🌿 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 yourself Whether 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.

💼 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.

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🌉 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.

• 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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zmckibbon/

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