In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli sits down with seasoned investor and Neotera founder Carl Coward to unpack one of the most urgent challenges facing U.S. industry today: securing a stable, domestic supply of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, rare earths,copper, tin,graphite etc.

Carl shares his global journey through mining and investment banking, his deep concern over U.S. reliance on adversarial nations like China, and the bold private-public efforts underway to rebuild a Western supply chain. They discuss the undeniable link between national security and rare earth processing and what needs to change at the policy level, and the once-in-a-generation ROI potential for investors and engineers alike.

If you've wondered what it really takes to mine, process, and protect the future of American innovation, this is the conversation to hear.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level?

Explore expert insights, practical strategies, and powerful tools to elevate your impact in business.

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Let’s grow together!

How can AI-powered video analytics transform retail and restaurant operations without drowning in complexity?

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, Julian Castelli sits down with Brock Weeks, CEO and co-founder of Savi, to uncover how his team is turning security cameras into real-time operational tools for cutting costs, reducing theft, and dramatically improving customer experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• From Security to Profitability - How Savi repurposes existing cameras to track labor efficiency, theft, and wait times (saving brands $15K/site!).

• Scaling Sales the Right Way - Why Brock delayed hiring until his CAC metrics proved scalability (and the costly mistake most startups make).

• The Power of ‘No’ – How focusing on restaurants first (not banks or pharmacies) unlocked Savi’s 10,000-site growth.

• Leadership Lessons - Building a durable company culture with Radical Candor, OKRs, and Andy Grove’s High Output Management.

• COVID Pivot to Profit - Launching weeks before lockdowns and why narrowing their niche saved the business.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Explore expert insights, practical strategies, and powerful tools to elevate your impact in business.

👉 Visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

📲 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ for daily leadership inspiration and updates.

Let’s grow together!

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli engages with Joe Grover, a seasoned entrepreneur and current CMO at Ampleo.

Joe shares his journey, focusing on his impactful role at Homie, a tech company disrupting the real estate market with a cost-effective, transparent model.

He discusses marketing strategies, challenges in scaling, and the importance of profitability over mere growth. Joe also highlights Ampleo's mission to enhance small business success through fractional leadership.

The episode underscores the value of mentorship, strategic insights, and the entrepreneurial spirit in building successful ventures.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Explore expert insights, practical strategies, and powerful tools to elevate your impact in business.

👉 Visit us at ⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠

📲 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ for daily leadership inspiration and updates.

Let’s grow together!

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli is joined by AI expert Kevin Williams and MyAdvice CEO Shawn Miele to discuss practical strategies for AI adoption in organizations.

Sean shares his company’s journey, highlighting the importance of leadership, company-wide involvement, secure platforms, and continuous training.

Kevin offers insights on industry trends, the need for AI literacy, and common pitfalls. The conversation covers empowering employees, automating tedious tasks, and fostering a culture of innovation to achieve measurable AI wins in 2025.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Explore expert insights, practical strategies, and powerful tools to elevate your impact in business.

👉 Visit us at ⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠

📲 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ for daily leadership inspiration and updates.

Let’s grow together!

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli interviews Eli Portnoy, CEO and co-founder of Back Engine.

Eli shares his entrepreneurial journey, focusing on his experiences with Sense360, a data analytics company for the restaurant industry.

He discusses the challenges of transitioning from founder-led sales to a scalable model, the impact of COVID-19 on his business, and the importance of adaptability and collaboration.

Eli also highlights the evolving role of AI in business, emphasizing the need for curiosity and innovation. The episode offers valuable insights into scaling startups and leveraging AI for efficiency.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Explore expert insights, practical strategies, and powerful tools to elevate your impact in business.

👉 Visit us at ⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠

📲 Follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ for daily leadership inspiration and updates.

Let’s grow together!

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli converses with Nate Randle, CEO of Gabb, a company focused on creating a safe tech environment for children.

Nate shares his career journey from sports to tech, highlighting roles at Nike, Callaway Golf, and the Utah Jazz, before transitioning to tech firms like Vivint and Qualtrics. He discusses Gabb's mission to protect children from social media dangers while fostering family connections.

The episode also explores leadership lessons, the importance of strategic partnerships, and the challenges of entering the competitive telecom market.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Explore expert insights, practical strategies, and powerful tools to elevate your impact in business.

👉 Visit us at GrowthElevated.com
📲 Follow us on LinkedIn for daily leadership inspiration and updates.

Let’s grow together!

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli converses with Ken Gavranovic, a seasoned entrepreneur and former CEO of Web.com. Ken shares his journey in scaling Web.com to significant growth and a successful IPO during the early internet era. Key insights include the importance of automation, marketing strategies, and data-driven decision-making. Ken emphasizes understanding customer needs, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and integrating AI to enhance business operations. He also discusses the transformative potential of AI, particularly for small businesses, and underscores the importance of adaptability and continuous learning in leadership.

For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, host Julian Castelli converses with Tom Lineen, a seasoned leader in the payments industry and founder of West Town Payments. Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, Tom's company focuses on underserved markets like hemp and CBD. Tom shares his entrepreneurial journey, detailing the challenges of finding a banking partner and the strategic decisions that led to his company's success. He emphasizes the importance of trust, transparency, and leveraging technology. The episode offers valuable insights into navigating business growth during challenging times.

For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠.