Practical Pivots
Practical Pivots is the go-to source for startup leaders and investors asking, “What do we do next?”. Each episode, we talk with a wide array of experts to guide companies to disrupt the undisruptable, turn setbacks into scale-ups, and transform plateaus into pivots.
Episodes
147 episodes
Practical Pivots Go To Market 2026 Guiding Lights
On this episode of Practical Pivots, host Steve Pockross rewinds the sharpest go-to-market lessons from the show’s most insightful guests to help founders navigate a world where software is cheap, AI is everywhere, and attention is scarce. D...
Rural Rockets, Farmer Founders & Marc Nager’s VC Remix
Steve Pockross sits down with Marc Nager, co-founder and general partner at Howdy, a rural Colorado-focused venture fund breaking ground with its unconventional name and a bold, investment approach. From keen insights on growth investing lesson...
Everything Changes, But Nothing Changes: Why Brand Still Rules with Rachel Shayne
On this episode of Practical Pivots, marketing veteran Rachel Shayne, of B2B R&D, unpacks why “brand is your moat” and how the real challenge isn’t besting your competitors, but cutting through ...
Turning Setbacks Into Scale-ups & Plateaus Into Pivots: Steve Pockross on Unlocking Startup Growth
In a departure from his usual role as host, Steve Pockross—accomplished CEO and fractional Chief Growth Officer—takes the guest seat in this episode, with the insightful Suneet Bhatt stepping in as interviewer. This special conversation highlig...
From Blank Pages to Breakthroughs: Human-Centric Innovation with AI with Hunter Albright
Startup advisor Hunter Albright says the secret to early-stage growth is cutting through the complexity and finding where real momentum lives. On the latest episode of Practical Pivots, Albright, who’s worked at the crossroads of technology, bu...
Striving to be Contrarian and Right: VC Wins with Adam Burrows
Adam Burrows, co-founder of Range Ventures, breaks down the elusive keys to success of early-stage startup investing, from the qualities that set standout founders apart to the challenges of navigating today’s venture capital landscape. How do ...
From Mantras to Margins: Derek Pilling on Turning Values to Results
Join host Steve Pockross as he sits down with executive coach and former CEO Derek Pilling to explore the real-world impact of values-based leadership in startups and high-growth companies. This episode continues the discussion from the rece...
The Great Reversal: Neil Robertson on Why Distribution Eats Product in the AI Age
In this episode of Practical Pivots, serial entrepreneur Niel Robertson shares his deep insights into the transformative power of AI in business, drawing from his experience of co-founding seven venture-backed startups. Robertson explores th...
From Product Market Fit to Exit with Mick Freeman
In this episode of Practical Pivots, Mick Freeman, CEO of BEN Colorado, unveils the hidden challenges and untapped potential of startup ecosystems. Drawing from his diverse entrepreneurial background, Freeman candidly discusses the critical ...
Values-Based Leadership in Turbulent Times w/ Kellogg Prof. Harry Kraemer
In this episode of Practical Pivots, host Steve Pockross sits down with Harry Kraemer, Kellogg Professor at Northwestern University and former Baxter International CEO, to explore the critical importance of values-based leadership; especially i...
Category Creation in the AI Era with Mark Organ
In this episode, we talk with Mark Organ, who created not one, but two software categories: marketing automation at Eloqua and advocate marketing at Influitive. These days, he coaches founders through the highs and lows of category creation ...
Learnings From the Quantum Realm with Bob Wold
Bob Wold, a first-time founder in his 40s, demystifies quantum computing and shares his unexpected journey from corporate retirement to tech innovation. Diving deep into the world of quantum technology, Bob explains how his company, Quantum ...
The Messy Middle: Funding Founders Where Others Won't with Brook Critchfield
In this episode of "Yes in Marketing," Steve sits down with Brook Critchfield from Plymouth Growth to explore the nuanced world of growth equity investing. Brooke reveals how his firm uniquely serves founder-led B2B software companies stuck bet...
Startup Insights From Cybersecurity Investor Joe Eandi
Joe Eandi, a partner at the Cyber Mentor Fund, shares invaluable insights with Steve on building successful startups. He emphasizes the often under-the-radar traits for building he see...
Exploring AI's Creative Potential with Kyle Shannon
In this episode, Kyle Shannon, a leading expert on AI and creativity, discusses the transformative impact of AI on storytelling and the creative process. He shares his "holy crapification" moments with AI and explains why embracing these too...
Igniting Startup Growth with Eric Marcoullier
In the first episode of the rebooted podcast, business coach Eric Marcoullier shares his expertise on innovation and startup growth. He discusses navigating funding cycles, the significance of curiosity, and his coaching methods for CEOs fac...
Beyond Acronyms: Unfiltered Marketing Takes with Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey
Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey, the co-hosts of Don't Say Content, bring their frank perspectives to bear on everything from how we should be measuring brand marketing, to the uncanny valleys of AI, to why marketers need to stop blaming the...
Finding Clarity in Times of Uncertainty with Suneet Bhatt
Suneet is an industry veteran who has led marketing teams, successfully earned B Corp certifications, and dabbled in venture capital. This conversation is a masterclass on what positive, effective leadership looks like in the current age....
The Scoop on AI Video Marketing with Cory Treffiletti
4x CMO and current Chief Marketing Officer at Rembrand, Cory Treffiletti joined Yes, and Marketing for a deep dive into the ways AI is influencing his data-driven storytelling approach. (Plus, some tough love for execs, a look at his must-try A...
The Future of Search in the Age of AI with Natalie Henley
As CEO of Volume 9, a Denver-based marketing agency, Natalie Henley stays on the ball when it comes to marketing trends to follow (and which ones are just passing fads.) Tune in to hear how her agency approaches the AI revolution and prioritize...
Best Marketing Strategies in the New AI World with Ty Magnin
Ty Magnin, CEO of Animalz, isn't interested in pretending to be Nostradamus. The marketing world is constantly evolving, so rather than try to predict the future, he's changing with it. Hear how he and the Animalz team are adjusting their strat...
Using AI for Profitable Workflows and Wrangling Brand to Boost Your Content Marketing Strategy with Robert Rose
Co-founder of the Content Marketing Institute, current Chief Troublemaker at The Content Advisory, and author of Content Marketing Strategy: Harness the Power of Your Brand’s Voice, Robert Rose is a marketing powerhouse. This bona fide industry...
Wielding AI for Agencies and the Irreplaceable Human Element with Drew McLellan
CEO of Agency Management Institute Drew McLellan brings over thirty years of expertise to dive deep into how agencies are finding success in the current economic climate by deploying AI in inventive ways.
Ethical AI, The Crisis of Trust, and Responsible Innovation with Olivia Gambelin
Leading AI ethicist Olivia Gambelin shares insights on the adoption of generative AI, how synthetic data preserves the privacy of the public, and the strategic development and implementation of AI as it impacts marketers.
SaaS Wisdom, AI, and the Funding Industrial Complex with Greg Head
Greg Head, who has spent the past 30 years leading, growing, and advising software companies, shares why VC funding is misunderstood and over-prescribed, how AI will change the future of marketing, and explains the world of practical founders.