Growth + Exit

Turning Customer Feedback Into Startup Growth

Catherine Connelly is the Founder and Fractional Head of Marketing at Connelly Ventures, LLC, a marketing advisory firm that helps entrepreneurs and growing teams build scalable, practical marketing strategies. As an entrepreneur, marketing leader, speaker, and author, she co-founded myYearbook as a teenager and helped grow it into The Meet Group, a NASDAQ-listed social dating and livestreaming company. During her time at The Meet Group, Catherine led brand strategy and marketing through mergers, acquisitions, and rebrands before the company was acquired for $500 million in 2020. In this episode… Building and exiting a company takes focus, adaptability, and the ability to keep listening when the market shifts. For founders navigating growth, fundraising, leadership, and exit decisions, how can you stay grounded while making choices with incomplete information? Catherine Connelly's answer, drawn from her experience as an entrepreneur and startup leader, is to stay close to the people you serve and keep your decision-making anchored to a clear goal. She emphasizes listening to customers, translating feedback into informed product decisions, and resisting the urge to chase every new trend or tool before gaining strategic clarity. Catherine also encourages founders to ask for help, learn from others who are a few steps ahead, and build small habits that create momentum and resilience. In this episode of Growth + Exit, Susan Kearney sits down with Catherine Connelly, Founder and Fractional Head of Marketing at Connelly Ventures, LLC, to discuss building, scaling, and exiting a community platform. Catherine shares how she used customer feedback to shape product strategy, scaled after reaching one million users, and navigated the stress of a $500 million exit.

An AI Entrepreneur Explains the Difference Between Being a Builder Versus a Sustainer

Kathleen Perley is the Founder and CEO of AdaIR, an AI intelligence platform for capital market communication. She is a linguist-turned-entrepreneur and an AI thought leader focused on making advanced technology practical for business leaders. Before AdaIR, Kathleen founded DemystifAI, an AI consulting and education firm, and DECODE, a healthcare digital transformation agency that grew to $17 million in annual revenue before being acquired. She is also a Professor and AI Advisor at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business, where she teaches AI strategy, generative AI applications, and implementation. In this episode… Scaling a business often requires founders to balance momentum with discipline. The same instincts that help a company grow can eventually create complexity, risk, or dependency if they're not paired with structure. How can entrepreneurs build, scale, and prepare for an exit without losing sight of what makes the business valuable? Kathleen Perley's answer is to know when to shift from merely building your business to intentional leadership. As an entrepreneur and AI advisor, she emphasizes the importance of narrowing your niche, creating repeatable operating systems, and surrounding yourself with partners, investors, and advisors who expand your thinking. Kathleen also recommends transferring a portion of your profits into personal investments, protecting cash flow, and planning early for tax and exit implications. Sustainable growth depends on focus, structure, and the willingness to ask for help before the pressure hits. In this episode of Growth + Exit, Heather Bennett sits down with Kathleen Perley, Co-founder and CEO of AdaIR, to discuss building, scaling, and exiting a company. Kathleen shares how she founded DECODE, what she learned from hiring and leadership, and why EOS, cash planning, and the right advisors are crucial before a sale.

Growing and Selling a Wholesale Business

Rob Stepen is a Certified Business Performance Advisor at Insperity, a leading human resources and business performance solutions company. With decades of experience as a business owner, he helps organizations improve efficiency, accelerate growth, and drive revenue. Outside of Insperity, Rob serves on nonprofit and academic advisory boards and supports initiatives that foster entrepreneurship and local engagement. In this episode… Business growth often introduces new challenges: hiring the right people, navigating expansion opportunities, and adapting to unexpected market shifts. So how can leaders make informed decisions at each stage without losing momentum? According to seasoned operator and strategic advisor Rob Stepen, it starts with understanding that every stage of growth demands intentional choices. He stresses building a people-first organization by hiring adaptable, customer-focused individuals and addressing misalignment quickly when people are in roles that aren't the right fit. Rob also recommends aligning acquisitions and partnerships with long-term strategy rather than short-term gains, while staying focused on what you can control. Disciplined decision-making and strong team alignment sustain growth over time. In this episode of Growth + Exit, Heather Bennett talks with Rob Stepen, Certified Business Performance Advisor at Insperity, about scaling and exiting a business. Rob explains how to hire and structure teams during rapid growth, evaluate acquisitions and mergers strategically, and navigate the challenges and lessons learned from selling a company.

Venture Capital Explained and Why You Should Invest in Women-Owned Businesses

Julie Castro Abrams is the CEO and Chair of How Women Lead, a national network of executive women dedicated to advancing gender equity, expanding board representation, and increasing access to capital for women-led companies. As an entrepreneur, investor, and gender and racial justice advocate, she has spent her career building women-owned businesses and creating economic opportunities for women. Outside of How Women Lead, Julie is the Managing Partner of How Women Invest, a venture capital firm focused on funding women founders and empowering women investors. Her work has helped shape policy and business practices, including efforts to increase diversity on corporate boards and support thousands of women entrepreneurs. In this episode… Building a business isn't just about having a great idea — it's about understanding how capital shapes your growth, your decisions, and your long-term outcomes. Many founders underestimate the pressure that comes with venture capital or the preparation required to earn investor confidence. So how should entrepreneurs think about funding — and where are the biggest overlooked opportunities for investors today? Julie Castro Abrams, a venture capitalist and longtime advocate for women entrepreneurs, explains that success starts with clarity — both in identity and strategy. Founders should only take on capital when absolutely necessary, as it can introduce pressure, higher expectations, and a potential loss of control. At the same time, Julie highlights a major market gap: Women-led companies consistently deliver strong returns yet receive a fraction of venture funding. Her advice to both founders and investors is to focus on fundamentals — understand the metrics, know the market opportunity, and confidently position for growth — while recognizing the untapped potential in backing women-owned businesses. In this episode of Growth + Exit, Heather Bennett talks with Julie Castro Abrams, CEO and Chair of How Women Lead and Managing Partner at How Women Invest, about venture capital and leadership in women-led companies. Julie shares what investors look for in founders, how to prepare for funding, and why investing in women-led businesses presents a significant opportunity.

Delegate To Grow Fast: Lessons From a Founder and Angel Investor

Adam Spector is the Founder and CEO of Chore, a startup that helps founders offload back-office operations through fractional chief-of-staff services. As a four-time founder, startup advisor, and investor, he has backed over 100 startups, gaining insight into scaling companies and optimizing operations. Adam hosts the Entrepreneurial Excellence Podcast, which features conversations with some of the world's top founders and investors. In this episode… Running a company often means juggling priorities, but not all work carries equal weight. Founders frequently get pulled into operational details that feel necessary but don't actually drive growth. How can you decide what deserves your time and what doesn't? The answer lies in focus. Adam Spector, an experienced entrepreneur and investor, emphasizes that founders must stay relentlessly centered on what differentiates their business while delegating or outsourcing everything else. He suggests evaluating every task through a simple lens: Can it be automated, handed off, or eliminated? By empowering team members to make reversible decisions and avoiding distractions like administrative minutiae, leaders can preserve their energy for high-impact work. Building a successful company comes down to disciplined prioritization and trusting others to execute. In this episode of Growth + Exit, Susan Kearney talks with Adam Spector, Founder and CEO of Chore, about how founders can stay focused on what drives growth. Adam shares his journey into entrepreneurship, what he learned from scaling and exiting companies, and how AI is reshaping the future of work.