Building Trust at Scale: Joe Rice and the CXponent Story

Building Trust at Scale: Joe Rice and the CXponent Story

In this episode, Joe Rice, CEO of CXponent, shares how watching his father run a business sparked a lifelong pull toward entrepreneurship and building something of his own. He describes how CXponent cuts through the overwhelming noise of technology vendors and AI tools to help mid-market companies make better decisions, and why trust, not technology, remains the foundation of every client relationship. Joe reflects on his first company, what he learned from that exit, and what drew him back to build again. He talks candidly about what founders should weigh before joining a platform, the importance of readiness and timing, and why Shore's focus on stacking talent and investing in organic growth made it the right fit. Throughout the conversation, Joe makes clear that even in a market being reshaped by AI, the work still comes down to people, presence, and being a partner clients can count on. Key Takeaways: * The technology landscape has never been more crowded. The advisors who win are the ones who cut through the noise and bring clients certainty, not just options. * You cannot fake trust. Building the kind of client relationships that lead to board-level work takes time, expertise, and a willingness to get into the details. * Joining a platform is not an exit. It is a choice to go further, faster, with peers who are still building. * Once you get a taste of creating opportunity and space for other people, you are probably forever addicted. The best founders are not looking for a way out. They are looking for a way to keep going. Chapters: 1. 00:00 – Introduction 2. 10:05 – Joe's Origin Story 3. 11:28 – Building CXponent with Shore 4. 14:29 – Founder Readiness and Timing 5. 19:40 – What's Ahead for CXponent Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts [https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts] You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster., highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog [https://www.shorecp.university/blog] Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ [https://www.shorecp.university/] Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ [https://www.shorecp.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university] This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

The Builder Mindset: Ryan Resch on First Principles and AI

In this episode, Anderson talks with Ryan Resch, Principal of Operations at Shore Capital Partners. Ryan spent over a decade in basketball, from student manager at Baylor to Chief of Staff with the Phoenix Suns, before joining Shore nine months ago. He shares how first-principle problem-solving became the common thread across every career he has built, why the shift from the zero-sum world of professional sports to private equity changes how teams operate, and how that same builder mindset now drives Shore's internal AI enablement efforts. Ryan also discusses why AI is a platform-level shift, not just an operational initiative, and what it takes to build something transformational from the ground up. Key Takeaways: * First-principle problem-solving makes skills transferable across industries. Break any challenge into its parts, and the path forward becomes clear. * AI is not a tool. It is a platform-level shift, and the organizations building AI capability now are building a durable advantage. * Talent wins games. Coordination wins championships. The real challenge is aligning people, roles, and resources toward a shared mission. * Focus is a discipline, not a default. In an unbounded environment, saying no to good ideas is what protects your ability to execute on the right ones. Chapters: 1. 00:00 - Introduction 2. 02:09 - From Baylor to the NBA 3. 06:22 - What Brought Ryan to Shore 4. 10:47 - Building AI Enablement at Shore 5. 18:01 - Operating Systems, Scouting, and Focus 6. 25:17 - What's Ahead Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts [https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts] You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog [https://www.shorecp.university/blog] Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ [https://www.shorecp.university/] Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ [https://www.shorecp.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university] This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

Human Capital as a Value Multiplier: Cynthia Hiskes on Building HR for Growth

In this episode, Anderson Williams talks with Cynthia Hiskes, Head of the Human Capital Center of Excellence at Shore Capital Partners. Cynthia brings deep experience building and scaling HR functions across companies of every size, and she shares why aligning your HR investment to the stage and scale of your business is one of the most important decisions a founder or CEO can make. They discuss what human capital looks like in microcap and highly acquisitive companies, why HR belongs at the strategy table from day one, and how the Center of Excellence facilitates learning across the portfolio so leaders don't have to figure it out alone. Cynthia also walks through how to think about talent assessment, organizational design, and culture during rapid growth and acquisition integration, and why the metrics that matter at exit need to be built into the planting phase. Key Takeaways: * Match your HR investment to your stage because over-engineered systems early on waste resources, while under-investing later puts growth at risk * Bring HR in early as a strategic partner, not a downstream handoff, because the best integration and growth decisions happen when human capital is part of the original conversation * Treat human capital as a value multiplier, not a cost center, especially in microcap businesses where every key role disproportionately drives the outcome * Build the metrics that tell your exit story (turnover, engagement, time to fill, wage sustainability) during the planting and growing phases, not at the end Chapters: 1. 00:00 – Introduction 2. 01:31 – Stage-Relevant HR 3. 06:36 – Org Design and Acquisitions 4. 11:37 – HR as a Strategic Partner 5. 18:14 – Talent and the Exit Story 6. 26:02 – HR Misconceptions Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts [https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts] You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog [https://www.shorecp.university/blog] Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ [https://www.shorecp.university/] Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ [https://www.shorecp.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university] This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

From Bulldog to Skycrest Roof: Ryan Burke on Founding, Growing, and Partnering

In this episode, Ryan Burke reflects on his journey from selling roofs in Colorado Springs to founding Bulldog Roofing at 23 and partnering with Shore Capital to help build Skycrest Roof. He shares how frustration with bad actors in the industry and a belief that customers and employees deserved better pushed him to take the leap and start the business out of his living room. Ryan discusses the rapid growth that followed, the chaos that came with it, and the hard lessons of moving from hustle to structure as the business scaled to sixty people and $30M in revenue. He talks candidly about his initial fears around private equity, why protecting his team of family and friends was his top priority, and how meeting the people at Shore shifted his perspective on partnership. Ryan highlights the importance of readiness, the value of building real processes and resilience into a business, and what Skycrest is looking for in the next generation of founders as it continues to grow. Key Takeaways: * Frustration with bad actors and a belief that customers and employees deserve better can become the foundation for building a business with real integrity and lasting culture. * Moving from hustle to structure is the hard but necessary work of scaling, where documented processes, defined roles, and clear procedures turn chaos into resilience. * Readiness to partner is not just about age or financial outcomes, but about understanding what you want, knowing your team, and finding a buyer who treats your people and your legacy with care. * The right partnership brings creativity to the deal, expertise to the table, and a shared commitment to growing the business without losing the culture and people that built it. Chapters: 1. 00:00 – Introduction 2. 02:51 – Founding Bulldog Roofing 3. 05:49 – From Hustle to Structure 4. 08:39 – Readiness and Finding Shore 5. 17:40 – Evolving as a Leader 6. 21:14 – Building Skycrest Roof Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts [https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts] You'll also find other Microcap Moments episodes, alongside our series Everyday Heroes and Bigger. Stronger. Faster., highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog [https://www.shorecp.university/blog] Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ [https://www.shorecp.university/] Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ [https://www.shorecp.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university] This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.

AI and the Data Foundation: Ross Koenig on Why Data Matters

In this episode, I follow up with Ross Koenig, Chief Data Officer at Shore Capital Partners and one of our earliest podcast guests. Ross reflects on how his role has evolved over the past three years, from leading the Data Center of Excellence supporting portfolio companies to focusing on Shore's own investment process data and cross-portfolio insights. He shares why Shore's longstanding commitment to process and documentation has become a powerful foundation in the age of AI, and how nearly 1,000 codified executive hires now enable pattern recognition that few firms can match. Ross also discusses why "garbage in, garbage out" matters more than ever, how AI is breaking down walls between executives and data, and why business owners who ignore AI risk being left behind. Key Takeaways: * Build the data foundation first because AI only works as well as the process, documentation, and discipline behind it * Codify what you know across people, processes, and decisions so you can spot patterns, learn from past outcomes, and make smarter choices going forward * Recognize that AI's biggest unlock is accessibility, putting information and analysis directly in the hands of executives who used to be blocked by technical walls * Engage with AI now regardless of size or industry because the cost barriers have fallen and the businesses that ignore it will quickly fall behind Chapters: 1. 00:00 – Introduction 2. 01:36 – Building the Data Foundation 3. 06:36 – Codifying Knowledge at Scale 4. 12:15 – Accessibility and the Power of AI 5. 15:31 – Why Every Business Owner Should Engage with AI Now Listen to our podcasts at: https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts [https://www.shorecp.university/podcasts] You’ll also find other Bigger. Stronger. Faster. episodes, alongside our Microcap Moments and Everyday Heroes series—highlighting the people and stories that make the microcap space unique. Other ways to connect: Blog: https://www.shorecp.university/blog [https://www.shorecp.university/blog] Shore University: https://www.shorecp.university/ [https://www.shorecp.university/] Shore Capital Partners: https://www.shorecp.com/ [https://www.shorecp.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shore-university] This podcast is the property of Shore Capital Partners LLC. None of the content herein is investment advice, an offer of investment advisory services, or a recommendation or offer relating to any security. See the “Terms of Use” page on the Shore Capital website for other important information.