Momentum Mode w/ Corey Ferengul & Mike Shannon

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Most companies say “people are our most important asset,” but few can prove it. Tom Alexander is trying to change that.As co-founder and CEO of Holistic, Tom is building tools to help companies actually understand and improve the employee experience. Not with vague platitudes, but with measurable, actionable data. In this episode, we dig into what’s really changed since the early days of Holistic, how the modern employee mindset has evolved, and why transparency isn't just a buzzword. It's a survival strategy.From his time shaping ecosystems at 1871 to building a company rooted in operational rigor, Tom shares what founders still get wrong about culture, how to build alignment before tension erupts, and why playing your hand face up is now the only winning move.Here’s what stood out:Entrepreneurship Isn’t Personal. Until It Is.Seven years in, Tom admits the emotional intensity hasn’t dulled. Every client loss, every critique, still stings. Why? Because when you believe your product genuinely helps people, rejection feels like something deeper. The real challenge is learning how to care deeply without taking everything personally.Employee Experience Is No Longer Just PerksToday’s employees want impact, clarity, and to feel part of a mission that matters. But here’s the catch. That mission has to be real. Holistic’s approach is about building cultures that don't rely on surface-level benefits, but instead align expectations, actions, and outcomes.AI Might Undermine Loyalty. But It Can Also Rebuild It.In a world where employee tenures are shrinking and layoffs are data driven, Holistic is using predictive tools to help leaders intervene before people walk out the door. Loyalty, Tom argues, isn’t dead. But the companies that want it back will need to earn it differently.This episode is a must listen for leaders navigating culture in a hybrid world, and for founders wondering what culture really means when the rubber hits the road.

What does a board member really look for in a CEO? What signals competence, and what quietly erodes confidence?In this episode, Mike and Corey sit down with returning guest Ira Weiss—educator, investor, and longtime board member—to decode the often-misunderstood relationship between boards and founding teams. Drawing from over 60 investments and hundreds of founder interactions, Ira shares how he evaluates early-stage CEOs, the underrated power of persistence and curiosity, and the true markers of success (spoiler: it’s not always the outcome).They dive into:How founders can turn board meetings into strategic assetsWhen and why boards start thinking about leadership changesThe real reason investors push for independent board membersWhy transparency—especially from the C-suite—is a signal, not a vulnerabilityWhether you're raising your first round or leading a growth-stage company, this episode is a practical guide to working with your board, not just reporting to them.

From a farm town in Ohio to penthouse events with billionaires in Chicago—Andrew Gunderman’s journey is anything but ordinary. By his early twenties, he had already founded and sold a startup, built founder communities from scratch, and begun curating some of the city’s most exclusive circles of entrepreneurs, investors, and influencers.In this conversation, Andrew joins Mike Shannon and Corey Ferengul to unpack the strategy behind building Renowned Chicago, why exclusivity works when it’s paired with openness, and how relationships—not just capital—can accelerate a founder’s trajectory. He shares how aggressive outreach, mentorship, and an obsession with learning shaped his path, and why he believes networks can be one of the most valuable assets an entrepreneur can build.We also dive into the evolving world of creators and influencers, the hidden leverage in connecting siloed communities, and how AI is already beginning to reshape how networks form.If you’ve ever wondered how to break into circles that feel closed off—or how to turn relationships into real opportunities—Andrew’s story offers a playbook worth studying.

Arnav Dalmia didn’t set out to build a fitness brand for older adults—but listening to customers led him there. In this conversation, Arnav joins us to unpack the unlikely evolution of Cubii, the company he co-founded that sold for north of $100 million after a decade-long grind that began with Kickstarter and a desk pedal idea.They dig into why early investors passed, what everyone got wrong about the market, and how a hard-earned product-market fit with seniors turned Cubii into a category-defining brand. Arnav shares the inflection points that changed the company’s course: from bootstrapping out of necessity, to embedding customer feedback into the culture, to resisting the temptation to scale too soon.If you’ve ever wondered when to pivot, how to listen better, or what lean actually looks like in practice—this one’s a blueprint.

In this episode, Mike and Corey sit down with Divey Gulati, co-founder of ShipBob, to explore a challenge few founders navigate successfully: staying in the seat as your company scales from basement hustle to global operation. They unpack what it takes to evolve from a single-product startup to a multi-product logistics platform, and why ShipBob’s culture—rooted in transparency, customer obsession, and founder access—has become its real competitive edge.From rethinking product strategy around customer behavior to transforming internal processes for a 1,200-person team, the conversation offers a rare inside look at how to scale without losing your core. It’s not just a story about growth—it’s about endurance, reinvention, and building systems that can carry the weight of ambition. Whether you're early in your journey or leading at scale, this episode is a blueprint for staying sharp while moving fast.

Guest Howard Tullman shares hard-won lessons from decades in tech—on grit, leadership, and why most startups are built on shaky ground. From AI’s limits to the collapse of workplace culture, this is a candid take on what founders, CEOs, and Gen Z need to hear right now.

What happens when a private equity executive and a PhD scientist team up to fix the way we consume news? In this episode, Mike Shannon and Corey Ferengul sit down with Tim Huelskamp, co-founder and CEO of 1440, the fast-growing media startup with over 4.5 million subscribers and some of the most enviable unit economics in digital publishing. Tim breaks down the strategic bets, early missteps, and flywheel mechanics behind building a high-trust, curiosity-driven brand from scratch. From his days turning around industrial companies in Alabama to building a fully remote team with zero employee churn, Tim shares what it really takes to scale something enduring—and why treating your team like royalty might be the smartest business move of all.