From Department of IT to Strategic Business Voice

From Department of IT to Strategic Business Voice

IT leaders often have a seat at the executive table. But are they truly being heard? In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman speak with Phil Howard [https://www.linkedin.com/in/popularit/] about what it takes for CIOs, CTOs, IT Directors, VPs of IT, and technology leaders to move from being treated like the “Department of IT” to becoming strategic business voices. Phil brings experience across sales training, telecom, consulting, vendor-neutral advisory, podcasting, and hundreds of conversations with IT leaders. Together, the group explores why technical leaders can understand the full complexity of the business and still struggle to communicate value in a way executives understand. The conversation covers executive buy-in, vendor pressure, cost control, mid-market IT complexity, business communication, defensible technology decisions, and why IT is often invisible when things work but treated as a cost center when leadership does not understand the value behind the systems. This episode is especially relevant for IT leaders, business executives, consultants, service providers, and mid-market organizations that want technology to be more strategically aligned with business outcomes. At its core, this is a conversation about communication, trust, leadership maturity, and helping IT leaders become heard, respected, and involved before critical technology decisions are already made. Learn more about iuvo by visiting www.iuvotech.com [http://www.iuvotech.com] Connect with Phil Howard  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/popularit/] Check out the You've Been Heard Podcast  [https://www.youvebeenheard.com/]

Scaling Without Technology Debt : How Early IT Decisions Shape Growth, Risk, and Momentum

Early technology decisions can shape how easily a company grows later. In this episode of Edge of Excellence, iuvo [http://www.iuvotech.com]'s Jessica DeForge and Bryon Beilman speak with Ian Findlay [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianfindlay/], Partner in TechCXO’ [https://www.techcxo.com/]s Product & Technology practice, about technology debt, IT strategy, and the value of fractional CIO guidance for growing companies. Ian shares how startups and small to mid-sized businesses often make technology decisions based on what is familiar, fast, or inexpensive in the moment. Those decisions may work when a company has five people, but they can become painful to unwind when the organization is preparing for funding, hiring quickly, expanding operations, or trying to reduce risk. The conversation explores how early IT choices affect security, collaboration, infrastructure, cloud platforms, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace environments, device management, documentation, and overall business readiness. Ian also explains how IT health assessments help leadership teams understand where they stand and how fractional CIO support can give growing companies senior technology guidance without requiring a full-time executive hire. This episode is especially relevant for founders, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, biotech and life sciences leaders, startup teams, and business leaders who want to build a stronger technology foundation before growth creates pressure.

Why a Founder's Journey Is Never Linear | Krenar Komoni, CEO of Tive

What does it take to build a global supply chain company from a basement prototype? Krenar Komoni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/komoni/], CEO and founder of Tive, joins Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman for a candid conversation about a career that has been anything but linear. Krenar shares the pivots, near-failures, and defining moments behind Tive, now on track for $100M in revenue and growing at 50% annually. From designing wireless chips in Boston to watching his father-in-law struggle with outdated logistics tools, he traces the winding path that led to one of the fastest-growing supply chain visibility companies in the world. In this episode, Krenar talks about getting the entrepreneurship bug at 16 while helping launch a TV station in Kosovo, the bottom-up management lesson he learned as a junior engineer that he still uses as CEO, why almost every early assumption about Tive's market was wrong, the $10,000-in-the-bank moment that cemented his conviction, and what Tive actually tracks. If you're a founder, operator, or anyone navigating a path that doesn't follow a straight line, this one is worth your time. Learn more about Tive at tive.com [https://www.tive.com/] and connect with Krenar on LinkedIn. Visit iuvotech.com [https://www.iuvotech.com/] for more Edge of Excellence episodes.

The Truth About Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is not rare. It is just often quiet. In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman are joined by iuvo team members Derek Murphy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-murphy-743b113/] and Ken Hillstrom [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-hillstrom-2a5024154/] for an honest, relatable conversation about imposter syndrome, self-doubt, high performance, and growth. They explore how imposter feelings show up during career transitions, leadership moments, high-pressure work, and periods of rapid change. The conversation also looks at the role leaders play in creating cultures where people feel psychologically safe to learn, ask questions, make mistakes, and continue growing. This episode is for high performers, emerging leaders, managers, culture builders, and anyone who has ever felt like everyone else has it figured out. You do not need to eliminate imposter feelings to succeed. You need the right support, the right environment, and the confidence to keep moving forward anyway. To learn more about iuvo visit iuvotech.com [http://www.iuvotech.com]

Creativity Without a Deliverable Enabling Play, Balance & Trust at Work

In this episode of Edge of Excellence, Bryon Beilman and Jessica DeForge sit down with iuvo CIO Jesse McCain to explore a leadership idea that does not get enough attention: creativity without a deliverable. In a work culture often driven by constant output, metrics, and availability, Jesse offers a more human-centered perspective on what helps teams think, create, and perform sustainably. The conversation explores why play matters at work, how unstructured time supports innovation, and why trust and flexibility are not the opposite of accountability. Jesse shares thoughtful examples from his own leadership experience, including how exploration, psychological safety, work-life integration, and “loosening the reins” can help people do their best work without burning out. This episode is for leaders, managers, and professionals who want to build healthier, more creative, and higher-performing teams without measuring every moment by a deliverable.