You, Me, and Your Top Three

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host and CEO, CGS Advisors, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Shiva Bhardwaj, CEO Pitstop – a cloud-based Prognostic Maintenance Platform that enables enterprises to leverage the wealth of information available from their vehicle fleets. Shiva hails from Toronto and is making a name for himself in the mobility and AI industries. He discusses how his company was born from bridging being raised by a mechanic in an automotive garage with his experiences working in Silicon valley-based tech giants. He explores what it is like being early to market and how he needs to shape the minds of customers. And he shares how he successfully cracked the code on attracting some of the most sought after secret weapons in competing in today’s businesses – data scientists. And, of course, Shiva speaks about his ‘top three’ ranging from his father who gave him space to create and experiment at a very young age to a thought partner in the data science space who pushes him to be intentional a

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Larry Freed, CEO Give and Take, Inc.. Larry is a multi-time CEO who utilizes the concepts from Adam Grant’s best-selling book Give and Take to scale businesses. He speaks about SaaS businesses and partnering with academic institutions and their PhDs to create unique and valuable business opportunities. Larry dives deep into the knowledge collaboration capability and the art of encouraging people to invest in one another by giving and seeking help; deepening relationship trust. And, of course, Larry shares his top three – ranging from his spouse and three sons, to leadership teams who built trust and support to win together, to ultra-smart experts that define industry segments via the seeds that grow into businesses. Finally, Larry shares the secret to deep relationships – being brave enough to ask for help. About Larry Freed Larry is the CEO of Give and Take Inc., a company that was co-founded by Adam Grant (Wharton), Wayne Bake

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Michael Farber, Managing Partner of Ratio Companies and former EVP, Booz Allen Hamilton. Michael speaks to his 30+ year career in driving large transformation in both federal government agencies as well as market-leading companies and shares how innovators need to not just disrupt to disrupt, but rather define the purpose of being different. Michael explains how making safe spaces and encouraging people to explore and embrace differences is key to being a true leader in today’s rapidly changing world and notes how this digital transformation needs to be met at the cross-section of capabilities. And, of course, Michael shares his top three – from the woman who makes him brave, to the teachers that made being different purposeful, to the colleagues who solidify structure innovation, and finally to the client executive who is acting as a window to a thirty year career. You have to hear what Michael has to say about how the key to tra

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Jeff Cripe, Founder and CEO of Cargo – a fast moving company on a rocketship-style path to success. Jeff is a 30 under 30 award recipient from Forbes and, in just a few years’ time, he has founded a company, created a new category, raised over $40 million of capital, and successfully partnered with almost every name brand consumables company worldwide. During the discussion, Jeff shares the secrets of growing a business by recognizing and solving problems for emerging industries before the leaders of those industries even know they exist. Jeff also shares his top three – from seasoned deal makers who helped him learn that the art of deal making may be his super power, to venture psychologists, to day-to-day experts who help guide operations and new segment creation. Finally, you have to hear what Jeff has to say about how leaders need to know how to fill their gaps. About Jeff Cripe After graduating from Yale, Jeff became an ear

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Steve Tack, SVP, Product Management at Dynatrace – a technology giant that is part of the backbone of many of the most well-known brands in this digital world. Steve shares the journey that took the company from a small division of a large technology organization to a spin-out and PE-backed growth firm to a publicly-traded technology firm. Steve also gives hints on how to grow a successful global product team and how to stay ahead of the market by focusing exclusively on hiring ex-founders to lead different product segments. And, of course, Steve speaks about his top three –  from his executive peers to his global product group to his former athletic coaches. Finally, you have to hear about how the most critical moment of Steve’s success wasn’t ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, but a milestone that took place years ago when the executive team decided to bravely cannibalize their own business and innovate the entire

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Ryan Green, Co-Founder and CEO of Gridwise - The #1 companion app for rideshare drivers. Ryan shares his history as a Naval Officer turned entrepreneurial CEO who is actively shaping the ride-share market in the US. He discusses how fragmented the mobility market is and how companies that fill the white space and provide integration will be the long-term winners. Ryan speaks to the importance of keeping the ends in mind and how being focused on realistic means is key to driving out a two-sided business model. Of course, Ryan speaks about his top three including his first entrepreneurial business partner, his tech-minded business partner of today, and a formal investor and advisor who reminds him to always “keep his saw sharp”. Finally, Ryan shares his thoughts about the difference between management and leadership and shares advice with leaders about how to surround yourself with positive energy to maintain the bravery to innovate

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Andrew McCuiston, President of Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC – one of the country’s fastest growing franchise brands. Andrew discusses how franchising allows brands to scale through partnerships with like-minded business owners and shares why he and his business partners believe that their company is an Amazon-proof business. Andrew discusses the unique leadership culture he and his business partners have developed and how it is likely due to the fact that all three of them are Division 1 NCAA athletes and captains of their respective teams. Andrew speaks about his top three including his brother, his former boss, spiritual and business service leaders, and advisory board members. Finally, Andrew shares advice about envisioning a lifestyle, building it for yourself, and scaling it for others to live along with you. About Andrew McCuiston Since 2008, Andrew McCuiston has served as the President and Integrator for Goldfish

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Ryan Sullivan, CEO of Xenith – an athlete-centric lifestyle brand that is an emerging challenger in the very competitive football market. Ryan speaks about how it is no longer good enough for CEOs to be incredible operators, but how they must now be transformation specialists. Ryan also opens up about what it’s like to hold the CEO position and the challenges of being at the top. Ryan shares his top three including his wife who is his foundational rock, journey-mates on the CEO path, and time-tested industry professionals. And, of course, Ryan shares advice for leaders and, specifically, how some of the best journeys start with being forced to ‘jump without a parachute’.  About ryan sullivan Ryan Sullivan has led the Xenith team as CEO since 2016. Every day, Ryan instills in himself and his team members three foundational qualities – passion, purpose and pride. These qualities drive Ryan and Xenith to pursue the mission of desig

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Mat Ishbia, CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage and United Shore – industry leading mortgage companies. Mat talks about growing the firm from a mere twelve people to north of 4,400 employees and shares the lessons that he learned along the way. Mat reflects on how he doesn’t use technology to replace humans but to make them better and enable them to excel at customer service. Mat shares his top three including his father, his collegiate basketball coach and one of the top coaches in the world, Tom Izzo, and his colleagues who push him every day to be better. And, of course, Mat shares advice with leaders on how to be intentional in order to be a champion. About Mat Ishbia Mat Ishbia is the President and CEO of United Shore, home to United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) – the No. 1 wholesale mortgage lender in the nation. Under Ishbia’s leadership, UWM has soared to new heights, becoming one of the most innovative lenders in the industry.

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Tracy-Ann Palmer, Vice President Global GTM, Strategy and Transformation at Rackspace and global technology executive who hails from South Africa. Tracy-Ann has worked with iconic tech brands that are known around the world. She is a humble leader who appreciates being pushed and encouraged to reach far beyond where she thinks she can reach. Tracy-Ann used her passion to found Midwest Technology Leaders and the non-profit We Build Character. Of course, Tracy-Ann talks about the importance of mentoring stemming from her “Top Three,” ranging from a caravan leader in Africa, to CEOs of tech companies, to the top tech executives in the federal government – all of whom helped her to never accept the status quo. About Tracy-Ann Palmer Tracy-Ann Palmer has over 25 years of experience in high-growth, global, technology driven businesses. She has been consistently recognized for her strong leadership and ability to help accelerate growth

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Jordan Darragh, an expert in sustainability who is the founder and CEO of PrintReleaf, Inc.  Jordan discusses his deep understanding of the print services industry's effect on the environment and how he used it to find his passion in founding a successful business. He also shares how sustainability of the environment can relate to sustainability of your business. Of course, Jordan talks about the importance of the mentorship stemming from his “Top Three,” ranging from a power lifting champion to a shoeless colleague. About Jordan Darragh Jordan is the founder and CEO of PrintReleaf, Inc. At PrintReleaf, Jordan and his founding team have worked closely with industry experts in print and forestry to develop standards for measuring, offsetting, and verifying the successful reforestation of paper consumption. They have developed a standard, methodology, and technology platform that makes it simple for customers to certifiably refore

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Amos Schwartzfarb an expert in scaling sales who is a six-time entrepreneur, is currently the Managing Director of Techstars Austin and is a very recent author of Sell More Faster: Ultimate sales playbook for startups. As an avid climber and biker who truly lives life as an adventure, Amos credits his success to having learned how to not be afraid to fail. Additionally, Amos discusses how to sell more, faster and how the principles can apply to startups and enterprises with some nuances for each. Of course he talks about his “Top Three” and how advice from his current business and investment mentors mesh with earlier “in the trenches” experiences with startup colleagues. He even shares advice his mother and high school wrestling coach gave him which changed his trajectory on the mat, and maybe in life. About Amos Schwartzfarb Amos is the Managing Director of Techstars in Austin. He has more than 15 years of sales leadership and

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, speaks with Roy Verstraete, a founding member of the Private Directors Association; a group helping to build advisory boards for private companies and owners.  Roy discusses the importance of an independent advisory network and the critical role of mentors and advisors in today’s day and age. Specifically, Roy talks about his career leading manufacturing and product companies in Europe, North America, and South America. Additionally, he speaks about what it was like to work with iconic brands like Velcro and the excitement of working with founders and owners in these spaces. Finally, Roy shares his “Top Three” and talks about how when he was growing up in management, having mentors was actually a sign of weakness and how he turned to virtual mentors to help guide his career. About Roy Verstraete Roy is a corporate director, advisor, senior executive and internationalist with 30+ years of leadership experience. He is currently a Director for

Jacques Panis, the accomplished global brand builder, joins Gregg Garrett in this week’s episode of You, Me, and Your Top Three. Jacques transformed the Shinola brand from a defunct shoe polish brand brand into a globally recognized leader in the fashion and accessories industry. Jacques talks about the ups and downs of becoming an overnight success and specifically about the impact that can have on your closest relationships. Jacques gives insight into his current leadership adventure - leading the lab-grown diamond business New World Diamonds - and shares how he believes the industry is being completely disrupted by technology.  Finally, Jacques shares his “Top Three” and talks about how everyone should look for pattern-disrupting opportunities during their career journeys. About Jacques panis Jacques is an international brand builder and CEO of New World Diamonds. Prior to joining New World Diamonds in 2018, Jacques was the President of Shinola for six years during which time he led the company’s product

During this episode, You Me and Your Top Three host, Gregg Garrett, takes a short pause from interviewing guests to reflect on what we’ve heard over the first twenty weeks of the podcast. He breaks down the growth of the podcast in over 30 countries, discusses the patterns that have been observed around six types of advisors, discusses virtual versus real life mentors, and talks about the power of mentor to mentor networking. Show Highlights Segment 1: Overview 0:58        19 leaders. 20 episodes. Countless learnings. 2:14        My thesis: Great leaders surround themselves with great leaders, diverse ones! 3:25        Upcoming episodes: continuing on with more diversity. 4:30        My request to listeners: recommend podcast guests! (Gregg’s email) Segment 2: Discussing the types of leaders from our leaders 5:15        Leader Type 1: The top leader in an industry or a function.  (Been there, done that – Learn How). Example: EP 2 – Pat Falle speaks of Warren Buffett. Example: EP 17 – John Rossman speaks of

During this episode, we speak with Ryan Schram, a leader in digital and influencer marketing and the Chief Operating Officer at IZEA Worldwide. Ryan speaks about the unique journey he and his colleagues took to disrupt an industry, form a new category and rise to the top. We discuss the celebrity influencers of today, the emerging role of the nano-influencer, as well as potential influencers of the future like artificial intelligence. Ryan highlights his ‘Top Three’ advisors and speaks about what it was like to grow up in a house that is filled with marketing and media juggernauts, what it’s like to work for, and partner with an industry visionary, and shares how spousal choice is critical for leaders beyond balancing work and home. And throughout the episode, Ryan shares several pieces of advice with the audience, including some of his most fundamental advice that was passed along at an early age from a Mad Men-esque character – Always Be Fabulous. About Ryan Schram As Chief Operating Officer, Ryan Schram

During this episode, we speak with Ed Rybicki, Chief Information Officer at Vyaire Medical. Throughout the discussion, Ed highlights how throughout his journey to his global CIO role he never forgot to keep people at the center of pretty much everything he does – something he learned from his background in organizational behavior. Ed elaborated on how data has become one of the world’s most valuable assets and noted how it needs to find its way on to the balance sheets of many companies. He also discussed how he surrounded himself with non-traditional mentors throughout his career – ranging from his colleagues inside the companies he has worked for who helped him build a platform for success to those outside who helped him transform from role to role and that pushed him to be brave. About Ed Rybicki Ed is a highly accomplished and forward-thinking Senior Technology Executive with 20+ years of achievement setting and executing technology strategies for private-equity, private, and public global corporations.

During this episode, we speak with John Rossman, a former executive at Amazon, who was responsible for building one of its largest and most successful business units – Amazon Marketplace. John discusses the mindset that leaders at Amazon have that allows them to constantly innovate and transform as they disrupt markets. He gives specific hints from his most recent book, Think Like Amazon, which helps leaders consider how to take advantage of the digital world that is forming all around them. And, of course, he discusses three of his mentors that have helped him stay customer focused, focus on measuring metrics that matter, and be brave enough to share his voice through the power of the pen. If you have ever been in awe of what Amazon has accomplished, you have to hear what John shared with us.  About John Rossman John Rossman is an expert at digital business models, operations and organizing programs. He has led engagements on developing innovation processes, Internet of Things strategies, marketplace and

During this episode, we speak with a digital transformation expert who operates on a global stage. Falk Bothe carries responsibility for driving transformations and developing the top forty leaders for the Volkswagen Group - one of the largest companies in the world. In his role, Falk helps top executives cut through the inertia of a successful past to envision and take advantage of the future. Throughout the conversation, Falk advises transformation leaders and shares his views on the disruption occurring in the automotive industry. Falk discusses his “top three”, which includes peers and family as well as someone who is his direct report and highlights how learnings from rock acrobatics (yes, you read that right!) carries over to his work. AbouT falk bothe Falk Bothe (48), since January 1st 2017 Director Digital Transformation Office at Volkswagen AG is responsible for the Digitalization Program Management, Committees and overall Change Management for Digital Transformation within the Volkswagen Group. He

During this episode, we discuss how data stemming from products is at the heart of industry disruption. Our special guest, Chris Pesola, is a Chief Information Officer for a cloud-based software company that is helping transform the manufacturing industry. In his role, Chris is enabling manufacturing companies to compete in the next industrial revolution which is often referred to as Industry 4.0. He speaks about how Chief Information Officers differ from Chief Technology Officers and how the two roles should work together in technology companies. He shares his thoughts of how work is shifting and how the role of the CIO may be to help get the most out of the workforce - no matter if it is a human workforce or an environment which is taking advantage of AI or bot-oriented team members. AbouT Chris Pesola Chris is the VP & Chief Information Officer for Plex Systems, Inc.  where he is a cross-functional leader focused on driving strategic business value. He has successfully moved the organization to cloud