Liftoff with Keith Newman: For Founders looking for a new growth playbook and further inspiration.

Former Journalist, Startup + GTM exec Keith Newman
  • 4.6 (39)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Former journalist turned Silicon Valley dealmaker and entrepreneur Keith Newman talks with Founders, Innovators and Influencers who share their stories of success, pain and impact with a bit of humor and nostalgia mixed in. Hear from Maverick Mark Cuban, SuperAngel Ron Conway, Ann Winblad, Mitch Kapor, Steve Blank and Founders of GameStop, Ancestry, JotForm, Fry's, Intuit, and many more. Find 80+ Episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-look-back-a-free-flowing-interview/id1560219589

  1. 59M AGO

    Ari Gootnick on Founder Burnout: Why Performance Drops Before You Crash

    In this episode, Keith sat down with Ari Gootnick, Founder at Lume, to unpack one of the most overlooked challenges in entrepreneurship—founder performance and burnout. Ari shares his personal journey from burnout and depression while working in a high-growth tech environment to building Lume, a performance lab designed to help founders operate at their peak—mentally, physically, and emotionally.They dive deep into: Why founders underperform before burnout actually hits The difference between motivation vs. capacity How hustle culture may be hurting more than helpingPractical frameworks to improve decision-making, focus, and energy The role of health optimization, coaching, and peer support in scaling sustainably If you're a founder, operator, or leader navigating high pressure and fast growth, this conversation will challenge how you think about performance—and give you tools to sustain it.Connect with Ari Gootnick: Website: https://www.join-lume.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arigoot Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com #FounderBurnout #StartupFounders #EntrepreneurMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #HighPerformance #StartupLife #FounderJourney #BusinessGrowth #MentalFitness #HustleCulture

    33 min

  2. 6D AGO

    From Magician to AI Authority: How Jimi Gibson Is Redefining Visibility in the Zero-Click Era

    In this episode, Keith sat down with Jimi Gibson, Vice President of Brand Communication at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, to unpack how visibility is changing in an AI-driven world. Before working with CEOs and founders, Jimi spent years as a professional magician—learning how to capture attention, build curiosity, and create unforgettable moments. Today, he applies those same principles to help businesses stay visible in a world where AI is answering questions before users ever click. We explore: Why founder authority is becoming more powerful than traditional SEO How zero-click searches are reshaping demand generation The real reason many businesses are “disappearing” online What AI actually looks for when deciding who to trust A simple, practical framework to create content that stands out As search evolves from clicks to answers, visibility is no longer about ranking #1—it’s about being the voice AI trusts and surfaces.If you’re a founder, marketer, or business leader trying to stay relevant in 2026, this conversation will give you a completely new lens on content, brand, and growth.Connect with Jimi Gibson: Website: https://thriveagency.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jimi-gibson Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com#AIMarketing #SEO #ContentStrategy #FounderBrand #DigitalMarketing #B2BMarketing #PersonalBranding #GrowthMarketing #MarketingStrategy

    32 min

  3. APR 7

    How to Turn LinkedIn Into a Predictable Growth Channel (Without Wasting Ad Spend) | Anthony Blatner

    In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, we sit down with Anthony Blatner, Founder of Speedwork Social and a leading expert in LinkedIn B2B growth. Anthony shares a practical crawl-walk-run framework for companies looking to turn LinkedIn into a scalable demand generation channel. From founder-led content and employee advocacy to high-performing Thought Leader Ads, he explains how modern B2B companies are building pipeline without relying on expensive or ineffective campaigns. We also discuss why case-study driven content outperforms promotional messaging, how teams can activate their networks, and how startups can scale LinkedIn marketing without chasing trends. If you're a startup founder, marketing leader, or B2B growth team, this episode breaks down how to turn LinkedIn into a predictable revenue engine. Connect with Anthony Blatner: Website: https://speedworksocial.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyblatner Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com#B2BMarketing #LinkedInMarketing #DemandGeneration #StartupGrowth #SaaSMarketing #GrowthMarketing #FounderLedMarketing #DigitalMarketing #B2BStrategy #MarketingLeadership

    29 min

  4. MAR 31

    From Startup to IPO: Henry Schuck on Building ZoomInfo and Surfing the AI Wave

    In this special Liftoff Unicorn Conversation, Keith sits down with Henry Schuck, Founder & CEO of ZoomInfo, to explore the journey of building one of the most influential B2B data platforms in the world. Henry shares the story behind founding ZoomInfo in 2007, scaling through multiple growth stages, navigating the company’s IPO during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how ZoomInfo is now adapting to the AI era. This conversation dives into lessons for founders, entrepreneurs, and startup leaders on scaling a company, building a category-defining product, and staying ahead as technology continues to evolve. If you want insight into how a company grows from startup to public SaaS leader, this episode delivers the playbook. Connect with Henry Schuck: Website: https://www.zoominfo.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hschuck Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com #HenrySchuck #ZoomInfo #StartupJourney #SaaSLeadership #Entrepreneurship #FounderStories #AIinBusiness #StartupGrowth #TechLeadership #BusinessStrategy

    31 min

  5. MAR 24

    Context Over Content: How Sreedhar Is Redefining Revenue Activation in the AI Era

    AI is rewriting the rules of SaaS — but not everyone is building it the right way. In this episode of Liftoff, Sreedhar Peddineni, CEO & Co-Founder of GTM Buddy, shares lessons from: Scaling through the dot-com crashCo-founding Gainsight and pioneering customer success- Now building an AI-native revenue activation platformWe explore: Why sales teams don’t have a content problem — they have a context problemHow AI is collapsing product development costs toward zero- The rise (and risk) of AI wrapper productsWhy adoption is still the ultimate truth metricHow to avoid getting distracted by big enterprise “carrot” dealsWhy founders must build with AI — not just read about it- What real “agentic AI” might actually look like by 2026Sreedhar breaks down what practical AI really means :Not chatbots. Not hype. But delivering the right insight — inside the workflow — at the moment of need. A masterclass in disciplined product thinking in the middle of the AI noise cycle. Connect with Sreedhar Peddineni: Website: https://gtmbuddy.ai/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreedharpeddineni Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com #GTM #RevenueActivation #AIApplications #SalesTech #SaaSFounders #ProductLeadership #AgenticAI #StartupLessons #EnterpriseAI #FounderJourney

    34 min

  6. MAR 17

    Raising Future-Ready Kids: Why Personalized Education Is the Ultimate Startup

    What if the biggest innovation opportunity today isn’t in tech — but in education? In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, Keith sat down with Houlie Duque, Founder & CEO of HomeschoolToGo, to explore how personalized, project-based learning is reshaping the future of education.With over a decade of experience in Montessori and Cambridge systems, Houlie shares why traditional schooling — designed during the industrial revolution — may no longer prepare children for an AI-driven world. We dive into: Why curiosity, creativity, and adaptability matter more than gradesThe myth of “socialization” in traditional schoolsHow homeschooling can require less time — but deliver better outcomesWhy project-based learning builds real-world problem solversHow AI will eliminate repeatable jobs — and what skills children truly needHow families can homeschool without sacrificing career or incomeIf you're a founder, entrepreneur, or parent wondering how to prepare the next generation for a rapidly changing world — this episode will challenge your assumptions. FREE Masterclass: How to Offer High Quality Education in Under 10 Hours per Weekhttps://courses.homeschooltogo.org/freemasterclass-registrationConnect with Houlie Duque: Website: https://www.homeschooltogo.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houlie-duque-3a4bb1169/ Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeithTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com #Homeschooling #FutureOfEducation #PersonalizedLearning #ProjectBasedLearning #Parenting #EntrepreneurParents #AIandEducation #CriticalThinking #NextGeneration #EducationReform

    28 min

  7. MAR 10

    How CruTrade Is Fixing the Broken Fine Wine Market with Blockchain & Provenance

    In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, Keith sat down with Devon Ferreira, CEO of CruTrade, to explore how technology is transforming the fine wine industry. Devon explains why the secondary wine market is broken—plagued by access issues, counterfeit risks, and bottle spoilage—and how CruTrade solves this through blockchain-verified provenance, RFID tracking, and tokenized wine trading that allows bottles to change hands without ever leaving storage. They dive into: Why 1 in 3 collector bottles risk damageHow compounding spoilage destroys valueWhat “tokenized wine” really meansWhy producers and collectors both lose in today’s system How storytelling—not just technology—builds great companies This is a masterclass in marketplace innovation, transparency, and storytelling—whether you’re a founder, investor, wine lover, or Web3 enthusiast. Connect with Devon Ferreira: Website: https://www.crutrade.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonferreira/ Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com#CruTrade #FineWine #WineCollectors #Blockchain #Web3 #Tokenization #LuxuryMarkets #Marketplace #StartupPodcast #Founders #Entrepreneurship #DigitalTransformation #Provenance #WineIndustry

    29 min

  8. MAR 3

    Trustworthy AI: Why Explainability Will Define the Next Decade of Enterprise Technology

    Most AI companies are racing to build bigger models. Pat Condo is building something different: AI you can actually trust. In this episode of Liftoff, Keith sat down with Pat Condo, Founder & CEO of Seekr Technologies — a seven-time founder with three decades at the intersection of search, defence, enterprise software, and national security. Pat shares why most enterprise AI projects fail — and why it’s rarely the model’s fault. They explore: → Why explainability isn’t optional in mission-critical AI → The hallucination problem and why enterprises can’t tolerate it → How inference costs are quietly destroying AI ROI→ Why specialization beats hyperscaler ambition → What defence tech is teaching commercial AI buyers → Why policymakers shouldn’t only take advice from AI monopolies → The most underinvested AI opportunity today: manufacturing Seekr is betting that trust, transparency, and domain-specific expertise will outlast hype cycles and model-size wars. If you’re building, buying, or investing in AI — this conversation cuts through the noise. Connect with Pat Condo: Website: https://www.seekr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-condo-96a905234/ Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589 Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/ - Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseAI #TrustworthyAI #ExplainableAI #DefenseTech #AILeadership #StartupFounders #TechInnovation #AIInfrastructure #FutureOfAI

    37 min
See All (131)

Trailer

4.6
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

Former journalist turned Silicon Valley dealmaker and entrepreneur Keith Newman talks with Founders, Innovators and Influencers who share their stories of success, pain and impact with a bit of humor and nostalgia mixed in. Hear from Maverick Mark Cuban, SuperAngel Ron Conway, Ann Winblad, Mitch Kapor, Steve Blank and Founders of GameStop, Ancestry, JotForm, Fry's, Intuit, and many more. Find 80+ Episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-look-back-a-free-flowing-interview/id1560219589

Information