Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast

Have you been told that great leaders need to constantly fix their weaknesses?

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, Julian Castelli sits down with Michael Guymon, CEO of SQA Services and former leader at SpaceX and Rocket Lab, to challenge that idea.

Michael shares why trying to turn every weakness into a strength is not just inefficient, it is a leadership trap. As companies scale, the role of a CEO shifts dram...

Are you a $500/hour executive stuck doing $5/hour work?

Most founders who scale past the $5M mark eventually hit a growth ceiling, not because of product or market, but because they’re still buried in the day-to-day noise of the business.

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, Julian Castelli sits down with GetLevrg CEO Jamie Shanks to unpack what he calls the “founder’s trap”.

Jamie is a serial entrepreneur who h...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, Julian Castelli sits down with Jay McEntire, founder and CEO of ARVA Intelligence, to unpack a hard truth: modern farming is under serious pressure, and many farmers are struggling to survive.

For decades, agriculture has been optimized for one thing: producing cheap calories at scale. But that model is breaking down under rising input costs, volatile markets, and unsustaina...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli sits down with Aaron Ross, bestselling author of Predictable Revenue, to discuss how sales and go-to-market strategies are evolving in the age of AI.

Aaron reflects on the original ideas behind his book predictable revenue and explores whether those principles still apply in today’s rapidly changing business environment. While AI and automation are trans...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli sits down with Laura Frances Merin, a talent leader who helped scale a company from 43 employees to more than 200 during a period of hypergrowth.

Laura shares lessons from over a decade of building recruiting systems at fast-growing startups and explains why great hiring isn’t about chasing resumes from big-name companies. Instead, it’s about recognizing...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli explores how AI is reshaping SaaS pricing and monetization. Drawing on insights from Bessemer Venture Partners’ AI Pricing and Monetization Playbook, Julian examines why traditional seat-based subscription models are increasingly under pressure.

For years, SaaS thrived on predictable per-seat pricing with high margins and minimal variable costs. AI chang...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli talks with Sean Behr, CEO of Fountain AI. Sean shares his journey from Fountain’s first angel investor to CEO, leading the company through a 10x revenue increase in just five years.

Fountain AI automates hiring and management for high-volume frontline teams. Sean highlights the distinction between traditional desk-based employees and the frontline workfo...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli sits down with Sarah Lehman, CEO of Zartico, and Gord Boyce, professional EOS Implementer. Together, they explore how the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) helps fast-growing companies bring structure, clarity, and discipline to rapid growth.

Sarah shares Zartico’s journey from explosive early growth to what she calls a company refounding. After sca...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Rick Lindquist sits down with Yeshwanth Pulijala, co-founder and CEO of Scalpel AI, and Julian Castelli, operating partner at Mercia Ventures.

Scalpel AI is transforming the surgical supply chain using computer vision to ensure every operating room has the right instruments at the right time.

Yeshwanth shares how Scalpel is tackling inefficiencies that have existed for ...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli talks with Andy Barraclough, founder and CEO of Voxpopme, and Betsy Shaak, the company’s VP of Product.

Voxpopme is an AI-powered qualitative insights platform that helps brands understand customers through video, turning everyday conversations into powerful data.

Andy and Betsy share how they are transforming traditional market research, once dominated ...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli talks with Justin Nassiri, founder and CEO of Executive Presence and a former Navy officer, McKinsey consultant, and serial entrepreneur. Justin shares how he helps CEOs and executives build credibility and influence on LinkedIn.

He explains why LinkedIn has become the most powerful platform for business leaders. He shares how executives can overcome the...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli sits down with Park City High School head football coach Josh Montzingo to unpack the leadership journey behind one of Utah’s most inspiring sports turnarounds.

Coach Montzingo reflects on his experience transforming a struggling high school football team through character development, cultural alignment, and meaningful relationships.

He also explains how...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli talks about annual planning with Gord Boyce, a veteran tech CEO and EOS implementer, and Keziah Wonstolen, founder and CEO of Vannin Chief of Staff, an award-winning entrepreneur and former Accenture Chief of Staff.

They share why most companies start planning too late and how shifting the process earlier can set your team up for success.

Gord explains h...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli reveals how to turn your weekly executive meetings into something that actually drives results.

He highlights a harsh reality: executive meetings are among the most costly hours a company spends, yet they are so often neglected.

Julian shares a simple framework to change that:

Start with vision and values, so it sets the tone and reminds everyone why they’...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli talks with Dave Garrison, co-founder and Chief Navigation Officer of Garrison Growth and author of The Buy-In Advantage. 

Dave shares how great leaders inspire real commitment from their teams instead of just compliance. He explains why so many employees are disengaged and how leaders can create a culture where people care deeply about their work.

Dave a...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli is joined by Larry Mathis, former CEO of Houston Methodist and author of Mathis Maxims: Lessons in Leadership.

Larry reflects on his journey leading one of the world’s top medical centers through a cultural transformation rooted in service, accountability, and integrity.

He shares candid stories that shaped his leadership philosophy including how he buil...

Scaling with Clarity: How a Chief of Staff Brings Structure to Visionary Leadership

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, Julian Castelli explores the expanding impact of the Chief of Staff role with Keziah Wonstolen, founder of Vannin Chief of Staff, and James Adcock, CEO of MT Studio Services.

They discuss how a Chief of Staff helps leaders align vision, drive execution across departments, and create space for...

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli sits down with seasoned investor and Neotera founder Carl Coward to unpack one of the most urgent challenges facing U.S. industry today: securing a stable, domestic supply of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, rare earths,copper, tin,graphite etc.

Carl shares his global journey through mining and investment banking, his deep concern over U.S. rel...

How can AI-powered video analytics transform retail and restaurant operations without drowning in complexity?

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, Julian Castelli sits down with Brock Weeks, CEO and co-founder of Savi, to uncover how his team is turning security cameras into real-time operational tools for cutting costs, reducing theft, and dramatically improving customer experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• From Sec...