In this episode, Kyle Coleman shares how resilience shaped his career and why AI should accelerate execution, not dictate strategy. He offers practical examples of how sales and marketing teams can use AI to move faster, market the problem, and stay focused on what truly drives growth. Drawing from his experience at Looker and Clari, Kyle talks about how to build teams that trust each other, work efficiently, and stay aligned during change. He also reflects on parenting, staying present, and creating a work rhythm that keeps what matters most in focus.

• 00:00 Cold open: AI isn’t your strategy

• 00:27 Intro & Kyle’s background

• 02:11 Resilience from mom; embracing hard problems

• 04:03 Creativity, iteration, and no silver bullets in marketing

• 05:25 What ClickUp is: the converged workspace vision

• 07:28 ClickUp as SMB-friendly CRM & flexible platform

• 09:12 How AI changes campaigns & execution velocity

• 11:41 Don’t outsource strategy to AI; quality vs. volume

• 14:39 Sales: AI handles routine, humans connect strategy

• 16:08 Careers: be an AI native; show your POV and workflows

• 19:02 Process thinking: automate segments, save hours

• 20:26 Engineering gains; judgment still required

• 21:39 Weekly AI-use-case ritual; lead scoring example

• 24:18 Removing stigma around using AI

• 25:39 Culture: trust, autonomy, accountability, high standards

• 28:20 Decide with 80% info; iterate

• 28:49 Looker & Clari: market the problem, then the solution

• 32:12 Team stages; generalists → specialists

• 33:31 Hiring signals for curiosity

• 35:33 Performers vs. durable operators

• 37:07 Career advice: run toward the fire

• 39:59 Parenting, presence, and east-coast schedule

• 41:50 Close

In this episode, Tracy Young chats with Gaurav Bhattacharya, co-founder and CEO of GVA, about his incredible journey from a blue-collar childhood in New Delhi to leading a fast-growing AI startup in the U.S. Gaurav shares his early love for coding, the lessons learned from bootstrapping and pivoting, and how his background in aerospace engineering shapes his approach to building complex AI systems.

The conversation spans topics like tech debt, full-stack sales reps, the role of AI in sales, and the enduring importance of human connection in business. Gaurav also reflects on his personal definition of success, the long road to U.S. citizenship, and the mentors who shaped his leadership.

Whether you’re a first-time founder, an operator navigating change, or just AI-curious, this episode is packed with candid insights and practical wisdom.

Highlights:

• Growing up in New Delhi and finding purpose through coding

• Lessons from bootstrapping and exiting his first startup

• Pivoting GVA and going from $0 to $5M ARR in 7 months

• Why AI won’t replace great salespeople

• How to manage tech debt without losing velocity

• The human side of leadership during a crisis

• Gaurav’s vision to create a million jobs

In this episode of Path to Growth, Tracy sits down with Dave Boyce, Executive Chairperson and EVP of Product at Winning by Design. Dave shares insights from a diverse and accomplished career spanning startups, scale-ups, and public companies—and dives into the growth frameworks that guide high-performing teams today.

The conversation begins with a personal reflection on how formative experiences shaped both Tracy’s and Dave’s values around hard work and resilience. From there, Dave introduces the concept of “growth architecture,” emphasizing the importance of designing intentional systems at every stage of a company’s life cycle—from product-market fit to long-term optimization.

A major highlight of the discussion is Winning by Design’s “bow tie” model, which reimagines the traditional sales funnel to account for the entire customer journey, from acquisition to expansion. Dave underscores that effective growth comes from structured handoffs, strong communication, and, most of all, deep empathy—both in product design and marketing.

The episode also explores why most acquisitions fail, and Dave outlines the two integration models that tend to succeed: full and immediate absorption into the parent company or complete operational independence. Anything in between, he argues, is usually doomed to underperform.

On the topic of AI, Dave shares lessons from the recent AI GTM conference, calling out practical use cases that are actually working today—from AI-powered sales agents to onboarding frameworks for agents as hybrid teammates. He encourages professionals to become “AI native,” stressing that the most valued go-to-market professionals will be those who embrace AI as a force multiplier rather than a threat.

The conversation wraps with reflections on crisis leadership, the importance of alignment across teams, and parting advice for emerging leaders: pursue fit and happiness first, and let everything else—career opportunities, compensation, and recognition—follow from that alignment.

A thought-provoking and human-centered discussion, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating growth in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

In this episode of Path to Growth, Tracy sits down with Ross Rich, co-founder and CEO of Accord, to explore the real challenges and inspirations behind building a company rooted in helping B2B sales teams reach their potential. Ross opens up about the deep entrepreneurial legacy in his family, sharing how lessons in persistence and hard work from his parents laid the foundation for his own career journey—from a stint in the music industry to leading enterprise sales at Stripe, and ultimately co-founding Accord with his brother.

The conversation dives into what it really takes to create value in sales today, especially in a world flooded with automation and generic outreach. Ross explains how Accord was born out of frustration with inefficient onboarding and broken sales processes, and how he’s working to raise the bar for what sales professionals can achieve when given the right tools and structure. Tracy and Ross also unpack the evolving role of AI in sales and product development, how top performers are differentiating themselves, and why thoughtful, human-centric communication still wins.

Beyond sales tactics, the two discuss the emotional toll and mental stamina required to build a company from scratch. Ross reflects on the unique dynamics of founding a business with his brother, the role his wife plays in grounding him, and the importance of conviction, adaptability, and resilience as a startup CEO. This candid conversation is full of hard-won insights, relatable founder moments, and a deep respect for the craft of selling—and leading—with integrity.

Tracy Young sits down with Will Allred, co-founder and self-described “not really” COO of Lavender. Will shares the company’s origin story—how a failed startup pivot during the early days of COVID turned into a successful sales email copilot powered by psychology. He discusses the mindset that keeps him pushing forward (“just keep kicking”), the importance of acting with urgency, and why consistent prospecting is the lifeblood of any early-stage startup. Will also opens up about building a lean, high-agency team and the kind of culture that scales well with few resources.

The conversation dives into Will’s approach to growth via social media, including his daily habit of writing LinkedIn posts as a form of journaling. Tracy and Will trade practical advice on closing deals, managing early sales cycles, disqualifying the wrong customers, and optimizing productivity—right down to scheduling tasks directly into a calendar. Along the way, they highlight the value of mentorship, share lessons from the pandemic, and celebrate the creative instincts (like Lavender’s famous claymation wizard) that help small teams stand out.

Tracy sits down with Ron Miller, former TechCrunch journalist and now Editorial Director at boldstart Ventures, to discuss his career shift and the state of enterprise AI. Ron shares how he overcame early skepticism about generative AI, ultimately recognizing its transformative potential for enterprise workflows.

They explore practical strategies for AI adoption, including starting with low-risk, high-impact projects like automating release notes. Ron also reflects on how AI may reshape SaaS models and stresses the importance of leaders embracing change while supporting their teams.

He closes with advice to stay curious and keep learning—because in tech, change is the only constant.

In this episode of *Path to Growth*, Tracy speaks with Mallory Lee, VP of Revenue Operations at PhoneBurner and co-founder of RevTech Review. Mallory shares her path from marketing into revenue operations, her passion for building useful tools, and how she balances work and family life.

Mallory started RevTech Review after noticing how biased most tool comparisons were. She wanted a place for honest, expert reviews that help teams choose the right solutions without all the noise. Today, the platform is growing steadily, offering straightforward opinions on revenue tech without outside influence.

She also talks about why she joined PhoneBurner, a profitable and bootstrapped company with a culture of kindness and directness. After years in fast-moving, VC-backed startups, Mallory was ready for a more stable and focused environment.

Her marketing background helped her succeed in RevOps, especially in aligning teams and thinking creatively about performance. She believes many companies struggle because they change too many things at once, making it hard to know what’s working. Slowing down and measuring clearly is key.

Mallory also discusses how comp plans and credit for deals can cause tension between sales and marketing. She shares lessons on designing fair incentives and focusing on what really drives revenue.

As a working mom of three, Mallory opens up about the daily juggling act. She relies on structure, a supportive partner, and a shared family calendar. She encourages other parents not to hide their career wins, but to proudly show their kids what hard work can achieve.

Her final advice to others in RevOps or go-to-market roles is to focus on alignment. Be the person who sees the full customer journey, helps teams work better together, and brings clarity across departments.

In this episode of Path to Growth, Tracy sits down with Felicia Curcuru, co-founder and CEO of Binti. Felicia shares her journey from growing up in New Jersey as the youngest of three sisters to building a mission-driven tech company focused on transforming the foster care and adoption system in the U.S. Inspired by her sister’s difficult adoption experience, Felicia talks about the early struggles of finding product-market fit, the critical importance of deeply understanding user needs, and how her approach shifted after shadowing social workers for months.

She also offers practical advice on selling to government agencies, including how to build momentum through local adoption and leverage conferences and word-of-mouth. Felicia reflects on her fundraising strategies, emphasizing timing, process discipline, and emotional resilience. The conversation covers her leadership philosophy, values-based hiring, the role of coaching and feedback in personal growth, and the importance of building a transparent and solutions-oriented company culture. This episode is packed with actionable insights for founders and leaders navigating complex problems and systems.