Growth Capital Podcast

Founders Reset: Favorite Vacation Spots of 2025

🌴 Growth Capital Podcast — Special Episode (Part 2) 🌴
What does rest look like for founders, CEOs, and private equity leaders who spend their lives building and scaling businesses?
In the final episode of our 2-part Year-End Series, we step away from balance sheets and boardrooms and into something just as important: reset, perspective, and time away.
In Founders Reset: Favorite Vacation Spots of 2025, guests from across the Growth Capital Podcast share the places that helped them unplug, recharge, and think clearly — from quiet coastal towns to historic cities, nature escapes, and global destinations.
🌍 Vacation spots featured in this episode include: • Santa Claus Village, Arctic Circle, Finland • Charleston, South Carolina • Oregon Coast • Puerto Vallarta & Sayulita, Mexico • Anna Maria Island & St. Pete Beach, Florida • Abaco Island, Bahamas • Hawaii • London • Humacao, Puerto Rico • Lisbon • Madrid, Spain • Ephraim, Wisconsin • South Korea • Israel • Florence, Italy • Costa Rica • Japan
Each destination comes with a story — why it matters, what it provides, and how time away ultimately makes leaders better at what they do.
And to close out the episode, Justin Dixon shares his own favorite place— and why it continues to pull him back year after year.
🎧 Whether you’re planning your next trip or simply rethinking how you disconnect, this episode is a reminder that rest is not a reward — it’s a strategy.
👉 Comment below: Where do you go to truly reset?

Inside the Minds of Founders: The Most Recommended Books of 2025

📖 Growth Capital Podcast — Special Episode (Part 1) 📖
What do today’s founders, operators, and investors actually read when the stakes are high?
In the first part of our special year-end two-part episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon breaks down the most recommended books of 2025, based on insights shared by private equity leaders, CEOs of PE-backed companies, and startup founders throughout the year.
These aren’t trend-driven picks — they’re battle-tested books that shape how leaders think about:
Scaling companies
Building strong teams
Making hard decisions
Developing habits that compound
Navigating uncertainty with clarity
📚 Books featured in this episode:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore
Who Not How by Dan Sullivan
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Whether you’re leading a PE-backed business, building your first startup, or investing in growth-stage companies, this episode offers a practical reading roadmap grounded in real operator experience.
👉 Listen now and let us know in the comments: What book had the biggest impact on you this year? 🔔 Subscribe for more insights from founders, investors, and executives shaping the future of growth

Beyond Organic Growth: A Smarter Path to Expanding Your Service Offering with Bart Davis

🌿 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 57 🌿
What if the fastest way to scale a services business isn’t adding headcount or waiting on referrals—but strategically buying the capabilities you need?In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Bart Davis, Co-Founder & CEO of 512 Financial, a rapidly growing Austin-based firm offering fractional accounting, finance, HR, and executive search services.After three years of organic growth, Bart and his team completed two acquisitions in one year—without raising institutional capital. The result? A multi-service platform designed to support clients across the entire talent and G&A lifecycle.Together, they unpack: 🔹 Why services businesses hit a ceiling with organic growth alone 🔹 How M&A can compress years of expansion into months 🔹 The “people-first” integration process that ensured near-perfect retention 🔹 The strategic power of expanding into full talent lifecycle services 🔹 Why ignoring AI is “signing your company up to die” 🔹 The founder-to-CEO mindset shift required to scale beyond yourselfWhether you're a founder, operator, or investor, this episode breaks down a pragmatic roadmap for scaling smarter—not just bigger.Connect with Bart: 📩 Email: bart.davis@512financial.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartdavis512/Listen & Subscribe:If this episode adds value, hit Like, leave a comment, and make sure to subscribe to stay updated on future conversations with leaders in private equity, venture capital, and high-growth companies.

Life After Bootstrapping: The Real Differences in a VC-Backed World with Jeff Majka

💼 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 56 💼
What really changes when a founder moves from a scrappy, bootstrapped operation to a venture-backed, high-growth company? In this episode, Justin Dixon sits down with Jeff Majka, Founder of The Security Bulldog, to unpack the mindset shift, execution challenges, and strategic demands that come with raising outside capital.
The Security Bulldog is an AI-driven cybersecurity intelligence platform helping teams turn overwhelming data into fast, actionable decisions. Jeff shares his founder journey—from building professional services businesses to launching his first VC-backed SaaS company—and the unexpected realities he’s faced along the way.
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • Why cybersecurity is ultimately a human problem—not a technology one • How lean teams can build enterprise-grade products without heavy overhead • The real tradeoffs of taking venture capital vs. bootstrapping • Why founder-led sales and thought leadership still matter • How AI fits into cybersecurity workflows in the real world • What it takes to raise capital in today’s market • How revenue and “new logos” solve most early-stage challenges
📩 Connect with Jeff: Website: https://securitybulldog.com/ Email: jeff@securitybulldog.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmajka/
If you’re building, investing in, or scaling tech companies—especially in cybersecurity or enterprise SaaS—this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.
👉 Watch more episodes, subscribe, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway!

Bridging the Gap Between Inspiration and Implementation with Zackary McKibbon

🌉 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 55 🌉
What does it really take to turn a great idea into a real, functioning business? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Zackary McKibbon, CEO & Founder of Vellora.AI. This next-generation AI-driven sales platform automates the administrative tasks that hold teams back.
Zack shares how he moved from raw inspiration to true implementation—rapid prototyping, leveraging accelerators, building a specialized technical team, and navigating today’s funding environment. We also dive into a live demo of Vellora.AI and explore how AI-driven sales systems are reshaping how modern teams sell, scale, and compete.
Whether you're a founder, operator, or investor, this episode offers a practical look at the execution gap that separates ideas from actual businesses—and what it takes to cross it.
🔍 What You’ll Learn
Why sales teams spend only 28% of their time actually selling—and how AI can change that
The real startup chasm: moving from concept → product → paying customers
How accelerators like Antler shorten execution cycles and improve go-to-market strategy
Why time—not capital—is the biggest killer of early-stage startups
The founder mindset needed to build from zero, and how to attract the right early team
A live demo of Vellora.AI and how it automates CRM, next steps, and deal execution
📩 Connect with Zack
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zmckibbon/
👍 Enjoyed the episode?
Like the video, drop a comment with your biggest insight, and subscribe for conversations with leaders across private equity, venture capital, and high-growth startups.

From Founders to Future Leaders: Redefining Business Succession with Ron Ondechek Jr.

👥 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 54 👥
In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Ron Ondechek Jr., Founder & Managing Director of South Highland Ventures, to unpack how his firm is redefining what business succession looks like for the next generation.
Ron shares how his partnership with Novastone Partners has created a first-of-its-kind model that pairs experienced operators with legacy businesses—preserving jobs, culture, and decades of founder-built success. Together, they explore why the $10 trillion “succession gap” is one of the most overlooked investment opportunities of our time.
🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
The $10 trillion opportunity behind America’s succession crisis
How South Highland Ventures and Novastone’s 10-step model pairs capital with leadership
Why legacy and long-term growth can outperform short-term returns
How “operator-led entrepreneurship” is transforming private equity
What experienced leaders look for when taking over founder-led companies
💬 Connect with Ron Ondechek Jr.:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rondechek/ 📧 Email: rondechek@shvllc.com 🏢 Company: South Highland Ventures
If you believe the next wave of growth comes from preserving what’s already great, this episode is for you. 👉 Watch, subscribe, and drop a comment on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts: How do you define smart succession?

The CEO's Playbook: Bringing Order to the Chaos of Growth with Marc Pickren

📘 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 53 📘
In this episode, Marc Pickren, CEO of Springbot, shares with Justin Dixon how he’s rewriting the rules of leadership — scaling an AI-powered marketing platform through creative deal structures, non-dilutive capital, and relentless operational discipline.
Marc has built a reputation as a multi-time turnaround CEO, leading companies from chaos to clarity. Here, he breaks down the real work of modern leadership — how to scale smarter, integrate teams without breaking momentum, and build predictable growth in an unpredictable market.
🔍 In this episode:
How to scale a company through roll-ups and tuck-ins
The new “lean unicorn” model: 10 people, $100M in revenue
Why stability — not speed — defines great leadership
Creative, non-dilutive capital strategies (including Regulation CF)
How AI agents are redefining productivity and headcount
The death of vanity metrics — and what real growth looks like
📍 Connect with Marc Pickren: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcpickren/ Learn more about Springbot → http://www.springbot.com
🎧 Listen now on: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
💬 If this conversation challenged your thinking, drop a comment with your biggest takeaway — and don’t forget to subscribe for more insights from PE-backed CEOs and founders building businesses that last.

Why Differentiation Is the Real Competitive Advantage with Aaron Gervais

⚡ Growth Capital Podcast - Episode 52 ⚡
In crowded markets, being “better” isn’t enough — you have to be different.
In this episode, Otherwise Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Aaron Gervais joins host Justin Dixon to unpack how he built one of the only gluten-free beer brands in the U.S. — and turned a small niche into a scalable business opportunity.
Aaron shares how he identified a white space in a saturated industry, found the right co-founder to complement his strengths, and built a company rooted in process, not just passion. From product-market fit to operational discipline, this conversation reveals why differentiation is the real growth engine behind enduring brands.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
Why differentiation matters more than competition
How to find (and validate) white space in mature markets
The importance of complementary co-founders
Applying MVP thinking to physical products
Turning passion into process for scalable growth
📩 Connect with Aaron Gervais:Visit their website — https://www.otherwisebrewing.com/ to learn more or get in touch.
🎧 Listen now on: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
👉 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, investors, and PE leaders who are building the next generation of growth.
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the biggest differentiator in your business today?
 
 

Transition with Purpose: Redefining Leadership Beyond the Military with Patrick Flood

🪖 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 51 🪖
 
What happens when leadership, discipline, and service meet entrepreneurship?
In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Patrick Flood, Founder & CEO of Owners in Honor, a nonprofit helping veterans transition from military service to business ownership through acquisition.
A 26-year Army veteran and former Green Beret, Patrick shares how his post-service mission evolved from personal success to collective purpose — building a model where veterans don’t just find jobs, but own their next mission.
🔍 What you’ll learn:
Why purpose, not profit, drives sustainable leadership
How Owners in Honor helps veterans acquire, grow, and exit small businesses
The six-phase system behind successful Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)
How “service-first” leadership translates into business success
Why fulfillment, not just financial return, defines modern leadership
🌐 Connect with Patrick Flood: Website: https://www.ownersinhonor.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmichaelflood/
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more leadership conversations that move the market forward.

The Human Side of Private Equity: Building Businesses That Last with Rob Regan

🏗️ Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 50 🏗️
Private equity isn’t just about capital—it’s about connection.In this episode, Justin Dixon sits down with Rob Regan, Principal of Business Development at Boyne Capital, to explore why the most successful investors put people first.Rob’s journey—from military intelligence and diplomacy to private equity dealmaking—reveals how trust, empathy, and disciplined leadership build companies that stand the test of time.They discuss: 🔹 The people-first approach behind Boyne Capital’s founder-friendly investments 🔹 How relationship intelligence beats financial modeling in driving lasting value 🔹 Why adding human capital matters more than replacing it 🔹 How AI is reshaping due diligence and portfolio strategy in private equity 🔹 What discipline and humility from military life teach us about leadership and growth
Whether you’re a founder considering outside capital, a PE professional, or a startup operator, this episode dives deep into the mindset that sustains real, human-centered growth.
📩 Connect with Rob Regan: LinkedIn or via https://boynecapital.com/🎧 Watch on YouTube💬 Like, comment, and share: What does “people-first investing” mean to you?👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more insights from leaders in private equity, venture capital, and high-growth entrepreneurship.