From Founder To CEO - podcast cover

From Founder To CEO

Todd Uterstaedtwww.fromfoundertoceo.com
If you are a Founder who loves the company you started, and you want to be the CEO that pilots it to sustained success, you’re in the right place! Hear from dynamic, inspiring, and successful Founders as they share their insightful stories and practical tips that make becoming the CEO more fun, stress free, and easier to build and scale the company and life of your dreams. Your guide, Todd Uterstaedt, is super passionate about Startup CEO success and wants to help boost your leadership capabilities, confidence, and mindset so that you can: 1) Build, scale, and lead your company commensurate with your dreams and aspirations 2) Maintain control of your company 3) Enhance your company’s valuation for possible succession or a profitable exit. It’s leadership development for the busy Founder and CEO.
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Episodes

Co-Founder of #1 Catholic App: Surrender

Alex experienced a spiritual awakening that led him and his co-founders to build the the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world. As the business was transforming, so was Alex. Alex learned how important it is to "surrender" as you transition From Founder To CEO.

Jun 11, 202234 minSeason 1Ep. 406

Founder of Spartan Races: "The Obstacle Is The Way" & His New CNBC TV Show

Joe is as real as it gets. He is a Founder and CEO who tells it like it is and pushes himself to get better and be better...every day. What I truly appreciate about Joe is his embrace of the idea that, "The obstacle is the way." As Founders, we know this, practice this, and embrace this...everyday. So, I was super excited to have Joe on the podcast to share his experiences as Founder of Spartan Races and his biggest obstacles shifting From Founder To CEO. Spartan came from Joe's mind as a former...

Feb 07, 202233 minSeason 1Ep. 405

Why Relinquish The Role Of CEO? - Award Winning Founder Tells His Story

Enlisted Marine. Marine Officer. Husband. Father. Pharmaceutical Salesman. Firefighter. Founder & CEO. City Councilman. COVID-19 survivor. International Bestselling Author. These are just some of the roles that Zachary has excelled in during his short life. He certainly has had a big and growing impact on the firefighting profession, building safety, and now with his new book, "Warrior Entrepreneur," a big impact on thousands of Founders around the world. In this very candid interview, Zacha...

Dec 26, 202133 minSeason 1Ep. 404

How this Founder powered back from a $100,000 lawsuit that nearly destroyed his business

When you meet Chideha for the first time, you immediately know. You know he is a special person. You know he cares about every person he comes into contact with. You know that he strives for excellence in everything his does. You know he actually is learning from YOU and incorporating YOUR life's lessons into HIS life. And, these are also the many reasons why I like his book. In this interview, Chideha talks about: ---> How his grandfather's assault from KKK members impacted him as a man and ...

Dec 01, 202123 minSeason 1Ep. 403

25 Years As Founder Of #1 Blinds.com: Jay Steinfeld - "Be As Generous As You Can"

Blinds.com is an incredible business story and Jay is an incredible Founder CEO. In his new book, he talks about the 4 Es...the foundational principles on which his success was built. After he and his team successfully built Blinds.com, he sold the company to Home Depot and continued leading for quite some time after. In this interview, Jay talks about: ---> What generosity looks like to him as a Founder & CEO. ---> A significant story about a time he felt short of his own expectations...

Nov 14, 202130 minSeason 1Ep. 402

What to do when you make a BIG BAD decision

Donnie is as transparent as you might expect, being a Marine. His amazing company is helping thousands of business owners connect with the right people. So, I found it really interesting that he made a decision as a Founder & CEO that initially did not connect with his people. Sometimes, as Founders, and as we grow, we need to augment our decision-making with a bit more data and insight. The gut instincts that got us to launch and reach traction becomes insufficient over time. Listen to what...

Sep 07, 202144 minSeason 1Ep. 401

BIG 400TH INTERVIEW: Jason Fried discusses his controversial decision & its fallout

WOW! We could not have asked for a better 400th Podcast Episode Guest! And, Jason Fried delivered. He was super candid about a great many topics that I think you will really enjoy listening about and learning from. In this interview, Jason discusses: What he considers to be the harder part of the transition From Founder To CEO. Why he made this controversial decision: "No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account." How the "fallout" from this decision impacted the c...

Aug 31, 202136 minSeason 1Ep. 400

What To Do When You Need To Exit 2 Co-Founders

Tutoring is big business. And, Myles and the team figured out how to provide this valuable service for FREE to thousands of students. It wasn't easy. And, it became even harder when he and his co-founder, Victor, realized that two other co-founders may not be in it for the long haul. What do you do when it becomes clear that a co-founder, or two, need to exit the business and there is not a pre-planned process for this? Well, as Myles explains in this interview, it was stressful and there was lo...

Aug 30, 202135 minSeason 1Ep. 399

Shark Tank Founder: Deciding If You Want To Be CEO?

You may remember Ashley from her appearance on ABC TV's "Shark Tank." At the end of the show, Ashley received and accepted an offer from Daymond John. What you don't know is the rest of the story. Unfortunately, like many other deals on the show, this one did not make it through post show due diligence. Ashley describes what happened and how taking a year off from her business helped her decide the answer to this question: "Do I want to be the leader that pilots the company to forward growth?"...

Aug 10, 202136 minSeason 1Ep. 398

BIG EcoTech Founder: Use your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough"

My draw dropped open when Norman told me how much money in energy costs he saved a Brazilian company. He and his team take a decidedly business approach to their environmental efforts. And, Norman is quite articulate about the power of using your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough." He details the time his hand went numb as well as when a friend called him for help. Both stories remind us that Founders are not super human. We need people and habits that support our wellbeing....

Jul 27, 202149 minSeason 1Ep. 397

"Unicorn" Founder/CEO: Growth Requires Defining New Team Member Scope

What started as a side hustle, caught him by surprise when Google reached out with an intriguing offer. As a self-described, "not a people person," Abhinav realized that he had to recruit more experienced leaders and bring on team members who can do one thing well and really define their ares of scope much better. Recruit and define...easier said thAn done. But, with over 400 team members and market value of $2 billion, Abhinav and his team figured it out....

Jul 03, 202132 minSeason 1Ep. 396

Elias Guerra: Even a patient Founder needs more patience

Surprising and delighting customers as they interact with their digital wallet is the expertise of Elias Guerra and his team at Popwallet. Many parts of the world have embraced the digital wallet faster than the United States. Elias has been patient as the technology is adopted more here. In fact, patience has been key to his leadership success. Yet, he learned that even his patient demeanor wasn't enough for the patience needed for a Founder CEO. Listen and see why....

Jun 08, 202136 minSeason 1Ep. 395

The Courage To Share The Truth...When It Is Needed Most

Have you ever heard a Founder say he enjoys buying business insurance. I thought so. It takes a special kind of Founder to tackle the business insurance industry and David and his team are doing just that. I appreciated David's candid and thought-provoking story about Founder courage versus Managerial Courage. In this interview he explains how he would have handled a delicate situation differently.

May 25, 202129 minSeason 1Ep. 394

The 22 Talk SHIFTs that will change your leadership...and life

Krister and I last spoke in 2017 in episode 185. It was an intense conversation. Why? Because Krister's journey has been so intense. When I saw that his new book was a #1 WSJ Bestselling book, I was not surprised. Because his journey has been so rich with insights, he has taken these life lessons and shared them with all of us in a very practical way that I am most certain will change YOUR life. Read his book and let me know what you think....

May 18, 202139 minSeason 1Ep. 393

Tara: Here is what I did when I was not delegating effectively

The pandemic wreaked havoc on many businesses. But, how many of you know a Founder who launched DURING the pandemic? Allow me to introduce you to Tara. Tara knows the locs business inside and out. She and her team created a product that revolutionizes the way those with locs, take care of their locs. And, along the way, she has learned some pretty incredible lessons. Among them is something unique to her personality as the needs of a startup from a Founder. She is a self-described empath who, fo...

May 11, 202138 minSeason 1Ep. 392

FOCUS: It's hard to do when you are like THIS Founder

Who doesn't like a good walk in the forest? It turns out that walking in the forest is even more important than we realize. Jared and his team have been able to quantify the importance of nature, and many are taking notice. When you are a mission driven Founder like Jared, it can be hard to stay focused on the core economics of the business. Listen how Jared overcomes the urge to investigate other "curious" areas of inquiry and stay focused....

May 04, 202130 minSeason 1Ep. 391

The powerful combination of founder vulnerability & accountability

A larger number of people in the United States are "gig workers." And, that number has increased steadily. Craig and his team know this and are on a mission to help serve this group of hard working people connect easily with the organizations that hire them. He is also quite articulate about the intersection of bold vulnerability and personal accountability. Listen to the strength of his voice and the wisdom in his words.

Apr 27, 202134 minSeason 1Ep. 390

Giving Up Sales To Scale The Company: True Story Of Growth

Tim has been a friend for quite some time. I admire him for so many reasons...not the least of which is his prowess at sales. In fact, it was this skill that also prevented him from scaling. What? Yes, his skills at sales limited the company's ability to grow. Why? Listen to him yourself and see the connection that we all need to pay attention to.

Apr 20, 202145 minSeason 1Ep. 389

Setting Expectations Nearly Lost Him Investment $, Setting Objectives Got It Back

I sincerely appreciated Lucas' candor. He and his team are quite innovative with their approach to creating experiences for brands and their customers. And, he is quite articulate about his personal struggle From Founder To CEO at the ripe age of 19. It has to do with the difference between setting expectations versus setting objectives...it's a lesson we all need to remember at any age of entrepreneurship.

Apr 13, 202143 minSeason 1Ep. 388

The merits of being a "lazy" co-founder? Yes.

Wool. An old friend with a new twist from a team that is on fire. Dan chronicles the rise of Unbound Merino and also the merits of being "The Lazy Co-Founder." What exactly does that mean? Listen and hear for yourself.

Apr 06, 202148 minSeason 1Ep. 387

What to do if a Co-founder isn't a fit any more

Fix Your Fundraising Flubs: Join www.crucialconnections.com Matt's tech is terrific. Matt is too. :) He not only talks about why personalized video emails have such high conversion rates, but he also talks about why some co-founder relationships have such high failure rates. He shares a particularly painful time period when he and his CTO were having some clashes. And, he shares his advice if this happens to you as well....

Mar 30, 202136 minEp. 386

EXIT: His reasons for selling (and what you might consider)

Need Help Raising Capital: www.crucialconnections.com Live events seem like a distant memory. But, not to Evan. He is a leading expert on the thing that keep live events going...ticket sales. Listen as he describes his journey and the decision points he used to sell his company...before COVID-19 hit.

Mar 23, 202128 minSeason 1Ep. 385

Battling Cancer (Twice) & Shady Characters Made Her Stronger & Changed Her Business Model

JOIN THE WAIT LIST FOR CRUCIAL CONNECTIONS: www.crucialconnections.com Krista has beat cancer...twice. And, she worked her way through some shady characters undermining her business. These very challenging situations led her to greater discoveries about herself AND a new path for her business. She is an inspiration to us all. Listen and you'll see why.

Mar 16, 202138 minSeason 1Ep. 384

Are You Backable? - Listen to what YOU can do to get the capital you need

Sign Up for Crucial Connections ( www.crucialconnections.com ) Have you ever wondered why some investors invest in your company and some don't? Have you ever wondered why some people buy into your ideas and some don't? Well, this successfully excited Founder and Former CEO might be able to help you. Suneel Gupta wrote an amazing book entitled, "Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You." Listen as he describes what YOU can do to become Backable....

Mar 14, 202142 minSeason 1Ep. 383
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