Growing Forward: Lead like the top 1% in growth, marketing, & product

Hosted by Andrew Capland

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115

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

This show helps you uncover the leadership skills and inner game that separate the top 1% from everyone else - and make the leap from high-performing IC to true leader. Unlike other shows that focus on tactics or playbooks, we explore the human side of growth. In every episode, a growth, marketing, or product leader shares the real stories behind their toughest moments - missed goals, hard feedback, identity shifts - and how they grew through them. Hosted by Andrew Capland, Growth Leadership Coach and former Head of Growth at Wistia and Postscript.

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June 30, 2026Episode 10336 min

He Scaled His Growth Team in an Untraditional Way. It Led to a Big Exit. (Philip Ruffini)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com/value Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value In this episode, Philip Ruffini, a growth leader and co-founder of Hire Overseas, shares his journey from managing small teams at Rupa Health to scaling a global workforce of US employees and overseas contractors. Philip talks about how he learned to manage people, build processes, and prioritize what works in marketing and growth. He shares how he discovered the power of overseas talent, built cohorts of AI-trained contractors, and created clear expectations and 30-60-90 day plans to help his team succeed. Philip also explains how these lessons shaped the founding of Hire Overseas, helping other companies hire, train, and manage remote talent effectively. Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (01:29) Thrown into head of growth role (02:34) Scaling Rupa Health with contractors (04:01) First weeks managing teams and agencies (05:19) Defining real ownership and responsibilities (06:19) Prioritizing marketing channels that work (07:51) Building overseas contractor engine efficiently (09:31) Thank you to our sponsors, Hire Overseas and Navattic (12:15) Origin story hiring talent abroad (14:34) Finding and vetting high quality talent (16:48) Onboarding output driven contractors quickly (19:10) Team at peak and leadership challenges (22:33) Turning growth playbook into business (24:18) Why agencies often fail clients (27:51) Sops and setting clear expectations (29:10) Operator to founder leadership shift (30:40) Sponsor break coaching opportunities (31:21) How to start hiring overseas teams (32:37) Future of AI powered contractors Resources: Connect with Philip: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipruffini/ Website: https://hireoverseas.com Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

June 16, 2026Episode 10241 min

He Runs Paid Media at Cursor - Here's What Most Growth Leaders Get Wrong (Rex Gelb)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com/value Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value In this episode, Rex Gelb, a performance marketing expert and leader, shares his journey from being an eager first-time marketer to leading paid media teams and building Summit Chase, his own paid media agency. Rex discusses the lessons he learned while scaling teams, delegating responsibilities, and transitioning from being the person doing all the work to becoming a leader who builds systems and empowers others. He reflects on difficult moments throughout his career, including receiving hard feedback about his marketing approach and navigating disagreements with leadership over brand risk and strategy. Rex explains how those experiences shaped his leadership style, teaching him the importance of thoughtful experimentation, clear processes, and learning how to pause and absorb feedback instead of reacting defensively in the moment. He also shares how building SOPs, creating operational systems, and adapting his management style to different personalities helped him grow as a leader and scale both teams and businesses successfully. Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (04:37) Why Rex shares career mistakes (05:55) Leadership pushback on affiliate strategy (06:44) Affiliate marketing and brand risk (09:33) Thank you to our sponsors, Hire Overseas and Navattic (12:17) Lessons on risk and brand protection (17:17) Transitioning from doer to leader (17:55) Scaling Summit Chase beyond founder dependence (20:35) Building SOPs and team systems (21:34) Creating intake processes at HubSpot (22:51) Turning leadership into an operations manual (25:49) Tough feedback and imposter syndrome (29:30) Coaching growth leaders through challenges (30:11) Learning to pause before reacting (32:40) How Rex gives constructive feedback (33:23) Managing different employee working styles (37:12) Why growth teams should experiment more (39:25) Spend company money like your own (42:12) Career growth feels like video games Resources: Connect with Rex: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rex-gelb-43445b1b/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coachin

May 19, 2026Episode 10154 min

Your Biggest Strength Is Your Biggest Career Blocker (Jenny Wanger)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com/value Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value In this episode, Jenny Wanger, a coach for product teams, shares her story of growth and leadership development. Jenny discusses the pivotal moment at SpotHero when she was informed that she would not receive a promotion due to her leadership style, a feedback that deeply affected her. She reflects on how this experience shaped her approach to leadership, focusing on building accountability and receiving constructive feedback. Jenny shares how she turned this difficult moment into an opportunity for personal growth, creating a peer council to help her improve her leadership and communication. This journey of self-reflection ultimately transformed her leadership approach and contributed to her professional success. Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (01:07) Transitioning from cook to systems (03:58) The journey into product coaching (05:29) Key lessons from strategy panic (07:23) Pushing for promotion at SpotHero (09:21) Missteps during offsite strategy planning (13:36) Leadership transition: a wake-up call (15:01) Thank you to our sponsors, Hire Overseas and Navattic (17:45) Trust and defensiveness in leadership (24:19) Building an inclusive change playbook (26:41) Effective tactics for a listening tour (27:02) The power of small group workshops (29:45) Confidence-building moments in leadership (30:47) Dealing with promotion denial fallout (33:47) Uncovering psychological safety blindspots (37:08) Creating a feedback loop with advisory council (43:50) Avoiding overcorrection in leadership practices (48:00) Confronting imposter syndrome and belonging (51:23) The purpose behind this show (53:27) Normalizing struggle through empathy Resources: Connect with Jenny: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennywanger/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

May 5, 2026Episode 10039 min

How to Go From VP of Marketing to VP of Growth (Emily Chong)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com/value Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value In this episode, Emily Chong, a dynamic growth leader, shares her journey from VP of Marketing to VP of Growth and the challenges she faced during the transition. Emily shares the turning point at CodePath when she transitioned from overseeing traditional marketing to leading growth in a fast-changing environment. She explores the key leadership insights she gained, from realigning her team's priorities to stepping into new roles, and how these experiences reshaped her leadership style, growth tactics, and team dynamics. Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (00:59) Life as VP of marketing explained (02:40) Scaling CodePath’s challenges and opportunities (04:18) Learning leadership as a VP (08:07) Why Emily moved from marketing to growth (10:41) Thank you to our sponsors, Hire Overseas and Navattic (13:25) New scope and funnel responsibilities explored (16:18) Unlocking product and engineering resources (17:48) Resetting team culture for growth success (21:13) Operating principles playbook for growth teams (23:25) When growth leadership strategy finally clicked (25:15) Leading with data, not certainty (30:03) Structuring a growth team for success (32:26) Emily’s proudest impact and success stories (35:42) Next chapter: Transitioning to solopreneurship Resources: Connect with Emily: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyachong/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

April 21, 2026Episode 991 hr 9 min

New Head of Product? What to Do When Your Playbooks Fail (Barron Ernst)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com/value Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value --- In this episode, Barron Ernst, a seasoned product and growth leader, shares how his diverse career led him to navigate success in environments where his tried-and-true playbooks didn’t apply. Barron discusses a pivotal moment at Showmax, a Netflix competitor in Sub-Saharan Africa, when he had to adapt his growth strategy to the unique market challenges. He reflects on early leadership struggles, from relying too much on his expertise to learning the value of trust and collaboration with his team, and how these experiences reshaped his approach to leadership and problem-solving. Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (06:11) Early job lessons shaping leadership style (09:02) Thank you to our sponsors, Hire Overseas and Navattic (11:46) Pivoting from law to tech career (13:00) Debate skills that helped Barron lead (15:54) Why sharing mistakes leads to growth (24:31) Delegating tasks and building trust in teams (32:09) Making yourself redundant as a leader (34:56) Choosing between being right and effective (35:50) Copying growth playbooks in unfamiliar markets (37:21) Meeting the movie guy who disrupted streaming (43:29) Safari offsite as a leadership reset (46:46) From expert to problem solver mindset (50:46) Radical Candor clash between leadership styles (57:33) Balancing values and company culture differences (01:00:43) Grounding career decisions with personal values (01:05:10) The value of range over specialization Resources: Connect with Barron: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barronernst/ Website: https://www.barronernst.com/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

April 7, 2026Episode 9859 min

The Day I Threw My Laptop at Amazon — a Former CPO on Staying Calm Under Pressure

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com/value Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value -- In this episode, Noah Levin, founder of Serious People, an AI Studio and Advisory, shares how a career built on ambition, high standards, and strong convictions forced him to confront a harder question: not just how to win, but how to win without losing himself in the process. Noah talks about a defining moment from his time at Amazon Fresh that created tension between hitting goals and staying true to his values. He also reflects on early management mistakes, from overprotecting team members to navigating poor fit situations, and how those experiences reshaped his approach to leadership, ownership, and long-term growth. Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (01:27) From theater kid to business school (07:03) The McDonald’s meeting puzzle (08:31) Thank you to our sponsor, Hire Overseas and Navattic (13:52) The Amazon Fresh metric tension (24:01) Disagree and commit with equanimity (30:00) Caring less without losing yourself (32:51) Learning to manage without overprotecting (36:28) Ownership instead of insulation (37:10) Recognizing when the fit is wrong (54:34) Separating identity from your job Resources: Connect with Noah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahlevin/ Website: https://www.seriouspeople.ai Email: noah@seriouspeople.ai Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

March 24, 2026Episode 976 min

You're Managing the Wrong Thing [Field Note]

Swipe my growth resume template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FR6Bbdwg80Hu-6TSz-8aGe4GgIBDukUzYXTdbr4pd0I/edit?tab=t.0 New role? Get my 90-day Growth Leader onboarding plan here: https://deliveringvalue.co/90 In this solo Field Notes episode, I break down a practical framework for getting more out of your team in an era where AI and modern tools are rapidly increasing individual output. We’ll explore how managers can adapt their leadership style based on the specific task at hand, rather than the person, and how combining structured management principles with coaching techniques can unlock better performance without requiring more time. In this episode, you’ll hear: - Why “task-relevant maturity” helps you adjust your management style based on the task, not the person - When to coach with questions vs. give direct guidance to keep work moving efficiently - How to get more output from your team without increasing your own workload Things to listen for: (00:00) AI boosts output, adds complexity (01:05) Two frameworks to improve teams (02:16) What is task-relevant maturity? (03:34) Match your style to the task (05:03) Coaching vs. directing Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching Join Growth OS: https://deliveringvalue.co/growth-operating-system

March 17, 2026Episode 9649 min

From Head of Marketing to CEO in 3 Years - What She Had to Unlearn (Arielle Johncox)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value -- Leaders don’t stall because of a lack of talent, but because the habits that helped them get promoted, such as saying yes, working longer hours, and proving value through output, stop scaling. In this episode, Arielle Johncox, CEO of Balsamiq, shares her journey stepping into the company’s first marketing role with minimal infrastructure. She had to quickly learn how to prioritize, embrace imperfection, and lean into her strengths. This shift in mindset ultimately led her to take on the role of CEO, where she reflects on the value of being a generalist and leading through uncertainty. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why the instinct to say yes can become a ceiling at higher levels of leadership How to separate old self-doubt from legitimate growth edges What it actually takes to move from functional leader to CEO without becoming someone else in the process Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (01:00) The early days at Balsamiq (02:40) Arielle’s transition to the CEO role (05:42) Challenges and learnings as a marketing leader (08:13) Thanks to our sponsor, Hire Overseas (09:30) Thanks to our sponsor, Navattic (26:13) Burnout, self-doubt, and recovery (29:29) Letting go of “doer” identity (31:49) How the CEO offer happened (38:47) Why being a generalist wins (44:08) The advice Arielle would give herself A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com Navattic: Interactive Product Demo Software - https://navattic.com/value Resources: Connect with Arielle: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariellejohncox/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ariellejohncox Learn more about Balsamiq: https://balsamiq.com/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching Join Growth OS: https://deliveringvalue.co/growth-operating-system

March 3, 2026Episode 9542 min

I Made It to SVP of Product — Then I spiraled (Jake Woodward)

A huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Hire Overseas: Exceptional Talent for Less - https://www.hireoverseas.com In this episode, Jacob Woodward, a longtime product and tech leader, shares what happens when a strong resume runs into a brutal job market. He reflects on the year and a half after leaving a struggling company, attempting to go independent, applying nonstop, and still feeling invisible. Jacob talks about how AI has changed hiring on both sides. Candidates can apply at scale with polished, tailored resumes, while hiring teams are overwhelmed by stacks of applications that start to blur together. He opens up about how repeated ghosting shook his confidence and identity, especially under the pressure of providing for his family. After hitting a breaking point, Jacob shares how a raw LinkedIn plea went viral worldwide, and how support from strangers, including a Business Insider feature, helped restore his self belief. Now, he’s rebuilding through therapy, meditation, and yoga, and betting on himself as he builds what’s next, including a project to teach kids critical thinking in an AI driven world. In this conversation, you’ll learn: How AI and mass applying have changed the job search, and why great candidates can still feel invisible What repeated rejection does to confidence, and how to rebuild without waiting for external validation Why therapy, meditation, and yoga became key tools in Jacob’s comeback Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (01:38) Early entrepreneurship and first exit (07:20) Facing today’s job market realities (08:50) Thank you to our sponsor, Hire Overseas (18:27) Moving beyond a professional facade (20:11) Sharing a raw LinkedIn plea (22:09) How AI is reshaping hiring (28:29) Rebuilding confidence after repeated ghosting (31:47) Therapy, meditation, and yoga practices (38:42) Betting on one’s self and building next Resources: Connect with Jake: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobwoodward/ Website: https://www.jacobwoodward.dev/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching Join Growth OS: https://deliveringvalue.co/growth-operating-system

February 17, 2026Episode 9451 min

Former Reforge VP Gets His Worst Review Ever — Here's What Changed (Dan Wolchonok)

If you're focused on scaling your team and driving more revenue in 2026: Hire Overseas, helping growth and marketing teams find and hire exceptional overseas talent: https://hireoverseas.com/value -- High performers don’t get stuck because they lack talent. They get stuck because the habits that made them successful as individual contributors quietly stop working once they’re leading others. In this episode of Growing Forward, I sit down with Dan Wolchonok, founder of Work Coach, to unpack what happens when a strong operator runs into the “player-coach” trap. Dan reflects on a painful 360 review from his time at Reforge that forced him to confront how jumping in to do the work himself was unintentionally holding his team back. We talk through a defining moment in Dan’s journey: presenting a company-wide growth model to the executive team after weeks of preparation, only to be met with silence. No questions. No debate. Just a hollow reaction that left him gutted. Dan shares what that experience taught him about leadership at higher levels, including the importance of bringing a clear point of view, strong next steps, and enough conviction to spark real discussion and action. Dan also walks us through how he responded to tough feedback without spiraling, using executive coaching, systems, and intentional changes to rebuild trust and momentum. We explore why remote work and flatter orgs make career guidance harder to access, and how Work Coach was born from the desire to give people a reliable sounding board as they navigate growth, feedback, and leadership transitions. In this conversation, you’ll learn: How the “best doer” instincts can create a manager death spiral, and how to break it Why a presentation can flop even if the work is strong, and how to lead with a clear take + next steps How to respond to brutal feedback with maturity, momentum, and “next play” energy Things to listen for: (00:00) Intro (02:20) Dan’s early building roots in tech (05:12) The messy side of success (07:04) Thank you to our sponsor, Hire Overseas (08:45) Why talking about failure matters (09:57) What setbacks can reveal (10:45) Trying to scale with the company (15:15) Pitching a growth model to execs (17:46) When the feedback hits hard (23:11) Resetting after a missed swing (25:12) Turning feedback into momentum (26:28) Shifting from doer to leader (27:19) Reading painful 360 feedback aloud (40:14) Why Dan built Work Coach Resources: Connect with Dan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielwolchonok/ X: https://x.com/danwolch Learn more about Work Coach: https://work.coach/ Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.co Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching Join Growth OS: https://deliveringvalue.co/growth-operating-system