“Leadership isn’t about having fewer fears — it’s about learning how to lead with them.” - Peter Brack

In this episode of Tech Scenes Beverly Hills, Jeff Martin sits down with Peter Brack, a trusted executive coach to some of the world’s most accomplished founders and CEOs.

Peter works with high-performing leaders backed by firms like Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, and Y Combinator, helping them build enduring companies while navigating the internal and external complexity that comes with growth. His career spans the full arc of company-building — from launching CNN and Turner Broadcasting in Asia at Time Warner, to serving as President of Time Inc. Asia Pacific, to co-founding and leading two companies through IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Now, as a credentialed executive coach (ICF), Coaching Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, and co-founder of an early-stage venture firm and startup studio, Peter brings rare perspective into what truly shapes great leadership over time.

The conversation explores fear, confidence, and decision-making at the highest levels, the methodologies behind effective coaching, and how founders and CEOs can scale themselves alongside their organizations. They also dive into team dynamics, organizational growth, and why the inner work of leadership becomes more—not less—important as companies grow.

Chapters

00:00 Leadership at the Highest Levels

04:12 The Role of Fear in Leadership

09:03 Confidence vs Certainty

14:27 Founder and CEO Dynamics

20:41 Coaching Methodologies That Work

27:18 Scaling the Leader as the Company Scales

33:56 Team Dynamics and Organizational Growth

41:02 Decision-Making in Complexity

48:15 Preparing for the Next Chapter

Watch now to hear how elite founders and CEOs think about leadership beneath the surface — and what it really takes to build companies that endure.

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies 👉 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak OS™ 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #CEOLife #Founders #TeamDynamics #BusinessStrategy #PersonalGrowth #PeakTeams

“Always be transaction ready.” - Cody BarboIn this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff Martin sits down with Cody Barbo, Founder & CEO of Trust & Will, to explore how WealthTech, AI, and thoughtful design are reshaping one of the most overlooked — and most important — areas of financial life: estate planning.Cody shares the journey of building Trust & Will from the ground up, modernizing an industry that historically felt complex, expensive, and inaccessible. Since launching in 2017, Trust & Will has helped more than 1 million Americans start their estate plans, raised $83M+ in capital, completed the first electronic will in history, and partnered with institutions like AARP, UBS, Fifth Third Bank, Northwestern Mutual, and more.The conversation dives into the evolution of WealthTech, what it means to be AI-first in a highly regulated industry, and how Trust & Will’s newest platform, EstateOS™, is redefining how families and professionals plan, manage, and preserve legacies. Cody also reflects on scaling teams, staying transaction-ready as a startup, and balancing leadership, growth, and family as a founder and dad of two.Chapters00:00 The Evolution of WealthTech and AI Integration06:35 The Journey of Trust & Will: Founding Story13:28 Building a Digital Estate Planning Platform19:31 Scaling Operations and Team Dynamics35:07 Navigating Growth and Future Aspirations47:40 Personal Reflections and Future DirectionsWatch now to hear how Cody is transforming estate planning into a modern pillar of financial care — and why AI, trust, and experience design matter more than ever in building enduring companies.📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies👉 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak Operating System™👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessmentMusic by: andrewapplepie.bandcamp.com#TechScenes #TrustAndWill #WealthTech #AI #EstatePlanning #StartupJourney #Leadership #FounderStories #DigitalTransformation #PeakTeams

“Execution is everything in startups.” - Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals and a longtime leader in venture banking and lending.

Before becoming an author, Marshall spent more than two decades in venture banking, including sixteen years at Silicon Valley Bank, where he held nine different roles across three countries. Most recently, he led SVB’s Relationship Management organization in Northern California and oversaw the bank’s in-house private credit team, the Strategic Capital Group. Over his career, Marshall has worked closely with hundreds of startups — including Airbnb, Twitch, Fitbit, Planet Labs, Tubemogul, and Egnyte — giving him a rare, front-row view into how founders use (and sometimes misuse) venture debt.

The conversation dives deep into the mechanics of venture debt, how banks actually think about underwriting risk, and why venture debt can be a powerful — but often misunderstood — tool for extending runway and minimizing dilution. Marshall also shares candid insights on team dynamics, execution, and how the venture lending landscape has evolved in the wake of SVB’s collapse.

They explore what great lenders look for, how founders should evaluate financing options, and why building strong relationships with capital partners is just as important as raising the money itself.

Chapters:

00:00 The Role of Banks in Venture Debt

01:34 Introduction to Venture Debt Deals

04:03 The Journey to Authorship

09:07 History and Evolution of Venture Lending

12:22 Understanding Venture Debt

17:49 The Underwriting Process in Venture Debt

21:44 When to Use Venture Debt

25:19 Evaluating Team Dynamics

29:33 The Importance of Team Functionality

36:31 Case Study: Airbnb’s Success

46:03 The Impact of SVB’s Failure

51:26 Conclusion and Book Release

Watch now to understand how venture debt really works, what founders often get wrong about it, and how the best teams use capital as a strategic advantage — not a crutch.

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies

👉 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak Operating System™

👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up

👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #VentureDebt #Startups #Financing #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #SVB #Leadership #TeamDynamics #PeakTeams