GrowTal

Most founders say fundraising is the hardest part of building a startup or maybe launching the product. When I asked Michael Rangel, CEO of Novo, what challenged him most? He said, “Hiring the right people.”And I couldn’t agree more. You can have a great idea and solid funding but without the right people, you stall. Sometimes you don’t even see it happening until it’s too late. On this week’s episode of the Catching Fire podcast, Michael shared how he solved this early at Novo. He didn’t rush full-time hires instead he brought in fractional experts just in time to solve the right problems. It’s a model I believe more companies will follow. Careers aren’t going to be long stretches at one company anymore. The future is project-based, portfolio-driven, and focused on bringing the right people in at the right moment. I’ve seen it work. Michael’s seen it work. If you’re like us scaling a business, this is worth thinking about. Would love to hear from other founders, what’s been your biggest challenge when building your team? Listen for more here: https://lnkd.in/gaxbkDX2 #StartupGrowth #ScalingStrategies #Entrepreneurship #CatchingFirePodcast

My friend Marlo Gertz - Giudice landed a Ben & Jerry's partnership from a single cold call. And now, Partake Foods is in thousands of stores across the country. Turns out, partnerships have been a huge part of how Partake has grown its brand awareness—way beyond traditional marketing. From JetBlue flights to DoubleTree hotels, Marlo has cracked the code on co-marketing strategies that actually move the needle. Want to learn how your brand can do the same? Tune into the latest episode of Catching Fire ?? to the link down below. https://lnkd.in/gAXBn7Cc #entrepreneurship #retailgrowth #brandpartnerships

Big platforms are surviving, niche communities are thriving. Finally got Jessica Kamada - Managing Partner at Swizzle Ventures - on the podcast. She just raised her first $6.6M to back platforms centered around women's health and wealth. As someone who's helped brands with growth marketing for years, I'm seeing the same shifts: niche and community-based is gaining momentum over huge and impersonal. ?This?change of direction?creates massive opportunities for community-driven growth strategies beyond just paid social. Full episode drops serious knowledge on sustainable growth frameworks. Listen anywhere from YouTube to Spotify. What niche communities are you finding most valuable for your growth right now? #GrowthMarketing #VentureCapital #CatchingFire

When VET Tv - Veteran Entertainment Television launched, they made veterans one promise: 15 minutes of raw, authentic military comedy every Wednesday—and those 15 minutes built a streaming empire. ?? Listen to my conversation with Danny Diaz Maher–the founder of VetTV on the latest episode of Catching Fire:? Spotify -> https://bit.ly/431Hf6o YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/gdh7cDvp

Ever wondered what really happened inside Facebook's election integrity team? Don't miss this week's episode with former Meta executive Sakshi Chadha as she reveals the untold story of her experience on Meta's 2020 election integrity team and shares practical advice for today's founders. ?? Listen in now. Spotify -> https://bit.ly/4hNS0Ox YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/gBw3Hu_m

For Jared Blitz, founder of Blitz Creative Studio, the best branded content comes from real collaboration—whether it’s with athletes, influencers, or creatives behind the camera. Learn how to make your brand content pop in the latest Catching Fire. ?? Listen in now. Spotify -> https://bit.ly/4aOsupx YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/ggvCshng

What if blockchain could change the way we think about advertising? For Peter Jonas, co-founder of Thirdwave and former executive at Facebook, Uber, and Compass, it already has. Learn more about Thirdwave’s ongoing mission to revolutionize ad targeting with their Wallet Intelligence API in the latest Catching Fire. ?? Listen in now. Spotify -> https://bit.ly/4afTON7 YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/gS9VaybA

Scalable growth isn’t just about pushing ads. It’s about telling your brand’s story. In the latest Catching Fire, I sit down with Kirk Nielson, CEO of Tap In Digital, to discuss why performance branding is such an underrated way to drive sustainable growth. (Psst: we’ll have a whole lot more to say about that in an upcoming announcement from Playbook Media.) From creative storytelling to smart media allocation, learn how to invest your marketing dollars where they matter most. ?? Listen in now. Spotify -> https://bit.ly/3Ccxc3n YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/g2A_92X4

Focusing your ad dollars on converters is important—but the full story is more nuanced than you might think. In this episode of Catching Fire, I take a turn in the hot seat for an introduction to performance branding. Learn how you can use it to rethink your attribution and revamp your marketing efforts with a brand-focused approach. ?? Listen in now. Spotify -> https://bit.ly/4iLQn4L YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/g2BjhGpd