North Star Leaders

Builder’s Mindset with Gregg Johnson

What does it really take to keep growing as a leader when the playbook keeps changing? How do you hold onto curiosity and authenticity while also steering a company through massive shifts like AI? In this episode of North Star Leaders, Lindsay sits down with Gregg Johnson, CEO of Invoca, to talk about the art of building - whether that’s products, companies, or culture - and why leadership today is as much about questioning as it is about giving answers. Gregg opens up about what he’s learned from his winding path into tech, how he thinks about rewiring a mature business, and the small but powerful habits that fuel both his work and his life. You’ll hear them discuss: * Why Gregg still sees himself as a builder first, and how that shapes the way he spends his time with both technology and customers * How his natural tendency to lead through asking questions has helped him as a CEO, and why he’s also had to learn when to simply connect the dots and be direct * The tricky but necessary work of “rewiring” an established company to adapt to new technologies like AI, and why he looks for first-principles thinkers rather than playbook followers * The cultural lessons he brought with him from Salesforce, and how practices like transparent communication and weekly notes have shaped Invoca’s way of working * Why authenticity and empathy are non-negotiables for him, from addressing elephants in the room at work to showing up in small, everyday ways at home Resources: Gregg Johnson on Invoca [https://www.invoca.com/uk] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsongregg/] Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! [https://ironcladbrandstrategy.com/contact] | Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypedersen/]

Figuring It Out with Deborah Kilpatrick

Are the hardest problems the ones most worth solving? Is leadership about being the smartest person in the room, or about creating space where everyone can bring their best? In this episode of North Star Leaders, Lindsay talks with Deborah Kilpatrick - former CEO and board chair of Evidation Health, co-founder of MedTech Women, and now partner at Sonder Capital. Deborah opens up about what drives her love of early-stage innovation, the lessons she carried from her small-town Georgia roots, and how she’s learned to lead in ways that bring out the best in others. You’ll hear them discuss: * Why Deborah lights up at the messy, uncertain “figuring it out” stage of innovation * How her dad’s career as a high school football coach shaped her philosophy on teams and leadership * The mindset shift that took her from academic researcher to the C-suite * What it really takes to make a co-CEO model not only work, but thrive * The importance of patience and knowing when *not* to jump in as a leader * The routines that keep her grounded, from early mornings to long bike rides * The perspective she gains by reminding herself that “everybody’s got their thing today” Resources: Deborah Kilpatrick on Sonder Capital [https://sondercapital.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahlkilpatrick/] | Sonder Capital LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonder-capital/] | Deborah's Favourite Candy - Peanut Ginger Chews [https://gingerpeople.com/products/gin-gins-peanut-ginger-chews/] Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! [https://ironcladbrandstrategy.com/contact] | Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypedersen/]

Principle Playbook with Robert Wahbe

Can company culture be engineered as intentionally as a product roadmap - and should it be? In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Robert Wahbe, CEO of Highspot, to explore how purposeful leadership, clear guiding principles, and a bias toward action fuel both performance and purpose. Robert shares how Highspot created a culture that values speed, detail, and humanity - and why having more values, not fewer, might be the secret to making them stick. You’ll hear them discuss: * How Highspot built its culture through 11 guiding principles - and why quantity matters * Why vague company values are "great for a poster" but useless in daily decision-making * What it means to lead with urgency while still inspiring trust and deep respect * How to balance bold innovation with attention to detail - and why those ideas often clash * The real reasons product launches fail, and how to close the gap between vision and execution * Why constraints drive creativity, and how purpose can act as a powerful constraint * How AI powers insight at Highspot by helping companies amplify what works and fix what doesn’t Resources: Robert Wahbe on the Highspot [https://www.highspot.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertwahbe] Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! [https://ironcladbrandstrategy.com/contact] | Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypedersen/]

Aligned Incentives with Kakul Srivastava

What does it really mean to build a business where purpose and profit don’t just coexist—but actively fuel each other? Can you scale without selling out, especially in a creative industry being disrupted by AI? In this episode, Lindsay speaks with Kakul Srivastava, CEO of Splice, a leading platform used by music creators worldwide. Drawing from her experience at values-driven companies like Flickr and GitHub, Kakul shares how she leads with clarity, protects artistic integrity in the age of AI, and makes space for creativity in both product and culture. This conversation explores what it really takes to build a purpose-centered business that scales without losing its soul. You’ll hear them discuss: * How Splice’s subscription model creates mutual accountability with users and reinforces the company’s commitment to quality and trust * Why Kakul and her team drew a clear ethical line when integrating AI - training only on content they have rights to, out of deep respect for creators * What makes music a uniquely visceral art form, and how it shapes the raw, emotional nature of the music creators Splice serves * How Kakul leads with care, high standards, and an obsession with data - not for metrics alone, but as signals of customer needs and behaviors * The identity struggle many artists face balancing creativity with commercial demands, and how Splice supports both personal expression and livelihood * Why scaling a purpose-driven company demands just as much internal growth from leaders as it does from teams, products, and systems * The shift from simply providing creative tools to becoming a true partner in the music-making process - and why that’s where the magic happens Resources: Kakul Srivastava on Splice [https://splice.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kakul/] Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! [https://ironcladbrandstrategy.com/contact] | Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypedersen/]

Scaling Smart with Joe Davy

Is being the smartest person in the room holding you — and your business — back? What if the biggest leadership flex isn’t personal brilliance, but building a team that outshines you? In this episode of North Star Leaders, Lindsay Pedersen sits down with Joe Davy, CEO of Banzai — a high-growth SaaS company giving marketers AI-powered “superpowers” through tools like Demio, OpenReel, and Create Studio. Joe opens up about his evolution from an ambitious solo founder to a leader who believes the smartest move is surrounding yourself with people who are better than you. From organizational behavior to AI-driven marketing, Joe shares candid insights on how he learned to let go of ego, embrace complexity, and scale both his company and his mindset. You’ll hear them discuss: * People-first leadership  - Why building a team you enjoy and trust is more powerful than being the hero with all the answers. * Letting go of ego - How Joe stopped trying to outsmart people problems and started hiring people who outsmarted him. * Soft skills supremacy - Why emotional intelligence, motivation, and communication aren’t “nice to have” — they’re mission-critical. * The education gap - How traditional schooling trains us to win alone - and why that’s a dangerous setup for future leaders. * Learning through fire - Joe’s belief that the best way to grow is to get thrown into the rapids — and sometimes fall in. * Athletics and leadership - The surprising ways team sports prepare you better for leadership than most MBA programs. * AI in marketing - How Banzai is creating seamless, scalable tools that give marketers an edge in an attention-fractured world. Resources: Joe Davy on the Banzai [https://www.banzai.io/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedavy/] | X (Twitter) [https://x.com/jpdavy] Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! [https://ironcladbrandstrategy.com/contact] | Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypedersen/]