Patrick Brandt - Former President & Co-Founder of Shiftsmart

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli interviews Patrick Brandt, a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader. Patrick shares his entrepreneurial journey, detailing the challenges and successes he encountered while founding and leading various companies, including Shiftsmart. He discusses the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic on his ventures, emphasizing the importance of resilience and adaptability. Patrick also highlights the significance of balancing supply and demand in a marketplace, the role of partnerships, and the necessity of understanding the labor pool to ensure business success.

For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Timestamps:

Introduction to the Podcast (00:00:02)
Julian Castelli welcomes listeners and introduces the episode's focus on leadership challenges in tech companies.

Guest Introduction (00:00:30)
Julian introduces Patrick Brandt, highlighting his entrepreneurial journey and the challenges he faced traveling to the podcast.

Patrick's Early Entrepreneurial Spirit (00:01:32)
Patrick shares his background, mentioning his early ventures in entrepreneurship, including a lawn mowing business at age 11.

The Seminal Moment (00:02:18)
Patrick recounts a pivotal moment when his father's company was taken over, igniting his resolve to never work for anyone else.

First Company Launch (00:03:17)
He discusses starting his first company in 1996 and the challenges faced during the dot-com crash.

Investment and Growth (00:04:19)
Patrick talks about securing investment and the challenges of selling software during the early 2000s.

Acquisition Experience (00:06:15)
He describes acquiring a public company and navigating the challenges of leading a much larger organization.

2008 Financial Crisis Impact (00:08:13)
Patrick reflects on the challenges faced during the 2008 financial crisis, despite having a successful business at the time.

Transition to New Ventures (00:11:09)
After selling his company, Patrick discusses his recruitment to run an on-premise company and subsequent successes.

Introduction to Shift Smart (00:12:23)
Patrick introduces Shift Smart, a company focused on flexible labor solutions in the gig economy.

Shift Smart's Mission (00:13:14)
He explains the company's mission to help workers stack shifts across multiple jobs to increase flexibility.

Raising Funds and Initial Growth (00:14:21)
Patrick discusses raising funds in late 2019 and the company's growth trajectory before the pandemic.

COVID-19 Impact (00:15:46)
He describes the immediate impact of COVID-19 on Shift Smart's business operations and workforce.

Innovative Response to Food Insecurity (00:16:59)
Patrick shares how they pivoted to help food banks by employing laid-off workers during the pandemic.

Launch of Nonprofit Initiative (00:18:06)
He details the creation of a nonprofit to employ out-of-work hospitality workers in food banks.

Community Support and Media Attention (00:19:07)
The initiative gained media coverage, showcasing a creative solution to COVID-related challenges in the community.

Shift Smart's Rapid Growth (00:20:10)
Patrick shares the rapid expansion of Shift Smart into 12 cities, raising $16 million