Shows
Lead With ExcellenceBuilding Resilient Teams in SaaS, with Tom LaveryJoin us in this insightful episode as Tom Lavery, CEO and co-founder of Jiminny, shares his entrepreneurial journey from sales director to scaling his SaaS company. Dive into Tom's experiences with private equity, bootstrapping, and the rapidly evolving role of AI.
Discover the importance of building resilient teams and learn key strategies for leveraging AI innovation while navigating the challenges of growth and strategic decisions. If you're curious about transforming startup dreams into thriving realities, this episode is a must-listen.
2024-11-2035 minLead With ExcellenceBuilding Culture at Scale: Lessons from Deliveract's hypergrowth, with Ingrid De Clercq and Jan HollezIn this episode, join Thomas Goubau as he sits down with Ingrid De Clercq, Chief People Officer, and Jan Hollez, Co-founder and CTO of Deliveract.
They dive into the critical topic of building and scaling company culture, a cornerstone of Deliveract's rapid growth from a small startup to a global player with nearly 500 employees across 13 countries.
Ingrid and Jan share their unique experiences, from implementing innovative strategies like using Lego for vision building to maintaining a cohesive culture during hypergrowth.
Discover practical advice on how to intentionally shape your company's culture, ensure alignment...
2024-05-2943 minLead With ExcellenceAutomation & Bootstrapping: Aytekin Tank's Principles for Scaling JotForm, with Aytekin TankIn this transformative episode of the "Lead With Excellence" podcast, we sit down with Aytekin Tank, the visionary CEO behind JotForm's impressive 18-year journey as a bootstrapped sensation in the fiercely competitive SaaS industry.
With a dedicated team of 600, JotForm has become a beacon of steady, self-funded growth and innovation, demonstrating the power of staying true to one's entrepreneurial pace and vision.
Episode Highlights:
- Discover the humble beginnings of JotForm as Aytekin Tank shares his lightbulb moment that led to the creation of a form-building powerhouse. Learn how an...
2024-05-1346 minLead With ExcellenceCustomer-led growth and bootstrapping social SaaS success, with Michael KamleitnerIn this captivating episode of the Lead with Excellence podcast, we sit down with Michael Kamleitner, a remarkable tech entrepreneur who rose from his roots as a web developer to become the founder of two innovative software companies - Swat.io and Walls.io - specializing in social media management and marketing.
Michael takes us through his unique business philosophy, revealing how he sculpted successful enterprises not from one grand idea, but from attentively listening to customer needs within the bustling realm of social media. Delving into the world of bootstrapping, our guest illuminates the benefits of...
2024-04-0333 minLead With ExcellenceFrom Engineer to Entrepreneur, with Nicolas SalibaJoin us for an exciting episode of "Lead with Excellence" podcast where we dive into the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with our special guest, Nicolas. With an engineering background from INSA, a prestigious engineering school in France, Nicolas shares his journey from an internship in the US to founding his first company in 2008.
In this episode, learn how Nicolas and his team tackled the challenge of information overload in businesses, and how they pivoted their product to eventually succeed in the Yammer app store after nearly going bankrupt.
Nicolas offers valuable advice for entrepreneurs...
2024-03-2139 minLead With ExcellenceDouble your bandwidth as a CEO thanks to a Chief of Staff, with Remi GiudicelliIn this episode, we explore a crucial role in any growing organisation: the Chief of Staff.
With an in-depth look at the ways in which this role can catalyse sustained and scalable growth, we discuss how a Chief of Staff effectively leverages the CEO's strengths, allowing them to focus on what they do best. We address the Chief of Staff's key responsibilities in problem solving, communication and organisation within the company and how they differ from the tasks of an Executive Assistant.
This episode highlights the role of the Chief of Staff as a sounding...
2024-02-2742 minLead With ExcellenceFrom Tech Startups to Global Scale. Entrepreneurial Mastery, with Xavier PansaersIn this episode, we are thrilled to have Xavier Pansaer, a tech entrepreneur par excellence with a wealth of experience spanning an impressive 25 years in the industry. Xavier shares the journey and valuable insights from his tenure scaling ventures such as Arcadyn and the renowned integrated business applications suite, Odoo.
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business leader, or simply someone with a passion for growth and innovation, this episode is packed with actionable advice and captivating reflections on both personal and professional development.
2024-01-1928 min
TheInquisitor Podcast with Marcus CauchiThomas Goubau: Are These 3 ”Obvious” Blindspots Holding Back Your Business?Thomas Goubau
Facing HR Hard Truths
Thomas learned the hard way about outsourcing HR strategy. As his startup scaled, a "spaghetti network" of disconnected tools emerged without strategic oversight. He shares how Q7's People Model Canvas fixes this by bringing objectivity to difficult conversations about people.
3 Blindspots Hidden in Plain Sight
Many leaders miss subtle but important distinctions. Thomas reveals how assuming all roles are the same leads to misaligned processes. Plus, why focusing only on performance instead of cultivating skills dooms companies to irrelevance.
Rituals: The Secret...
2023-12-2358 minLead With Excellence95% Sales Forecast Accuracy - Structuring Your Sales Team for Success, with Martijn PlessersIn this episode, we explore the key to successful sales team structures, especially in fast-paced startups: "The Drumbeat," a series of regular meetings to ensure accountability and strategic alignment. We cover various meeting types, from annual and quarterly planning sessions to weekly forecasts and daily check-ins, each serving a distinct purpose, such as the Quarterly Go-To-Market meeting for reflection and preparation, and the critical Forecast Meeting for accurate sales projections.
The discussion extends to essential sales terms like 'pipeline' and 'forecast,' the value of personal coaching, and the synergy between marketing and sales departments for optimal...
2023-11-0948 minLead With ExcellenceNaviguer dans le monde du journalisme en tant qu'entrepreneur : Conseils et astuces avec Christophe CharlotDans cet épisode, nous discutons avec Christophe Charlot, journaliste au Trends Tendance, qui partage avec nous des stratégies pour aider les entrepreneurs à nouer des relations durables avec les journalistes. Apprenez comment balancer entre vos objectifs de promotion et la recherche journalistique d'informations objectives et pertinentes. Un épisode indispensable pour tout entrepreneur cherchant à naviguer efficacement dans le monde des médias.
2023-06-0128 minLead With ExcellenceSpice Girls Marketing (and other lessons), with Piet SaegemanOn this episode of Lead With Excellence, Thomas Goubau interviews messaging strategist Piet Saegeman about the key ingredients to successful branding. Piet shares his career journey from doing color management for Coca-Cola to helping C-suite executives scale their messaging strategy for the long term. He even got certified as a hypnotherapist just to learn about subconscious behaviors! This conversation is packed with insights like the 5 things your audience wants to know. You won’t want to miss it!
2023-03-1443 minLead With ExcellenceDrawing your story, with Martin SaiveFrom the United Nations to MIT, Martin Saive and Cartoonbase have helped many organizations worldwide tell their stories through illustration. Now, he’s here to tell his own story on this episode of Lead With Excellence. Thomas and Martin break down how Cartoonbase understands business problems and represents them in a visual medium. They also discuss how to find the right balance of clarity and emotion in your messaging – as well as what Cartoonbase has learned from Pixar. Whether you’re a creative professional or someone who doodles during meetings, you’re going to want to hear this one.
2023-01-1820 minLead With ExcellencePlaybooks for the Future, with Gerald ZanklIf good sales training is the key to B2B success, why is it so often expensive and inaccessible? This question led Gerald Zankl to found KickScale, and he joins Thomas Goubau on this episode of “Lead with Excellence” to discuss his entrepreneurship journey. Gerald shares his experiences at Y Combinator, which forced him to find creative solutions to marketing problems. He also tells Thomas about a time when he had to set aside his ego for the good of a company – and how that shaped his current mission to help first-time leaders and first-time sellers take their game to the...
2023-01-1144 minLead With ExcellenceWhy You Need a Chief of Staff, with Pieterjan BoutenOn this episode of Lead with Excellence, Showpad Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Pieterjan “PJ” Bouten demystifies the art of surrounding yourself with a good colleague – from finding like-minded co-founders in the early days to make your first sales hires as an expanding team.
PJ even makes a case for why a chief of staff is essential for success, albeit often overlooked. Throughout his conversation with Thomas, PJ reiterates the importance of structuring your executive team so the CEO gets out of the weeds and into the strategy sphere.
2022-11-2239 minLead With ExcellenceScaling Up and Letting Go: Stephan Maes on Solving the Founder DilemmaWhen should a respected founder know that it’s time to step aside? No, this isn’t King Lear. It’s the world of SaaS, and you’re listening to Lead With Excellence.
In this episode, Thomas tackles the classic Founder’s Dilemma with Sales Gladiators Founder & CEO Stephan Maes. They discuss how a founder’s role can and should change through the three critical stages of company growth. If some of the best founders are those who recognize the limits of their expertise, how
do you learn what those limits are? Along the way, you’ll hear how to...
2022-11-0939 minLead With ExcellenceBoosting Sales through Storytelling, with Mike AdamsSalespeople are often gifted storytellers – but what separates the best stories from hollow pitches?
To find out, Thomas interviews Mike Adams, author of Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell.
On this episode of Lead with Excellence, Mike tells Thomas how his background running sales teams in the tech and energy sectors led him to storytelling.
After studying how stories build trust with clients, he now unpacks the ingredients and recipes that craft the strongest sales narratives.
Along the way, Mike shares with Thomas his list of must-read books for s...
2022-09-1228 minLead With ExcellenceRolling with the Punches: Thomas De Clerck on Pivoting Your BusinessWhen Thomas De Clerck co-founded Cumul.io in 2016, he hoped their cloud platform would help non-technical workers manage data effectively. But when a competitor began offering a similar product for free, his team pivoted their business – and found great success!
On this episode of Lead with Excellence, Thomas Goubau talks to Thomas De Clerck about his experience transitioning Cumul.io into the customer analytics space, the importance of recognizing when an initial idea isn’t the right fit, and his insights into making the most of seed funding.
2022-08-2918 minLead With ExcellenceThe secrets of startups that last, with Sven De CleynWhat separates a unicorn from a flameout? Thomas sits down with imec.istart Program Director Sven De Cleyn to find out.
Together, they discuss what Sven learned from his PhD research into successful startups, how those findings shape his current work at an accelerator, and what it takes to be a thriving startup in Belgium today. Stick around to hear what he looks for when offering pre-seed funding to tech companies.
2022-08-1539 minLead With ExcellenceLessons from a highly experienced CEO, with Jos DonvilThis episode features Jos Donvil, the former CEO of companies such as Base, VOO, Bpost, or RSC Anderlecht. In this third episode, we talk about the CEO journey of Jos, his background, failures and wins.
You'll hear how Jos handled the difference between managing private and semi-public companies. And you'll learn about his vision around companies restructuring.
Jos is a highly experienced CEO and I am very happy that he accepted my invitation to be a guest on the show. Enjoy!
2022-07-1337 min
Lead With ExcellenceA serial entrepreneur's journey, with Sébastien DeletailleThis episode features Sébastien Deletaille, the CEO of Rosa, a non-profit health app. In this second episode, we talk about the entrepreneurial journey of Sébastien, his background, failures and wins. You'll learn how he pivoted one of his companies from selling services to products. Sébastien also talks about the difference between a founder and a CEO.
2022-06-2728 min
Lead With ExcellenceThe M&A strategy to dominate the CRM market in Europe, with Cédric PierrardThis episode features Cédric Pierrard, the CEO of Efficy, a major European player in the CRM market. This episode is a great listen because he talks about his journey as a founder and his M&A playbook to grow internationally and dominate the European market.
2022-05-3140 min
Onderneem JezelfEpisode 10. Thomas Goubau - CEO Q7Leader - Je kunt anderen pas helpen als je eerst waarde creëert voor jezelf.Toen Thomas Goubau begin 2020 voor de vierde keer vader werd, en door het welbekende virus noodgedwongen veel tijd in zijn living doorbracht, ontdekte hij hoe belangrijk het is om je thuis te voelen - zowel in je bedrijf als privé. 'Werk aan de winkel', dacht hij, en hij dook in het Onderneem Jezelf-programma van MindTransformers. Dat leidde tot persoonlijk contentement, een nieuw professioneel avontuur én een oldtimer. Benieuwd naar zijn verhaal? Je hoort het in een nieuwe episode van onze podcast.
2022-05-0915 min