Brian Skowron, President of the digital agency Lullabot, takes us on a candid journey from his dreams of sports broadcasting to navigating the cutthroat world of New York media sales on a non-living wage. He shares the intense "crushing anxiety" of his first tech sales job—cold-calling to sell complex server hosting to clients who knew more than he did.
This pivotal moment of feeling "so far over my head" became the engine for his future success. Discover the unexpected lessons he took from a college professor that still drive his high-level business meetings today, the importance of mentorship, and the career leap that led him to cold-call Lullabot's co-founder and eventually become its President.
Brian also shares an incredible insight from his father that redefined his perspective on business and career longevity: "The people are the permanent institutions, and the companies come and go".
Tune in to learn how to turn your greatest professional anxieties into your biggest inflection points.
Guest: Brian Skowron - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianskowron/
Host: Anebi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo/
Lullabot's Philosophy: A focus on building digital services that genuinely "impact humans," particularly in the state government space (e.g., Georgia's GovHub)
Lullabot website: https://www.lullabot.com/
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Pia Khandekar, founder of PsychPro Consulting, to explore her inspiring journey of building a modern psychology practice centered on care, connection, and clinical excellence.
Dr. Khandekar shares what it was like to start her own practice, the lessons learned along the way, and how she designed PsychPro to meet both the emotional and practical needs of clients.
A key theme of our conversation is the power of the intake process - how understanding a client’s physical, medical, and psychosocial background leads to more holistic and effective treatment.
We also discuss:
Learn more about PsychPro Consulting: https://psychproconsulting.com/
Follow PsychPro for insights on workplace mental health, therapy, and well-being:
Connect with Dr. Pia Khandekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piakhandekar/
Anthony Sarandrea is recognized as one of the top customer generators in the world, specializing in the insurance & financial services space. He recently went through an acquisition by a public strategic company MediaAlpha (NYSE: MAX). He is currently serving on the advisory board of Arizona’s largest VC fund as well as the Colangelo College of Business advisory board for Grand Canyon University (the 3rd largest online University in the US & largest christian University in the US).
Check out this episode if you want to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Anthony Sarandrea, Guest
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-sarandrea/
Website - https://anthonysarandrea.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthonysarandrea/
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Anthony's Background
00:00:30 - Anthony's Origin Story and Motivation
00:03:01 - The Role of Pain in Motivation
00:03:12 - Feature on the Ellen DeGeneres Show
00:04:44 - The Competitive Nature of Anthony's Market
00:05:24 - The Acquisition by MediaAlpha
00:08:39 - Productizing a Service-Based Business
00:11:43 - Key Challenges and Learning Lessons
00:14:39 - Anthony's Philanthropy and Final Thoughts
Alan Stein is the Founder, CEO & Chief Accelerator at Kadima Careers. With over 30 years of leadership experience at Google, Meta, Salesforce, and American Express, Alan knows how to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the job market. He's uniquely skilled at empowering ambitious professionals to land better jobs quickly, confidently and with lots more money.
Check out this episode to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Alan Stein, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/alanjstein/
Kadima - https://kadimacareers.com/
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Inflection Podcast
00:00:10 - Alan's Introduction and Kadima Careers
00:00:20 - Origin Story of Kadima Careers
00:00:37 - Alan's Career Background
00:01:10 - Passion for Hiring and Talent Development
00:01:21 - Transition from Corporate to Entrepreneurship
00:01:53 - Meaning of "Kadima" and Company Mission
00:02:04 - Personal Resonance with Career Advancement
00:02:15 - Personalized Approach to Career Services
00:02:42 - Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
00:04:06 - Success Stories from Kadima Careers
00:04:29 - Marissa's Career Transformation
00:06:09 - Kadima Careers' Suite of Services
00:08:17 - Negotiation and Salary Increases
00:08:28 - Mindset Challenges for Job Seekers
00:09:05 - Strategies for Entering the Job Market
00:10:12 - Interview Success Rates
00:10:22 - Hiring Trends and Diversity
00:11:54 - Service Provider Selection and Financial Lessons
00:12:06 - Industry Trends and Layoffs
00:13:10 - Employee Loyalty and Job Security
00:13:42 - Fear and Proactivity in Job Searching
00:14:14 - AI and Its Impact on Jobs
00:14:48 - Fractional Work and Side Hustles
00:15:06 - Pragmatic Optimism in Career Planning
00:15:59 - Stability of Traditional Employment
00:17:08 - The Concept of Pragmatic Optimism
00:17:58 - Reflections on Kadima Careers' Growth
00:18:02 - Learning from Past Business Decisions
00:20:24 - Future Plans for Kadima Careers
00:20:49 - Scaling and Client Onboarding
00:21:33 - Global Accessibility and Pricing
00:22:52 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Sarah Hart is the Founder and Chief Brand Designer at Hart & Co. Sarah has built a successful agency over the past 14 years. Starting as a freelancer, Sarah's entrepreneurial spirit led her to experiment with various projects and despite some failures, she persisted and eventually grew her agency by bringing on a team.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Sarah Hart, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhartcreative/
Hart & Co - http://hartcocreative.com
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:01 - Introduction to Sarah
00:00:46 - Agency Longevity
00:01:02 - Starting Hart & Co.
00:01:39 - Transitioning from Freelancer to Agency
00:02:09 - Scaling the Agency
00:03:01 - First Team Expansion
00:04:17 - Trust and Management
00:05:30 - Company Location and Scaling Internationally
00:07:01 - Agency Evolution
00:08:06 - Building SOPs and Knowledge Transfer
00:10:20 - Personal Growth and Business Evolution
00:13:21 - LinkedIn Strategy and Personal Branding
00:16:03 - Advice for Aspiring Agency Owners
00:17:48 - Team Structure and Hiring Philosophy
00:19:33 - Closing
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inflectionpodcast/messageEnoch Weng is the CEO & Co-Founder of Rise Above Finance. Enoch is a highly sought after speaker, consultant, and board member for his work in the non-profit and business world. With his unique background blend of entrepreneurship, finance, and the creative arts, Enoch has been pioneering interdisciplinary innovation throughout his career.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Enoch Weng, Guest
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/enochweng/
Rise Above Finance - http://www.riseabovefinance.com
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:01 - Introduction to Enoch Weng
00:00:33 - Enoch's Journey from Musician to Business Owner
00:02:35 - Period of Silence and Reflection
00:03:53 - Rise Above Finance's Beginnings
00:04:59 - Testing the Business Model and Faith Integration
00:06:05 - Scaling Beyond Canada
00:07:19 - Leadership and Faith
00:08:46 - Staying Grounded Amidst Growth
00:10:57 - Exciting Developments in Finance and Rise Above Finance
00:14:01 - Advice for Aspiring Business Owners
00:16:00 - Rapid Fire Round
Josh Colter is the CEO of CardBoard. With over 15 years of experience building comprehensive and strategic marketing programs in competitive markets, Josh is motivated to lead teams with a solid strategic narrative. Josh is skilled in areas such as Strategic Product Analysis, Business Operations Analysis and C-Suite Level Consulting.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Josh Colter, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/joshcolter/
CardBoard - https://cardboardit.com/
To email Josh your feedback on CardBoard, contact him at: josh.colter@cardboardit.com
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Background
00:00:21 - Origin Story of CardBoard
00:01:05 - Venture Funded Companies and Acquisition Growth
00:01:27 - Introduction to SEP and CardBoard Acquisition
00:02:07 - Challenges and Lost Momentum at CardBoard
00:03:06 - Strategic Missteps and Market Focus
00:03:48 - Regaining Momentum and Surfing Analogy
00:04:15 - User Stickiness and Platform Loyalty
00:05:18 - Revitalizing CardBoard and Customer Engagement
00:06:01 - Customer-Centric Product Development
00:07:26 - Engineering Focus and Customer Outcomes
00:08:09 - Growth and User Feedback
00:09:11 - CEO's Multifaceted Role and Empathy
00:10:04 - Customer Centricity and Product Challenges
00:11:08 - Empathy for Product Teams and Engineers
00:12:39 - AI and Tech Innovations at CardBoard
00:13:59 - AI Integration and Product Development
00:15:09 - Advice on Acquiring and Scaling a Company
00:17:42 - Expectations After Acquisition
00:18:26 - Rapid Fire Word Association
00:18:44 - Engaging with CardBoard and User Feedback
00:19:20 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Yana Welinder is the CEO of Kraftful. Her background as a product leader at various tech companies has provided her with firsthand experience of the challenges faced by product teams. Throughout her journey, she's identified several pain points that product managers and team members encounter while developing products. These insights led her to create Kraftful as a solution for product teams to overcome these challenges and build better products.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Yana Welinder, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/ywelinder/
Kraftful - https://www.kraftful.com/
Resource - https://www.ycombinator.com/library/96-do-things-that-don-t-scale
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Yana and Kraftful
00:00:21 - Inflection Points Leading to Kraftful's Birth
00:00:42 - Constant Focus on Product Teams
00:01:03 - Yana's Journey as a Product Manager
00:01:36 - Kraftful's Early Iterations
00:02:17 - Pivots and Product Hunt Launches
00:03:30 - AI Integration and Partnership with OpenAI
00:05:27 - Decision to Focus on a Single Feature
00:06:08 - Communicating Product Changes to Users
00:07:07 - User Base as Early Adopters and Community
00:08:50 - Y Combinator Experience and Benefits
00:09:27 - Doing Things That Don't Scale
00:10:02 - Launching MVP and Handling Growth
00:11:05 - Reflecting on Past Decisions
00:12:00 - Looking Forward and Upcoming Features
00:13:02 - Building User Connection with the Product
00:14:02 - Excitement for Kraftful's Future Developments
00:15:14 - Closing Remarks and Show Notes
Ruchi Varshney is the Co-Founder at Maple Billing. She is passionate about making business billing better by leveraging her extensive technology background and leadership skills built over several years of experience in leading engineering and product teams, developing new products, and growing user bases at large companies like Dropbox and startups like Hearsay Systems.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn:
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Ruchi Varshney, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/rvarshney/
Maple Billing - www.maplebilling.com
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:08 - Introduction to the Inflection Podcast
00:00:32 - Meet Ruchi, Co-Founder of Maple Billing
00:01:04 - The Genesis of Maple Billing
00:02:19 - The Value of a Unified View in SaaS
00:03:15 - The Tool Creep Dilemma in Sales
00:03:42 - Transition from Engineer to Founder
00:05:15 - Leadership Lessons and Vulnerability
00:07:14 - Building Trust as a Leader
00:09:21 - Adjusting from Big Corp to Startup
00:11:24 - Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs
00:13:04 - Learning Go-to-Market Fundamentals
00:15:27 - Humility and Customer-Centric Product Building
00:18:02 - Maple Billing's Mission and Invitation to Connect
In this episode of the Inflection Podcast, I chat with Co-Founder @ Digitanity, Dane Vignjevic.
Dane shares the inspiration behind Digitanity, explaining how the team noticed a need in the industry while working together in IT. They wanted to provide a solution where clients could hire employees through Digitanity, allowing for better management and retention of staff.
Throughout our conversation, Dane emphasizes the importance of cultural fit and the ability to provide clients with employees that are not just a 75% match but a perfect fit for their needs. He also touches on the cost-saving benefits for companies, enabling them to invest more in their local talent by hiring globally.
For those looking to start or grow their own business, Dane's advice is clear: have a solid business plan, be prepared for financial ebbs and flows, and stay positive. He also stresses the importance of knowing when to pivot or even stop if things aren't working out.
Make sure you check out this episode with Dane Vignjevic!
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Dane Vignjevic, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/dane-vig/
Digitanity - www.digitanity.com
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:08 - Introduction to the Inflection Podcast
00:00:32 - Welcoming Dane from Digitanity
00:00:54 - Inspiration Behind Digitanity
00:01:17 - Origins and Evolution of Digitanity
00:02:22 - The Employer of Record Model
00:03:58 - Transitioning Teams to Client's Company
00:05:12 - Post-COVID Impact on Remote Work
00:06:02 - Global Talent Access Post-COVID
00:07:27 - Customizing EOR Services
00:08:10 - Adapting to Client Needs
00:09:10 - Overcoming Misconceptions About EOR
00:11:00 - Understanding Client Objectives
00:11:42 - The Story Behind the Name 'Digitanity'
00:12:09 - Anecdotes and Learning Experiences
00:17:10 - Quick Word Association Exercise
00:18:07 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
00:20:11 - Embracing Pragmatic Optimism
00:21:06 - Business Growth in Phoenix, Arizona
00:22:45 - Digitanity's Services Beyond Tech
00:23:07 - Contact Information for Digitanity
In this episode of the Inflection Podcast, I chat with the Founder of Chakra UI, Segun Adebayo.
Segun shares his unexpected journey from a designer with no coding experience to the mastermind behind one of the most popular open-source projects out there.
His story began with a simple desire to build a web app for designing resumes, which led him to gather a team and confront the challenges of translating design into code. This experience illuminated the gap between design and development, inspiring him to create Chakra UI to bridge that divide and streamline the development process.
Segun candidly discusses the daunting aspects of open source, from managing a growing community to the constant learning curve presented by contributions from more experienced developers. He emphasizes the importance of drawing boundaries, managing stress, and the necessity of taking breaks to avoid burnout.
Segun leaves us with insights on the importance of rest, delegation, and the magic that can happen when we step back and let our projects breathe.
This is an episode you do NOT want to miss!
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Segun Adebayo, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/thesegunadebayo/
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:08 - Introduction to Inflection Podcast
00:00:37 - Segun Introduction
00:00:55 - Discovering Chakra UI
00:01:48 - The Origin Story of Chakra UI
00:04:07 - Learning Curve and Building Chakra UI
00:06:33 - Early Traction and Open Source Challenges
00:07:25 - Managing Open Source and Community
00:10:02 - Building a Sustainable Open Source Project
00:11:09 - The Community Around Chakra UI
00:13:47 - Monetizing Open Source with Chakra UI Pro
00:16:24 - The Future of Chakra UI and Open Source Projects
00:19:05 - Advice for Launching Open Source Projects
00:20:56 - Personal Insights and Open Source Playbook
00:23:01 - Setting Boundaries in Open Source
00:25:10 - The Reality of Open Source and Financial Expectations
00:26:29 - Personal Management and Recharging
00:28:53 - Closing Remarks and Thanks
In this episode of the Inflection Podcast, I chat with Product and Technology leader, Cameo Doran.
Cameo shares her unconventional journey from being a musician to becoming a veteran in the product management space. Her story is a testament to the power of adaptability and the unexpected paths our careers can take.
Cameo draws parallels between her time as a musician and her current role, highlighting the importance of collaboration, emotional vulnerability, and the ability to create a safe environment for idea generation—skills that are crucial for a successful product manager.
She shares an impactful analogy between the balance of chaos and order in music and product management, suggesting that sometimes more chaos can lead to better, more innovative outcomes.
Cameo's journey is a powerful reminder that the skills we acquire in one phase of our life can be invaluable in another. For those looking to break into product management or grow as a leader, remember that embracing a learning mindset and understanding the interplay between different aspects of product development are key to success.
Make sure to tune in for this episode with Cameo Doran!
This show is brought to you by Eikon Labs. To learn more, visit www.eikonlabs.com.
Links:
Cameo Doran, Guest
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/cameodoran/
Anebi Agbo, Host
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/anebiagbo
Twitter - @A15o_o
Timestamps for Episode:
00:00:08 - Introduction to Inflection Podcast
00:00:45 - Cameo's Journey into Product Management
00:01:17 - Transition from Musician to Product Management
00:03:14 - Parallels Between Music and Product Management
00:05:13 - Music as a Blend of Chaos and Order
00:06:12 - Product Management and Dealing with Chaos
00:07:46 - The Value of Design Thinking in Product
00:08:57 - Encouraging a Culture of Learning in Teams
00:10:50 - Advice for Aspiring Product Managers
00:13:19 - Importance of Technical Understanding for Product Managers