: After 125 Combat Missions in Baghdad, He Makes Hiring Look Easy

    Recruit Rockstars 307: After 125 Combat Missions in Baghdad, He Makes Hiring Look Easy

    Few talent experts are as impressive than Andy Caine of Frazier Healthcare Partners, the $4.2 billion growth & venture capital investor in over 170 companies.
    Andy works closely with Frazier’s Growth Buyout portfolio companies. There, he focuses on pre-investment organizational due diligence, talent assessment & development, and post-acquisition management.
    He’s become an expert in helping PE backed companies scale. In total, Andy has conducted over 250 talent evaluations, coached 200 leaders, and assessed 60 organizations.
    Prior to Frazier, he was an Organization Practice Expert at McKinsey & Company. If that’s not enough, he also served as Commander in the US Army’s Attack Helicopter Company.
    Phew!
    In this 20-min conversation, Andy shares what he’s learned by evaluating the talent at countless many growth-stage companies. And the mistakes you should avoid.

    • 19 min
    Recruit Rockstars 306: How Smart PE’s Get Their Hands on the Top Talent

    Recruit Rockstars 306: How Smart PE’s Get Their Hands on the Top Talent

    The smartest Private Equity investors have added whip-smart heads of Talent to their in-house teams.
    Because investing is one thing… But attracting Rockstar teams to do something with that funding is another.
    Here’s Exhibit A.
    Based in Palo Alto (ground zero of the talent war), Kelly Carlson is Head of Talent with Symphony Technology Group. She leads the firm’s talent efforts & works with STG’s portfolio company CEOs & leadership teams to crush the number.
    And she’s well-qualified to do it.
    Kelly joined STG from TillmanCarlson, the retained executive search boutique where she recruited CEOs, CFOs, CTOs. (Say that 3 times fast!)
    She mastered her craft during 8 years at Russell Reynolds Associates as one of the early members of the firm’s technology practice.
    I had a chance to speak with Kelly about how to find the best candidates, how to land them, and... probably most important these days…how to keep them.
    If you have 20 minutes, it’ll be well spent on this one.

    • 21 min
    Recruit Rockstars 305: The Yummiest VC Portfolio Company I’ve Seen

    Recruit Rockstars 305: The Yummiest VC Portfolio Company I’ve Seen

    …And you think that your business is complex?
    Meet Luke Saunders, CEO & Founder of Farmer’s Fridge.
    His ambitious venture combines custom hardware, software, food prep, distribution, and wirelessly-gathered data analytics. (You could say he’s bitten off alot.)
    Based in Chicago, Farmer’s Fridge makes fresh meals in their kitchens & fills their Fridges with wholesome, delicious salads, bowls, and snacks.
    Luke founded Farmer’s Fridge in 2013. And he’s dining with some heavy-hitters...
    He’s raised $42 million from Danone Manifesto Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, Cleveland Avenue, GreatPoint Ventures, Finistere Ventures, and PowerPlant Ventures.
    In this 20-minute conversation, Luke reveals how he’s scaling the team, building the culture, and changing how we eat on the go.

    • 17 min
    Recruit Rockstars 304: Private Equity & Talent...How It Really Works

    Recruit Rockstars 304: Private Equity & Talent...How It Really Works

    I just had to good fortune to interview Emily Azevedo.
    She’s Vice President of Talent of the prominent growth capital firm Mainsail Partners.
    Based in San Francisco, Mainsail leads majority control investments in EBITDA-positive software & tech-enabled services.
    Emily joined the firm & works with Mainsail’s portfolio companies on their talent needs, including executive leadership, recruiting, compensation, and assessment.

    Prior, she mastered her craft at (my alma mater) Heidrick & Struggles, the preeminent executive search firm.
    In this 20-min conversation, Emily reveals the keys to scaling the people part of your growth business. Including the key pitfalls to avoid.

    • 20 min
    Recruit Rockstars 303: How to Manage Hypergrowth (You should be so lucky.)

    Recruit Rockstars 303: How to Manage Hypergrowth (You should be so lucky.)

    Here’s the CEO of one of the fastest-growing food companies I’ve ever seen!
    Mike Pytlinski is CEO of Nutridried, makers of Moon Cheese. I love this snack! (And it’s super healthy.) You’ve likely seen it at checkout in every Starbucks.
    I tracked down Mike to understand how he’s scaling the business & the team. He was well-prepared for this hypergrowth.
    Prior to Moon Cheese, Mike was VP Marketing at Palermo’s Pizza, where he tripled the business.
    He developed his CPG & leadership chops at Kraft Foods, and holds an MBA from Kellogg School.
    In this 20-minute conversation, Mike shares his insights on recruiting, building a culture, and how to manage hypergrowth (a very high-class problem)

    • 24 min

Customer Reviews

Tldysart ,

Great usable knowledge

Jeff just gets it. Through conversations with practitioners he quickly gets to what you can do to improve your recruiting. Not just want to do, but how to get better!

Sweetcash ,

It's a must listen for every growing company.

I am always looking for great podcasts related to entrepreneurship and I am glad I came across Strong Suit Podcast. I am hiring new people for business and the ideas shared on this podcast are incredibly helpful. It's a must listen for every growing company.

Head of Sales 23 ,

Great insights to recruiting the right people

I've listened to several of Jeff's podcast and the level of caliber and insights of the guests are top notch. The conversation has a really good flow and pace to it. Any CEO or first time manager that's recruiting today would find this educational and entertaining.

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