How To Hire for Growth Without Overhiring, with Karl Sharman
Release Date: 01/22/2024
How To Make Corporate Learning Fun and a Genuis Growth Hack You Should Try Immediatel, with Christian Byza
The Goats Of Growth
On today’s episode of The Goats of Growth, I'm joined by Christian Byza, CEO and Co-Founder of Learn.xyz, as he shares his journey from organizing conferences in high school to building an AI-powered B2B learning platform. Christian dives deep into the back story of Learn.xyx , pivoting from consumer to enterprise, and building effective go-to-market strategies. He also shares insights into personal branding, a growth hack you must hear, and how a positive mindset fuels his hustle. Tune in to hear insights on: 🔹 The Entrepreneurial Journey – From product management to launching...
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Hiring, Developing, and Leading People, with Rob Merklinger
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On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, we’re joined by Rob Merklinger, SVP of Global Sales at JRNI to discuss the key traits that drive sales success—curiosity, teamwork, and effective coaching. Rob shares lessons from his leadership journey, the challenges of first-time management, and the impact of domain expertise in sales. He also dives into the importance of sales enablement, training for new hires, and simplifying sales processes for better results. Tune in to hear Rob’s insights on: 🔹 Curiosity in Sales – Why staying curious leads to stronger sales performance. 🔹 Sales...
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How To Go From Idea To Beta Users, with Steve Travaglini
The Goats Of Growth
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, I sit down with Steve Travaglini again, founder and CEO of WinRate, a sales tool designed to enhance the research capabilities of sales reps. We dive into the evolution of WinRate, exploring how AI-driven research is transforming the way sales reps prepare for calls and approach their work. Steve shares his journey as a startup founder, from the challenges of early validation to the lessons learned through beta testing. He emphasizes the importance of human capital, customer feedback, and partnerships in building a tech company, offering valuable...
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From Start Up To Scale Up: The Core Marketing Fundamentals Needed In Both with Michaela Dempsey
The Goats Of Growth
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, I have Michaela Dempsey, Chief Marketing Officer at Levelpath, an AI-powered procurement platform, to explore the concept of “delightful procurement” and how AI is transforming the procurement process. Michaela dives into how AI can streamline procurement and marketing, boosting efficiency and enhancing the user experience. She also shares her views on the essentials of marketing fundamentals, the impact of LinkedIn in B2B growth, and why balancing short-term wins with long-term strategy is key. Tune in to discover Michaela's insights on:...
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Scaling from $15M to 100M+, with Jamie Walker
The Goats Of Growth
On today's episode I sit down with Jamie Walker, CMO of KeyFactor, to explore the strategic marketing initiatives that fueled the company’s growth from $15 million to $100 million in ARR. Jamie shares her insights on the importance of predictable marketing strategies and how balancing short-term wins with long-term goals can drive success. She also dives into the significance of cross-functional collaboration and building a high-performing marketing team that adapts to the evolving needs of the business. Tune in to hear Jamie's perspective on: KeyFactor's Growth: How the company...
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How To Coach By Identifying Then Overcoming Limited Beliefs with Cris Mendes
The Goats Of Growth
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, Cris Mendes, VP of Sales at WEVO, talks about his unique approach to coaching by first identifying the limiting beliefs that may be preventing people from achieving their goals. Once identified, he works with them to overcome those beliefs so they can reach their full potential. Cris' deep passion for coaching, influenced by his own experiences with impactful mentors, is palpable throughout this episode. With a focus on sales fundamentals and personal growth, Cris also dives into the core traits that define great salespeople, including the...
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From Message Market Fit To Category Leader--What Will It Take? --Austin Myers
The Goats Of Growth
On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, I have Austin Myers, VP of Revenue at Certificial. Certificial is on a mission to automate and streamline the traditionally labor-intensive COI process, bridging the gap between the insurance and business industries. With a vision of a seamless future where COIs are obsolete and insurance information flows effortlessly across systems, Austin provides deep insights into how Certificial is leading this transformation. Tune in to discover Austin's insights on: Revolutionizing COI Processes: How Certificial is automating and streamlining the COI process...
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From Founder Led Sales To Scaling Exponentially, with Armen Zildjian
The Goats Of Growth
My guest today is Armen Zildjian, VP of Sales at Clockwork, which is a financial planning and analysis platform for growing businesses and their advisors. Armen has over 20 years of international software sales and sales leadership experience, and has helped take multiple scale multiple tech companies, including Drift, which achieved $1B valuation in 2021, LogMeIn (IPO), GrabCad (acquired by Stratasys), and Dyn (acquired by Oracle). He knows what it takes in the beginning, managing early-stage sales teams with little structure and process, all the way through international expansion...
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Recruiters, Resumes, and References with Jay Webb
The Goats Of Growth
On today's solo episode of The Goats of Growth, I go deep into how to position yourself for the best job opportunities as we move towards the busiest time of year for recruiting and hiring. Focusing on three critical areas—Recruiters, Resumes, and References. Tune in to insights on: Building Relationships with Recruiters: Why connecting with recruiters who specialize in your target industry and roles is key to unlocking the best opportunities. Crafting a Strong Resume: The importance of tailoring your resume to the job you're applying for, with a focus on relevance and showcasing your...
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How Operational Excellence Has Fueled AlphaSense's Exponential Growth, with Kiva Kolstein
The Goats Of Growth
In this episode of The Goats of Growth you will hear my interview with Kiva Kolstein, President and Chief Revenue Officer of AlphaSense. Curious about the success behind an AI-powered market intelligence platform? Kiva shares how AlphaSense delivers quick and accurate search results and how a focus on operational excellence is driving its growth. Tune in to discover Kiva's insights on: Growth and Success of AlphaSense: Leveraging AI to provide market intelligence from a vast array of content sources. Keys to AlphaSense's Growth: The role of operational excellence, sales enablement, and...
info_outlineHow do you hire for growth without over hiring?
That's part of what I spoke to Karl Sharman, Head of Talent at Forgepoint Capital, about in this episode where he shared his perpective on the following:
- Why paying attention to ARR/Revenue per employee is so important and the alarming trend he saw happening 2H of 2022
- The role of talent management and why he advices their porfolio companies to focus on performance efficiency
- How he helps their Founders/CEO to understand what great talent management looks like
- Why it's important that Forgepoint Capital invest in Founders and CEO's that are coachable
- What he looks for when evaluating CROs
- Why having the proper organizational design is so critical to managing burn rate
All that an more in this episode.
Karl Sharmans Linkedin Profile
The Southampton Football Club (00:01:10)
Discussion about the guest's experience and role at the Southampton Football Club.
Talent Spotting in Football (00:03:50)
Talent spotting process and decision-making in football recruitment.
Transition to Forge Point Capital (00:07:41)
Karls transition from the football world to working with Forgepoint Capital.
Forge Point Capital's Investment Focus (00:10:07)
Overview of Forgepoint Capital's investment focus and portfolio companies.
Talent Acquisition and Performance Management (00:15:03)
Discussion on the shift from talent acquisition to performance management and its impact on companies.
The portfolio benchmarking (00:19:14)
Discussing the mixed portfolio and the benefits of sharing data and benchmarking for better understanding and decision-making.
Performance management and development (00:21:32)
Exploring the positive aspects of performance management, including employee development, and dispelling negative connotations.
Culture and talent management (00:23:24)
Discussing the impact of culture, naming, and positive language in talent management and the importance of coaching and educating founders and executives.
Coaching and influencing founders (00:24:23)
Exploring the role of coaching and influencing founders and executives in making informed decisions and having a positive impact on their companies.
Distribution of organization (00:27:07)
Examining the distribution of organizational resources, particularly in relation to engineering, and the importance of achieving a balanced organizational design.
Measuring the value of a CRO (00:30:03)
Introducing the concept of valuing a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and discussing the criteria for measuring their impact and success.
Factors affecting CRO tenure (00:31:24)
Exploring the reasons for the average 17-month tenure of CROs, including transparency, expectations, and onboarding, and the importance of context and experience in evaluating CRO candidates.
Attributes of a top CRO (00:37:47)
Discussing the qualities and attributes of a top CRO, including energy, positivity, and previous experience, and the importance of building scorecards to identify top candidates.
Tom Brady and NFL Player Comparison (00:38:40)
Comparing Tom Brady's role in NFL to hiring the right candidate for a company.
Onboarding Responsibility (00:39:43)
Discussion on the responsibility of onboarding new hires, particularly for CEO and CRO positions.
CEO's Role in Onboarding (00:40:22)
The importance of CEO involvement in onboarding, with a reference to Elon Musk's approach.
Motivation and Impact (00:43:28)
Discussion on what motivates the speaker and the impact of making a difference.
Long-Term Goal: Becoming CEO of Disney (00:44:44)
Karls ambition to become the CEO of Disney and the long-term goal associated with it.
Community and Collaboration Impact (00:48:42)
The significant impact of community and collaboration on the speaker's career and business operations.