Don Spear (he/him)

Join Austin Govella for our full day workshop at #techcondallas - This session is for you if: - You're curious about AI but unsure where the immediate benefits are. - You want to understand how AI can help your organization and deliver ROI. - You're eager to understand what programs can be used for long-term growth & scaling. - You need an AI strategy and a getting started checklist. #findyournorthstar #IA4AI

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PathFinder Insights, Inc. is revolutionizing executive leadership decision making with AI-enabled advanced data analytics and innovative methodologies. We are empowering executive leadership teams to pivot with confidence, anticipate market changes, and seize opportunities with precision. Learn more at www.pathfinder-in.com ↗ (https://lnkd.in/guJ2EwpF) and book a time with me for a deeper dive into our transformative approach: https://lnkd.in/gKbGUnRP ↗ (https://lnkd.in/gKbGUnRP) #ExecutiveDecisionMaking #LeadershipTransformation #PathFinderInsights"

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ENTREPRENEUR WISDOM   The most reasonable plan is planning on your plan not going according to plan.   Venture With Vision   Steven James “SJ” Maranville, Ph.D. is chairman of Maranville Enterprises—a tiny titan catalyzing unicorn-bound ventures that it scouts, skills, and scales. A Strategic Advisor and Board Director, SJ is the Guide by the Entrepreneur’s Side. He uses his extensive expertise in business strategy to lead visionary entrepreneurs through the chaotic complexities of starting and scaling their high-growth ventures. These ventures are distinguished by the Intelligence Advantage. By partnering with Maranville Enterprises, entrepreneurs accelerate fledgling start-ups into gazelle scale-ups and escalate those gazelles into shake-up unicorn ventures that learn, adapt, and dominate.    Let's keep the conversation going! Share and discuss in the comments!  Let's spread the message! Share this with your network.   #Entrepreneur #Startups #StartupDevelopment #StartupVentures #BoardDevelopment

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This is an exceptional episode. Worth every minute, twice. https://lnkd.in/gVeCxUuN

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Hear Simpli5's CRO, Tyler Plant speak about the intersection of AI and skills that are uniquely human. Learn why it is more important than ever to focus on what used to be referred to as "soft skills". We appreciate The Matias Experiment spending time with Tyler and learning more about how Simpli5 is viewing the future of work. #futureofwork #workplaceculture #leadershipdevelopment

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Dream big. Pitch bigger. 🎯 Take a page from PentoPix's journey: They didn’t just step onto the SXSW stage, they owned it. After refining their pitch through personalized coaching, this AI-powered startup turned heads with their innovative 3D storytelling platform—walking away with the Best in Show award. 🏆 Now it’s your turn. SXSW isn't just a competition; it’s a launchpad. From connecting with world-class investors to gaining tailored insights to elevate your pitch, this is where big ideas become reality. Your next milestone is one application away. 🚀 Ready to make change in your industry? Apply now and showcase your vision to the world. https://lnkd.in/e-ZUpWDB

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Volunteers needed to write out postcards for #climateactionvoting. Citizens Climate Lobby (cclusa.org) needs to send 40,000 postcards for Texas on October 15! CCL is a nonpartisan group that is united in cause - to elect officials that will make key climate policy decisions. So if you are looking for a way to support climate, look up your local chapter and sign up. There are many ways to take action and meet people who are willing to do the work. #volunteering #climatechange #voteforclimate

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I'm excited to announce the AVA-ECN Partnership: A New Era for Austin's Business Landscape! We are thrilled to unveil a transformative partnership set to reshape Austin's business community. The Austin Venture Association (AVA), Executive Council Network (ECN), and The Executive Venture Fund (EVF) are joining forces to enhance support for Austin's dynamic ecosystem of executives, entrepreneurs, and investors. Key Benefits of This Strategic Partnership: 1. Amplified Impact: By merging AVA's regional expertise and robust venture capital network with ECN's national executive community and The Executive Fund's resources, we are creating a powerful platform for collaboration and growth that benefits both local and national stakeholders. 2. Enhanced Member Value: Members will enjoy expanded networking opportunities, access to a broader range of resources, and diverse programming tailored to both executives and the venture community, bridging local insights with national perspectives. 3. New Opportunities: Community members will gain access to syndicate opportunities, shared learning experiences, and a wider network of peers across various sectors, enhancing both regional and national connections. 4. Elevated Programming: Look forward to a variety of events, including exclusive networking gatherings, online digital elements, and community-wide celebrations that cater to the unique needs of both Austin’s vibrant scene and ECN’s broader national audience. We are excited about the potential this partnership holds for our members and the broader Austin business community. Together, we will drive innovation, foster connections, and elevate Austin's reputation while integrating valuable national insights and opportunities. This collaboration offers a unique opportunity to deeply serve the Austin community and build lasting relationships on both local and national levels. Stay tuned for more details on how this partnership will unfold and how you can get involved.

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Successful retailers partner with DTC brands! Check out Charm.io's new report on the three key strategies for how retailers can use data-backed insights to partner with DTC brands to grow sales, and avoid the "retail apocalypse". https://lnkd.in/eTP8sswD #retailgrowth #merchandising #dtcdata #ecommerceanalytics

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We are seeing a tremendous amount of dialogue around replacing SaaS solutions with AI. Elementum is helping lead the way with easy to build AI Workflow apps that can be deployed in weeks. Cloud replaced On-prem. SaaS replaced traditional software. AI is rapidly replacing SaaS. Buckle up.

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These are a must read

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In this captivating episode of Construct Your Life Podcast, we sit down with Collin Trimble, a former petrochemical industry employee who took a bold step into entrepreneurship by acquiring a security company. Dive into an enlightening conversation that spans across topics of trust, business growth, family life, and leadership in the context of small business ownership. Listen as Collin shares his remarkable transition from a corporate job to becoming a CEO in the security industry, providing valuable insights and lessons learned along the way. Collin's career shift was based on trust and a desire for autonomy, serving as inspiration for those contemplating a significant change. He discusses the challenge of juggling family and business responsibilities, highlighting the importance of trust in the alarm industry. Collin stresses the significance of adapting to customer needs and the excitement of tackling larger projects. He shares how team confidence can help navigate uncertain times. Collin's sales background facilitated a seamless transition, emphasizing the value of responsiveness and swift proposal delivery in boosting close rates. Acknowledging the complexities of managing operations and service departments, Collin stresses the importance of clear expectations and consistent communication for effective employee management. Recognizing varying levels of work passion among employees can lead to better management and workplace harmony. 👉 Stop playing small, book a call! Link in bio 👉 For more information visit austinlinney.com 👉 The @constructyourlifepodcast is available on ALL platforms This episode is proudly sponsored by Leadhub: Your Growth Partner For The Trades. Visit https://www.leadhub.net to discover how Leadhub can amplify your business growth and success today! #MINDSETPODCAST #BUSINESSPODCAST #REALESTATEPODCAST Powered by www.podcastproducer.com

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During COVID we bought a little app called Ignite and turned it into PushPress Train. At the time I didn't realize how hard an acquisition would be (even though everyone warned me). For 2 years, we didn't have the resources to give it the love it needed - and the market pounded us for it. Our customers hated it. The integration was terrible at best. It affected everything in our business negatively - our churn rates, our NPS, our customer happiness. After raising our Series A we had the resources to fix this and we did. We upgraded Train in all ways and folded it directly into our Member App. We added programming partners to it, so our clients now get hassle free workouts loaded directly into their gyms. We improved the integration into Core. Now we're doubling down. For the first time ever we have a dedicated engineer who's only job is to make Train amazing in deeper ways. As a CEO, sometimes your decisions might be wrong in the moment but they aren't final answers. Acquiring Train was a bad decision for 2 years... until it wasn't - and now it's a vital piece of our product ecosystem!

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An underrated leadership hack: Invest in knowing yourself and your team. At GroundForce Capital, we brought in an executive coaching group to give our team Enneagram assessments and actionable ways to benefit from our results. The assessment identified nine distinct personality types, each with unique motivations, fears, and ways of interacting with the world. For example: I’m a Type 3: the Achiever. I’m success-driven, orderly, and pragmatic. Process-heavy. I want to control the outcomes whenever possible. My Partner, Mark, is a Type 7: the Enthusiast. He has a vision beyond short-term progress. He gives time and attention to creative ideas. When we first started working together, Mark’s creativity was a different approach than I was accustomed to. I felt like we needed to do something tangible and act quickly. Understanding how Mark thinks and operates, I gained a much deeper appreciation for the strengths and perspective he brings. Plus, I’m more aware of my blind spots. As complementary co-managing partners, we’re modeling how we want our team to operate. Empowering them to understand personality types and how to leverage them has been transformative: • We communicate more effectively. • We know how to motivate each other. • We play where our strengths are. • We dedicate ourselves to personal development. I have a laminated card on my desk summarizing every team member's Enneagram Type, including key strengths, key weaknesses, how to motivate them at work, and how to demotivate them at work. When everyone in the organization has this level of clarity, it makes the team more cohesive, empathetic, understanding, and productive. You don’t need an executive coaching group to do this exercise (although helpful). Knowing yourself and your team is the first step to cultivating an unstoppable culture.

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Great time of year to start figuring how to improve/scale/grow your #EBP practice next year ;)

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I 💯agree with Oz Merchant on this topic. Some folks advise founders to pitch very selectively and 'pick your pitch' - you get one shot, choose it wisely? I'm 180 degrees opposite of that - be a promiscuous pitcher! - ABP - ALWAYS BE PITCHING. Because your pitch gets better with every no, take that feedback, learn, iterate. Right now it's taking 50-100 no's for Triangle co's to get funding, it's still tough out there, so get through the no's fast to get to a yes. Check out the event - also go see others pitch, it all helps you get better - pitching is like PMF - lots of iteration, tons of grinding to get through to the other side.

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Benefits enrollment teams are being forced to do more with less. They’re being asked to scale their operations without being given the budget to increase their headcount. With Integrate.io (a data integration platform), Benefits enrollment teams can deal with more clients and larger volumes of data without bringing in a whole team to manually sort it. Automate all your tedious enrollment workflows without having to add headcount.

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Keen to learn more about the Calybre story? 📖 Check out our new article on TechCentral with the link below. #expectmore #stepahead #reallyawesomedatapeople #data #dataconsulting #dataanalytics #dataengineering #datascience #datastrategy #datagovernance #ai #artificialintelligence #datasecurity

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