Entrepreneurial Excellence Podcast

Jared Gibson breaks down a hard truth most B2B companies are missing, the real problem is not pipeline, it is familiarity. Buyers are no longer waiting for sales calls. They are watching, researching, and forming opinions long before they ever reach out. That means trust is being built in the background, and if you are not showing up consistently, you are already losing. He explains why content is no longer just marketing, it is part of how companies earn attention, build credibility, and stay top of mind in a crowded market. Jared is the founder of Outworks, a company helping B2B leaders turn their thinking into consistent, buyer-facing content that builds trust over time. With a background in sales, marketing, and leadership, he has seen firsthand how buyer behavior has shifted and why executive visibility now plays a direct role in growth, recruiting, and closing deals. His work focuses on building content systems that feel human, not automated, even in a world powered by AI. In this episode, Jared shares why most LinkedIn content fails, how AI should be used without turning your message into noise, and why consistency beats intensity every time. They also talk about the metrics that actually matter, why vanity metrics are misleading, and how a single post with the right audience can drive real business. He also explains how trust compounds over time, why every executive should be creating content, and how companies can build a system that works without turning leaders into full-time creators. Key Topics: -Why most B2B companies have a familiarity problem, not a pipeline problem -Trust is built long before a buyer ever books a call -Executive content can drive sales, recruiting, and long term brand trust -AI can support content creation, but human voice still matters most -The best content strategy is a system that keeps you visible and top of mind Timestamps: 05:12 Why Mental Toughness Matters More Than Your Business Plan 06:41 The Real Reason He Finally Bet on Himself 07:45 The Dumpster Fire Acquisition That Changed Everything 13:32 The Career Hit That Forced Him to Grow 14:13 The Advice That Changed How He Handled Setbacks 16:15 The LinkedIn Problem That Turned Into a Real Business 17:11 Why Buyers Trust Executives Before They Trust Companies 18:13 Trust Is Being Built Long Before the First Sales Call 19:14 Why Most LinkedIn Content Fails to Stand Out 20:08 AI Can Write Posts, But It Still Cannot Build Real Trust 21:42 Why Every Executive Should Be Creating Content Right Now 24:43 Why CEO Content Alone Is Not Enough Anymore 27:11 How They Use AI Without Turning Content Into Spam 31:07 The Truth About ROI on Content That Most Founders Miss 31:49 A Post With 300 Views Can Still Make You Money 35:00 The System That Makes Executive Content Actually Work 38:24 Ads Capture Ready Buyers, Content Wins the Rest 41:20 The Most Underrated Skill Every Executive Still Needs 44:16 Treat Everyone Like a Mentor and Watch What Happens Connect with - Jared Gibson: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jaredoutworks Website: https://www.outworks.io/?utm_source=linkedin-company-page Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Olivier Roth shares why one of the most overlooked assets in business is the network you already have. Not just the people you know, but the relationships you have built over time and the trust behind them. For him, entrepreneurial excellence is not just about execution. It is about building trust that compounds and learning how to turn relationships into real opportunities. Olivier is the co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of The Swarm, a platform that helps companies map and activate their networks for growth. Before that, he bootstrapped TimeLapse into a seven-figure agency working with startups and brands like Rakuten, Lyft, and Stanford Research Park. His experience gives him a practical view of growth, networking, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. In this episode, Olivier talks about why giving before you ask matters so much, why warm introductions are still one of the most underused growth channels, and how founders can get more value from the network they already have. They also talk about lessons from building and closing an agency, the difference between audience and real relationships, and why AI will make human connection even more important. Key Topics: -Why Your Network Might Be Your Biggest Untapped Growth Channel -What Most Founders Still Get Wrong About Networking -Why Warm Intros Still Beat Cold Outreach -How Great Founders Turn Relationships Into Revenue -What Burnout Taught Him About Building the Wrong Way -Why AI Will Make Human Connection Even More Valuable Timestamps: 04:14 What a Real Network Actually Looks Like 05:12 The Untapped Potential Around Every Entrepreneur 06:08 Give Before You Ask Is the Real Networking Advantage 07:28 Your Audience Is Not the Same as Your Network 08:55 How to Map Your Network Using Real Relationship Data 10:30 How Great Founders Create Value for Their Network First 12:09 How Network-Driven Founders Win in Fundraising, Sales, and Hiring 14:02 How Much Time Founders Should Spend Nurturing Their Network 15:01 How Olivier Bootstrapped TimeLapse from Scratch 18:17 Burnout, Key Hires Leaving, and the Beginning of the End 19:47 Why He Walked Away to Build Something More Scalable 20:33 Why a Co-Founder Could Have Changed Everything 22:55 If He Did It Again, He Would Niche Down Much Earlier 23:28 What The Swarm Actually Does for Companies 25:07 Warm Intros Are Still the Most Underused Growth Channel 26:02 Why Building an Owned Audience Still Compounds 26:43 AI Can Speed Up Content, But Messaging Must Stay Human 28:23 Why AI Noise Will Make Human Relationships More Valuable 29:45 Warm Intros Are Just the Beginning of Network Influence 30:51 Olivier’s Best Advice for Early-Stage Founders 31:51 Why Co-Founder Fit Can Make or Break the Company Connect with - Olivier Roth: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/olivier-roth Website: theswarm.com Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Andrew D’Souza breaks down what actually defines entrepreneurial excellence today, and it is not hustle, scale, or chasing legacy. It comes down to doing the work only you can do, finding what feels natural to you but valuable to others, and having the self-awareness to step aside when you are no longer the right person for the job. He explains why most founders focus too much on being remembered, and not enough on creating real impact, even if it starts with just one person. Andrew is the co-founder of Clearco, one of the fastest growing fintech companies that pioneered revenue-based financing for founders. Now, as the founder of Boardy, he is building an AI-powered super connector designed to match people with the exact opportunities, relationships, and resources they need at the right moment. His work sits at the intersection of technology, human judgment, and how the future economy will operate. In this episode, Andrew talks about why skill stacking can make you impossible to compete with, how being underestimated can become your biggest advantage, and why conviction matters more than consensus. They also discuss how AI will reshape work, why smaller and more fragmented companies will dominate, and how founders should think about building in a world where intelligence is everywhere. Key Topics: -The best founders focus on work only they can do -Being underestimated can become your biggest advantage -Conviction matters most when the path is still unclear -AI will replace routine work, but not human judgment -Boardy, an AI that connects the right people at the right time Timestamps: 03:22 Chasing Legacy Is the Wrong Founder Goal 04:10 Great Companies Start by Changing One Life 06:14 Why He Left Clearco to Build Bordy 06:42 The Mission to Back People Everyone Else Misses 07:33 How Bordy Finds What Makes You Different 09:00 Trust Still Runs the Entire Economy 10:41 The Founder Bet He Could Not Explain 13:18 The Moment He Knew It Was Time to Let Go 15:13 The Question Every Founder Has to Face 17:06 Would You Still Hire Yourself as CEO 19:28 Skill Stacking Beats Being Best at One Thing 24:30 Why Being Underestimated Became His Edge 26:28 How Long Can You Survive Looking Crazy 27:47 Founders Need a Clear View of the Future 31:27 Why the Next Era Will Create 100x More Founders 32:45 The Future Belongs to Smaller, Faster Companies 34:44 AI Will Replace More Work Than Most People Think 35:24 The Human Advantage AI Still Cannot Copy 39:12 Most VCs Are Using AI Completely Wrong 41:40 The Best Investors Think Like Future Builders 45:40 Chatbots Are Not the End Game 47:40 When AI Stops Assisting and Starts Deciding 53:12 How Clearco Mistook Momentum for Product Market Fit 55:42 The Moment You Know the Market Is Pulling You 59:23 Great Culture Must Match the Customer 01:00:27 If It Matters, Why Are You Waiting 01:05:14 Why Curiosity Now Matters More Than Experience 01:10:45 The Goal Is a Company That Gets Better Without You 01:11:50 Build the Role Only You Can Fill 01:17:45 The Biggest Breakthroughs Happen Across Worlds 01:20:52 Stop Trying to Build Like Someone Else 01:21:51 Find What Feels Easy to You but Valuable to Others Connect with - Andrew D'Souza: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/andrewdsouza X - @andrewdsouza Website: https://www.boardy.ai/ Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Eric Bahn breaks down what actually drives startup success today, and it is not pattern recognition or polished ideas. It comes down to how fast you move, how you think when things are unclear, and your ability to keep building while others are still trying to figure it out. He shares why the biggest outcomes often start from ideas that do not make sense at first, and why execution speed is becoming the real edge in a world shaped by AI. Eric is the co-founder and general partner at Hustle Fund, a pre-seed venture firm focused on backing early-stage founders. Before investing, he built and exited a company and later worked at Instagram. Today, he looks for founders who move quickly, learn fast, and show real progress over time, not just strong narratives or well-crafted pitches. In this episode, Eric talks about how mission-driven founders think differently, why long-term thinking matters more than short-term wins, and how AI is changing what it means to build and compete. They also discuss why smaller teams can outperform larger ones, how hiring should focus on adaptability, and why the best founders keep building toward what comes next instead of staying attached to one outcome. Key Topics: -Great founders look wrong early, that is often the signal you are onto something -Mission beats money, the strongest builders are driven by something deeper -Speed of execution is now the real advantage, not ideas or resources -The best founders are playing long-term games, not chasing short-term wins -AI raised the bar for everyone, now anyone can build but few can stand out Timestamps: 03:13 The Founder Trait That Beats Chasing Money 06:55 When Money No Longer Motivates You, What Is Left 10:54 You Do Not Need to Destroy Your Life to Win Big 12:19 Stop Counting Hours, Start Measuring This Instead 15:14 Why Founders See the Future Before Investors Do 16:31 Big Wins Start by Betting Against the Obvious 17:02 The Real Thing Investors Are Betting On 18:20 The Startups That Look Dumb First Can Win Biggest 22:00 AI Just Made Startup Investing Way Harder 24:52 Why Early-Stage Startup Investing Is Not for Most People 28:31 Great Founders Think Bigger Than One Company 31:38 The Best Builders Are Always Building Toward the Next Thing 34:32 For Some Founders, Startups Are Their Art Form 38:00 AI Is Not Ending Work, It Is Raising the Bar 39:48 In This New Era, Speed Beats Almost Everything 42:52 In 2026, You Have No Excuse to Not Ship 44:25 The Founder Skillset Has Officially Changed 50:47 The Next Great Founders Will Need More Than Technical Skills 58:28 As AI Grows, Real-Life Connection Becomes More Valuable 01:00:42 Why Lean Teams May Crush Bigger Companies 01:03:31 Teams Win Bigger When Greed Is Not in the Room 01:05:59 Why Playing Long-Term Games Changes Everything 01:10:38 The Leadership Rule That Makes Hard Decisions Easier 01:21:45 Every Human Being Matters, And That Changes How You Build Connect with - Eric Bahn: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/ericbahn X - @ericbahn Website: https://www.hustlefund.vc/team Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Dori Yona shows why entrepreneurial excellence is not about looking perfect or always winning. It is about staying in the fight, learning fast, and having the honesty to face what is not working. He explains why failure teaches more than success, why speed is a startup advantage most founders still underestimate, and why the hardest decisions often come when belief, pressure, and reality all collide. Dori is the co-founder and CEO of SimpleClosure. Before that, he co-founded Earny, a consumer fintech company that grew to more than 3.5 million users, and earlier in his career, he also co-founded HashSnap. After going through the painful and confusing process of facing a possible shutdown at Earny, he built SimpleClosure to help founders handle shutdowns with more clarity, less chaos, and more dignity. In this episode, Dori breaks down why founders often tie their self-worth to the company, why shutdown is still a topic many avoid in public, and how the best founders learn by stepping back and facing the real reasons things went wrong. They also talk about when it is time to keep pushing versus when it is time to stop, why trust matters more than optics when handling investors, why revenue matters earlier than most founders think, and why ruthless prioritization may be the most important skill a founder can build. Key Topics: -The founder identity trap and why company failure can feel deeply personal -What failure teaches that success often hides -Speed as a startup advantage and why most teams still move too slowly -The point when revenue needs to become the priority -How great founders figure out what truly moves the business forward -Ruthless prioritization as the skill that keeps startups alive Timestamps 05:18 The brutal boardroom moment, shutdown was on the table before he saw it coming 06:53 Founders fail all the time, they just do not post about it 08:46 The truth most founders learn late, failure teaches more than success ever will 13:29 What felt like speed back then was actually slow 15:47 Sometimes the smartest founder move is shutting down before everything breaks 20:57 Investors may remember how you shut down more than how much money you returned 32:27 Startup speed is a real advantage, and most founders still underestimate it 34:24 The best teams do not wait for perfect, they ship and improve fast 38:08 The lesson too many founders learn late, revenue matters early 39:12 If it does not move the needle, it is a distraction 43:26 Working longer is not the answer, better priorities are 51:25 His one piece of advice for every founder, ruthlessly prioritize Connect with - Dori Yona: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/dori-yona-b8369877 Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Warren Shaeffer shows why entrepreneurial excellence is not a vibe or a big idea, it is seeing what is broken, having the agency to act, and executing fast enough to prove it. He explains why original ideas often sound dumb at first, and why the real edge is a bias for action when everyone else is still debating. Warren is a three time founder and a partner at Pear VC. He co-founded Vidme, scaled it fast through organic growth, and later built Knowable, an audio first learning platform acquired by Medium, where he led product and business work. Today, he backs consumer founders and looks for proof over polish, what you built, what changed since the last meeting, and how quickly you can turn a hypothesis into something real. In this episode, Warren breaks down high agency, how great teams ship, test, and iterate like scientists, and why hiring is more about standards and autonomy than titles. They also talk about risk, when the “safe” choice is the expensive one, why founders should take their shot while the window is still open, and why metrics can mislead if you ignore the real costs underneath. Key Topics: -Why the clearest sign your idea is real is that most people call it dumb -How to spot high agency fast, what changed since the last meeting -Why the best founders think like scientists, ship an MVP, test one hypothesis, learn fast -What “contrarian and right” really means, and why you never fully know until you build -Why prototypes beat pitch decks, show what you built, not what you plan -Why ARR can be a trap metric when you ignore COGS and customer acquisition costs Timestamps: 01:56 The cliche that still holds, Steve Jobs had the vision, then executed it 03:02 Great founders see what feels broken, then they go fix it 04:29 The clearest sign your idea is real, most people think it is dumb 05:36 You do not know if you are right, you take the plunge and hear no 50 times 08:49 There is no one place to get great ideas, it comes from everywhere 10:13 The four quadrant truth, see problems plus agency, that is an entrepreneur 11:00 Ask a question, bring a solution too 12:20 The test for agency, does this person get it done 12:45 Between meetings, what changed, that is the signal 14:40 Founders are scientists, ship fast, test the hypothesis, learn fast 15:34 You cannot rewire people, you hire for speed and bias for action 17:41 The fastest filter, show me what you built 18:42 If you have not tried anything, that is a yellow flag 22:24 The advice that hits hard, not taking risks is a risk 30:33 If the crowd runs one way, it is hard to run the other way, but that is where opportunity is 32:41 The window closes, leave before kids, mortgage, and higher opportunity cost 35:23 The painful founder lesson, this is a feature, not a company 38:21 It hit Reddit and grew 10 percent week over week, zero marketing, pure pull 44:05 The fog is real, the AWS bill was 250K a month 55:03 The venture lesson, build growth into the DNA of the product 57:45 Your vision should be so good people would wear it on their shirt 59:32 The humane hard skill, shorten the time between “I should let them go” and doing it 1:10:37 The trap metric, ARR is dangerous if you ignore COGS and acquisition cost 1:12:38 The single advice, be true to yourself, do not chase other people’s ideas or fads Connect with - Warren Shaeffer: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/warrenshaeffer Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast